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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at |http: //books .google .com/I ^ He N 5^ THE NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND. VOL. III. THE NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OP SCOTLAND BY THE MINISTERS OF THE RESPECTIVE PARISHES, UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF A COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIETY FOR Td£ BENEFIT OF THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE CLERGY. VOL. III. ROXBURGH-PERBLKS-SELKIRK. WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH AND LONDON. MDCCCXLV. ROXBURGH. CONTENTS. ANCRUM, • PAGE 241 ASHKIRK, 268 BBDRULB, • 279 BOWDEN, 34 CASTLETOWN, • 440 CATERS, 425 CRAILINO, • 177 ECKPORD, 220 BDNAM, • 419 HAWICK, 379 HOBKIRK, • 208 HOUNAM, 188 JEDBURGH, • 1 KELSO, 298 KIRKTOWN, • 377 LBSSUDDEN, 104 LILLIBSLEAF, • 24 LINTON, 145 MAKERSTON, • 137 MAXTON, 115 MELROSE, • 51 MIMTO, 352 MOBBBATTLB AND MOW, 447 OXNAM, • • 252 ROBBRTON, • 87, ROXBURGH, • • 127 ST B08WBLL8, • 104 SMALHOLM, • • 141 80UTHDBAN, • 98 SPROUSTON, • • 235 STITCHBLL AND HUME, 456 WILTON, • • 76 TRTBOLM, • 159 f • » -k «•• PARISH OF JEDBURGH. PRESBYTERY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDilLE, THE REV. JOHN PURVES, MINISTER, I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The name of this parish appears to have been at a for- mer period indiscriminately written, Gedworde, Jedworth, Jedwood, and Jedburgh. The name of the river, which is the only essential part of these compounds, being anciently written Ged, and per- haps Gad, has given rise to the probable conjecture, that this was the principal seat of the Gadeni, a tribe who inhabited the district between the river Tiviot and Northumberland. Extent^ Sfc. — The parish consists of two detached portions, which are in figure exceedingly irregular. The first or lower division, (in which is situate the town of Jedburgh in Long. W 10'' W. in time, and Lat 55° 2d' 45" N.) is in some places seven miles long and five broad ; and the second, or higher division, is five miles long and four broad. The whole parish contains 38 square miles. It is bounded by the parishes of Ancrum and Crailing on the north; by Oxnam and Eckford on the east ; by Bedrule and Southdean on the west ; and by the county of Northumberland on the south. It is intersected by Oxnam and Southdean. Topographical Appearances, — The surface is greatly diversified, presenting an agreeable variety of hills and valleys. Through its centre runs the deep sinuous valley of the Jed ; whilst the higher ground on either side, indented by numerous ravines, rises by an undulating ascent to the height of nearly 300 feet above the level of the river. The highest hill in the neighbourhood of Jedburgh is the Dunian, which is 1 120 feet above the level of the sea ; but its summit is in the parish of Bedrule. In the higher part of the parish, there are several beautiful green hills of a conical form, two of which are upwards of 1 100 feet above the sea ; but, being situate near the Carter Fell, a mountain of the Cheviot range, the height of which is 2020 feet, their elevation is not conspicuous. Climate. — The climate varies considerably. In Jedburgh and ROXBURGH. A 2 ROXBURGHSHIRE. the valley, which are sheltered by the banks of the river, it is mild and temperate ; whilst in the higher and more exposed parts it is colder. The mean temperature is Al^ of Fahrenheit The mean pressure of the atmosphere is 29.3 inches. The greatest extremes during the last twenty years were 1821, December 25, 27.85 inches, and 1825, January 9, 30.55 inches. The town of Jed- burgh is remarkably healthy, being subject to fewer epidemical diseases than either of the neighbouring towns of Kelso and Hawick. Cholera, which, in the year 1832, visited both these places, never entered this parish, although it twice approached its very bounda- ries. As might be expected from the salubrity of the climate, there are numerous instances of longevity. At present, five or six per- sons are above ninety, and one has completed his hundredth year. At a Reform dinner which took place in 1832, the united ages of three women, including the chairwoman, amounted to 264. She occupied a chair which was made in the year 1674, and on which the Pretender had sat when he passed through Jedburgh in 1745, and her gown had seen 100 summers. Hydrography, — This parish possesses abundance of excellent pe- rennial springs, with a mean temperature of AT Fahrenheit. At Tudhope, about half a mile from Jedburgh, there is a spring strongly impregnated with sulphur and iron, which has long been resorted to for the cure of scorbutic disorders. There are several chalybeate springs, in various parts of the parish, and at GilUestongues there is a petrifying spring. The Jed, which flows through nearly the whole length of the parish, rises on the north side of the Carlin Tooth, one of the Cheviot mountains, in the parish of Southdean, at the distance of about fourteen miles from Jedburgh, and joins the Tiviot about two and a half miles below the town. It receives many tributary streamlets ; and rushing over a rocky channel, betwixt woody banks and lofty scars, fringed with shrubs, and crowned with the oak, the beech, and the weeping birch, presents in its course a suc- cession of highly picturesque and romantic scenes. Its general di- rection is from south to north. Its waters are pure and salubrious. Its breadth is about twenty yards ; and, having a fall of thirty feet per mile, its velocity is considerable. The eastern part of the pa- rish is watered by the Oxnam, and through the north of it flows the Tiviot, winding beautifully through its wide and fertile vale. Geology and Mineralogy. — The nature and position of the rocks afford abundant materials for the speculations of the geologist. At V JEDBURGH. 3 a quarter of a mile to the south of Jedburgh is the remarkable precipice of which Dr Hutton has given a drawing in his Theory of the Earth. There, both the primary and secondary formations are seen at one view. The strata of the primary rocks are vertical, and in many places their irregularity seems to indicate the effects of some great convulsion. These strata, at their junction with the secondary formation, are interspersed with thin layers of lime- stone. The strata of the secondary formation are horizontal, con- sisting of red freestone dent, alternating with soft sandstone of the same colour. This latter stratification is beautifully exempli- fied in the lofty precipitous banks of the Jed, throughout the lower part of its course. With the red are frequently combined thin strata of a pale yellow and of a bluish-gray. The strata are in ge- neral exceedingly regular, but there is no uniform dip. In some places there are remarkable breaks, as at Sunnybrae, where the general direction of the strata is suddenly interrupted, and they fall down in a direction nearly opposite ; and at Hundalee Mill, where they are curiously broken and bent into curves. At Kers- heugh the Jed is crossed by a dike of primary rocks, through which it appears to have forced its way with diflSculty. A similar dike occurs at Roughly-nook Hill, and runs in an easterly direction up Edgerston Rigg. Above the red there is abundance of excellent white sandstone, which may be found in all the more elevated si- tuations throughout the parish. Some of the hills, however, con- sist of whin reposing on the sandstone. At the Carter Fell, which forms the southern boundary of the parish, there is great plenty of excellent limestone ; and at Hunthill, about two miles from Jed- burgh, there are six strata ranged at different distances above each other, the thickest of which is nine inches. A temporary kiln was erected there about sixty years ago, but was soon abandoned on account of the expense of coal. In the glen near Hunthill House there are considerable appearances of coal formation ; and at a short distance from this, various trials had been made for coal, as appears from the council-records of Jedburgh, so early as the year 1660. In the year 1798 a bore was sunk, nine feet distant from an old pit, at the expense of the county of Roxburgh, to the depth of forty-five fathoms. At the depth of thirty-five fathoms, a hard bluish-gray freestone had just been pierced through, when the rods suddenly sunk four feet without any pressure. This ap- peared to some to confirm the current belief, that coals had been formerly found there ; and they explained the sudden descent of 4 ROXBURGHSHIRE. the rods on the supposition, that they had already been extracted in that direction. When forty-five fathoms had been reached without success, the directors ordered the old pit to be opened ; and when the workmen had proceeded to the depth of eight fathoms, they found the remains of a horse gin with an axle of oak, the iron part of which was much worn. They were unable to descend far- ther without machinery to draw off the water, and the funds being exhausted, the undertaking was relinquished. In digging amongst the rubbish thrown out of the old pit, a hard gray stone was found, with a piece of well-formed coal attached to one of its sides. The only ore hitherto found in the parish is that of iron, which occurs in a bed of about three feet thickness, at a short distance from Jedburgh, near the precipice already mentioned. It lies be- twixt the primitive and secondary formations. A quantity of vitri- fied matter was lately dug up on Howdean Moor, resembling what is found at vitrified forts. It was comprised, however, within the space of six feet. The soil did not appear to have been exposed to the action of fire. In draining bogs at Scarsburgh and Hunt- hill, hazelnuts, together with a few remnants of black oak, were found at the depth of ten feet Oak-trees of great dimensions are occasionally found in the alluvial soil at the side of the Tiviot. As might be expected from the extent of the parish, and the inequality of the surface, the soil is various, consisting of clay, of a mixture of clay and sand or gravel in various proportions, and in the neighbourhood of Jedburgh chiefly of loam. Zoology. — The squirrel is found in the parish. The horned-owl, the fern-owl, and the kingsfisher, are frequently found on the banks of the Jed ; and in the more elevated parts of the parish, the plover, the dotterel, and fieldfare, are common. The starling, which for many years had disappeared, has again returned, and be- come common. The following are a few of the rare insects : — Bembidium impressunij Tetratoma fungorum^ Nitidida punctatis- sima^ N. grisect^ Telephorus cyaneus^ Ptinus imperialism Rhynchites cylindrictUj Spfiaeriestes immcLculatus, Lophyrus pini, Hipparchia blandina. Sphinx ligustri^ Chironomus elegansy and Sargus Reau- muri, * Botany. — The botany of this parish has not yet been sufficient- ly investigated. The whole extent of it was anciently covered with natural wood, and was known by the name of Jed Forest, which also included Southdean and part of the neighbouring parishes. * llde Stephens' Entomology. JEDBURGH. 5 The remains of the ancient forest, amounting to many hundred acres, were rapaciously cut down during the last century ; but the trees which have sprung from the old stocks, together with the plantations which have since reached maturity, still render this a well-wooded district A few patches of the ancient forest may still be seen in the neighbourhood of Femihirst, consisting chiefly of birch. In lower situations every species of forest trees grow luxu- riantly ; and in higher, Scotch fir and larch are most common. The Scotch fir at Stewartfield has attained a great age and size, and is much esteemed in carpentry, being thought little inferior to American fir. The ancient forest still possesses two venerable re- presentatives in the " King of the Wood," and the " Capon-tree," oaks situate near the Newcastle road, at the distance of one mile from Jedburgh. The " King of the Wood," towering above the surrounding trees, rises to the height of 99 feet, the circumference of its trunk, at three feet from the ground, being 14 feet. The <^ Capon-tree," which stands alone in a haugh opposite Hundalee Mill, has a more aged and gnarled appearance than the monarch, and, dividing into a multiplicity of boughs, is much admired for the fantastic twisting of its wide-spreading branches. The circum- ference of its trunk at three feet from the ground is 21 feet. The soil and situation of Jedburgh are peculiarly congenial to the growth of fruit trees, and of this the intelligent ecclesiastics who inhabited the monastery appear to have taken due advantage, as many pear-trees still exist, which, from their size and the slow progress of their growth, are thought to be at least three hundred years old. The oldest are of the following kinds : the Longueville, the summer Bon Chretien, the Ludd, the autumn Bergamot, the Pound pear, the Red honey, the White Warden, the Gray Warden, and the Gray Good-wife. Of a great age, but not quite so old as these, are the Gray Auchan, the Red Auchan, the Worry Carl, the Buchanan, the Drummond, the Golden Knop, the Lamias, and the Pitfirran. One of the largest of the red honey pear trees has been known to produce in one season sixty imperial bushels. Of the Longueville, there is a fine specimen in Friars gardens, which, though much decayed through age, continues to produce excellent crops. In the " Lady's Yards," or convent garden, a very old white warden pear-tree was blown down, which measured eight feet in circumference near the ground. In the orchard adjoining the house which was inhabited by Queen Mary during her illness at Jedburgh, there is a group of trees of the same kind, said by tra- 6 ROXBURGHSHIRE. dition to have been branches of a large tree whicli was blown down by a tempest on the night when King James VL crossed the bor- der to take possession of his English dominions. The tree being allowed to lie on its side, and buried in the earth, the branches became each a separate tree. Two of the oldest of the gray war- den pear-trees have been known to bear in one season, the one 53 imperial bushels, and the other 56. The pears which are most esteemed, and to which Jedburgh is chiefly indebted for its cele- brity for fruit, are the Longueville, the summer Bon Chretien, the autumn Bergamot, theLudd, the red and the gray Auchan. The old apple-trees are much inferior to those cultivated in modern times. The soil is a rich black loam, and this, combined with the delightful sheltered situation, enables gardeners to succeed in rear- ing delicate trees, which scarcely grow in other parts of the coun- try. As a proof of this, it may be mentioned, that Coe's imperial plum succeeds admirably as a standard, and produces fruit equal in quality to what grows on walls in gardens two miles distant from Jedburgh. In the garden of Mr Deans, the miller grape has se- veral times ripened in the open air without any species of covering. II. — Civil History. Historical Notices. — The two Jed worths are the most ancient parochial divisions in Scotland. Various notices of their history are to be found in books devoted to ecclesiastical antiquities, and the annals of border warfare. The magnificence of its ecclesias- tical establishments, the fastnesses of its forest, which was fre- quently the rendezvous of armies, — its castles, and the number of its fortified houses, rendered this parish at a former period of much more consequence than it has been since the Reformation and the union. From its proximity to the border, it was the continual scene of war and of lawless violence, from the time when Donald V. here defeated the confederate princes of Northumberland and Cumberland, to the year 1575, when the "Raid of the Reid Swire," which took place on its southern boundary, terminated the hostile feuds between the two kingdoms. Since these troublous times, few events have occurred worthy of being recorded. The alarm produced by the arrival of the Pretender with his Highlanders in 1745, is still remembered by a very few of the oldest inhabitants. The dengmination of dissenters termed Relief originated here un- der Mr Boston in the year 1 754. Historical Documents. — A curious manuscript account of the va- rious proceedings relative to the origin of the Relief, drawn up by the JEDBURGH. 7 kirk-session at that period, is in the possession of Mr Renwick, bookseller, Jedburgh. The only other documents illustrative of the history of the parish, are the charters and council-records of the borough of Jedburgh. The ancient charters all perished during the English wars, the town having been frequently reduced to ashes. They were all, however, renewed and confirmed by Queen Mary in the year 1556, when the magistrates were invested with the power of apprehending and committing criminals, of putting them to the knowledge of an assize, and of administering justice even unto death. Another charter was granted by King James VI. in the year 1569, conferring upon the provost, magistrates, and com- munity, all the property and revenues within the parish belonging to the Abbey of Jedburgh, for the purpose of erecting hospitals, supporting the poor and infirm, and for other pious uses. This charter was ratified in Parliament, December 19, 1597, butnoin- feftment appears to have been taken upon it, and there is no trace of any particular subject having been taken possession of under it. Another charter was granted by King Charles II. in the year 1641. The council-records have been preserved only from the year 1619. Eminent Characters. — A considerable number of eminent cha- racters have been connected with this parish at various periods of its history. St Kennock, who is said, by his effectual intercessions, to have preserved peace between the two kingdoms for the space of ten years, was Abbot of Jedburgh in the year 1000. To him succeeded a long line of abbots, many of whom, from being em- ployed in embassies, and other important political transactions, ap- pear to have been men of distinguished learning and prudence. — Sir William Stewart of Jedworth, who was taken prisoner with his relative Douglas at Homildon, and, by the lawless orders of Hot- spur, drawn and quartered, was remarkable both as a warrior and as a statesman, being honoured with the confidence of his sovereign, and frequently employed to represent the interests of his country. — In the Convent of Carmelites, which was founded by the inhabit- ants of Jedburgh, lived and died Adam Bell, author of Rota Tern- porunij a history of Scotland from the earliest times to the year 1535. — At a period somewhat later, Jedburgh had the honour of giving birth to John Rutherford, Principal of St Salvator's College, St Andrews, author of a book on the art of reasoning.* — The ce- lebrated Samuel Rutherford,f Principal of St Mary's College, St Andrews, was born in the adjoining parish of Nisbet, now annexed • Fide M'Crie's Life of Melville. f Vide Murray's Life of RwX.Vvw'vw^, 8 ROXBURGHSHIRE. to' Crailing, and is generally thought to have received his education at the grammar-school of Jedburgh. — Andrew Young, Regent of Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, under whom Ruther- ford studied, was bom of poor parents near Jedburgh. — Andrew Rutherford, master of the grammar-school of Jedburgh, was pro- moted to the rectorship of the High School of Edinburgh in 1669. — Here Gabriel Semple found a resting-place after the many troubles which he sustained during the Episcopal persecution. — At the grammar-school of Jedburgh, the poet Thomson, whose father was minister of Southdean, received the rudiments of his education. — This parish enjoyed for three years the ministrations of the cele- brated Dr Macknight ; and the long incumbency of the venerable Dr Somerville, historian of Queen Anne, &c who had attained the ninetieth year of his age, and the sixty-third of his ministry, ter- minated in the year 1830. He was admitted minister of Jedburgh in 1773, and when he died, was father of the Church of Scotland. — Jedburgh was the native place, and long the residence of the dis- tinguished land-surveyor John Ainslie ; and it has had the honour of giving birth to one of the most illustrious of living philosophers. Sir David Brewster. Chief Land-otoners. — The chief land-owners are the Marquis of Lothian, Mr Rutherfurd of Edgerston, Mr Miller of Stewartfield, the Earl of Minto, Mr Jerdon of Bonjedward, Mr Ormiston of Glenburnhall, Mr Fair of Langlee, &c Parochial Registers. — The date of the earliest entry in the pa- rochial registers is February 14, 1639. They are not voluminous, and it is to be regretted that they have been somewhat carelessly kept Antiquities, — At Old Jedworth, about four miles above the pre- sent town, are the ruins of a chapel which was founded by Ecgred, bishop of Lindisfarn, who died a. d. 845. It is situate amidst a clump of trees, in a level field at the side of the river. Its walls have crumbled into mounds, and the tombstones in its church-yard are scarcely visible above t)M grass. Interesting as is this sacred spot, it has attracted little attention in comparison of the more pro- minent and magnificent remains of the abbey of Jedburgh. This venerable structure »tands on the south side of the town, on the declining bank of the rr?er, which winds past it in front, washing some remnants of its outworks. The chapter-house, cloisters, and other appendages have perished, and nothing remains but the church, which, in the form of a cross, extends from east to west JEDBURGH. 9 230 feet The choir is much dilapidated, bearing marks of great antiquity. The two lower stories consist of massive pillars and se- micircular arches, with the diagonal or zigzag mouldings of Saxon architecture, whilst the upper windows, and some other parts are Gothic, evidently added at a more recent period. The north transept is entire, presenting traceried Gothic windows, especially one of great size and beauty. The south transept has disappeared. Above the intersection of the transepts with the nave and choir, a large square tower rises on four pillars to the height of 100 feet, surmomited by a projecting battlement, and crowned with turrets and pinnacles. The nave, measuring 130 feet long, presents on each side three tiers of arches ; the first, opening into the aisle, consists of pointed arches deeply recessed, and richly moulded, supported by* clustered columns with sculptured capitals ; the se* cond, which opened into the galleries, consists of beautifully mould- ed semicircular arches, with two pointed arches inserted in each ; and the third of elegant pointed windows. The lofty western gable possesses a Norman door of uncommon beauty, the archway exhi- biting a profusion of ornamented mouldings, supported by slender pillars to the depth of 7^ feet. Above it is a large window with a semicircular arch, flanked by small blank pointed arches on long slender shafts, and this is surmounted by a beautiful St Catherine's wheel* On the south side of the choir there is a chapel, which was once appropriated to the use of the grammar-school, and in which the poet Thomson received his education. But the chief object of architectural interest in this abbey is the Norman door, which formed the southern entrance to the church from the clois- ters. This, for the elegance of its workmanship, and the symmetry of its proportions, is unrivalled in Scotland. Its sculptured mould- ings springing from slender shafts, with capitals richly wreathed, exhibit the representations of flowers, men, and various animals, executed with surprising minuteness and delicacy. " This venerable pile," says the late Archibald Elliot, architect, in his report to the heritors respecting some of its projected re- pairs, ^^ in my opiuion, is the most perfect and beautiful example of the Saxon and early Gothic in Scotland." Its grand appear- ance is imposing, and admirably accords with the scenery of the romantic valley in which it is situate. There is a discrepance in the accounts of historians relative to the time of its foundation as an abbey. Some refer it to a. d. 11 18» and others to a. d. 1147. The probability is, considering the antique remains of the choir^ and that St Kennoch is said to have been ^\iO\. ol ^e^\«\^ v:^ 10 ROXBURGHSHIRE. early as the year 1000, that it was an abbey prior to the time of David I., and, instead of being founded, that it was rebuilt and en- larged by that munificent monarch. It frequently suffered during the English wars, particularly by the invasions of Edward L It was burned and pillaged by the Earl of Surrey at the storming of Jedburgh in the year 1523, and it was subsequently reduced to a state of dilapidation by the Earl of Hertford in 1545. Its walls still exhibit the traces of the flames, as they had burst through its arches. Considerable portions of it, including two beautiful doors and several aisles, were demolished in more recent times by the direc- tion of persons of whom the reverse might have been expected; but a better taste now prevails, and it lately underwent some practical repairs. The substructions of its buildings have been occasional- ly found at a great distance from the remaining fabric- The burial- ground attached to it was very extensive. In constructing the present road, which passes through its ancient limits, two tiers of coffins were removed, fonned of stone slabs. Of the Convent of Carmelites, and of the Maison Dieu, no traces remain, but the names of various places in the town still in- dicate the prevalence of ecclesiastical institutions. The chapel of Scarsburgh and the church of Upper Crailing (an ancient parish now attached to this) have likewise disappeared. This parish possessed two castles, Jedburgh and Fernihirst. The name of Jedburgh Castle appears in the earliest Scottish re- cords, but it does not appear by whom it was founded. It was a royal residence, and for ages continued a place of great strength, the object of eager dispute to the contending kingdoms. It was the favourite abode of the amiable Malcolm IV., who died there A. D. 1165. It was frequently honoured with the presence of William the Lion, and of Alexander II. To Alexander III. was born in Jedburgh Castle a son, a. d. 1263, who was named Alex- ander ; and this, the same sovereign, after he had lost all his child- ren, thought a fitting scene for the unusual pomp which attended his marriage with Jolande, daughter of the Count de Dreux. It was in the possession of the English from the battle of Durham till the year ]409, when it was taken by the Scots and demolish- ed with great labour and at great expense, as is evident from the proposal which was made to defray it by a tax of two pennies up- on every hearth in Scotland. A small portion of its remaining walls was removed a few years ago, and on levelling its site for the erection of the present structure, charred beams of oak were found mixed with rubbish of stone and lime. A few coins were also JEDBURGH. II found, together with a number of globular stones, from seven inches to one foot in diameter, which appear to have been the cope stones of its turrets. Femihirst was the stronghold of the ancestors of the Marquis of Lothian, and is situate on the eastern bank of the Jed, nearly two miles above Jedburgh. It was taken by Surrey in 1523, and re- covered by the Scots with the assistance of the French auxiUaries then stationed at Jedburgh, after a desperate conflict, in 1549. Here the Earl of Westmoreland took refuge from the vengeance of Elizabeth in 1569. In the following year the castle was taken and demolished by the Earl of Sussex and Sir John Foster, in con- sequence of an incursion which Ker * had made with other border chiefs into the north of England. It was rebuilt in the year 1598, and its gray turrets are still seen peering above the tall venerable trees which surround it. Besides these fortresses, the parish was thickly studded with towers and peels. Those at Hundalee and Hunthill, ancient seats of the Rutherfurds, and at Bonjedward, a seat of the Douglases, were places of great strength, but they were, along with many others, destroyed during the last century. A tower still remains at Lanton, and the ruins of Timpandean, at a short distance from it, still remind us of warlike times. Of the six towers by which Jedburgh was defended after the destruction of the castle, there are no remains. A tower used as the gaol, which stood in the centre of the street not far from the cross, was removed during the last century, as also the ruins of Abbot's Tower, the site of which is now occupied by the Dispensary. The house which was inha- bited by Queen Mary during her illness at Jedburgh is still entire. It is a large building with small windows, and walls of great thick- ness. A broad stone stair ascends to the second story, and a narrow winding stair leads to the third, and the apartment of Queen Mary, which is a small room with two windows. Some of the an- cient tapestry which adorned it is still preserved. This is styled in the Privy- Council Record " the house of the Lord Composi- tor." It was purchased by the late Dr Lindsay from the family of Scott of Ancrum. One of Claverhouse's pistols, presented by him to an ancestor of Dr Lindsay's, was formerly suspended in the dining-room, but this is now at Abbotsford. Traces of ancient camps exist at Howdean, Swinnie, Fernihirst, * Ker of Fernihirst, along with Ker of Cessford, Scott of Buccleuch, and several others, received the honour of knighthood from the Regent Arran, when David Panter, in presence of a great assemblage of nobility, was cor\s«ci«X»^ '^v^ 1550 300 Amount of stipend, L. 180 L.200 L.80* Besides the amount of stipend stated, the ministers of the Se- cession have each an excellent dwelling-house and garden. The taxes of the minister of the first congregation are paid, and the mi- nister of the second congregation is allowed L. 22, 10s. per annum, for sacramental and travelling expenses. The stipends are derived from the seat rents. Divine service, both at the Established church and at the meet- ing-houses, is much better attended than it was some years ago ; but still it is to be regretted, that a great number, especially among the higher and the lower ranks, either forsake the assembling of themselves altogether, or attend to that duty with great irregularity. Religious Societies. — There are two religious societies, one for educational purposes, and another for the diffusion of religious knowledge in general. The probable average amount of their yearly collections is L. 40. Education, — The total number of schools in the parish is 14, of which three are parochial, and one is endowed by the Marquis of Lothian. The total number of scholars is 950, being about one- fifth of the population ; but of these 87 attend night schools, and 63 female schools. The grammar-school of Jedburgh had attained con- siderable eminence, even so early as the commencement of the seventeenth century. The heritors, and especially the magistrates, as appears from the records of the borough, have always been at- tentive to its interests, and scrupulous in the choice of its rectors, and their care has been amply rewarded by the character which it has long possessed and still maintains. In the year 1804, the grammar-school and the EngUsh school of the borough were unit- ed, and their union has been found advantageous. The total num- ber attending the school at present is 170 ; — of these 45 are taught • The Dissenters come not merely from this parish, but from t\\t\e ot \jwv swttomxv^- ing parishes. The difference between the sitters and commumcaivVA uv vVe %c«X cotv- gregation of Seceden is remarkable ; the numbers were g>\eTV V>7 \\\e «ealA«;W^x wv^ minister. 20 R0XBURQH8HIRE. Latin and Gk'eek. All of a certain standing, amounting at pres- sent to 100, are taught English grammar; all of a certain stand- ing, amounting at present to 56, are taught geography ; all of a certain standing, amounting at present to 110, are taught arith- metic. There are besides classes for geometry, algebra, practical mathematics, and French. The rector receives from the borough, L. 261, 18s. Scots, or L. 21, 6s. 6d. Sterling, for the English school, L. 12, on account of which he is bound to keep an assistant, and from the heritors, L. 8, 6s. 8d. amounting in all, to L. 42, 3s. 4d. The aVerage amount of school fees is L. 170. Candlemas offerings amount to betwixt L. 40 and L. 50. The parochial schoolmasters at Rink and Lanton receive 100 merks each. No increase of the salaries of the teachers took place in 1831, in consequence of a difference of opinion as to the sources from which the rector's salary is derived. The teachers have the legal accommodations. The rector has an extensive establishment for boarders. The general expense of education per annum is, for classical scholars, L.2, and for English, 10s. The general average is L. 1. Literature. — There are several excellent public libraries in Jed- burgh. The " Company's Library" is an extensive and valuable collection of books, though the more recent additions to it bespeak a decline of taste. There are two smaller libraries, containing judicious selections, and one circulating library. By the aid of a liberal donation, and of a few subscriptions, itinerating libraries were lately established in the parish. Five divisions have been procured, consisting of fifty volumes each, which are placed at different sta- tions in the town and in the country. There is a reading society among the higher classes, for the purchase of new publications, which, after being perused, are sold, and the product, together with annual subscriptions, is appropriated to the purchase of others. There are libraries connected with the congregation and Sabbath evening schools of the first congregation of Seceders, and with the Sabbath evening schools of the second congregation and of the Relief. There are two public reading-rooms in Jedbui^h. Charitable Institutions. — A dispensary was established in Jed- burgh chiefly by donations from the family of Lothian, in the year 1807. It has since been supported by annual contributions. In 1622, the late Marquis of Lothian, at his own expense, erected a commodious house with baths and other accommodations. Patients are received from the parishes of Jedburgh, Ancrum, Bedrule, Southdea^, Hobkirk, Minto, Oxnam, and Crailing. The funds have hitherto been found sufficient. The irnmbeT ot ^atvetits upon JEDBURGH. 21 ihe books averages at 215 annually. Several members of a family, however, receive medicine and attendance on the same letter of re^ commendation. There are two widows' schemes, and three friendly societies. The general impression respecting them seems to be, that they are productive of little advantage. Savings Bank. — The savings bank for the district of Jedburgh, consisting of the above-mentioned parishes, was established in 1815, chiefly by the exertions of Mr Rutherfurd of Edgerston. An auxi- liary fund for defraying the expense of management was raised by subscription. In the first year, the number of depositors was 123, and the sum deposited, L. 1440, and up to July 1832, the number of depositors has increased to 400, and the sum deposited to L. 6290, three-fourths of the depositors being females* The in- stitution has proved of signal advantage to the working classes, and is in a most flourishing condition. Poor and' Parochial iFVfii sviXs^r^a^ a boixi, making over all their effects to the Yienlots^ m ot^et \» 22 ROXBURGHSHIRE. prevent the concealment of property, and the abuse of public cha- rity. The poor of the borough are provided for in a similar way. Assessors are appointed in different parts of the town; who meet before Whitsunday, and having examined the number and circum- stances of the poor, fix the assessment for the next quarter. The sum requisite for the other three quarters is fixed by the magis- trates. The sum to be paid by each individual is proportioned not merely to his ostensible property, but to the supposed profits of his trade and other apparent advantages. Both in the town and in the country, an interim supply is given in case of diseases or temporary distress. The distribution of parochial charity has un- doubtedly been productive of injurious effects, diminishing the spi- rit of independence, and repressing the feelings of natural affec- tion and gratitude. The assessments last year for the country poor amounted to L. 462, 9s. ; for the town poor to L. 430 ; in all. Prisons. — The following is a statement of the number of per- sons confined in the gaol and bridewell, during the year 1831, and of the offences for which they were confined. Goal. Bridewell, Forgery, - - 1 Assault) ... 4 Theft, . ... 9 Contravening act of Parliament, 9 Breach of service, . - 1 Drunkenness and riot, - 4 Assault and rape, - - 2 Exposing a child, . . i Murder, ... 1 Horse-stealing, . . I Swindling, . . • d Breach of peace, - - 2 Total, 38 Total, 141 The gaol and bridewell are both well secured, being surround- ed with high walls surmounted by chevaux defnse. The prison- ers are divided into classes. Those convicted are kept separate from those confined previous to trial, males from females, and young offenders from old, and to each class a particular division of the gaol is appropriated. There are spacious courts, which afford the means of obtaining air and exercise, and proper attention is paid to the diet, cleanliness, and health of the prisoners. There is not, indeed, a more comfortable place of confinement in Scotland. The gaol and bridewellare superintended by a gaoler and a turnkey, under the inspection of the sheriff and of the magistrates of the borough. Fairs. — The royal charters of the town of Jedburgh entitle it to ho)A [out annual fairs, the first on the first Tuesday after Whit- sunday; the second, or Lady-day, on tlie second Tw^^^.^ ot ^.vi- Vagrants, - - .97 Riot and assault, - - 15 Theft, . - - 20 Breach of Excise laws, - 3 Breach of peace, . . 2 Harbouring vagrants, - 1 Snaring hares, - - 1 Falsehood and wilful imposition. 2 JEDBURGH. 23 giist (O. S.) ; the third, or Rood-fair, on the 25th of September, or the first Tuesday after, if the 25th is Saturday, Sunday, or Monday ; and the fourth, or St Leonard's, on the first Tuesday of November ( O. S.). These fairs are for horses and cattle. There are hiring markets for servants at Whitsunday and Martinmas. In the year 1828, monthly markets were established for sheep and cattle at the request of the farmers' club. To encourage the de- sign, the magistrates dispensed with the exaction of custom, and the markets have succeeded beyond expectation. They are held on the third Saturday of every month, commencing with January and ending with May. There is besides in this parish a great fair for sheep, which is held at Rink, about seven miles from Jedburgh, on July 12, and October 1 5. This fair is attended by a great concourse* of farmers, and dealers in wool, both from Scotland and England. Inns and Alehouses. — There are sixteen inns in Jedburgh, and forty-seven alehouses, and in the country part of the parish three alehouses; but the road trustees having resolved to grant a licence to toll-keepers, there will be in the country an increase of the num- ber of alehouses, and it is to be feared of dissipation. FueL — The fuel chiefly used is coal, which is procured from the north of England at the expense of from d^d. to lOd. per cwt. Coals were lately found at Whitelee, about twelve miles distant from Jedburgh, but only in sufficient quantities for supplying the lime-kilns. VI. — Miscellaneous Observations. Since the period when the last Statistical Account was written, the state of the parish has been much improved, — various kinds of manufactures have been introduced which were then unknown in this district, — farms which were entirely pastoral now bear luxuriant crops, — the fields have been neatly enclosed with hedges, — waste ground has been planted — the style of dwelling-houses, both in the town and in the country, is now vastly superior, — the means of commu* nicationhave been greatly enlarged, — the population has been near- ly doubled, — and all classes seem to enjoy a large share of the com- forts of civilized society. The direct line from London to Edinburgh passes through this parish, and, as the commercial relations of Scotland render rapi- dity of communication every day more desirable, it is to be hoped that those local and private interests, which have hitherto oppos- ed the establishment of this as the line of the London mail, will soon yield to the exigencies and advantage of the public October 1834. PARISH OF LILLIESLEAF. PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK, SYNOD OF MEIISE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. DAVID BAXTER, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The origin of the name of the parish is unknown. Ac- xording to Chalmers (Caledonia, Vol. ii.) it is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon word " c/j^" (littus vel ripa) which signifies a haugh or bank. The name appears to have been differently written at different times. Thus in 11 16, Lillescliva and Lillesclive ; in 1 186, Lillesclif. — Chart Glasgow ; in 1696, Liliesleafe ; in 1748, Lil- lies-leafe ; in 1750, Lilliesleafe ; in 1768, Lilliesleaf. Extent and Boundaries. — The parish is in length about five and three-fourths, and in breadth, two and one-half English itiiles, — comprehending upwards of 7000 acres English measure. Its form is quite irregular. It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Selkirk and Bowden ; on the west by those of Ashkirk and Wil- ton ; on the south and west, by that of Minto, where the three last parishes, and that of Lilliesleaf meet nearly at a point ; and on the east by the parish of Ancrum. ^The river Ale, after run- ning upwards of a mile in the parish, may be regarded as the na- tural boundary, for about two miles farther in its eastern course, towards the Tiviot, into which it falls. Topographical Appearances. — There are several elongated emi- nences, which generally run from east to west^ a considerable dis- tance, in the form of ridges ; on one of which the only village in the parish is situated. The declivities on the sides of these ridgy eminences are fertile and well cultivated. Again, there are rich valleys, and gently sloping banks, interspersed with thriving plan- tations and hedge-rows, which present in their combination a most agreeable aspect to the traveller. All this variety of ornament has been owing to the good taste of the proprietors. SoiU Climate^ Sfc. — The soils are loam, gravel, and clay, resting upon a whinstone tilly bottom ; -and the climate is good in the east of the parish, but somewhat colder in the west. LILLIESLEAF. &5 About forty years ago, ague was prevalent in the village^ — pro- bably owing to the efBuvia of a considerable morass and pool, or rather loch, which stood on the low-lying mossy ground to the south, and in part also to the stagnant water that collected upon bad roads. Upon the draining of that loch, accordingly, this distemper in a great degree disappeared. It may be noticed, that the morass here alluded to was formerly the resort of sea-gulls or mews, in such vast numbers, that they are said to have fertilized a portion of an adjoining park still called Pick Maw Hill. The eggs of these fowls were then much sought after by the villagers. 11. — Civil History. Antiquities. — This parish seems to have had its full share in the predatory warfare of the borders, from which it is distant at the nearest point about twelve miles. Of this, the number of fortalices, forts, or towers, which had been erected, bear ample evidence. Various in- dividuals of great age, who died within the last seventeen years, stated that, in their recollection, fourteen of these towers or forts ex- isted, the far greater part of which were situated in the village. But the largest tower or fort was at the eastern extremity, and seems to have been the strongest and the principal defence of the place. It was situated on the highest part of the ridge upon which the village stands, and, from its being two stories in height, must have commanded a very extensive view. Its defence would also be assisted by the large pool and morass on the south, by the river Ale, and the steep ascent on the north, — ^while the lairds of Riddell and th^ir retainers would furnish support on the west. Of this largest tower, the only remains about twenty-six years ago, con- sisted of a part of one side, which was of great thickness and strength, and of stones, which shewed that its form had rather been an oblong than a perfect square. It might have easily contained 100 men within its walls. There was also a fortalice or tower at Chapel, about a mile eastward, which was taken down about six years ago, situated in a convenient station for watching and ward- ing, and furnished with loop-holes for guns, arrows, or missiles ; — ^which narrowed to the inside, and gradually widened outwards.-* The other towers in the village seem to have been peels (the com- mon houses of the inhabitants in these times) which were towers of a small size, the remains of two of which still exist. This pecu- liar construction of houses, in the form of towers, seems to have • There is • tradition that this tower was inhabited about eighty years ago by a witch, at whose death there happened a dreadful storm. 26 ROXBURGHSHIRE. been dictated by necessity to the wealthy and to the poor, for when " the English advanced from Berwick to Jedburgh, in September 1521, with 10,000 men, there were six strong towers within the town, which continued their defence after the walls were surmount- ed. These were the residences of persons of rank, walled round, and capable of strong resistance." * Conventicles, — During the persecutions in the reign of Charles XL, when ministers and their people were prohibited by law, the one from preaching, and the other from hearing, the word of God, the moors in Lilliesleaf parish, from their retired situation, were fre- quently the resort of numerous conventicles; and for this offence, numbers in this parish appear to have been punished with death, imprisonment, or banishment f Land-owners, — The chief land-owners are, Mark Sprot, Esq. of Riddell, and William Currie, Esq. of Linthill. The parochial registers were regularly kept so far back as 1648; but having been allowed to get wet, apparently from lying in a damp situation, they are now partly illegible from decay. They appear to contain no- thing of public interest. Family of Riddell, — " The family of Riddell have been very long in possession of the barony called Riddell, or Ryedale, part ■ Talcs of a Grandfather, by Sir Walter Scott. f In 1670, '* His Miyesty, understanding that divers disall^tcd persons have been so maliciously wicked and desperate as to convocate his Migc8ty*s subjects to open meet- ings in the fields, and considering that these meetings are the rendezvous of rebellion, and tend in a high degree to the disturbance of the public peace, doth therefore statute and declare, that whosoever, without license and authority, shall preach, expound scrip- ture, or pray at any of these meetings in the field, or in any house where there be more persons than the house contains, so as some of them be without doors, or who shall convocate any number of people to these meetings, shall be punished with death and confiscation of goods." Severe penalties are then denounced against the persons attending such conventicles ; rewards are offered to informers ; and to stimulate the activity of the magistrates, the heavy fines exacted upon conviction are awarded to them. — Cook's History of the Church of Scotland, Vol. iii. p. 326. " In 1678, William Tumbul, brother to Walter Turnbul, in BewHc, appeared be- fore the council for being present at house and field conventicles, and, refusing to de- pone upon the circumstances of them, is banished to the plantations." — Wodrow, Vol. i. p. 525. " In 1679, nUmy ministers were put to trouble for conventicles, several were im- prisoned, among whom Mr Archibald Riddel, brother to the laird of Riddel.**— .Wod* row. Vol. ii. p. 124. Mr Riddel was eminently distinguished for piety and devotion to the service of God, bv preaching in these troublous times, to the people of various conventicles, in different places, as well as Mr Blackader. ** Some time before the communion at east Nisbet, Mr Blackader kept a very great conventicle at Lilsly (Lilliesleaf) moor in Forest- shire. They had knowledge that the sheriff and some of the Lifeguards were ranging Lilsly moors, on the fore part of the day, upon which the meeting shifted their ground within Selkirkshire, thinking themselves safe, being out of his bounds,** whither they were followed by the sheriff and his soldiers, whose ardour, however, was cooled by the firm deportment of the multitude, their fidelity and care of the minister, and the courage of the sheriff*s sister, who was present, and had been an attentive hearer of the word preached. 3 LILLIESLEAF. 27 of which still bears the latter name. Tradition carries their an- tiquity to a point extremely remote, and is in some degree sano tioned by the discovery of two stone coffins ; one containing an earthen pot filled with ashes and arms, bearing a legible date, a. d. 727, the other dated 936, and filled with the bones of a man of gigantic size. These coffins were discovered in the foundations of what was, but has long ceased to be, the chapel of Riddell, and, as it was argued with plausibility that they contained the remains of some ancestors of the family, they were deposited in the mo- dem place of sepulture, comparatively so termed, though built in 1 1 10."— Lay of the Last Minstrel, Note 20, by Sir W. Scott, Bart* The aforesaid estates and lands of Riddell, &c. are now the property of Mark Sprot, Esq. to whom they were sold about 1823. in. — Population. The population of Liliesleaf parish according to Dr Webster's return in 1755, was ......... 521 In 1793 by Mr Campbell's Statistical Account, - - - 630 June 1801 by Parliamentary return, ..... 673 1811 by do. - - - - - 755 1821 by do. - - ... . 779 1831 by do. males 376, females 405, - - , - 781 In 1819-20 the population was 847» viz. In the coimtry, 463, and in the village, 384, =» ... 847 Upon the death of Sir John B. Riddell, Bart, of Riddell, in April 1819, who farmed the greatest part of his estate, the lands were immediately laid out in grass. Such a rapid change com- pelled those who had been employed in cultivating his extensive domains to seek a livelihood elsewhere, and hence the immediate declension of the population in the next succeeding year was 68. These lands have almost wholly continued in grass ever since. Several families and individuals have emigrated to British America and the United States, at various periods during the last ten years. Under fifteen years, the number of persons is 279; from fifteen to thirty, country part, 112, village, 73 = 185; from thirty to * Sir Walter adds, that ** the following curious and authentic documents warrant roofft coticlusively the epithet of * Ancient RiddelL' 1st, A charter of David 1. to Walter Rydale, sheriff of Roxburgh, confirming all the estates of Lilies-cUve, &c. of which his father, Genrasius de Rydale, died possessed. 2d, A bull of Pope Adrian IV. confirming the will of Widter de Ridale, Knight, in fiiTour of his brother Anschittil de Ridale, dated 8th April 1155. a/, A bull of Pope Alexander III. confirming the said will of Walter de Ridale, bequeathing to his brother Anschittil the lands of LiUesclive, Whittunes, &c. and ratifying the bargains betwixt Anschittil and Huctredus concerning the church of LiliescliTe, in consequence of the mediation of Malcolm II., and confirmed by a charter from that monarch. This bull is dated . i7th June 1 160. 4th, A bull of the same Pope, confirming the will of Sir Anschittil de Ridale, in favour of his son Walter, conveying the said lands of Liliesdivc, and others, dated lOth March 1120. It is remarkable that LiUesclive, otherwise Rydale or Riddell, and the Whittunes, have -descended through along train of ancestors without ever passing into a collateral line, to the person of Sir John Buchanan Rid- deU, the lineal descendant and representative of Sir Anschiivil.** 28 ROXBURGHSHIRE. fifty, country part^ 92, Yillage^ 86, ir 178; from fifty to seventy, 111; above seventy,* 28; total in parish, 78L There are 8 unmarried men above fifty years, and 10 widowers ditto; and there are 18 unmarried women above forty-five years; and 5 resident heritors having above L. 50 of annual rent Seven are non-resident, besides about a dozen feuars, most of whom are resident In December 1831, the population of the village was 380, and of the country, 425. It may be proper to observe, that the popu- lation of this parish is about 30 generally in the winter half-year, above what it is in the summer half. The chief cause of this dif- ference seems to arise from the temptation of service in summer, when the wages to a female-servant are from L. 4 to L. 5, 10s. and the temptation, to come home in winter, when the wages are from L. 1, 5s. to L. 2. A number of boys also get service in summer, who cannot obtain employment during winter, f Character of the People, — They are in general industrious in their calling, and respectable in their station. They are also regu- lar in their attendance on the institutions of religion, and possess a good knowledge of its doctrines and precepts. There are many who have treasured up these in their minds as principles for me- ditation and rules of conduct. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — The number of English acres now in tillage is about 2600; uncultivated and chiefly mossy ground, 50 acres. There are about 2000 acres of high-lying land formerly cultivated, but now in grass for pasture, which should not be again brought into tillage, unless the prices of grain rise higher than they have been for many years past. There might be 1000 acres on the estate of Riddell added to the cultivated land in the parish with great advantage. This land having been let in grass parks during many years, there can be no doubt that capital would yield a profitable return by being laid out in its cultivation. The quantity in undivided common does not ex- ceed two or three acres. The plantations, &c of forest trees amount to about 600 acres, consisting of larch and Scotch firs, * A few of the last class above eighty. •^ f It ma^rbe noticed, that the great number of beggars who trarerse Scotland hav- ing no fixed residence, have not been reckoned in the population returns. In this parish, for a great number of years past, about fifteen, upon an average, have daily passed through it. A similar number may be found in many other parishes. They fi»rm no less than a fiftv-second part of the population of these places, and are there- fore a considerable omission in the Government returns. 4 LILLIESLEAF. 29 with a proportion of oak, ash, and elm, and are in general well- managed. There is scarcely any natural wood. Rent of Land. — The average rent of the arable farms is not easily ascertained, varying as it does from 10s. to L. 1, 15s. per acre, English. Leases of farms, granted four or five years ago, being too high, must fall at their expiry, unless the prices of agri- cultural produce shall have advanced. Village acres, of which there are many, have lately let at L. 3 per acre. About twenty years ago they were let at L. 5 per acre. The average price of grazing a cow upon arable land during the season, L. 5. A full- grown ox do., L. 4; and a full-grown sheep for one year 12s. But upon the 2000 acres of high-lying land, one-half of the above rates is enough. Prices of Provisions. — Butcher-meat is about 1 Jd. per lb. dearer than in Edinburgh ; good fowls from Is. 4d. to Is. 6d. each ; cheese about 6d. per lb. of 16 oz. ; butter, 8d. to lOd. per lb. ditto. Improvements. — The greatest improvement in the parish would be to lime the lands kept in tillage ; but the distance being twenty- eight or thirty miles from the lime-kiln, and the expense so great, not less than L. 5 per English acre, it is doubtful whether the laying on of lime would defray to the former the expense of his outlay. On dry land, perhaps, it might repay ; but not on clay soils. Se- veral farmers have for some years past applied lime to their lands, and one has extended it, though in a defective quantity, over his whole farm, consisting of about 170 or 180 acres: and, from the superior crops consequent thereon, it will certainly amply repay the expense of outlay. Produce, — The average amount of raw produce raised in the parish cannot be accurately ascertained. The following statement may, however, afford an approximation. Taking all the arable land presently in tillage at 2600 acres, and the four-course shift for the data, the amount may be thus stated : 1900 English acres in corn erop, of all the differeDt kinds, at L. 5 per acre, - ^ - L. 6500 150 do. hay, at L. 3 per do. - - - - . - 450 500 do. in pasture grasn, at L. 1 per do. * - - 500 250 do. in turnip, at L. 3 per do. - - - - 750 860 do. in clean fellow. ^^^ 1000 do. in Riddell estate, good land let in grass parks, say L. 1 per do. 1000 2000 do. high-lying pasture land at 5s. per do. - - 500 40 do. potatoes at L. 5 per do. ... - 200 Thinnings of plantations, - - - - - S2n Produce of orchards and gardens, - - - - 50 L. 10030 A saw-mill driven by water has been erected se^^t^V ^f April and beginning of May, cold and occasionally frosty winds prevail from the east, which are injurious to vegetation, and are ready to bring disease on fruit-trees. Our climate is high and rather cold. It appears, from the notice of climate in the former Statistical Account of this parish, that it has improved considerably since 1794. Tliis may be owing to the draining of land and mosses, to the general use of lime for land, to the raising of plantations of firs and other trees, as well as to other less obvious causes. In connection with this improvement of climate we may remark, that consumptions and fevers, which thirty or forty years ago were very prevalent in this parish, are now com- paratively little known. Geology and Mineralogy, — The rock on the south side of the parish runs from east to west, inclining to the south-west and north- east. It is conmionly found in thin layers or strata, with occa- sional seams of dent between the strata. The rock dips to the south, at an angle of from 40 to 60 degrees. It consists generally of whinstone. On Bowden moor it is clay porphyry, and is largely made use of for road metal, for which it is very excellent The only object of note, however, in the parish of a geological descrip- tion is the Eildon Hills. They stand upon a level plain of con- siderable extent, a little to the south of Melrose. They are, at the base, about seven miles in compass. The rocks of which they con- sist are felspar, and felspar porphyry. In the south-west point of these hills a quarry has been cut, in which the rock is found to con- sist of regular pentagonal prisms, about fifteen inches in diame- ter. The pillars are extremely elegant and beautiful, and sharper in their angles than most basaltic columns, and of a pale flesh- colour. The height of the pillars, as yet laid bare, is about twenty feet ; but, when farther cleared, they will probably be found to reach the schistose formation on which the mountains reiyose. 30 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Botany. — Tlie plants not frequently found elsewhere, and com- mon in the vicinity of Bowden, are the following: — Osmunda crispa, small flowering stone-fern, on the eastern side of the north-east peak; Lycopodium clavatum^ common wolfs-claw; and Lycopodium cdpinumj cypress wolf's-claw, on the south-west hill among the dwarfish heath ; Sanguisorha officinalis^ Burnet ; and Peucedanum Silausy yellow sulphur-wort, all around the base of the hills ; Pri- muia verisj cowslip, is not found growing naturally in the course of the Tweed, or its western tributaries, until the junction of Bowden Bum ; but after this it is plentiful, and likewise on everj- dry bank and rocky knoll to the southward of the village of Bowden, and for several miles towards the Tiviot ; Plantayo media is likewise a rare plant to the westward and northward. It is not found in Sel- kirkshire, but plentifully on the southern base of the Eildon Hills, and on ever}- bank around the village. Plants rare in the vicinity. Hypericum quadranyulum^ St Peter's wort, in the rill from a spring on the north side of Bowden moor; Geranium lucidum^ lately grew on the walls of the old castle of Holydean ; Salix repens^ on a hedge-bank to the north of the farm- house of Prieston. The highest peak of the Eildons is covered so closely for about two acres with Vaccinium myrtillus (by no means plentiful else- where in the neighbourhood) as almost to exclude any other plant, and also Digitalis purpurea and alba, and henbane. ' Trees of different kinds, particularly oak,'ash, and fir, have been found in the mosses while digging for peat and marl. These are sometimes of large dimensions, and are found at a considerable depth in the moss ; but, in so far as is known, none of them have been in a petrified state. Soil, Sfc. — The soil of the parish is of a varied character. The north, and part of the west side, are chiefly a stiff clay, from seven to twelve inches deep, upon a damp, hard, tilly subsoil. The southern part of the parish is generally lighter, particularly on the ridges, which run from west to east, where the cultivated soil, though thin, is dry and friable, producing good turnips and other crops. Betwixt these ridges there is a good loamy soil. There are considerable quantities of moss and shell marl in the parish ; the marl is under the moss. Below the marl is a layer of tine blue clay, and under the clay there is generally whinstone rock. II. — Civil History. Antiquities. — Holydean, a farm in this parish, was, in ancient BOWDEN. 37 times, the occasional residence of the Roxburghe family. A plan of this place was sketched a few years ago, and presented to His Grace the Duke of Roxburghe. In that plan, the site of the build- ings is delineated, as far as that could be correctly ascertained, by inspecting the foundations, and the portions of the walls still stand- ing, and by information received from old individuals resident near the place. The plan is believed to be correct in its proportions. The house and lands of Holydean were included in the grant made by David I. to the monks of Selkirk, and were confirmed to them, by renewed charters, after their translation to Kelso. At this place they had a grange or farm for feeding cows and sheep, and raising corn. In the sixteenth century, the lands of Holydean were be- stowed by royal grant upon Sir Walter Kerr of Cessford, ancestor of the ducal house of Roxburghe, as a reward for border services. Different opinions are entertained as to the year in which this took place. In Douglas's Scottish Peerage, and. Chalmers' Caledonia, it is said to have been in 1569, while by others we are informed that it was in 1530; and we consider it a very strong circumstance in favour of the latter opinion, that there is still to be seen at the place a stone, of which we shall by^and-by make more particular mention, having on it, together with the arms of the house of Ker, the date 1530. " Holydean," says the former Account, " was, not long ago, a strong fortification of its kind. The court-yard, containing about three-fourths of an acre, was surrounded by a strong stone and lime wall, four feet thick, and sixteen feet high, with slanting holes between five free-stones, about thirty feet from each other, from which an arrow or a musket could have been point- ed in different directions. Upon an arched gateway in the front, there was a strong iron gate. Within the court stood two 'strong towers, the one of three, the other of five stories, consisting of eight or ten lodgeable rooms, besides porters' lodges, servants' hall, vault- ed cellars, bake-houses, &c." The walls of these towers were four feet thick, and their roofs and floors were of the strongest oak. They were both perfectly entire, and in excellent condition, at no distant date. About seventy-four years ago, the commissioner to John, the third Duke of Roxburghe, his Grace being then in his minority and abroad, ordered the buildings to be mostly pulled down, for the sake of getting the freestones in them to build a large farm-house and appurtenances. One of the large vaults still remains in good repair, and is used by the tenant for sheltering carts and other agricultural implements. There is also 38 ROXBURGHSHIRE. a portion of the court wall standing on the south side, but it is now in a ruinous state, and appears to have decayed much since 1795, when, according to the former Account, there were about 160 feet of it perfectly entire. However, the fragment that re- mains is sufficient to give a clear idea of the former strength and magnificence of the place, and to make us regret deeply the de- molition of a building that was so stately and ornamental, and also so venerable for its antiquity. A stone, to which we have already alluded, preserved from the ruins, and now a lintel to the door of the old farm-house at Holydean, has in the middle a unicorn's head and three stars, with this inscription on either side ; ^^ Feer God. Flee from sin. Mak for the lyfe everlasting to the end. Dem Isobel Ker, 1530." A few yards to the north-east of the portion of the wall already mentioned, is the ancient well belonging to the house. It is still in good order, and affords to the family, now living at Holydean, an abundant supply of excellent water. This well was built in the eastern wall of the court, and was about ten feet from the door of the eastern tower. About 140 yards north-west from the principal house, on the top of a precipice overhanging a deep dell or dean, called Ringan's Dean, there was a chapel or place of worship, with a burying- ground, as clearly appears, not only from traditionary report, but also from the foundations of the building, which have been traced, and from grave-stones, handles of coffins, and human bones, which have been dug up in that place ; and hence has probably arisen the name Holydean or Haliedean. The greatest curiosity of its kind in this quarter, and perhaps of a similar nature anywhere else, is a stone dike or wall built without lime or cement of any kind, which encloses about 500 acres of the farm of Holydean, and has stood upwards of 300 years, and is still a tolerably good fence. It had, at first, been six* or seven feet high, with cope stones. In an old tack or lease this enclosure is called " the Great Deer Park of Haliedean." Beneath the east end of the parish church is a vault, the bury- ing-place of the noble family of Roxburghe. It contains twenty-one coffins ranged along the sides of the apartment. In that number are included the coffins of the five previous dukes. The remains of a military road, with circular stations or camps, at the distance of from two to three miles from each other, supposed to be Roman, can be traced across the centre of the parish, in a BOWDEN. 39 line from south-east to north-west. In some places all vestiges of it are destroyed by the plough, but in other places it can be easily traced in the form of a large ditch, about twenty feet wide, and in a few spots, of two ditches of that width, and about fifty feet dis- tant from each other. The camps or stations are all on eminences in view of each other; and warlike instruments of various descrip- tions have been dug up by people ploughing and ditching around them, as well as in the adjacent mosses. There is an old cross in the centre of the village of Bowden, but the date of its erection is unknown. There were also within the last twenty years, several peels or square towers in the village, con- taining in the under part an apartment for cattle, and, in the upper part, one or two small apartments for the accommodation of the family, and to which they got access by an outer stone stair. The remains of one or two of these peels are still to be seen. Land-Hnoners. — The principal land-owners in the parish are. His Grace the Duke of Roxburghe ; John Seton Karr, Esq. of Kippi- law ; the Misses Henderson of Eildon Hall ; Captain Riddel Carre of Cavers ; Mark Sprott, Esq. of Riddel ; Colonel Sibbald of Whiterig ; William Currie, Esq. of Linthill ; Nicol Mill, Esq. of Faldon Side ; Dr Scott of Eastfield ; Peter Pennycook, Esq. of Newhall; Andrew Buckum, Esq. of Temple Hall; Andrew Amot, Esq. of Milridge Hall ; and the Royal Infirmary of Edin- burgh. Besides these, there are about fifty small proprietors. Parochial Registers. — A parochial register of births and mar- riages, begun in the year 1697, is kept by the schoolmaster as session-clerk ; but, we regret to say, is not so complete as could be wished, owing to the carelessness of parents in getting the births of their children entered. Buildings. — Except the handsome and commodious mansion- houses of Cavers Carre, Linthill, and Kippilaw, there are no modern buildings in the parish worthy of special notice, unless, in- deed, we speak of several farm-houses, which have been lately built in a superior style, and a remarkably neat and comfortable school- room, erected last season in the village of Bowden upon an ap- proved plan, which reflects the highest credit on the liberality of the heritors. III. — Population. The population of this parish in 1755 was 672 ; in 1794 it was 860; and at present it is 1010. The increase of population may be ascribed, partly to the improvements in agriculture, and partly 40 ROXBURGHSHIRE. to the greater number of labourers that have of late been employed on the roads. Though not closely connected ^ith thi& branch of the subject, we may here remark, that the roads afford a mo^t be- neficial source of employment to the labourer. Having a long time to fulfil his contract, he has recourse to them when all other jobs fail, and in frosty weather, when he can work at nothing else. The population residing in villages is . . . 478 in the country, ... 532 The average of biiths for the last seven years is • - • 15 deaths,* ..... 10 marriages, - - ... 4 The average number of persons under 15 years of ago is . . 312 betwiit 15 and 30, - - 2S8 30 and 50, . - 300 50 and 70, - . 90 above 70, - - - 20 The number of proprietors of land, of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, is 13 unmarried men, bachelors and widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, b . - • • --10 unnuuried women and widows, upwards of 45 years of age, is 32 The average number of children in each family is . . . 3 The people are not remarkable for strength, size, complexion, or any other personal qualities. The number of insane persons is 1 ; fatuous, 5 ; blind, 1 ; deaf and dumb, 2. Number of fiunilies in the parish, • . - . 1 96 chiefly employed in agriculture, . . 94 in trade, manufactures, and handicraft, 32 HabitSy Character y ^c. of the People. — The habits of the people are fast improving in regard to cleanliness ; and their style and manner of dress are modest, neat, and substantial. The people enjoy, in a great degree, the comforts and advan- tages of society, and, upon the whole, may be said to be contented with their situation and circumstances. They are, in general, well informed upon religious and other subjects, and deserve to be highly commended for their honesty, sobriety, and industry, and a strict regard to moral rectitude in their ordinary demeanour. Neither smuggling nor pawnbroking are. known in the parish, and poachers are very seldom heard of. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy, — The number of acres in the parish, which are either under regular rotation of arable culture, or are occasionally broken up from grass for that purpose, extends to about 3460. The lands which have not been broken up and cul- tivated within the last sixty years, and are not likely to be again • No register of deaths is kept ; l)ut it is believed the average given is near the truth. ^ The register of births and marriages being incomplete, the above remark must, in port, be apidicd to the averages tiken from it. BOWDEN. 41 I broken up to any great extent, may be stated at about 2531 acres. Taking into consideration the coldness of the climate and other .local impediments, it is a matter of doubt, whether the extent of land kept under arable culture could be increased with advantage. Two or three hundred acres may, however, be advantageously taken out of grass, cleaned and cultivated, and then laid down again in an improved state for permanent pasture ; and a conside- rable quantity more might be improved by draining and top-dres- sing without breaking up. Thefeuars of Bowden and Midlem have thirty acres of undivid- ed common grass land, the pasturage of which is let annually for a small sum by the feuars, while all the inhabitants of the villages have the privilege of cutting turfs, peats, and divots on it. The commons are partly overrun with whins, and being surrounded by arable fields, present rather an unseemly appearance. Wood. — Around the residences of several of the proprietors, there are some fine old trees, and in the Duke of Roxburghe's ancient park at Holydean, there is a natural wood about forty acres in extent, chiefly old birch trees. Around the church-yard of Bowden there are several remarkably large sycamore and ash trees ; the latter, indeed, are considered the oldest and largest of the kind in this district. There are also in the parish a consider- able number of plantations of more recent growth, chiefly planted within the last forty years. The most extensive and conspicuous of these is on the southern side of the Eildon Hills. The others consist principally of sheltering and ornamental belts of various sizes and shapes. Taken altogether, the land under wood may ex- tend to somewhat above 260 acres. Although much has been done of late in the way of planting, there is still great room for improvement. This remark is particularly applicable to the west and north-west sides of the parish, where there is, comparatively, but little wood, and where the greatest advantage, both as to orna- ment and shelter, would be obtained by planting on a large scale. In other parts of the parish, where shelter is not so much requir- ed, various pieces of waste land, which cannot be profitably culti- vated, and several of which are to^be found in patches within cul- tivated fields, might be beneficially planted. It may further be observed, that when shelter is the principal object, plantations are frequently made too narrow to be effective. By increasing their width, additional shelter would not only be obtained, but the growth 42 ROXBURGHSHIRE. of the trees promoted, and success secured in exposed situations where trees are liable to die prematurely. The trees planted are oak, ash, elm, birch, beech, sycamore, Scotch, larch, spruce and silver firs : and alder and willows are planted in marshy places. Oak, elm, and sycamore thrive well, even upon cold, clay land, and in exposed situations in this parish, and it is to be regretted a larger proportion of these varieties has not been planted. Shelter has been the principal object in stripe or belt plantings, and too large a proportion of the fir tribe has ge- nerally been set in them. It has been observed that the spruce firs, which had been set in those plantings, throve well while young, but they soon began to dwindle, and do not now appear likely to arrive at maturity, while the few silver firs, which have been plant- ed, continue to thrive well, and are likely to become fine timber. In cases where a fair proportion of deciduous forest trees have been planted, particularly of oak, elm, and sycamore, they have, as'beforc observed, thriven well even upon cold land and in exposed situa- tions. Where the fir trees have been removed gradually and in due time, the hardwood timber trees are likely to become ulti- mately not only a source of great profit to the proprietors, but also beneficial to the occupiers, by giving permanent shelter in place of the fir trees, which soon lose their side branches and cease to give effective shelter. The hardwood trees will likewise become more ornamental than the fir. Injury has in a few instances been done to deciduous forest trees by pruning their side branches close oflf from their stems. In the opinion of men of experience, timber trees thrive best, either when they have not been pruned in any way, or when being pruned, the branches have been shortened at a distance from the stems, and above there are secondary branches springing from the larger side branches. Bent^ Sfc. — The average rent of arable land in the parish is about 17s. 6d. per acre; the charge for summering a cow is L.3, 5s. ; a three year old, L. 2, 15s. ; a two year old, L. 1, 17s. ; a one year old, L. 1, 10s. ; for wintering a cow on straw, with a little hay or turnip in spring, L. 2, 5s. ; a three year old, on straw without tur- nip L. 1, 10s. ; a two year old, L. 1, 5s. ; a one year old, L. 1. The charge for keeping a ewe of the Leicester breed on improv- ed land is L. 1 per annum, and for a young sheep of the same kind 12s. The above rates for sheep include turnip in spring. The charge for keeping a Cheviot ewe on outfield or inferior land BOWDEN. 