PERTH, the capital of Perthshire, ranks as a city ; in the order of royal burghs it stands next to Edinburgh ; and is, unquestionably, the finest provincial town in Scot land. Perth is a place of great antiquity, and, as such, the early periods of its history are involved in obscurity. Nothing certain is known as to the origin and etymology of the name. Lord Hailes says, with regard to it, "I have been favoured with different interpretations of the word; not knowing which to choose, I judge it best to omit them all." On the establishment of Christianity in this part of the country, a church was built in Perth, and dedicated to St. John the Baptist. From this circum stance, the town obtained, at an early period, the name of St. John's town, or St. Johnston, and by this name it is often known in history; but it is said this new name is not recognised in any ancient charters.
The first authentic information that we have respecting Perth, occurs in the reign of William, King of Scotland, who granted a charter to the town, which is still in exist ence. This charter was given on the 10th day of Octo ber, 1210. It is said that this king narrowly escaped be ing drowned in the town of Perth, by a sudden inundation of the river Tay. Hector Boece gives us a most formida ble account of this inundation. He informs us that the town was entirely destroyed, and that the king's youngest son, with fourteen of his household, were swept away.
He tells us, moreover, that the king built a new city, about two miles farther down the river, and that this is the present city of Perth ; the name of the ancient city being Bertha. Boece has been followed in this account by Camden, Buchanan, &c.; but there can be little doubt that the account is in most respects entirely fabulous. There is no reason to doubt the circumstance of the inun dation; for it is particularly mentioned by Fordun, a wri ter of higher antiquity, and higher authority than Boece. But he says nothing of the change of the name or situa tion of the town ; he tells us expressly, that the king, with his household, escaped, and that no lives were lost, the citizens having saved themselves either by flight, or by taking refuge in the highest parts of the houses. Still more completely to refute this story of Boece, the late Mr. Scott, an industrious antiquary, and for a long time senior minister of Perth, has shown, from charters grant ed before and after this inundation, that the town of Perth has had the same name, and the same situation, from the earliest time that it is mentioned in history, till the present day.
The population of Perth, by the census of 1821, is 19,068, being an increase of 2120 since 1811.