43 is 6s. 6d. per annum, and for a young sheep of the same breed 5s., without turnip in both cases. Rate of Wages. — The wages of principal ploughmen are from L.9toL.10, 10s. per annmn, with board ; of maid-senrants, for the summer half-year, from L. 4 to L. 5, and for the winter half- year from L, 1, 12s. to L. 2, with board ; married men-servants, or hinds, get 100 stones oatmeal ; 15 bushels of barley ; 6 bushels of pease ; from L. 2 to L. 3 of money ; a cow kept ; 1200 yards of drill, lineal measure, for potatoes ; a cap of lint sown ; and a house and garden, for which they furnish a shearer, who receives meat from the employer, but no wages. This is the usual prac- tice ; but sometimes they have a cow's milk allowed them, or a cow of their own kept, potatoes as before described, 52 stones of oat- meal, a free house, and from L. 9 to L. 10 of money. In both cases the servant gets 48 cwt of coals, for which he pays the charge at the coal-hill, and the master brings them home to him, paying every other charge. A rood of mason work, furnishing all materials, costs from L. 5 to L. 6, 10s. according to circumstances ; for labour only, from L. 1, 14s. to L. 2, 4s. The rood contains 36 square yards, from 18 inches to 2 feet thick. Full-grown fir wood costs from 9d. to Is. 2d. per cubic foot; hardwood from 1^. 6d. to 2s. ; wood work of a plough 17s. ; of a cart L. 2, 4s. ; of a pair of harrows 14s. ; of a pair of cart wheels L. 2, 3s. ; paling of two bars made from full-grown fir wood, with four stakes to the rood, of six yards, costs Is. 6d. per rood, and, when made from young wood, Is. per rood. The above prices are for the wood when sawn and ready to be rcr moved from the plantation. The charge for sawing such timber is 4d. per rood for full-grown, and 3d. for young wood, and for putting it up and furnishing nails, 2d. per rood. Blacksmiths, fur- nishing iron, receive for shoeing a pair of horses, and keeping every thing connected with them, including carts, plough, and har- rows, in repair, L. 3 per annum. Breeds of Stock. — The breeds of sheep reared in the parish are the Leicester and Cheviot, and sometimes a cross between them. The rearing of sheep has met with considerable attention, and is now in a fair state of improvement The cross breed is rather on the increase. The only breed of cattle reared by tenant far- mers is the short-horned. The small fcuars and married farm- servants have frequently a mixed breed of milk cows, such as a cross between the Ayrshire and short-horned, or the Galloway and 44 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Highland breeds. A considerable number of small Highland cat- tle are annually wintered in the parish, and fattened the succeed- ing summer, and sold to the butchers. Htubandry, — The land in tillage is usually managed either in the four or five-shift rotation of cropping. In the four-shift rotation, the order is as follows : \st^ oats after grass ; 2r.— rExcept the ordinary church collections, and L. 900 Scots, mortified by a member of the Roxburghe family for pious purposes, there is no other provision for the poor but the legal as- sessment, which is at the rate, on an average of ten years, of 3s, 4d. per L. 100 Scots. The yearly amount of the assessments is about L. 123. The average number of poor on the roll for the same period is 17, and the weekly allowance of each 2s. 4id. Ge- nerally speaking, the poor of this parish are slow in seeking paro- chial relief; yet, when once upon the roll, it is not observed that they consider the circumstance degrading. Instances to the con- trary, highly honourable to individuals, are now and then met with ; but these, it must be confessed, are of rare occurrence. Alehouses, — There are three alehouses in the parish; one of these is in the village of Bowden, and the other two in Midlem. The community would sufier no loss by their number being lessened. FueL — The fuel used in this parish consists of coal brought from Mid- Lothian, at the rate of from Is. Id. to Is. 3d. per cwt. on deli- very, — also of peat, and the thinnings of plantations. The former costs at Midlem 2s. 3d., and at Bowden 4s. per single horse cart-load, including carriage ; and the latter from 3s. 6d. to 7s. per cart-load, including carriage, according to the size of the wood, and its dis- tance from the villages. October ia*M. PARISH OF MELROSE. PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. GEORGE THOMSON, MINISTER. Mull or I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — In the old orthography the name is written xtx«ij vi Mailross, Mull or Moel signifying in Gaelic hare, and ross a pro- montory. ITie name is applicable to the peninsula formed by the Tweed, which is still called Old Melrose, and which, although in its present state one of the most delightful residences imaginable, might well be termed the bare promontory, when divested of its present advantages. The religious Culdees who settled in this spot from lona, so early as the beginning of the seventh century, may have given the name to this place, if it had not been bestowed earlier by the Celtic population. When the religious community of Old Melrose had fallen into decay, and a great monastery was founded in a more favourable situation farther up the river, the name of Mel- rose, interesting from the sacred associations connected with it, was givPH to the more recent religious establishments Subsequently it was translernjA v- ♦Uo ndioining village, and to the parish in which it stends. This etymology is Q^uv.^, . - ^-forv of the most au- *l'^!r,:nln--The parish of Melrose is one of the rnost «xttnsK in the county. Its length, from the top of the middle- ^3 Eildon Hills to Upper Blainslie, is 10 miles. Itsbrendth, ^ the banks of the Gala to those of the Leader, is upon an aTelre 4*. Its superficial extent is 45 square mdes. Its boun- Ta^^arefsouth, the parishes of St Boswel and Bowden; north, thTpaS of Lauder; east, the parishes of Mertoun and Earls- the parisn .eoarated by the Tweed and Leader; and ::Z '::ZTGjL^e7TsJ. from which it is separated by r rllT Its figure is an irregular oblong, rounded at us northern xtremt, ItTii is widest,%nd forming an excrescence at the „d in the front "f '^c town-hoj^. there are the bgur ^^^ ^^^^^^ K^ ^^^ '^."t^ov/triS ortLTlli'i' i'u orthography, fron, MuUross to Mel- rof»e. 52 ROXBURGHSHIRE. north-west angle of Roxburghshire, where that county separates Selkirkshire from Berwickshire, and inarches with Mid-Lothian. Topographical Appearances, — The principal high-grounds are Ihe Eildon Hills on the south border of the parish, at the foot of which the village of Melrose is beautifully situated. Rising with a triple summit, and an abrupt irregular acclivity on the right bank of the Tweed, they are finely contrasted with the smooth surface, and uniform height of the Gattonside Hills, which, with their con- tinuation on the Langlee and Ladhope heights, form a ridge ex- tending from the Leader to the Gala. To the north of this long ridge, the parish, for about two-thirds of its extent, and compre- hending all the hilly country between these rivers, maintains a con- siderable elevation above the level of the sea, and of the Melrose valley. It is from the north that the Eildon Hills are seen to most advantage, where the two principal summits only being visible, their proportions appear most beautiful, and their elevation above the level of the country, magnificent : and in winter, when the sun rises immediately behind them, one of the most splendid of moun- tain phenomena may be scon in perfection in the neighbourhood of Melrose, — the black opaque mass of the hills cutting against the bright gleaming sky. On the south, their elevation appears less considerable, but the three hills are seen in a line, — their bare' summits contrasting with the richness of the surrounding country. The view from the top of the Eildons is crowded with interesting objects. To The north dxo^eGn^^ejiifln^^^^ through jJji^JW'Al. j' ' -^^-^-^Tmlrlrfl with villas and villages, fraHh front of the abbey distinctly and beautifully appearing amid imbosommg wood, and the long mountain ridge which bound! the valley on the north, flanked, on the one hand, by the Meiglot, and, on the other hand, by the Coldigknow,-beyond which the view IS prolonged in pastoral wildness to the distant heights of Lam- mermoor, Soltr^ and Yarrow braes. To the south, the whole level expanse of richly cultivated, but thinly wooded Tiviotdale! s spread out before the eye, and bounding the view appears the long blue ine of the Cheviots, losing itself in distance toward the west, and having at ,ts eastern extremity three small conical emi- nences, one of which is Flodden Hill Geoloffy.-ln the Eildon.s clinkstone appears in many places • and in some p aces, where uncovered by vegetable mould, they seem to consist of huge heaps of small thin oblongular splinters without any cohesion, and free from sand or any eanhy mixture. On tl MELROSE. 53 side of one of them, but within ijie parish of Bowden, a beautiful columnar porphyry has lately been disclosed. West from Mel- rose is the Quarry Hill, a huge mass of a kind of conglomerate rock, having much clay imbedded in it, on which the frost has great influence. Being durable and easily wrought, it is much used in building. Over all the northern and western part of the parish greywacke prevails, dipping toward the north-east. Abbotsford is built of this kind of stone, and it is found in the bed of the Tweed, throughout the whole course of the Allan, and in all the detached rocks which appear at intervals in the hilly country. To the south-east of the Eildons, the Dryburgh sandstone begins. It is first disposed in thin layers of a coarse red colour ; and these are found to overlay other sandstone strata of greater breadth, and of a finer colour. The soil of the parish, as described in the last Statistical Ac- count, is various. In the south it is generally a strong clay, excel- lently adapted for wheat. The banks of the Tweed are a fine light dry soil, fit for all kinds of grain. In the northern parts of the parish the soil is of three kinds, 1^^, a light earth mixed with sand upon a gravelly bottom ; 2e//y, a strong clay upon a till full of springs, and very wet; d(//y, moss. The moss is frequently found to overlay marl of the finest quality. Hydrography. — There are four considerable streams in this pa- rish. Th© Tweed, and three tributaries which it receives from the north ; the Gala, the Allan, and the Leader. The Gala at the western, and the Leader at the eastern, extremity of the parish, are five miles distant where they join the Tweed. Two miles below the Gala, the Allan issues from a fine opening in the Langlee heights, dividing the Long mountain ridge which forms the south- ern boundary of the hilly country. It is a beautiful httle stream, nearly concealed in many places by overhanging woods, and its course, five miles in length, is all within the parish. The Tweed enters the parish at Gala foot, having formed its boundary with the Galashiels parish for two miles higher up. After receiving the Leader, it becomes its boundary with the parish of Mertoun, as far as Dryburgh. The valley of Melrose must have been a noble lake at some re- mote period, the Tweed entering it by a narrow inlet, across which Melrose Bridge is thrown, and leaving it by a narrow outlet at Tweedwood, before the formation of which, the whole space in- closed by the Eildon and Gatton$ide Hills must have been a con- 54 UOXBrRGHSHlRE. tinued sheet of water. A substratum of water sand, dense or pene- trable by the spade, pure or gravelly, is always met with in digging a few feet below the surface. At a comparatively recent period, less than two centuries ago, the course of the Tweed seems to have been on the south side of the valley. A fine rich flat, now on the south side of the river, is called Gattonside-haugh, and its feu- dal tenures shew that it once actually formed a part of the Gat- tonside lands, which are on the north side of the river. In these tenures a right is retained to an ancient church-way, severed by the Tweed, along which the inhabitants used to pjiss of old to the Catholic service in the abbey. Near the village of Nowstead, the old channel of the river is beautifully marked ; and what was for- merly a deep pool and perilous eddy, across which Claverhouse is said to have been ferried, is now a fine meadow, but still continues to be called the " wheel." The change in the course of the Tweed seems to have been aided by human industry, as a strong embankment is necessary to prevent it from resuming its old do- main. Meteorology. — The most remarkable feature in the meteorology of this part of the country is its fogs, which frequently occur in beau- tifully picturesque forms. Sometimes they are seen lying in inde- pendent fleeces upon the sides of the uplands, — sometimes creep- ing up the channel of the Tweed, and slowly dividing into the di- verging valleys. Viewed from the south side of the Eildons, the whole surface of Tiviotdale appears one continued sheet of fog, above which is seen the top of Ruberslaw, and the long stalk of the Waterloo pillar, — while a clear sky is overhead, and a bright sun il- luminating the surface of the sea. In the valley of Melrose, sheltered as it is by the surrounding high grounds, the climate is singularly mild. The upland parts of the parish are in winter swept by tremendous northern gales, against which they have no natural shelter. But in every place, both in the high and low ground, the parish is healthy, and free from every kind of unwholesome miasma. The ague, which was formerly very prevalent, owing to the damp exhalations of undrain- ed marsh, hjis entirely disappeared,— not. a single instance of this malady is met with by any medical practitioner. Epidemic fe- vers of the typhus kind sometimes occur in the villages, but they are rare, and not very destructive. The most common distempers of this district seem to be rheumatism and consumption. MELROSE. 55 II. — Civil History. Accounts of the Parish. — The ancient accounts of the history of the parish are, the Chronicle of Mailross, which was kept in the monastery, in monkish Latin, and which, beginning with the year 735, ends in 1270 ; the first part being only an abridgement of previous history, intended to serve as an introduction to the chro- nicle, properly so called ; — the Chartulary of Melrose, compre- hending the munificent grants and benefactions, royal and private^ with which the abbey was from time to time enriched ; — and the accounts of various monkish historians, of whom Bede is the chief. The modern accounts are Redpath's Border History ; Morton's Monastic Annals of Tiviotdale ; a history of the parish of Mel- rose by Milne, one of its former ministers, and another by Bower, the present custodier of the abbey.* Parochial Registers. — The only manuscript accounts of the his- tory of the parish known to the writer are contained in the paro- chial registers, which begin in 1630, and are continued down to the present day, with a single break of four years between 1686-90. This interval, corresponding with the years of persecution, seems to indicate the troubles of the time, of which, however, there b no ^ mention made, f The number of persons who appear by the list of penitents to have incurred church censure in that age is incredible, — far ex- ceeding the average of the present day, when the population is nearly trebled. How is this to be accounted for and reconciled • Milne, though a man of respectable talent and research, seems to have had the Ibible of mistaking for Roman encampments old sheep fields, e. g. his two Cattra eX" ploratorum. What he calls a Roman encampment on the top of the Eildons, may easily have been a border fastness, to which the cattle of the neighbourhood might be driven on the approach of the enemy ; for there are no distinct indications observable from which it can be inferred that it was Roman, and his Roman road across Bowden moor is proven, by a curious old charter lately discovered, to have been a boundary line between the adjoining properties of tlie Kelso and the Melrose monastery. f The oldest part of these registers records veiy particularly the transactions of each week, giving both the preacher's name and the su!)ject on which he spoke, with enormous weekly lists of penitents who were subjected to the presbyterian penance. The oldest part of them also contains many curious notices of the public events of the period, which are highly interesting and worthy of attention, as they serve to shew the impression which historical events of importance made upon the public mind at the time they occurred. For example, an attempt of a detachment of the army of Charles the First upon the insurgent de^jot at Dunse in the course of that monarch's second Scottish campaign, with the Subsequent blowing up of Dunglass House, Is thus noticed 30M August, 1640 «* Mr William Wilkie preached, but, being interrupt- ed at midd sermon, because of the Inglishmen that came from Berwick to Dunse, thinking to carrie away our cannon, powder, and lead with them ; but, blessed be God, they got the foyle and returned with shame, being beat back with a few. But upon the same night ane pityfuU accident there was at Dunglass, where my Lord Had- dington of worthie memorie, with many others, was betrayed with powder, so that the house was blown up, and they were smoored in the close ; the lyke whereof was never heard in Scotland." 56 ROXBURGHSHIRE. with the zeal and piety of our forefathers, unless by supposing that the age in general was greatly less enlightened and less moral than the present. It is more easy to fight and die for God, than to live a well regulated life in obedience to His law. * Historical Notices. — The history of this parish is coeval with the first introduction of Christianity among the Saxon population of this part of the country in 640. It is related by Bede, who lived in Northumberland, and during the seventh century, that Oswald, the Saxon King of Northumberland, whose dominions comprehend- ed the whole of the eastern part of Scotland south of the Forth, was converted to Christianity by Culdees, from lona, whom he met with when an exile from his country, among the Picts north of the Forth; that, on being restored to his country, and eventually raised to the throne, he became anxious to Christianize his subjects, and with this view prevailed on a number of Culdees to visit his king- dom as missionaries, one of whom, named Aidan, he made bishop of Lindisfarne, — and that he built churches and planted mis- sions at Old Melrose in this parish, and in various other places of his dominions. Old Melrose, a peninsula nearly surround- ed by the Tweed, which is overhung on the farther side by its lofty precipitous banks, is strongly guarded by natural defences, on every quarter except the south, where it has an easy communi- cation with the country, and where a wall, seen by Milne, was drawn across the narrow isthmus. It is a most delightful place of residence. The limited central space of the peninsula is high raised above the encircling river, and keeps the general level of the adjoining country, the ground descending all round with a steep but smooth unbroken declivity, finely contrasting with the abrupt- ness of the opposite banks, to a circular grassy plain of pleasing seclusion, — the scene, perhaps, of the devout meditations of St Cuthbert, and of the shivering penances of Drjthelme. Uniting, therefore, the advantages of easy defence and delightful retire- ment, it seems to have been judiciously chosen for the residence of a religious community in a barbarous age. The religious com- * It deserves to be mentioned as a curious trait of the manners of the period in question, that it was then common for people of the lowest rank to appear with m sword at their side when in full dress,— «nd it is related by an aged person, whose grandfiithcr was present on the occasion, that Mr Wilson, who was ordained minister of this parish in 1690, on the removal of the English curate, and whose memory is still revered, began his first diet of examination, by seizing on these weapons and breaking them, maintaining, that the unnecessary appearance of them in the house of God was a profanation. The number of swords which the people still have in their pos- session, covered with rust, and each having " eaten of its sheath two handful,'* u im- mense. — Pereant nibiginc. MELROSE. 57 munity of Old Melrose, at the head of which was placed one of Aidan's twelve Saxon pupils, seems to have remained unmolest- ed for about 200 years ; during which period it produced many who figured as saints in the Roman calendar, among whom oc- cur the names of St Cuthbert and St Boswell. Of these, the former, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne, was really eminent; the latter is chiefly interesting to us from his having given his name to the neighbouring parish of St Boswells, the public worship of which continued to be carried on after the Reformation in a chapel dedicated to this saint, until the stones of its principal quadrangle were employed in the building of the present parish church, which seems to have been the general practice after the overthrow of po- pery; for almost all the old and unrenewed parish churches in this part of the country seem to be the identical places of worship which were used in Catholic times. And from architectural indi- cations which they still exhibit, they appear to have consisted of a large oblong quadrangle, communicating through an ornamented archway with a smaller apartment called the Queer, which pro- jected from one of its ends, and which was probably used, like the continental baptistry, for marriages, baptisms, petite masses, &c. when a small concourse of people would attend.* After the Refor- mation, the queer generally became the burial aisle of the principal proprietor, the communication with the interior being built up ; or it was demolished, leaving traces of its ornamented archway ; or it dis- appeared entirely, the church having been elongated in the direc- tion of where it stood, in which case nothing is observable but the coarse recent addition. The queer of the demolished chapel of St Boswells remained standing vrithin the last forty years. These excursive remarks, derived from a personal observation of many parishes, must be forgiven. In the year 839, when the Scottish power gained a permanent ascendancy over the Saxon, and the country was wasted as far south as the Tweed, the peninsula of Old Melrose was taken by Kenneth II., and the buildings of the monastery destroyed. From this disaster it never seems to have recovered. It afterwards became the temporary residence of a small party of monks from Girwy, but it eventually dwindled down into a chapel dedicated to St Cuthbert, which had the privilege of a sanctuary ; and a road- way leading to it, still called (either from Girwy or Girth, a sanc- • The people have an old saying illustrative of, and alluding to this, " If the kirk be over big, sing mass in the queer.*" 58 ROXBURGHSHIRE. tuary,) the Girthgate, may be traced over the moorlands, in which stand the ruined towers of ColmsHe and Hillslop. It appears from tradition, that, during the long interval between the decline of the Old Melrose and the rise of the New, there was another sacred ediBce erected midway between them in a field which still retains the name of the Red Abbey Stead. It was pro- bably called the Red Abbey from the colour of the stone with which it was built, which, specimens that have been dug up seem to identify with the narrow upper strata of the Dryburgh sandstone, which are of a coarse red colour, every way inferior to the fine broad sandstone strata which they overlay, and out of which was built the famous Abbey of Melrose, now in ruins. The buildings of the one abbey seems to have led to the discovery of finer ma- terials for the building of the other ; and the geologj' of the country thus enables us to ascertain the relative antiquity of the two edi- fices, — of the former of which no records whatever remain. Could we suppose that it was a rebuilding on a new site of the chapel of St Cuthbert, it would account for the^ name of the neighbouring village of Newstead. Melrose Abbey. — In 1136, 500 years after the foundation, and 300 years after the destruction of the Old Melrose, the famous abbey and monastery, which is still admired in ruins hard by the present village of Melrose, is said to have been founded by David L Becoming the residence of a community of Cistertian monks who were brought from Rievalle, and whose Order was then first intro- duced into Scotland, it was, according to the general practice of Cistertians, dedicated to their patron saint the Virgin Mary. The site of this more recent establishment, to which the name of Melrose, venerable from its sacred antiquity, was transferred, is three miles further west than the river peninsula on which the old and original Melrose stood, near the foot of the Eildons, and about a quarter of a mile south of the Tweed, — occupying the finest part of the lovely valley which is inclosed between the Eildon and Gat- tonside heights. It is stated by Milne, that the adjoining village existed before the building of the abbey, and that it had the name of Fordle ; and it is worthy of remark, that the whole of the old tenements above what is still called the Bow, the south entrance gate to the monastery ground, are described in their title-deeds as belonging to the village of Little Fordle. The original name of the previously existing village, therefore, must have been Little Fordle, which seems to be a Saxon diminutive, derived, in all like- 3 MELROSE. 59 lihood, from the passage of a small brook flowing across the road at the eastern entrance of the village, and contrasting with the neighbouring ford of larger dimensions in the Tweed. Of the ruins of Melrose Abbey, which have been so frequently and so well described, both in poetry and prose, it is unnecessary to say much. The ground plan, according to the general Ro- mish practice, is in the form of a rectangular cross. The nave, which Hes due east and west, is in length 258 feet, and in breadth 79 feet ; and at the distance of 50 feet from the eastern extremity, it is intersected at right angles by the transept, which is in length 130 feet, and in breadth 44. To the west of the transept there are two magnificent rows of pillars ranged along the north and south side of the nave, which form two passages leading into the interior, where it is most spacious, the intersection of the transept and nave. The passage on the north side is bounded by a blind wall ; that on the south, which is broader and more magnificent, opens into a long series of aisles, intended, perhaps, to serve as con- fessionals, private chapels, baptistries, or queers, each highly or- namented, and terminated by a splendid Gothic window. Upon the north side of the building, indications are observable on the outer wall, of a large quadrangular cloister which, beginning at the transept, had extended 150 feet west, and also of a spacious ar- cade or piazza, with which it had been surrounded. The habita- tions of the monks, as is said and confirmed by architectural indi- cations and foundations which have been dug up, were ranged along the east, west, and north walls of the cloister, completely secluded from the outer world, and concealed behind their splendid southern screen, the majestic pile of the abbey, which might have ex- tended as far beyond the quadrangle in the west as it does in the east. Such seems to have been the general outlines of this famous building, so far as they can be traced in its present dismantled state. The architecture is the finest Gothic, belonging evidently to an age when the art, in all its departments, and that style of building in particular, had arrived at the highest perfection. In the magnitude of its proportions, Melrose Abbey is inferior to many works of its kind, — the dimensions of York Minster being nearly double ; but it has seldom been surpassed, or even equalled, in the fineness of the sculpture, the exquisite finishing of its most minute embellishments, and the majestic beauty so suitable to a sacred edifice, which appears in the whole. How came so fine a building, 60 ROXBURGHSHIRE. it is natural to inquire, to be erected in such a site, and in an age so early and so rude as the twelfth century ? David was a " sore saint to the crown," rather from his enormous grants of land than from the amount of pecuniary capital which he had it in his power to sink unproductively ; and why should he have chosen to place the finest building of which the nation has ever had to boast so far from the heart of his kingdom^ and so near a hostile frontier ? It is also worthy of remark, that the style of the architecture is ascer- tained to belong to a later age than that of David ; that the build- ings which David did erect on this site are said to have been finish- ed in ten years ; and that there are architectural indications which distinctly show that the Abbey, the main building now existing in ruins, was unfinished when destroyed 500 years after his day. There are appearances of temporary finishing, that the work might be afterwards resumed and carried forward towards completion. The character of the monastic orders in general, and that of the Cis- tertians in particular, seem to afford the best explanation of the ilifficulty which can be given. The Cistertians, besides being strict in their monastic discipline, had the wisdom to inculcate industry upon their brethren as a virtue, and as a preservative from vice ; on which account, they were also great patrons and promoters of learning and the fine arts. Is it not probable, then, that multi- tudes of the resident monks would employ themselves in what might be deemed the pious work of rearing and embelUshing so sacred an edifice ; that the masterly pieces of sculpture which adorn its windows, walls, pinnacles, capitals, keystones, Jcc were executed by their own hands ; and that the whole work, instead of being produced by a single effort of David, which would have been be- yond his means and the architectural talent which he could have commanded, however ample his means had been, was the result of a long-continued effort of the religious community which he esta- blished, aided by the princely revenues with which it was endowed, the munificent benefactions it was continually receiving, and the architectural talent of the whole Romish church which would be at his command. The monastic orders are known to have been ambitious of adorning their habitations with great architectural works, which were frequently begun on a scale of magnificence vastly beyond their means, and which the labours of several gene* rations were required to complete. The Scottish monarch, in 1 136, seems to have merely founded and endowed the monaster)', build- ing suitable accommodations for its inmates, and a humbler edifice, MELROSE. 61 perhaps, for their worship. The magnificent pile of building which came in time to cover the south front of the monastic quadrangle, may justly be regarded asasubsequent addition, — as the fruit of the zeal, industry, and genius of the indefatigable Cistertians, exerted during a period of five centuries. Antiquities, — As might have been expected in the vicinity of such an establishment, there are memorials of the Catholic times in every quarter. There is a cross in the centre of the village of Melrose, near the south entrance of the monastery, which has a quarter of an acre of land to maintain it called the " Corse Rig." The Popish emblem on the top, however, was supplanted by the crest of the Haddington arms so early as 1604. The name of the High Cross marks the site of another, which stood near the Darn- wick road, half a mile west, where the pinnacles of St Mary's cen- tral tower first become visible. There are in the lintels, or ap- pearing in the plaster of the walls of some of the houses, stones sculptured with the interlacing, (i. ii. s. Jesus Hominum Salvator,) and other Popish devices. There are such names of places as Priors* Wood, Cloister Close, Abbots and Monks' Ford ; and our principal springs still retain the names of Romish saints, such ns St Mary's, St William's, St Helen's, and St Dunstan's. The in- habitants are such zealous Protestants, that many of them com- plained that they " could neither get a night's rest nor day's ease with the passing of the Catholic bill," so that it may truly be said, every thing around us is Catholic, " save the spirit of man." The tumulus upon the side of the Eildons mentioned by Milne, and called by the people the Bourjo, is worthy of attention. It is evidently artificial, of great magnitude, and by tradition the site of a pagan altar. The road leading to it is called the Haxalgate, and the ravine through which it passes the Haxalgate-heugh. Compare with this the following passage from the thirteenth chap- ter of the third volume of the Pirate : " If the belief of those is true," says the author while speaking of a Druidical circle, " who assign these singular monuments exclusively to the Druids, Minna might have seemed the Haxa or high priestess of the order." It is at least a striking circumstance, that the name of this pagan official should be found in the way leading to a reputed pagan altar. The place is still regarded by the people with interest ; and they have been in the habit of pointing out to each succeeding minister as the identical spot where their forefathers " were wont to bow the 62 ROXBURGHSHIRE. knee to Baal, and to put their sacrifices into earthem vessels," the tradition mingling with the knowledge of a better faith. A stone with a Latin inscription, which was lately dug up in this parish, and which is now in the possession of the family of Drygrange, seems to have formed a part of a Roman altar. In the inscription it is dedicated to the god Silvanus by Curius Domi- tianus of the Twentieth Legion, " pro salute sua et suorum." The Romans having never been so far north before Domitian nor after Severus, the inscription must belong to the second century. The country must have been a forest, else why the dedication to Silvanus ? and unhealthy, else why the expression " pro salute sua et subrum." * Modem Buildings. — In the vicinity of the Tweed, and within the bounds of this parish, there are about fifteen villas and consi- derable mansion-houses, of which Abbotsford in the west is not less famous for its present, than, in the east. Old Melrose is for its ancient glory. The materials employed in building are sandstone from Dryburgh, Belses, and Sprouston, the coarse puddingstone of the neighbouring quarry-hill, and the Greywacke, which is wide- ly diffused over the country. There are within the parish four corn mills ; of these the two principal are upon a lead said to be of monastic antiquity, which, leaving the Tweed above Melrose, returns to it below Newstead, insulating a rich flat called the Ana. III. — Population. There are no accounts of the state of the population of this pa- rish before the census of 1801. There are in the parochial re- gisters some tables of births of an earlier date ; but the result is so surprisingly irregular, that it affords no certain data for drawing an inference. The amount of the population was found to be In 1801, . . 2654 1811, - 3132 1821, - - 3525 At the time of the census in 1831, the amount of the popu- * The high and exposed situation of the place where the stone wtfs discovered seems to indicate that at the time at which such a spot was chosen for a Roman mi- litary post, the surface of the country must have been very difTerent from what it now is, when many a better station might be found not commanded from the neigh- bouring heights by any weapon used in ancient warfare. Was the vale of Melrose a lake in the second century, as hydrographical appearances show that it must have been before the formation of the narrow outlet at Tweedwood ; or an unwholesome swampy forest, like those of the American wastes, where the Roman soldier would sink in mud to the knee whilst forcing his way through the loathsome underwood, and the ague, the once prevailing disease of the country, would subdue his strength and quench his ardour ? With this hypothetical, it is curious to compare the actual state of the country, richly cultivated, healthful, and populous, covered over with villas, villages, and com fields, the effect of human industry and time. MELROSE. 63 lation was found to have increased to 4339, of which number 2096 were males, and 2243 females. This great increase of po- pulation is to be ascribed to three causes, — agricultural improve- ments, and the extensive breaking up of the waste grounds which followed the great rise in the price of grain during the war ; the great increase of the manufacturing population upon the Gala ; and the numerous families having independent fortunes that have chosen the neighbourhood for a place of residence, attracted by the amenity of the situation. The manufactures of Galashiels have been con- tinually upon the increase, notwithstanding the pressure of the times; and this, along with the increased amount of the resident wealth, more than counterbalances the diminution of the population by emi- gration, which has of late years been uncommonly great. The number of the population who reside in towns is - - 2764 the country, <> - 1593 Tlie yearly average for the las( seven years of recorded births 19 • 64 burials, - 37 marriages, - - 374 N. B. — Every marriage is recorded, the parties being anxious, from a regard to decorum, to pay a scrupulous attention to all ob- servances ; but in the registration of the births and deaths there is great irregularity. The number of individuals and of families of independent for- tune, at present residing in the parish, is 18. The number of pro- prietors of land, of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, is 50. The number of families is 906 ; and it appears that the proportion of recorded births to the recorded marriages is only 64 to 37, — giving If children to each family. This is to be ascribed to the fact above stated, that every marriage is recorded, but that many of the births are not. 1. The number of inhabited houses is - - - - 728 houses uninhabited or building is . - 26 2. Number of families chiefly employed in agriculture, - 250 trade, manufactures, and handicraft, 361 3. The number of males employed in agriculture, as farmers and farm^servants, above the age of twenty years, is - - - 327 The number of males employed in manufactories, or in manufacturing machinery, 1 43 the retail trade, or in handicraft work, 317 professional persons and educated men, - - 67 persons employed as labourers by the three last classes, - 71 retired tradesmen, superannuated labourers, and ipales diseased in body or in mind, ... 60 Characters^ Habits^ Sfc. of the People. — The people, without beuig distinguished from their countrymen by any personal peculiarities, may be described as being generally a stout, muscular, well-formed race, hardy and patient of fatigue, having among them many in- stances of great stature and strength. In so numerous a popula- 64 * ROXBURGHSHIRE. tion, there are only 2 persons insane ; 3 fatuous; 2 blind ; and 1 deaf and dumb. The dialect spoken is distinguishable, although it does not differ much, from that of the west coast used by Burns. The finest specimens of it in spirit, characteristic features, and idiom, are to be found in the dialogue of those of the Waverley Novels, where the scene is laid at or near the Scottish border. There are in- stances in which that author admits an old word, not at present in general use ; and the reading habits of the people have insensibly led them to incorporate with their conversational style much of the classical language of the country. The dress of the common people, from which every peculiarity has long ago disappeared, is always becoming, and in good repair ; and on particular .occasions, when they appear in their " Sunday's best,'' it differs little from that of the upper classes. For some years past, they seem to have been rather in straitened circum- stances, owing to the low rate of wages, and the scarcity of work ; but by industry, temperate habits, and frugal management, they make a shift to maintain themselves and their families comfortably ; and there are few of them who have not saved a sum of money, upon which they can draw in any emergency. It may be truly said, that they are an intellectual, moral, and religious people ; and that, through the excellent education which they universally receive, and their natural capabilities, they are becoming more so every day. Smuggling and pawnbroking are unknown. The game laws, to the credit of the proprietors be it spoken, are very leniently en- forced. The parties seem to be upon honour with each other, — the one not poaching beyond a certain extent ; the other not push- ing the enforcement of the law so far as persecution. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — To the north of the Tweed there are in this parish about 11,500 acres, either cultivated, or occasionally in tillage ; and about 7600, which remain continually in pasture. The land to the south of the Tweed, which amounts to about a third part of the whole parish, is all cultivated, except the wide base of the Eildon Hills, and a stripe of moorland stretch- ing from them towards the west There are distinct traces of an- cient culture upon the sides of the Eildons, and in the adjoining moorland, in ground which at present none would think of subject- ing to the plough. Are we to conclude that the soil of these places was different in ancient times from what it is at present ? MELROSE. 65 It is more probable that the good soils^ mismanaged by husband- men ignorant of the principles of agriculture, and exhausted by incessant cropping, would be found less productive than the worst land when new broken up ; and that, in the dreadful famines to which Scotland in " its warrior day " was liable, the culture of grain, under the most unfavourable circumstances, would pay. The number of acres which at present might be added with advantage to the cultivated land cannot be ascertained ; but whenever, in the wild country, the farmer has a long lease, he generally makes dis- coveries of pieces of good soil, by the culture of which he is well repaid. Much of the land subjected to the plough during the war prices of the grain has been thrown back into pasture ; and much that was eveu then feft in pasture has since been broken up, so that, through the judicious enterprise of able agriculturists, the parish seems in the way of being brought into the best possible state for profitably employing and drawing forth the virtues of the different soils. An undivided common, we may add, is unknown. A por- tion of ground in this neighbourhood, of about seven acres, well worthy of this name, after having been for ages an ugly morass, was lately drained, cultivated, and sold for L. 700, which was dis- tributed among the different tenementors who had claims upon it in sums of L. 30 each. The draining cost them 10s. a-head, and was at first pronounced " a haver." Of this spirited undertaking Sir Walter Scott was the first suggester. The number of acres under wood is not less than 1200, and there is no natural wood except a few straggling trees, chiefly birches, at Torwoodlee and Colmslie Hill. A few years ago, the custom was to plant a proportion of oak, ash, elm, sycamore, and beech ; but at present larch and oak are the rage, and a slight ad- mixture of other trees. In twenty years, the thinnings of the larch defray the whole expense of plantation, — the value of the ground for pasture is doubled, — and the hard-wood with the standing larches far exceeds the value of the ground on which it grows. With respect to the management of the trees, it is only necessary to state, that the greatest attention is paid to thinning, felling, and pruning ; and that in these, and all the other operations of plant- ing, the most approved modes are followed. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land in the parish is 15s. per acre ; some lands being above L. 4, and others not ex- ceeding 5s. The average rent of grazing is L. 4 a-year per ox or cow ; of pasturing, 7s. a-year per ewe or full-grown sheep. ROXBURGH. E 66 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Rate of Wages. — The rate of labour, winter and summer, for the different kinds of farm-labourers and country artisans, is upon an average, 10s. per weeL Superior workmen in the carpenter line receive 2s. 6d. per day, — in the smith line, 14s. per week. The rate of masonry, the best work, and the standard thickness of two feet, is L. 6 per square rood. Breeds of Stock. — The common breeds of sheep in the parish are Leicester, Cheviot, half-bred and black-faced. The common breeds of cattle are the Teeswater, Ayrshire, and Highland kyloe, with a small admixture of other breeds which a farmer may meet with, and be led to purchase at market The farm-buildings of the parish are generally spacious, com- modious, and substantial. The inclosures are, for the infield and arable land, thorn quick hedges, — for the outfield and pastoral, stone dikes. Fisheries, — The fisheries of the Tweed, which ought to abound in salmon, have dwindled down into nothing in this neighbourhood. The few salmon which escape from the Berwick nettings are late in the season before they arrive, when they have in a great mea- sure lost their value, and the close-time has set in. At this, the inhabitants on the banks of the Tweed and its tributaries feel much aggrieved. They complain that their fine rivers are made a mere preserve for the Berwick fisheries ; and they seem to have reason. Produce. — The produce of this parish consists entirely of grain, of stock, and of potatoes, turnips, and hay. The yearly value of each of these separately cannot be procured; but the general value of the raw produce yearly raised has been estimated at L. 50,000, being nearly 2J of the rental. Manufactures. — The only great manufacturing establishments in this parish are upon the Gala in Darling's-haugh, and Buckholm- side ; and, as they form a part of the commercial body of Gala- shiels, being divided from it by nothing but the parochial boundary line, which, crossing the Gala, and passing along the side of the lead which drives the machinery, intersects, without disuniting that village, a particular account of them more properly forms a part of the statistics of Galashiels parish. As to the Melrose-land- linens, a manufacture mentioned in the last Statistical as being so much on the decline that apprehensions were beginning to be en- tertained that the place would lose the name and business, the business and its very name have indeed departed long ago, — the bleachfield has become a grazing field, — and the fathers and mothers of the present race still speak with regret of the linen trade, and MELROSE. 67 the profits they could realize in their youth by the labours of the spinning-wheeL Coeval with, and perhaps contributing to, the fall of this manufacture, was the introduction of cotton weaving from Glasgow, which at one time employed hundreds of hands, many of whom went to country work when required, and were profitably employed in weaving during the intervals in which no country work could be procured* This resource, which was a great benefit to the people, in compensating the irregularity of the demand for rural labour, which requires many hands at one season, and compara- tively few at another, ceased with the diminished demand for weav- ing in Glasgow, from which no work has been sent to this place for many years. The population being, nevertheless, greatly upon the increase, owing to causes stated in the last head, we have ^^ the still loom and silent wheel," without the other woful feature in the poetic image of desolation, " the cold hearth." As for the wool- len manufacture, it has not left the country, but only withdrawn a few miles west to the banks of the Gala. V, — Parochial Economy. Market'Taum, Sfc. — Melrose is a market-town, and has 689 in- habitants, who are chiefly employed as retailers, handicrafts, and labourers. As to the police of the place, it was a Burgh of Rega- lity before the abolition of the hereditary jurisdictions ; and under the present system, it is the head of its district, having a fiscal act- ing under the Justices of the Peace, who hold a court in its town- house on the first Saturday of every month. The people fre- quently settle their differences among themselves by arbitration, which is called " referring them to men," or " setting men on them." There were formerly magistrates called Birly men, who used to hold what was called a Birly court ; but this, a relic per- haps of some old Saxon or feudal institution, has fallen into dis- use, and all cases not carried before the higher courts are now- settled either by a reference to men, or by the decision of the justices. There are six other villages in the parish, Darnwick, Gattonside, and Newstead, each about a mile distant from Melrose, and in the same valley, having severally a population of 297, 290, and 230 ; Newtown, three miles td the south-east, having a population of 161 ; and upon Gala water, four miles to the west, Darling's-haugh, which has 762 inhabitants, and Buckholmside, which has 317, both ap- pendages of Galashiels. Means of Communication. — The means of communicatvow ^yv- joyed by the parish are ample. There is a posl-offiie^'vci^^To^^^ 68 ROXBURGHSHIRE. with drop posts to all the neighbouring places of importance; and, besides numerous excellent parish and statute-labour roads, which afford access wherever it is required, there are two spacious turn- pikes, the Leader and Gala w^ater roads, which pass, the one along the northern, and the other alonor the southern boundary of the parish. The Gala water road, from Newtown, where it enters to Caitha-toll, where it leaves the parish, is twelve miles in length ; and the Leader water road, after diverging from the other about a mile south from Newtown, continues in the parish for nine miles. On the former, two four-horse coaches, which travel at the rate of seven and eight miles an hour, have succeeded the famous old fly, which, with its venerable pair, would continue from twelve to six- teen hours between Jedburgh and Edinburgh. There are two stone bridges over the Tweed, one a mile above, and another two miles below Melrose, both in the old fashion, narrow and high- raised in the centre, but in perfect repair. Between them, there is a handsome suspension bridge for foot passengers and single horses. A little above the upper stone bridge, there was un an- cient bridge of singular construction, having a residence for the pontage-keeper in the centre, and a draw-bridge on each side, which he could lower and elevate at pleasure. The central pillar, or rather tower, which contained the keeper's residence, was of Gothic architecture, and bore the arms of the Pringles of Gala, to whom the right of salmon-flshing in the Tweed was formerly given by royal charter, burdened with the charge of keeping up the pontage communications over the river, k gave name to Bridge-end, which is deemed too small to appear in the enumera- tion of the villages of the parish. Ecclesiastical State. — There have been eleven Protestant clergy- men since the Reformation. The second of the series was the nephew of John Knox, and had the same name. His immediate successor, a person of the name of Forrester, was deposed for po- pish tendencies, and is said to have used liturgy consisting of dog- grel rhymes of his own composition, and containing such expres- sions as these : " From the knock-down race of Knoxes, good Lord, deliver us." Fletcher, who became Bishop of Argyle, was much respected during his ministry in this parish for his benigni- ty, public spirit, and attention to the education of the people. But this did not prevent them from rejoicing heartily at the re- moval of his curate in 1689, and the accession of Mr Wilson, the first Presbyterian clergyman after the revolution, who is still spoken of and regarded with veneration. The school-house was built with MELROSE. 69 funds bequeathed by Bishop Fletcher, as is commemorated by a Latin inscription on the walL The parish church, which was removed in 1810 from the Abbey ruins, where it had been since the Reformation, is on the top of the Wearhill, a few hundred yards west from Melrose. Its exposed situation renders it cold in winter, but it is conveniently situated for the greatest part of the population, being nearly equidistant from the villages of Damwick, Grattonside, and Newstead. It is three miles distant from the south-western extremity of the parish ; from the north-western not less than eight. The sittings are thought to be all free. They were divided at first among the dif- ferent proprietors, in proportions corresponding with the amount of their assessments, but, excepting such portions as they reserve for the accommodation of their own families and those of their servants, or are pleased to assign to whose who apply for them, the whole church is supposed to be free to the whole parish. The manse, which was built in 1813^ is in perfect repair. The glebe is four Scotch acres of poor land, and not worth L. 4 a-year. The sti- pend is sixteen chalders of victual There are no chapels of ease in the parish ; but one is required in the west, where there is a po- pulation of 1000, four miles distant from the parish church. There are no Roman Catholics in this part of the country. There are occasionally a few Episcopalian families who attend the parish church, — the nearest Episcopalian congregation being in Kelso. An attempt was made to establish a congregation of Methodists, but it failed, and a chapel built by that sect has been lately sold and pulled down. Almost the whole of the Dissenters in this part of the country belong to the United Associate Synod, and they have two meeting-houses in this parish — one in Melrose, and another in Newtown, romantically situated in the spacious dell through which the Bowden burn flows into the Tweed. The living of the former is L. 95, that of the latter is L. 100, which has also a hand- some house and garden for the minister. The Seceders of this part of the country are to a man favourable to an Established church. They disapprove of patronage, but seem to be abundant- ly sensible of the expediency of a national provision being made for teaching the doctrine of our Lord. They would rather receive in- struction gratis than pay, and they would rather pay, than not have a minister of their own choice. A great part of the congregation of Newtown is derived from the neighbouring parishes, but a con- siderable proportion of the population, who reside on the banks ot 70 ROXBURGHSHIRE. the Leader and Gala, belong to dissenting congregations in Galar shiels, Stow, Lauder, and Earlston ; so that the number of Dissen- ters residing within the bounds of this parish cannot be estimated at more than 700. Tliose who adhere to the Established church are 3400 ; the number of families about 600 ; the number of com- municants 800. Both in the Establishment and among the Dis- senters, divine service is well attended. Religious Societies, — There are two missionary societies in the parish ; the amount of their contributions is about L. 12 each ; and there is an annual collection for their behoof, which has frequent- ly exceeded L. 20, and sometimes fallen so low as L. 6. Education, — Besides the parish school held in Melrose, there are six considerable schools in the villages, for each of which a comfortable school-house has been built. There is a small school at Langshaw, with a salary of L. 3 a-year, derived from a mortifi- cation, which is the only endowed school in the parish ; and there are numerous other small schools among the remote onsteads and cottage groups, sometimes established by the teacher himself on a speculation, and sometimes by a number of families, who unite to- gether and agree to hire a teacher, the usual rate being his board and lodging free, and his chance of scholars. He is comfortably lodged with the principal person in the cottage group, to whom he is an agreeable companion, and to whose children he privately gives additional attention, and his school fees may amount to L. 15 per annum. He is generally some pious old intelligent person in decayed circumstances, or a young aspirant after a higher school, who is gradually acquiring habits and attainments *to fit him for more extensive usefulness. The whole system is working exceed- ingly well, and no additional schools are required. If any were, such is the importance the people attach to the education of their children that they would not be long wanting. We may venture to say, that there are none in the parish above six who cannot read, and none above fifteen who cannot write, and that the people universally are alive to the benefits of education. In the side schools there is little required but English, writing, arithmetic, with geography and history. In the parochial school, the highest branches of education are taught admirably well. The- teacher is thoroughly versed in Latin, Greek, French, mathematics, with their application to the arts and sciences. His salary is L. 30, — L. 4, 4s. less than the maximum, but he has the legal accommo- dation. The school fees are 2s. a quarter for English, and for MELROSE. 71 the higher branches of education 6s. 6d. and ds. The number of scholars is about 70 or 80. Of the children only a small pro- portion can be benefited by the parochial school, which is three miles distant from one extremity of the parish and eight from another; but it is extremely useful, and in high estimation as an upper seminary, to which the young people can be sent when farther advanced, as they are, from the distance of several miles. Since the facilities of education were increased, a most decided change in the morals of the people in this part of the country has become visible. The number of delinquencies requiring church censure which occur has, as the old compared with recent re- cords of the Court of Session shew, diminished from seven and ten a-week to three in the year. This is a strong and well ascer- tained fact ; and it may be added, that the people universally have become more steady in their habits, more mild in their man- ners and dispositions, and more exemplary in their general cha- racter, moral and religious. Education in this part of the coun- try has enabled the people to find in reading a cheap and inno • cent amusement at their own fire-sides, increasing the comforts of home. It has brought them more under the influence of all the motives to good conduct ; it has rendered them less liable to be deluded by those false and extravagant views of things which are the main source of " sedition, heresy, and schism :" and, accord- ingly, in this part of the country, there is no sect whose doctrine dif- fers materially from that of the Established church. The people at present, in consequence of education, both live, lodge, and dress in a far superior style to what they enjoyed forty or fifty years ago ; they also save more money now than they did then; and yet the rate of wages, compared with the state of the markets, was at that period double what it is at present. To what can this be owing ? To nothing but the good management, judicious economy, and orderly habits which have been produced by the improved intelligence of the people. It would appear, therefore, that education, besides its other high advantages, really enables the people to live more com- fortably at a cheaper rate, which is exactly the reverse of what some speculators are inclined to maintain. Literature. — There is a Subscription Libr?iry in Melrose, with small religious libraries among the principal villages, which admit of general literature, also ; and it may be truly said, that there is not a cottage which does not possess a small store of books. Tlicre are no periodical publications of any kind printed within the bounds of the parish, but it is illustrated by works of aV\\g\vet otdi^x^ viNxvda 72 ROXBURGHSHIRE. have proceeded from Abbotsford, Chiefswood, and Allerly; the re- sidences of Scott, of Lockhart, and Hamilton, and of Brewster. Institutions. — There are three Friendly Societies in the parish, the Friendly Society of Melrose established in 1790, the Society of St John's Lodge established in 1797, and that of the Free Gardeners established in 1821. That such institutions are benefi- cial cannot be doubted. They act as an insurance in alleviating the wants of individuals from the contributions of numbers ; and the members, by paying in the small sum of Is. a quarter, receive from 3s. to 5s. a week, when sick, aged, or infirm. But, besides that they are continually apt to break or to become unable to make good their engagements, the necessary calculations being generally too difficult for their establishers, and their basis too narrow for an. In- surance Company to rest on, they are, it is obvious, in their best state, and with every advantage of which their nature admits, vastly inferior to the savings banks, in utility and in the incitement to in- dustry which they afford. Savings Bank. — There is a savings bank in the parish and vil- lage of Melrose, which is intended for the behoof of the lower classes of the people only, and in which the sums deposited amount annually to L. 300, and the sums withdrawn to L. 250. As it is a regulation, that the sums deposited should be withdrawn whenever they have attained to such an amount, that they can bo conveniently transferred to a regular bank, the cash actually in the savings bank, which is more than L. 1500, is but a small part of what actually has been accumulated by the lower orders of this neighbourhood. One thing is evident, that their savings for seve- ral years back have not been less than L. 300 per annum. At the extremities of the parish, the people make their deposits else- where. We speak only of the savings bank of Melrose, and of the deposits made in the neighbourhood of that village. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons who are upon the poor's roll does not exceed seventy. The sum allotted to each is Is., Is. 6d., and 2s. per week, amounting on an average to about L. 4, 16s. per annum. The funds for the main- tenance of these, the enrolled and permanent poor, are raised by an assessment of L. 84 per quarter, upon the landed proprietors of the parish, which is imposed and distributed by the heritors them- selves, at quarterly meetings which they hold. Besides the assess- ment, there are the church collections, small funeral ones of various amount^ and private donations which are from time to time received from the opulent families who reside in the neighbourhood. Ac- MELROSE. 73 cording to the old system, which has lately been resumed, the management of these funds is committed to the minister and elders; and they are not so much intended for the regular maintenance of the permanent poor as to afford relief to persons in temporary distress. To the enrolled poor also, relief is continually given out of the same funds, particularly at the beginning of winter, or in times of sickness, when what they receive from the heritors is more than usually inade- quate. And it may be observed in general, that whatever is given by the kirk-session is received as a benefaction, and that what is re- ceived from the heritors after a statement of their case, is claimed as a right. This right, however, the people have universally a great reluctance to exercise at first : but when once their names are on the roll, there is never a possibility of getting them off. The kirk-session, therefore, besides the good which it does in increasing the comforts, alleviating the distresses, and soothing the feelings of the poor, is highly useful in an economical point of view. By pre- venting the people from applying for public aid when in temporary distress, and thereby fostering the spirit of independence, or at least preventing it from being crushed prematurely, it diminishes the number of importunate poor, incites people to strive to maintain themselves as long as possible, giving them occasional aid under difficulties, which would otherwise be insurmountable ; and thus it tends to lessen the amount of the legal assessment. In former times, the heritors used to make advances to the kirk-session out of their own funds, sensible that their money could not be more use- fully employed in any other way, and there is evidently much wis- dom in making the people receive their relief from the hands of the same persons to whom is committed the power of moral disci- pline, control, and rebuke, which will tend to strengthen their au- thority, and to mitigate the ill will to which the exercise of that dangerous but salutary power may render them liable. The elders are also, by their knowledge of, and access to, individuals, of great service, in making a suitable distribution of the funds. This, the true old Scottish mode of providing for the poor, in- troduced, perhaps, so early as the Reformation, and recommend- ed by its own benignity, as well as the experience of ages, was in- terfered with in this place about twelve years ago with some view to improvement. From a strange misconception of the system of Dr Chalmers, according to whom the relief of the poor ought to be committed entirely to private charity, aided and directed by such an order of men as the elders, — the heritors took to them- selves the sole management of the poor, after which the church 74 ROXBURGHSHIRE. collections were made in their name, and for their behoof, and all distinction between the public and private relief, — the permanent and the occasional poor, was lost On the effects of this inju- dicious measure it is unnecessary to enlarge. But it is proper to state, that its evil effects were mitigated by this, that the heri- tors could not claim, nor the elders give up, the management of the private donations which they continued to receive from time to time, — that after a trial of twelve years the new system has been abandoned, — and that the kirk-session is now restored to the full exercise of its old functions. The amount of the church collec- tions has in consequence greatly increased ; and it is not impos- sible that'the legal assessment may in time be brought down nearly to what it formerly was. The legal assessment ought on no account to be abolished, both because it enables parishes to derive aid from the non-resident pro- prietors, and for the sake of distinction between the public and pri- vate distribution of charitable relief. The kirk-session ought not to have the power of assessing the heritors, or the elders of Scotland, hitherto characterized by humble piety and unassuming worth, might come to degenerate into the arrogant and oppressive churchwarden.* But neither ought this excellent and most useful court to be inter- fered with in the exercise of its own proper functions. Under this system the poor do not apply for aid, — they are sought out, — they receive a friendly visit from the elder of the district, who inquires kindly into their circumstances, and speaks comfortably to them, giving them a little aid from time to time ; and if at length the circumstances of any shall have gone down into irrecoverable pau- perism, he states their case to the heritors, and applies for them. The old Presbyterian kirk-session, wherever it exists in perfection, as it really does in this parish, may be truly described as one of the best institutions that ever was devised by the wisdom and be- nignity of man, for relieving the distresses, and soothing the feel- ings of the poor. Prisons. — There are no prisons in the parish, except a single cell, seldom or never used, similar to, and similarly situated, with another for receiving the feudal grain of the Duke of Buccleuch, which seems to have been built chiefly for the sake of uniformity. Fairs. — There are three fairs held in this place, the May fair, named from the old style, and held in the beginning of June ; the • The evils with which the English poor-laws are attended seem wholly owing to this, that Uic proprietors do not, .as in Scotland, assess thcmseWes, otherwise there would have been no danger that toe assessment would rise too high. MELROSE. 75 Lammas fair, and the Martinmas fair. They are all cattle-mar- kets ; and the Lammas fair has of late years risen into such high importance as a sheep-market, as to rival the great fair of St Bos- wells. There used to be a small market in the spring called the scarce Thursday fair, a corruption for Kier or Holy Thursday, which is said to have been in high repute as a village carnival in Catholic times. Inns^ Alehotisesy Sfc. — There are no less than thirty of these in the parish, of which the e£fects on the morals of the people are most pernicious. Fuel — The chief fuel in this part of the country is coal driven from the Lothians over the Soltra, and from Northumberland over the Carter, which sells at Is. 3d. per cv^rt. The thinnings of the neighbouring plantations are also much used, and peats from the moss bogs of Blainslie, of which one sells at Is. 6d. the other at ds. for the cart load, exclusive of carriage. Miscellaneous Observations. The chief circumstance in which the present differs from the past state of the parish, is the general enlargement of the farms. Except in the case of a carrier or miller, who rents a few acres to furnish fodder for, and to give regular employment to his horses, a small farm is nearly unknown. The displacing of the old small tenants, distinguished as they were by a primitive simplicity of manners, was at first viewed with deep regret ; that an entire ba- rony should be committed to one man, was exclaimed against as a public grievance. But the introduction of a better and more spi- rited style of agriculture which immediately followed, the rapid im- provement of the country, which in a limited period has raised the rental of this parish from L. 4000 nearly to L. 20,000 a-year, be- sides the improved condition of the agricultural labourers, seem to show that it was a change for the better. The land is divided into a limited number of great farms ; and the tenants, men of capital and high* intelligence, are enabled to give the best effect to the virtues of the soil ; and the great body of the people live quietly under them as farm-servants and hired labourers, having no care but to do their work and receive their wages. The influence of the master over the people whom he employs is immense, and not the less that it is not perceived. The great farms, the valuable men at the head of them, and a resident proprietary, may be re- garded as among the chief causes of the prosperity and tranquil- lity for which this part of the country is so greatly distinguished. November 1834. PARISH OF WILTON. PRESBYTERY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE, THE REV. DAVID STEVENSON, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The modern orthography of the parish is Wilton, — obviously an abbreviation of Wiltown, in which form it appears in almost all the old records. In several ancient documents it is referred to under the designation of Walltown and Willis-town ; but the precise origin of the name cannot now be ascertained. Boundaries^ Sfc — The parish of Wilton is bounded by Ashkirk and Roberton on the west ; by Hawick on the south ; by Cavers on the east ; and by Minto and Lilliesleaf on the north. Its ex- tent along the banks of the Ttviot is about 5 miles ; average breadth 3^; and contents 17^ square miles. Its figure is nearly that of a parallelogram, The principal river in this district, which may be called the Upper Ward of Roxburghshire, is the Tiviot. It takes its rise at a place called Tiviot-stone, about 16 miles south-west of this parish, and runs in a north-easterly direction, until it joins the Tweed at Kelso, — a distance of 36 miles. The Borthwick, a con- siderable tributary stream, falls into the Tiviot near the southern extremity of the parish, and the Slitridge or Slitrig joins it at Hawick. 11. — Civil History. From the proximity of Wilton to Hawick, considerable notice has been taken of this parish in the History of Hawick, by Mr Ro- bert Wilson, shoemaker in Hawick, published a few years ago. This is not only an amusing work, but contains much valuable lo- cal information, and is very creditable to the talents of its author. Eminent Men. — No eminent literary characters appear to have been connected with this parish by birth. It may be noticed, how- ever, that Mr Crawfurd, minister of Wilton, who flourished about the year 1713, was a gentleman of considerable literary attain- ments; and in his « Dying Thoughts" left a monument of his piety WILTON. 77 behind him. Dr Charters, minister of the parish, was also a cler- gyman of no common pulpit eminence, and the author of Sermons, which, in simplicity of language, elevation of sentiment, and excel- lent practical morality, have few to excel them among the modern publications of this kind. Land-otoners. — His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and Queens- berry is patron, and principal heritor in the parish. He is also Titular of the teinds, and his property is rated in the cess-books of the county at nearly one-half of the valued rent Besides his Grace, there are ten or eleven landed proprietors, whose interest in the parish is, individually, from L. 100 to L. 1000 Scots ; also a considerable number of minor heritors. Parochial Registers — The Session records commence in 1694. They are voluminous and well-kept. The minute-book of the heritors, also a well-kept record, extends from 1723 to the present time, and contains an account of transactions relating to the poor, and the economics of the parish. The only remaining register is that of births; but, as in many other parishes in Scotland, it ex- hibits nothing like a punctual or regular registration, — parents often disregarding every admonition to record the nativity of their children.* There is in this parish no register of deaths, and nothing in the shape of a record of marriages, excepting only a record of the names of those who have had proclamation of banns in the church. III. — Population. According to the former Account, the population in 1755 amounted to 936. The average number of marriages for the three years immediately preceding the date of that Account was 13; of baptisms, 20, and of deaths 8. " But these numbers," adds the writer, " cannot be accounted precisely accurate, as all are not re- corded." In 1801, by census, - - - 1307 In 1811, ... - 1527 In 1821, - - - . . - . ^^^^ In 1826, the date of the present minister's connection with the parish, 1712 In 1831, ... - 1870 Of marriages, or rather proclamations, the average number for the last seven years amounts to 114. • The expense of registration is so trifling, and the benefit which results from it is often so great, that it is surprising to find such universal negligence in this matter. Nt^doubt there are statutes in force to compel this obserrance, but it is an invidious task, and not worth the session-clerk's while to enforce them ; and, unless the power of registration be lodged elsewhere, it is much to be feared that the present irregular practice will not soon be corrected. 78 ROXBURHSHIRE. There are at present in the parish 2 persons insane ; 1 fatuous ; and 1 blind. Language. — The language generally spoken by the lower or- ders, throughout this district, contains many provincialisms, but these are becoming gradually obsolete. Two diphthongal sounds, however, seem still to maintain their ground, namely, those re- sembling the Greek ei, and the on?, as in the English words, cow, sow, how, now, — e. g. the common people generally pronounce, tree, trei ; tea, M ; knee, knei ; me, md ; and, instead of the diph- thongal sound of 00 in the pronoun you, the pronunciation is al- most invariably you?, as in now. Poaching in game is carried to a very considerable extent in this district ; and, so long as the present game laws continue, there is very little prospect of any material diminution. Unqualified per- sons are to be met with, in bands, in open day, equipped in all the habiliments of the licensed sportsman. This is an employment prejudicial in a high degree to the morals and industry of the com- munity ; and it would render an essential service to many poor families, were the law efficient enough to suppress poaching alto- gether, or make it an employment not worth the prosecuting. * IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — About two-thirds of the pa- rish are in tillage. But there is very little land that has not at some period been cultivated, as appears by the high ridges that may be obsen^ed in all old pastures. A great part of the out- field land in the parish, however, has not been ploughed within the memory of the oldest inhabitants. There is no land which could with profit be added to the cultivated land in the parish ; but, on the contrary, perhaps a part of what is at present cultivat- ed might be more profitable if left in permanent pasture. The number of acres under wood is about 100. The kinds of trees commonly planted are, oak, ash, elm, and beech, with larch, Scotch, spruce, and silver firs to nurse. The proportions are, about one-fourth of hard- wood and three-fourths of fir. Considerable attention is paid to the management of wood, by yearly thinning, pruning, &c. Rent of Land. — It is difficult to ascertain the exact rent of arable land, but, at a rough guess, it may be stated on an average at about L. 1, Is. per acre. The average rent of grazing may be at the • In consequence of the establishment of an active constable in the town of Ha- wick, poaching, within these last two years, has very much decreased. WILTON. 79 rate of L. 5 for an ox or cow, kept for a year, and 6s. for a ewe or fulUgrown sheep, upon unimproved land. The real rent of the parish in 1827 was somewhat more than L. 6000. Rate of Wages. — Married farm-servants are hired for the year, and their wages, which are paid chiefly in kind, may be valued at from L. 25 to L. 28. Single servants are hired by the half year, and receive from L. 6 to L. 7 in summer, and from L. 4 to L. 5 in winter, besides board. Day-labourers receive 2s. per day in summer, and Is. 6d. in winter; women, lOd. in summer, and 8d. in winter for out-door labour. Masons and carpenters, by the day, are paid a little more than common labourers. Mason-^rk, per contract, may be done for 368. to 40s. per rood, for workmanship only ; or from L. 5 to L. 7, according to circumstances, materials being furnished. Roofing with house timber is about Is. per square yard for workmanship. Joisting and flooring. Is. 6d. per square yard. A farm cart costs about L. 9, with all furnishings ; a wooden plough, (now seldom used) about L. 3. Country smiths are generally paid in stated sums (about I/. 3) a-year for each pair of horses kept upon a farm. This includes shoeing and repairing plough irons and harrows. Husbandry. — The system of husbandry generally pursued is the four or five-shift rotation; but it is thought the land is gradually dete- riorated by this mode of cropping, and would require to rest longer in grass. Turnips are generally sown for a fallow crop, except on wet lands, when clean fallow, succeeded by a crop of wheat, is pre- ferred. Some attempts have lately been made to raise spring wheat in the lower part of the parish, but the success has not been such as to encourage that practice, except in the most sheltered situations. The greatest part of the wet land in the parish has been drained, but in such a superficial manner, that in many cases the drains require to be renewed. A better system, however, has now been introduced, and is generally practised. A good deal of expense has been incurred in embanking the river Tiviot, but much still requires to be done.* The duration of leases is generally fifteen or nineteen years, — except upon the Duke of Buccleuch's estate, where it is only nine, but the leases are usually renewed at the end of that period. The farm-buildings in the parish are mostly old, and, in many cases, insufficient for the accommodation of the farm. The land is all inclosed, and the arable land subdivided chiefly by thorn hedges, which are well kept, and thriving. 80 ROXBURGHSHIRE. It has been found impracticable to ascertain the average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish. Manufactures. — jThere are engaged in manufactures about 240 male adults resident in this parish, of whom five are masters. There are five mills employed in spinning wool in the parish. Of the five Firms to which they belong, three have their counting- rooms, warehouses, and considerable branches of their business, such as are not immediately connected with mill-machinery, in the neighbouring town of Hawick. Exclusive of these, there are about 600 men, women, and children, employed in manufactories in the parish. Wool Manufactures. — The ma^ifactories of the parish are of various descriptions of goods made from wool, — such as lambs' wool yarn and hosiery, blankets, plaidings, flannels, tartan shawls, and other goods of a similar nature. The whole mills contain fifty teazing, scribbling, and carding engines, (most of the two latter being what are called double engines,) which prepare as much wool as keeps in motion 9578 spindles in slaubing, spinning, and doubling yarn. The quantity of wool consumed weekly, as nearly as can be estimated, is, upon an average, about 11,500 lb, and gives employment to about 230 slaubers, spinners, &c — men and lads, who have the care of machinery, — and women, who supply wool to the carding and scribbling engines, — and oliildren, who are employed by the former as piecers, — 240 stocking-makers, 75 weavers, and about 40 people in milling, scouring, dyeing, and finishing goods. Those employed in the mills generally work from six o'clock in the morning till seven o'clock in the evening, — two hours being al- lowed for meals. Stocking-makers, weavers, &c. begin the day at six in the morning, and cease working at eight o'clock in the even- ing ; but the work-hours of the latter are not regular. It may be noticed, that some of the manufacturers have of late worked part of their machinery night and day, i. e. from one o'clock Monday morning till eleven o'clock Saturday night. Where this is done, two sets of work-people are employed, and each set takes the night-work every alternate week. Very few children are employed before nine years of age. The work they are put to is of a very light description ; and, from the quantity of vegetable oil used in preparing the wool, and the fac- tories being well-aired, they are generally very healthy and thriv- ing. They have all been taught to read previously to their enter- ing a factory, and most of them attend one or other of the Sunday WILTON. 81 schools of Hawick. Their situation is fully as comfortable as that of their class in general, though, it must be granted, that manufac- tories are commonly not the best schools of moraUty for youth. In many instances, however, fathers who are slaubers or spinners employ their own children as piecers ; and the good conduct of many children under the restraining influence of a parent's eye, has, without doubt^ a beneficial effect on others who have not the same advantages. Since the introduction of the woollen manufactories into this part of the country, the quantity of wool consumed has been gra- dually and regularly increasing. In the year ending December 31, 1828, there were manufactured in Hawick and Wilton parishes, 1,038,641 slips of yam, and 432,201 pairs of hose ; in the year ending December 31, 1829, 1,010,641 slips of yarn, and 465,823 pairsof hose; and in the yearending December31, 1830, 1,102,865 slips of yam, and 488,487 pairs of hose ; and there is annually, besides, a large quantity of yam manufactured into blankets, plaidings, and flannels. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Town, Sfc. — There is no market-town in the parish. Wilton may be called the suburbs of Hawick, and is scarcely dis- joined from it ; nay, a small section of the parish actually forms a part of the town of Hawick. The grammar-school lately erected there, an excellent building, but very incommodiously situated, is in the parish of Wilton. Villages J S'c. — There are three villages, or rather hamlets, in the parish, — viz. Appletree Hall, towards the north ; Langlands Dean, in jthe south ; and what may be called the village of Wilton. Means of Communication, — The nearest post-ofiGce is at Hawick, and an excellent communication has lately been formed with that town from the north by a new bridge of four arches across the Tiviot. This new approach runs through a small part of the glebe between the church and the manse, and joins the present Edinburgh road, at what is called Dovemount Well. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is almost equidistant from either extremity of the parish. None of the church-going po- pulation reside at more than two miles and a-half from the church ; and the Dissenters consider it as no inconvenience to travel half a- mile farther to their respective places of worship at Hawick. The present parish church was built in 1762, and very lately under- went a considerable internal repair, and was handsomely painted. BOXBURGH. F ( 82 ROXBURGHSHIRE. It affords accommodation for about 600 persons, and all the sit- tings are free. A considerable number of years ago, an additional gallery was built in front of the pulpit, at the joint expense of the Duke of Buccleuch, the late venerable Dr Charters, and Wil- liam Oliver, Esq. aided by a few small subscriptions. This sec- tion of the church is open to sitters of almost every description, and differs from the rest of the accommodation, which was originally allocated to the heritors, according to their respective valuations. The lower part of the aisle or gallery referred to, was reserved for a cemetery to the family of Dr Charters ; and there the ashes of that eminent servant of God repose, with a plain inscription upon a neat marble tablet, from the pen of his intimate friend, the late excellent and venerable Dr Thomas Somerville of Jedburgh. The manse was built about fifty years ago, is a substantial edi- fice, and kept in good repair by the heritors. It is upon a scale much smaller than modern houses of the same description, and quite inadequate to the comfortable accommodation of a large family. The stipend is six chalders of victual, half meal and half barley, with L. 36 and odds in money. " The glebe," says Dr Charters, " is large and valuable ;" and it is much to be regretted that for- mer incumbents, who lived nearer the source of information, did not think it proper, for the benefit of their successors, to give a more ample account of it. The glebe, properly so called, is alto- gether an anomaly in the Church of Scotland. What may be de- nominated in-Jield^ and lying around the manse, consists of about eighty English acres of excellent land, all arable, and has been in possession of the minister from time immemorial. There is no document or record in existence to show how this land came into the hands of the church, and every search to discover its history has been altogether in vain. All that can be said in this respect is, that the land is in the possession of the minister, and no person can say with certainty how it came. There is no proof that this extra quantity of land was ever designed as a glebe, or actually given out of the lands of the heritors, by any special appropri- ation. In an account of his stipend and emoluments, given by the Rev. Mr Simpson, one of the former incumbents, in 1765, he says, " that there is a glebe, and certain lands called the Mains of Wil- ton, belonging to the minister of Wilton, which lie contiguous, and the respective bounds of which are not known, but in conjunction, they are bounded as follows," &c But there is a tradition in the WILTON. 83 parish and neighbourhood, respecting the acquisition of this land to the benefice, which, though not supported by any existing docu- ment, must have had its origin in fact. It appears from the records of the presbytery of Jedburgh, that a Mr John Langlands was minister of Wilton in 1641, and that the presentation to the parish at that time belonged to the Buc- cleuch family, and to the Langlands of Langlands, per vices. The Mains of Wilton, which lie contiguous to the church and manse, and formed a boundary to the estate of Langlands, are said by this traditionary account to have been given by the Laird of Langlands to his relative, then minister of the parish ; and, if any deed of con- veyance accompanied the grant, it has long since been lost. The tradition, however, from the remotest periods, has universally been, that the benefice obtained the lands in the manner now mentioned from the Langlands family. Yet, notwithstanding the uncertainty as to the origin of the glebe, and although it could not be shown that the Mains of Wilton had ever been designed by the heritors in lieu of any portion of the stipend, the Court of Teinds in 1827 held the lands to be the old glebe lands of the Popish incumbents, forming part of the original endowments of the benefice. Previous to 1649, the sti- pend was 12 bolls of meal and bear, Tiviotdale measure, and 540 merks Scots. An augmentation was then obtained, although the decree of locality is now lost, which Tnade the stipend amount to 3 chalders, Linlithgow measure, and L. 560 Scots, exclusive of the glebe, and this continued to be the value of the living for the pe- riod of 178 years. During this long interval no process of aug- mentation, so far as it is known, was brought forward ; and, while other churches were gradually rising in the scale of emolument, the heritors of Wilton, through the apathy or timidity of its in- cumbents, were suffered to retain in their pockets the augment- ed stipend which might have been obtained. Besides the lands which lie contiguous to the manse, there are also belonging to this church about sixteen English acres, which were acquired in the division of Wilton common in 1765. This out-field is two miles west from the church, and, although nearly all arable, yet, being in a high and exposed situation, it is much inferior in value to that part of the glebe formerly mentioned. There are no chapels of ease, nor dissenting congregations of any description in this parish. The Seceders, as at the period when Dr Charters gave in his report, are numerous, although they have 84 ROXBURGHSHIRE. not increased in proportion to the increase of population. Divine service*at the Established church is well attended, and the average number of communicants is about 400. The average yearly amount of church collections for the last seven years is L. 16. As in many other parishes, there are here two funds for the support or assistance of the poor, namely, the heri- tors' fund, and the collections, with other monies belonging to the kirk-session. The session funds are appropriated chiefly to thie relief of incidental distress, and operate powerfully in keeping paupers from the heritors' fund.* The school-fees for a conside- rable number of poor children are also paid from this fund ; and books are occasionally furnished from it for those whose parents are not able to supply them. Education. — Besides the parish school, there are two unendowed schools, well taught. Although the parish is not large, it is much to be regretted that the heritors, when the schoolmasters' salaries were recently augmented, did not, as in many parishes, allow ap ad- ditional chalder for the benefit of t)iese unendowed schools. They have been long in existence, and are of great benefit to the inha- bitants of those sections of the parish where they are situated. Men who devote their time and talents to the instruction of youth ought certainly to have a decent remuneration, which, however, in many cases, cannot be obtained, even where the attendance is nu- merous, in consequence of the low rate of fees. The parochial schoolmaster has the maximum salary. Neither the school-house nor dwelling-house are commodious, and he has not the legal quantity of ground for a garden, but receives a com- pensation for the deficiency. The teaching apartment is not good, and is by far too small to accommodate comfortably the very con- siderable number of scholars who attend the school. All the branches of education commonly taught in parish schools are taught here successfully, by an able, experienced, and indefatigable teacher* His fees may probably amount to L. 50 per annum. * A few years ago, several of the minor heritors, into whose hands the business o£ the parish had fallen, in consequence of the non-attnndance of many whose interest in the parish is greater, endeavoured to avail themselves of that clause in the poors* act which authorizes them to take from the kirk-session the half of all collections and other monies. This was not the resolution of any thing like a m^ority of the he- ritors ; and the consequence was, that the collections in a short time dwindled down to notiiing, — insomuch, that collecting fur several Sabbatlis ceased altogether. The people would not contribute when they knew that the half of the collections was to be diverted from their original object, and applied to assist the heritors in the mainte- nance of the ordinary poor. A return to the old system soon followed, by the reso- lution of a great majority of the heritors, and the collections are now nearly as ample as Ix^fore. WILTON. 85 No instance is known of any person, who has arrived at the age of fifteen years, being unable to read or write. The people are alive to the benefits of education, and send their children early to school. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid for the last seven years, including a few who receive an occasional supply, is 55; and the average sum allowed to each individual is 2s. 2d. per week. The annual average amount of contributions levied by assessment upon the heritors and tenants for the same period is L. 308. As the church collections derive no benefit from the principal and several other heritors who are non-resident, this fund would go but a very short way in relieving the necessities of the poor. The present mode of assessment is certainly the best, because all are compelled to contribute in pro- portion to their interest in the parish ; whereas were the principle of voluntary contribution adopted, many, it is to be feared, from a parsimonious spirit, would give with a sparing hand. No doubt, the maintenance of the poor is a burden, but it is one of those burdens which must be borne; and there is no other way of doing it, but by a legal provision or individual benevolence. In large towns, where many are wealthy and disposed to charity, the poor may find in some degree a precarious subsistence; but it is altogether impracticable in country parishes, where many of their neighbours are nearly as necessitous as themselves, and of consequence have little to spare. Nothing can be more preposterous, than the idea of maintaining 50 or 60 paupers by spontaneous benevolence, where not only the means are awanting, but where even the benevolent themselves have frequently little time to devote to the business of finding out and relieving the wants of the poor. Much has also been said about the rapid increase of pauperism, but it will be found in this, as in many other parishes, that the number of poor has not increased with the increase of the population. There were between 30 and 40 paupers when the population was 900, and the average number for the last seven years is only 55, though the population in that time has been more than doubled. The expense of maintenance has also been loudly complained of; but it seldom occurs to those who make this complaint, that not only the value of produce has been much enhanced, but also that neither the number of the poor, nor their weekly aliment, has borne any thing like a proportion to the increase of rents within these last fifty years ; and it ought, moreover, to be considered, that even the poor l\iem^\N^^ wcvVxv- 86 ROXBURGHSHIRE. bute materially to heighten the value of produce, and thus a reci- procity or interchange of advantage actually occurs to those by whom the poor are maintained. PueL — The expense of fuel is great in this district The nearest coal is brought from Red Water, Northumberland, a distance of 28 or 30 miles, and is generally sold by the cart load of five bags, containing about ten cwt. at from 13s. to 14s. Coal is also brought from Berwickshire via Kelso, and sold by the cwt. The average price during the year is about 14d«, although after harvest, and occasionally at other times, it can be bought at lid. and is. per cwt. Of late years, in consequence of more competi- tion, coal is brought to Hawick much cheaper than formerly. Dur- ing a long-continued storm, it has been sold so high as 2s. 2d. and 2s. 4d. per cwt. Miscellaneous Observations. In closing this report, I have only farther to remark, that the inland situation of this district, which is nearly equidistant from the Solway, the Forth at Leith and the sea at Berwick, is certainly not favourable to the extension of manufactures, as the land carriage of articles for exportation adds so considerably to the prime cost ; and the want of facilities for internal communication by canals and rail- roads, is a desideratum that will not easily be supplied, on account of the altitude and uneven surface of the country. Yet, notwith- standing these local disadvantages, commerce, trade, and agricul- ture are in a flourishing condition ; and the whole of the manu- factories which have been described above, have sprung up in this parish since the date of the last report. Were coal more easily procured, it would undoubtedly add materially both to the comfort of the inhabitants, and to the extension of trade. And were such of the labouring classes as spend their earnings injudiciously, — and not a few of these are to be found everywhere — to abjure the im- moderate use of whisky, they would be better clad and better fed, and promote at least the temporal comfort of themselves and families. November 1834. PARISH OF ROBERTON. PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. ALEXANDER NIVISON, MINISTER. ♦ L — Topography and Natural History. Extent, Boundaries. — The extent of Roberton parish in length is about 13 miles, and in breadth about 5. It contains about 48 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Et- trick, Yarrow, Ashkirk, and Selkirk ; on the east, by Ashkirk and Wilton; on the south, by Hawick, and Cavers; and on the west by Eskdalemoor, and Ettrick. Topographical Appearances. — The parish is hilly; but no single hill rises nearly to the height of the Ettrick ones on the north, or those of Liddesdale on the south. The most elevated is the range to the west of the parish, upon the boundaries of Dumfries-shire, containing the hiUs of Craickmoor, the Culm or Coom, (evidently from the Latin culmen), and one of a rather conical figure, called the Criblaw of Craick. None of these, it is thought, much ex- ceeds 1300 feet above the level of the sea. This range of hills lies north and south. The acclivities are in some places precipi- tous, but generally moderate, and the summits are flat. Two other ranges of hills, of less elevation, fall from the above, in an eastern direction ; and between these is the water and vale of Borthwick. The one range rises on the south of Borthwick water, and declines again towards Trviot river ; the other rises on the north side and declines a little towards Ale-water. The vale of Borthwick is ge- nerally narrow. Meteorology. — The situation of the parish, at nearly equal dis- tances from the east and west seas, determines in a great degree the temperature and climate. It has been ascertained that nearly one-third more rain falls in this neighbourhood than in the neigh- bourhood of Edinburgh. July and August are the warmest and driest months in the year, though in these we have sometimes • Drawn up by Mr Andrew Hogg, formerly schoolmaster of Roberton, now schoolmaster df Wilton. 88 ROXBURGHSHIRE. terrible thunder storms, accompanied with heavy falls of rain. Rheumatism among the labouring classes, especially in the decline of life, is still a general complaint here ; but considerably less so since the introduction of surface draining. The weather in Sep- tember and October is very variable. Tlie following tables, the one taken from the Transactions of the Royal Society, Edinburgh, and the other from Dr Douglas's " View of the Agriculture of Roxburgh and Selkirkshire," will furnish the best information con- nected with the temperature and climate. Comparative table of the rain that fell at Branxholm and Wool or Wall.* Branxholm. Wool. 1773, . 32.652 34.022 1774, - 29.250 30.688 1775, . 3a573 39.177 1766, - 26.295 27.579 Abstract of the medium state of the barometer , thermometer, and rain, for the year 1780. Branxholm. Wool or Wall. Bar. Ther. Rain. Frost. Bar. Ther. Rain. January, - 29.160 25.605 1.250 29.380 29.020 1.120 February - 29.000 32.290 2.950 28.050 32.370 1.210 March, 29.000 42.613 2.5U0 28.820 43.000 2.780 April, 28.900 40.700 4.025 28.720 40.880 4.085 May, 29 090 50.226 2.100 28.920 51 .020 a5do June, 29.213 55.000 2.050 29.090 52.500 1.860 July, 29.280 58.355 0.250 29.995 60.050 1.630 August, - 29.430 59.000 a350 29.310 63.000 0.500 September, - 29.000 54.900 4.700 28.630 56.140 4.415 October, - 29J230 44.260 1.975 2a710 45.050 4.060 November, 28.180 34.600 0.350 28.250 36.850 1.440 December, - 29.530 35.700 29.440 35.025 0.540 25.500 27.170 Hydrography — There are several lakes in the parish. — That of Alemoor is a pretty circular sheet of water, about two miles in cir- cumference, of considerable depth ; in some places it has been as- certained to be thirty fathoms. From it, flows Ale-water. Hell- moor lake, partly in the parish, and treble the extent of Alemoor, is more shallow. The scenery around both is in the summer sea- son pleasant, but rather tame. The lake of Moodlaw, to the west of the parish, is said to be equally divided among the three pa- rishes of Roberton, Eskdalemoor, and Ettrick ; and each parish in its respective county, Roxburgh, Dumfries and Selkirk. • Thus three parishes and three counties meet in the centre of this lake. * Branxholm is situated about three miles nearly south of Roberton, but consider* ably lower in elevation ; and Wool is about five miles nearly north, and nearly as high Jn situation. ROBERTON. 89 The water of Borthwick flows from the range of hills on the west of the parish. Its direction is eastward, its course rapid, and length about thirteen miles. It falls into the river Teviot about two miles west of Hawick. Geology and Mineralogy — The prevalent rocks are of the grey- wacke series. A seam of very excellent ironstone crosses the parish. The alluvial deposits covering these rocks are generally gravel, sand, clay, marl, and peat. There are many mosses in the parish, in some of which are found excellent shell-marl and peat. De- cayed trees are often found imbedded in these mosses, as also horns of the deer species and of other animals, which, from the size of the bones, seem to have been of a species distinct from any of those of the present day. The soil in the vale of Borthwick is of good quality. Upon the ascents on each side of the water it becomes thinner, gravelly, and dry. Towards the summits of the hills, it is wet and boggy, — es- pecially in the western part of the parish. Zoology — In most of the lakes are found abundance of perch, pike, and eel, and where the pike is not found, there is abundance of excellent trout. During the spawning season, great quantities of sea trout, grilse, or young salmon come up the Borthwick and Ale. The spawning season in the Tweed is perhaps more early than that of its tributary streams ; but this may be owing to the shallowness of the latter. It is during the autumnal floods that the greatest quantities of fish come up. They commence their run upwards about the end of October, and continue coming and going with the floods during the winter season ; and some lingering ones are caught so late as April ; but these are in a very exhausted state, and not good for food. A certain grub has of late years done considerable damage both to crops and pasture in this neighbourhood. As an instance, it may be noticed that about ten acres of pasture were destroyed by it upon the farm of Todshawhaugh. This pasture first lost its verdure, and then became quite brown. On pulling up a handful of the wither- ed grass or moss, a number of these insects were seen. They were of a dirty whitish-colour, of the shape of the common caterpillar, but rather thicker and shorter. The crows at last discovered them, and made great havoc amongst them, — literally pulling up every stem of grass, in order to reach them. Latterly the appearance of the ground was almost that of ploughed land covered with withered grass. go ROXBURGHSHIRE. Botany^ — Medicinal Plants. — Acorus calamus ; carminative and stomachic. Adiantum capillus veneris ; used for preparing the syrup called Capillaire. Agrimonia Eupatoria; slightly styptic and astrin- gent. Artemisia vidgaris ; anthelmintic, stimulant, detergent, and sudorific Cynoglossum officinale ; astringent, inspissant. Digitalis purpurea; sedative and diuretic Rubus chamcemorus; refrige- rant, antiscorbutic Vaccinium MyrtiUus; refrigerant, astringent Vaccinium Oxycoccus ; refrigerant. Vaccinium Vitis Idea ; refri- gerant, antiseptic There are a number of thriving plantations in the parish. The kinds of timber which predominate at present are the larch, spruce, and Scotch fir; but considerable quantities of these are, by the annual thinnings sold off, and the hard-wood, such as oak, ash, elm, plane, and beech, are gaining the ascendancy. In many places, the firs are nearly thinned out, and the hard-wood trees are shooting up beautiful trunks. There is also a considerable quantity of old timber in the parish, especially at Borthwickbrae. Most of the plantations are upon the estates of Borthwickbrae, Chisholme, Borthwickshiels, Hoscoat, and Harden. Upon the Duke of Buccleuch's estate, which forms half the parish, there are scarcely any plantations. II. — Civil History. Land-owners. — The land-owners are, the Duke of Buccleuch; R. Chisholme, Esq. of Chisholme ; Allan Eliott Lockhart, Esq. of Borthwickbrae ; Hugh Scott, Esq. of Harden ; George Pott, Esq. of Borthwickshiels ; Thomas Stavert, Esq. of Hoscoat ; Archibald Scott, Esq. of Howcleuch ; James Johnstone, Esq. of Alva ; Robert Pringle, Esq. of Clifton, M. P. ; and Charles Rid- dell, Esq. of Muselee. Parochial Registers. — There are some registers which go back as far as the year 1680, but they are neither voluminous nor regu- larly kept. They have also suffered much from decay and from damp. One small record of the births and marriages of Hassen- dean parish is still preserved. Antiquities. — There are a number of ancient camps in the pa- rish, — some of these of a square, — others of an oval shape. One of them is situated upon the farm of Highchesters This camp, as the name indicates, is on an elevated piece of ground, and com- mands an extensive view. The largest and most complete camp is upon the farm of Broadlee, to the west of the parish. There are two others upon the farm of Todshawhill, one upon the farm of 4 ROBERTON. 91 Todshawhaugh ; and another upon the lands of Borthwickshiels called Camp Castle. The name generally given to these camps by the common people is that of the Picfs or Peoch*s works. A ball of about one and a-half pound weight was lately found near one of these, and in another some daggers in a very decayed state. The old mansion-house of Harden, the ancient abode of the Scotts of Harden, is a place which still excites considerable cu- riosity. The carved stucco work upon the ceiling of the old hall is well worth attention. The lobby is paved with marble, and the mantel-piece of one of the rooms is surmounted with an Earl's co- ronet, and the letters W. E. T. wreathed together, signifying " Wal- ter Earl of Tarras,** — a title borne in former times by the house of Harden. Tliis mansion-house was formerly fortified by art, and is still so, in some parts, by nature. In front of the house, there is adeep glen, very precipitous on both sides, but both sides are covered with beautiful trees. Into this glen, it is said, that Wat of Harden, a well-known border chieftain, used to drive the cattle which he had carried off in his nightly raids. From one of these excursions, an infant was brought home. He was fostered by Mary Scott, at that time Lady of Harden, and a descendant of the lady of that name commonly called the Flower of Yarrow. This unknown child is supposed to have been the author of many of the border songs. * — SeeLeyden's " Scenes of Infancy," and " Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border." * Dr Lejden aUudes to this tradition in the following beautiful lines, from ** The Secnci of Infiuicy.** « What fair half-vail'd leans from her lattic'd hall. Where red the waving gleams of torch light &11 ? *Tis Yarrow's flower, who thro' the gloom, Looks wishful for her lover's dancing plume. Amid the piles of spoil that strew'd the ground. Her ear all anxious caught a wailing sound ; With trembling haste the lovely nymph then flew, And from the plunder'd heaps an m&nt drew ! Scar'd at the light, his feeble hands he flung Around her neck, and to her bosom clung ; While beauteous Mary sooth'd in accents mild His fluttering soul, and kissed her foster child. Of milder mood the gentle captive grew, Nor lov'd the scenes that scar'd his infant view ; In vales remote from camps and castles far, He shunn'd the cruel scenes of strife and war. Content the loves of aimple swains to sing. Or wake to fiune the harp's heroic string ; He liv'd o'er Yarrow's fairest flower to shed a tear. And strew the holly leaves o'er Ilarden's bier ; But none was fbund above the minstrel's tomb. Emblem of peace, to bid the daisy bloom ; He, nameleas as the race from whence he sprung. Sung other names, and left his own unsung." 92 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Modem Buildings. — The mansion-houses of Berth wickbrae, ChishoUne, Borthwickshiels, and Hoscoat, are excellent modern buildings : and some of the farm-houses are little inferior. In- deed, none of the late improvements is more striking than the ex- cellent farm-houses that have been erected. Almost all of them are new, or have undergone a thorough repair since the former Sta- tistical Account was written. The manse underwent a thorough re- . pair four years ago. The church is old, but in good repair, and well accommodated to its purposes. It bears the inscription of 1659. Roberton was erected into a parish about that date. Has- sendean, the old parish, about nine miles lower down the country, was annexed to Minto and Wilton. Roberton was erected from parts of the parishes of Hawick, Selkirk, Wilton, and Hassendean. * The remains of two chapels can still be traced, — one of these upon the farm of Chapelhill, where curates from Hassendean used to officiate ; the other, said to have belonged to the diocese of Galloway, is at Borthwickbrae, where the chief burial-place of the parish still is. The families of the Potts and Grieves are buried here. IIL — Population. The population by the return to Dr Webster was, in 1755, 651 In 1791 and 11^1, . . 6*29 IBll, - - - 558 1821, - - - 674 1831, males 360, females, 370 730 There is one village which has sprung up within these few years, called Deanburnhaugh, in which there are 100 inhabitants. The average number of births for the last 7 years, - . ]3 deaths, - - . . 7 marriages, • - .7 The average number of i>ersons, in 1831, under 15 years of age, was . 275 betwixt 15 and 30, - . 232 80and5<>, - - 124 50 and 70, . . 81 upwards of 70, - - 18 • From the inscription on the church bell, at appears to have belonged to Melrose tolbooth. Tradition says, that when the church was removed from Hassendean, the people in that quarter were highly incensed, and made great opposition to the mea- sure. The first of the workmen who mounted the ladder to unroof the old church was struck with a stone, which killed him. The ladies also showed mucli zeal in de- fending the kirk ; and there is an old ditty, wliich arose out of the transaction, still sung in the neighbourhood. There are three wives in Hassendean, And three in Briery-yards, They are a' away to Hassendeanburn, .And left both wheel and cards, &c. Whilst the parishioners of Roberton were moving off with all that was portable of the old church, the Hassendean people followed, and a scuffle ensued at a place cal- led Hornshole, about two Iniles below Hawick. Here the enraged Hassendean folk seized upon the church bell, and cast it into the pool, where it still remains. 3 ROBERTON. 93 The number of families of independent fortune residing in the parish, - 4 proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, 9 unmarried men, bachelors, and widowers, upwards of 50 years of age>, - - - - 9 unmarried women upwards of 45 years of age, . 21 families, .... 13] The average number of members in each family, - -54 The numl^ of inhabited houses, - . . 121 uninhabited houses, . - - 2 Curling has become a very prevalent amusement here ; as also coursing the hare, both with the greyhound and harriers. Character , Sfc. of the People. — The character of the inhabitants is generally moral and religious, and their habits cleanly. The ge- neral appearance of the cottages does not correspond to that of the farm-houses ; but a better style in erecting these is yearly gaining ground, and there is a considerable ambition amongst the peasantry to have neat houses. Their ordinary food is barley, and a small portion of wheaten bread, oat-meal porridge, broth and butcher- meat occasionally, fish, butter, cheese, potatoes, milk, and tea. Poaching was lately carried on to a great excess in this parish and neighbourhood, not, indeed, by the peoJ)le resident in the pa- rish, but very generally by the operatives of the manufacturing towns, especially when trade was slack. Formerly, the poachers used singly to seek the game, and generally fled when they saw any person approaching them, or at least walked off* the ground when desired. But of late years they banded together, and dar- ingly set the keepers at defiance. The farmer and his shepherd were often insulted, and sometimes the gun was cocked in their faces; but it fared much worse with the gamekeepers, as they seldom returned home without personal injury. Bands of these modem freebooters, for they were generally the very scum of so- ciety, would sometimes take up their residence in some outhouse or fold in the moors, and continue there for weeks at a time, — living on such provisions as could be had. Instances are known of their taking and roasting sheep. About two years ago, when matters were at the worst, the landed proprietors, along with some farmers, their servants, and a few energetic constables, attacked them. Upon one occasion, in particular, about twenty of these poachers were congregrated round a corn field, then recently cut, where they killed the game in great abundance. In this situation, the con- stables and farm-servants set upon them, and took them all prison- ers. A few of the more notorious of these poachers, against whom warrants had been obtained, were pinioned and carried off to jail. Since that time there has not been much poaching. 94 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Of late years there has not been much killing of fish. The gentlemen certainly do not countenance it ; neither do they punish it, unless when the trespassers are brought before them in a Justice of Peace court Indeed, their too scrupulously protecting the fish in our highland streams would only be conferring a bounty on the good citizens of Berwick, ai the expense of depriving their own peasantry of a very savoury morsel to their often scanty potato sup- per on winter evenings. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — The number of acres, im- perial measure, in the parish, either cultivated or occasionally in tillage, is about 2000 ; but a much greater quantity than that has been formerly cultivated. The number of acres uncultivated, and which form the sheep-walks, is very great, — perhaps about 28,000. All the land that can with a profitable application of capital be cul- tivated has been so already. Indeed, it may be questioned whether a quantity of that at present in tillage might not be more profit- ably untilled. The number of acres under plantation is about 550; and great care is taken in the management of the plantations. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land is about 15s. per acre ; and the average rate of grazing, at the rate of L.4, or L. 4, 10s. per ox or cow, and 7s. per ewe. Rate of Wages. — The daily rate of labour in summer is about 2s. and 2s. 6d., and in winter Is. 8d. or Is. lOd. Women in sum- mer receive lOd., except in harvest, when their wages are nearly equal to those of men. The wages of a ploughman, who receives his victuals in his master's house, are from L. 8 to L. 10, 10s., and those of a servant girl from L. 6 to L. 7, 10s. Stock. — The common breed of cattle is the short-homed; and the number of cattle, including Highland kyloes, not bred in the parish, is about 700 ; of horses, old and young, 130. There are about 19,000 sheep in the parish, which produce about 2800 stones of wool, Troy weight. The common breeds of sheep are the Cheviot, more or less crossed with the Leicester ram, and a few hirsels of the black-faced kind. Great attention is paid to their improvement It is a very prevalent and profitable custom to cross the Cheviot ewe with the bred ram. The mixed offspring is a very heavy lamb, — much heavier for the English butcher mar- kets than the pure Cheviot one. The wool is also much improved both in weight and quality. Some farmers have of late years al- lowed their flocks to go partially unsalved; but the unsalved wool, ROBERTON. 95 though higher in price, is considerably reduced in quantity and weight These circumstances, and the risk of the sheep catching a prevalent disorder, perhaps nearly overbalance the profit. The fanners who follow this practice engage in it with misgivings and a suspicion in their own minds as to its propriety ; and certainly their neighbours, who do not follow the custom, have a great jealousy against it Of late years, a considerable number of kyloes, bought at the Falkirk trysts, have been wintered in the parish. It is considered by some, that the putting of a certain number of cattle upon the sheep pastures is not only profitable, but also advantageous to the sheep. The experiment seems at least a reasonable one, as one species of stock may feed, in a great measure, upon the herbage and grasses which another passes over. However, there are different opinions on the subject, and the real sheep-breeders do not seem much to relish the custom. Htubandry. — The general character of the husbandry pursued is the five-shift rotation. The duration of leases is generally 7, 9, and 1 1 years. The farm-buildings are good. The enclosures are generally hedges near the water side, and dry-stone dikes in the higher grounds ; but several of the sheep-farms have, as yet, no ring fences. Among the principal improvements, that have been recently made, are the introduction of lime and bone dust ; but the greatest is certainly the sheep drains. These are mostly surface drains. They have the eflfect of drying the meadows and marshy land, — by which means the grass becomes much finer and thicker. They have likewise been the means of curing several disorders among the sheep, such as rot. The disorder which commits the greatest depredations in this neighbourhood, is the louping ill. This disorder has as yet baffled all skill : and it often commits great havoc among the sheep in the spring season. What renders it still more formidable is, that it does not carry off the weaker sheep, but very generally seizes the best The shepherd often passes, on his morning round, a fine healthy ewe, and in the evening finds her a victim to this mischie- vous disorder. Upon a farm of between forty and fifty score, sometimes there will be deaths to the amount of seven or eight score. The disorder has all the appearance of a palsy, only, that that disorder amongst the human species is generally incident to age, whereas among sheep the disorder in question seems to carr}- 700 1200 9000 70 60 2800 SOO 96 ROXBURGHSHIRE. off old and young indiscriminately. There are a number of other disorders incident to the sheep and stock in this part of the coun- try, but none of these are of a very deadly nature. The Pastoral Society of Selkirkshire has had considerable in^ fluence in improving the breeds of both cattle and sheep. Many of the farmers of this parish are members of it. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised in ther parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : Produce of irrain of all kinds, whether cultivated for food of man or domestic ani- mals, - - - - - L.2000 Of potatoes, -turnips, &c. - - - - Of hay, meadow and cultivated, ... Of land in pasture, rating it at L. 4 per cow, or full-grown ox, grazed, and 78. per ewe pastured for year, - - - Ofgardenft, - - ... Thinnings of plantations, annual, . . . Wool, 2800 stones at L. 1, - Miscellaneous, not enumerated in the above heads. Total yearly value of raw produce,* L. 16,130 The old valued rent of the parish is L. 10,654, 10s. lOd. The real rental at present is about L. 6500. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication. — Hawick, at a distance of three miles from the lower, and fifteen, from the higher parts of the parish, is the nearest market-town ; and there is a daily communication by carriers. The length of turnpike roads in the parish is nearly twenty miles. Ecclesiastical State. — The church, situated in the lower part of the parish, which is most populous, is perhaps scarcely so convenient to the population as another spot, that might have been chosen ; but no person who is willing to go to the house of God has much reason to complain. It is three miles from the lower, and ten from the higher extremities of the parish, and nearly in the centre of the bulk of the population. It was probably built, as the inscription upon it imports, in 1659. It affords accommodation to about 250 persons. The manse was repaired in 1827. The extent of the glebe is 16 acres, and its value about L.20 per annum. The boundary betwixt Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire divides the glebe in such a manner, as to entitle the minister to a vote in each county. The amount of stipend is 14 chalders, a considerable part of which is paid from lands lying in the parishes of Wilton and Minto. It is twenty years since any augmentation was obtained* * The above estimate is given with much doubt ; and it is thought that, if there be any error, it will be in making the amount too great. ROBERTON. 97 The number of families which attend the Established church is about 112; and of individuals, old and young, about 626. The number of Dissenting families is about 19 ; and of individuals, old and young, about 104. Divine service is well attended. The average number of communicants is about 200. There is a Mis- sionary society in the parish ; but it is rather in a languishing state. Its yearly contributions may be about L. 3. Education. — There is one parochial school. The branches taught are, reading, at 8s. per annum ; reading and writing, 10s. ; arithmetic, 12s. ; mensuration, &c. ; Latin. The salary is the maxi- mum , and the yearly amount of fees received may be L. 24. The teacher has the legal accommodations ; but the school has been for ten years by far too small. A splendid new school- house and schoolmaster's house are nearly finished About one-third of the parish is so situated that children cannot attend the parish school. These are at a distance of five and eight miles. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid is 15, and their annual average pay L. 5, 4s. The amount raised by assessment — one-half upon the heritors, and the other half upon the tenants — is about L. 100 ; and that col- lected in church is about L. 10. There are individual cases where considerable reluctance is shown in the asking of aid ; but this laud- able spirit, it is feared, is on the decline. Alehouse. — There is one alehouse in the parish. Formerly there were two ; but one of them was suppressed, as it gave en- couragement to tippling, and harboured poachers. Fuel. — The common fuel is peat, which can be obtained in abundance at about 5s. 6d. a cart load, and coals at about 15s. per cart load of 11 and 12 cwt. November 1834. Roxburgh. ^ PARISH OF SOUTHDEAN. PRESBYTERY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. JOHN RICHMOND, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The parish is called indiscriminately Southdean or Charters. The upper district js more properly than the other parts called Southdean, — a name supposed to be derived from its having been the south valley or dean of the once celebrated Jed Forest. Extent, Boundaries^ Sfc. — The extent of the parish is about 13 miles in length, and 7 in breadth. It is bounded on the S. by Nor- thumberland, and partly by Liddesdale ; S. W. and W. by the pa- rishes of Hobkirk and Bedrule ; N. E. and E. by Jedburgh and Oxnam. In a parish of so great extent, it may well be expected that there will be a considerable diversity of soil. The lower parts consist ge- nerally of gravel, light black earth, and in some parts a strong clay. Along the river Jed, gravel prevails, inclining to heath. Towards the hills, and upon them, light earth, moss, and strong clay are preva- lent The arable part of the parish is now considerably extended. Climate^ Sfc, — The climate varies greatly. While the upper part of the parish is cold and stormy, the lower is sheltered and mild. It is, however, throughout its whole extent remarkably heal- thy. There is at present one person upon the pauper list, consider- ably above ninety. One also above that age died only a few months ago ; and there are several others above eighty. Diseases formerly prevalent in this district are now greatly mi- tigated, if not entirely removed. Those arising from dampness of climate, such as ague and rheumatism, have almost disappeared, owing, no doubt, to the extensive draining of sheep pasture, as well as the more general use of flannel. Typhus fever and inflamma- tory complaints have, however, proportionally increased. Mineralogy. — In regard to minerals, it may be observed, that a seam of antimony was discovered many years ago on the estate of Abbotrule, but after several attempts to work it, it was ultimately SOUTIIDEAN. 99 abandoned. Coal has also been searched for on this side of the border hills, but hitherto without success. Strong symptoms have indeed been discovered of coal being at no great distance, yet they were not such as to warrant expensive experiments. Fresh attempts are at present making to procure coal on the lands of Lord Doug- las, and I believe with some hope of success, though the result IS not yet ascertained. Trees, ^-c— There is a hawthorn tree in a garden here, which, oil account of its great size, connected with other circumstances, is worthy of notice. The proportions of it are as follows :— Root, 5 feet, -pi inches; centre, 4 feet, 7^ inches; below branches, 6 feet, 2 inches; mean erirth, 5 feet^ 4 inches : rrmo;^^! u- -i — , first branch, 2 feet, 11 inches; second branch, 2 feet, 10 inches; mean girth, 5 feet, 9 inches. One reason for mentioning this hawthorn tree is the very strong presumption that it existed in the days of James Thomson, the poet, who, as we have observed, spent on this spot a considerable period of childhood and of youth. This wc are led to conclude from the very slow growth of the hawthorn, and the many days and years which must have passed before it could reach the size we have described. It therefore carries us back in imagination to the early days of the poet of Nature. The remains of the ancient and extensive Jed forest are still vbible in large oak trees laid bare by the action of the streams, and in the digging of deep ditches on various farms. One partly discovered in a water-course at the head of the Jed, was 3i feet in diameter. What is further remarkable in this is, that it was found high up among the moors, where scarcely a shrub of the hardiest kind could now be expected to thrive. II. — Civil History. * Under this head, it mav be remarked, that the Rev. Mr Veitch and Mr Bryson, as related by Dr M'Crie, found shelter among the " In this country it is universally believed, that the original of Dandy Dininont ▼as the late Mr James Davidson, farmer of Hyndlee, whose enthusiastic love of the diace was so well known. Mr Davidson's terriers were designated by the names of Pepper and Mustard, long previous to the publication of the novel. The farm of Hyndlee, too, is situated in the pass which leads into Liddesdale to the wastes of Nor- thumberland and Cumberland, through the latter of which Dandy and his young friend had to find their way from Carlisle, and in which they had so serious a ren- counter. Indeed, part of the present road from and to Liddesdale is called Note o' the Gate, the very spot specified by Sir Walter as having been passetl over on their way to Dandy Dinmont's. Again, not many miles from Hyndlec, one of the farms •t the head of Liddesdale is called to this day Tliorleshope, evidently a corruption of Cbarlieshope, mentioned in Guy Mannering as the residence of Dandy. All tht-se cireumstances, with his known character combined, leave no doubt Uiat Mr David- ton was the original, in the eye of Sir Walter, in drawing the character of Dandy. 100 llOXBUUGHSUIRE, fastnesses at one of the extremities of this parish ; and no place could be so well adapted for this purpose in the perilous and bloody times of the persecution of our church. Antiquities. — Tumuli or cairns, formerly prevalent in this parish, have now almost disappeared. There are still the ruins (and some of these to a considerable extent) of ancient strongholds, or peels^ as they are called. There remain, too, the sites of ancient en- campments ; which are of a circular form. Eminent Men. — James Thomson, author of the Seasons, spent much of his childhood and youth in this parish. His father was ministe r of Ednam, near Kelso, at the time of the poet's birth, but WIU] uaiijiuii.a ^ _i^^h^l^5an_±wn years after that event. His tombstone is still in this churchyard. HI. — Population. Since the beginning of last centurj, the population has greatly decreased, owing to the land being let in more extensive farms. „ , . Males, Females. Total. Population in 1801, - 343 554 897 1811, - 382 425 807 1821, - 406 431 837 1831, - 410 429 839 Number of fain ilies in 1801, - 146 1811, - 146 1821, - 147 1831, . 142 The average number of persons under 15 years of age is . 346 betwixt 15 and 30, . . 201 .^ and 50, - . 170 50 and 70, - . 99 upwards of 70, - . 28 'ITie number of families chiefly employed in afn"iculture, - - 64 trade, manufactures, and handicraft, 12 There are only four heritors in the parish, all of whom reside in it except Lord Douglas, the principal heritor, who keeps a re- sident factor on his property here. James Elliot, Esq. of Wolf- lee, and Robert Henderson, Esq. of Abbotsrule, are heritors to a pretty considerable extent, and both men of independent fortune Character, ^c. of the People.— 'Hie character of the people is peceable and religious. They are not given to poaching nor smug- glmg; but large and lawless bands of poachers have infested our moors for two years past. Our people are generally stout, healthy, and active. ^ IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Sural Economy.— Al\ kinds of grain are culti- vated to a much greater extent than at the time of the last Sta- tistical Account. From appearances, however, cultivation seems to have been more, general in the higher parts of the parish, in SOUTHDEAN. 101 times long past, than even at present. This may have been ow- ing to the lower ground having been more wooded and marshy, which would naturally constrain the people to cultivate the higher districts. The number of acres under cultivation at this time may be reck- oned at 3000. There are 500 acres under wood, natural and planted, principally pine. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land, per acre, is about 18s. The average rent of grazing, per ox or cow, 30s., and for ewe or full-grown sheep, 5s., pastured for the year. Valued rent of the parish is L. 6362; real, L. 6690, 9s. 6d. There are twenty larger and eighteen small tenants. Hiubandry* — The general duration of lewises are from five to nineteen years. A good deal of wood has been planted of late, and considerable improvement has been made in fann-houscs and the building of stone fences. Wheat is now pretty generally sown, especially in the lower parts of the parish ; and turnip husbandry has been greatly extended since the beginning of this century. It has of late years been much injured by a disease, which throws out excrescences from the root, which entirely destroy the turnip. No effectual remedy has hitherto been discovered. Live-Stock, — Since the close of the last century, considerable improvement has been made in the management of sheep. The land has been drained ; plantations and tills have been reared for shelter, whilst farmers have vied with one another in selecting the best ewes and rams from their own flocks, or from those of their neigh- bours, from which they may breed. About twenty-eight years ago, a few long-wooUed sheep were brought into the parish. They have increased with the extension of tillage, and now amount to at least 1600. There are about 15,100 of Cheviot sheep. In the year 1810, the current price of laid wool was L. 2, 6s. per stone of 24 lbs* One large clip was sold at L. 2, 10s. ; the same parcel has seve- ral times since been sold at less than one- fourth of that sum. Dur- ing the war, well salved wool was of as much value as white ; — of course, all the Cheviot sheep were then smeared. With the peace, a change took place, and almost every person left off smearing till two years ago, when the demand for laid wool reviving, induced various individuals to have again recourse to tar and butter. W^ool was much in request in 1831. White brought from L. 1, 3s. to L. 1, 7s., and laid from 18s. 6d. to L. 1, Is. per stone, which was nearly double the price obtained for the latter sort in 1830. A large proportion of the wool grown in this quarter is now u\a\\u(^v* . 102 KOXBURGHSHIRE. tured at Hawick, Galashiels, and Jedburgh; formerly it went mostly to Yorkshire. Within the last twenty years, black-cattle have been much bet- ter kept than used to be the case, — which, with the introduction of short-horned bulls from the south, has improved the breed in no ordinary degree. The cattle in the parish may be estimated at 390, and the horses at 145. Quarries. — These consist, and in abundance, of red and white sandstone, the last of which is admirably adapted for ornamental buildings. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, (exclusive of pasture,) as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : Corn, - - L. 3600 Turnips, 400 acres, at L. 4, 1(300 Potatoes, 80 acres, at L. 7, 560 Natural or bog hay, - 340 Sown grass, - - 200 L.6300 V. — Parochial EcoNOMy. Market^Towns^Sfc. — Jedburgh, our nearest post-town, is distant ten miles. The inconvenience, however, is lessened by the recent improvement in the roads. The road passing between Hawick and Newcastle, is a great accommodation to this part of the country, {IS well as that between Jedburgh and Newcastle, both of which meet at the extremity of the parish. The coach, Chevy Chace, passes and repasses through Jedburgh between Edinburgh and Newcastle every day. It enters England at the Carter Bar. There is perhaps no entrance to Scotland more picturesque than the one of which we now speak. In this road from England, the border hills rise to a considerable height ; and, as the first glimpse that is caught of Roxburghshire is from the top of the Carter, there is suddenly opened to the eye an extensive and beautiful landscape. In this landscape is comprehended, not only Roxburghshire, lying more immediately before us, with all its hills and dales, but also, though in the distance, many parts of Selkirkshire and Berwick- shire. As the road descends, the view is naturally more limited, but not less beautiful. It varies along the banks of the Jed with every turning and winding of the stream. Its high and precipitous banks are everywhere clothed with wood, of oak, pine, and weep- ing birch. These, with dwelling after dwelling imbedded in its more sheltered nooks, present to the delighted traveller a rich va- riety of scenery. This view is no doubt greatly enhanced by the SOirXUDEAxN. 103 uninteresting country which must be traversed before entering into Scotland.* Ecclesiastical State. — The patronage of the parish is partly in- vested in the Crown, and partly in Lord Douglas. By a question raised at the death of the late incumbent, it is understood that his Lordship enjoys two returns in succession ; the Crown one. This is owing to his Lordship having been patron of Southdean pre- vious to the annexation of a portion of Abbotsrule, which was sup- pressed above fifty years ago, and of which the Crown was patron. The stipend consists of 16 chalders of victual, half meal and half barley. There is a sum of L. 9, 14s. 6d. allotted for the provision of communion elements. The glebe is 40 acres in ex- tent, and may be rented at L. 40 per annum. The church was built in the year 1690; it has, since that period, undergone many repairs, and it is now in excellent condition. The present manse was erected on the site of the old one in 1795. A considerable addition has been just completed, which renders it in every way a most excellent and commodious dwelling. There are about 30 families of Dissenters in the parish. Education, — The school-room is in a tolerable state of repair. The schoolmaster is accommodated with a house and garden, and the salary is the maximum. His fees may amount to about L. 16 a-year. The average number of scholars is 67, the greater pro- portion of .whom only attend reading, writing, and the more sim- ple rules of arithmetic There is no other school in the parish ; but those who are too distant to attend here, are conveniently enough situated for attending schools in other parishes. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of paupers is 25. The whole rates amount to L. 160, — chiefly from assessment, but partly from church collections. Inns. — There is but one alehouse in this parish, and that at the extremity of it, at the Carter toll-bar. Fuel. — Coal is the principal fuel now in use. The nearest pit 16 fifteen miles distant. They are 7dt a bag, four and a-half of which make a cart load. The carriage to this place costs 6s. 6d. Peats are not so generally used as they once were, and turf is scarcely ever made use of now for fuel. * It may be proper here to mention, as relating to thi.s parish, that the scene of Reidtwire, the last border battle, lieB along the range of the Cl'arter-hills, near the Carter Bar. These hills, by the last measurement, are computed to be 2U20 feet 4iovc the level of the sea. The raid of Ueidswire has l)een too often related to re- miire ■njr acoount of it here. It may be sufficient to refer to the description in the Dorder M inttrclsy, VoL iii. p. 1.34. Revised December 1834. PARISH OF ST BOSWELL'S OR LESSUDDEN. PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. GEORGE RITCHIE, MINISTER. ♦ I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — In ecclesiastical records, this parish is generally design- ed St Boswell's, but elsewhere it is more usually named Lessud- den. In point of fact, the one is the name of the parish, the other of a village, which occasionally gives its name to the parish, as con- taining the great bulk of the population. The church is suppos- ed to derive its name from Boisel, a monk of Melrose, and subse- quently Prior of the monastery, — the pious master of the cele- brated St Cuthbert, — and, if not the founder, at least one of the earliest religious functionaries, of the parish. The saint lent his name to a village also, which seems to have been of considerable extent in its day, but of which now scarcely one stone remains on another. Extent^ Boundaries. — This parish is of small dimensions, being 3 miles in length by 1^ in breadth, and forming an area of 4^ square miles, of an oblong figure : it is bounded on the north by the river Tweed; on the east by the parish of Maxton; on the south by Ancrum ; and on the west by Bowden and Melrose. Topographical Appearances. — The surface in the upper por- tion of the parish is undulating, rising into ridges or small emi- nences, with hollows or flats intervening. The lower grounds, however, approaching the Tweed, are more free from inequali- ties. The banks of the riter, with the exception of the north- east boundary, are bold, precipitous, and well-wooded. To the north of the village of Lessudden, there is an elevated ridge over- looking the Abbey of Drjburgh, embosomed in wood, and en- circled by the Tweed, where the prospect in every direction em- braces a variety of objects that can scarcely be rivalled in beauty and grandeur. Although this eminence is immediately adjoining " Drawn up l>y the late Rev. Peter Craw, Minister of this parish. ST boswell's. 105 to the village, yet, from the sudden acclivity of the ground, there are scarcely any of the houses in sight, with the exception of Les- suden Place, — an old border strength belonging to the Scotts of Raebum, which forms an appropriate accompaniment of the scene. From the range of hills and mountains both on the north and south, the climate is comparatively dry, and consequently healthy. He clouds coming either from the east or west, (and here the wind seldom blows directly from the north or the south,) range along the higher grounds, and pass over the intermediate flat lands in a rarer state. In dry seasons, this is often felt to an inconve- nient degree. The high grounds in the neighbourhood are, on such occasions, plentifully watered, while our fields are parched, and our crops languish. Hydrography, — The Tweed is the only stream worthy of notice connected with this parish, of which it forms the boundary for up- wards of two miles on the north and east. — The springs are all perennial, — so far intermittent, however, that many of them, in dry seasons, cease about the beginning of autumn. Near the village of Lessudden, where the soil is of a retentive nature, incumbent on what is here called ftV/, gravel imbedded in clay, — springs are scarce, and the water indifferent. All the other parts of the parish are plentifully supplied with water of the purest quality. Around the glebe, in particular, to the east and south, there is an immense profusion of springs of the finest quality. The springs issue from a seam of gravel incumbent on freestone rock of a reddish colour : and many of them are strongly impregnated with lime, to which they owe their petrifying quality, which is common to all along the east bank, and to some in a very remarkable degree. There is also ** the well brae wall," a chalybeate that has attracted some notice, from its reputed virtues in scorbutic complaints. From the south bank, again, issues the Hier, or sacred well, vulgarly called the Hare well. This well also still bears the name of the siiint, and is situated farther to the west, on the same side of the ravine through which flows St Boswell's burn, receiving, in its progress to the Tweed, contributions from the " well brae." Geology and Mineralogy. — On this head, it may be only re- marked, that the soil in'general consists of a stifl'clay; in the neigh- bourhood of the church, of a black loam ; and in the haughs adjoin- ing the Tweed, it is alluvial. The soil rests upon a mass of clay mixed with boulders of whinstone and gravel of considerable thick- ness, indicating the presence of some great current. 106 ROXBURGHSHIRE. The predominating rock is red sandstone, a good building stone. From the section of a quarry in the parish, it seems to rest upon a bed of whitish sandstone of some thickness. This variety pos- sesses considerable hardness, and is much impregnated with iron pyrites, as it assumes a dingy yellow colour after a short exposure to the atmosphere. There are several appearances of trap tuffa in the parish. An attempt was made several years ago to find coal, but without success. Zoology. — As there is nothing peculiar to the parish under this head, it may be only remarked, that the fruit trees, which suffer more or less every season, were last spring almost wholly stripped of their foliage by the caterpillar (the Tortrix padeUa^) for the ra- vages of which no practical remedy has hitherto been applied. The soil seems well adapted to all the ordinary kinds of forest trees. On the estate of Ellieston, there are some of the finest larch trees in the south of Scotland; none, however, of a very uncommon size. II. — Civil History. Land^otmiers, — The chief land-owners, in the order of the rates of their valued rents, are, Robert Tulloch, Esq. of Ellies- ton ; Alexander Kay, Esq. of Charlesfield ; Thomas W. Ramsay, Esq. of Maxton ; William Scott, Esq. of Raeburn ; Captain Rid- dell Carr, of Camieston ; His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch ; Adam White, Esq. of Fens ; and Sir David Erskine of Dryburgh Abbey ; and eight other proprietors, all having landed properties of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards. Parochial Registers. — The earliest parochial register commences in 1691 ; but the registers are neither voluminous, nor regularly kept. Modem Buildings. — His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch has re- cently erected a very handsome hunting establishment to the north of St Boswell's Green, which forms the only modem building of a public nature (with the exception of the church) deserving to find a place in this description. IIL — Population. There is every reason to believe that the population of this pa- rish is at present greater than ever it was at any former period. This opinion is fully borne out by the following statement : Population in 1755, - d()9 1791, . 500 1801, - 497 1831, . 701 ST boswell's. 107 The increase of population is chiefly to be ascribed to agricul- tural improvements, producing an increased demand for labourers ; and these in their turn requiring additional artisans for domestic manufactures. The hunting establishment of the Duke of Buccleuch, which has not yet had time to produce its full effect, will in all likelihood have a favourable influence on the population, from an increased circulation of money. Already the benefits arising from this estab- lishment have begun to be felt in the increased facility which it pre- sents to the agriculturists of selling their disposable produce in corn and hay. These causes combined, have raised the number of in- habitants residing in the village to 403, leaving for the country 268. Avenge number of births registered, - - 14 deaths, - - 8 marriages, - .9 persons under 15 years of age, 249 betwixt 15 and 30,-208 do and 50, 115 50 and 70, - 116 upwards of 70, - 13 unmarried men, bachelors, & widowers, 18 women above 45, - 17 Character of the People. — The habits of the people, in regard to cleanliness, are decidedly and greatly improved, and, with a few exceptions, little seems to be wanting in that respect. At church there is generally an appearance of neatness and comfort ; and, in some instances, a display of finery that would do Httle discredit to persons occupying a higher sphere in society. They enjoy in no common degree the comforts of social life ; and never were the la- bourers and artisans in this parish better provided for than at pre- sent. The people are, generally speaking, sensible and shrewd, hav- ing few means of acquiring, and little occasion for exhibiting, any remarkable degree of intellectual attainment. There are instances, however, that go to prove, that it is the want of time and oppor- tunities of acquiring distinction in intellectual pursuits, and not the want of natural ability, that prevents a more striking developement of their mental powers. They may be morally characterized as sober, industrious, friendly and obliging in their manners, peaceable in their behavour, and honest in their dealings. Offences against the law, either in poaching or smuggling, are scarcely known among us. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The whole land in the parish amounts to 2600 108 ROXBURGHSHIRE. acres imperial, all arable, or capable of being made so, with the exception of about 25 acres of precipitous banks on Tweed, and the rivulets that run into it : and it is all occasionally under the plough, except St Boswell's Green, a divided common of about 40 acres, — the lord of the manor retaining the right of holding a fair annually over the whole of the common. The land under plantation ex- tends to 175 acres. The trees generally planted are the Scotch fir, larch, spruce, and silver-fir : the hard-wood, oak, ash, elm, birch, plane, and horse-chestnut. As the plantations advance, the Scotch fir is first taken out, then the spruce, and lastly, the larch, to make room for the hard-wood. On the Ellieston estate, where the greatest ex- tent of plantation is found, the greater part of the Scotch firs have been displaced, and the oaks, constituting a large proportion of the hard-woods, being of seventy years growth, affords an abun- dant supply of excellent timber, and of a size fit for any use to which this species is usually applied. On the estate of Camieston also, there is a considerable extent of plantation, and wood of ex- cellent quality and considerable dimensions. The wood on that paVt of the Maxton estate included in this parish, planted twenty- two years ago, has made the most rapid progress, and forms the chief ornament of the lower division of the parish around the church and manse. It is a difiicult matter to ascertain, with any degree of accuracy, the annual amount of sales of wood, from the ever- varying state of supply and demand. As nearly as can be ascer- tained, the sales amount to L. 150 per annum. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land is L. 1, 4s. 2d. per imperial acre. The grazing of a full-grown cow or ox is L. 3, 3s. for the summer; and for winter keep on straw and turnips, L.2, 2s. The general rate for a ewe or full-grown sheep grazed for the year, is 14s. Husbandry. — The general system of husbandry pursued in the parish is the four shift. \st^ Fallow, turnips or potatoes ; 2d^ wheat, barley, or oats ; 3rf, grass either cut for hay or pastured for one year ; 4/^, generally oats. On the land of better quality near the village, there is sometimes a deviation from this routine: and it is not uncommon to take a crop of drilled beans or pease after the oats and apply manure, followed by wheat or barley. In some of the leases lately entered into, the five-shift rotation is prescribed, re- quiring two successive years in grass. * This is certainly more fa- vourable for the land, and perhaps little disadvantageous to the ST boswell's. 109 occupier, the former system requiring the application of more dung than can be readily procured : and lime, from its great distance, en- tails always a heavy and sometimes a ruinous expense on the tenant. TTiese reasons have led, for the two last seasons, to the application of bone-manure to turnips, and this substitute has been found on the whole to be attended by a very favourable result, although it is alleged that it does not succeed so well on wet soils when the season is damp. The use of this manure, if it shall be found ul- timately to realize the expectations which are now entertained of its efficacy, will be of great advantage to agriculture in this part of the country, from the comparatively trifling expense at which it can be laid down on the land, (22s. 6d. a quarter,) and the small (|uan- tity required per acre, (two quarters being the usual allowance to the imperial acre). As a great proportion of the land in the parish is a stiff clay on a retentive bottom, draining is an improve- ment of the first importance. Much has already been done in this way, and more would be done if proprietors were a little more liberal in their encouragement to the skilful and industrious tenant. Little has been done in the way of embanking. Two embank- ments, however, of considerable extent, along the Tweed, have been constructed during the last season ; the one on Mr White's farm of Fens, and the other on Mr Riimsay's farm of St Boswell's. The general duration of leases is for nineteen years. The farm-houses and steadings on the larger farms are in ge- neral good and commodious ; on the smaller, both are very indifle- rent, and no way suitable to the farms. The fences in the parish (which is all enclosed) consist of thorn hedges, in general well kept. The chief obstacle to the improvement of land here is, the great distance from lime, — not less than twenty-six miles. A riogle horse cartful, containing twelve bushels, costs, when laid down on the land. Ids. which, at the rate of eight cartfuls, the quantity usually applied to the acre, occasions an expense of L.5, 48. This heavy expense can only be alleviated by in- creased facilities for land-carriage. A rail-road either from Dal- keith to Galashiels, or from Berwick to St Boswell's Green, both of which lines have been surveyed and favourably reported of, would greatly tend to the improvement of land, the increase of manufactures, and the ris^ of rents. Another obstacle to the im- provement of land, greatly, and, we believe, justly, complained of is, the practice but too common of advertising and letting land to 110 ROXBURGHSHIRE. the highest offerer, without due regard being had to his circum- stances, provided he agree to an extravagant rent, which a man that has little or nothing to lose will not scniple to offer. The working of this system is extremely injurious to the proprietor, and to honest men of some capital, who really intend to pay the rent for which they stipulate. The tenant enters on possession, and perhaps struggles on for a year or two, applies for a reduction of rent, which must be conceded, or the farm again brought into the market in a deteriorated state. If the reduction is sufficiently great to enable him to exist, he may languish on to the end of the lease, if not, he must relinquish the lease after he has ruined the land, and, in either case, the farm must be re-let at a rent far in- ferior to what a good substantial tenant would have originally pro- mised and paid during the currency of a long lease. Produce — The average amount of raw produce raised in the parish annually may be as follows. Wheat crop, .... L. 2,847 13 7^ Barley, - - - - 1,298 5 Beans and pesise, - - - 862 5 Oats, - - - - 2,5j1 10 Clover hay, - - - 364 10 Pasture land, valuing the ox or cow*s and sheep's grass as formerly stated, 516 Potatoes and turnips, . . . 924 Gardens and orchards, - . . . 76 Produce of timfier and annual thinning of plantations, . 150 Total amount, - L. 9589 19 0^ V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Town. — The nearest market-town is Melrose, distant nearly five miles. Villages. — The plough occasionally turns up the hearth or foun- dation stones of the ancient village of St Boswell's, which long since, like the hands that raised it, has crumbled into dust, with scarcely a memorial of its former existence. The village of Les- sudden lies about three quarters of a mile to the north-west, and can boast of considerable antiquity. But, what is of much greater consequence to the present generation, nothing can exceed the amenity of its situation, and the salubrity of its air. It derives its name from Edwin, the celebrated sovereign of Northumber- land, or more probably from some earlier prince of the same name, who had formed a settlement here and built a fortlet In the former Statistical Account, the name is said to have been given to this village by Bishop Aidan, whose place. Less or Lis^ it was. But the chartularies of the twelfth, and the two following centuries, as cited by Chalmers, (Caledonia, Vol. ii. 3 ST BOSWELL's. Ill p. 180,) all spell the name of the village Lessedwin, Lessadwin, or Lessedewyn, i. e, the manor place of Edwin. During the reign of William the Lion, Rohert de Loudonia, the lord of the manor, granted to the monks of Dryburgh the church of Lessedwin, for the safety of the souls of his king, of his father, Richard de Lou- donia, and his mother, Matildis de Ferrers.* In 1221, Lessedwin was settled by Alexander IL on Johanna, his queen, as part of her jointure. Robert L granted to the monks of Melrose the lands of Lessedwin. The English of the middle march, on the 5th of No- vember 1544, burnt Lessedwin, wherein was sixteen strong bastel houses, slew several of the owners, and destroyed much corn. Means of Communication, — Tlie means of communication are most abundant; the post-office communicating with Kelso and Melrose once a-day ; a daily coach from Newcastle to Edinburgh ; a coach every alternate day from Jedburgh to Edinburgh, (except Sundays) ; a daily coach during the summer and autumn, and in winter thrice a-week, from Kelso to Glasgow ; two carriers weekly to Kelso and Selkirk, and one to Edinburgh weekly. The length of turnpike-roads is inconsiderable : the Jedburgh turnpike 1^, Kelso 1^, and Selkirk 2^ miles. Tlie bridges are four, on a small scale, but in excellent repair. Ecclesiastical State, — The church is situated near the eastern boundary of the parish, and consequently three miles distant from the population residing at the other extremity : but as the population there is scanty, and the great bulk of the inhabitants reside in the village of Lessudden, or in the immediate vicinity of the church, it cannot be said to be inconveniently situated for the great body of the people. From a stone in the front, it would appear that the present church, (which is situated a little to the west of the site, still dis- cernible, of a more ancient fabric,) was built in 1652; although it is possible this stone may have belonged to the former place of worship. The present building was thoroughly repaired in 1791, enlarged in 1824, and now forms a commodious place of worship. It is understood to accommodate about 300 persons. There are not more than half a dozen of free sittings, — by which are meant sit- tings set apart for the poor. In a certain sense they arc all free, seat-rent being wholly unknown. Number of families belonging to the Established church, 1 18 ; of persons, 615 ; of Dissenters, 86, including children. The number of communicants ranges from • Chron. Dryburgh, No, 39-41 .—Ry. i. 252, Rob. Index Bord. Hist. Cited hf Chfllmert. 1 1 2 ROXBURGHSHIRE. 220 to 234. Average amount of collections, L. 17, Os. 10^.: occasional donations L. 9, 18s. 4€l.; proclamations, lis. O^d.; and mortcloth money 16s. ; total, L. 28, 7s. There are only two in- stances on record of important benefactions, and both by the same individual, Robert Scott, Esq. late of Penang. 1^^, A donation of L. 100 Sterling, the interest of which is to be applied for the relief of indigent persons belonging to the parish : the trustees are his brother, the present laird of Raeburn, and the minister of the parish. 2cf, Mr Scott last year invested the pro- perty of a field in the vicinity of the village, amounting to about 5 acres, in the heritors of the parish possessed of L. 100 Scots valuation, and the minister, — the proceeds to be applied to the re- lief of indigent persons not on the poor's roll. The manse and offices were built in 1791 ; but as the work had been executed in a very superficial manner, and on a defective plan, the heritors laid out a very considerable sum on repairs and additions in 181 1. The whole is now in good condition. ITie ex- tent of the glebe is 7 acres imperial ; and the quality of the soil ex- cellent ; value L. 2, 10s. per acre. The stipend amounts to 15 chal- ders meal and barley, in equal portions, with L. 6> 6s. 8d. for com- munion elements. Education. — There is but one school, in which the following branches are taught : English 2s. per quarter ; writing 3s. ; arith- metic, 4s. ; book-keeping and practical mathematics, 5s. : Latin, Greek, and French, 6s. per quarter. The schoolmaster has the legal accommodation, and the minimum salary; the school fees ave- rage about L. 40 a-year. Library, — A subscription library, instituted in 1799, under the patronage of Sir David Erskine, of Dryburgh Abbey, and now amounting to 1000 volumes, forms the only literary estabUshment in the parish. Poor^ 8fc. — Average number receiving aid 14, including children! Sum allowed to each per week, from 3s. 9d. to Is. 6d. Average annual assessment for the poor, L. 62, 19s. 4d. Collections, &c with occasional donations, L. 28, 7s. That spirit of honest pride and independence which formerly characterized our Scottish pea- santry is rapidly diminishing, and the discredit once attached to pauperism has, in these times, been wiped away, as one of those antiquated prejudices that never had any rational foundation. There arej however, still some lingering remains of a better spirit. Fair. — St Boswell's fair is the only one held in this parish : ST DOSWELi/s. 113 it takes place on the 18th of July annually, or on the following Monday, if the 18th fall on a Sunday. Wlien held on a Mon- day it is justly thought to occasion a most offensive desecration of the Lord's day; nor is this disgusting profanation at all diminished when the fair holds on a Saturday. This evil, so justly complain- ed of, might be easily corrected by holding the fair on the third Wednesday or Thursday of the month. This fair is looked for- ward to with much excitement among the youthful population, and an immense concourse of people assemble from all quarters for business or amusement : and if the day is fine, St Boswell's Green presents on this occasion a very gay and animated scene. The whole space being planted with tents, covered with a profusion of goods, consisting of Scotch and Irish linen, hardware, toys, croc- kery, shoes, books, &c. or crowded \^th sheep, lambs, horses, and homed cattle. My predecessor estimates the amount of the money transactions of the day from L. 8,000 to L. 10,000, and the toll or custom, which belongs to the Duke of Buccleuch, at L. 38 on an average. This is probably not far from the truth, though it has been thought that this great fair has not of late been so numerously attended as in former years, owing to the number of other markets that have recently been established elsewhere for the sale of stock. Fuel. — Coal is almost the only species of fuel used in this pa- rish. There are no peats. Wood is scarce, and consequently high-priced. And when it is considered that we are equidistant from the Scotch and English collieries, it is manifest that the price of fuel must be high. Our coal is brought either from the neigh- bourhood of Dalkeith, or the collieries in Northumberland. The price, however, has for some years been greatly reduced. Coals from Vogrie, the species in highest estimation, used to cost from I8d. to 20d. a cwt. (the writer has paid as high as Is. lOd.) but can now be bought for Is. a-cwt. Lothian coals, and for lOd. a-cwt. from the English collieries. /itiu.— There are no fewer than six inns or alehouses in the pa- rish, and without doubt, however well regulated, they present far too great a facility to dissipation ; and unquestionably the num- ber ought to be diminished. Miscellaneous Observations. The first most striking fact that occurs on comparing the former with the present Statistical Account of this parish, is the increase of the population, which has been considerably more than one- t]iird in less than forty years. A second point of comparison, ROXBURGH. H 1 14 ROXBURGHSHIRE. scarcely less striking, is the amount of production, and the increas- ed rental. The rental, including the annual sale of wood, (L. 150,) amounts to L. 3080", 4s, 2d. : in 1794, it is supposed to have been L. 1700, — there bemg thus a difference of L. 1380, 4s. 2d. When it is considered that prices are fully lower at present than they were then, the whole of the increased rental and production must be ascribed to improved cultivation. The only other point of comparison disserving to be noticed is suggested by the great increase of the amount of money raised for support of the poor. The number of paupers has increased in a greater ratio than the population. The number on the roll in 1794 is stated to be only three; this, however, was the actual number enrolled for that year, and said to be' fewer than usual. At present the number is fourteen, being nearly five to one. The amount of assessment, collections, &c taken together, give L. 18, 12s. expended for the support of the poor at the former period. Now, the whole aggregate sum is L.91, 6s. 4d. being nearly in the same ratio. These facts place in a striking point of view the strong tendency to increase which pauperism manifests wherever a legal assessnaent has been established. It would, however, be unfair to suppress some mitigating circumstances which tend to diminish the apparent difference between the former and present state of our parochial funds. In 1831 and 1832, the general ave- rage was greatly raised by an extraordinary expenditure, occasioned by the measures adopted to guard against the introduction of cho- lera. The precautions for these two years incurred an expense of not less than L. 60 for increased allowance, for food, fuel, and clothing, — medicine, and cleaning the village, and intercepting va- grants. The increased funds, arising from collections, donations, &C. have induced us to extend our aid beyond the range of actual pauperism, by a supply of coals, and occasional small donations to industrious families in distress, as well as to the enrolled poor. And the great bulk of the session funds is expended in this way annually. Revised November 1834. PARISH OF MAXTON. PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TXVIOTDALE, THE REV. JOHN THOMSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — Maccus was a person of some note in the reign of Da- vid L betwixt the years 1116 and 1147. His tUn or manor was called Maccus-ton, afterwards Mackiston, and now Maxton. Extent, Boundaries, Sfc. — The parish of Maxton is in figure nearly an oblong. Its extreme length is about 4 miles, and its greatest breadth nearly 3; but its square contents do not much ex- ceed 7 miles. It lies on the south bank of the Tweed, and is one gentle slope towards that river, which runs ^ miles along its north- em boundary. The parish of St Bosweirs bounds it on the north- west, the parish of Ancrum on the west, and Roxburgh on the south and east Hydrography. — Except the Tweed there is not a stream in the parish; but there is no want of fine perennial springs, — though the inhabitants have not hitherto profited much by this circumstance, their habitations being in no instance placed within reach of them. The water commonly used is drawn from wells from fifteen to thir- ty feet deep ; and having percolated through clay, the water is al- ways very hard. The Tweed mns here on a bed of reddish sandstone, which also makes its appearance in the steep banks, and serves for building, though much of it does not stand well exposure to the weather. Masses of whinstone rise in three or four places on the banks of the river; and in the southern parts of the parish, this stone abounds, both as rock and in rolled blocks on the surface, which make ex- cellent road-metal, being excessively hard, and binding well when broken small. SaiL — On many acres in the southern and highest part of the pa- rish, the soil is thin, wet, and unproductive. The sub-soil is a stiff retentive till, mixed with stones. The northern, and by far the largest part, is of a much better quality, and bears heavy crops of 1 16 ROXBURGHSHIRE. wheat, barley, oats, pease^ beans, clover, turnips, and potatoes. In the western half of this division, the soil is a rich clay-loam on a till bottom ; in the eastern, it is light, sharp, and dry, on a free- stone or gravel bed. Zoology. — About eighteen or twenty years ago, a small fly was first noticed in this part of the country very like the common house- fly, but somewhat lighter in the colour, and nimbler in its motions, and furnished with a long sharp proboscis, which it darts into the skin of men and animals in a moment, causing considerable pain. A silk or worsted stocking is no protection from its attacks. But troublesome as this little animal sometimes is, it is innocence itself compared with another, to whose insidious ravages we have now been exposed for several seasons, from about the middle of August till the end of harvest. This enemy is very small : when viewed by the microscope, it appears of a red colour, and resembles a spider in its form ; but nobody can go among long grass or bushes after it comes, without being stung all over the body, particularly in those places where the clothes sit close to the person, so as to stop the creatures progress under them. Its wounds are not felt at the time they are inflicted, but the part soon becomes exces- sively itchy, swells to the size of a pea or bean, and continues to tor- ment the victim for several days, or perhaps weeks. It is curious that there are some fields and districts in the neighbourhood where, it is said, this plague is not felt, though no plausible reason can be assigned for the fact. II. — Civil History. The civil history of Maxton presents little that is interesting. Its origin may be traced to the beginning of the twelfth cen- tury. Towards the end of that century the monks of Melrose obtained from Robert de Berkely and his spouse " a caracute of land" in this parish, with certain privileges of pasture on the common, and fuel both from the peataria and the wood, " for the safety of many souls." As a composition for the tithes of this land, the monks agreed to pay to the parson of Makiston four merks of silver yearly. Hugh de Normanville married Alice, the daughter and heiress of Robert de Berkely, and the line of the Normanvilles was continued through the thirteenth century. At a later period, the barony of Makiston, having been forfeited by William Soulis, was given by Robert L to Walter, the steward of Scotland, who granted the patronage of his church, with five acres of arable land contiguous to the church, to the monks of MAXTON. 117 Dryburgh ; and from that time to the dissolution of their society at the Jleformation, the parish continued to be a dependency of that monastery in spiritual matters. Robert II. granted the manor of Makiston to Sir Duncan Wallace and Eleanor de Brueys, the Count€ss of Carrick. When Scotland was a separate kingdom, the village of Maxton seems to have contained a very considerable population, — being able, is is said, to turn out 1000 fighting men. If it really ever was a place of such magnitude, it seems probable that the people subsisted, like many other communities of the same kind on the border, by alternately plundering and smuggling in the richer kingdom of England. Both these sources of wealth were speed- ily dried up, however, by the union of the Scotch ahd English crowns, — an event which introduced law and regular industry among the border clans, and soon reduced their numbers to a correspondence with their honest means of subsistence. The vil- lage of Maxton is now reduced to a few miserable cottages. The only marks of its former consequence that remain, are the founda- tions of its houses, which are still occasionally turned up by the plough in several of the neighbouring fields, and the shaft of its ancient cross, which is yet standing in front of a few hovels, that mark the place where its principal street once was. Land-cwners. — I have not heard of any person connected with Maxton whose name is known to fame. There are no ancient fa- milies in the place. The present proprietors are : Sir Edmund Antrobus; Hugh Scott, Esq. of Harden; the Duchess of Rox- burghe ; Adam Walker, Esq. of Muirhouselaw ; and Thomas Wil- liamson Ramsay, Esq. of Maxton. All these, or their families, except the Duchess of Roxburghe, bought their properties in (his parish within the last fifty years. None of them reside, or have a man- sion-house in it, though the smallest proprietor, the Duchess of Roxburghe, has a rental in the parish of L. 250. Parochial Registers. — There is a " session-record" in existence, and a ** register of births, marriages, and deaths ;" both of which begin more than a hundred years back, but they have been very irregularly kept Among a small rural population of simple man- ners, there have been few events requiring to be noticed in the former volume; and the latter is necessarily very imperfect, in con- sequence of Seceders and others declining to register. Antiquities. — In the north -east corner of the parish, is a rocky cliff hanging over the Tweed, on which there are distinct traces . 118 ROXBURGHSHIRE. of an ancient fort called, probably from its figure, Ringly Hall ; but whether this fortification is to be regarded as of British or Ro- man origin, is disputed by antiquaries. It is nearly in the form of a circle, with a diameter of about 160 feet, defended on the north by the precipitous rock on which it stands, and the Tweed which washes its base ; and on the other sides it is secured by two deep ditches, and ramparts of earth dug out of them. There ap- pears to have been a gate on the east side, which faces a tumulus at no great distance, in the parish of Roxburgh, with which it was probably connected. The whole is now planted over with trees, which will no doubt have the effect of preserving this memorial of former times, for a while longer, from the ravages of the plough. There is a tradition, that in one of the wars so frequently car- ried on by the sister kingdoms of Scotland and England, (but in which of them it is not said,) the English army occupied this sta- tion for several days, while the Scots lay on the opposite side of the river in a ravine, thence called " Scots Hole." The English at length, being superior in number, resolved to cross over to the enemy at a ford a little above this spot; and the Scots having attack- ed them on a rising ground, (which is yet called the " Plea-brae,") and while part of the army was still entangled in the stream, an obstinate battle ensued, in which the English were beaten, and many of them slain. Their bodies were buried in consecrated ground at a place on the south bank, thence called Rutherford, be- cause the Scots said their enemies had there been made to nie- their-ford. This must be an old story, for Rutherford was a con- siderable village, and went by this name at least several centuries ago. Long before the Reformation this place, and the territory around it, formed a distinct parish, which had a church and an hospital of its own. Of these buildings there are now no remains ; but the church- yard, which had long ceased to be a burying-place, was ploughed up only about twenty-five years ago, and the grave-stones were broken and thrown into drains by an improving farmer. The patronage of Rutherford, which at one time belonged to the Earls of Douglas, was granted before the year 1483, by James Rutherford of that Ilk ; but the church being afterwards suffered to go to ruin, the parish was united to Maxton, and the advowson fell into oblivion. The hospital was dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, and destined " for receiving strangers, and maintaining poor and infirm people." It was restored " to the master" by Edward I. in the year 1296, 4 MAXTON. 119 and granted by Robert I. to the canons of Jedburgh, and this grant was confirmed by Robert II. in 1395. About a mile to the west of the place where the village of Ru- therford formerly was, stand the ruins of Littledean Tower, beau* tifully situated on a high bank of the river, and once a place of some strength. It was long the residence of the Kerrs of Little- dean, — a family of some note on the borders ; but it was finally deserted by them about a century ago, since which time it has fal- len into complete decay. On a high ridge between the parishes of Maxton and Ancrum was fought the battle of Ancrum muir, in which the Scots, under the Earb of Arran and Angus, obtained a great victory over the forces of Henry VIIL, commanded by Sir Ralph Rivers and Sir Bryan Laiton. A young female, called Lilliard, fought on the side of the Scots, like another Joan of Arc, and fell in this battle. She was buried on the spot, and a stone erected over her remains, which is yet standing, and in homely rhymes commemorates her desperate valour and untimely fate. The place yet retains the name of Lilliard's Edge. On the declivity of the hill, and near this place, are the vesti- ges of a Roman camp ; and close by the west side of it, there passes a Roman road, which crosses the Tiviot near the mouth of Jed water, and the Tweed near Melrose. This road goes along the whole western boundary of the parish, and in one part of its course is very ^ntire, and planted over with trees, though in another it is now nearly, or rather altogether, obliterated by the operations of « agriculture. III. — Population. It appears by the return made to Dr Webster in 1755, that the whole parish then contained only 397 souls. Twenty-seven years after, the number was reduced to 3*26. In 1801, the Parliamen- ' tary census states it at 368; in 1811, it was 438; in 1821, it had risen to 463; and in 1831, it was 461. As there are no towns, vil- lages, manufactories, or emplo}inent of any kind but on the several fiarmf, the increase of population after 1782 must have been owing to the improved and more extended cultivation of the soil which took place after that time, and particularly to the introduction of the tur- nip husbandry, which requires the assistance of more hands than were wanted on the old system. In 1831, of the 461 inhabitants of the parish, there were. 120 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Under 15 years, - - - - 187 Betwixt 15 and 30, - - - 135 30 and 50, - - - 88 Betwixt 50 and 70, - - - 40 70 and 80, - - - 8 Above 80, - . - - 8 UnmarricMi bachelors and widowers upwards of 50 years, 9 women upwards of 45, • ^ Conununicants of the Establishment, - - 158 The number of children under 15 being 187, and the number of families in which these are, being 59, the number of children to each family is 3^ nearly. There is one person in the parish, insane, a pauper. The number of families in the parish is, - - - 89 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 52 chiefly employed in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 16 Character^ 8fc. of the People. — The people in general are simple in their manners, sober, industrious, satisfied with their condition, and attentive to their religious and other duties. They have, however, no religious, literary, economical, or political association among thenfi. They are strangers to combination for any purpose whatever. They seem willing and pleased to do their duty, without waiting for the example or direction of the active stirring manager of some benevo- lent institution. If a good act may be done to a neighbour, the op- portunity of doing it is seldom neglected. If any one has been un- fortunate, or has fallen into distress, he is sure of the sympathy and active aid of those around him, and often to a greater extent than they can well afford. It is pleasing to see these kindly feelings continually showing themselves where there is evidently no motive but a desire to do to their brother as they verily believe, and could wish that, he would do to them. Among such a people, where luxury is unknown, and religion, in a great measure, performs the part of human institutions, many things are wanting which are thought indispensable in other places. Here, for example, they have no lawyer, no justice of the peace, not even a constable, no medical man, no exciseman, no pavni- broker, no post-office, no Seceder meeting-house, no tradesmen of any kind but two smiths, two wrights, two tailors, two fishermen, and one miller, all of whom are absolutely necessary to keep the ma- chinery of society in motion. There are, however, two public houses, which are certainly not of so indispensable a character. They are not wanted for the accommodation of travellers, and thev cannot MAXTON. 121 but have a pernicious influence on the morals of those who are within the sphere of their influence. Satisfied of this, the mini- ster and every tenant in the parish presented a respectful petition to the justices of the district, praying that the licenses might no longer be renewed ; but their request was not attended to. It is not easy to see on what ground of expediency this refusal, on the part of our magistracy, can be justified. Smuggling is not known in the parish; neithej* is there much ground for complaint in regard to poaching. IV. — Industry. The parish contains 4514 acres. Of these 3827 are divided into convenient fields, substantially enclosed with thorn-hedges, and under a regular course of cropping, some portions in the four- shift husbandry, some in the five, and some in the six, according to the quality of the soil. 668 acres are planted. About 10 acres are an irreclaimable bog ; and 9 is a fine pasture field, never ploughed, because sometimes it is flooded by the river. There are no commons, and no wastes. The plantations are all thriving, well attended to, and judiciously managed. Many sorts of timber are mixed up in them ; but the ash, the elm, the larch, and the oak, predominate, and seem to thrive best. The Scotch fir grows very well for a time, and serves as a nurse, but it does not attain to a great size. Thi» is probably owing to a spurious kind (not the tme Scotch fir) having been planted, rather than to any unfitness in the soil or climate for its growth. Rent of Land, — The rental of the parish cannot be exactly ascer- tained, because nearly 1000 acres, besides the plantations, are in the natural possession of proprietors. But supposing the arable part all let, the rent of the whole might be about L.3700, or 19s. 3^d. per acre. If we value the wood at the same rate, and add L. 30 more for the salmon fishings, we shall have a total rental of L4374. Livestock. — The cattle raised are for the most part of the short- homed breed, or crosses of them. The sheep are chiefly Lciccs- ters ; but there are also a few Cheviots, or crosses betwixt the two kinds. Much attention is paid to this part of fanning, especially to the breeding and management of sheep. The keep of a cow per annum is valued at L. 6 or L. 7 ; of a sheep, at from 13s. to LI. Husbandry. — Much has been done of late years, and is now doing by all the tenants' in the way of deep dra\mi\g, vi\vve\v\% ^\.- 122 ROXBURGHSHIRE. tended with wonderful success, and seems to be the best foundation for every other improvement. A good deal of lime is annually driven, and bone-dust is coming every year into greater repute as a manure. The farmers are active, intelligent, enterprising, and industrious; and their exertions for the improvement of their farms have, in ge- neral, been liberally encouraged by their landlords. Their houses and steadings are substantial and convenient The farmers have all thrashing mills, except one. Three of these are driven by a water power, and one is now erecting on Rutherford to go by steam. The leases are all for 19 years, — which is thought a short enough period when any improvement is intended to be made. The only subject of complaint among the tenants is the ruinously low price of corn, which makes it difficult for them to pay the rents which th^y promised only a few years ago, without encroaching on their capital. Rate of fVoffes. — The rate of labour, when it is not done by the piece, is 9s. or 10s. per week for men, without victuals. In harvest, a shearer has from 12s. to 14s. and victuals. A hind or ploughman is paid mostly in kind ; he has a house and a small garden, for which his wife, daughter, or servant shear in harvest ; 10 bolls (60 bushels) of oats ; 3^ bolls of barley, (or 2^ bolls of barley, and 1 boll of pease); from L.3 to L.4of sheep money; a cow's grass, (or, when he is not rich enough to buy a cow, L. 7 in lieu of it) ; 5 or 6 single cart loads of coals, at the coal-hill price, (4s. or 4s. 6d.) ; 1000 yards of potatoes planted on the farm; and 7 hens kept. A bondager, or female cottar, shears for her house and garden ; has 1000 yards of potatoes planted; 3 single cart-load of coals at the coal-hill price, and 7 hens kept It is understood that she is to work to the farmer when required, at the ordinary rate of wages, viz. lOd. a-day in summer, and 8d. in winter. A carpenter's wage is 14s. a-week over the year. A mason has 15s. in summer, and Us. in winter. A smith has L. 2, 15s. or L. 3, and a single cart- load of coals, at the coal-hill price, for shoeing a pair of horses, and keeping a cart, plough, harrows, and harness in repair for a year. A tailor has Is. 6d. a-day and his victuals. Produce. — It is difficult to estimate precisely the amount of raw produce raised in any particular district, and more difficult still to ascertain its value. One very intelligent gentleman, to whom I applied for information on this point, and who himself farms be- tween fourteen and fifteen hundred acres "in the parish, valued his MAXTON. 123 produce of grain on an average at L. 3000 a-year, and of other things at L. 2000 more. Estimating the produce of the other farms at this rate, it cannot be set down at less than L. 7000, — making the total vahie of produce in the parish, L. 12,000, without including gardens, woods, or fishings. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication.^^The parish of Maxton is situated at an equal distance from the three market-towns, Kelso, Jedburgh, and Melrose, — the middle of it being about seven miles from each. The turnpike betwixt Kelso and Melrose runs through the heart of the parish along its whole length; and the Edinburgh and Lon- don road by Jedburgh bounds the west end of it. Besides these, there are some cross roads, chiefly for the convenience of the seve- ral farm-steadings, and kept in tolerably good repair by the sta- tute-labour. One daily London and Edinburgh coach, by Jed- burgh, passes this parish ; and another, three times a-week, be- tween Edinburgh and Jedburgh. There is also a coach from Kelso to Glasgow by Melrose, Inverleithen, and Peebles, every day in summer, and three times a-week in winter. Ecclesiastical State, — The church is an old building, or rather a small fragment of an old building, which was dedicated to St Cuthbert. The date of its erection, or even of its dilapidation, is unknown. The family of the Maxwells of Pollok were origi- nally from the parish of Maxton. Their ancestors were once possessed of considerable property in this district, and appear to have been sheriffs of the county in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries. Mention is made of a donationary foun- dation by one of them, Herbert Maccuswell, in 1158, — which is by some supposed to be the church of Maxton ; and, no doubt, the building, from its appearance, may well be of that age : but the name of the founder would rather lead one to think that his ^ft was the church of Maxwell, which has long since gone to de- cay, — the parish thereof having been united to that of Kelso or Koxburgh. The church of Maxton is beautifully situated on a high bank cf the Tweed, on the north-west verge of the parish, rather where the population once was than where it is now. Few of the inha- bitants, however, are more than three miles distant. This edifice was long suffered to continue in a very wretched state. Before 1792, it was thatched with broom, and its interior was not unsuitable to its outward appearance. In 1812 it was mo- 124 ROXBURGHSHIRE. dernised and thoroughly repaired ; and though no great taste was displayed in its improvement, it is now a comfortable place of worship to the little congregation that resorts to it It is seated to hold about 150, but accommodation might easily be made for fifty more if there were occasion for it. The manse was built about twenty-seven years ago, and is not unsuitable to the living, which is 14 chalders, half meal, half bar- ley, with a small sum for vicarage tithes and communion elements. The glebe is about 1 1 acres, which might be let, perhaps, for L. 18 or L. 20. The ordinary church collections, with mortcloth and proclama- tion fees, and the interest of L. 72, which was mortified by Mr Smith, a former incumbent, may average about L. 8 per annum, which is all exp^ded on parochial purposes. We have no extra- ordinary collections for foreign objects, — the money of the people being too much required at home ; yet I know they would not be backward in giving their mite, if called on to do so. I have been twenty-three years their minister, and never called on them for an extraordinary collection but once, (for the Assembly's Highland schools,) when I expected to get, perhaps, between L. 1, 10s. and L. 2 to shew our good-will to that benevolent scheme ; but was surprised to receive upwards of L. 6. Not only the members of my own congregation, but the Seceders in the parish who could , not attend on the occasion, sent their shillings and half-crowns. In 1831, there were 90 families in the parish; of these 21 were Seceders, and the rest belonged to the Establishment But many of these families of both classes were divided among themselves, — part going to the church, and part to the meeting-house. Education. — The parochial school is the only one in the place. It is set down in a central situation, where all have easy access to it, and it is well attended. The children are all taught to read, write, and count ; there is none in the parish, old or young, who have not had this advantage; and yet, the general poverty of the parents obliges them to put their children soon to work, so that these useful accomplishments are often not so perfectly ac- quired as might be wished. The schoolmaster is an infirm old man, who retired from the school twenty-five years ago, retaining his house and garden, and a salary of L. 25, Ids. S^d. His assistant and successor has a house and salary of L. 20, 6s. 8^d. from the heritors, and the schpol-fees averaging L. 20, Is. 5^d. during the last three years. He has also L. 4, 4s. as clerk to the heritors, and MAXTON. 125 L. 1, Is. as session-clerk. He teaches English grammatically, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, practical mathematics, Latin, Greek, &c. There is no public library in the parish ; but several families are connected with one in the neighbouring village of Lessudden. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The poor are maintained by regu- lar half-yearly assessments. The average number on the roll dur- ing the last four years is ten ; and the average yearly sum allotted to each is L. 5, 15s. lO^d., — making in all L. 57, 19s. 9d., raised by assessment. There is, besides, a small sum from church col- lections, &c after paying precentor and kirk oflBcers' fees,-7-the account of which may stand thus : from church collections, L. 4, 6s. lOd.; alms or legacies, L. 6, 19s. 7|d. ; proclamations, 6nes, &C. 12s. 7id. ; interest of mortified money, L.2, 18s. S^d. = L. 14, 17s. 5|d. The deductions from this sum for precentor, beadle, &c^ may amount to L. 6, 5s. 6d. The honourable pride of the Scotch peasantry, which so long made them shrink from any appeal to public charity till compelled by stern necessity, is fast wearing out as legal assessments gain ground. An application for aid is no longer a sure indication of want on the part of the applicant. FueL — One of the greatest evils with which the poor have to struggle in this place is the expense of fuel. Except a few sticks from the young plantations, coals are the only material used for this purpose ; and these are brought for the most part from Nor- thumberland, burdened with a land-carriage of between twenty and thirty miles. They cost at present about lOd. per cwt. which, in consequence of the improvements in roads, &c. is not more than half their price twenty years ago. Miscellaneous Observations. In 1794 the Kelso turnpike road was made, which laid the foun- dation for all the subsequent improvements of this place. So late, however, as 1807 or 1808, there were very few inclosures in the pa- rish. By much the greater part of it was a bleak open waste, — in many places, covered with heath and large stones, with scarcely a tree to be seen, — and the tracks called roads, scarcely passable in wet weather. Now it is all inclosed with substantial and thriving hedges ; the stones that deformed its surface have been blown with gunpowder, and buried in drains or broken into road-metal ; the fields are all under the plough, and adorned and sheltered with clumps and broad stripes of thriving plantations in spots judiciously selected for the purpose, and communications opened up in every 1 26 ROXBURGHSHIRE. direction by excellent roads. So sudden, so complete, and so be- neficial a change in the aspect of a whole parish, has seldom hap- pened. Landlord and tenant most liberally combined their efforts to bring it about. But it is painful to think that their exertions have been so poorly rewarded. Owing to the sad depression of agricultural produce on the return of peace, the farmers never re- covered the capital which they had so liberally laid out on their improvements. Most of them were ruined and tamed out of their farms ; some were put on the poor^s roll ; and others sent to clear the wastes in Canada. The proprietors, instead of receiving the advances of rent from the new cultivators which they had reason to expect, were obliged to be content with a diminished rental, and are still, from time to time, constrained to submit with the best grace they can, to reductions in one shape or another, which are not less mortifying to the receiver than to the giver. The chief bar to farther improvement in this district is the great distance of sea-ports and markets: The farmer has not only to bring his own and his servants' coals from a distant pit, but his lime also has to be carried thirty miles or more : his groceries, fish, timber, iron, slates, bone-dust, and almost everything that he may want, have to be brought from Berwick or Leith, or places equally remote. Nor is the sale of his produce attended with much less trouble and expense. His fat stock, beef, mutton, and pork, have to be driven to Morpeth or Edinburgh : his young cattle are sent south to the English market : his com carried to Dalkeith or Ber- wick : his poultry, eggs, butter, and cheese, conveyed to Berwick or Edinburgh. It is tme, he may often effect his sales in the county market-towns, or at his own house : but in that case, he must submit to a reduction of price, sufficient, at least, to carry his produce to its ultimate destination. The only remedy for this evil seems to be an improved communication with the sea-port of Ber- wick, and the coal and lime districts in Northumberland by means of a railway. This, accordingly, has long been talked of. Revised November 1834. PARISH OF ROXBURGH. PRESBYTERY OF KELSO, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. JAiMES HOPE, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — One conjecture as to the origin of the name of this parish is, that Roxburgh is a contraction for Royiie^s burgh ; ano- ther, that it is a contraction for Rose burgh ; and for each, a special reason is alleged, viz. the character of its ancient inhabitants, and the beauty of its situation. Another conjecture is, that the name may be derived from Rox^ a Saxon word, signifying strength : and another from the circumstance that, by Lord Hailes and others, it has been spelled Rokeshur^ and Roches-burg. From the simi- larity of Rokes and Roches to Rok and Roch, (a saint, it would seem, in the Romish calendar,) the burgh of Roxburgh may have originally been dedicated to saint Rok or Roch, — whence the name may have come. Extent, Boundaries^ 8fc. — The parish extends about 8 miles in length, and in breadth varies from 1 to 5 miles. From the ex- tent thus given, a much larger number of square miles of surface might be inferred than it will be found to contain. There does not appear to be more than fourteen square miles. This circum- stance is accounted for by the irregular and peninsular form of the parish. The parish is bounded by Maxton, Ancrum, and Crailing on the west ; by Eckford on the south ; by Kelso* on the east ; and by Kelso and Makerstoun on the north. * In the former Statistical Account of the parish of Kelso, it is mentioned, that Kdio parish conaiited at one time of the parishes of Kelso, Maxi^ell, and St James*. Thb statement has frequently been repeated. (Vide Haig, Morton, &c.) It ap|>ears to me* on the contrary, highly probable that neither the whole nor any considerable part o€ St James' was added to Kelso and Maxwell. From what 1 can learn, St James' was oonBned to the space betwixt the rivers of Tweed and Tiviot, and must hare extended considerably westward, and embraced several fivms which were made to constitute a part of Roxburgh parish. 'At all events, what now belongs to Kelso parish is limited to about thirty acres, forming a triangle above the junction of the rirers. The western boundary of this triangle is a line, extending from river to river, liy the Trysting Tree and the foot of St James' Green. Tliis portion of land (conimcmly called the Kelso lands,) is not under entail to his Grace the Duke of Roxburghc, and k not comprehended in the luirony of Roxburgh. That the statement here given is 128 ROXBURGHSHIRE. The figure of the parish is extremely irregular, and has been compared to a spread eagle, with its head to the north, and its wings shadowing eastward and westward. Topographical Appearances, — The parish may in general be described as flat and low lying ; at the same time, there is a con- siderable unevenness or undulation of surface, which is occasioned by the Tiviot intersecting it from south-west to north-east, and the Tweed bounding it for several miles on the north. At the south- west end of the parish, there are two eminences or hills, supposed to be each about 500 feet above the level of the sea. The one is called Dunse-law, or Doun-law, in this parish ; and the other, im- mediately adjoining in Crailing parish, called Penel-heugh. From these eminences, two ridges gently slope to the eastward for seve- ral miles, and thereby exhibit an appearance as if formed by a current of water flowing parallel to the channel of the Tiviot. There are three caves in the parish, — at Sunlaws. The time when, and the purposes for which, these were excavated are not ascertained ; but, from their appearance, they indicate a date not less than 1000 years ago, when incursions into this country were conducted with much desolation, rapine, and barbarity. Meteorology^ Sfc, — The climate of this district is equal, if not su- perior, to that of any inland part of Scotland. Its remarkable excellence depends on the fact, that there is less moisture than generally obtains in other districts. The cause of this appears to be, that the clouds, driven by the west winds which prevail, besides being exhausted in passing from the west to the east side of the island, are attracted by two ranges of hills, the Cheviot and Lam- mermoor, which, from a common point or centre, stretch to the east and north, and leave the large vale of Merse and Tiviotdale with comparatively little moisture. The heaviest rains are always from the east. It is probable, from the particular dryness of the atmosphere here, that it is warmer than in many other places of the same elevation, especially in wet seasons. Hydrography. — There are many excellent springs in the pa- rish, of which several have been found to be of a slightly petrify- ing quality. The rivers Tweed and Tiviot flow through part of it, and are its greatest ornaments. The quantity of water in the founded on fact, is proved by the cess.book of the county, which bears that the whole barony of Roxburgh belongs to the parish of Roxburgh, and by the circumstance, tliat all the public burdens, such as statute labour, poor rates, stipend, &c. arc charged for the parish of lioxburgh upon the whole barony and entailed lands thereof. KOXBURGH. 129 Tiviot appears to be not more than one-fourth of that of the Tvieed. Geology and Mineralogy, — The rocks found here are of the se- condary sandstone formation. Besides sandstone, there are va- rious trap rocks, such as basalt, greenstone, and wacke, &c. The alluvial parts of the parish abound with large blocks of stone, which seem to have been rolled down from the two eminences, for- merly noticed, at the south-west end of the parish. Tiie dip or inclination of the stratified rocks which have been obser\'ed is chief- ly towards the north and east. An appearance is observed on the north side of the parish worthy of notice. Underlying, and con- formable to a series of sandstone strata, there is a verv thick mass of rock (probably wacke) called the Trow Craigs, extending in breadth to not less than 150 yards, and forming in the Tweed an immense dam, over and through which, in the course of time, the water has forced its way. Owing to this circumstance, the chan- nel of the river here is extremely abrupt and irregular. The de- scent measures sixteen feet, and in it are various rapids and eddies, where the violence of the water, especially when flooded, becomes an object of interest Among alluvial deposits, are found gravel, sand, and loam, beside the rivers ; and elsewhere, marl and peat. The soils vary from what may be called mossy, sandy, or gravelly, to fine loam. Botany. — There are numerous plantations in the parish, con- sbting of various kinds of pine, oak, ash, elm, birch, beech, &c Though the plantations are in general thriving and good, the trees in general do not appear to be of any remarkable age, — except the Trysting Tree, the age of which is not known, but it appears to have weathered the storm for at least two centuries. There have been at various times, portions extracted from its trunk, which the skill of the cabinet-maker has rendered highly ornamental for the draw - ing-room. Tliis remarkable elm has for some time ceased to flourish, and is now apparently dead. All the cultivated grasses thrive here remarkably well ; and, what is rather uncommon even in the south of Scotland, the red or broad clover seed is occasion- ally and very successfully raised from the second crop of sown grass seed. Such red clover seed has been repeatedly sown, and in every instance has proved superior to any foreign seed of the same year. A sample of red clover seed, raised here six years ago, was exhibited at the meeting of the Highland Society at Glasgow, and very favourable notice was taken of it by that body. ROXBURGH. I 130 ROXBURGHSHIRE. II. — Civil History. Chief Land-ovmers. — The chief land-owner is His Grace the Duke of Roxburghe, who is also patron of the parish. He posses- ses somewhat more than one-half of the valued rent The other chief land-owners are, William Scott Kerr, Esq. of Chatto ; the Merchant Maiden Hospital ; Sir John James Scott Douglas, Bart of Springwood Park; Charles Rutherford, Esq. of Fairnington. They are here enumerated in the order of their respective valua- tions. Parochial Registers. — There are three volumes of parochial re- gisters belonging to the parish. The earliest entry is of date 1624, and the whole have been kept up to this time with more or less accuracy. Antiquities. — The ancient town of Roxburgh, which is stated to have been the fourth town in Scotland in point of importance and population, was situated at the eastern extremity of the parish. In history, it is said to have been twice taken and burned, viz. in the years 1369 and 1460 ; and from the circumstance that the town was altogether constructed of wood, hardly any vestiges of it exist. A little to the west of the site of the old town, appear the ruins of the celebrated castle of Roxburgh, " of which there remains now only as much shattered wall as suggests the former prodigi- ous strength and singular magnificence of the fortress. The south wall of the castle impended over the Tiviot, — a part of whose waters was directed by a dam thrown obliquely across the stream at the west end of the castle into a deep fosse, which defended the fortress on the west and north, emptying itself into the river at the east end thereof. Over this moat, at the gate-way from the town, was thrown a draw -bridge, the remains of which were but lately re- moved." — (Vide former Account.) At different times, various remains of antiquity have been dug up at or near the castle, which are believed to be in the posses- sion of His Grace the Duke of Roxburghe. With regard to the history of the castle, — it was twice stormed, taken, and demolished, first by Robert Bruce in 1312, next in 1460, when James 11. was killed by the bursting of a cannon. A yew tree, planted by His Grace the present Duke of Roxburghe, marks the spot where the king fell. Upon his death, the queen assumed the command in the name of her son, and urged the Scottish chieftains to testify the regard they had to their sovereign, by completing the enter- prize in which he had fallen. Her example and exhortation had ROXBURGH. 131 the desired effect, and the place which had been a centre of rapine and violence for many ages, was reduced to a heap of ruins. Sub- sequently, in the year 1547, the Duke of Somerset, having occasion to remain with his army for some time in the neighbourhood, and observing the ruined fortress to be a convenient situation, repaired it, so as to make it capable of receiving an English garrison. Traces of these repairs still appear among the ruins, which are now co- vered with trees. The mighty change the castle has undergone, while it reminds of former times, conveys a lesson of the instabi- lity of worldly greatness. There is adjoining to the village, and near the river, the ruin of a fort or tower, of which there were nianv in the border districts. It is denominated Roxburgh Tower, Wallace Tower, and also Sunlaw^s Tower,* and evidently formed part of a chain of com- mwiication between the castle of Roxburgh and other towers on the rivers Kale, Jed, &c It appears from history, that these towers had at various times received injuries from the incursions of the English mauraders, but were finally demolished, and re- duced to ruin in the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, and in the year 1545, by an army under the command of Hertford, after- wards the Duke of Somerset. Nothing remains of this tower but the ground apartments, strongly arched over, and used, in all probability, as places of security for cattle. Concerning this tower, there are various traditional stories ; but, as the truth of most of them is open to suspicion, and as all of them are much exaggerated, they are withheld from this Account. About midway between Roxburgh Tower and Ormiston Tower, situated about two miles up the river Tiviot, and on a considerable eminence, are the remains of a camp, probably formed for the pro- tection of the towers of Roxburgh and Ormiston. The great Roman road, from the Frith of Forth to York, &c runs through the south-west corner of this parish, along which, till lately, cattle purchased at the Scottish markets were driven into England* III. — Population. Population in 1782, by former Account, 1100 1791, ... 900 1811, - - - 946 • 1821, ... 926 1831, - - - 962 • Vide Monastic Annals, p. 98. 132 ROXBURGHSHIRE. The number of families in the parish is . - « - 200 of families chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 110 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 18 In the village of Roxburgh and Hieton the population amounts to about 400, and in the country to 562. With regard to the yearly average of births, deaths, and marriages, for the last seven years, no accurate information can be given, in as much as registration in the parish registers has not been made compulsory by law. There is only one family of independent fortune which resides occasionally in the parish. There are nine proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards. For several years bygone, there have been exactly 200 families, and 196 inhabited houses, and 15 uninhabited. Character of the People. — The general character of the people is intellectual, moral, and religious. In proof of this, it may be stated, that hardly anything of the nature of crime occurs, and the people are almost all in communion with the Established church or the Secession. The temptation of poaching is very considerable, because of the abundance of game ; and, in consequence, this offence has occa- sionally occurred. During the last three years, there may have been 8 or 10 ille- gitimate births in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture, — There are 5617 imperial acres cultivated or oc- casionally in tillage; 1735 acres in pasture; 221 under wood. Rent of Land. — The average value of cultivated land is L. 1, 9s. per acre. Average rent for ox or cow, L. 2, 10s. ; and 9s. for ewe or full-grown sheep. The real rent of the parish is about L. 9000. Husbandry. — The husbandry pursued is commonly denominated the turnip system of husbandry ; by which is to be understood, that a fourth or fifth part of a farm cultivated in this way is yearly made to grow turnips, of which about one-half is eaten on the ground by sheep ; the other half is carted to the farm-steading for the horned cattle. In this way, the ground is manured by the sheep for subsequent crops, and the straw which is the produce of the farm is broken down in the curtains or yards by cattle, and is thus converted into manure for another crop of turnips. The order of cropping is, after turnips, wheat or barley, with an under crop of grass, which comes to maturity the following year, and is generally eaten with sheep. The ground remains frequently one year only, sometimes two, in grass, and is then ploughed up and sown with 3 ROXBURGH. 133 oats; which is succeeded by turnips, — a succession of crops thus tak- ing place of four or five years, according as the ground is allowed to remain one or two years in pasture. These are called the systems of four and five-break husbandry. Such a method of husbandry has been found well fitted for the climate of this country and highly profitable. One difficulty, and that a very formidable one, has occurred in pursuing it Allusion is made to what is called the bad-root among the turnips. Various conjectures have been form- ed as to the cause or causes of this evil, the principal of which seems to consist in a constant repetition, within a limited time, of a turnip crop. It may be observed, however, that the evil has abated considerably by the use of lime, and attention to a proper change of rotation. The general duration of leases is from fifteen to twenty-one years. The state of farm-buildings is creditable to landholders and tenants. The pasture land of the parish is well inclosed, and the arable part well subdivided and inclosed. Quarries and Mines. — There are various sandstone rocks in the parish, but none of them of great value for building, and none of them regularly wrought. No mines as yet have been discovered in the parish. Fisheries. — On both rivers, the Tweed and the Tiviot, are sta- tions for fishing. The quantity of fish, though an article of com- merce, has been 'for some years very inconsiderable. The rent of the whole fishings does not exceed L. 60 per annum. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as that can be ascertained, is as follows : Produce of grain of all kinds, cultivated for food of man or the domestic animals, . . . L. 14,2R0 Of potatoes, turnips, and other plants, cultivated in the fields for foodi 2,910 Of bay, meadow and cultivated, - - 1,200 Of land in pasture, rating it at L. 2, lOs. per cow or full-grown ox grased for the season, and 9s. per full-grown ewe or sheep pastured for the year, . - - - 3,578 Of Gardens and orchards, - - - 240 Of river fisheries per year, - - - - 60 Total yearly value of raw produce raised, - L, 22,266 V. — Parochial Economy. There is no market-town in the parish ; but there are two si- tuated at a very convenient distance, viz. Kelso and Jedburgh. The former is about four miles distant from the village, and the latter seven miles. There are two villages in the parish, viz. Roxburgh and Hieton. Means of Communication. — Two public roads run through the 134 ROXBURGHSHIRE. parish, — the one, leading from Kelso to Jedburgh on the south side of the Tiviot, extends about three miles ; the other, leading from Kelso to Melrose, &c. in the immediate vicinity of the south bank of the Tweed, and at every point commanding a view of this noble river, and of a rich and beautiful country, extends about four miles. Tiviot Bridge is on this road, and unites this parish to Kelso. This bridge is of excellent structure, and durable material. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is situated in the village of Roxburgh, and its situation is nearly centrical, but not very con- venient for a considerable part of the population, because of the Ti- viot which flows near it, and which when flooded cuts off about one- third of the population lying on the south side of the river. The distance from the western extremity of the parish is five miles, and from the eastern, three. The church was built in the year 1752, was repaired in 1828, and is in a good state at present It affords accommodation for about 500 sitters. The manse was built in the year 1820. The extent of the glebe is ten imperial acres, of value L. 20. The amount of the stipend is 15 chalders, the one-half of which is oat-meal, and the other barley, with L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. It may also be stated, that there belongs to the minister a servitude for turf from His Grace the Duke of Roxburghe, which has been commuted into the sum of L. 1, 10s. yearly. The number of families attending the Established church is about 130, and the average number of communicants 240. The yearly amount of church collections is about h, 7. The smallness of the amount may be accounted for by the circumstance, that there has been a regular assessment for the poor of the parish for the last ninety-seven years. Education, — There are two schools in the parish ; both of these are parochial. The branches taught in both are, reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, and occasionally practical geometry; book-keeping, surveying, and Latin. ITie salary of the school- master of Roxburgh is L.34, 4s. 4id., and of Hieton L. 17, 2s.2id. The amount of school-fees received by each is from L. 12 to L. 15 yearly, and each of the schoolmasters has the accommoda- tion of school-room, school-house, and garden. So far as is known, there are none between the ages of six and fifteen or upwards in the parish who cannot read and write. The people are in general alive to the benefits of getting their children properly educated. ITiere is a part of the {mrish, viz. Fairningtou, ROXBURGH. 135 SO distant as to prevent attendance at the parish school ; but at- tendance is given at the parish schools of Maxton and Ancrum, which are much nearer. There has occasionally been a private school in this part of the parish, and an additional school here would be beneficial. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid varies from 25 to 30. The average sum allotted to each is 2s. Id. per week in summer, and 2s. l^d. in winter. The annual amount of expenditure varies from L. 140 to L. 180, and arises chiefly from assessment levied, one-half from the heritors, and the other half from the tenants. This has been the regular mode of providing for the poor since the year 1737, and has been found to prove successful, and, under proper manage- ment, in the absence of residing heritors, appears to be by far the most just and equitable method of provision. No doubt, the feel- ing of reluctance and degradation at receiving parochial aid is dimi- nished by assessment, and also the disposition on the part of the people to contribute to church collections ; but these evils may be counterbalanced by proper management ; and the opposite evils of want, and unequal distribution, are more formidable. jFair*.— There is an annual fair held in the parish, on St James' Green, on the 5th of August, for the purposes of merchandize, hiring shearers, and horse and cattle-dealing. Considerable sales of wool are made at this fair, by the farmers in the surrounding districts. The wool is generally disposed of to English buyers. Alehouses. — There are three alehouses in the parish. Two of them are in the village of Hieton, for the benefit of those passing on the turnpike road leading from Kelso to Jedburgh, Hawick, &c. The other is near the village of Roxburgh, at the ferry over the Tiviot. Fuel. — The ordinary fuel is coal, which is procured from Nor- thumberland ; the distance is about eighteen or twenty miles. To the tenants and others having carts and horses, the expense of a single cart load at the coal-hill is from 6s. to 7s. (tolls inclusive) for sixteen cwt. Others, not having the same means of carting, obtain them for lis. 6d. There is also abundance of peat in the western part of the parish. Miscellaneous Observations. The most striking variation betwixt the present and former state of the parish is in consequence of the introduction of the turnip system of husbandry already noticed. A further improve- I 136 ROXBURGHSHIRE. - ment is likely to take place in this respect, by the introduction of bone manure, which is found highly suitable for raising turnips, and of which not less than 500 quarters were used in the year 1832. There may' be a little difference of appearance in the parish, from the greater space occupied by crop now than for- merly. Such occupation, however, is not believed to be consider- able, and has in some instances after trial been abandoned. The number of sheep reared renders pasture valuable, so that land which might be cropped with a certain degree of profit is found to be more profitable when in pasture, especially after an occa- sional tillage with improvement. It is perhaps worthy of reniark, that the crops now raised are, beyond all doubt, much more pro- ductive and profitable than formerly. The facilities of internal communication are, however, limited, and form the greatest barrier to improvement. This may. be in- ferred from the fact, that while the land in this county is better than in most other counties, the climate good, and the husbandry highly improved, nevertheless the fiars prices for grain are amon^ the very lowest in Scotland. This fact cannot be accounted for by the inferior quality of the grain, (for the reverse is the truth,) but by the great quantity produced above what is necessary for hoq[ie consumption. This is carted chiefly to Berwick for the London market The price of such carriage is regularly de- ducted from the returns given in by the witnesses on the fiars, and hence the low fiars price of corn. For the purpose of afford- ing increased facilities of internal communication, it has been pro- posed to form a railway from this district to Berwick, and consider- able progress has been made towards its accomplishment. Revised November 1834. PARISH OF MAKERSTOUN. PRESBYTERY OF KELSO, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. DAVID HOGARTH, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — According to Chalmers in his " Caledonia," the ori- ginal Dame of this parish signifies the town of Machar or Machir, who is supposed to have possessed that portion of country which forms the parish of Makerstoun. Extent and Boundaries. — It is hounded on the west by the parish of Mertoun ; on the north by that of Smailhohn ; on the east by that of Kelso ; and on the south by the river Tweed, which sepa- rates it from the parish of Roxburgh. It extends in length, from east to west, between 3 and 4 miles, and ilt breadth, from north to south, between 2 and 3. The ground rises gradually from the bank of the river to the northern extremity of the parish. The soil near the river is a rich dry loam upon a bottom of gravel or sandstone ; but the northern part is of much inferior quality, being a thin clay upon a retentive subsoil. II. — Civil History. Lcaid-^wners. — Nine-tenths of the land belong to Sir Tliomas and Lady Makdougal Brisbane, and the remainder (with the ex- ception of two cottages and a small garden) is the property of the Duke of Roxburghe. Parochial Registers, — These extend from 1692, with little in- terruption, to the present time. III. — Population. There appears no reason for believing that the population amounted to 1000, at a period so recent as fifty years before the date of the last Statistical Account ; for in the same account, it is stated that the number of souls in this parish was 165 at the time when the population was ascertained by Dr Webster. The distance between these two periods is only twelve years ; and, as during that interval there was no material change in the circum- 138 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Stances of the parish, the alleged diminution canpot be suppos- ed to have taken place. In 1801 the population was 24a In that and the following year, one-half of the parish was let in farms of a larger size, and a superior mode of husbandry was in- troduced. The consequence was, that the population, by the census of 1811, was found to have risen to 352, being an in- crease of nearly one-third in ten years. The population dimi- nished in 1821 to 345, and in 1831 to 326. But, as nme-tenths of the inhabitants are farm or house-servants, and liable to be re- moved every year, and as there is still the same number of inhabit- ed houses, this toifling diminution may be regarded as accidental, and not likely to be permanent. Numberof families in the parish, - - - - 59 chiefly employed in agriculture» - - 48 in trade, manufacture, or handicraft, 5 The greater part of the population of this parish is extremely fluctuating. All the families, with the exception of nine, being the families either of farm-servants, or of tradesmen employed by the farmers, are liable to be removed every year. From this circum- stance nothing can bS said respecting the general character of the inhabitants. IV. — Industry. The number of acres in the parish is 2854 : of these 2774 are cultivated or occasionally in tillage ; and 80 are planted. Rent — The rental of the parish is about L. 4000. The ave- rage value per acre of the parish may be from L. 1, 5s. to L. 1, 10s. At the time of the last Statistical Account there were eighteen ploughs in the parish. The number is now thirty. Proditce. — The produce per acre of the different kinds of grain varies according to the quality of the soil, and favourable or unfavour- able character of the season, being of wheat and pease, from fifteen to thirty, and of barley and oats, from twenty to fifty imperial bush- els. There are annually about 400 acres in turnips and potatoes. The following state shows the average gross amount and value of the raw produce as nearly as can be ascertained : Gram, . - - - - L. 6,172 Potatoes and turnips, - - . 1,600 Hay cultivated, .... 439 Land in pasture, - - . 2,158 Fisheries, - . - . 13 Total yearly value of raw produce raised, L. 10,423 MA&BMTOUN. 139 v.— Parochial Economy. The turnpike road from Kelso to Edinburgh by Smailholm pas- ses through the eastern extremity of the parish. There is a coach daily from Edinburgh to Kelso by this road. Ecclesiastical State. — The church and manse were built on a new site in 1807, near the centre of the parish. An excambion of the glebe took place at the same time ; the extent is twenty- two acres, and the value may be about L. 1. 5s. per acre. The stipend is fifteen chalders of barley and oat-meal, in equal parts, with L. 8, 6s. Sd. as an allowance for communion elements. The church may hold about 200 persons. The number of communi- cants for the last seven years has varied from 105 to 115. There are 58 fanoilies, 38 of which, either in whole or in part, belong to the Established church. Education. — There is only one school in the parish ; the paro- chial. The salary of the schoolmaster is L. 34, 4s. 4^d. and the average amount of school fees for the last seven years is L. 17 per annuoL ^There are none in the parish above five years of age who cannot read. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of persons on the poors' roll for the last seven years has varied from two to five, and the sum allotted has been from Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per week. The annual amount of church collections for the same period has va- ried from L. 4 to L. 7. An assessment of from one farthing to three farthings per pound, on the rental of the parish, has been made half-yearly, as circumstances have required : and the average yearly amount raised from this source has been L. 5, 17s. There is a legacy of L. 27, the interest of which is for women above the age of seventy. There is another sum of L. 20, the interest of which is employed in the maintenance of the poor ; but there is no record to ascertain for what purpose the sum was left. The amount of these interests is L. 1, 3s. 5d. Fuelj S^c. — There is no alehouse in the parish. Coal is the only fiiel used, and costs from 8d. to Is. per cwt Revised November 1834. PARISH OF SMALHOLM. PRESBYTERY OF LAUDER^ SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. THOMAS CLEGHORN, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — The name of this parish is in ancient charters written Smalham and Smalhame; and in modern times Smalholm and Smailholm. Its etymology, as stated in the former Statistical Ac- count, is uncertain. Extent^ Boundaries. — It extends in length about 4 miles, and in breadth rather more than 3 miles, and contains more than 6 square miles. It is situated in the north-eastern extremity of the county of Roxbdrgh ; is bounded by the parishes of Mertoun on the west ; Earlston on the north ; and Nenthom on the east ; aiiS^ on the south by the parishes of Kelso and Makerstown. Topographical Appearances^ Sfc. — The figure of the parish is irregular, and there is a variety of flat and rising grounds. It is about 500 feet above the level of the sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed. The air is pure, and the climate is considered peculiarly favourable to the health of the inhabitants, among whom no particular dis^ temper can be said to prevail. Many of them live to a good old age. Limestone has been found in the parish, but it has never been burned, owing to the great distance from coal. On the south side of the^ parish there is an abundant supply of hard whinstone rock, to which the road trustees have access .for making and keeping in repair the turnpike-roads in the district ; and a considerable quan- tity of what is called rotten rock is found in various parts of the parish, which is used for making and repairing country and farm roads. II. — Civil History. Land'Owners, — The chief land -owners in the parish are, George Baillie, Esq. of Jerviswood ; Hugh Scott, Esq. of Harden ; and his Grace the Duke of Roxburghe. Parochial Registers, — The earliest date of the parochial regis- SMALHOLM. 141 ters is 1642. They have been regularly kept, and are in a pretty good state of preservation. Antiquities. — On the south-west corner of the parish, in the farm of Sandyknow, the property of Mr Scott of Harden, among a cluster of rocks, stands " Smalholm Tower," a large square building, supposed to have been a " border keep" before the union of the kingdoms. This tower has long been in a ruinous condition, but; has acquired an interest in modern times, from the author of Waverley having spent part of his infancy in its vi- cmity, and from his having ascribed, in a great measure, to that circumstance the peculiar character of his poetry. In the Min- strelsy of the Scottish Border, Sir Walter Scott, in a note pre- fixed* to " The Eve of St John," says, nt was in order to celebrate Smalholm Tower and its vicinity, which had been the residence of his infancy, that he had written that border tale ; and in the intro- duction to the third canto of Marmion, while describing the influ- ence of that early residence on his style of poetry, he alludes to the tower and the surrounding crags.* III. — Population. The former Statistical Account savs, " In 1700, the number of inhabitants was 600; in 1743 the examination-roll was 457; in 1790 it decreased more than 100; in Dr Webster's report the number of souls is stated at 551." By the census taken in May 1831, the population of the parish is 628, being an increase of 128 since 1821. In the three divisions of which the village consists, there are 860 person, which leaves for the country part of the parish 268. The yearly average of births for the last seven years is - 10 deaths, between - - 7 and 8 marriages, between - - 2 and 3 The average number of persons under 1 5 years of age is - 256 betwixt 15 and 30, - 136 30 and 50, - 124 50 and 70, . - 94 upwards of 70, - - 18 There are 3 proprietors of land in the parish having properties of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, but none of them reside in it There are about 12 unmarried men, bachelors, and widowers above fifty years of age, and about 21 unmarried women upwards of forty-five. The average number of children in each family, taking those families only in which there are children, is nearly 4. • The farm of Sandyknow was possessed by the paternal grandfather of Sir Walter Scott. 142 ROXBURGHSHIRE. The number of families in the parish is - - - 127 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 55 trade, manufiu^ures, or handicraft, 32 During the last three years there have been 2 itlegitimate births in the parish. IV. — Indcstry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — In the parish there are 3450 acres of land cultivated or occasionally in tillage ; 457 acres which never have been cultivated, but which remain constantly in pasture; and there are none in a state of undivided common. About 60 acres are under wood, planted with firs, and hard-wood of various kinds, which are properly managed by thinning, pruning, &c. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land in the parish is L. 1 per English acre. The average rent of grazing per ox or cow is L. 3; and per ewe or full-grown sheep 10s. pastured for the year. The real rent of the parish is about L. 4000. Htisbandry, — The. duration of leases is from fifteen to twenty- one years. The farm-buildings are substantial and commodious, and the whole parish is subdivided into suitable enclosures by stone and thorn hedge fences. Great improvements have been, and are still making, by draining, liming, &c. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish as near as can be ascertained, is as follows : — Produce ofgrain of all kinds, - - L.58a0 Of potatoes, turnips, &c. ... ]450 Of land in pasture, .... )560 Thinning of woods, &c. • - - - 40 Total yearly value of raw produce, L. 8850 V. — Parochial Economy. In the parish there is one village, which consists of three divi- sions, East Third, West Third, and Overtown. The turnpike road, from Lauder to the March-Burn, passes through the East Third, in which the church, manse, and school-house are situated. Kelso, which is at six miles distance, is the nearest market-town, to which a carrier goes weekly on Friday, the market day. Means of Communication. — The parish enjoys ample means of communication in all directions. The turnpike road runs through the parish from north to south for more than three miles, and there is a branch of road leading westward from the village for about two miles towards Drygrange Bridge, on the Jedburgh road. The Tweedside coach betwixt Kelso and Edinburgh passes through the village every lawful day at nine o'clock in the morning, going worth, and at two o'clock p. wr. going south. An Earlstown car- 4 SMALHOLM. 143 rier to Edinburgh regularly attends at Smalholm on Monday af- ternoon, for the purpose of procuring eggs, butter, poultry, &c for the Edinburgh market; which is of great advantage to the vil- lage and neighbourhood. Ecclesiastical State, — The parish church is very conveniently situated for the whole population ; none of the inhabitants being more than two miles distant from the church ; the greater part of them are within five minutes walk of it From an inscription ( Soli Deo gloria 1 632) found on a triangular stone, which was taken down fmn the top of one of the doors when the church was under re- pair, it appears to have been built in 1632. The church has been frequently repaired partially; in 1820 and 1821 it was completely new seated, and otherwise much improved ; and is now one of the neatest and most comfortable places of worship in the district. It can easily accommodate 282 persons, but may hold 300. All the sittings in the church are free, the area being divided among the heritors according to their valued rents, for the accommoda- tion of their tenantry, who are in general amply provided for, — while too little space is left for the inhabitants of the village ; an in- convenience which is felt very generally in country churches, and which requires to be remedied. There is also a private gallery in the west end of the church, for the accommodation of the familv of George Baillie, Esq. who is patron of the church and parish, but whose residence of Mellerstain is in Earlstoun parish. The manse, which is upon a small scale, but neat and comfortable, was built in 1803 and 1804. The glebe, including the stance of the maDse, offices, garden, and hedge enclosures, consists of 12 Eng- lish acres, which may be valued at L. 1, 10s. per acre. The sti- pend, as modified in 1823, amounts to fourteen chalders of victual, half barley and half oat-meal. There are about 100 families be- longing to the Established church, and the average number of per- sons of all ages attending it is about 220, — the remaining families, who do not belong to the Establishment, attend public worship in the Seceding meeting-houses chapels at Kelso, Earlstoun, and StitcheL The average number of communicants is 240. In se- veral families, while the parents still adhere to the Secession, the children almost all belong to the Establishment. Education. — In the parochial school, the branches of instruc- tion taught are, English, grammar, writing, arithmetic, geography, practical mathematics, and Latin. The parochial teacher has the legal accommodation and the maximum salary; and his school fees 144 ROXBURGHSHIRE. may amount to L. 28 or L. 30 a-year. Besides the parish school, there is a school at the farm-house of Sandyknow, which is sup- ported by the tenant of that farm, who gives board and lodging to the teacher for educating his own children, and also by the school fees of his other pupils. There, the same branches are taught as at the parish school, and the quarterly fees are the same. All the young persons in the parish, between six and fifteen years of age, can read and write, or are learning to do so ; and it is not known that there is any person upwards of fifteen who cannot read or write. The total number of scholars attending both schools is about 100. Savings Bank, — A savings bank was established some years ago in the parish, but was discontinued at Whitsunday 1830, as the di- rectors did not think it was answering the purpose for which it was established. Poor and Parochial Funds, — There are twelve enrolled poor in the parish ; who have at an average about 2s. per week, with oc- casional supplies of coal, meal, &c. from the session funds. The annual amount of the church collections is about L. 12, and the half-yearly assessment about L. 35. There seems to be no dispo- - sition among the poor, when reduced by necessity, to refrain from seeking parochial relief, neither do they in general appear then to consider it as degrading. Inns^ Sfc. — There are an inn and an alehouse in the village. Their effect on the morals of the people is decidedly unfavourable. The fuel consists of wood and coal ; the wood is procured from the neighbourhood ; and the coals cost from 14d. to 16d. per cwt. when brought from Lothian, and lOd. to lid. from Northumber- land. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the time of the last Statistical Account, four shops have been established, where almost every necessary article of either soft or hardware may be obtained, and there has been for a considerable time a baker in the village. The parish is not susceptible of much greater improvement, as the system of husbandry now practised by an intelligent and re- spectable tenantry is of the most approved kind. Revised November 1834. PARISH OF LINTON. PRESBYTERY OF KELSO, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. WILLIAM FAICHNEY, MINISTER.* I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The name of the parish is derived from Lynn^ whicli in the British language signifies a pool, or lake, as well as a cataract, and from the Saxon word ton or toun^ which denotes a dwelling- place. Linton thus means the dwelling at the lake. The ancient Tillage of Linton, of which there are now scarcely any vestiges, was situated near the borders of a lake still called Linton Loch, — which lies in a south-eastern direction from the parish church. Extent and Boundaries. — The length of this parish, extending west to east as far as the English border, is 6 miles: its breadth, 2 miles. It is bounded on the north and north-west by the pa- rishes of ^rouston and Eckford ; on the west by Eckford ; on the south and south-west by Morbattle and Yetholm; and on the east by Northumberland. Its western extremity forms part of a beautiful valley watered by the Kale, a stream which descends from the Cheviot range. Topographical Appearances. — From this valley the land rises in a somewhat undulating ascent, till it reaches its highest elevation on the summit of Linton hill. Its surface eastward is varied and uneven, and sometimes intersected by small hills, which connect those of the Cheviot with the fertile plain which extends along the southern bank of the Tweed, in the parishes of Kelso and Sproaston. If, in former times, the inhabitants of Britain chose the summits of hills as the places for judicial proceedings, or the purposes of legislation, the small hills in this parish appear, from their names, Kiplaw, Hoselaw, Blakelaw, to have been the scene of such proceedings. The hills now mentioned extend along the northern boundary. Between these and Linton, and the Graden hills, which skirt the southerR extremity, a considerable tract of low land intervenes, which again is sometimes indented into valleys. The greater part * Drawn up by the Rev. James Brothcrston, Assistant to tlie Minister of the parish. ROXBURGH. K 146 ROXBURGHSHIRE. of this tract is richly cultivated. Though in some places it is marshy and interspersed with mosses, yet almost the whole of it b susceptible of cultivation. With the exception of Linton hill, the higher parts of which are still waste, the plough has reached the , summit of the highest eminences. The valley on the western ex- tremity, and of which 300 acres belong to this parish, is bounded on the north and north-east by the church of Linton, and Clifton Park, a seat of Mr Pringle of Clifton, M. P. surrounded by a fine old plantation ; on the west^ by Marlefield, formerly the residence of Sir William Bennet of Grubbet, the well-known patron of Allan Ramsay, and of whose hospitable mansion, Thomson, the author of the Seasons, is said to have frequently been an inmate ; on the east, by Wideopen, the paternal inheritance of Thomson ; and on the south and south-west, by the village of Morbattle and Cessford, the massive remains of whose baronial fortress, once the residence of the ancestors of the noble family of Roxburghe, still frown in an- cient dignity on the adjacent territory. This valley, both on ac- count of its delightful scenery and local associations, has been often surveved with no small interest. Meteorology. — The climate, which, in the western and most po- pulous portion of the parish is peculiarly mild, in the eastern and central district undergoes a considerable change for the worse. Here the increased coldness of the atmosphere, the greater poverty of the soil, the absence of plantations, and the greater elevation of the ground, all combine to render the aspect of the fields bleaker and more barren. The winds likewise vary in the eastern and western dis- tricts; while the east and north winds chiefly prevail in the former, and prove in no small degree hurtful to vegetation, — in the latter, these winds are little felt ; while gales from the south-west blow across the valley, and strike the rising ground opposite to it with considerable violence. Severe blasts not unfrequently range from the Cheviot on the south-east, assail this portion of the parish. The wind always blows from that direction in a severe storm. — The climate of this parish has always been deemed, upon the whole, peculiarly healthy. At one period, agues were not unfrequent ; but, since the djraining of the lakes and marshy lands, these have totally ceased ; and in the parish there are several individuals who have reached a very advanced age. Hydrography and Geology. — There are two lakes in the parish. Linton Loch is nearly circular in form, and contains fifty acres. It occupies a natural basin formed by hills of considerable height. LINTON. 147 surrounding it on the north, east, and south, and cultivated al- most to their summits. Towards the west, it opens into the valley of the Kale, into which, by a copious stream, it discharges its waters. The whole of the surface of these fifty acres was formerly covered with water; it is now partially drained, and it exhibits the appearance of a verdant morass, interspersed with three or four pools of water, in which are found excellent trout, closely resembling those of Lochleven. The surface of the lake or morass, to a considerable depth, consists of moss, under which there is excellent marl. Of the moss, there are three different kinds : the first stratum consists of vegetable roots of a more recent and less complete decomposi- tion. Its depth is from four to five feet. The second stratum is from two to three feet deep, of a lighter colour, and more decom- posed ; when long exposed to the air, it becomes nearly as white as marl ; and when dried, it is quite hard. The lowest stratum is nearly four feet thick, and entirely composed of wood of various sorts; but principally of birch and hazel. In this stratum were found large quantities of hazel-nuts, heaped in large masses, as if collected by the impulse of a current of water. When ex- posed to the air, they appeared quite fresh ; they were broken even by a slight touch, and were found to be full of water. The moss in the centre of the loch is of extraordinary depth; sixty-five feet of iron rod could not fathom it, — as was found from a recent ex- periment made in search of marl. About eight years ago, it was attempted to dig the marl found beneath the moss ; but, though it was of the finest quality, the expense of digging it was so great, in consequence of the annoyance arising from the great abundance of water, that the enterprise was abandoned. From an accurate measurement, so far .is this was practicable, it appeared that the marl amounted to one million of cubic yards. Its seam varied in thickness from two to eighteen feet. It was sometimes blended with a seam of sand from two to three feet in thickness. The colour of the marl is varied ; the greatest part of it being white as lime ; and a considerable quantity of it black as moss ; and there are por- tions of it which partake of both colours, mingled in various propor- tions. The black marl was, upon trial, found equally efficacious as the white. Viewed through a microscope, though fine as flour, it presented the appearance of decomposed shells. The black was generally separated from the white marl, and in different layers. A deer's horns, of an extraordinary size, and supposed to be 148 ROXBURGHSHIRE. those of the rein-deer, were found imbedded in the marl four- teen feet below its surface, — above which there were ten feet of moss. These are now in the possession of Mr Pringle of Clifton, the proprietor. They measured 3 feet in length, and 3 feet 10 inches between each horn. Besides these, several skeletons, amounting to twenty, of animals of dijOferent species, and of various sizes, were discovered in the space of less than an acre. The bones of one of these in magnitude exceeded those of a horse. Some of them were much decayed ; and when affected by the air, mouldered into dust. The moss also abounded with large and thick oaks ; it contain- ed wood from the smallest twig to the tree of two feet diameter, which was usually quite soft and spongy, — so that these trees were saturat- ed with moisture, and the soil or vegetable roots amid which they were imbedded. In the bottom of the lake, also, a very strong and copious mineral spring was found to issue from the sand beneath the seams of marl after it was dug. There are obvious traces of this lake, enlarged by the waters of the Kale once flowing into it, and by the rills and torrents descending from the adjacent hills, having formerly covered the whole expanse of the valley formerly men- tioned, and extending to 1000 acres,, — thus forming a uniform and magnificent sheet of water. The whole of this space abounds with copious springs of the purest water, whose origin is traced to the Kale, and which rise through veins of sand. The other lake, called Hoselaw Loch, is situated near the eastern extremity of the parish. Its surface extends to thirty acres ; it is of an oblong form, and is three-quarters of a mile in circumference. It abounds with perch and eels of the silver kind. The perch which it contains were only recently introduced to it from a neighbouring lake : and the fishing of these affords amusement to parties of pleasure dur- ing sununer. Sometimes, during the most sultry period of sum- mer, shoals of perches are, from some cause unknown, cast out dead upon the margin of the lake. The greatest depth of the lake does not exceed at any time fifteen feet : in summer it greatly de- creases. It forms an entire sheet of water : ^nd is terminated on the west by a moss of great extent and depth, — which, from the difficulty of access to it, and the indifferent quality of the peat, is little dug. There is another moss, about a mile westward from this, on the farm of Greenlees, which also is of considerable ex- tent and depth. Its peats are of a better quality : and marl has been found beneath the moss ;. but neither have been used to any extent. LINTON. 149 Besides the mineral spring already mentioned, there are several others in the parish, — one of which, on the farm of Bankhead, appears, from tradition, to have been frequently used for scor- butic complaints. It is still occasionally employed in these dis- orders. Sailj Sfc. — The soil of the greater portion of the western district consists of loam, gravel, sand, and clay, mixed in various propor- tions ; 300 acres adjoining Kale water are of a stiff retentive clay, resting on a wet channel bottom ; but the soil of part of this tract is a deep loam, reposing on sand and gravel. The whole of this fine strath would be much improved by deepening the course of a mill- dam which flows through it, and by draining. In the eastern and cen- tral district, where the land is higher, the soil is light There are fre- quent instances of the soil having been carried by the rain from the higher, and deposited in the lower lands. This, though sometimes beneficial, also proves occasionally injurious to the latter, as in draining, the good soil has been discovered buried beneath a lighter soil, which had been thus borne down from the hills. Most of the rocks are whinstone, which, when broken, has been fre- quently found to contain rock crystals. In one quarry, there is a laige seam of the latter interwoven with the whinstone ; the course of which seam can be readily traced by the eye. On the farm of Frogden, there is a quarry of freestone, which, notwithstanding the good quality of the stone, has been little wrought Large pieces of jasper of all kinds are frequently dug up by the plough, and lie scattered over the surface of the ground. The fir, the oak, the ash, and the elm, here find a congenial soil The principal plan- tation IS that of Clifton Park, which covers an extent of thirty acres* Several years ago, a small seam of coal was discovered on the farm of Greenlees, but the working of it was not proceeded in to any extent, and was speedily abandoned as unprofitable. II. — Civil History. The earliest notice of this parish appears in connection with the donation * of the church of Linton to the monks of Kelso, by Sir Richard Cumin, for the salvation of the soul of Prince Henry, eldest son of David I. This Sir Richard Cumin was the ancestor of the Cumins of Badenoch, and of the famous John Cumin who aspired to the Scottish crown. At the period of the gift, he ap- pears to have held one of the highest ofiices of the state; but whe- ther or not he possessed property in the parish is uncertain. • See Chartulary of Kelso. 150 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Family of Somerville. — Soon after this period, it appears that a considerable portion of the lands of Linton were obtained by Wil- liam de Somerville, ancestor of Lord Somerville, as a reward for having killed a monstrous serpent, wolf, or boar, which infested the neighbourhood, and seems to have committed great devastation. * This gift is stated to have been made by William the Lion, King of Scotland, in the year 1174 :+ and the property thus acquired seems to have remained, during a considerable period, in the pos- session of the Somerville family, — some of whose representatives are recorded, at different periods, to have granted lands in the pa- rish to the monks of Glasgow and Melrose. X The name of the above William de Somerville appears in the list of witnesses appended to a charter of confirmation granted to the monks of Kelso by King Malcolm IV. He was the son of Roger de Somerville, Baron of Whichnour, in England, and after performing the exploit for which he was rewarded with the barony of Linton, he was invested with the office of principal Falconer to the King of Scotland, and also with that of the sheriffdom of Rox- burghshire. He built the tower of Linton, which continued to be the residence of his family till near the end of the fourteenth cen- tury, when they removed to the castle of Cowthally in Carnwath. A portion of Linton church then called the choir, too, was their or- dinary burial-place, till about the year 1424. In this place the remains of the above William, the founder of his family in Scotland, were interred.§ When the barons of England, who extorted the Magna Charta from their reluctant king, were afterwards subdued, and when many of their castles and possessions were reduced to ruin, Roger, his father, who was one of them, sought refuge with his • See Douglas* Baronage of Scotland, and History of the Family of Somerville. t The den of this animal is still pointed out under the name of " the worm's hole;** and the field in which it is situated receives tlie name of Wormington. In the southern wall of the parish church, an ancient stone, which exhibits the effigy of a man on horseback, with a long lance or spear in hb hand, and thrust into the mouth of an animal resembling a dragon, is thought to illustrate the tradition ; and the history of the noble family of Somerville, lately published, gives a detailed account of the transaction. It is also said that the stone once contained the follow- ing inscription : «« The wode Laird of Lariestone, Slew the wode worm of Wormicston» And won all Linton paroshine." The memorial of this event is still preserved on the crest of Lord Somerville*s arms, which retains, among other allusions to it, the following inscription, " The wode laird.'* i See Chartularies of the above monasteries. To these religious donations, probably, arc to be ascribed the names still in use of certain fields and houses, — such as the " Prior Ilow,** and the " Priory Meadow.'* § At tlie period of his death, he must have been upwards of eighty years of age. 4 LINTON. 151 son in Scotland, and shortly after died at Linton tower, and was buried in the choir of Linton church. Some of the representatives of this house, while they resided in their barony of Linton, were renowned for their patriotism. Walter de Somerville, the third Baron of Linton, magnanimously maintained the rights of his coun- try against the aggressions of Edward: L He was one of the few barons who supported Wallace, and seconded his efforts to recover hb country's freedom. Under Wallace he commanded the third brigade of cavalry at the battle of Biggar. He also appears to have been among the first who joined the standard of Bruce, * to whom previous to his death, he solemnly entreated his son to remain a Eadthful adherent. The latter, accordingly, John de Somerville, was not disobedient to his father's injunctions, and steadily maintained the interests of the house of Bruce till his death. His remains were consigned to the tomb of his ancestors in Linton church, f Antiquities. — The ancient fortalice or tower of Linton, of which there are now scarcely any vestiges, and which was formerly the resi- dence of this famUy, stood on an eminence now covered with trees, near the church, which overlooks it. About twenty years ago, a large iron door was dug out of the cavity, which still remains to mark the site of the dungeon. It appears to have been surrounded by a fosse, the water of which was supplied from an adjoining rivulet. It shared in the devastations common to similar fastnesses in the borders ; for during the reign of Henry VIII. the warden of the Englisli marches, in a hostile invasion of the Scottish territory, besieged and set fire to it; and Surrey, in a letter to the same sovereign on a similar occasion, mentions his having razed it to the grouHd.":|: The Kerrs of Graden in this parish were distinguished in border warfare. Graden Place, their residence, still manifests the traces of an ancient fortress, surrounded by a moat. During the border feuds and depredations, while the two kingdoms were separated, this parish suffered in common with the adjacent country. Occupying part of what was formerly called the " dry marches," it formed one of the principal thoroughfares betwixt the two kingdoms. A narrow aperture between two hills along the verge of Linton loch appears to have been regarded as an important pass^ and there are still obvious marks of its having been once closely guarded. The small eminence on which the church is built seems to have af- • See Tytler's History of Scotland. + We also find him mentioned among tlic prisoners taken by the English, after tiie Bruce wai defeated at Methvin. t See Cotton Manuscript, and Monastic Annals of TiviutiluWi p. i9. 152 ROXBURGHSHIRE. forded a favourable position for defending it : and this eminence is generally believed to have been artificial. A hollow in the neighbourhood is still shown, whence the soil which forms it was conveyed. In a field on the farm of Frogden, five or six upright stones, form- ing a circle, were designated the " tryst," — from their being a ren- dezvous where predatory hordes projecting an incursion into Nor- thumberland were wont to meet. The whole of the district abounds with memorials of ancient border warfare. From its contiguity to the fortresses of Werk and Roxburgh, it must occasionally have been the scene of the more important struggles between the two kingdoms. Accordingly, on the summits of the small hills, there are remains of circular en- campments; and from the surface of the ground arise numerous small tumuli, which, when excavated, are found to contain human bones inclosed in circular earthen urns, of various dimensions. Some of these are obviously of Roman construction. In one place, these tumuli are so numerous as almost to resemble a burying-ground, or at least they render it probable that tlie ground which they oc- cupy had been once a field of battle. Most of these bones, as well as the urns containing them, when exposed to the air, dissolve into dust About fifty years ago, during the repairing of the church, a large grave was discovered, in which were fifty skulls ; all were equally decayed, and many of them bore marks of Wolence. It is conjectuVcd that they belonged to individuals who had fallen at Flodden Field ; the remains of many of whom, as is well known> were consigned to a common grave in the cemeteries of the nearest border parishes. A few years ago, a brazen Roman spear was found in a mossy soil, three feet below the surface, near the mouth of a well, and is now in the possession of Mr Pringle of Clifton, M. P. A chapel belonging to the Established church appears to have been formerly at Hoselaw, for the benefit of the inhabitants of the eastern district, which was then, as at present, at an inconvenient distance from the parish church. The remains of this chapel and of a small burying-ground attached to it were visible till lately, when, by the operations of the plough, they were wholly efiaced. Land'Oioners. — Robert Pringle, Esq. of Clifton and Haining, Member of Parliament for Selkirkshire, is the principal proprietor and the patron of the church; nearly two-thirds of the lands be- long to him. This gentleman maintains the same high reputation for public spirit, generosity, and interest in the welfare of his LINTON. 153 tenants, which liave distinguished his ancestors. Tlie tenantry are prosperous and happy, and hold him in the highest estima- tion. They avoid either extreme of extravagance or parsimony. Their industry, dihgencc, and zeal in executing those improvements which experience has proved to be advantageous, are highly com- mendable; and all of them reside on their farms, each of which is of sufficient magnitude to occupy the attention of a resident tenant. The other proprietors are Mr Wauchope of Niddrie-Marishall ; Mr Dawson of Graden ; Mr Oliver of Blakelaw, and Mr David- son of Hoselawmains. None of these are resident. Eminent Persons, — The late Mr Dawson, while farmer at Frog- den, was the first who introduced into Scotland some of the most important agricultural improvements, such as the turnip husbandry, and drill system, the laying down of the lime, and harrowing it in on the land when laid down in pasture, and tlie sowing of artifi- cial grasses. Mr Thomas Pringle, author of a small volume of poems, and of several other useful and interesting publications ; and Dr Clarke, who long enjoyed celebrity as the first physician in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, were both natives of this parish. Parochial Registers. — The registers of births have been pretty regularly kept; and the date of their earliest entry is 1732. III. — Population. Though there are now no remains of the once considerable vil- lages of Hoselaw and Linton, yet the number of the inhabitants of the parish has rather increased. This is entirely to be attributed to the improvements in agriculture, requiring a corresponding in- crease of labour. The population is spread over a rural tract among the various farms or hamlets, and is almost exclusively confined to agricultural employments. Population in 1811, - - 462 18-21, . 458 1831, - - 462 Of the 462 inhabitants at the time of the last census, only 6 arc employed in trade or manufactures. The average number of mar- riages, births, and burials is at present nearly the same as that which was stated in the former Statistical Account ; it may be computed at 5 marriages, 10 births, and 6 burials annually. It has been remarked that, 'of late years, there are even fewer bu- rials than formerly, in consequence of the hinds being less sta- tionary in a parish of this kind than in those which have villages, into which they retire when disabled by age or infirmity. On all the farms, amounting to fifteen, (with the exception of five,) the tenants reside ; but of the residing farmers only (out ate Tuatnedi. 154 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Character of the People. — The peasantry possess all the qualities which have long characterized the same class in Scotland. They are distinguished for intelligence, and, for the most part, are exem- plary in their habits. No ardent spirits are sold in the parish, and therefore they are seldom tempted to deviate from their ordinary sobriety. The tenantry and their hinds or farm-ser- vants generally follow the occupations of their fathers, and with " sober wishes" they pursue " the noiseless tenor of their way," unseduced by the allurements that are usually found in a crowd- ed population. The cottages of the poor in general present inter- nally an appearance of the utmost cleanliness. Their dress at church or at market approaches to elegance. Most of them pos- sess abundance of solid and wholesome food ; and there are few cases of real privation. They seldom change masters, and on some farms most of the servants have remained during the currency of more than one lease. There have been two illegitimate births during the last three years. The number of families in the parish is 84. IV. — Industry. Agriculture, — This parish contains 6500 acres of land ; 4750 of these are cultivated; and the remaining 1750 are waste, where- of about 80 acres are covered with wood. Husbandry, — Two or three of the farmers have long enjoyed celebrity as improvers and breeders of stock of all descriptions. The stock principally consists of cattle of the improved short- homed breed, and of the Leicester and Cheviot breed of sheep. The cultivated land, too, has been highly improved.. Much waste ground has been reclaimed, and the benefits derived from this source have been such, that the present tenants can keep as much stock as those of former times, and have, besides, all the addi- tional grain yielded by the improved land. A considerable por- tion of the remaining waste land (probably 450 acres) is suscep- tible of cultivation, and is fitted either to produce crops, or to be laid down in pasture. The crops raised are, oats, barley, and wheat, — of which the two latter are the most prevalent. The turnips were, at an early period, infested by the bad root ; the only remedy for which that has yet, been discovered is abundant liming; and even this has been but partially successful In not a few instances, like every other expedient, it has failed to revive the sinking hopes of the husbandman, doomed to witness the baneful effects of this desolating scourge. The duration of leases is. nineteen years. LINTON. 155 The rent of a few farms is paid in part according to the Jiars^ — which mode of payment is deemed the most equitable. The ac- commodations granted to the tenant, both as regards building and enclosing, are generally of the best description. Draining, though practised to a great extent, is still very im- perfectly carried on, and presents a large field for exertion, and for the application of capital. One field only, extending to 20 acres, has been irrigated. The experiment, however, was successful, and afforded abundant compensation for the labour and expense. Considerable embankments have been made on Kale Water, and on a small stream called the Lake, whose course at one period ap- pears to have been deepened for the purpose of emptying the stagnant waters of a lake or morass in its vicinity, of which there are still some remains. These embankments have proved very beneficial. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : 838 boUs of wheat, imperial measure, - - L. 1452 10 10 8560 do. barley, .... 3204 6700 do. oats, .... 3C57 10 756 acres turnips, ... . 3032 32 potatoes, - ^ - - - 320 230 cultivated hay, - - - - 805 Land in pasture, rating it at L. 3 per cow or full-grown ox, and at 10s. per ewe or full-grown sheep, ... 1904 L. 14,375 10 V. — Paiiochial Economy. Kelso, which is six miles distant, is the nearest market-town. The farmers occasionally frequent also the market of Jedburgh, which is at least eight miles distant. They deal extensively with the corn-merchants of Berwick, with whom they bargain to con- vey thither the grain that has been purchased, and they usually return home with a load of coal or lime from Northumberland ; hence the advantages which they would reap from the execution of the long projected rail-road between Kelso and Berwick. They generally drive their stock and fat cattle to the markets of Edin- burgh and Morpeth, but principally to that of the latter place. They are almost equidistant from both. Means of Communication. — Kelso is also the nearest post-town ; — ^with which, exclusively of the market-day, there is a regular communication twice in the week. Most of the roads are good, tnd kepi in good repair. The fences are in general good, and . chiefly consist of hedge-rows of thorn, interspersed ml\v Vc^e^. 156 ROXBURGHSHIRE. These, besides improving the aspect of the country, by giving to it a finely wooded appearance, are attended with other advantages previously stated, which amply compensate for the failure of vege- tation in their neighbourhood. Ecclesiastical State. — A more delightful and sequestered situa- tion than that which is occupied by the church and manse can scarcely be conceived ; — the church crowning the summit of a cir- cular little hill; the manse about 100 yards distant froin it, embo- somed amid fine old fruit trees, and agreeably sheltered and ap- proached by an avenue lined with tall trees, — present a scene whose peculiar charms uniformly arrest the attention of the spectator. As the church is placed nearly at the western extremity of the parish, a distaifce of almost six miles intervenes between it and the remotest part of the eastern district. To the inhabitants of the latter, therefore, its situation is inconvenient. As it is easily accessible, however, to by far the most populous part of the parish, its pre- sent position, which, as regards climate, soil, and the cultivation of the land contiguous to it, has superior advantages, is upon the whole the best and most eligible; and few, if any, have expres- sed a serious desire for its removal. • From the thickness and strength of its walls, and the depth to which they have sunk in the soil, the church exhibits marks of con- siderable antiquity. It was repaired about forty-five years ago, and contracted within its original dimensions. It affords accom- modation for 180 persons, and is sufficient for the inhabitants of the parish. The above number rather exceeds that of the average attendance ; but on ordinary Sabbaths it is still well attended. The average number of communicants of late years has been 170. There are no Dissenting chapels in the parish ; they abound, however, in the neighbourhood, and are attended by twelve fa- milies in this parish, who chiefly belong to the Seceders of the United Associate Synod. The manse was built about fifty years ago ; it has since received scarcely any repair ; and both it and the office-houses are in a good condition. The glebe contains ten acres of arable land of the best quality, and the stipend consists of sixteen chalders of grain. In the manse garden, there are two fine old pear trees, the price of one year's produce of which amount- ed to L. 10. Education. — The parochial school is the only seminary in the parish ; the branches of education taught at whjch are reading, writing, arithmetic, algebra, and mathematics. For instruction in reading, writings and arithmetic, the average sum paid for each LINTON. 157 pupil is 3s. per quarter. The teacher is authorized by the heri- tors to exercise his own discretion with regard to the fees to be exacted from those who are taught algebra and mathematics. The accommodation of the schoolmaster is good, and somewhat ex- ceeds the legal allowance. He possesses the maximum salary. The remotest part of the parish is at least five miles distant from the school ; but, as this part is thinly inhabited, the inconvenience of the distance is not much felt, and is not so great as to render the erection of another school necessary ; 40 is the average attend- ance. The school fees may amount to L. 20 a-year. It is pleas- ing to witness the solicitude of the poorest persons resi)ecting the education of their children in the ordinary branches of in- struction. Rather than forego this advantage, which they deem inestimable, they will submit to no small privations ; and they cheerfully devote to its attainment a portion of their scanty and hard-earned gains. The history of the poor in this, as well as in other districts, unfolds many cases of endurance borne with alacrity, in order that they may procure not only the quarter's fees, but shoes and clothing, to enable their children to make as decent an appearance at school as those of their neighbours. Such has been the influence of the system of moral and religious instruction peculiar to our ecclesiastical establishment and paro- chial schools, that all vestiges of predatory habits have long disap- peared from the borders, — whose inhabitants are now as remark- able as those of any part of Scotland for intelligence, persever- ing industry, and ardent piety. The total number of scholars at schools in the parish is 55. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The average number of persons who annually obtain parochial aid is 12 ; each of whom receives nearly 2s. per week, or an yearly allowance of L. 5. The funds required for this purpose are supplied by legal assessment, of which the average annual amount is L. 60. That of the church collection is L. 6, and affords the means of relieving occasional in- digence. The receiving of parochial aid is here reckoned no de- gradation. Most seem to demand it as that to which they have a legal claim; and instances are not uncommon of active and Tigorous young men who do not think it incumbent on them to minister to the necessities of their aged parents, but who, without scruple or any sense of impropriety, consign them to the. support of the parish. Such sentiments, common to the inhabitants of all the border parishes, have, not without reason, been ascribed to their contiguity to England. 158 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Pueh — Almost the only fuel used is coal, which is 14 miles dis- tant, and brought from Northumberland. Though the peat, with the exception of that of Graden moss, is of a good quality, yet the mosses mentioned above are little dug. Coals can be procur- ed at nearly as cheap a rate as peat ; the cost of the former, includ- ing carriage and all other expenses, being about 7d. per cwt. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the period of the last Statistical Account, the population, in consequence of agricultural improvements and the extension of cultivated land, has somewhat increased. The number of inhabited houses, which was then 55, is now 79. The number of ploughs, which was then 30, is now 50, — to each of which a pair of horses be- longs. The rent of the parish, which was formerly L. 21 13, is now L. 5514, 6s. 8d.; that of the largest farm, which was formerly L.400, is now nearly L. 800. The improved system of husbandry which has since that time been introduced, as well as the reclaiming of waste land, have thus obviously augmented the quantity of la- bour, and compensated for its anticipated diminution by the use of thrashing machines. Sources of industry have thus been multi- plied, and what was lost in one department has been gained in another, no less subservient to the welfare of the conmiunity. The much greater demand for stock of all descriptions than for- merly has prompted the farmers, for the purpose of rearing them, to subject to the agency of the plough much of their ground which they once deemed inadequate to remunerate them for the labour and expense of cultivation. Whether the general comfort and happiness of those who follow agricultural employments have also been advanced is doubtfuL Their habits and intelligence, in no small degree, have kept pace with the spirit and improvements of the age. They are now better educated than formerly ; books are more accessible to them, and not a few avail themselves of these sources of mental enjoyment Still, their increased thirst of know- ledge creates wants, for the supply of which their scanty means are incompetent, and thus gives rise to discontentment and fretful- ness. A small augmentation of their wages would do much to improve their condition. To these sources, is to be traced that very ge- neral desire of emigration to Canada which of late years the class of hinds has manifested ; and the children of those whom no worldly motive could have torn from their native hills and valleys, now, without a tear, nay, with a sort of exultation, leave the land of their fathers. December J 834. PARISH OF YETHOLM. PRESBYTERY OF KELSO, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. JOHN BAIRD, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — Yetholm is sometimes written Zetholm, Zettin, Yet- tam, and Yetham ; which last is probably the original name of the parish. It seems to be derived from the Scoto- Saxon word " Yet^*^ or " Gatey^' signifying a gate or road, and obviously con- nected with the Anglo-Saxon word Zeat, Zete, Zate, porta. Yet- holm is a border parish, and the villages of Town and Kirk Vet- holm are separated from England by a valley one mile in length, and about a quarter of a mile in breadth, which, in former times, must have presented a very easy access or entrance from the one country to the othef ; so that Yetholm or Yetham may signify the hamlet or dwelling upon the great entrance from England, or the adjoining part of Northumberland, into Scotland. Extent — Boundaries. — The extent of the parish is 2 miles from nearly north-east to south-west, and 4 miles from north-west to M>nth-ea8t« It marches with England for a distance of about six miles, and no part of the parish is distant more than two miles from the border. Topographical Appearances. — The general aspect and outline of the parish is hilly, though none of the hills are of any great ele- vation ; the highest probably not exceeding 700 or 800 feet above the level of the sea. The lower hills are cultivated; and the higher, which are a portion of the Cheviot range, are clothed with a rich green sward to their summits, affording excellent pasture to many thousands of sheep. Several peaceful and romantic little valleys lie embosomed amid these hills ; and the vale of the Bow- mont itself, in which nine-tenths of the inhabitants of the parish reside, is only a larger vale of the same description. That part of this vale which lies in the parish of Yetholm is two miles long, and from a quarter to nearly half a mile in breadth, and appears 160 ROXBURGHSHIRE. encircled on every side by hills, except on the east, where it opens into England. The sides of the hills immediately bounding the vale are all under tillage, and covered generally with a rich and light soil resting on gravel and rock. Towards the middle of this vale, and near the village of Town Yetholm, another valley, or tract of low level ground, the opposite sides of which rise to a con- siderable elevation, branches oflF in a westerly direction towards Yetholm Loch. The climate of Yetholm is remarkably clear and healthy, and the temperature much milder than might be expected. Hydrography. — Yetholm Loch, sometimes also called Primside Loch, is a sheet of water nearly a mile and a half in circumference: it abounds with pike and perch : and is frequented by a great va- riety of water-fowl ; of which the rarer species are the wild swan, the goosander, and the Siberian goose ; but these only appear in severe winters. Bowmont Water, in some very old charters, is also written Bol-bent and Bow-bent, and is probably so named from the curvature of its course. It has its source in the Cocklaw, and, af- ter mingling with the College, it joins the Till, a tributary of the Tweed. The Bowmont is stocked with abundance of fine trout, and before the erection of a mill-dam or call on the Till at Etal, salmon-grilses and sea-trout were frequently caught The course of the Bowmont is extremely rapid, and, from its vicinity to the hills, it is exposed to frequent high floods, which sometimes do in- credible mischief to the haughs and meadow pasture, tearing up and carrying away the rich deep soil on its banks, and occasional- ly burying whole acres under a bed of unproductive sand and gra- vel. The practicability of embanking this river is an important subject of consideration to the proprietors ; and those who have resided longest upon its banks are generally of opinion that this may be done, and at an expense which, when compared with the importance of the object, might be called inconsiderable. Geology and Mineralogy. — The rocks composing the. hills in this parish belong to the transition series, and are the compact felspar-porphyry and the pitchstone-porphyry, — the latter of which affords very excellent specimens. The felspar-porphyry is by im the most abundant rock, not only of the Yetholm Hills, but of the whole Cheviot range. Numerous nodules of agate and common jasper are met with in this rock ; and these are also dispersed in abundance over the surrounding plains, and are very frequent in the gravel of the Bowmont Water and other streams. It is by no 3 YETHOLM. IGl means easy to ascertain in what manner the rock above described as the pitchstone-porphyry, occurs in this parish. Apparently it is in the form of an irregular bed, or in detached masses subordi- nate to the felspar-porphyry. Possibly it may be connected with the great dike of this rock, which is described as crossing the Che- viot range some miles to the west of this, in a direction nearly east and west Subordinate, ^Iso, to the felspar-porphyrj', is the quartz rock which occupies the summit of Thirlestane hill, where both rocks are much intermixed with white steatite. On t4ie same hill are quarries of the compact felspar rock, containing amygdaloidal crystals of calcareous spar, probably only a variety of the porphyry, which here occurs of every sort of colour and structure. The most remarkable rock on this hill, perhaps, is a partial deposit of the new red sandstone in thin strata of a grey and reddish-brown co- lour, hard and compact, but unable for any long period to resist the action of the weather. This rock, as you descend from the higher ground of Yetholm, towards the north and west, into the vale of the Tweed, soon becomes the prevailing formation, and where it first occurs, it is found resting on the felspar-porphyry. There is no appearance of metals of any kind in these rocks, farther than a considerable abundance of the sulphate of barytes and white steatite, in a rocky and romantic little glen on the top of Yetholm Law, called the " Tod Craigs," may seem to indiciite the probable neighbourhood of copper or lead. From the cir- cumstances stated, there seems little probability that coal, or even lime, wiU be discovered in this parish. The bed of the Bowmont affords the finest sharp sand for build- ing. The natural embankments of the river are all composed of graveL The soil on the lower parts of the parish, which is some- times of considerable depth, rests also on gravel. Hence in dry summers the crops are apt to be burnt up ; and in moist seasons they succeed best. In the vale of Cherrytrees are probably an hundred acres of moss, which, however, have been drained, and are now under cul- tivation. The average depth of the moss is eight feet, in some places fourteen feet. Trunks of various trees, as willows, birches, but especially oaks of a black colour, and extremely hard, were discovered in it Botany. — There are but few rare plants in the parish ; and the whole range of the Cheviots, indeed, disappoints very much the expectations of the botanist. In the vale of Bowmont are the ROXBURGH. 1> 162 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Teesdalia nudicauJis^ Trifolium striatum^ T. scahrum^ Sedum 7V- lephium, Dianthus deltoides in great luxuriance and abundance, Ciclwrium Intyhns^ Carduus nutans^ Anchusa sempervirens ; and in the dry channel of the river Thlaspi arvense. On the hills are the Rvhus Cham(Bmoru^i Cistus Helianthemiim^ Vaccinium Vitis- IdcBa^i Tormentilla reptans^ Empetnmi nigrum, Hieracium pulmo- riarium^ Cornus Suecica (perhaps on the borders of the parish only, not in it.) In and on the margin of Yetholm Loch, and in other moist situations, are the Cicuta virosa, Vaccinium oxycoccus (abun- dant in Hoselaw Loch, on the borders of the parish,) Patamogeton compressum, P, pectinatum, Scutellaria galericulata^ and Lycopus EuropcBus (abundant at Linton Loch,) Typha latifolia^ Ranuncu- lus Lingua, Hippuris vulgaris, Solanum Dulcamara, TroUius Eu- ropcBus, Leontodon palustre, Nuphar lutea, Gymnadenia viridis, Ly thrum Salicaria, Eriophorum vaginatum, Valeriana dioica^ V. officinalis, Listera ovata, Sinm angustifolium, Pamassia palus- tris, &c. ; a remarkable and dwarfish variety of the Ranunculus au- ricomus in a boggy situation among the hills, without any calyx, and claws or pores at the termination of the petals, and correspond- ing in its general characters with the Anemone ranunculoides, for which it was at first mistaken. II. — Civil History. It is said that^ " in 1304, Edward the First came to Yetham on his return from his northern expedition ;" ( Caledonia, Vol. li. p. 198.) There is a tradition that the Douglas appointed Yetholm kirk as the place of rendezvous for the Scottish army, before marching to the celebrated battle of Otterburn. It is also said, and perhaps with more truth, that after the battle of Flodden Field, the scene of which is situated about six miles to the east of the parish, the bodies of the Scottish nobles who fell in that engagement were brought and buried in the church and churchyard of Yetholm, as the nearest consecrated ground in Scotland to the field of battle. It is a better known fact, though traditional, I believe, like the others, that, in 1745, a small party of Scotch Highlanders, who followed the fortunes of Prince Charles, marched from the south through the parish and village of Yetholm, up the Bowmont Water, to receive some supplies of money, which had been re- mitted from France, and entrusted to the care of a Northumber- land gentleman, Charles Selby, Esq. of Earl. An old man, lately deceased, in Town Yetholm, distinctly remembered having seen these Highlanders passing his father's house. EminerU Cliaracters, — Dr Scott, one of the lairds of Tbirlestaney YETHOLM. 103 a small property in this parish, (now in the possession of Adam R Boyd, Esq. of Cherry trees,) and one of the physicians of Charles IL, seems to have been a chemist of some celebrity in his day. In the old mansion-house of Thirlcstane, lately pulled down, a room, which he had probably used as his laboratory, con- tinued to retain the name of the " warlock's room." * ( See Note to the 11th chapter of Waverley, Vol. i. regarding the ancient fa- mily of Scott of Thirlestane in this parish.) jintiqiiities, — Yetholm churchyard has probably been the buri- al place of many an ancient border chief. About two or three years ago, a stone coffin was discovered nearly six feet below the surface, and unfortunately was broken before it could be as- certained what it was. The stone in which the body lay was an entire mass. It contained a skeleton of unusual size. Still more lately, in the same churchyard, was discovered a square erection, consisting of four rough stones, set at right angles, and covered by a flat stone above, in which was found only a skull, which crumbled into dust when exposed for a short time to the air. On the borders of the parish, at Primside mill, under a large flat stone in the middle of the road, was found some years ago an urn, of very rude workmanship, and containing ashes. It was lately in the possession of Mr Oliphant at Marlefield. There are two British forts in the parish, one situated on the top of Castlelaw, a hill on the farm of Vencheon ; the other on the summit of a higher hill, called the Camp Hill, on the farm of Halterbum. They are fortified with two fosses and ramparts, are probably two or three hundred yards in diameter, and from their situation must have been very strong, almost impregnable fortifications. — On the top of Yetholm Law, there are the remains of a very extensive and singular fortification, the general form of which is square, but very irregular, — its irregularity, perhaps, occa- sioned by the inequality of the ground. It has been supposed to * The celebrated Jean Gordon, and her grandaughter Madge or Majory Gor- don, were both inhabitants of this parish ; the former well known as '* the prototype of the character of Meg Mcrrilees." the latter prol>ah1y having " sat to the author of Guy Mannering as the representative of her person." (See Blackwood's Mag. for April, May, Mid Sept. 1817.) Madge was married to a man of the name of Young, and is stiU remembered by many in Kirk Yetholm, — a woman of remarkable stature and striking appearance. I find that most, or perhaps all, her children arc registered in the teinon t^cord of baptisms. From the same record it appears, tliat in her latter days she bod been in very destitute circumstances. For several years the sum of Is. Gd. seems to have been allowed almost weekly by the kirk-session of Yetholm to ** Madge** or ** Majory Gordon." I may also mention concerning the fhmily of Will I^ long king of the gipsies in the south of Scotland, (Ibid.) that they were all, to the number of twenty-two or twenty-four, baptized in Yetholm kirk, and many of them are registered. Several of his family still reside in Yetholm. IVissviw*^^ \\\\\ Paa** has succeeded to his father in the title at least of ^* kin^." 164 ROXBURGHSHIRE. be a Roman camp, and the Romans were undoubtedly in this im- mediate neighbourhood. — On the fiirm of Mindrum, in Northum- berland, on the very borders of the parish, was lately ploughed up a vase or bottle of brass containing 500 Roman silver coins. — On a little spot of ground, now a peninsula, but at one time probably an island of Yetholm Loch, there formerly stood one of those old towers or castles so frequent in the south of Scotland. It was the baronial residence of the Kers of Lochtower, a branch, probably, of the Kers of Cessford, or the Roxburgh family. This ancient tower and the surrounding scenery suggested to the author of Wa- verley the picture he draws of Avenel Castle in the Monastery, (See Note at the end of the 7th chapter. Vol. ii.) Land-owners. — The number of heritors or proprietors in this parish is five. Of these, Mr Wauchope of Niddrie possesses nearly one-half of the parish, and is patron also of the church. The Marquis of Tweeddale is the second heritor, and now pos- sesses what was formerly the property of Sir William Bennet of Grubbet, the friend and patron of the poet of Ednam and of Allan Ramsay, whose " Gentle Shepherd" has sometimes been ascrib- ed to Sir William Bennet, and sometimes regarded as a juvenile production of Thomson. It is unfortunate that there is only one heritor who resides in the parish, and therefore only one mansion-house. The grounds of Cherrytrees are very tastefully ornamented with wood. The house is a small, modern, but handsome building. Parochial Registers, — The earliest parochial registers extant are from 1690, and from that period to the present they have been kept with considerable regularity. There is little doubt but earlier registers did exist ; and there is a report that, accidentally 1 suppose, they were destroyed by the family of one of the former ministers of the parish. They consist of three large folio volumes completed, and a fourth is now adding to their number. There is nothing particularly interesting in them. III. — Population. In the former Statistical Account, the parish is supposed to have doubled its population during last century ; and the cause of this rapid increase is stated to be the destruction of several villages in the neighbouring parishes of Hownam, Morbattle and Linton, the inhabitants of which had withdrawn to the two villages of Yet- holm, encouraged, perhaps, by the easy rate at which the proprie- tors of these villages had granted themfeus. Another probable cause might be the practice of uniting many small farms into one large one. YETHOLM. 1C5 In 1755, the population was 699 In 1811, . 1 138 1786, 1070 1821, . 1280 1801 1011 1831, . 1289 The increase of population in the country parts of the parish is owing entirely, of course, to the great improvements in the system of agriculture, and the consequent greater demand for labourers : the quantity of land now under cultivation Tn the parish being much more than doubled since the end of last century. The same cause has also affected the population of the two villages, the greater part of which depends for employment on the farmers. Other subordinate causes might be mentioned, as the great temp- tation to, and prevalence of, smuggling, from the vicinity of the villages to England, — an occupation from which a fifth or sixth of the population some years ago derived their means of subsistence ; and the facility of persons in decayed circumstances procuring a room or lodging in the villages, where, after a residence of three years, they very frequently become burdens on the parish. The average number of children in a family is 3^ or 4 ; but among the gipsies not less than 6 or 6^. 1 have no means of as- certaining the average number of births, deaths, and marriages for the last seven years; the registration of baptisms having been much neglected, and no registry of deaths being kept at all. Character^ S^c, of the People, — The people, in general, enjoy re- markably good health. About the middle of last year ( 1829,) there were sixteen persons between eighty and ninety years of age; and in the churchyard every sixth or seventh person whose memory is record- ed seems to have died betwixt seventy and ninety years of age. With a few exceptions, the labouring classes seem, in genera), to be in tolerably comfortable circumstances. The villages alone give em- ployment to two or three butchers, and four bakers. As by fer the greater part of the population, however, derive their sub- sistence from their employment by the farmers, whatever depresses the agricultural interest must tend more or less to injure them, by throwing them out of employment. Accordingly, during the last two years which have been so trying to farmers in general, the relief required to be extended to the poor has been much increased. The illegal practice of smuggling, till lately so prevalent in this neighbourhood, and so openly practised, must no doubt have had a very demoralizing influence upon a considerable portion of the population ; otherwise I am disposed to regard them, in general, as a quiet and well disposed people. Gipsies. — Kirk Yetholm has long been known and somewhat celebrated as the residence of the largest colony \i\ &coV\wt\dL^ \ 166 ROXBURGHSHIRE. believe, of that singular and interesting race of people, the Gip- sies, whose origin is involved in so much uncertainty and doubt I am indeed far from regarding the ^^ muggers and tinkers" of Kirk Yetholm as the pure unmingled gipsy race, whose forefa- thers emigrated or were driven into Europe from Hindostan or Egypt. They are much less distinguishable as a peculiar race now than they appear to have been formerly. Still their language, their predatory and erratic propensities, and, in general, their dark or dusky complexion, black piercing eyes, and Hindoo features, sufficiently betray the original of this despised and neglected race. At what period they first arrived and settled in Kirk Yetholm I have not been able with any accuracy to ascertain. The family of the Faa's seem to have been the first who settled there, and pro- bably about the beginning of last century.* Their number in 1797, according to the former Statistical Account, was 50. In 1816, ac- cording to the late Bailie Smith of Kelso (whose interesting ac- count of the Kirk Yetholm gipsies was published in Blackwood's Magazine for May 1817), the number was 109. At present there are about 100. Of these, one gipsy female is married to a trades- man in the village ; and one woman not belonging to the tribe is married to a gipsy, whom she accompanies in his wanderings. That the gipsies of Kirk Yetholm have a peculiar language is fully credited by most of the other inhabitants of the village, many of whom have not only heard them converse with each other in this janguage, but also understand a number of the words. It was my intention to have given a list of such of these words as I have been able to collect; but I shall at present merely mention this gene- ral fact regarding them, that, on comparing this list withthe spe- cimens furnished by Hoyland from Grellman, I find that the lan- guage spoken by the Kirk Yetholm clans corresponds very nearly with that spoken by the English and Turkish gipsies, and that most of these also have been traced to an Indian origin. On this subject, however, they observe a profound secresy. Their occupations are various. There are two who manufac- ture horn into spoons : one tinker ; and most or all of the rest are " muggers," or, as they prefer being called, " potters," or " travel- lers," who carry earthen-ware about the country for sale. These last also frequently employ themselves in making besoms and baskets. The gipsy, in general, enjoys but few of the comforts of home, — with the exception of the spoon-manufucturer, who must remain sta- tionary to fabricate his wares, which the females usually dispose * See Blackwood's Magnmc, Nos. I. and II. YETHOLM. 167 of at neighbouring markets, and in the surrounding country. The horn-spoons, or " cutties," are very generally used by the peasan- try, and before harvest are purchased for the use of the reapers. Most readers are probably familiar with the appearance of a gip- sy tent. It is generally situated in the least frequented parts of the country, probably beside some plantation, which supplies it at once with shelter and with fuel. The women carry about their oiaDuGsu^tured articles for sale ; while the men either remain with the ca^t, or occupy themselves in fishing and poaching, in both of which they are generally expert. The children accompany the females, or collect decayed wood for fuel. At night the whole fa- mily sleep under the tent, the covering of which is generally wool- len cloth, and is the same usually that covers their cart during the day. Occasionally two or more families travel together. A dog, chained under the cart, protects their property, and at night gives warning of danger. Each family generally travels a particular district, seldom remaining more than a few days in one place. This is their mode of life, even in the coldest and wettest weather of spring, or the beginning of winter ; and some- times the tents are but scantily provided with warm and comfort- able clothing. The ground, from which, while they sleep, they are separated only byablanket or slight mattress laid on some straw, must frequently, of course, be completely saturated with rain ; nevertheless I have never understood that these people are, even so much as others, troubled with colds and rheumatisms, to which this mode of life seems almost imavoidably to expose them. In- deed, both at home and abroad, they enjoy the best health. In cases of sickness they are usually unwilling to call in a me- dical practitioner. Before autumn all return who are able and willing to hire themselves as reapers. After harvest work is over, they set pff once more to the country, where they continue until the severity of winter drives them home. At home they are usually quiet and peaceable. Their quarrels, which do not . often take place, and are only among themselves, are very violent while they continue : and the subject or ground of (juarrel is scl- dem known but to themselves. On these occasions they are much addicted to profane swearing, and but too much so at other times. I think it deserving of remark, that most of the murders for which gipsies have been condemned seem to have been committed upon persons of their own tribe, in the heat and violence of passion, the consequence of some old family foud, or upon strangers of other dans for invading what they regard as their terf\lovv> ot \\\e vWr*- 168 ROXBURGHSHIRE. trict thej lia>ce been wont to travel. Their character for truth and honesty is certainly not high. Their pilfering' and plundering habits, practised chiefly when from home, are pretty generally known. Their money debts, however, they discharge, I believe, as punctually as others ; and there is a species of honour among them, that, if trusted, they will not deceive, and a principle of gratitude, that, if treated kindly, they will not injure. Numerous instances can be referred to of the grateful sense they entertain of favours bestowed on them, and of the length of time they vyill re- member a kindness done either to themselves or their relatives. A deep spirit of revenge is the darkest trait in their character. Yet may most of the savage features of the gipsy character be referred to their loose, wandering, and disorderly life; to their lamentable ignorance of the duties which they owe both to God and man, and their total want of restraint by any consideration, moral or religious. I am not aware that they are much addicted to ardent spirits, or that there is any habitual drunkard belonging to their tribe. Most of the tribe are able to read, though very indifferently. They seem alive to the advantages of education, and speak of it as the only legacy which a poor man can leave to his children ; but the migratory habits of the people prevent their children from re- maining long enough at school ever to make much progress. The children are generally remarked as clever. One large family of children have been taught to read by their mother at home ; and I have known a father (when he was able) who gave a lesson every day to his two children, in the course of their migrations. I may mention, as a proof of the anxiety of parents on this subject, that most of them have again and again professed their willingness to leave their children at home throughout the year for instruction, could they only afibrd it, and entrust them to the charge of some prudent person. This is a great step to their improvement, con- sidering how extremely attached the gipsy parent generally is to his children'; — that attachment to their offspring being one of those traits or features of character which distinguishes the tribe where- cver they are found. Most of the younger children have attended the Sabbath school, when at home ; and not only do the parents willingly send them, but even the children themselves seem de- lighted to attend. I have remarked in most of these children^ what may account in some degree for this desire on their parts, a spirit of emulation, and strong desire to please those who will take the trouble to notice them. Even a few of the adults have attend-* YETHOLM. 169 ed the Sabbath school ; but many are kept back bj; the shame of appearing more deficient than others of their own age. A great majority of the children have been baptized ; and there are probably not so many illegitimate children among them as among the lower ranks of society in general. They almost always intermarry in their own tribe, and are generally dissatisfied when this is not the case. Of late, the greater number of the tribe have attended church occasionally, and some with exemplary regularity. Their ideas on the subject of religion, however, are extremely limited, and er- roneous. Nor can they well be otherwise, considering their unset- tled way of life, and their defective education. Yet they profess a general respect for religion ; and, when absent from church, excuse themselves on the ground that they have no suitable or decent clothing. I have not been able to ascertain whether they entertain any peculiar sentiments on the subject of religion. Like most ig- norant persons, they are very superstitious.* All of them profess to belong to the Established church ; and there are no Dissen- ters among them. Eight or nine of them are communicants. Most of them possess Bibles, which have been purchased, how- ever, rather for the use of their children, when at school, than for any other purpose. Those who have not Bibles, would pur- chase them, they say, could they afford it. Most of them arc indeed very poor, if w^e may judge from their apparel and their household accommodations, all of which are inferior to those pos- sessed by the common class of labourers in the country, f It is a fact not very creditable to the wisdom of Britain, that, while so much has been done for the heathen, no attempt has yet been made in Scotland, to civilize and enlighten those wandering tribes, who during three-fourths of the year, in pursuing the avoca- tions, from which they derive their subsistence, have no pastor, no church, no school, no home, and are deprived of the means and opportunities of acquiring every kind of instruction. The attempt, if properly made, would, I am persuaded, be in numerous in- stances successful. Society would be the principal gainers by the success of any such scheme. They would render their own homes, persons, and property more secure ; while they would dis- charge a long-neglected duty to a considerable number of their * Sec Blackwood's Magazine, Nos. I. mu\ II. f Since writing the al>ove, I have received a grant of nibles ami Testaments from the Edinburgh Bible Society, so that every poor gipsy family is now supplied nvviVv a eopjr of the scriptures. 170 ROXBURGHSHIRE. fellow creatures and fellow subjects, and rescue an interesting race from infamy, ignorance^and vice. IV. — Industry. Agriculture, — There are nearly 6000 (probably 5700) acres in the parish : of these more than 2600 are arable, and more than 3000 remain in permanent pasture. There is a common of 200 acres, called Yetholm Common, on which the inhabitants of Kirk Yetholm have the privilege of cutting turf and grazing their cattle : it is a wild moorish piece of ground, upon the borders, claim- ed, I believe, by both kingdoms. On the estates of Cherrytrees and Thirlestane, and on some small spots on the barony of Loch- tower, there may be about 100 acres altogether, planted in wood. As remarked in the last Statistical Account, with one or two ex- ceptions, " the proprietors seem but little disposed to plant, though there is abundance of land fit for no other purpose." The planting of a few hundred acres, besides the beauty and ornament it would add to the parish, would greatly improve and increase the value of the remainder of the land, and afford, what is so much re- quired in the more exposed parts of the parish, shelter to the far- mers' stock. Husbandry, — There are about 450 acres round the villages of Town and Kirk Yetholm, farmed by the inhabitants in lots, vary* ing from 2 to 30 acres. These fields are held from year to year ; but, so long as the occupiers are able to pay their rents, they are very rarely disturbed. The rents they bring are from L. 2 to L.3, 10s. an acre; and, considering the nature of the soil, and the situation of the country, this is regarded as extremely high. Many of the occupiers of these fields are industrious trades- men and day-labourers, who, at their leisure hours, or when not otherwise engaged, employ themselves in the cultivation of their little farms, or retain them only for the convenience of a cow's pasture. The other small tenants, who farm a greater number of acres, are occupied more exclusively in their cultivation. Tlvey keep, for this purpose, one or two horses, with which they also drive coals to the other inhabitants of the villages, or to Jedburgh, where they obtain a higher price for them ; or drive lime to the farmers, who usually prefer hiring to driving with their own horses the ma- nure of this description which they require. The other farms in this parish are from about 400 to 1800 acres. The larger farms consist more than one-half of sheep pasture. The duration of the leases is from sixteen to twenty-one years. The older cultivated lands are enclosed with hedges ; the more lately enclosed lands, 4 . YKTHOLM. 171 with dry stone walls ; and the sheep pastures, with what is called a " ring-fence," or " march-fence ;" u e. a dry stone dike or wall surrounding the farm. The mode of cultivation adopted in this parish is usually what is called the four and five-shift rotation ; the former being practised on the village lands, the latter on the larger farms. This mode of husbandry consists in taking a crop of tur- nips the first year ; a crop of wheat or barley, sown off with grass, the second year ; a crop of hay the third year ; and a crop of oats the fourth year. According to the five-shift rotation, the ground is allowed to lie in pasture the fourth year, and on the fifth it is ploughed up and sown with oats. In some cases the ground re- mains in pasture two years, which is called the sixth-shift hus- bandry. There is no bare fallow in the parish, or extremely little. One-fifth nearly of the arable land of the parish is annually sown off with turnips. Probably one-third of the oats, and nearly two-thirds of the bariey grown in the parish, may be sold and exported. All the wheat, and probably more than is grown in the parish, is consumed in it : all the other crops, as of hay, turnips, potatoes, &c. are con- sumed at home. Tha manure usually employed is common manure and lime, which latter is driven a distance of ten miles, and costs lOd. per boll, or 3s. 4d. a cart-load, a single horse drawing four bolls. Forty bolls of lime are usually given to the acre. Bone ma- nure^ which is brought from Berwick, a distance of twenty miles, has been extensively used of late years in the parish, and is found to succeed remarkably well : it is used for turnips^ 2 quarters or 16 bolls being required per acre. Live-Stock. — The farmers depend less upon the agricultural produce of the land than upon their sheep. The sheep usually preferred for the higher parts of the parish, or hilly pastures, are the Cheviot The Leicester, or long-woolled sheep, are preferred for the lower and cultivated parts of the parish ; and on farms partly arable and partly hill pasture, a cross between the Cheviot and Leicester is found to answer very well. The number of sheep in the parish may be about 4800 : of these about 1800 may be Leicester, 1000 Cheviot, and 2000 half-bred, or a cross be- tween the other two. Few or no lambs are sold. The cattle usually preferred, and, indeed, the only breed of cattle in the pa- rish, are the short-horned or Teesdale, both for giving milk and for fattening. Rmt and Price of Land, — In the former Statistical Account, a proof of the fine- ness of the soil and mildness of climate is furnished, which is worth preserving. It appears that about that time (forty years ago) an attempt was made to cultivate tobacco in Scotland. ^^ In one sea- son a tenant in this district drew L. 115 for tobacco plants, and af- terwards raised a crop on 12 or 13 acres, which he sold upon the ground for L. 320 : but an act of Parliament intervening, the pur- chaser was unable to fulfil his bargain, and the farmer was com- pelled to dispose of his tobacco to Grovernment at only 4d. per pound, at which rate it brought him only L. 104." The soil of this parish is peculiarly dry and favourable to health, * This monument is a cylindrical column, with a spiral staircase. Its height is 150 feet. It stands on an ample base, and was built in a very substantial way fhmi whinstone quarried on the spot. It bears the following inscription :.— To the Duke of Wellington and the British Army, William Kerr VI. Marquis of Lothian and his Tenantry dedicate this monument, XXX June MDCCCXV. ^ CRAILING. 179 nor are there any particular diseases which prevail amongst us. 1 know not whether it be worth while to state, that during one season two or three fatal instances of croup occurred among the children at Nisbet. As this afflictive malady is apt to be induced by humi- dity, it is just possible that the vicinity of the Tiviot in a wet season may be ranked among the exciting causes. IL — Civil History. Parochial Registers. — The parish registers do not reach farther back than the beginning of last century, nor do they contain any facts worthy of notice. Eminent Men, — This parish, however, is not unconnected with events well calculated to invest it with historical interest. The circumstance of its having been the scene of the ministry of Cal- derwood, the church historian, and the birth-place of Samuel Rutherford, is sufficient to render it a spot hallowed by associa- tions dear to all true-hearted Scotchmen, nay, to every lover of pure religion and rational liberty. Both these facts are well ascertained. The evidence in respect to the latter, t. e. the birth of Rutherford, is not so circumstantial as could be wished ; and one cannot help regretting that no local iocideDts have been preserved connected with the early days of that great and good man, who bore so conspicuous a part in the struggles maintained by our church against the assaults of regal and spirit- ual domination. Yet the claims of Nisbet to the honour of his birth-plac^ rest on grounds amounting to highest probability. Wodrow mentions, that '^ he was born of mean but honest parents in Tiviotdale." The tradition of his birth at Nisbet was so gene- ral, that within these few years the house in which he was born Was pointed out, or at least a house situated on the same spot ; and Rutherford himself, in a letter, written in 1655, to the Rev. John Scott, minister of Oxnam, a neighbouring parish, says, while megretting his being unable to pay a visit to that quarter, and speak- ing of the state of religion there, " My soul's desire is, that the "^idldemess, and that place to which I owe my first breathing, may lilossom as the rose." He was born most probably in the year l600, although the date cannot be precisely determined.* Of Calderwood's connection with this parish the information is more abundant. He was settled as minister in 1604. From his <»wn history we find, that, in 1608^ he, along with George John- itOD, minister at Ancrum, declined the authority of Law, then * See AecouDt of the Life of Rutherford, by Thomas Murray, F. A, S. F.. 180 UOXBURGHSHIRE. ^^ « Bishop of Orkney, afterwards of Glasgow, as visitor to the pres- byteries of Merse and Tiviotdale. This resistance had nearly brought down on them signal punishment; but, by "earnest deal- insr of the Earl of Lothian and the Earl of Dunbar in favour of the said Mr David, their punishment resolved into a confinement within their own parishes." In the course of time, however, a relaxation of this sentence was obtained, although liberty was re- fused Calderwood to compear at presbyteries or synods, where his independent spirit and great influence rendered him a formidable opponent to Episcopal measures. But he seems eagerly to have watched over the liberties and purity of the church ; for in 1617 we find him at Edinburgh, joining in a protestation against the as- sumption of a power on the part of the King to devise and con- clude matters relating to the external policy of the kirk, without special advice and determination of the General Assembly. The part he took in this matter proved the cause of his banishment. He was summoned to compear before the High Court of Com- missioners at St Andrew's, on the 8th July. King James, who had lately before this come to visit his native dominion, presided in person on this occasion, and questioned Calderwood as to his resistance and non-conformity. A particular account of the whole examination and answers has been handed down, and is interest- ing, inasmuch as it aflbrds a tnie specimen of the difficulties with which the faithful Presbyterians had to struggle, and of the vehe- mence with which their spiritual liberty was assailed. The spirit of this venerable man sustained him to testify that he would yield " a passive but not an active obedience" to the King's commands, when he regarded them as infringing on the privileges of the church, i, e. that he would patiently suffer rather than comply. The result was, that the King became incensed, and Calderwood^ after being detained in ward in the tolbooth of St Andrew's, was ordained to be banished from his Majesty'^s dominions. In conse- quence of this sentence he went to Holland, and there published his famous work Altare Damascenum, which is said to have caused inexpressible vexation to King James. On the death of James in 1625 he returned to his native country; but was not again con- nected with this parish. He was afterwards minister of Pencait- land, and his name appears in the proceedings of the celebrated Assembly at Glasgow of 1638. In 1651 he terminated his mortal career at Jedburgh, in the neighbourhood of the scene of his early labours. Of these labours, in so far as regards the discharge of CRAILING. 181 the great though unostentatious duties of a parish minister, no notices are preserved. Yet the excellence of his principles, and activity of his character, leave no room for doubt that '^ they till an ample page in that book of the Divine remembrance, from which DO work of faith, no labour of love, is obliterated." One indirect, yet strong proof of the estimation in which he seems to have been held among his people is furnished in the fact, that Lord Cran- stoun, the proprietor of Crailing, who, from the vicinity of hi> mansion, must have had the best opportunities of knowing his pri- vate worth and public usefulness, used the most strenuous exer- tions to procure the remission of his sientence, and the continuance of his labours amongst them. The son of this nobleman, in pre- sence of the Lords of Secret Council at Glasgow, 27th July, en- tered into an obligation of 500 merks for Calderwood's leaving the country before Michaelmas, and thus obtained his liberty in the intervaL Lord Cranstoun himself accompanied his pastor to Car- lisle, and there presented to the King a petition in his favour, that he might be confined within his own parish. But this was not granted ; and, in like manner, other exertions which he made were frustrated, through the malignant interference of the bishops, par- ticularly through the underhand agency of Mr John Abernethie, •* who,'* as Calderwood states it, " being minister at Jedburgh, a town in the south, and Bishop of Caithness, a diocese in the re- motest part of the north, thought he could not be at ease in Jed- burgh if Mr David was suffered to stay at home at Crailing, — a village distant but two miles from Jedburgh." Landrowners. — The Marquis of Lothian is sole proprietor of Nisbet side,* which comprises more than one-half of the parish. The property lies most beautifully, stretching from west to east on the north bank of the Tiviot. The family residence, which is called Monteviot, f is at the western extremity. The old house is an extremely plain building, and affords but small accommoda- tion ; but one wing of a new and splendid mansion is already com- pleted* It is intended to consist of three parallelograms, the plan being of an irregular but picturesque character, in the Gothic style of the later period. * This aatertion has to be quaUfieeator}a extending to some hundred acres. 2Iw>fojy. — The parish has long been remarkable for its improved breed of sheep,* which are all or nearly all Cheviots ; and only a few crossies of Cheviots and Leicester, on some of the farms in the lower districts. They are much esteemed for the delicacy of their mutton ; and the fleece is remarkably soft, and sometimes very fine. The only animals certainly existing in the parish in former times, and which have now disappeared are, Lutra vulgaris^ Sciurus vulga^ ruj and a species of deerwhich frequented the upper districts. Ursus melesj and Mustela putoriusy have only disappeared from the parish at a comparatively recent period. M. vulgaris and Vipera com" munis are still to be met with. Vulpes vulgaris is no stranger here, and is destructive to lambs and poultry. The parish is not distinguished by many of the rarer species of birds. We may enumerate the following : Gallinula chloropusy Tetrao te~ trix^ r. Scoticusy Numenius arquata^ Buteo nisusy Fringilla carduelisj F. Knarioj Tardus meruloy T, musiaiSy T. torquatusy T. viscivtH ruSf Stumus vulgaris. Ardea cinerea. Anas boschasy and Larus ca- HMMj are occasional visitants to the waters. Charadrius pluvialis and Vanellus cristatus breed in the upper districts, but draw towards the coast, and spend the winter on the low lands that border the sea. Scolapax rusticolA and S, gallinago make their appearance in flocks about the month of November, and remain with us for a few days on their way south. The latter breeds here, but not numerously. MotacillaReguluSy (one of the Sglviadce) sometimes visit us in flocks. Alcedo ispida is also an occasional visitant to the waters. Black and red game, with partridges, are all abundant. Trouts of various sizes and of peculiar excellence are produced in the Kale, which has been long the resort of the fisher. Its tributary streams abound in trout of rather an inferior flavour. Leueiscus phoxinusy Gasterosteus aculeatus, Cohitis harbatulay An^ guitta tmlgarisy are all abundant. Petromyzon marinus is to be found on the sides of sandy banks. The only fish which now seems ex- tinct, and which used to be very plentiful, till of late years, is the parr. In the floods of October and November, great quantities of * Tbeparuii U chiefly indebted for its Improved breed of shee]) to the late Messrs Charleiand John Robion, while they were in possession of Chitto and Philogar farms. ROXBURGH. N 194 ROXBURGHSHIRE. salmon and sea-trout ascend the Kale for the purpose of spawning. Only a very few of the lesser migratory sort find their way up the stream at the season when they are at all valuable. Botany. — Besides the more common species of plants, there are to be found in this parish the following : — Euonymus EuroptBus^ a rare plant in Scotland, grows among the rocks in Shoreden-cleugh ; Asperula odorata^ Hedera Helix^ Hyacinthus non^scriptuSj are to be met with in Chatto-cleugh ; Dianthus deltoides, Saxijraga gra^ nuiatoj Sedum acre^ in great abundance on the porphyry rocks; 5. villosum, Menyanthes trifoliata^ Empetrum nigrum^ Rvhus char nuBmorus^ Vaccinium oxycoccos^ on the heaths and mossy grounds ; V. myrtillus^ V, Vitis-idcBa^ Lycopodium clavatum^ Lh alpinum^ on the north and north-west declivity of Hounam-law, and else- where ; Digitalis purpurea^ Solidago virgaurea^ on the sandy grounds by the side of the waters ; Rubus fruticosus^ on the glebe lands; Anthoxanthum odoratum, abundant in our meadows. In other parts of the parish, we meet with Papaver Argemane^ Cen* taurea scabiosuy Iris pseud-acoruSi Trichonema Bulbocastanumj Ox- alisacetosella, Veronica beccabungay Cistus Hflianthetnum, Parnassia palustrisy Trifolium striatuniy Sedum Telephium, Thla^i arveme^ Tormentilla reptans^ Cicuta virosa^ Hippuris vulgaris^ Leonicdon palttstrcy Eriophorum vaginatum^ Valeriana dioica, V, officinalis^ Gnaphalium dioicum^ Drosera vulgaris^ HydrocotyU vulgaris^ Co^ marum palustre^ and various species of Orchis* The broom, the whin, fern or braken, rushes, and corn chamo* mile are all abundant The cultivated crops of corn are barleyy and the best varieties of common and early oats, llie com*cock1e and wild mustard prevail to a considerable extent in some of the cultivated lands, and are pernicious to the growing crops. A considerable portion of the parish was at one period richly wooded ; and the remains of a very extensive forest of hazels, {Corylus avellana^) having the appearance of great antiquity, are to be met with on Chatto-crags. On the low-lying lands of Kirk- row, are still a number of trees of great beauty, aud of extreme luxu- nance both in foliage and ramification. Philogar used to be much admired for its woody banks ; but the greater part of the wood is now cutting down by the proprietor. Boughtrigand the two Granges also present a few clumps of trees. A number of full-grown elms and plane trees, of considerable age and size, surround the church and burying-ground, which are reported to have been planted by a former minister of the parish. HOUNAM. 195 The trees planted by the Messrs Douglas on their property of Chester House have succeeded well, and are now arrived at con- iriderable maturity. More recent plantations of various sorts of fo- rest trees and shrubbery have been executed on a considerable scale in the neighbourhood of, and around the Duke of Roxburghe's villa of Greenhiil, which are in a thriving state ; and new and^ ornament- al phuitations are rising on part of Mr Dickson's property, which will tend much to beautify the scenery around the village. The hedge-rows are usually interspersed with oak, ash, and elm. The swl seems congenial to ash, elm, beech, Scotch and larch fir, plane- trees, and various species of ornamental trees. Those that grow spontaneously are the hazel, the birch, the alder, the oak, and the mountain-ash. IL — Civil History. Higtorieal Events. — Of the early history of this parish little or nothing is known. Situated on the frontier of Scotland, and bor- dering for a number of miles on England, the parish and neigh- bourhood, in former times, was undoubtedly a perpetual scene of border warfare. The sites of several ancient forts are still dis- cernible. Before the Reformation, the church was in the diocese of the Bishop of Glasgow, and was conferred on the Abbey of Jedburgh at the end of the twelfth century. (MS. Adv. Lib. Hounam, sh. Roxburgh, alias Teviotdale Di. Glasgow, Pr. Jedburgh, &c,) When the Bishop of Glasgow and the Abbot settled their disputes in 1220, (as noted by Chalmers, Cal. Vol. ii. p. 166,) it was agreed that the whole tithes of corn within the parish of Hounam should be appropriated to the use of the canons ; the vicar receiving L. 10, or the altarages, in his option.* The lands of Kirkrow, Kirk- hope, and Steeple-side, are reported to have formed part of the pa- trimony and spirituality of this church, during the reign of the Ro- man Catholic religion. The Reformation restored the independence of the parish. The patronage of the church belonged for a consi- derable period to the lands of Kirkrow, but was lately sold separate from these lands, and is now held by Sir George Warrender. Zjond^ouyners. — The chief land-owner is the Duke of Roxburghe, a minor. His property, including the farms of Hounam-mains, Main-side, Greenhill, Bearhope, West Grange, Weary Streams, * ** Chart. Glaigow : In this particular settlement there was a reservation to the canonif (vluch shews the practice of the age,) that they should have in this parish an ma% of buidt ** ad reponendum bladum suum in loco competenti.** 196 ROXBURGHSHIRE. and South Cote, embraces nearly a third of the whole parish, and rather more than a third of the whole valued rent of the parish. The property of Walter Dickson, Esq. including the farms of Ne- ther Chatto, Sharplaw, and Kirkrow, stands next in extent and value, and comprises nearly a fourth of the valued rent. Thomas. Turnbull, Esq. is the only resident heritor, and his property of Howgate, which he holds in his own possession, amounts to about a sixtieth part of the whole valued rental of the parish. The remaining landed property in the parish is very much di- vided. The names of the other land-owners, taken in the order of their rentals, are as under, viz. William Oliver Rutherford, Esq. Boughtrig ; William Scott Ker, Over Chatto ; Sir George War- render, West Side Over Whitton, and Heatherlands ; Thomas Stavert, Philogar ; James Ainslie, East Side Over Whitton, and East Grange ; Robert Boyd, a minor, Capehope ; James, Alex- ander, and Pringle Home Douglas, Chester House. Parochial Registers, — The earliest date of our parish or sessional records, comprising entries of the proclamations of the banns of marriage, baptisms, discipline, division of poors' money, and the proceedings of the kirk-session, is 1690. The records from this date to the year 1728 are very imperfect. Since the latter period, they have been better attended to, and are in general pretty ac- curately kept. From 1772 to November 1775, there is an entire blank in the minutes of session. Since 1775, they have been kept with considerable care, and the entries are regular as far as relates to the minutes. No accurate account can be given of deaths and burials, from the imperfection of the registers ; and even the births and baptisms are not regularly recorded.* Antiquities. — The traces of ancient camps and other remains of antiquity are discovered here in a variety of situations. The ancient Roman Iter, commonly called the " Street," and which can be traced to the south as far as Borough Bridge in Yorkshire, tra- verses this parish. After passing a hamlet, which is named from it Street-house, it crosses the Kale water near to Pennymuir. It afterwards proceeds to the Tweed by St Boswell's Green, whence * It may be worth mentioning, that there are belonging to the kirk-session three folio volumes, in a state of excellent preservation, of the Acts of Assembly, commem cing 16th day of October 1690, with the following inscription in front of the title-page of volume first : ** Tliis and other two volumes of Acts of Assembly, comprehending all their acts to the year 1753, inclusive, arc to belong to the session of Hounam. ... Delivered by James Carmicliacl to the session, at the death of Mr John Rogers, minister of Hounam, the Donor, tliis 15th August 1774." HOUNAM. 197 it bends its course towards the Lothians. Vestiges of encamp- ments and semicircular entrenchments may still be traced on some of the rising grounds in the line of this old Roman way. The most conspicuous of these encampments is discovered on the sum- mit of Wooden-law. The largest and most complete camp is upon Hounam-law.* There are also visible remains of some other smaller encampments on several of the lesser hills. There is nothing in the shape of a ruin worthy of notice in this parish, with the exception of a vaulted building, the only existing remains of the original structure, which, in all probability, was one of those fortresses or border keeps, erected by the border chief- tains for the defence of the country from the incursions of the Eng- lish borderers; or it may indicate the site of one of the strong chain of fortifications erected by the Romans. It occupies a situation on a rising ground, which overlooks a beautiful bend of the water, at a short distance north from the village, and gives the name of Ches- ter House to the property on which it stands. It is bounded on the north by a deep narrow ravine. Tradition gives no account of it, but it was certainly built as a place of security in the days of vio- lence. — Another ruin, in some respects similar to the one above- mentioned, is to be seen at Heatherlands, towards the north-west extremity of the parish. On the farm of Hounam-mains, south-eastward from Hounam, are distinct traces of a very extensive fortification called, probably from its figure, the Rings. In this parish and neighbourhood, there are the remains of several cairns or barrows, the tombs of ancient warriors. Two eminences, called moats, exist in this parish. Situated on elevated ground to the eastward of, and at no great dis- tance from, the village, is a semicircle composed of a number of up- right stones. There is a tradition which bears that these stones were, at a remote period, human beings, who, for reaping on the Sabbath, were metamorphosed into so many stones. They are to this day cal- led the eleven shearers. There is every probability that they indi- cate the site of a Druidical circle or oratory. There are many single stones of large dimensions scattered over the parish, said to be of Druidical origin.f • Within these few years a large iron gate, taken down from the top of Hounam- law, was to be seen at Cessford Castle, belonging to the Duke of Roxburghc — Vide former Stat. Report. f In the MS. are noticed some other of the minor antiquities of the parl&h, coins, quemsy tombatones, &c. 198 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Modem Buildings. — These are constructed of stone and lime^ and covered with roof slate. The hewn work is of red freestone, from a quarry belonging to the Duke of Roxburghe, in the parish of EckfordL Hounam, the only village in the parish, occupies a pleasant situation on the eastern bank of the Kale, in the neigh* bourhood of the parish church, and at the base of a gently rising ground, which, gradually retiring, terminates in hills of consider* able height. It is a place of considerable antiquity, and is in the course of being considerably improved and enlarged. A very sub- stantial house for an inn, with stabling, and two other dwelling houses of two stories each, have been lately erected ; and some others have been projected. A range of houses, called, from the circum- stance of their having originally belonged to a tailor. Thimble-row, is so nearly adjoining to Hounam on the north, that a stranger would think it a continuance of the same village. This range of houses, to- gether with all the other buildings in the village, excepting the school and school-house, are feus upon the lands of Kirkrow, the property of Walter Dickson, Esq. Very commodious and substantial farm- buildings have lately been erected at a considerable expense, and on a liberal and well arranged plan, by this gentleman, and by the Duke of Roxburghe. Several new and substantial bridges have been erected within these few vears. There is no other mansion- bouse in the parish, except that of Greenhill, a seat of the £aimily of Roxburghe. It is deservedly admired for the amenity of its si- tuation. It is a favourite resort of the Duke, and much attention and expense have been bestowed upon it. The buildings are re- markably neat, and the surrounding grounds tastefully laid out. Its elevation is about 610 feet above the sea. III. — Population. The population appears to have been anciently much greater than it is at present. Whole families, besides single individuals, have, within these few years, emigrated to America. The farmers^ paying more attention to their sheep walks than formerly, hard- ly allow a single house to stand on any part of their farm, excepting such as are necessary for their shepherd's accommodation ; and landlords themselves do not encourage the erection of more cot- tages than are absolutely necessary. The decrease of popula- tion previous to the year 1791 is attributed in the former Statisti- cal Report to ^^ the mode of agriculture almost universally adopt* ed in the parish about that period, of converting the arable into HOUNAM. 199 ptttare land*'* The decrease since that period, may be chiefly ascribed to non-residence, emigration, razing of cottar houses, the resorting of the poor and of operatives to towns, where they meet with more employment, and to the too general system adopted by landlords, of uniting a number of small farms into one, * and allow- ing a single individual tenant, not only to rent several of these farms in one parish, but to have a number of farms united in this manner in different parishes. Such a system is, indeed, as has been else- where expressed, ** the bane of the comfort, happiness, and inde- pendence of the lower classes.'' Population io 1755, - 632 1791, - 865 1801, - 872 1811, - 373 1821, . 827 1881, . 260 Tbe populatum residing in Hounam . . . 4| the country part of the parish, - . 219 Number of persons under 15 years of age, - - 91 betwixt 15 and 80, - - 88 80 and 50,-43 50 and 70, - - - 32 upwards of 70, - - 11 Hie number of unmarried men, bachelors, and widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 7 unmarried women upwards of 45, - - 6 fiuniJies iu tbe parish is, - - 49 chiefly employed in agriculture, as occupiers, labourers, or shepherds, - • 38 iu retail trade, manufiicture, or handicraft. other fkmilies, ...... 2 The average number of children in each &mily, - - - - 9 Number of inhabited houses, ... 41 of unfioished bouses, . .... .1 There is but one proprietor of land resident in the parish : the rental of his estate^ which he holds in his own possession, exceeds L.50. Character and Habits of the People. — If any of our people do fall into bad habits it is chiefly from the cheapness of whisky. The style of living and of dress has been much improved during the last thirty years; and in no class more than among servants. Oatmeal porridge, used with milk, or with beer made from treacle, is the ordi* nary breakfast of the working classes, and of the younger branches of every family. Barley and pease-meal bannocks and potatoes are principal articles of food, which, with the produce of a small garden, and occasionally a little bacon or salted mutton, occupy a chief * One tenant at present rents no fewer than five different fjrms in the parish, all btfcwging to different landlords, and is non-resident. Another tenant rents a single imn» which used to give employment to seren tenants and their families. 200 UOXBURGUSHIRE. place both at dinner and supper. Coffee and tea are daily becom- ing more general among all classes ; and few of our tenantry now breakfast without one or other of them, or dine without animal food. The people are generally intelligent, moral, and exemplary in their attendance on religious ordinances. The writer is sorry, however, to say, that poaching in game prev&ils to a considerable extent; but chiefly by persons not resident in the parish. Daring bands of these modern freebooters from the English borders have lately traversed the hills, making great havoc among the game. The waters have recently been fished to great excess, and not by the most legitimate means of capture. The Kale and all its tributary streams are poached without interruption during the season of spawning. Smuggling in whisky holds out strong temptations to illicit trafiic, and lawless gangs of smugglers from the English bor- ders have long infested this neighbourhood. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — ^fhe number of acres stand- ard imperial measure in the parish is 14,458, roads, fences, &c included. The real rent of land is about L. 5000 ; of which are paid from sheep, L. 3973, and from corn and cattle, L. 1 027. The sheep walks comprehend about - - ld>590 acres. Of these there are about of heath and of mossy pasture, from which the inhabitants are supplied with peat, - . 1500 The land in cultivatiou or occasionally in tillage, or in meadow, about 766 Under wood, natural or planted, • . 102 In all, 14458 There are no lands in a state of undivided common. Rent ofLandj Sfc, — The average rent of land per acre* may be about 7s. The average yearly rent of grazing may be at the rate of about L. 5, 10s. for an ox or cow, if fed in winter with fodder. The year's grazing for full-grown hill-fed sheep may be from 6s. 6d. to 7s. Rate of Waff es^ Sfc. — Full-grown farm-servants maintained in the family are commonly hired by the half year. Men-servants, be- sides board, are paid from L. 5, 5s. to L. 6, 6s. for the summer, and from L. 4, 4s. to L. 5, 5s. for the winter half year. Female servants receive from L. 4, 10s. to L.5, 5s. for the summer, and from L. 1, 15s. to L. 2, 2s. for the winter half year, with board. Married men-servants, or hinds, besides being paid L. 3 of money^ • The lands are seldom let at any certain amount per acre. The formers calculate the value by the number of sheep the lands are known or supposed to keep. HOUNAM. 201 receive 5 loads of oatmeal, 3 bolls of barley, 6 bushels of pease, from 1000 to 1200 yards of drill, lineal measure, for potatoes; 4 caps of lint-seed sown ; 3 or 4 double cart-load of coals, by pay- ing the coal-hill price ; a cow kept ; a free house and garden, for which they furnish a female bondager for shearing in harvest, and other out-door work, who is paid by the tenant at the rate of lOd. per day in summer, and in winter somewhat less. A shepherd's wage consbts of 2 cows, and from 40 to 45 sheep, to graze on the .farm to which he belongs; — coals and potatoes as above described, and a free house and garden. The general rate of a day-labour- er's wage, without victuals, is, for men during summer. Is. dd. per day, and for women Is. ; and during winter for men from Is. 4d. to Is. 6d., and for women lOd., sometimes less. In harvest, the wages rise to from 13s. to 14s. for men, and for women from 12s. to 13s. per week, with victuals. Doing work by the piece is very general ; such as mowing and ditching. Mowing costs from 2s. 6d. to 3s. the acre ; and the general rate of a mower's wage is about 2s. 6d. per day without victuals. Masons and carpenters have each from 2s. 2d. to 2s. 6d. in summer, and about 2s. in winter, without victuals. A tailor has Is. 6d. a-day and his victuals. Blacksmiths, furnishing the necessary iron, are paid at the rate of L. 3 per an- num for each pair of horses kept upon the farm. This includes shoeing, and repairing plough irons and harrows ; and for every riding* horse shoeing L. 1. Prices* — Coal carried and delivered here costs, per cwt,, about 8jd. ; peats, per cart load, 3s. ; average price of wool per stone of 24 lbs. for the last three years, L. 1, 12s. ; artificial hay, from 7d. to 9d. Potatoes sell at the average rate of 5s. 6d. per boll of six imperial bushels. A pound weight of the best butter costs from 7d. to 8d; cheese from 12s. to 14s. per stone of 24 lbs. ; average price of eggs about 4s. 2d. per hundred ; chickens from 7d. to 9d. each. Stock. — The common breed of cattle are the short-horned, to the improvement of which great attention has been paid. The number of cows kept in the parish is 65; young cattle, 110. The best sorts of the Cheviot breed of sheep, which are found to thrive remarkably in every part of the parish, constitute the stock on the hill pasture ; while, on the lower and arable lands, it has been found of late to answer a good purpose to cross a part of the ewes with Leicester rams. The wool is thereby much improved both in weight and quality. The number of sheep kept through 202 ROXBURGHSHIRE. the year is ISOOO, which produce about 1600 stones of wool, 24 Ik to the stone. The horses employed and bred here are almost all farm work-horses of a middle size, either of the English or of the Lanarkshire breed. The number of horses kept is 38 ; young horses bred yearly by the farmers, 13. Swine are reared by al- most every cottager and farm-servant who is married, but do not constitute a part of the farmer's stock, as an article for the mar- ket. The small breed is chiefly preferred, and the number bred and fattened yearly is 25. Poultry and bees yield a small profit. Husbandry. — At an early period, the farms in this parish were much more subdivided, and occupied by a number of small te- nants, who extended the cultivation on the hill grounds to some hundreds of acres more than is now even occasionally in tillage. The appearances of cultivation can still be traced on many of the hills, where no grain can now be produced ; and regular ridges and furrows are in many places very distinct. Since the middle of the last century, these farms have been converted into extensive sheep walks, occupied each by one tenant. The approved course of husbandry now pursued in the parish has nothing in it of a peculiar nature. The crops to which most attention is paid are barleyt oats, and turnips. A crop of turnips is thQAiost valuable that is raised. Barley alone can be considered as an article for the mar- ket. Some of the best grazing farms in the district are to be found in this parish. They vary in extent from 180 to 2900 acres. Leases are in some cases of seven, in others nineteen and twenty-one years' endurance. Generally, the new tenant enters at Whitsunday to the grass and green crop lands, while the old tenant has the white crop then upon the ground. By means of draining, burning of moors, liming, &c. which are carried on to a considerable extent, the land has of late years been rendered doubly valuable. The Duke of Roxburghe and Walter Dickson, Esq. have judiciously spared no expense in erecting neat, commodious, and substantial farm stead- ings of stone and lime, with slate roofs, in place of the former old clay cottages ; and in other respects have given great encourage- ment to their tenants to carry on their operations with energy and spirit. Great improvements are observable in making and keeping in repair the parish roads. Produce. — The average amount and value of raw produce raised yearly in the parish may be as follows : — HOUNAM. 203 Pjrodace(^grimofallkiods,&e. - . L.11SM potatoei, titniips, and other plants, cultivated in the fielda tar food, 633 land in pasture, ... 5887 bay, m^ulow, and cultivated, - - 980 Vinrj produce, poultry, &c. ... 621 produce, - - - 90 Total yearly value of raw produce, - L. 9335 Laiffe quantities of butter and ewe milk cheese, of the very best qualities, have long been produced in this parish.* Poultry and eggs are weekly collected by persons who make a trade of transport- ing such articles to the diSerent market-towns. V. — Parochial Economy. Markets and Means of Communication, — The village of Hou- nam has no post-office; but letters, newspapers, and parcels are regularly brought to it. The nearest market-town is Jed- buigli, which lies upon the west of, and is distant about nine miles from, the centre of the parish. A carrier goes and returns from Jedburgh weekly. Kelso, our post and principal market- town, lies upon the north of, and is distant about twelve miles from, the centre of the parish. With Kelso, we have regular communica- tion by carriers. The rate of carriage is Is. 4d. per cwt. — The pa- rish is intersected by upwards of thirteen miles of good parish roads, which are kept up from the statute-labour funds. These and the district roads are well supplied with substantial bridges, and are mostly in a tolerable state of repair. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church occupies a situation within the precincts of the glebe, and, like many other of our pa- rish churches, might be more centrical to the population, though it is not more than about four and a-half miles distant from the re- motest of the inhabitants, being about two and a-half miles from the north-east extremity of the parish, and between five and six miles from its south-west extremity. It is a very ancient building, and was originally in the form of a passion-cross, of great extent, and from end to end a burying-place ; but is now a plain rectangular hou?e of 50 feet in length by 1 9 feet in breadth within the walls, 10 feet having been taken off its length in 1752. This edifice is but indifferently seated, and in a state of bad repair, and so ex- ceedingly cold in winter as to prevent many a well-disposed person * Hence the old proverbial distich, ** There*8 as gude cheese at Chatto as e'er was chcw'd wi* chads, Tbere% as gude butter at Philogar as e*er was weighed wi* weights.*' 204 ROXBURGHSHIRE. from giving a regular attendance on the public duties of the Sab- bath. The want of a legal division of the church seats is also felt to be an evil, and the apportioning anew the seats would tend much to promote the comfort and convenience of the congregation. It affords accommodation for 225 persons, allowing 1^ feet to each ; and the sittings are all free. The manse was built in 1776, but is placed too near the river, and consequently in a damp situation. It was never very sufficiently built. It underwent a repair in the year 1832, when an addition of two rooms was made to it, which have rendered it a tolerably con- venient house. The extent of the glebe, exclusive of garden ground, with policy attached to the manse, is about six and a-quarter acres arable, and two and a-half acres pasture, fences, &c. which are in very bad repair, included. Its yearly value in rent may be about L. 1 1 Sterling, which is considerably below the average value of the other glebes in the presbytery. The stipend, from the Revolution to 1791, amounted to L. 75, 5s. lOd. in money, including L.d, 6s. 8d. for communion elements, and 21 bolls of victual. In 1791 the victual stipend was augment- ed to 63 bolls, Tiviotdale measure. ' In 1805, the victual stipend was fixed at 3 chalders meal, and 3 chalders, bear, Linlithgow mea- sure, together with the above L. 75, 5s. lOd. money stipend By the last augmentation, commencing with crop and year 1820, the stipend, as then modified, amounts to 14 chalders, half barley, half oatmeal, Linlithgow measure, payable at the rate of the county fiars, and L. 8, 6s. 8d. is given for communion elements. On an average of the last seven years the stipend amounts toj^L.204, ls.2^d. Sterling. It may also be stated, that there belongs to the minister a servitude for turf and peats from Mainside-fell. There are no chapels or dissenting meeting-houses of any kind here, though there are eleven families of dissenters connected with the United Secession, who attend public worship in the seceding meeting-house chapel at Morebattle. The parish church is, upon the whole, pretty well frequented and attended by the greater part of the inhabitants. A few families are divided among themselves, — part going to the church and part to the meeting-house. The sacrament is dispensed once in the year, and usually to about 47 communicants, not including strangers from other congregations who join in that ordinance. No societies for religious purposes exist in the parish. The average yearly amount of ordinary church collections for the last HOUNAM. 205 seven years is L. 1, 16s. 7d. Sterling. This includes the extra collections made at the celebration of the holy sacrament. Education. — There is in the parish only one established school, — the parochial. The yearly salary of the schoolmaster is the maxi- mum, viz. L.34,4s. 4^d. with legal accommodations. The emolu- ments of the schoolmaster as session-clerk are Ids., — as clerk to the heritors, L. 6 per annum. The children of paupers are taught gratis ; and the number of scholars attending the school is in winter about 27, and in summer about 17. The yearly amount of school fees received by the teacher does not much exceed L. 9. Children are commonly sent to school about six years of age, and there are none upwards of seven years who cannot read, and few above the age of ten or twelve that can- not write. Poor and Parochial Funds. — There is no other provision for the poor in the parish but what arises from the weekly collections at the church, fees for proclamations, the use of the mortcloth, and the legal quarterly assessments laid on the landholders and their tenants, — the landholders paying one-half, and the tenant the other half, — which yield at an average about L. 38^ ds. per annum. In former times, the heritors used voluntarily to assess themselves to a certain amount over and above the legal assessment. The sum thus assessedfor was called the surplus fund, and was appropriated by the kirk-session to the relief of incidental distress. This wholesome prac- tice^ which operated powerfully in keeping paupers from the poors' roll, has of late years been discontinued. The average number of poor on the roll is 8 ; and the yearly sum allotted to each varies from L. 3 to L. 5. Some individuals who are incapable of doing anything for themselves receive as high as L. 6. Several persons not on the poors' roll get an occasional supply. A practice pre- vails in the parish of raising a small sum for the relief of a poor family by means of a charity ball, or some other amusement. Such is the feeling of independence on the part of the people generally that it is with considerable reluctance they are induced to apply for relief. Fairs. — Pennymuir Border Tryst is held twice every year on the Oxnam side of the south-west boundary of the parish, and close upon the old Roman road which divides the two parishes of Hou- nam and Oxnam. It takes place on the 31st day of July and 15th day of October, and is one of the principal marts for the sale of lambs and draft ewes in the south of Scotland. The customs of 206 ROXBURGHSHIRE. this fair belong to the Duke of Roxburghe. Capehope fair, which in former times was a market of considerable resort, has for a num- ber of years ceased to be held. Inn^^ Alehotisesj Sfc, — There are two inns or public-houses in Hounam village, besides one on the Oxnam side of Pennymuir, on the very boundaries of this parish. One-half of the number in Hounam would be quite sufficient for the parish. FueL — The nearest coal field to which there is access by a road is that of Etal, in the county of Northumberland, a distance of twenty miles from the centre of the parish. The fuel generally used by the poorer classes in the upper districts of the parish is peat, of which the high grounds afford an almost interminable supply. It is of tolerable quality, and the expense consists solely in cutting, winning, and leading home. The average labour and carriage may probably cost about Is. 6d. per cart load, when stacked up for use ; or about I^ 2 per annum for each householder. The price of a cart load of coals is from Ids. to 14s. per ton of 20 cwt. including carriage. Miscellaneous Observations. It is stated in the former Statistical Report, that no fewer than nine houses, with cottagers in them, at Mainside, all of whom the writer visited on his admission in the year 1775, were thrown down to make way for a single farm-house and its appendages ; and that " the lands were formerly parcelled out into four times at least the present number of farms, and there was also much of these farms in tillage. So late as the year 1756, there were no fewer than seven tenants, with large families, on the farm of Hounam- Mains, now all rented by one tenant, who employs one shepherd. There were also several small, but proud lairds in the parish, whose lands are now lost in the large farms, and of whose man- sions there are now no remains." That report states the num- ber of inhabited houses to have been 66, and the number of corn-mills and kilns to have been 3 ; the number of houses at present is 49, and there is no corn-mill or kiln now in existence. A great part of the lands have changed owners ; and the number of landholders has increased since the publication of the last Statistical Account, from 8 to 10. The land rents have risen from L* 2720, to nearly L. 5000, and were a few years ago between L. 6000 and L. 7000 per annum. A large extent of stone fences has been erect- ed, and many of the farms have been better enclosed and subdivided with hedges and other fences. The management of the land is more judicious, and the mode of cultivation greatly improved, as eyiooed HOUNAM. 207 by the superior cleanness and condition of the land on most of the (arms. Much of the surface water has been removed by draining, and the soil is in consequence improved. In the cultivation of the arable soils, the greatest improvement which has taken place is the intro- duction of the culture of turnips, a crop to which the soil is emi- nently adapted. The mode of husbandry having been altered and improved, prices of labour and raw produce of every description have undergone a proportional alteration. The breed of cows and cattle and other stock has been very much improved, and the sheep stock even more so. The writer is doubtful whether much im- provement can now be made on the general system of our husban- dry,— except only in subjecting the land to a less severe crop- ping, and in creating additional shelter by more extended planta- tion. Were the same taste and spirit displayed in this respect by the other land-holders as by the Duke of Roxburghe and Mr Dickson of Cbatto, Hounam, from the nature of its surface and localities, the salubrity of the atmosphere, and beauty and variety of the scen- ery, might be one of the most attractive of our border parishes. A very superior coal, and not inferior in quality to any in Scot- land, might be had at a very moderate price from Reed water in the neighbourhood of Birdhopecrag ; but it is much to be regret- ted that the road leading from Pennymuir to the lime and coal- works there, so far as it extends through Oxnam parish, is but partially made. If this line of road were to be completed, and supported out of the general funds of the district to which it be- longs, which, in all probability it will be the case ere long, it would be of incalculable benefit not only to this parish, but to the dis- trict generally, as it would open an easy intercourse to the west- ward in Scotland, as well as into England. March 1836. PARISH OF HOBKIRK OR HOPEKIRK. TRESBYTERY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. JOHN EWEN, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History, Name, — In the more ancient records, the name of this parish is written Hopkirk, undoubtedly an abbreviation of Hope-kirk or kirk of the Hope.* Extent, Figure, Boundaries, 8fc, — The parish extends in length from north to south, about 1 1 miles, and in breadth from east to west, about 3 miles, widening to something more at the top or south end, and contracting to little more than one mile at the northera extremity. Its figure is not unlike the naked impression of the left foot, the heel being turned to the north. The whole superficies may be estimated at 30 square miles.f On the south, it is bound- ed by Castleton parish ; on the west by Cavers and Kirkton ; on the north by Cavers and Bedrule ; on the east by Southdean, and a small part of Castleton. By the one or other of these two last-mentioned, it is separated about six miles from the English border. Topographical Appearances, 8fc. — The hills in the southern ex- tremity appear to be a continuation of the Carter or Cheviot range. The principal summits are Fanna and Windbrugh, which attain an elevation of about 1600 feet. At the opposite or northern extre- mity, Rubberslaw rears, to a height of 1420 feet, its dark rug- ged and heath-covered form, part of which only is in this parish, the remainder in Cavers and Kirkton. On the other side the Rule, and somewhat south, is the beautiful round-shouldered and grassy hill of Bonchester, rising to a height of about 1260 feet. The flat lands or haughs lie all within the valley through which the Rule flows from south to north, and are scarcely a quarter of a * A hi^ means a small valley or glen opening into a larger ralley, generally At the confluence of a mountain rill with a larger stream. -f- Stobie*s map errs in assigning the whole of the suppressed parish of Abbotrule to Hopekirk, whereas it was divided equally between Hopekirk and Southdean. 4 IIOBKIUK. 209 mile in breadth. On each side, the ground rises with a conside- rable acclivity, to the ea8tern and western borders of the parish. On approaching Hobkirk either from the east, west, or south, the temperature feels obviously augmented as we descend into the valley of the Rule ; but it must be confessed, that the borders of the parish in these directions are particularly exposed ; and this circumstance, doubtless, renders the change more perceptible, and more grateful to the traveller. Upon the mountain range to the south, clouds condense and precipitate themselves in copious rains. These sometimes fall so heavy as to resemble water-spouts. The inhabitants of this parish, as well as of the neighbouring town of Hawick, preserve the remembrance of a water-spout which broke upon ^ndbrugh, some seventy years ago, and unexpectedly swelled the streams of Rule and Slitterick to a tremendous height. In the traditions of the good town, this event is still celebrated under the appellation of Hawick flood, and several anecdotes connected with it may be found in Wilson's History of Hawick. An alhision to the same event occurs in Leyden's Scenes of Infancy, where, with poetic license, the poet ascribes the sudden inundation to the ven- geance of the affronted nymph of Windbrugh Lake. The climate is upon the whole damp, the heights swampy, and often overhung with moist fogs, vernacularly termed drows, or Liddes^ dale draws. Hydrography, — In the upper part of the parish, there are numerous salubrious springs flowing from the grey wacke formation ; in the lower parts, where the sandstone prevails, there are com- paratively fewer. Several marshes or bogs occur, but nothing which can properly be called a lake ; that which is so termed and is celebrated by Leyden, on the top of Windbrugh, is in reality a peat moss. There is but one stream of any consequence in the parish, viz. the Rule, — which, rising from the range of hills on the south, flows nearly due north throughout the whole length of the parish, and, about two miles beyond its northern extremity, falls into the river Teviot. Its whole course, therefore, must be about thirteen miles. Like all mountain torrents, its declivity is considerable, and its velocity proportionally great. From this circumstance, combined with the extensive drainage of the hills, its swellings and subsidings are extremely sudden. About a mile south from the church, the name is first applied to the union of three branches, which gather their waters from the alpine range above-mentioned. Two or three small burns join it farther down, ROXBURGH* O 210 ROXBURGHSHIRE. all originating within the parish- The south-western comer, how- ever, includes a small portion of Langburn, the principal feeder of the Slitterick, which flows northward, and joins the Teviot at Hawick, seven miles above the confluence of the Rule. Geology mid Mineralogy. — The parish may geologically be di- vided into two districts. The rocks, from the northern extremity to a mile and a half above the church, are mostly sandstone; thence, southward and westward, the greywacke predominates. On the south, occur likewise extensive masses of limestone, and red sand- stone of a different species from that above noticed. The lime- stone is found at Limekilnedge, south of Windbrugh, where it has long been burnt for use. Here also are symptoms of a coal forma- tion, which is not likely to prove beneficial. Windbrugh itself shows a gritty sandstone, more akin to the Northumberland formation. That in the north end of the parish has sometimes a red, and some- times a white colour ; and both kinds are employed for building. In fact, the upper strata generally consist of the white, which, ac- cordingly, crops out three miles before the red. Both kinds are extensively wrought for public use in the adjoining parish of Ca- vers, at Denholm-hill quarry. The dip of the sandstone is to the north or north-east The greywacke has generally a westerly course, varying somewhat to the south, and stands nearly vertical, with a slight overhanging to the north. The limestone, (suppos- ed to be mountain limestone,) dips to the east like the Northum- berland rocks, and probably the sandstone found in this upper dis- trict maintains the same position. Besides the rocks above-mentioned, there appear on the top of Bonchester, Rubberslaw, and Windbrugh, caps of trap, greenstone, or probably a species of basalt, though not, unless in this latter site, assuming the basaltic form. A singular dike, varying from two to six yards wide, crosses the lower part of the parish from east to west, and continues its course through the greywacke as well as through the sandstone. Its material is greenstone, or some* thing analogous, with a considerable proportion of iron, which is oxidized whenever it lies in contact with the air or penetrable soil. This dike is clearly shown at Hallrule mill ; thence it extends io a westerly direction to Hawick, — making its appearance at the Gleo, at Kirkton, Miller's Knowe, and other places on the line, where it is wrought for metalling the roads. It may also be traced east- wards across the Jed near Edgerston. Other troubles of lesser HOBKIRK. 211 note may be observed in the red sandstone, by which the strata are heaved up and otheniv'ise deranged. At Robertslin, near Limckilnedge, occurs a stratum of agate or coarse jasper, which has frequently been employed for seals and other ornaments. Its prevailing colour is reddish, clouded and streaked with blue, crimson, and yellow, generally presenting but little transparency. Portions of fossil wood are found in the water- course, brought down from the hills ; but none have been discover- ed in situ. The soil over the sandstone is a reddish clay, among which are numerous large rounded stones, commonly blue, more rarely black, rolled from the greywacke and basaltic rocks. These, mixed with red sandstone, form the channel of the river. Moreover, there occur frequently smaller stones, of two or three pounds weight, of an oval shape, sometimes of a flesh colour, sometimes of a white quartzy look, such as occur in coarse conglomerate. Of this, in fact, a mass is exposed by the Catlie Burn near Wauchope garden, where the sandstone formation terminates. Zoology, — Judging from the names of places in the neighbour- hood, it would appear that the hart, the hind, the wolf, &c. were formerly natives of this district. Thus, we have Hartshaugh, Hindlee, Wolflee, Swanshicl, Ernescleugh, &c Foxes still com- mit nightly depredations upon the poultry-yard, and otters have been discovered on the banks of the stream about Wells. There, also, among the lofty trees, herons build their nests ; and squirrels latterly have been seen in the woods. The Rule abounds with excellent trout, and is esteemed an cx« cellent stream for angling ; but some dexterity is required, from its being shallow, and in many places fringed with alders. Few sal- mon or sea-trout visit its waters, and that never but in spawning season, when they are killed without any regard to prohibitory statutes. It is to be regretted that the small streams are so gene- rally swept with nets, which not only diminish the angler's legiti- mate sport, but destroy much of the salmon fry ere they reach the The sides of the valley are plentifully and beautifully wooded, — ^in a manner scarcely equalled in this part of the country. Birch, hazel, alder, and ash, are of natural growth. Oak, beech, elm, and the different kinds of fir, seem most congenial to the soil, and attain to a state of great perfection. 212 ROXBURGHSHIRE. II. — Civil History, There is no event in our knowledge that deserves to be noticed under this head. The abbey of Jedburgh possessed lands in the parish ; and probably some facts in its history might be learned from monkish records. The remains of numerous fortifications testify that this, like other border districts, had been the scene of frequent conflicts. Queen Mary traversed this parish on her way from Jedburgh to Hermitage Castle, when, a little beyond its ex- tremity, she got entangled in the Queen's Mire. The Rev. Robert Riccalton, minister of the parish from 1725 to 1769, was a man of considerable talent, an independent thinker, and an author of two volumes of essays and sermons. With him the poet Thomson spent part of his early life, and is said here to have formed the plan of his Seasons, and taken many of his descrip- tions from scenes in the neighbourhood. Land-owners. — The chief land-owners are, Sir W. F. Elliot, Bart, of Stobs and Wells ; Robert K. Elliot, Esq. of Harwood ; Walter Scott, Esq. of Wauchope; Hon. J. Sinclair of Green- river; and James Elliot, Esq. of Wolflee. Altogether there are but nine heritors in the parish. Antiquities. — On Bonchester Hill, there are remains of a citadel, with numerous encampments, both round and square; and in some places, modern circumvallations may be observed intersecting the more ancient. The situation is commanding, and seems to have been regarded as a place of great strength and convenience. The estimation in which it was held by the Romans no doubt procured it the appellation Bonchester, i. e. Bona Castroj or the good camp. Hand mill-stones, arrow-heads, and other implements of former times, have been found in the vicinity. On Rubberslaw, at Wau- chope, and in several other places, there are likewise vestiges of encampments or fortifications. In digging, some time ago, at Lang- raw, a quantity of ashes and partly- consumed bones were exposed mihm a circular area about eighteen feet diameter. On these being removed, four holes drilled in the dent or sandstone shale were dis- covered, in which posts had been secured by small stones crammed in from above. Whether these posts had supported a canopy or a funeral pile, or what had been the purpose of the erection, we are unable to determine. Several urns have been dug up in different situations. Two cairns have been removed within the memory of the present generation ; one on the east side of Rub* HOBKIRK. 213 berslaw, the other at Fodderlee, near to a place where tradition says a battle had been fought. IIL — Population. Population in 1801, - 760 1811, - - 709 1821, - - 662 1831, - - 676 The enlargement of farms has been the principal cause of the late decrease of population, — conjoined with emigration to luanu- facturing towns, and even to foreign countries. There is no town, and nothing that can properlj be called a vil- lage, within the parish. The annual average of births during the last seven years, may be - 14 deaths, .... . . 9 marriages, - . .... 3 The average number of persons under 15 years of age, - 271 between 15 and 30, - 128 30 and 50, - 187 50 and 70, - 72 above 70, ... 18 The number of unnuurried men, bachelors, and widowers, upwards of 50, - 1 6 of unmarried females upwards of 45, 23 of fiunilies in the parish, ...... 121 chiefly employed in agriculture, ... 53 in trade, manufiicturc-, or handicraft, 27 The average number of children in each £unily may be ... 4 Number of inhabited houses, .... 122 uninhabited, do. . « . . - 2 During the last three years there have been six illegitimate births in the parish. Poaching, especially the snaring of game, prevails to a conside- rable extent Smuggling and illicit distilling arc not now practised. IV. — Industry. The estimate hazarded above gives about 19,000 acres for the area of the parish ; of these, 3400 are in tillage or laid out in grass parks. There may be 860 acres in plantations, mostly in a very thriving condition. Those towards the upper part are suffi- ciently thinned and regularly tended; those in the lower part are sadly neglected, though in many places excellent timber might be felled with great advantage to the remainder. We have already mentioned that firs, beeches, and oaks, succeed best in this soil. Admirable specimens of these may be seen at Wells, Weens, and Greenriver. More recently, ash, elm, birch, &c. have been mingled; but few of these have as yet attained great value. Bentj Sfc. — The average rent of land may be 15s., and none is let so high as L. 2 per acre. The average sum paid for grazing a three year-old ox or cow L. 6 ; a two-year old L. 4 ; a hill sheep 5s. 6d., infield do. 12s. I. 214 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Rate ofWages^ 8fc. — Labourers earn about Is, 9d. a day through- out the year ; artisans, 2s. or 2s. 3d. ; men-servants get about L. 10 a year ; women L. 4 or L. 4, 10s. during the summer, and L. 2 in winter. A hind is sometimes paid in the following manner : A free house worth probably L. 2 ; 10 bolls oats ; 2 do. barley ; 1 do. of pease ; 4 carts of coals ; 1000 yards of potatoes, a capful of lint- seed or a bushel of barley sown, — the master preparing and ma- nuring the ground. Bondage work is general in the district, that is to say, every cottage is bound to furnish the farmer with a field worker, paid at the rate of lOd. a-day. Lime costs 8s. 6d. a single cart load ; good stable-dung, 3s. Bone manure may be purchased, ten miles distant, at L. 1, Is. a quarter. Turnips 3d. a week per sheep. Hay 8d. a stone of 22 lbs. Stocky Sfc. — The common breed of sheep is the Cheviot, crossed more or less with the Leicester. One gentleman has for some years kept a few merinos. The cattle are mostly of the short- hom- ed breed. There may be 9500 sheep in the parish, 300 cattle, and about 80 horses. The annual quantity of wool sold may be gues- sed at 2000 stones of 24 lbs. each, which in price might average last year L. 1, 6s., counting the white L. 1, 10s., and the laid wool, L. 1, per stone. . The duration of leases varies from nine to nineteen years ; but, of late, from the uncertainty of the times, short periods have ge- nerally been adopted. Husbandry, — Considerable attention has been paid to farming, both as regards the improvement of stock, and the melioration of the soil. There is no want of capital for profitable enterprise. Five out of the nine heritors farm all or great part of their estates. The system of husbandry is good, and calculated directly to enrich the country. Draining and liming have been executed with ma- nifest advantage. Much heath, too, has been reclaimed within these forty years. Perhaps more land has been brought under the plough than will yield a profitable return, unless it be after- wards laid down permanently in grass. The older farm-buildings are very indifferent ; the newer ones are good, and afford ample conveniences. Enclosures. — The enclosures are improving. Feal or turf dikes are now seldom employed. Stone walls and hedges are generally in use. The former are the most effectual ; but they are like- HOBKIRK. 215 wise the most expensive. A good five-feet wrall may be erect- ed for 6s. to lis. per rood of eighteen feet, according to the distance from quarries. The building costs about 2s., the quarrying 2s. or Ss., and the leading makes up the remainder. Two kinds of hedges are employed for enclosures. Ist^ That of thorn, which is here apt to moss up and canker, from the dampness of the cli- mate. 2^, That of whin or furze, which has been lately introduced with apparently great advantage. It is at once cheaper than thorn, more easily reared, and sooner available as a fence. As this is a subject of importance to farmers, the following comparative view may be acceptable : — Thorn. Making ditch per rood, lOd. ; thorns at lOd., 64 to a rood, including transport, 8d. ; fencing with stake and rice, Is. O^d.; total, 2s. 6^d. This, in order to be a compe- tent hedge, will require six or seven years of incessant care, and at least one renewal of the protecting fence. — TVJiin. Making bed, 3d.; ditch if required, dd.; seed at Is. per lb. Id.; fencing Is. OJd. ; total, Is. 7^d. In four, or at most five years, this will be an effi- cient fence without any renewal of the temporary protection. The calculation of the stake and rice stands thus : Rice at Is. per cart, Sd. per rood ; stakes, eight to the rood, 6d. ; carting, 2d. , putting up, 1^. ; total. Is. O^d. Three bar pailing will run thus: Wood, say 2s. 5d. ; sawing, 4^d. ; nails, eleven to the rood, at lOd., Id.; labour, l^d. ; carting, 2d. ; total, ds. 2d. Pailing is certainly preferable on the score of cleanliness ; for a stake and rice fence harbours weeds. But this latter, besides being cheaper, turns to use an article, which would otherwise be in a great measure lost, viz. the thinnings of plantations. The seed of the whin is sown in April, and the plants, if kept from rotting by too much wetness, shoot away rapidly in the course of the season. The hedge being evergreen, presents a warm and beautiful appear- ance throughout the year ; but regular pruning or switching up is necessary in order to prevent decay in the heart, and seeding. From this latter source, indeed, is anticipated the greatest objection to this kind of fence ; for unless carefully watched, the furze will soon usurp the whole field. Produce. — The following may be regarded as an approach to the value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish : Of the 3400*acres under tillage, Uierc may be 1500 in grain, ^ oats, 1 wheitt, barley, &c at say L. 3, lOs. per acre, - - L. 5250 2BU Turnips, L. 4, - .... U20 70 Potatoes, L. 7, - - - 490 990 GraM and hay, at L. 2, 1900 Q 216 ROXBURGHSHIRE. 148(K) Pasture, at m. say, 12 acres garden, say Woods should give. 3700 100 240 L. 12800 The valued rent of the parish is L. 4152 ; the actual rent in 1821 was L. 7095. V. — Parochial Economy. Hawick and Jedburgh, at the distance of eight miles, are the nearest market-towns. The latter has been usually reckoned the post-town ; but a post-office in connection with Hawick has just been established at Bonchester Bridge. This will afford great accommodation to the inhabitants, and gain a day or two upon the transmission of replies to letters from London and Edinburgh. The turnpike road from Hawick to Newcastle crosses the parish, from east to west, for about three miles and a-half, and that from Jedburgh to Castleton, north and south, for about ten miles. There are, besides, several statute-labour roads kept in tolerable repair. Altogether, their length may be upwards of twenty miles. Across the Rule are three stone-bridges, besides wooden ones, and others across burns or small torrents, in various directions. Ecclesiastical State, — The church is very centrically placed, though at a considerable tlistance from the extremities of the parish. It was built towards the beginning of last century, and since 1777 has undergone no repairs of any consequence. Its present condition is far from comfortable. The earthen floor is two steps below the level of the churchyard. The roof is nevertheless so low, that in the galleries there is not room at the sides to stand upright. The seating is in bad repair. The whole is dark, damp, and dirty. The interior, if properly laid out, might contain 400 sitters. The manse was built seventy years ago, and has just undergone some inadequate repairs. The extent of the glebe around the manse may be 15 acres; and half of Abbotrule glebe 24 acres: value of the whole about L. 40. The stipend modified in victual is ] 5 chalders, one-half meal, and one-half barley. There are 28 families in the parish attending the chapels of dissenters or Seceders. Education. — The parochial school is situated by the churchyard wall, and is well attended, though its distance from the extremities, of the parish is too great for young children. The number of scho- lars may average 60 throughout the year. They are taught read- ing, writing, and arithmetic. The master's salary is L. 31, IDs. per ^nnvm, including an equivalent for a garden : his fees may amount HO.BKIRK. 217 to L. 22 per annum. A juvenile school is taught by a mistress in the lower part of the parish. The benefits of education are duly appreciated and universally acquired. Library » — A subscription library has just been commenced, and is likely to be of considerable advantage. SavinffS'Banh. — There is no Savings bank in the parish ; but lodgments are made, chiefly by servants, in that of Jedburgh or of HawicL Poor and Parochial Funds, — The average number of paupers de- riving aid from parochial assessment is 20, at the rate of ll 4each per annum. A few receive temponiry assistance from the session fund It is gratifying to remark, that the genuine Scottish independence is not quite gone in this district ; several individuals in real need, have manifested great reluctance to accept any parish relief. The total amount of assessment is about L. 80 per annum ; and of church collections about L. 12. There is a benefaction of L. 100 left by Lady Yester, the interest of which is annually divided between the heritors and the schoolmaster. Inns. — There is but one inn or public-house within the parish, viz. at Bonchester Bridge on the Newcastle road. The effects of such establishments on the morals of the people are never good; yet there is less drunkenness now than once prevailed. The practice of giv- ing licence to the keepers of the toll-gates, stubbornly maintained by road trustees, is much to be deprecated. K refreshment be ne- OBBsary) the license might at least be restricted to ale, and thus probably one-half of the evil would be removed. ffaf2. — Peat, turf, and wood, are burnt in the cottars' houses, but the fuel principally used is coal, which is brought from Northum- berland, a distance of about twenty miles. It may be purchased at 9d. or lOd. a cwt Coals could be procured both nearer and bet- ter at Tynehead, if the Duke of Northumberland would allow a road to be made in that quarter. There, a level and easy com- munication across the border might be obtained at no great ex- pense; and it is much to be lamented that His Grace should deny the neighbourhood so great a benefit, merely through a dislike to break up the privacy of Keildar Castle. Miscellaneous Observations. The parish, within these last forty years, has been vastly improv- ed in its general aspect ; and here an acknowledgment is due to the late Mr Wilson of Hallrule, and especially to Mr Elliot of Wolflee. Much waste land has been reclaimed and brought into 218 ROXBURGHSHIRE. a proper state of cultivation. The quantity under tillage has been more than doubled. Many plantations have been formed, and pre- sent a thriving appearance. The value of the district generally has been immensely increased. There is, however, still room in the western or south-western skirts of the parish for additional plan- tations to beautify and improve the ground. The following improvements in husbandry may be submitted as occurring in this parish. 1. Deep Ploughing. — This has of late been introduced with very beneficial results. In certain soils, particularly in lands reclaimed from moor, there exists, not much below the surface, a stiff, dense and sterile clay, which denies all passage to moisture, as well as to the roots of plants. This stratum, commonly denominated muir^ bandj in some places only a few inches thick, may be readily pierced and broken, by using a plough without mould-boards, fol- lowing in the furrow made by a common plough. This, drawn by three horses, or better still by oxen, will penetrate to a depth of sixteen or eighteen inches, and even raise stones of a considerable weight. The advantage of this procedure is, that the disturbed stra- tum will either deepen the soil generally, or act as a drain for super- fluous moisture in wet lands ; while in dry lands, it will serve as a re- servoir to the plants when the superincumbent moisture is ex- hausted. 2. Selection of Grasses Jbr cultivation, — Very seldom is any other kind than rye-grass with red and white clover sown. Yet it is al- lowed, that these are not equally adapted to every soil, whether wet or dry, rich or poor, moor or loam. It is to be regretted that far- mers who have some knowledge of botany have not directed their attention to this most legitimate and beneficial purpose. The fit- ting soils for wheat, for barley, and for oats, have been long ascer- tained, and why might not experience be as successfully employed to discover the most congenial kinds of grasses and clovers ? Ita- lian rye-grass has been lately introduced into Galloway with much promise of advantage. It might be tried on the banks of the Rule. 3. Top-Dressing of Grass Lands, — The improvement of pastu- rage is of vital importance ; and in general grass thrives well in this district. Its growth might be farther promoted by applying com- post or short dung to the surface. Such a practice, with sufficient draining, will be found to yield a profitable return. It is the fault of the damp climate more than the soil, when the grain crops fail ; HOBKIRK. 21.9 and as that will not affect lands in grass, the return from them is always certain. It might be farther noticed, that the disease called ^/z^er-ararf- toes is occasionally very hurtful to the turnip crop. Lime has been regarded as the most successful remedy, and bone manure has been thought favourable. Amongst live-stock, the hup- ing-ill is a severe scourge, the loss by it ranging from five to ten, and even twenty per cent. This disease, as yet little understood, is attended with curious and very peculiar circumstances. It is attached to particular soils, most commonly to those where the greywacke predominates; and it may be remarked, that stock brought from a distance is more liable to it than what has been reared on the ground. It usually makes its appearance towards the middle of April, with the withering east winds of that period, and leaves the flock, (with the exception of a few irregular cases,) about the middle of June. It attacks sheep, cattle, and swine. It resembles paralysis affecting the limbs, sometimes the head or neck, and occasionally the back. Wherever it occurs, the ver- min called ticks are found to accompany it. Severe bleeding at an early stage of the disease has been practised with advantage ; but no infallible mode of treatment has been discovered for its cure. By plentifully liming the soil, it has been eradicated from certain farms. Burning would probably have the like effect, as it is pre- sumable the disease may be occasioned by the puncture of the in- sects, with which it is always attended. These, it is well known, are bred in the earth, and get upon the sheep either by their legs or by their muzzle when feeding. Hence the parts usually affect- ed are the limbs or the neck. This interesting subject is well worth the serious attention of farmers. As a general improvement, perhaps, the opening of a road into Tynehead would be the greatest of which the parish is susceptible. By this means, abundance of coal might be procured at a cheap rate for the poor, and likewise for burning the limestone, which might be more extensively wrought at Limekilnedge and in Castle* ton. It would likewise furnish an ample and less expensive supply for the manufacturing town of Hawick and the neighbouring dis- tricts. The attention of proprietors and tenants has been more than once directed to this object; and it is deeply to be regretted, that neither the prospect of an increased revenue, nor the desire of conferring a great public boon on the west of Roxburghshire, in- duces the Duke of Northumberland to countenance the scheme. March 1836. PARISH OF ECKFORD. PRESBYTERY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. JOSEPH YAIR, A. M. MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The name of this parish is compounded of aec, an oak, Bxidfordy a passage over a river, — referring to the oaks which an- ciently prevailed in the district, and to a ford in the Teviot, with- in a short distance of the village, which bears the name of the parish. * It is probable that to this village the appellation Eck- ford was primarily confined ; but that in process of time it came to be applied to the whole parish. Extent and Boundaries, — The parish is nearly of a triangular form, with its base towards the east : and is about 6 miles at its greatest length, and 4^ at its greatest breadth. It is bounded, on the north, by Roxburgh and projecting portions of Kelso and Sprouston ; on the east by Linton, Morebattle, and Hounam ; on the south, by Jedburgh ; and on the west, by Crailing. Topographical Appearances. — This parish presents throughout an undulating appearance, gradually rising as it extends towards the south, and occasionally swelling into elevations, which com- mand an extensive view of the circumjacent country. There are no remarkable heights in the parish, but the chief eminences are Woodenhill and CavertonhilL From Woodenhill, the spectator looking towards the west, may survey, for the space of many miles, the vale of the Teviot, with the tortuous course of that classic stream, — the neatly enclosed and highly fertile fields which stretch along its banks — the well kept and thriving plantations which here and there extend to the river's edge, and which, together with Peniel- heugh, Minto-hill, Minto-crag, and Ruberslaw in the distance, * This ford was anciently called the ford at the aec». In the bed of the river near the ford, oaks of considerable dimensions have occasionaUv been seen. Within these thirty years, a tree of this kind, about 2^ feet in diameter, was dragged out by Mr Mather of Kalemouth, and immediately on its removal he perceived another lying directly under it. About three miles farther up the river, in a deep pocrf, an oak is said to have been seen, so very large that its trunk in some places amount* ed to about 4 feet 4 inches in diameter. ECKFORD. 221 form a landscape peculiarly picturesque and delightful. But not less striking is the valley of the Kale, which embraces a narrower track of country, and which, from various points of the parish, may be viewed to great advantage. This valley is interesting in a high degree, and more especially where it begins to open up in the di- rection of Marleiield on the west, and Linton on the east Whether firom the historical associations with which it is invested, or from the natural character of the scenery, or the beautiful range of hills which form its back ground on the south and east, it cannot be contemplated by the intelligent observer but with delight. Climate. — The atmosphere here is for the most part mild and salubrious. The winds which chiefly prevail are from the west, but gales in severe storms, in general, blow from the south-east Ague, once an epidemic in the district, is now quite unknown. Its disappearance may be traced to the improved system of drain- age, which is now so successfully pursued in this quarter, and to the consequent diminution of those noxious exhalations which were wont occasionally to issue from the lower grounds. Hydrography, — There are two rivers which flow through this parish, the Teviot and the Kale : the Teviot takes its rise among the heights which separate Dumfries-shire from Roxburghshire, and after running in a north-easterly direction about thirty-nine miles, in the course of which it is augmented by a vast number of tributary streams, it disembogues itself into the Tweed near Kelso. This river, immediately on entering the parish, proceeds in a north- erly direction, and leaves the ancient Barony of Ormiston, consist- ing of 680 acres, on its northern extremity. The Kale issues from among the Cheviots in the county of Northumberland, and, after arapid course of eighteen miles, it discharges its waters into the Teviot somewhat to the north of Eckford church. This is a much smal- ler stream than the Teviot, but more impetuous in its current It runs through the parish in a north-westerly direction, and divides it nearly into two equal parts. In some places, its banks are bold and romantic in a high degree, and beautifully overhung with wood. Both these rivers are occasionally subject to sudden inundations, which, by breaking down embankments occasion considerable detri- ment — There is one small lake in the parish, measuring about 13 acres in extent It lies at the bottom of Woodenhill, a little to the south of the village of Eckford moss, and forms the bed of a marl- pit, which was once wrought in the district It is in some places 222 ROXBURGHSHIRE. about 30 feet in depth, and when seen at a distance constitutes a beautiful object Geology. — The rocks that predominate in the parish are of the sandstone and trap formation : the fonner occupies the lower, and the latter the higher parts of the district Of these rocks there are several quarries, some of them of excellent quality. Many years ago, a small seam of coal was discovered at Caverton edge, in this parish ; but the investigation was not carried &r enough to be followed up with any beneficial result Both peat and marl once existed in the district, — the one mostly incumbent on the other ; and imbedded in these, animal and vegetable remains have been found. " In wester moss, nuts, roots, pieces of large oak and other trees have been dug up, also the scull of a bison, and the horns of a red-deer very large." These horns, which at present are in the possession of Mr Robert Church, farmer. Moss-tower, have seven branches, and are supposed to be in weight about two stones. At what distance from the surface these remains were discovered, it is impossible now to determine. Soil, — The soil in the parish is various : that on the lower grounds towards the Teviot is a light mould, while that on the higher grounds towards the south partakes more of a clayey character. On the same farm, however, there is often a great variety of soil ; but the crops which it yields are for the mostj^art rich and abundant Zoology. — This parish presents to the zoologist no rare species of animals. In the rivers, salmon and trout are in great abundance, and of excellent quality. The trout of the Kale is peculiarly deli- cious in lis flavour. Hares, rabbits, partridges, and pheasants abound in the district, and on Ceesford moor the heathcock is oc- casionally seen. The starling, that most tractable of birds, visits the parish yearly, and often nestles among the rocky cliffs that overhang the Kale. Within these few years, a cuckow was disco- vered in this place, in the nest of a small bird. With great care it was fed for some weeks on small pieces of flesh, and on these it seemed to thrive well. It was extremely voracious, and, so far from being discontented with its situation, always appeared quite at home. Botany, — The parish presents, upon the whole, a wooded {q)pear- ance. Almost all kinds of forest trees flourish here, and appear to be quite congenial to the soil. The most common species, however, is the fir tribe, of which there is a forest consisting of 360 acres ECKFORD. 223 on Caverton edge, where the Kelso races were formerly held. * There are three aged yew trees in the churchyard, but at what time they were planted it is difficult to say. Close to the ancient mansion-house of Hall of Haughhead, stands a stately ash tree, un* der whose shade the children of that noted individual are reported by tradition to have been baptized. . 11. — Civil History. Historical Notices. — This parish, the southern extremity of which lies within a few miles of the borders, was the scene of frequent rs^ine and devastation in former times. The village of Eckford, which was once a place of considerable note, was burnt by the En- glish under the Marquis of Dorset in April 1553, along with many other places in the district. Within the bounds of this parish, there were of old several strengths or strongholds, such as Ormiston-tower, Eckford-tower, Wooden-tower, and Mos§-tower; but of these the last mentioned was by far the most important. This was situated about the eighth part of a mile to the north-east of the village of Eckford, and within a few yards of the present farm-house, which now bears its name. It was so called, from a piece of marshy ground in its immediate vicinity, and is reported to have been once a residence of Hepburn Earl of Bothwell.-f- In an ancient chronicle, it is represented as surrounded by a marsh, and as accessible only at one point by a causeway. This the far- mer at present is in the act of removing from 'its ancient site. On the 80th of June 1523, it was destroyed by a party of English headed by Thomas Lord Dacre ; and on the same day were de- molished Ormiston-tower, and a vast number of other places in the neighbourhood. On the 6th September 1544, it was burnt along with the tower and church J of Eckford, by an army under Sir Ralph £ure, and forty-four persons, who were found in it, fell victims to * Thii, from one of the titles of his Grace the Duke of Roxburghe, is denomi- nMed the Bowmont forest. "f About fifteen years ago* some persons were employed to divide a common in thk district, partly belonging to the Duke of Uuccleuch, and partly to the Manjuis of Loihian. A ubt having arisen, as to which of these proprietors a certain piece of ground should be assigned, an old man in the neighbourhood was examined on the ^QOtion. After interrogation, he stated, that he had heard it reported, that some tenaot on the laird of Bucc1euch*s lands here, had put out an ox to graze on the spot, but that the laird of Crailinghall, conceiving that a trespass had been committed, ahoCtbe wnjfnal. Immediately upon this (added the old man,) Bothwell having girt on hit mrmour^ came up from his toivrr, to take vengeance on the aggressor, but before he arriTed the laird had secured himself within his fortress. This anecdote certain- ly tends to strengthen the belief that Both well once resided at Muss-tower. I Fbe ancient church bell of £ckford is at present in the belfry of the church of Gvbani, in the county of Northumberland. At what period it was carried off, it is difllcult to determine. Probably it was at this time. 224 ROXBURGHSHIRE. the ftiry of the assailants. Shortly after this, it appears to have been rebuilt; but it was again destroyed in 1570, by the Earl of Sussex, who, in the course of a few days, laid waste in this quarter a very extensive tract of country. Within these fifty years, the massive ruins of this ancient structure were unceremoniously pulled down, and that with a view of affording an easy access to materials for rearing the farm-offices which now stand near its site. The lands of Moss- tower anciently belonged to the I^ird of Buccleuch, so celebrated in Border history, and is now the property of his descendant. His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch. But the most famous fortress in this parish was Cessford Castle,* which stands on its southern extremity, and which was the ancient manorial residence of Sir Robert Ker, conunonly known by the name of Hobbie Ker, warden of the Scottish middle marches, fipom whom the Dukes of Roxburghe are descended, f This is, at pre- sent, a mere ruin ; but from what remains of it, some conjecture may be formed of its pristine greatness. The main building is about 67 feet long, 60 feet broad, and 65 feet high, and the walls in point of thickness amount at an average to about 13 feet broad. The dungeon, which is situated nearly in the centre of the for- tress, is still open to inspection : it consists of a damp gloomy apartment 20 feet in length, 10 in breadth, and 13 in height, with a slanting air-hole looking toward the east. At the west end of this apartment, is a subterraneous vault, which was anciently known by the name of the dungeon peel^ and which was probably chiefly * Here towards the close of the sixteenth century, one of the Judges of the Court of Session, is reported by tradition to have been for a time confined. While riding in the vicinity of Edinburgh, he was seized by a moss-trooper, who, wrapping a emtk around him, mounted him on his steed, and carried him off to this fortresi. Here he was detained tUl a law. suit, which was then pending before the Supreme Courtt and in reference to which he was held to entertain opinions hostile to one of the per* ties, was decided. After this, he was conveyed, sSier a like ftahion, to the qpot where he had been taken up ; and being set at liberty, he shortly after appeared to their great surprise and joy, in the midst of his family, who had long since con- ceived he had l)een assassinated. Some time thereafter, being on a vkit at Ceadford Castle, he was startled at hearing, in the act of calling fbr bis dog, the wdl known voice of a shepherd, which had sounded every morning in his ear during the time of his imprisonment, and which convinced bim that this was actually the very wpoft of it. Upon subNcquent investigation he found that his opinion was correct. f Andrew Ker of Attonbum, in 1446, was probably the first of the noble fionOy of Ker, who occupied this castle. In that year he obtained, as is mentioned liy the writer of the last Account, a charter of the barony of Cessford, from Archibald Earl Douglas, who was afterwards known by the name of Duke of Turenne or Longo^ ville. The most illustrious of his descendants, appears to have been the above-mm* tionetl Sir Robert Ker, who was bom 1570, and who is here still q>oken of aa one of the most powerfiil men of his times. In 1606, he was raised to the Peerage 1^ the title of Ix>rd Roxburghe, and in 1616 be was elevated to the rank of Earl of Roi« hurghe, and Lord Ker of Cessford, and Caverton. He died 1650. Hit d c ecendant» John the third Earl of Roxburghe, was created a Duke in 1 707. ECKFORl). 22.5 intended either as a resenoir for water, or as a depository for good.s. Some have averred that it was occasionally employed as a prison, and perhaps this averment is founded on fact. There is an air-hole on the south side of it, but it is so constructed that not a ray of light can possibly be admitted. This vault measures about 10 feet long, 17 feet broad, and 9 feet deep. The only entrance to it was by an aper- ture at the top, " and this was kept shut as necessity required, by a large stone* with an iron ring in it." llie roof, which rose several feet above the level of the dungeon, was arched, but it is now com- pletely gone. Anciently, this fortress wfis surrounded by an inner and an outer wall : the former has entirely disapi)eared, but some remains of the latter still exist The space between these walls, as m^y be inferred from the history of all border strengths, was primarily appropriated for the reception of cattle, in which the wealth of the marchmen principally consisted. A moat once sur- rounded the whole out-works, and of this some traces are still to be seen. Probably, it was supplied with water from a spring, which lies about a quarter of a mile to the south. This fortress, from its great importance, was often the scene of hostile invasion in ancient times. In the reign of Henry VIIL the Earl of Surrey, after destro}ing a number of places in the neigh- bourhood, attempted to take it by assault; but he asserts in a let- ter addressed to his sovereign, on the 2 1st May 1.523, that, had the owner not agreed to capitulate, he would have been unable to have obtained possession of it at all. With the exceptions of Fast Castle and Dunbar Castle, he represents it as the strongest place in Scotland ; but this he did, in all likelihood, to magnify his own ex- ploits, in the eye of his capricious master. This castle, there is reason to believe, ceased to be regularly occupied by the noble fami- ly of Roxburghe, shortly before the death of Sir Robert Ker in 1650, and since that period, it has been allowed, in all probability gradually, to go into a state of dilapidation. According to the testimony, however, of Wodrow, the historian, Henry Hall of Haughhead, and some others of the Covenanters, were confined as prisoners here in 1666; but the former, through the influence of the then Earl of Roxburghe, his friend and relation, ac- complished his release. The ancient key of this fortress was ac- dd^tally discovered by a boy some years ago. It was dragged out from an aperture in the inside of the wall, close to the main door, where for nearly two centuries it had probably lain undisturbed. It • The Rev. Mr rmton, Uie writer of the last account, observes, that this stone and ring some persons had seen who were alive in his day. ROXBURGH. P 226 ROXBURGHSHIRE. was of a very antique form, and measured about 1 1 inches in length. It is now in the possession of His Grace the Duke of Roxburghe. About a quarter of a mile to the north of the castle, in a steep bank close to Cessford-bum, is an artificial cave of considerable dimensions. It is in a very sequestered spot, and might be often passed and repassed without attracting observation. It is known by the name of Hobbie Ker's cave. On the southern banks of the Kale, near Eckford mill, is the small estate of Haughhead, which is one of the most retired spots in the parish, and which was once the property of Robert Hall, usually known by the name of Hobbie Hall, a man remarkable both for his piety and his bodily strength. About a quarter of a mile to the south of his ancient mansion-house, which is still in a tolera- bly good state of repair, is a mount which measures in circumfe* rence 218 feet, and to which the appellation of Haughhead Kipp is given. This is composed of artificial layers of earth and stone, and is surrounded with a clump of old fir trees, which, standing out from the extremity of a belt of young plantation, gives to the place when viewed at a distance, sometliing like a turreted appearance. Placed on the summit of this mount is a rude stone, which, ac- cording to tradition, records a triumph achieved by Hall over Ker of Cessford, when ousted in his attempt to take lawless posses- sion of his property. The stone has been wantonly broken ; but the inscription on it, which is now scarcely legible, is as follows : Here Hob^ Hall boldly maintained his right. Gainst Reif plain force armed with lawles might, For Twenty Pleughs harnes*d in all their Gear, Could not his valient nobl Heart make Fear, But with hU sword he cut the formost Soam In two : hence drove both pleughs and Pleughmen home. 1620. About a quarter of a mile to the east of this mount, in a deep ra- vine tl trough which the Kale over a rocky bed winds its way, is a sequestered spot where tent-preachings were wont to be held by the Covenanters of old; and a Uttle farther down, on the opposite side o f the stream, near Grahamslaw farm-house, are to be seen several ar- tificial caves of various dimensions, whither that persecuted people us* ed to flee for refuge, in times of danger. As is mentioned by Wodrow, they had two great conventicles in Scotland, — the one at Haugh- head, in this parish, and the other at Maybole, in the county of Ayr. From Henry Hall,* the then proprietor of Haughhead, an indivi- dual both of the most undaunted courage and of the most unaffed- • It is probable (hat this person was the xon of the above-mentioned Robert or Jlobblc HaJI. BCKFORD. 227 ed seal in the cause of religious truth, they experienced all the countenance and protection which his circumstances could afford. This excellent person, as is well known, died while on his way, as a prisoner, 'to Edinburgh, in consequence of being struck with a carabine by Thomas George, Queensferry; and on his person was ibund a rude unsubscribed draught of a covenant, which is common- ly known by the name of the Queensferry paper.* Stone coffins have been frequently found in this parish. One was discovered in a field called the Priest's Crown on the farm of Eck- fbrd Eastmains, in 1831, containing a few decayed bones in one cor- ner, and a small jar with some black dust in it in the other. The jar was supposed to have been a Roman one, but it was unfortu- nately destroyed. On the farm of Moss-tower, a medal of the Em- press Faustina was found in the heart of a peat, with the inscription quite distinct It was presented by the late tenant to a member of the noble family of Douglas. A little to the west of Caverton-hill- head cottages, are the remains of a tumulus of considerable extent, which is now nearly on a level with the contiguous field, and which is said to have been an ancient burying ground. No bones have as yet been discovered in it, but it has not hitherto been sufficiently examined ; it is called the black dike. At Caverton-f" there is an old grave-yard, now scarcely ever used. Near to it stood a chapel, of which there are now no remains. It was founded bv Walter Ker of Cessfbrd, and confirmed by charter under the grand Seal in the year 1500. Close to this was a well which used to be called the Priest's well, but by this name it has almost ceased to be known, * Near the south-west corner of the field, to the west of the manse, is a bog, which has of late been drained, and with which is connected a curious tradition. It is aver- nd» that on this spot a smith's house, with his smithy and other appurtenances, once stood, and that the members of his family were of a very disorderly description of cha- racter. On the morning of a Sabbath, while the people from the vicinity were pas- sing on their way to church, the whole place exhibited a scene of tumult and confu- doo ; but on their return from it a few hours after, every vestige of a human habita- tioa had disappeared* and nothing was to be seen but the bog, with which the spot waa sumKMed to have been cursed. That this bog would never be drained was long bdteved in the district, and circumstances for a lime seemed to justify the opinion. Sereral attempts were nuuie for this purpose ; but all proved for a time to be utterly ioeflectual. On one of these occasions, however, a smith's anvil was found buried in the marsh, and this was considered as at once confirmatory of the truth of tlie tradi- tSoo. The anvil waa in tolerable preservation, and was intended to have been given to the late Sir Walter Scott, to whom an account of the tradition had been communi- Gated. The hill, at the bottom of which the bog was situated, is called the Smithy-hill. + The Barony of Caverton anciently belonged to Lord Soulis, who forfeited his property, in consequence of his !)eing engaged in a conspiracy against Robert the Bruce, towards the beginning of the fourteenth century. Hie life of this no))le- man was spared, although he was imprisoned in Dumbarton Castle till his death. Aocorditig to tradition, however, he was boiled alive, on the strength of a hasty ex- pfcnkm of the King, in u cauldron, at a place called the NincsUne rig, in the vicini- ty of Hermitage water. 229 UOXBUKGHSHIRE. Eminent Men. — In this parish, at Marlefield,* was born Sir Wil- liam Bennet of Grubbet, a man of excellent taste and great literary attainments, and a distinguished patron of talent and learning in his day. This individual was the intimate friend of I'homson and Ram- say, and has been represented to be the Sir WilHam Worthy of the celebrated pastoral poem f written by the latter. Indeed it is af- firmed that both he and Thomson had some share in the compo- sition of the comedy. In this parish, he lived during the greater part of his life, and by the community at large was held in high estimation. ^ In the society of this distinguished individual, Thomson spent * The House of Marlefield is a very spacious edifice. In front of it is a most beautiful lawn, and the grounds in its vicinity are in various places embellished with rows of magnificent lime-trees. This estate was much improved by the late tenanti Mr Ralph Oliphant, a gentleman who was highly respected in the district for his amiable and obliging deportment ; and it is but a just tribute to his memory to addt that he took a deep interest in every matter connected with the welfare of the parish. f Tradition avers that the scene of the Gentle Shepherd lies in the Ticinity of Marlefield House ; but with what truth the writer of this account does not presume to determine. Doubtless, however, many of the descriptions, as given in the poem, correspond with the character of the scenery here. On this estate anciently stood a cottage which went by the name of Symoii't house, and here too is a field which was wont to be called Sy man's Field, In this district, also, once resided two old wo- men who have been represented as answering the characters of Matue and Madge, Within a short distance from Marlefield, to which Ilamsay refers by name in one of his poems, is a sequestered spot called Uabbie^s flow, through which, over a pebbly channel, runs a small burn or rivulet on its way to the Kale. This bum, which in some parts is confined within pretty steep banks, flowed, in the days of Bennet, dote to Marlefield mansion-house ; but in this quarter its course was altered many yean ago through part of this estate. Along the bottom of a narrow glen flows also a small stream, which is vulgarly pronounced Mowses Burn, but from what source the term is derived it is perhaps impossible now to ascertain. Near this, too, is a small eminence which is denominated Movscs knowe. Here there are several craigs from which the " Lover* t loup^ may be most effectually taken. In the body of the poeni^ mention is made of the West- Port and Town of Edinburgh," as if these were not fiir distant from the scene of it ; but it is well known that the tenantry here» in the time of the poet, used to drive their stock as regularly to that city for sale, as they at present do to the market at Morpeth. Of course their visits to fldinburgh in those days were of no rare occurrence. Indeed the phrase, ** He was in at the Town,** as referring to Edinburgh, is common in this district at the present day. Here the pastoral is reported to have been first acted, in the presence of the fiunilies of Marle- field and Cliflon, and at the residence of the latter. As the above tradition exists in the parish, the writer of this account has judged it right to advert to it. Probably, however, Ramsay in the delineations of character and scenery which he gives in bu admirable pastoral, confined himself to no particular district, but drew his descrip* tions from every proper source which at any time was most patent to his observation. Of course some licence, too, must be allowed to the imagination of the poet. X Adjoining to the church, is the family aisle, where his remains are deposited ; and over the entry is the following inscription, which is now much effaced ; Hoc Monumentum Sibi et suis bene Merentibus ponendam curavit Dominus Gulielmus Bennet Eques auratus anno salutis 1724. ECKFORD. 229 some of the happiest days of his life, and was in all respects regard- ed as a member of the femily. * Richard Cameron, the founder of the Cameronians, was licensed at Haughhead, in this parish, to preach the gospel. In 1680 he was slain at the battle of Ayrsmoss. Landholders, — In this parish, there are six landholders : His Grace the Dukeof Roxburghe; His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch ; the Most Noble the Marquis of Tweeddale; Robert Me in, Esq. of Ormiston ; the Heirs of the late Andrew Wilson, Esq. of Main- house; and William Ker, Esq. of Cliatto. Of these the Duke of Roxbui^he and the Duke of Buccleuch, are by far the largest pro- prietors ; and to them, upwards of four- fifths of the parish belong. Parochial Registers. — Of the parochial registers there are five Yolumes, and the date of the earliest entry is 27th May 1694. At present, they are verj' carefully kept ; but as the dissenters do not • regularly engross their children's names into the record, the Ust of baptisms cannot be so complete as it would otherwise be. Public Buildings, — W'ithin these few years, Mr William Mather, an observing mechanic of this place, having purchased about half an acre of land from the late W*illiam Mein, Esq. of Ormiston, has erect- ed upon it an establishment for making all kinds of agricultural im- plements. This is one of the most extensive concerns of the kind in this quarter of the country, and the articles which are made here will, in point of workmanship, bear to be compared with any of a like de- scription in the surrounding district Here Mr Mather intends to erect a saw-mill ere long ; and from such, considerable benefit may probably accrue to the neighbourhood. There are tliree mills in this parish where com may be ground, viz. Ormiston mill, Eckford mill, and Caverton mill ; but of these the first mentioned is by far the most * It is worthy of remark, that the poet was apt to be extremely apprehensive of •mpcrnatural spirits. If after night fall, he chanced at any time to be on his way from IVidfeopen, bis patrimonial property, to Marlcfield, he was in the habit of regularly nUing at a farm-house in the vicinity of the latter, and requesting one of the inmates to accompany him to the seat of his patron. Lady Bennet, who appears to have been a pcrum of considerable humour, used siimetimes to play on the weakness of the | oct. Tradition avers that, on one occasion, when there was a large party at Marlefield, she drcwcd up a figure in the human form, antJ secretly deposited it in the bed of 'Jliom- son. The unsuspecting poet descried the figure, when on the eve of putting on his night drew, and his criL>s of terror proclaimed that the frolic had been successful. Rushing down stairs he entered the drawing-room in a stiite somewhat approaching to frensy, and truly caused her Ladyship, who, in the impulse of the ihoment, threw an spron around him, to repent of the extravagance which she had committed. With- in two miles of Marlefield, in the parish of Morebattle, is a hill on which l*homson ia aud to have written his Winter, and which, from ite having two tops, is called Parnas- SUSL. Hcre> till of late years, his anniversary was wont to be celebrated by a large as. iblftga of his admirers of both sexes, from all parts in the neighbourhotjd. 230 ROXBURGHSHIRE. important There is also in thisparish an excellent rice -mill, which was erected at Ormiston several years ago by the late proprietor; but, from circumstances, it has never as yet been in active operation. III. — Population. In 1 791 the population amounted to 952 180], ... 973 1811, . . . 10()7 1821, . . .1133 1831. . . . 1148 There are, as nearly as can be ascertained, 17 births, 10 marriages, 16 deaths, at an average, in this parish in the course of the year. All the heritors have upwards of an annual rental of L. 50 Sterling, and only one of them resides in the parish. There are 2 deaf and dumb, and 3 fatuous persons in the district The popula- tion of this parish, in so far as can be traced, is greater at present than it has been at any previous period of its history. This increase is no doubt owing to the general improvement which has taken place on the character of the soil, and which of course renders a greater number of hands necessary for the purposes of agriculture than formerly. Character of the People, — The people are in general cleanly in their habits, industrious in their conduct, and regular in their at- tendance on the ordinances of religion. They enjoy, in a reason- able degree, the comforts and advantages of society, and may be said upon the whole, to be contented with their circumstances in life. The ordinary food of the peasantry is meal, potatoes, butter- milk, and pork of their own rearing. 'Y\\q bread commonly U2sed by them is a compound of barley and pease meal, and it is consi- dered as extremely wholesome. To these is occasionally added a little butcher meat Poaching, both in game and in tiie salmon fisheries, is not unfrcwjuently practised in the district. IV. — Industry. Affi'icultvre and Rural Economy. — Land cultivated or occasionally in tillage, - - 7728 acres, uncitltivated, - . . . ]J4| in undivided common, . . . . |3 under wood, - • - - . a|3 Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land in the parish is about L. 1 , 2s. per acre. The average rent of grazing an ox or cow is L. 3 ; a ewe or full-grown sheep, 1 Os. The real rental of the parish in 1791 amounted to L. 3691?, 4s. Id. The present rental is L. 8676. Husbandry. — The art of agriculture in this parish is in a highly im- proved state. The tenants are an active and industrious class of men, ECKFORD. 231 and by their liming, draining, &c. are evincing a laudable anxiety still more to ameliorate the character of the soil. They are much at- tached to their landlords, who treat them in return with kindness and liberality. The largest &rm in this parish is the Barony of Cess- ford, which consists of upwards of 2000 acres of land, and which has long been occupied by Mr Archibald M 'Dougall, a gentleman whose ancestors resided for generations on the Roxburghe estate in this quarter, and who is well known to be one of the most skilful and intelligent agriculturists in the district Within these thirty years, the improvements which he has effected on that property have been very great In the course of that time, he has enclosed, at his own cost, the whole farm, drained it in the most efficient man- ner, and brought under cultivation upwards of 300 acres of moor- land. Besides, he has removed all the old offices and cottages, and erected in a more eligible situation new ones of the neatest and mo6t substantial kind. Independently of the expenses of liming the whole of this large farm, his outlay amounted to upwards of L. 4000. The system of husbandry which is usually practised in this pa- rish 18 the five-shift system. I'he turnips are partly eaten oiT the land by sheep, and partly stored up as provisions for fattening cat- tle during the winter. Of leases the usual duration is for nineteen years; The fences are in good order, and consist mostly of thorns. The fiurm-houses and offices are also in excellent order, and have been some of them erected within these twenty years. Produce, — The average gross amount and value of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as that can be ascertained, are as follow : 575 acres of wheat, at L. 8 per acre, 700 acre* of barley, at L. 6, 18s. per acre, 1950 acres of onts, at L. 5 per acre, - - « 40 acres of pease and beans, at L. 6, 10s. per acre, 85 acres of potatoes, at L. 7 per acre, 1 100 acres of turnips, at L. 4 per acre, 315 afcres of bay, at L. 5 per acre, 84S5 acres of good pasture, at L. I per acre, 1018 acres of moorLnnd. at 48. per acre, 269 acres of summer fallow, inclusive of 69 acres of wante land, A13 acres of wood, thinnings of do. L. 26,891 12 Breeds of Live Stock. — The sheep that are reared in this pa- rish are of the Leicester breed, and every attention is paid to their improvement The cattle which are fed here are almost all of the nhort-homed kind, and these are sometimes fattened to an immense L.4600 48:w - G750 260 595 4400 1575 3435 202 12 lanri land, 244 232 TlOXnUR(iHSHlRE. V. — Parochial Economy. Villages^ MarkeUTowns^ Means of Communication. — There are several villages in this parish ; but the most important are Eckford, Cessford, and Caverton. The nearest market-towns are Kelso and Jedburgh, the former being about four miles and a half, and the latter about five miles and a half, distant from the parish church. About a mile and a half of the turnpike road between Hawick and Kelso runs through the parish ; and along this, a coach passes between these two places by the way of Jedburgh, every Tuesday and Fri- day. There is also a post which passes regularly along this line of road twice every day. In this parish, there are two stone bridges, both of one arch, — the one over the Kale near its junction with the Teviot, and the other over that stream near Eckford milL The former was built many years ago at the expense of the county, and forms part of the great turnpike road which passes through the dis- trict ; the latter is reported to have been erected, towards the close of the seventeenth cenutry, out of the proceeds of the stipend when there was no fixed pastor in the parish. There is, besides, an elegant chain bridge, which, a few years ago, was thrown over the Teviot near its confluence with the Kale, at the expense of the Late William Mein, Esq. Ormiston, and which, independently of the advantages resulting from it, forms a beautiful and interest- ing object It was designed by Captain Samuel Brown of the Royal Navy, a gentleman whose talents and genius are well known, and the workmanship was executed in the most elegant and sub- stantial manner by Mr William Mather, Kalemouth. The bridge is 180 feet in length, and 16 feet in breadth, and is intended for carriages as well as foot-passengers. There is a pontage upon it, which is as follows : for a foot-passenger ^d., for a horse or cart dd., for a gig 6d., and for a chaise Is. Ecclesiastical State, — The church, which anciently belonged to the Abbey of Jedburgh, is in the gift of the Crown. It is beau- tifully situated on the southern banks of the Teviot, about a mile from the northern extremity of the parish. It was built in the year 1662, but since then it has undergone frequent repairs. It is a neat and an apparently substantial building, and contains about 300 sittings. Close to the eastern door of the church, is appended an iron collar, which is in a state of great preservation, and which is commonly known by the name otihejugs. In former times, church offenders were some* times sentenced by kirk-sessions, to stand with it fastened round their neck, and clothed with sackcloth, for several Sabbaths, in pre- 3 ECKFORD. 233 sence of the congregation in token of their repentance and humi- liation. The manse* was built in 1775, but since then it has under* gone several repairs. In the year ] 808, some additions were made to it, but these, perhaps from want of a proper inspector, were very insufficiently executed. The chief apartment of the house is, in appearance, a very handsome one, but it has not been occupied for several winters past, in consequence of its extreme cold. The ex- tent of the glebe is about 7 acres, and its value may be rated at about L. 1, 15s. per acre. The stipend amounts to 15 chalders, half meal and half barley, with L. 8» 6s. 8d. for communion expenses, and ibrty-two pounds of cheese from the tenant of Cessford, in the way of vicarage tithes. Besides this, the minister has a servitude for turf on a piece of moor-land, which lies on the south side of Wood- eohill, and which is about two miles distant from the manse. The moor belongs partly to the Duke of Roxburghe and partly to the Duke of Buccleuch, but the road to it lies through the farm of Wooden, the property of the latter nobleman. There are no dis- senting or seceding chapels in the parish. There are 153 families att^iding the church, and 69 attending meeting-houses in the vici- nity. The parish church is well attended. The average number of communicants for some years past has amounted to about 312. The number of examinable persons that worship at the parish church amounts to upwards of 520. There is one Episcopalian fiunily, which generally attends the Established Church.-t" Education, — There are two parochial schools in the parish, the one at Eckford, and the other at Caverton mill, and both teachers have the legal emoluments. The teacher at Eckford has the maxi- mum salary, L. 34, 4s. 4^d., with fees amounting at an average to Lf.21 annually. The teacher at Caverton-mill has L. 17, 2s. 2^d. with fees amounting at an average to L. 17 annually, with the inte- rest of L. 40 of mortified money. The former has, at an average, about 70 scholars, and the latter about 46. There is also a school at Cessford, which is upwards of two miles distant from the parish schools, and which is attended at an average by 38 scholars With, the exception of a free school-house he receives only his fees, which amount to about L. 18 annually. The people are in gene- * Close to the manse on the glebe is Eckford brae, which was a place notable for tCBt-praaching in former times, lliither at particular sca-sons immense multitudes from the surrounding country were wont to rc89rt. Here Boston and other eminent diniMS used to diq>ense to the people the bread of life. -f Clow to the entry to the churchyard has been erected by the heritors a nest eatbagt tar the beadlet along with a commodious stable for the benefit of the parish- ioDcn. KOXBUROH. Q 234 ROXBURGHSHIRE, ral alive to the benefits of education, and it is believed that there are none in the parish above six years of age who cannot read. There is also a boarding-school for young ladies in this parish ; and the number that at present attend it amounts to upwards of 20. Here, they are instructed in all the usual branches of educa- tion, and to their moral and religious welfare every attention is paid. The establishment is kept by Misses Park and Spence, Upper Wooden. A Sabbath-school also exists in the parish, which, under the superintendence of the minister, is taught by the teacher of the first parish school, and several other well-disposed persons in the district. Library. ��� In the parish, there are two branches of an itinerat- ing library, — the one at Eckford, and the other at Caverton-mill. They are placed under the care of the parish teachers, and the books are lent to the people on their payment of a small sum quarterly. It is proposed, as soon as circumstances will permit, to establish a stationary library in the district Poor and Parochial Funds. — Regular assessments in behalf of the poor have existed for many years in the parish, and these are levied in equal proportions on the proprietors and tenants. There are at present on the roll the names of 30 paupers, and these re- ceive at an average about 2s. per week. Besides these, there are 4, who obtain interim supply, and who are not regarded as regular paupers. There is no mortified money ; and the collections at the church doors, as is almost always the case where assessments have been established, are exceedingly small. In this district, an aversion among the poor to seek parochial aid still, to a certain extent, exists. No sooner, however, is an application for charity made by an indigent individual before a meeting of the heritors and kirk-session, than the circumstances in which he is placed are at once made known to his neighbours, and the consequence is, that the sense of shame with which he once contemplated the idea of his wants, being exposed, soon comes for the most part to be diminished, if not altogether efiaced. Now surely it were advis- able, as far as possible, to remedy this evil ; and how can this more efiectually be done, than by distributing, in as delicate a way as may be, a little aid to such needy individuals, as may shrink at the thought of being regarded as regular paupers. With the concur- rence of all parties, this assistance might easily be afforded out of a fund placed at the disposal of some responsible persons in the dis- tricty named by heritors and kirk-sessions for that purpose. The zAr vantages arising from this system at^ soNer^ ^^"^VA^^ indeed, that SPROUSTON. 235 many parishes re^Iarly act upon it, while there are others so in- different to their own interest, as in a great measure to neglect it. Inm, — There are no public-houses in this parish. For many years, there was an inn established in the immediate vicinity of the church, and it was justly regarded as a public nuisance, by every right thinking person in the community. FueL — The ordinary fuel which is used here is coal, and which is brought from a distance of twenty miles. There are several de- pdts in the neighbourhood, where the supply of this useful article may be obtained at about the rate of 9d. per cwt Wood is also frequently used. Maif 1836. PARISH OF SPROUSTON. PRESBYTERY OF KELSO, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOTDALE« THE REV. GEORGE CRAIG, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Nume. — The name of this parish is of doubtful origin. Chal- mers, in bis Caledonia, gives two conjectures ; one, that it may have been derived from Sprous, a proper name, and Tun a dwelling ; the other, that Sprus in the Cornish dialect signifying '^ grain," Sprus" tuu may ** denote the place fertile in grain." This latter is a very appropriate derivation. Extent^ Boundaries, — In figure and extent the parish forms nearly a square of about 4 miles. The boundaries are, the Tweed onthe north ; the parish of Carham in Northumberland on the east ; the parish of Linton on the south ; the parishes of Eckford and Kelso on the west. Topographical Appearances. — Two elevations of gradual ascent run across froia north-east to south-west, — Hadden-rig through the centre, and Lempitlaw along the southern extremity. The ▼ale between is in some places marshy, and, with the exception of a few acres on Hadden-rig, contains almost the only portion of the parish not under cultivation. SoiL — The soil, along the river especially, is very productive, and IB kept in a state of high cultivation. The Redden-haughs are frmmiB for their extent, and for the sureness and abundance o( their crops. Along the river, the soil consists of a ncVv \oan\, Vcv 23G ROXBURGHSHIRE. some places of considerable depth, upon a bed of sand. In the higher parts of the parish, the clayey substratum predominates. Hadden-rig above Kerchesters is the least productive part of the parish which is under cultivation. As you recede from this cen- tre on all sides, but especially towards the river, the soil becomes warmer and more productive. This last remark regarding the soil is equally applicable to the climate. Climate. — Comparatively bleak on Hadden-rig, the air is bracing on Lempitlaw, mild and salubrious along the river. The inhabi- tants, accordingly, are healthy and robust The most prevalent dis- tempers are fever, pulmonary complaints, and rheumatism. By this last^ men and women, comparatively young, are frequently attacked, and rendered unfit for work during the rest of their lives. The cause of these distempers at once presents itself in the openness and damp- ness of the houses, which in most instances have originally been built, with mud for mortar. Were proprietors of land to give more at- tention to the household comfort of those who live on their estates, they would in the end effect a considerable saving ; as many, by longer health, would be enabled to provide longer for themselves and their families. 11. — Civil History. The earliest mention made of this parish in any authentic do- cument is found in the foundation charter of Selkirk dated 1114. It is also mentioned in the charter given to Kelso Abbey in 1 128, as one of the parishes which was held in rectorid by that institu- tion. Tledden and Hadden are also referred to as contributing to the same institution. These places were probably of greater im- portance formerly, than they are now. Redden is mentioned as a town in connexion with Kelso, Sprouston, &c. in a writ of Pro- tection granted by Henry VII. to the monastery of Kelso. The former importance of Hadden would appear from the permission granted to Bernard de Hawden by the Abbot of Kelso, to build a private chapel, where " he and his guests might hear divine ser- vice all the days of the year except on Christmas day, Easter day, and the feast of St Michael," when they were obliged to attend the parish church. Hadden-stank and Redden-burn are frequently spoken of, in border history, as the spots on which the English and Scotch Commissioners met for the fixing of boundaries, and for the set- tling of other territorial disputes. About the year 1540, Hadden-rig was the scene of a conflict be- tween the Scots and 3000 English horse, in which the latter were 8PR0UST0N. 237 defeated. This was shortly after followed by aii iucui*siou into Scotland, by a large army led by the Duke of Norfolk, which, marching up the Tweed, destroyed many towns and villages. Among the latter, was the village of Sprouston, then called Liong- Sprouston, extending probably, with straggling cottages, as far west as Bumfoot^ which tradition says it once did. Tradition reports besides, that hearths and foundations of houses and kitchen uten- sils have been ploughed up in the field above the Scurry rock ; from which, it would appear that the village was formerly of greater extent on that side also. The barony of Lempitlaw, which forms the southern division of the parish, was originally a separate parish, but was, at a time which has not been ascertained, united to that of Sprouston. Part of the ruins of its church were, till recently, to be seen in the church- yard, which still continues to be the burying-place for that part of the parish. Parochial Registers. — The oldest session records now extant bear date from 1650 till 1656, and seem to have been pretty ful- ly and regularly kept ; but they are now in a very imperfect and decayed state. The records subsequent to that period, with the exception of one interval between 1656 and 1691, are almost entire. Eminent Men. — The late Dr Andrew Thomson was ordained minister of this parish in 1802, and translated to Perth in 1808. It is said of him, that when the alarm of invasion by the French was raised by fire-beacons on the neighbouring heights, he head- ed a numerous body of volunteers from the parish, and led them to Kelso, the appointed rendezvous for this district. This is the more remarkable, as the parishioners were supposed to be much infected with French principles. III. — Population. The population would appear from the last Statistical Account, and from other circumstances, to have continued very nearly the same in amount, for the last century. Its present amount is some- what less than 1400. In the village of Sprouston it is 420 ; in that of Lempitlaw ISO. The average number of persons in the whole parish, Under 15 years, 660 Above 60 and under 70, 129 Abore 16 and under 30, 342 70, . 27 30 and under 50, 352 Tlie number of bachelors and widowers upwards of 50 years of age, 1 4 of widows and unmarried females above 45 years of age, . 48 of fiuniliet in the parish, 296 chiefly employed in agriculture, • • 159 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 60 There are 8 fiituoui, and 3 deaf and dumb in the parish. 238 ROXBURGHSHIRE. During the last three years there have been not less than 6 il- legitimate births in the parish. The whole of the original parish of Sprouston is the property of the Duke of Roxburghe, with the exception of Hadden and Notilees, which are the property of Sir William Elliot of Stobbs and Wells ; and the farm of Softlaw, which is the property of Sir George Douglas of Springwood. Lempitlaw barony is the property of the Duke of Buccleuch. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — All the male population, with the exception of 26 weavers, 16 masons, 10 wrights, 6 tailors, 4 smiths, and their apprentices, 1 cooper, 1 baker, and I fisherman, are employed in agriculture, either as hinds, carters, or day-labourers. A great proportion of the unmarried female population are employed in the fields and barn-yard. The number of acres standard imperial in the whole parish, • . 8207 under cultivation, . . . . 7128 under wood, principally ftr, . . .123 lying waste, ..... fi56 of which capable of improvement . . 400 Rent of Land. — The average rental of arable land per acre, L. 1, 3s. 9d. ; the average rent of grazing per ox, L.4 ; per ewe, lis. Wages. — Day's-wage for labouring men. Is. 6d. ; ^omen, 9d. ; masons, 2s. 6d. Live-stock. — The Leicester is the breed of sheep usually fed. Husbandry. — Five-shift, or alternate husbandry, is generally adopted in cultivating the soil. Improvements by draining and otherwise carried forward to an average extent. Nineteen and twenty-one years are the length of the lease commonly given. The buildings and enclosures on some of the farms are excellent, on others they might be better. Quarries. — Sprouston, till of late, was celebrated for a fireestone quarry, situated about half a mile from the village, and close by the turnpike road. Kelso bridge and Abbotsford were built of its stone. A new quarry has been opened about half a mile to the south of the old one, which produces an inferior stone, and is not considered very profitable in the working. Fisheries. — There is a fishery for salmon, which, along with a ferry for the convenience of the parishioners, is at present let for L. 71, 15s. Produce. — The average produce of grain of all kinds, whether cultivated for food of man or for domestic animals, may be estimated at L. 16^7 of potatoes and turnips, at . . . 4696 of hay at ...... 1700 of land in pasture at . . . 37^ SPROUSTON. 2; Number of bolls oats raised in the parish, 9124 wheat, .... 3041 barley and peas, . . 3041 V. — Parochial Economy. Markets* — There is no market held in this parish ; the nearest market-town, Kelso, being only two miles distant. Villages* — Of these there are two, — Sprouston and Lempitlaw. The former is situated about 200 yards from the river, and is nearer to Kelso than to Carham parish by about a mile. It consists of 103 inhabited cottages, the school and schoolmaster's house just newly erected, and the manse. The church is in the centre of the Tillage, and is built on what appears to be a gravelly eminence, of about twelve feet above the turnpike road. A spacious church-yard surrounds it, which, in 1814, was enclosed with an excellent stone wall five feet high. It had before that time, like many other country church-yards, been an open unenclosed space, intersected with nu- merous footpaths. The expense of the wall was defrayed by va- cant stipend. Lempitlaw consists of twenty-three inhabited cottages, and three one-storey farm-houses, and onsteads; one of the three being at the south-west, and two at the north-east end of the village. Two turnpike roads run east and west across the parish ; or.e through Sprouston and Carham to Cornhill, the other along Had- den-rig to Wooler. The parish roads are in good repair, are maintained by converted statute labour, and have lately in some places been greatly improved. Ecclesiastical State, — Though the parish church is situated in the centre of the village of Sprouston, and therefore at one extremity of the parish, it cannot be said to be at a very inconvenient distance fifom any of the inhabitants. Mensilaws, an old farm-steading, now three cottages, at the extreme east, and one cottage at the extreme south-west of the parish, are between four and five miles distant. Lempitlaw district, Lurdenlaw, and Softlaw, which together con- tain about sixty families, are between three and four miles distance, and all the rest from one to two miles distance. The present church was built in 1781, had the stairs to the gal- lery, which are inside, inclosed in 1822, and nothing now is want- ing to render it a very comfortable place of worship but the flagging of the floor. The number of families in the parish attending the chapels of Dissenters or Seceders is about 90. The seats, 600 in number, are all free, but allocated to particular arms* Divine service is generally well attended. The avetaiga 240 ROXBURGHSHIRE. number of communicants is 430. There is no meeting-house in the parish. The present manse was built in 1777, is small, but at present in good repair. The glebe, which lies between the manse and the river, contains 7 acres 18 poles. It is land of the very best quality, and of cor- responding value. It has produced remarkably abundant crops. The stipend is 14^ chalders meal and barley, and L. 44 money. Education. — There are three schools in the parish, the parochial and two side-schools. Of the latter, one is at Hadden, and was par- tially endowed by Lady Ker in the seventeenth century. The other is at Lempitlaw, and was endowed by the heritors in 1814, by ap- propriating for that purpose Lw 100 vacant stipend. In the parish school the branches of education taught are the same as in other country schools. The schoolmaster's salary is L. 30. His emolu- ments from fees, which, per quarter, are, 2s. 6d. for reading ; d& for reading and writing; 4s. for reading, writing, and arithmetic ; 7s. 6d. for Latin, amount to about L. 40. He has at present no garden, but has from the heritors L. 2 in lieu thereof. In the two other schools, there is no Latin taught, but all the other branches of a common couqtry education. At Hadden, the emoluments al« together scarcely exceed L. 15; at Lempitlaw, they may be about L.30. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The poor are supported by legal assessment. The number on the roll is 43 ; their average allow- ance L. 3, 14s. 9d. per annum. In some cases, the allowance grant- ed by the heritors is increased by the session. Those who have been assisted in this way during the past year amount to 16, and the average assistance to each is lis. per annum. The average annual amount of assessments for the poor is L. 160, 14s« 3d. ; of church collections, L. 10, 9s. dd. It has not been observed that there is any indisposition on the part of the poor to apply for parochial relief Applications have sometimes been made, — more, seemingly, from a desire to add to the little comforts already possessed, than to remove pressing want, — more from a preference of dependence on a public fund, than of de- pendence on children in narrow circumstances, who, it is to be fear- ed, too often make their parents sensible of their dependence* Such applications when rejected, are uniformly attended with a feeling of experienced injustice on the part of the applicants. Vicinity to England may in some degree account for this. March J 887. PARISH OF ANCRUM. Pft£SBYT£RY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOTDALE. THE REV. JOHN PATON, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries, — This parish was originally named Alnc- cntmbj from Alne^ the ancient name of the river, and Crumb, a crook or bend, than which there could have been no name more descriptive of the situation of the village of Ancrum, which is placed on a rising ground on the south side of the Water of Ale, where the river takes a peculiar bend, and runs in a circuitous direc- tion, till it discharges itself into the Teviot, about half a mile below. The parish is about six miles long and four broad, and is bound- ed on the south by the river Teviot, which divides it from the pa- rishes of Jedburgh and Bedrule ; on the east by Crailing and Rox- burgh ; on the north by Maxton and St Boswell's ; and on the west by Minto and Lilliesleaf. ' Topographical Appearances, Hydrography, Soil, 8fc. — The kiwer part of this parish is beautifully diversified, presenting every variety of irregular surface ; and though it contains no hills, pro- perly so called, it rises in some places into eminences of consider- able height On the Water of Ale especially, which is here and there o'erhung by steep and nigged rocks, partly of naked rock, and partly clothed in wood, there meets the eye a succession of icenery in the highest degree romantic and picturesque. Towards the upper extremity, however, the appearance of the parish be- eomes less interesting, from the general flatness of the ground, and the absence of any thing in the landscape peculiarly strikingr The only rivers are the two already mentioned, — the Teviot and the Ale, — the former being the southern boundary of the parish, and the latter intersecting it from west to east ; and both of these streams, in addition to their acknowledged beauty, have been long celebrated as affording abundant sport for the angler. The soil of this parish is extremely variable, including every variety, from the most barren to the most productive. Its average ,42 ROXBURGHSHIRE. |uality, however, is good ; and on the banks of the Teviot, espe- cially, it is not excelled, in respect of depth and richness, by that of any district of Roxburghshire. IL — Civil History. Historical Notices^ Sfc. — This parish consists of the two united parishes of Liongnewton and Ancrum, the former of which was annexed to the latter, towards the end of the seventeenth century. Of the old church of Longnewton there are now no remains, but its burying-ground is still made use of by some of the inhabitants of that western district. The church of Ancrum anciently belonged to the Bishopric of Glasgow, of which University, indeed, many of the lands here still hold : and Longnewton was subject to the same Episcopal superintendence, though its revenues belonged to the monastery of Jedburgh. It appears from the documents referred to in " Cale- donia," that, upon the dissolution of the establishment of Lindis- fern, Ancrum with Teviotdale was annexed to the see of Glas- gow, and that Teviotdale was erected into a separate archdeaconry in l*23a* At one period, there were two villages here, distinguished from each other by the names of Over and Nether Ancrum. The former stood on the north side of the Ale, in the immediate vicinity of Ancrum House, according to the usual precaution adopted in these feudal times, when juxtaposition and mutual protection were so essentially requisite between the Liord of the Manor and his vas- sals. Of this village, however, nothing now remains, except one or two dilapidated houses, bearing date 1592. But on the opposite side of the river, still stands the other village referred to, though most of it appears to be of a more modern erection. Both of these villages were burned to the ground during the destructive expeditions of Sir Ralph Evers in 1544, and the Earl of Hertford in 1545. The most remarkable event of a historical nature connected with this parish is the battle of Ancrum Moor, which was fought about a mile and a-half to the north of the village ; but on the particu- lars of this battle it seems unnecessary to enter, as there are notices * There are various documents relating to the parish of Ancrum in the Chaitu> lary of Glasgow ; in particular, there is, in the early part of the thirteenth centurj, a carious charter by Radulphus Bumard of Farinjrdune ( Famington,} in whidi be grants ** Deo et beito Kcntigemo et domino Waltcro £po.» Glaaguen et omniboi successoribus suis, in pcrpetuum focale de Peteriis meis de Farin|^uiie ad domam luam de Alnecrumby*' &c. ANCRUM. 243 of it to be found in almost all the Scottish histories, the fullest account being given by Tytler. ■ We may just mention, that it took place in the year 1545, and arose out of an inroad into Scot- land by Sir Ralph Evers, and Sir Bryan Layton, for the purpose of taking possession of the territories of Teviotdale and the Merse, which had been conferred upon them by a grant from Henry VIIL, and in which battle they were defeated with great loss. It may be added, that it was on this occasion that the gallant Earl of Angus (Bell the Cat) whose property in the Merse and Teviot- dale was thus in such eminent peril, said of Evers and Layton, when he heard of their threatened incursion ; " If they come to take seizin in my lands, I shall bear them witness to it, and per- haps write them an investiture with sharp pens and red inL" Antiquities. — This parish presents prominently few objects of curiosity to the notice of the antiquary. But like the rest of the border country which saw the original inhabitants, the Romans, the Danes, and the Saxons, successively dispute its possession, it contains various scenes calculated to awaken a deep interest Of this description are the ruins of the Maltan walls, which enclosed, at no distant period, an acre and a-half, within the area of which were visible various vaults and subterraneous passages, but of which there is now nothing to be seen except a small remnant of the outer wall.* According to tradition, this was once an establishment of the Knights of Malta, or Knights Hospitallers of St John; and though there is not in Keith or Spottiswoode, any notice of any re- ligious house or hospital at Ancrum, we learn from various sources, that a religious establishment existed there as early as the reign of David L But be the tradition right or wrong in reference to this building, it is evident, that the adjacent field has been used for the purpose of interment, human bones and entire skeletons having been frequently turned up by the spade and plough. Near the Maltan walls, in the opposite grounds of Ancrum House, and for a considerable way up the Ale, are also to be seen various caves, amounting in all to fifteen, hewn out of the rocky banks of the river in the most inaccessible places. These caves have doubtless been intended and used for places of concealment in the times of the border wars. And many of them must have * Since Uie above was written the remnant referred to has fallen to the ground, itt deety having been doubtless hastened by the extraordinary severity of the past winter : ao that nothing now remains of the " Maltan walls** but a heap of rubbish, and in all Ukelihood within a short period there will not be even a stone left to mark the lite of this relk of antiquity. 44 ROXBURGHSHIRE. leen well adapted for the purpose, having not only been extreme- iy difficult of discovery and acce^, but having been provided with fire-places and apertures in the roof to carry off the smoke, and commanding a plentiful supply of water. But the days are happily gone bye, when, from the predatory habits of the borderers, such hiding-places were rendered necessary ; and, as a pleasing contrast to their original destination, it may be mentioned, that they were often resorted to for retirement and meditation, by the author of the " Seasons ;" and one in particular, named ** Thomson's Cave," is pointed out as his favourite retreat, and which is situated in the immediate vicinity of the manse, of which the poet was the frequent inmate during the incumbency of his friend Mr Cranston, — MaU den Lilliard's tomb may also be considered as an interesting relic of the olden time. At the battle of Ancrum Moor, above- mentioned, a Scottish woman of this name distinguished her- self by her singular valour ; such being her undaunted gallantry, that she continued to fight when covered with wounds, and even after both her limbs had been struck off. In honour of her me- mory, the spot where she fought and fell, and on which she was buried, is marked by a monument, the original of which has almost all been destroyed, but in whose stead a new one was lately erect- ed, on which is inscribed the original epitaph, which runs thus : Fair maiden Lilliard lies under this stane. Little was her stature but great was her fame ; Upon the English loons she laid mony thumps, And when her legs were cuttit aifsbe fought upon her stumps. There are likewise on the hill behind Ancrum House the re- mains of a British fort, consisting of three circular divisions or rows of large whinstone boulders ; and at Harestanes, near Moun- teviot, there stood within these fifty years the remains of a Druid circle, but which now, with the exception of one solitary stone, have all been removed. And in the centre of the village green, there stands an ancient cross, which one of the most learned archi- tectural antiquaries of the present day thinks may be pronounced as old as the reign of Alexander III. Mansion-Houses. — There are three principal residences in the parish : Ancrum House, the seat of Sir William Scott, Bart, a fine old baronial-looking mansion, standing in the midst of an exten- sive park, in which are to be seen some of the finest trees in the south of Scotland,* and whose picturesque effect is much increas- * The following is the measurement of some of those trees, the measurement being taken several feet from tlie root : Beech, in circumference, - 13 feet. ANGRUM. 245 ed by the additional beauty of a numerous herd of deer ; Ches- ters, the more modern residence of William Ogilvie, Esq. a large and handsome building, erected about forty years ago, and delight- fully situated on the banks of the Teviot, at the mouth of a deep glen or dell, which stretches up behind the house, beautifully wood- ed on both sides ; and Kirklands, the elegant seat of John Richard- son, Esq. occupying a most romantic position on a wooded height over the water of Ale, which, sheltered by the picturesque green knolls and grey rocks and woods of Ancrum, forms an appropriate addition to the striking and beautTful scene of the church and old bridge, and mill immediately below it. This house, which has been recently erected after a design by Blore of London, is of the Tu- dor style of architecture, and of the reign of Henry VII. Eminent Men. — " Worthy famous Mr John Livingston," as he was fondly termed by his contemporaries, was, by an act of the Greneral Assembly, settled minister of Ancrum in the year 1648. He was one of the three ministers sent over to King Charles II. in Holland in 1650, to make arrangements regarding the coming of that monarch to Scotland, and to treat with him in various im- portant matters, both civil and religious, before his admission to the exercise of his government. In 1662, Mr Livingston, with many other ministers, was deposed for non-conformity, and hav- ing been also sentenced to banishment, he went over to Holland, where he occupied himself in his favourite pursuit, biblical litera- ture, till his death, in August 1672, in the seventieth year of his ag& For farther particulars of this remarkable man, " who was honoured by the Lord to be an instrument in the conversion of thou- sands,'' reference may be made to a manuscript of his in the Ad- vocates' Library, and which is entitled, " A brief Historical Re- lation of the Life of John Livingston, Minister of the Gospel at Ancrum, with his memorable Characteristics, exemplified in the Lives of a considerable number of eminent Divines and private Christians in Scotland." His biography is contained in the Lives of Dlustrious and Distinguished Scotsmen, by Robert Chambers, and several particulars relating to him are to be found in Wod- row's and Kirkton's Histories of the Church of Scotland. Land'Owners. — Proprietors of land of upwards of L. 50 Scots va- luation : Sir William Scott of Ancrum, Bart ; Sir George Douglas Lime, in circumference, - 27 feet Weeping ash, do. - t20 feet 8 inches Wahiut,do. - - - 10 feet Willow, ... 13 do. 5 inches. Thtte are merdy specimens of a great many of a similar size. M6 ROXBURGHSHIRE. of Springwood-Park, Bart; The Duke of Roxburghe; Wflliam Ogilvie, Esq. of Chesters ; Earl of Minto ; Honourable J. K El- Hot ; Captain Brown of Park ; John Sibbald, Esq. of Pinnacle ; Major Pringle, of Rawflat ; The Marquis of Lothian ; John Rich- ardson, Esq. of Kirklands ; John Purvis, Esq. of Whitehouse. IIL — Population. The total amount of the population in this parish is 1454^ of which about 550 are inhabitants of the village of Ancrum, and the remainder scattered throughout the other districts. The return to Dr Webster in 1755 gave 1 066 ; and at the date of the last Sta- tistical Account, there were 1 146 souls. The increase of the po- pulation since these periods is to be attributed to the gradual im- provements in agriculture, and the additional demand for fiirm-ser- vants and labourers. Number of families in the parish, • • . 264 chiefly employed in agriculture, . 154 in trade, manufactures or handicraft, 61 Character and Habits of the People^ ^c. — The people of this pa- rish are in general well-behaved, industrious, and contented with their situation and circumstances.* The cottages of the working- classes are cleanly and comfortable, their food, though plain, is sufficiently plentiful, and almost all of them have the means of gratifying that laudable desire, so characteristic of the peasantry of Scotland, of appearing at public worship on the Sabbath, re- spectably attired. But their several degrees of comfort vary, of course, according to the number of their family, the rate of their wages, and their habits of economy : and we have doubtless among us many instances of indigent old age still exerting its remaining strength in the praiseworthy pursuit of an independent though scanty livelihood, or wholly subsisting on private and parochial charity. There is no species of amusement to which the parishioners are especially attached, with the exception of the game of" ball," which is played only on one particular day of the year, in the month of February, the young men of one district being pitched against those of another. Similar games are also held annually, and about the same season, in some of the neighbouring parishes, and seem to create a considerable interest amongst the young men of the district, * It must, however, be admitted, that this commendation cannot be applied to all —there being not a few whose character is not only unworthy of praise, but whote re probate conduct is much to be regretted, as well on their own account as oo aooour of the morals and reputation of the parish generally. 3 ANCRUM. 247 The practice of killing salmon by the spear and torch* is here carried on to a great extent, especially during close-time, and the numbers of foul fish that are annually taken in this way are very considerable* Poaching for game is also practised, though not to the same extent During the last three years there have been 20 illegitimate births ; but in 8 of the cases, the parties were afterwards married. IV. — Industry. Agriculivre. — The system of husbandry pursued here is in all respects similar to that of the surrounding districts. The five- shidb rotation of cropping is that which is generally followed, and the common duration of leases is nineteen, and varying from that to fifteen years. llie rent of the arable land varies of course with the quality of the soil, — in some cases reaching as high as L. 4, and in others de- scending to 12s. per acre. The average rent, however, of all the arable land in the parish may be stated at L. 1, ds. per acre. The real rent of the parish is L. 8698. Rate of Wages. — A farm-servant's wage, every thing included, averages L. 28 per annum ; that of a labourer Is. 8d. per day in summer, and Is. 6d. in winter; of a carpenter 2s., and of a mason 2s. 6d. per day. Single men residing in the farmer's house receive from Lf 7 to Lf 8) and women from L. 6 to L. 7 per annum, vic- tuals included. lAvt'Stock. — The kind of live-stock generally reared in this pa- rish is what is commonly called the short-horned breed of cattle, and the Leicester breed of sheep, or a cross between the Leicester and Cheviot breeds. And the rate of grazing is as follows : A cow, L. 3, 10s. ; a three year old, L. 2, 10s. ; a two year old, L. 2 ; and a year old, L.1, 10s. each : and a ewe, L. 1 per annum. Acres under cultivation. Number of acres in wheat, wheat. 1080 Barley, Oats, 528 1716 Turnips, Potatoes, Ilay, Pasture, 704 107 4o6 2052 Fallow, 002 Peas and Beans, 161 ToUl under cultivation, 7496 acres. In wood 820 acres. Quarries, — Of these there are two in the parish in constant operation, the one consisting of red, and the other of white free- stone, the former belonging to the Honourable John Elliott, and 248 ROXBURGHSHIRE. the latter to Mr Ogilvie of Chesters, and both of these stODes being of superior quality, there is a large demand for them throughout the surrounding district V. — Parochial Economy. Markets — Means of Communication^ Sfc. — Though the parish has no market -town within its own bounds, it is very favourably si- tuated in this respect, there being no fewer than five markets in the neighbourhood for the sale of grain, and to all of which there 4s good and easy access. Jedburgh, however, which is about six miles from the centre of the parish, may be reckoned the market to which the parishioners principally resort. It is also the post^ town. The principal village in the parish is that of Ancnim, the inhabitants of which are almost all earning their livelihood in the usual agricultural or other employments of a country population. Some of them, however, are more independent than others, from the possession of a few patrimonial acres of land, and which in va- rious instances have descended from father to son, for several ge- nerations. Throughout the whole parish, the means of communi- cation enjoyed by the inhabitants is remarkably good, it being in- tersected in all directions by roads leading to the neighbouring dis- tricts : and along its eastern extremity for several miles, runs the turnpike road from Edinburgh to Newcastle, along which, summer and winter, stage-coaches are passing and repassing twice a day. Ecclesiastical State. — Although the church is only about a mile from the eastern extremity of the parish, it is conveniently situat- ed for the great proportion of the population ; and even of the pa- rishioners in the western district, there are few who are above three, and none above four miles distant from it It was built in 1762^ was thoroughly repaired about five years ago, is a comfortable place of worship, and affords accommodation to about 520. The sitting; belong exclusively to the heritors. The manse was built in 1751, since which period it has receiv- ed two additions, the last of which was made in 1833. It is now a comfortable and commodious house, and being delightfully situ- ated on one of the steep banks of the Ale, and surrounded on all sides by magnificent woods, and every variety of hill and dale, is perhaps not surpassed, in respect of local beauty, by any manse in Scotland. The glebe contains about 10 acres of arable land, be- sides a considerable quantity of natural and other wood, and is worth L. 30 per annum. ANCRUM. 249 The stipend consists of 16 chalders of victual, and L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. There are 284 families in the parish, and of these there are, on an average, 160 families who attend the parish church. The re- mainder belong to one or other of the Dissenting meeting-houses in the neighbourhood. The average number of communicants in connection with the parish church is 470, and among these are to be found almost all the constant inhabitants of the parish, and the great majority of the tenants, so that the Dissenters consist princi- pally of the fluctuating population of hinds and other farm-servants, a great proportion of whom change every year, and of whom, there- fore, an accurate return cannot well be obtained. Upon the whole, however, it may be stated, that while there is no addition to the inhabitants of the parish, the number of its communicants in con- nection with the establishment is annually increasing. The parish church is the only place of worship, and though it is generally well attended, yet it is much to be regretted that there are not a few of the pafishioners whose attendance upon the pub- lic ordinances of religion is rare and irregular. There are no Bible or Missionary Societies in the parish, but there is an annual collection in the church for missionary or other religious purposes, which yields on an average about L. 6. Education. — There are three schools in the parish, the paro- chial, and two others. Of the latter, there is one which is endow- ed ; having been formerly the parish school of Longnewton, where it 18 situated, and still retaining the provision which it had previous- ly to the annexation of the parish of that name to the parish of Ancrum. Its endowment consists of L. 1 1 per annum, with a good house and garden, for the accommodation of the teacher ; and its patronage is vested in the proprietor of the barony of Longnewton. In all these schools the ordinary branches of education are taughtf viz. English, English grammar, writing and arithmetic; in addition to which, in the parish school, instruction is given in Greek, Latin, French, geography and practical mathematics. For these latter branches, however, the demand is very limited. The parish schoolmaster has the maximum salary, the legal quantity of garden ground, and a good house, consisting of four apartments. He also receives the annual interest arising from a sum of L. 60, which was left by a former resident in Ancrum, for behoof of the parish teacher, on the condition that he gives in- BOXBURGH. R 250 ROXBURGHSHIRE. structioii in church music to some of the poorer children in the village. The school fees are, 2s. per quarter for reading, with 6d. addi- tional for writing and arithmetic ; and 5s. for Latin ; the other branches being charged in proportion, according to the agreement which may be entered into between the parents and teacher. The average number of scholars attending the parish school is about 90, and the amount of school fees is under L. 30 per annum. The average number of scholars attending all the schools toge* ther is about 220, and to each of them there is attached a well- attended Sabbath school. The parents in general seem anxious to avail themselves of these opportunities of getting their children instructed, and there are no instances in the parish of individuals upwards of fifteen years of age who cannot read or write. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons on the poor^s roll is about 30, and their aliment is obtained by re- gular assessments upon the heritors, for which purpose they meet quarterly and assess themselves,. according to the amount of sup- ply required. The amount of assessment may be stated at about L. 150 per annum, paupers receiving from Is. to 4s. each per week, according to the necessity of the case. In addition to this, however, there are also the ordinary Sabbath day collections, amounting on an average to L. 15 per annum, over which the heritors claim no control, and all of which, with a small exception required for other purposes, is annually distributed by the kirk-session in occasional allowances of coals, meal, or money, among paupers requiring more than their ordinary aliment, or as interim supply to necessitous persons not on the roll. The poor in general are far from being backward in seeking pa- rochial relief, and the feeling of degradation in reference to such applications is neither so prevalent nor so strong as it was*in for- mer times. Inns, — There are 6 inns or public-houses in the parish. Of these, there are two in the village, and two within a quarter of a mile of it ; and, there being no fairs or markets in the parish, there are at least three of these ale-houses which might well be dispen- sed with. Their influence on the morals and circumstances of those in their immediate neighbourhood, who are in the habit of frequent- ing them, is very injurious. FiteL — Amongst the lower classes the use of coals is limited, ANCRUM. 251 the carriage being very expensive. The nearest coal-hill is thirty miles distant, and the driving alone costs 9s. for a single cart-load. Fire-wood, however, is abundant in the neighbourhood, and may be procured for a comparatively moderate price, at the numerous sales of that article, and being thus less expensive and more easy of access than coals, it is more generally made use of for fuel than the latter, especially among the labouring classes, and many of whom are also in the habit of laying up for this purpose furze, turf, or peat, all of which are to be had in the neighbourhood, — the two former on the common moor for the mere labour of cutting them, — and the latter from the adjoining districts at a very small cost. It may be added, that, for the convenience of the public in this district, there are several depots of coals within a few hours drive, and at one of which (Crailing) only four miles distant, there are coals to be had through the year at from 6d. to 8d. per cwt. Miscellaneous Observations. The only striking variations which are apparent between the present state of the parish, and that which existed at the time of the last Statistical Account, consist in the improved system of agriculture, and in the additional extent of plantation. Here, as elsewhere, draining is now better understood, and more generally and efficiently practised than it formerly was, though much yet re- quires to be done in this respect The distance from lime, and the consequent heavy expense of obtaining it, remains yet, as it has hitherto been, the great obsta- cle to the reclaiming and improvement of the land in this neigh- bourhood. It may, however, be stated, that there is every pros- pect of this obstacle being so far obviated by the proposed formation of a railway from Berwick to Kelso, and from thence up the vale of the Teviot, and by the establishment of which, it is not to be doubted, many important advantages, besides the reduction of the price of lime, would accrue to this district of country. AprU 1837. PARISH OF OXNAM. PRESBYTERY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOTDALE. THE REV. JAMES WIGHT, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — The name of this parish was, for several centuries, written Oxenham, as appears from the chartularies and evidence from other sources. It was but recently changed to Oxnam, this being simply a popular abbreviation of the former name. The words oxen and Aawi, or hamlet, serve when combined to indicate its origin. For it may be inferred, that the chief village ob- tained its distinctive appellation, principally because it abounded with oxen, and partly also because it afforded protection to nume- rous herds of cattle, during the many hostile and predatory incur- sions of the southern borderers. And the name thus acquired by the village, so long held in repute for the advantages of its situa- tion and the number of its inhabitants, was subsequently transfer- red to the parish at large. It is clear that the names of particu- lar animals had, in process of time, become so completely identi- fied with, as at length to be employed to designate, various places here, such as Stotfield, Swinside, and Hyndhope ; and that seve- ral others too— of which Mossburnford and Bloodylaws are instan- ces — bear names, either descriptive of certain remarkable localities that strike the view, or else expressive of some remote but memo- rable events of which they once formed the scene. These fects tend accordingly to corroborate the above statement Extent and BoundaHes. — The utmost length of this parish is nearly 10 miles; its greatest breadth about 5 miles; and it con- tains 33 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the parish of Jedburgh ; on the east by Hownam ; on the south by Jedbui^h and the county of Northumberland ; and on the west by Jedburgh and Southdean. Its area may be described as an irregular oblong figure. Topographical Aj)pearance8, — It may not be improper to ob- serve, that the tops of the highest hills command a most magnifi- OXNAM. 253 cent and delightful prospect, having the mountainous chains of Cheviot, Moffat, and Lammermuir, together with the German Ocean, in the distance ; and at the same time the vast expanse of country comprehended within this grand circular outline, overspread with an endless diversity of highly beautiful and picturesque scenes. Of the large forests which once greatly decorated the landscape, a few vestiges only have withstood the desolating influence of time. Nevertheless, this parish, as to its general appearance, is pecu- liarly interesting, exhibiting many striking varieties of hill and dale, well subdivided enclosures, excellent pasturage, and numerous streams of water. A small section of the Cheviot range partly constitutes its southern boundary, and stretches towards the Carter Fell, which rises 2020 feet above the level of the sea. But to this, the most elevated summit of that section is somewhat inferior in height. To the northward of this bounding ridge, arc situated va- rious hills, chiefly of a conical form and smooth green aspect, but showing a less lofty elevation than the forioer. Again, other still humbler, yet towering eminences, appear in the same direction be- yond these, — which present acclivities either partially cultivated, or clothed with delicate verdure, and form, therefore, an imposing and agreeable contrast with the scattered portions of heath and ben^y grass conspicuous on the interjacent flats. Besides, the fertile val- ley that divides the parish lengthwise, has its own undulating sur- face variously intersected by the continuous windings of the Ox- nam water. And it may be observed, moreover, that the banks of the Jed bounding the western side, and presenting generally an abrupt and precipitous appearance, have their aspect pleasingly diversified by the termination of romantic dells in certain parts, and by narrow ravines ornamented with copse in others. Most of the banks, indeed, are richly adorned with natural wood, no less remarkable for the happily varied distribution, than for the beauti- ful form and foliage of its trees. Climate and Diseases. — The whole parish, in common with the surrounding district, is liable to sudden as well as frequent varia- tions of temperature. At times, the wind blows strongly from the east ; but it is found to proceed most frequently and with greatest nolence from the west and south-west. Yet, at other times, it ' brings along with it, from the very same points, the mildest and most genial weather. The high-lying places, from their proximity to a mountainous region, are more exposed to heavy« rains, and at- mospheric changes, than the lower and more cultivated parts. This, 254 ROXBURGHSHIRE. in general, is nevertheless justly esteemed a favourable climate. It is said, indeed, that owing to the purity, elasticity, and salubrious- ness of the air, common epidemic diseases exhibit a less inveterate character here, than in many other places. The most approved system of drainage, so long and extensively applied both to arable lands and to marshy and hilly pastures, has no doubt largely con- tributed to the amelioration of the climate ; and thus served not merely to mitigate the severity, and prevent the recurrence of dis- tempers — such as ague, rheumatism, fevers, and pulmonary com- plaints — that were formerly so prevalent ; but also tended greatly to promote the healthfulness and longevity of the inhabitants.^ Springs and Rivers. — The waters of the spring situated near Fairloans, to which were ascribed qualities of a chalybeate nature, have utterly fallen into disuse. On being analyzed, they were found not to possess any mineral or medicinal virtues whatsoever. It may be worthy of notice, that between twenty and thirty peren- nialsprings, in clustered order, and with margins of unfading fresh- ness, combine to form the Oxnam, at the commencement of its course. The Coquet water, which issues from the border mountains, skirts the southern extremity, to the extent of a mile, — then enters Nor- thumberland, and after having attained considerable magnitude, empties into the British ocean betwixt Alnwick and Coquet isle. It is from the same alpine region that the Kale takes its rise. It crosses the upper end of the parish, pursues a circuitous direction by Hownam and Morebattle, and terminates its course of seven- teen miles below the church of Eckford, by joining the Teviot The sources of the Oxnam are nearly two miles distant from the English border. It takes its way at first through a pastoral dis- trict, then passing the village from which it borrowed its name, winds along occasionally prominent and ornamented margins, and after being largely augmented by tributary streamlets, also at length dningles its waters with the Teviot below Crailing, thereby clos- ing its rapid course of twelve miles. The Jed flows over a rug^ ged channel, and along the western boundary for two miles. Geology and Mineralogy. — No coal has hitherto been discover- ed here, although certain local strata furnish strong indications of its presence. At Stotfield and Richard's Cleugh, steatite or soap- stone occurs. Limestone is found near the Jed, but it is under a * The average age of the enrolled poor is 63 for the last ten years. A female be- longing to this parish died lately at the very advanced age of 104 years. 4 OXNAM. 255 deep cover, and at a great distance from coal ; and hence the ex- pense necessarily attending its preparation for agricultural and other purposes, renders it wholly unavailable at present In the southern quarters, sandstone of the coal formation abounds, be- tween which and the corresponding strata of the Carter, an inti- mate connection may be found to subsist. What has been worked is of a durable quality and white colour ; but it has been employed for building, only to a very limited extent The same parts of the parish are traversed by a great whinstone dike, running in a lineal direction from east to west. It is upwards of thirty feet wide, and extends to a considerable distance on both sides of the border. On the one side, it is said to be perceptible in the environs of Milton ; at any rate, it may be observed passings the Kink, Tofts, Brundin- laws, Phaap, and the top of the hill opposite upper Hyndhope ; and on the other, it goes onward to Blindburn, Carlecroft, Cars- hope, Linshiels, Rothburry, and near the mouth of the Coquet In the lower situations, grey wacke prevails, having seams of slate clay, or dent, not unfrequently interposed between the strata, which run from north-east to south-west ; and dip from south to north at an an^Ie of from 40 to 60 degrees. It is rock of the trap for- mation, of which the hills chiefly consist. Hence the extensive distribution of clay porphyry, which affords excellent metal for roads, those parts of it being commonly used that are most super- ficial, and in which the process of disintegration has partially tiikcn place. It is copiously interspersed with quartzy veins, and pos- sesses cavities lined with finely crystallized incrustations of the same substance. The greenstone sometimes observed protruding from rodt of this species may probably be portions of dikes penetrating the general mass. But the hills eastward of Swinside are evident- ly intersected by numerous veins of jasper. Of these, five have been laid open. One of the hills has a quarry on its brow, in which a vein is exposed of from three to twelve inches in thick- ness, adhering to the perpendicular face of the rock, which has been cleared to a large extent. There is one of a finer cpiality on the east side of the adjoining summit. But another still richer and of ampler dimensions was lately detected, when cutting a drain on the contiguous farm of Middlesknows. Here different kinds of agate, as well as sundry varieties of jasper, from which beautiful and valuable specimens might be selected, are found cither inter- mixed with the soil, or cast loosely upon the channel of the Ox- nam water. 256 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Soil — The soil exhibits widely different qualities in different places. The most predominating kinds are of a loamy, clayey, and gravelly nature; but of these many intermediate varieties and com- binations present themselves. The soil is deposited upon gravel in many parts ; it is found, in others, resting upon rock of the kinds specified above : while, in some rather elevated situations, the sub- stratum consists of bluish clay, so very tenacious and retentive as to be completely impervious to water. It may also be stated, that, a substance, vulgarly called moorband, occurs occasionally imbed- ded in the subsoil. Where the soil itself is scanty, and consists of dark-coloured vegetable matter, it often assumes the real form^nd appearance of bog-iron ore, is found in detached portions, and is of an exceedingly hard texture. But when met with in clayey ground, it is of a reddish or light-brown-colour, shows a thinner and more extended stratum, and more readily suffers decomposition by exposure to the influence of the sun and air. The iron it contains becoming oxidized, causes it gradually to dissolve into an earthy powder. It varies from one to six inches in thickness, proves fre- quently injurious to vegetation, and being impenetrable by the roots of trees, forces them to push outward in a radial direction along its surface. There is great abundance of moss, which is scarcely used for fuel, except in the upland farms, and never as manure. By means of thorough draining, levelling, and top-dressing, Scraes- burgh moss, which was formerly a watery waste,* has been reclaim- ed, and now produces luxuriant crops of grass. Zooloffy, — No rare species of birds is found here. We have the woodcock, fieldfare, curlew, plover, and kingfisher. The grounds are amply replenished with black-cock and grouse, as well as other kinds of game. For some seasons, the quantities were considera- bly diminished, chiefly in consequence of the depredations com- mitted by English poachers. But they were lately checked in their lawless practices by the spirited exertions of the Border Associa- tion for the protection of game; for a banded number of about twenty of these bold sporting adventurers were unexpectedly ap- prehended, and subjected to punishment. Not a few animals, such as the hind, wild boar, and others, have entirely disappeared, with the once extensive forests which afford- ed them subsistence and shelter. Here sheep of the Cheviot breed are reared with peculiar care. They are highly prized on account of their size, symmetry, wool, and other qualities, for which they are remarkable. In proof of this, it may be stated, that the best OXNAM. 257 lot of rams exhibited before the annual meeting of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, lately held at Kelso, procur- ed for its owner, residing at Swinside, the highest premium award- ed for stock of that particular class. All the streams abound with excellent trout Also salmon have been taken from the Oxnam here, but by such persons chiefly as have recourse to the illicit expedient of fishing with spears by torch light The crop of beans in 1833 was irretrievably damaged by the depredations of a dingy-colourcd insect. These, settling in myriads on the stalks, pods, and leaves, either materially injured, or wholly extinguished the principle of vegetation, and according- ly the result was a general failure. No means were employed for their destruction. The black caterpillar, after an interval of thirty years, again assailed the turnip crop last summer ; and, but for the ?ery careful and expensive picking by the hand, would have entire- ly consumed it. But for many successive seasons, this kind of crop has been regularly invaded by insects of a diflcrent species. These fix upon the root commonly of the young plant, and the canker thereby produced, causes it to put forth new ones, bearing some fimcied resemblance to fingers and toes ; and to this circumstance the disease owes its name. The plant when attacked either withers and dies, or else exists only in a decayed and mutilated state. No part of the parish is wholly exempted from its ravages ; but these are supposed to be materially checked and diminished by the un- sparing use of Ume. It has been ascertained by repeated experi- ments, however, that neither liming copiously, nor yet soil entirely new, will completely prevent the pestilential inroads which it makes. This disease has hitherto, indeed, set at defiance the most skilful ef- forts, either to discover a remedy or to detect its cause. The nita baga, or Swedish turnip, appears most eflectually to resist its virulence, and is therefore cultivated to a much greater extent than it was formerly wont to be done. Botany. — As no new or unknown varieties of plants have been discovered in the parish, the names of such only as are more rare- ly to be met with are here given : Drosera rotundifolia^ round- leaved sun-dew ; Pamassia palustrisy common grass of Parnas- sus ; Sedum villosuniy hairy stonecrop ; Saxifraga granulatay white meadow saxifr«ige ; Potentilla argentea^ hoary cinquefoil ; Trifo- Bum ocftrofcttCMwi, sulphur-coloured trefoil; Polygonum amphibiunij amphibious persicaria ; Digitalis purpurea etalba, purple and white 258 ROXBURGHSHIRE. foxglove; Rtdms chamaemorus jcloudherry; Genista anffUcoj needle- green-weed, or petty whin. II. — Civil History. The manor of Oxenham was enjoyed by Gaufred de Percy when the abbey of Jedburgh was founded. He granted to the abbot two carucates of land, and two bovates, lying adjacent to the church, with common of pasture and common of fuel belong- ing to the village. This grant, and also the right to common pasture on the lands of Newbigging, were confirmed by Malcolm IV. and William the Lyon. The forfeiture of Sir Robert Colvill enabled David II. to grant the barony of Oxenham, with other lands, to Sir Duncan Wallace, and the Countess of Carrick, his spouse. This parish, set free by the Reformation from a rigorous ecclesiastical domination, acquired its independence. It may be mentioned, that the Rev. Thomas Boston, who re- linquished his parochial charge here, was the first pastor who pre- sided over a congregation of Relief Seceders in Jedburgh. Not a few of his former flock continued to attend on his public mini- strations in that place. Land'Owvers, — There are in all eight land-owners, whose de- signations, as arranged according to their valued-rents, are here given : The Most Noble the Marquis of Lothian ; His Grace the Dukeof Roxburghe; Charles B. Scott, Esq.of Woll; William O. Ru- therfiird, Esq. of Edgerston.; John Scott, Esq. of Riccalton ; John Stavert, Esq. of Cunzierton ; Major Archibald Oliver of Bush ; and Mrs Isabella Scott of Fala. Registers. — It appears that the earliest insertion in the parochial register was in 1700, and that entries were regularly made during the subsequent ten years ; but that since that period it has been less accurately kept. Antiquities. — The ruins of an old chapel at Plenderleath may still be seen, but its cemetery has ceased to be occupied as a place of interment. There is a Druid ical circle, sixteen yards in dia- meter, and occupying an elevated position, which remains pretty entire. At no great distance, there are the vestiges of another of larger dimensions, but in a less perfect state of preservation. The stones of which they are composed, being dark compact green- stone, interspersed with numerous and minute crystals of augitet may therefore be identified with that prominent and corresponding rock found in their neighbourhood. Several old camps, of a cir- cular form, are to be met with here. The one occupying the OXNAM. 259 height southward of Bloodylaws is the most conspicuous and im- portant On the hill at Cunzierton, also, the outlines of a strong- ly fortified British station may be clearly traced. It consists of a large rampart, with double trenches surrounding the level area on the summit; and about fifty yards lower, where the ascent is easiest, an additional mound of defence is likewise apparent. Be- sides, there are the remains of a Roman encampment most dis- tinctly visible upon a somewhat commanding eminence called Pen- nymuir. It is of a quadrangular figure, with slightly rounded cor- ners ; but it has this peculiarity of construction, that the vallum and fossa are carried outward at right angles on the east side, where the ground is dry and level, so as to include an additional oblong space of no small extent. The traverses covering the gates or entrances, as well as the ramparts and entrenchments, are still remarkably well defined, except only where the narrow extremity has been levelled by the plough, and where another portion of them has been converted into a turf fence. The beauty and com- pleteness of the camp aro unhappily marred by these encroach- ments. Its superficial area is 32 acres. Close to this ancient encampment, nearthetwo Druidical circles, and not far from the importiint fortification noticed above, there runs along the north-east boundary of the parish, for about six miles, the great middle Roman road into North Britain, usually deno- minated the Watling Street. Where it is conducted over dry slop- ing ground, its originally raised and rounded appearance is still very entire. It is supposed to have been regularly paved, which seems to be confirmed by stones larger than the rest being found inserted closely and in a continued line along the middle of it, by the numbers protruding through the grass which covers its surface, and by the great quantity, of mixed sizes, observable where it passes over ground that is marshy or moist. It has been traced from Carriden on the Frith of Forth, through the Lothians, Lauderdale, St Boswell's Green, and onward to Jedfoot bridge, the camp at Pennymuir, and Woden -Law; and then crossing the Border, it goes by Chewgreen, Ricchester, Corebridge, and near Halifax to Manchester, and from thence to Norwich, Chester, and Aber, where it joins the great southern branch of Wattling Street. Many pits are perceptible along both sides of this ancient cause- way, varying in their distances from each other, from which un- questionably the materials for its construction were taken. Some of them containing water are overgrown with rushes ; while others. i 260 ROXBURGHSHIRE. now almost obliterated, are covered with spongy sod, or a rich sward of grass. This spacious road, still kept open, is but little frequented except for driving cattle and sheep into England. This district, so long converted by the licentious borderers into the theatre of incessant feuds, reciprocal depredations, and vio- lent sanguinary conflicts, was once numerously interspersed with castellated edifices, or baronial forts. Of these the most distin- guished were Dolphiston, Mossburnford, and the Crag Tower. The first is plausibly conjectured to have been built by one Dol- phus, and to have received from him its name. It was held, for a considerable period, by the family of Anslie, who greatly singa- lized themselves in the border warfare. On the principal gateway were inscribed the words Radolph de Anslie. The walls, of which little more than the foundation remains, were from 8 to 10 feet in thickness, and had several vaulted apertures in the middle of them, originally intended either for concealment or repc>se ; but so large as to admit of their being ultimately converted by feirmers into receptacles for ladders, and other agricultural implements. They were of such massive and durable construction, indeed, as rendered their demolition a matter of very difficult accomplish- ment. * A little to the south, there is a plot of grass twenty-two yards square, long unbroken by the plough or spade, which is al- leged to have formerly been furnished with a watch-tower. The next mentioned structure, though far inferior in strength, was nevertheless longer preserved entire ; for its being inhabited con- sists with the recollection of persons now alive. The site of the third was upon the eastern bank of the Oxnam, below the village, and was strongly fortified, both by nature, and by the skilful con- trivances of art. It was built on a bold rocky eminence, with pro- jecting battlements, and surrounded on three sides by water. In the interior of it, there was a deeply-sunk pit, which is said to have communicated with the passing stream, from which its inmates and defenders, when closely besieged, could readily supply them- selves. It had, besides, a strong wall of defence on the accessible * A tradition Is still current, that a fairy or brownie! assisted the people there in thrashing their com in olden times, and that in token of their gratitude for his ser- vices, an article of dress was placed fur his acceptance in the scene of his nocturnal labours ; but that he, hurt and offended at the very offer of remuneration of any sort, quitted the premises for ever, and on doing so, is said to have uttered his re- gret in these lines. Another edition. Sin ye've gien me a harden ramp,t Brownie's gotten a cloak and hood, Nae mair o* your corn I wull tramp. But brownie *il do nae mair good. t A coarse linen shirt. OXNAM. 26 1 side, wbich served to inclose a spacious outer court, and within which the cattle in the vicinity, being shut up, might be secured against those daring attempts at spoliation and rapine, commonly executed by freebooters under the cover of night. A few years only have elapsed since these remains of antiquity were nearly all removed, with a view to subserve and facilitate the purposes of modem im- provement ; and hence it may be truly said of these ancient but dilapidated fortalices, no less than of the mirthful festivities, the warlike preparations, and the boasted "chivalrous exploits of which they were by turns the scene, that every vestige almost has alike passed away from the remembrance and the sight of man. One fact has been rescued from the general oblivion, however, connected with Henwood, in the immediate vicinity of the Crag Tower. Into its deep and impervious fastnesses, which covered extensively the western banks of the Oxnam and the grounds ad- jacent, the border chiefs, accompanied by their feudal and military retainers, were wont to betake themselves, when their dangers were pressing and great ; and hence an occurrence, exceedingly fre- quent and alarming, gave rise to the memorable war-cry,-r-a Hen- woody ! which made one and all grow fierce, seize the readiest wez^n, and hasten eagerly for protection to the forest, of all others the most safely commodious place, both as a rendezvous and vefuge for the inhabitants. By this watch-word, too often the sig- nal for indiscriminate burning, devastation, and slaughter, no less than by the many ruins of a dignified but gloomy cast, with which this frontier parish abounded, we are sadly reminded of the trou- bles and rude habits so prevalent in that age ; and are led for- cibly to contrast these with the growing civilization and peaceful occupations that characterize the present times. To the west of Henwood, there appears a rising ground called Gallala Know, which the voice of tradition declares to have been the place appropriated for the execution of criminals during the Border wars. It is now enclosed and planted with trees. There is likewise a seemingly artificial tumulus, beautifully situated in the bosom of a sort of natural amphitheatre hard by the Crag Tower. It is a place, which, in bygone times, might have probably been occupied for the public administration of justice to the lieges. An iron helmet, imbedded in the ground near Cappuck, was dis- covered about sixty years ago ; but we are unable to state into whose hands it has now fallen. Also, at Stotfield there was found lately a large sized and elegantly formed pot or kettle, of the kind 262 ROXBURGHSHIRE. used for culinary purposes by the Romans, during their frequent encampments. It seems to consist of an alloy of copper, bears marks of the mould in which it was cast, and is of a capacity to contain one and a-half gallon. It is at present in the possession of the parochial clergyman. Besides, a shilling of Robert Bruce and two sixpences of Queen Anne were found at Newbigging, and other relics of antiquity, which we forbear particularly to notice. III. — Population. The ancient population of this parish cannot be ascertained. But in 1755 the number was 760 In 1801 it did not exceed 688 And in 1831 it amounted only to 676, comprising 348 males and 328 females. This gradual decrease must be ascribed to the early junction of small farms, and to the subsequent monopoly of larger ones. At present, six large farms are held by non-resident tenants. The ef- fect of this system has been, not so much, indeed, to deteriorate the condition, as to reduce the number of inhabitants. Every village is abolished, owing to the removal of all dwellings not deemed ne- cessary for accommodating the families of tradesmen and farm-ser- vants. The yearly average of births for the last seven years, is . 9 of deaths, - . . g of marriages, ... 3 The average number of persons under 15 years of age is •261 betwixt 15 and 80 . 195 30 and 50 - - 128 50 and 70 - - 82 upwards of 70 - - 15 No landed proprietor resides within the bounds of the parish, and the smallest estate is above L. 150 of yearly value. The number of bachelors and widowers upwards of 50 years of age is 8 of unmarried women and widows upwards of 45 years, 25 offkmilies, - . . 121 And the average number of children in each, 3 Number of families employed in agriculture, 69 trade and handicraft, 17 IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — It is accurately estimated that 3480 acres are either cultivated or occasionally in tillage, and that 16,990 acres, exclusive of plantations, remain unbroken and constantly in pas- ture. But it is evident from traces of the plough being still observ- able on many of the hilly grounds, that these must at a former period have been far more extensively under cultivation than at present In the meantime, however, they cannot be made to un- dergo even occasional tillage with profit, and are kept, therefore^ in permanent pasture. OXNAM. 263 Wood, — Tlie quantity of natural wood is about 50 acres ; and that of old and young plantations is 600 acres. The latter consist of the common kinds of forest trees ; but in point of numbers the larch and Scotch fir greatly predominate. What were planted lately, in addition to those which have stood for several years, are regularly thinned, pruned, and under excellent management, and consequently they are all in a vigorous and thriving state. A few of the aged ash, elm, and other deciduous forest-trees of a large rile still remain to attest, by their scattered and solitary appearance, the wide desolation produced by the hand of time. Rent — The average rent of cultivated land is about 16s. 6d. per acre. The charge for the annual keep of a cow is L. 5, 10s. ; of a three year old, L. 4; of a two year old, L.S, 7s. ; and of a cue year old, L. 2, 10s., all without turnips, but including a little hay in spring. The charge per annum for a full-grown sheep of the Leicester breed is L. 1, and for a young one, 12s., both getting a proportion of turnips in spring, and being otherwise pastured for the rest of the year. A Cheviot ewe pastured for the year is 8s. and of a young sheep, with a few turnips, 5s. for the same pe- riod. Breeds of Stock, — The sheep are almost exclusively of the Che- viot breed ; though, in some richer and more sheltered situations, the Leicester breed is preferred. The strictest attention has long been paid to the breeding and management of the former. Hence the method most commonly adopted for its improvement is this : a small number of the best and finest woolled ewes is selected from the general stock, to which valuable rams, sometimes pro- cured from the adjoining English counties, and sometimes pur- chased from, or exchanged with, a neighbouring farmer, are ad- mitted at the proper season ; and from their produce, rams of the first and most approved quality are afterwards chosen. Some manage Otherwise, for they buy Cheviot lambs, feed them upon turnips during winter, procure Leicester rams at the proper time, and at length dispose of the whole crop of half-bred lambs, and, subsequently, the ewes also, when ready for market Others again adopt still different methods, according to circumstances. The kind of cattle most usually reared is that of the short-horn- ed breed. No small attention is generally paid to the improve- ment of it The horses are of a moderate height, but powerful and active. Hutbandry, — The five-shift rotation is now almost universally t .OXVJUROH'""'"- other ,.f» •' """ V-ro'^'T-^^^t be «er«med. The .„cie.i p«P»l."°» "' *;'"" .„.,^ (ectoItl»»=!'""»Xe the Mmb.r o( f»°' „„, deemed »e 50 and 70 the sma^le«^ esua '- ^_^^ ^ '^'^Zt:,^^^'^^'''^' ^' -,.„ „.,n,b«t of *>="^^'"^'.t..,i women iu»> *'""* ,' o"»"""7' of children m™"" ■ , „ is ac».«clj -«■'«« »■«•''*„, of the hilljaa "p"" „rb.he«»H inpetmM.m'P*' 264 ROXBURGHSHIRE. prevalent The value of many farms has been much enhanced, by means of substantial fences, abundant draining, the liberal and extensive application of Ume, and more lately of bone manure too, which contributes to unfold the energies of the soil in a wonderful manner. In some parts, no trivial advantage has likewise been gained by forming embankments, though only upon a limited scale. The duration of leases commonly extends to nineteen years, which is held to be truly beneficial, both for the landlord and the occu- pying tenant. It tends to enrich the estate of the former, just be- cause it admits of the latter being reimbursed for whatever expen- ses might be unavoidably incurred in effecting judicious and im- portant improvements. Most of the farm-buildings are commo- dious and handsome, and the state of enclosures is good. Recent Improvements. — Large additional plantations, and like- wise numerous subdivisions and enclosures, have recently been form- ed, especially by the Marquis of Lothian, whose excellent and li- berally devised plans, when fully carried into execution, will great- ly contribute both to beautify and enrich his baronial estates in this quarter. Of late, fences of furze, or whin, have been extensively brought into use. They succeed admirably well on moorish or barren soils, where thorns would never grow ; and when properly dressed, besides being ornamental to the farm, are highly benefi- cial to the farmer. The roads running through the parish in vari- ous directions extend to about thirty miles. All the other roads, as well as the main line, which leads most directly from Kelso to the Carter, are kept in good repair. They are upheld by fiinds arising from the conversion of statute labour. The rate of assessment has seldom exceeded L. I for every hundred pounds Scots. It may be added, that the facilities of internal communication were happi- ly increased by means of three stone bridges lately built Amount of raw produce, — The average gross amount of raw pro- duce yearly raised in the parish, will be nearly as follows : Grain of all kinds, 7610 bolls, . . L. 9132 Turnips and potatoes, 652 acres, . . 2375 O Clover and meadow hay, 847 do. . . 2456 6 O Pastures, 18460 do. . . . . 5999 10 Gardens and orchards, . . . . 53 Wood felled, and thinnings of plantations, .. 105 Quarries, . . . . . 7 Rye-grass and turnip seed, . . . 60 O Miscellaneous produce, . . . . 110 ' L. 20297 16 V. — Parochial Economy. Marhet-'Toums — Means of Communication. — The distance fiom OXNAM. 265 Oxnam to Jedburgh, the nearest market-town, is four miles. Near- ly the whole of the disposable produce is sold there, the rest being sold at Kelso or Hawick, where also there are weekly markets, of which one 13 ten and the other fourteen miles distant. A daily coach from Ekliuburgh to Newcastle passes through it, and another runs from it to Edinburgh, and returns every alternate day. No fewer than ten persons, provided either with horses and carts, or donkeys, prosecute a sort of retail trade in bread, groceries, and other arti- cles. Numbers of the gipsy tribe frequent this neighbourhood, especially during the months of summer. As tFiey are less liable to be molested on the Roman road than other places, there, accord- ingly, betwixt thirty and forty have been observed to encamp for days together. Besoms, wicker baskets, and carthcn-ware, are what they usually offer for sale. Ecduiastical State. — The church was built in 1738, and is in a good state of repair, but is inconveniently situated for families dwel- ling in the more remote parts. To it belong four communion cups handsomely formed of silver, of which two were a donation from one individual, and two from another. Each pair has inscribed up- on it respectively the date of its presentation, and the name of the donor. The church is capable of accommodating 258 sitters. All the sittings are free, no pecuniary charge whatever having hither- to been made for them. The manse was rebuilt in 1831, on a more approved and ad- vantageous site. The extent of the glebe is from 12 to 13 acres, and its yearly value about L. 1, 4s. per acre. The amount of stipend, exclusive of L. 8^ 9s. 8d. of vicarage teind tack-duty, is 120 bolls * oatmeal ; and 87 quarters, 3 bushels, one-half quart barley. In general, divine service in the parish church is well attende 5 of deaths for the last seven years, > . 4 births, ... . . 10 marriages, - ... .4 The number of resident proprietors 3, who at least reside for the summer months. There are 5 masons, 2 ciirpenters, 2 tailors. 284 do. 290 574 260 do. 284 544 . . 565 ASHKIRK. 2\ 1 smith, and a respectable farrier. The number of agricultura labourers has not been accurately ascertained. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — I^ind cultivated, 2804 acres. The number of acres of pasture land has not been ascertained. I^and capable of cultivation with a profitable application of capital, inconsiderable. Land planted about 386 acres. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land in the parish is from 14s. to 15s. per acre ; for grazing, per cow, L. 4, for win- tering L. 1, 10s. ; of pasturing from 5s. to 6s. per sheep. The rental of the parish is about L. 4479, 7s. Wages. — Farm-servants with families, have in lieu of board, 3 loads of meal, the produce of a cow, and a certain (|uantity of po- tatoes planted. The average wages of such servants is from L. 9 to L. 10. Shepherds have for wages the keeping of forty-five sheep. The yearly wages of female servants vary from L. 5 to L. 7, exclu- sive of board. The artisans of the parish, such as masons, carpen- ters, and smiths, make, per day, from 2s. to 2s. 4d.; common labour- ers, such as roadmen, from Is. 8d. to 2s. Prices. — The average price of wool and sheep from 1826 to 1831 inclusive, has been accurately ascertained, which is as fol- lows : Cheviot wool laid with tar and butter, per stone of 24 lbs. English, 10s. 7d.; ditto laid with turpentine, 14s. 2d.; ditto purewhite 17s. Id.; stock wethers hogs unclipt, 12:*. 9d.; ditto ewe hogs unclipt, 14s. 2d.; ewe hogs sold at market, lis. 3d.; top wether hmbs, 6s. 6d« ; second ewe and wether lambs, 5s. 3d. ; draft ewes, 12s. 8d.; wethers unclipt, 19s. 9d.; wethers for turnip feeding, L. 1, Os. 6d. Breeds of Live-Stock* — The Cheviot is now the only breed of sheep in the parish ; the black-faced have entirely disappeared. On a few farms the Cheviot ewes are crossed with the Leicester breed, and produce what arc termed half-bred lambs, which yield a much higher price than Cheviot lambs ; but this advantage is gained with many drawbacks of another description, which render the ultimate results doubtful, except on a few farms peculiarly si- tuated. The present breed of cattle in the parish is what is term- ed the short-homed, being found upon the whole to be the most profitable. A few Highland cattle are wintered in tiie parish, on fiurms that have a sufficient command of bog hay. The dairy is in a great measure supplanted by the rearing of young cattle, but what butter is made in the parish is of tiic very best (piality, — our housewives being great adepts in this department. 276 ROXBURGHSHIRK. Husbandry and Produce. — The quantity of laud under cultivatioa in this parish must at one time have been very great, as traces of the plough are still visible upon hills now covered with heath* That any extent of this land could be reclaimed to yield a profit is very doubtful, from the great distance and consequent very high price of lime. Draining has been carried to a considerable extent, and might be yet farther extended with advantage. The avenige re- turn of white crops in the parish may be stated from 4 to 5 bolls per English acre; cultivated hay, 150 stones of 22 lb. per acre; turnips L. 4 per acre ; and potatoes L. 8. The land in the parish is in general very well fanned, both the four and five shift rotation being in practice. The length of leases may be stated from nine to fifteen years ; very few nineteen. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication, — There is no market or post-oflSce in the parish, the distance from Selkirk being five, and from Hawick six miles. There are a few houses at Ashkirk, but nothing that de- serves the name of a village. There are two stone and one wooden bridge across the Ale within the limits of the parish, all of which are in good repair, with the exception of the one on the Edinbtu^h road, which is a great deal too narrow. The parochial roads are but indifferently kept, though the expense to both landlord and tenant is vcrv considerable. Ecclesiastical State. — The present church was built in 1791, is in good repair, and is seated for 202 persons, allowing 18 inches to each person. Tlie seats are all free. The church is conveni- ently situated, being nearly in the centre of the parish. The pre- sent manse was built in 1784. Some additions have since been made, and it is at present comfortable and commodious. It stands on an eminence, fronting the south, and commands a fine view of a beautiful opening of the valley, through which the river Ale runs. The glebe consists of nearly 14 acres, worth about Lw 1, lOs. per acre. The glebe has been greatly improved by the present in- cumbent, being judiciously subdivided by hedges, with small plots of trees, at the corners of each field. The stipend is 14 chalders, consisting of meal and barley, the average of which in money for the last seven years is L. 216, 6s.; allowance for communioD elements, L. 8, 6s. 8d. It deserves to be here mentioned, that the heritors of the parish, with a generosity which does them great ho- nour, allow the assistant clergyman L. SO per annum, and have ASIIKIRK. 277 done so for the last five years during the severe indisposition of the present incumbent Divine service is in general well attend- ed, and the deportment of the congregation highly decorous. The Earl of Minto is patron of the parish. The number of families in the parish attending the chapels of Dissenters or Seceders is 25. Edupation and Literature, — There is only one parochial school. The branches taught are, reading, writing, arithmetic, geometry, land-surveying and mensuration. The average number of scholars may be stated at 40. The schoolmaster's salary is L. 30, and the average amount of fees may be stated at from L. 16 to L. 17 per annum. He has a garden consisting of i rood 28 poles imperial measure. There is a large and handsome new school-house nearly ready for being opened, measuring 31 by 20^ feet within the walls. Libraries, — There is a very well managed parochial library, con- taining a very good selection of books ; and James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers, with a beneficence as honourable to him as beneficial to the parish, has sent a large number of volumes, which, after be- ing read, he withdraws, and replaces by others. P^ar and Parochial Funds, — The poor are chiefly supported by legal assessments, which amount from L.48 to L.56 per annum. The number of paupers upon the roll at present is 8, and three Cunilies receive temporary supply. It does not appear that pau- perism has been on the increase for a considerable number of years, from the data which the register affords ; but the direct tendency of the system of assessments is to weaken the ties of kindred, to lower the moral tone of the people, to relax industry, and to di- minish independence, unless met by powerful checks, from the pe- culiar situation of the parish. The yearly average collections at church amount to L. 6, 18s. 3d. Inns. — There are no inns in the parish, and the character of the inhabitants may be regarded as sober and industrious. JPUeL — The principal fuel used in the parish is peat and coal. But coal, being distant more than thirty miles, can never be rated under Is. 3d. percwt ; and often it is much higher, which makes the expense of coal so great as to place that article beyond the reach of the poor. But not only this parish, but the whole surrounding district, suffer the pressure of this great evil, which admits of no effectual cure, but a rail-road through the. Carter Fell. 278 llOXBrilGHSHlHE. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the date of the last Statistical Account of this parish, the condition of the people has been highly improved in three essen- tial elements of human happiness. The great mass of the inhabit tants are better fed, clad, and educated, than their fathers were at the period to which we have referred. Farming is much better understood and practised in every department ; a much larger quan- tity of produce is raised from the same surface ; and the breeding and management of stock have been carried to a Ifigh state of per- fection. Both the new farm-houses and cottages have in gene- ral been improved, in accommodation and in comfort. And the new offices that have been built, are more ample and convenient. But, with all these great improvements, still much remains to be done. Draining might be farther extended with great advantage, and, were landlords to afford their tenants liberal assistance in lim- ing various parts of the parish, the crops would be much earlier, safer, and more productive. And on the stock farms, in the higher parts of the parish, there is a great want of plantation for shelter. The writer of these re- marks is not unaware, that there are farmers who demur to this spe- cies of shelter as inducing sheep to too much repose and inactivi- ty in seeking food ; but the objection has the misfortune of being directly opposed to some of the best established physical condi- tions, on which the health and productiveness of ruminating ani- mals are known to depend. March 1837. PARISH OF BEDRULE. PRESBTTERY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSR AND TEVIOTDALE, THE REV. ARCHIBALD CRAIG, MINISTER. I- — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The name of the parish, as well as that of the stream near which it is situated, appears to be of Gaelic origin. From the modem spelling, one might be led to suppose that the village is so called, from its being in the hollow or what once formed the channel of the river. But neither the position of the village, nor the old spelling, will warrant this conclusion. It was formerly writ- ten Bedderull, Bedderoull, and Badroull^ and the inhabitants still pronounce it as if written BetherulL Rule^ or more properly Roull, iscomposed of two Gaelic words, and has no reference to orconnec« tion with St Reguhis — /22icA vented ISuthcr resistance. What became of him, after he bad thua fidlen inle Uit hands of his enemies, the writer has nut been able to learn. BEDRULE. 28d Raudolph married Bethoc, the heiress of some lands in Teviotdale. The descendants from this marriage assumed, in the thirteenth century, the surname of Randolph. Sir Thomas Randolph, after- wards Earl of Murray, was the great grandson. * We find a charter granting the lands of Bedrule, called Bethocnile, to James Douglas, who is styled Militi dilecto et fideU nostro — by Robert I. But the charter being mutilated, the date and witnesses' names do Dot appear.-|- The family of the Turnbulls, famous for their predatory habits in ancient times, produced a man no less illustrious as a scholar than as a benefactor to his country. This was William Turnbull, son of Turnbull of Bedrule. He was first a prebendary of Glas- gow, afterwards Doctor of Laws, and Archdeacon of St Andrew's, in the bounds of Lothian a Privy- Counsellor, and keeper of the privy-seal. He is styled William de Turnbull Dno Prebendse pri- vati sigilli custodi anno 144Lt When Bishop Bruce was trans- ktedfromDunkeldto Glasgow 1447, Turnbull was elected Bishop of Dunkeld ; but Bruce dying in the same year, Turnbull was then elected Bishop of Glasgow, and consecrated in the month of April 1448. This bishop (says Keith) was a person of an excellent charac- ter. In 1452 or 1453, be procured a bull from Pope Nicholas V. for erecting a College for literature within the city of Glasgow ; after the complete settlement of which noble monument of his care for the cultivation of learning, he took a journey to Rome, where he died 8d September 1454.§ Rewcastle, or as it is written in old records, Roughechester, Rewlcastle, or Rouchcastle, b said to be a place of great antiqui- ty. The castle has vanished, and even the site can hardly be dis- tiDgiushed*-€fiam periere ruiiuB. There is a tradition that the courts of Justice were originally held there, and afterwards remov- ed to Jedburgh. The farm-house is substantial, being lately erected ; but the rest of the houses are in a very ruinous condi- tion. Under the tasteful and active management, however, of the • duam. CUed. Vol. iii. p. 71- f Rot. i. No. 12 Regittr. Mag. Sig. Robert I. Bethoc inherited the lands of Btilioenile and Rougbechcater, which is now called Rewcastle, in Teviotdalc. Rao- dolph, the Km of Dunegal, and his wife Bethoc, granted to the monks of Jedburgh, • Mrmeate of land with common of pasture, in £e Till of Rughcchestcr, and this mnt was confirmed by William the Lion. The original charter was engraved by Sill mnnlioence of the Duke of Buccleuch.— -Chalmers, Gated. Vol. iii. p. 71>7*^' * X R^* Chart. C CaUlogue of the Scottish Bishops down to 1688. By the Right Kcr. Robert Kcitb.-*audmers*8 Caled. Vol. liL p. 622. 286 ROXBURGHSHIRE. present proprietor, George Pott, Esq. of Dod, we may expect soon to see a great improvement on this farm. He has already com** menced erecting stables, forming part of a plan of new officesi which, in point of elegance and accommodation, are of a very superior kind. The situ£^tion of Rewcastle commands the view of one of the most extensive and varied landscapes in the country. In this landscape, you have the vale of the Teviot from Hawick almost to the Tweed, bounded on N.W. and N. by Elildon Hills, the Lammermoor Hills, Home Castle and the fertile plains of the Merse; and on the south, and west by the giant height of Ruberslaw, and the range of hills which stretch to the Etterick and Yarrow. There are few places in this county capable of more improvement, and in the hands of the present spirited pro- prietor much may be expected. This property formed a part of the estate of Knowsouth, long in the possession of the ancient fa- mily of the Rutherfords of Knowsouth. But shortly afler the death of the late Captain Rutherford, the estate was sold by his heirs to the present proprietors. Knowsouth. — William O. Rutherfurd, Esq. of Edgerston, and Sheriff of the county of Roxburgh, is now the proprietor of Know- south, having purchased it from Charles Scott, Esq. one of the heirs of the late Captain Rutherford. Mr Rutherfurd has been at great expense in building a very elegant villa, and in making other improvements on a similar scale. The house is of that style of architecture which is known by the name of the Elizabethan style, of which we have other specimens in the neighbourhood. It is, however, more ornamented than any I have seen, and the situation, that of the old mansion-house, being admirably adapted for this style of building, and well surrounded with wood, gives a grand and imposing appearance, as seen from the high road between Kelso and Hawick, which passes near it. Nor does it lose much from a nearer inspection. There are few more delicious spots than Know- south, and a more appropriate style of architecture than that adopted by Mr Rutherfurd can scarcely be imagined. There are two magnificent elms at a little distance from the house, which de- serve particular notice, not so much from their size, which is very considerable, as from their wide spreading and numerous branches) which extend in every direction from the parent trunk. One of them measures 1 2 feet 3 inches in circumference, the other 1 1 feetd inches^ They seem to have been coeval with the old mansion-hous^ and to have been pollards, which may account for the great number of BEDRULE. 287 branches all springing out near one another* They must at least be a century old. Newtan.'^This village, in point of size and importance, is next to Bedrule. The estate of Newton formerly belonged to a family of the name of Ker, cadets of the family of Fernihirst There was a house of strength there, which is now demolished. The foundations of the old mansion-house, with the venerable avenue of trees, still bespeak the taste and grandeur of the olden times. It was lately in the possession of William Ogilvie, Esq. of Chesters, who sold it to the present proprietors, Thomas and John Scott, Esqs. The com- munion cups of Bedrule church were a present from Ker of New- ton and his lady, according to the inscription* on each of them, bearing date 1716. Newton now forms but one farm, though it was divided into two in the memory of persons still living. But Stirkriggi the name of the other farm, is not now discernible, the farm-house and all its appendages have passed away, and the plough has obliterated all vestiges of the place where it stood. Proprietors and Tenants. — Sir William Francis Eliott, Bart, of Stobs and Wells, is the chief heritor, being the proprietor of Bed- rule and Fulton. Besides Sir William, there are four considerable proprietors, and four smaller ones. None of the heritors are resi- dent, except George Bell, Esq. of Menslaws, who farms his own property with great skill and success. Parochial Re^ster. — The registration of births, deaths, and mar- riages, seems to have been kept much better at an early period, than at present The Session Records of this parish go back as far as about 1660; but the precise date cannotbe ascertained, as the leaves at the beginning have been mutilated. This book, bolh for its singular form and penmanship, and the minuteness and accu- racy with which every public transaction both of ministers and el- ders, is recorded, both on Sundays and on week-days, is a valu- able reliqiie of the olden times. It is of a narrow oblong form, be- ing a folio doubled lengthways, like a merchant's day-book. The paper is coarse, and so closely written that every inch of it is oc- cupied* It is to be regretted that many pages at the commence- ment and in some other places are so worn and defaced as to be il^gible. The registration of births has been very irregularly kept for many years past, and though the present incumbent has repeatedly and earnestly impressed the propriety and duty of parents enrolling * The words of the inscription are — " This cup gifted by Newton Ker and his I^die to tbt ebiirefa of Bcdaroulc, 1 7 1 6.'* 288 ROXBURGHSHIRE. the names of their children born in the parish, he cannot boast of much success. Clergy. — Mr Joseph Tennent is mentioned in an old record of presbytery, as minister of Bedrule, as far back as 1606, and seema to have been one of the first incumbents after the Reformation. He lived till about 1631. He also held, for a considerable time, the living of Abbotrule, the cure of which he likewise served till about 1621 ; when it was disjoined from Bednile, and Mr James Ker, laird of the Grange, (an estate in Abbotrule,) was ordained there, and was the first Protestant minister of that parish after its disjunction from Bedrule. Mr Tennent was succeeded by Mr Da- vid Fowlis, who was admitted dOth October 1633, by the Bishop of Caithness, * and presbytery of Jedburgh. Mr Fowlis was soon after translated to Oxnam, which in those times seems to have been considered as one of the most valuable livings in the south of Scot- land ; and Mr Henry Peirson succeeded him in the benefice of Bedrule. But the Covenanters soon after gaining the ascendancy, both these gentlemen were removed from their churches, for their attachment to Episcopacy. Mr Henry Elliot was the Presbyterian minister who succeeded Mr Peirson, and was admitted by the presbytery of Jedbui^, as- sisted by commissioners, from the neighbouring presbyteries of Selkirk, Kelso, and Erselton ; and died about 1653^ The church of Bedrule was kept vacant, in those contentious times, for the space of five years. Mr Hugh Scott was ordained here 17th March 1658. He did not continue long minister; for on the re- establishment of Episcopacy, he was removed from his church for nonconformity. Mr James Adamson, minister of Carriden, was preferred to the living of Bedrule, 7th September 1664^ and con- tinued minister here during the reigns of Charles and James, and seems to have died about the time of the Revolution. He was succeeded by Mr James Borland in 16M, who was the first mi- nister settled here after Presbyterianism was re-established. From his epitaph, written in respectable Latin, we learn that he met with a good deal of opposition from the Episcopalians in the pa* rish — ^^ qui juvenis veritatis viam per varios casus et praelatis ipsum persequentibus invictus tenuit."-t* Mr Borland was succeeded by Mr John Gilchrist in 1714, who in 1748 was succeeded by Mr * Dr John Abernethy, then Bishop of Caithness, and mlntoter of Jedbux|^. He was t)ie author of a work, entitled A Christian and Heavenly Troatise, contmnin^ Physic for the SouL f Epitaph in Bedrule church-yard. BEDRULE. 289 George Dickson,* whom the late Mr William Brown succeeded in 1788, and died 2dd May 1836, — having been minister of Bed- rule for tHe long space of forty-eight years. The present incum- bent was appointed assistant and successor to the late Mr Brown in 1892. The late Mr Brown was a man of considerable talents and literature. Previously to his being ordained a minister, he taught as an usher in an academy in France, and in one in the neighbour- hood of London, besides being some time a teacher in Watson's Hospital at Edinburgh ; and was tutor in the family of Sir John Stewart of Allanbank at the time he was presented by the late Joseph Hume, Esq. of Ninewells, to the church and parish of Bedrule. He published an edition of the New Testament, with short explanatory notes, and marks to guide the learner in pro« * It was during Mr Dickson's incumbency that the iniquitous transaction of the ■ u pp rea s i on of the parish and church of Abbotrule took place, which Mr Dickson ■drvnuously opposed, along with Dr Charters of Wilton. Mr Dickson's reasons of ]protMt are recorded in the Presbytery records, and as they are cogent in argument, mnd TCTf interotiog in the present state of the Church of Scotland, I have deemed it proper to insert them in full. Protest of Mr George Dickson, Minister of Bedrule. From this reM)lution of prcsbjrtery Mr George Dickson dissented, and craved that lusdiMentf with the reasons thereof^ might be recorded in this day'b minute^ and took InitmixieDts in the clcrk*s hands, May 7* 1777> TIm reatons are : InKK Because he humbly conceives that this method of constituting a pastoral rek- tlon is without rule or precedent in this Reformed Church, nay is such a dangerous iniiovatioii as the presbytery by their ordination vows are bound to guard against. SdOy Because such a/aux pat in our Presbyterial conduct will be watchwl by our dif nfing neiglibours, as a very welcome handle to draw away to themselves many of our people, as well as a great part of these annexed parishes. 9tioy Because he conceives it is unwarrantable to appoint or require the people of Abbotrule parish to attend public institutions and divine worship at So Jthdean and fiobkirky without first holding visitations of these two churches, and finding proper aeeommodation lor their people so appointed — ^proper places to attend divine wordiip JDm ■ the present places of worship there will accommodate little more than one- half of the inhabitants so conjoined,^— and he presumes that the presbytery will not pre- tend to dispensing powers, allowing one-half of their congregations to stay at home, JMIJ9 not even till such repairs of their churches, were they set about just now, should be eieeuted ; hx less when they do not know about when they shall be set about. He docs not dispute but these present houses might hold twice as many, — for any thing be knows, ten times as many, disembodied spirits. But while the worshippers there continue in the body, it necessarily behoves the presbytery, he presumes, to take care that those embodied worshippers have places to worship in, suited to their preient embodied state. And there seems the more reason to doubt of these repairs being ipeedily, if ever, made. That after all that has been said of maintaining a •diool at Abbotrule, Uie school-house is going into disrepair, already it is stated : and there has becm a school kept there, thu last season, to the no small danger, if not eertain detriment of some persons' souls. Complaints thereof has lately been made to him, aa member of presbytery, again and again. Such complaint is fiir ftt>m be- ing groundless or trivial ; the instruction of youth in the great Christian Book be- ing of ineipresriUe importance. Craving leave to add more reasons, if he shall af- Eitracted from the Records of the Presbytery of Jedburgh. G£o. Dicksok. 290 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Dunciation. It is a very useful book, and might be very advan- tageously introduced into public schools. Suppression of Churches. — The suppression of the parish and church of Abbotnile, (said to have been formerly a pendicle of Bedrule,) and the uniting it to the already too extensive parishes of Southdean and Hobkirk, was a most unjustifiable transaction, to use no harsher term, and hurtful both to the religious and moral improvement of the people, and withal a most impolitic step. It is grievous to think of the many suicidal acts of this nature, which many presbyteries throughout the Church of Scotland committed during last century. Neither of the leading parties of the church are blameless in this matter ; for they seem to have vied with one another in this absurd conduct, however much they differed in other things. In country parishes, the writer firmly believes, that this suppression and annexation of parishes, and, along with the sup- pression of the church, the suppression also of the parish schools^ as in the case before us, has been one of the most fertile causes of dissent. The church is now reaping the bitter fruits of these misdeeds, in the bold and menacing attitude which a huge body of Dissenters in this country have now taken against our Establish- ment. It is to be regretted that the Church Extension Committee have, in all their laborious statistical investigations, never thought of devoting their attention to this subject. An investigation into all the suppressed parishes and churches in Scotland during last century, would lead to many discoveries, most important at this critical position of our national church. It would show how much the spirit of sectarianism has been promoted in many parts of the country from this single cause. It would show how much the pea- santry in the districts of the suppressed parishes had suffered,*- not only from their'greater distance from their new parish church, but from the distance of the school being such as to prevent the greater part of their children from attending it, for one-half of the vear. III. — Population. The population of this parish, by the return to Dr Webster in 1775, was 297 souls. In 1793^ the number was about 259. At present, according to a census made by the author, the number is 257, of whom 116 are males, and 141 females. In 18d2, the population amounted to 300 and upwards, — since which time there has been a remarkable decrease. The decrease may be account- ed for by the decay of cot-houses, and the tendency of late to BEDRLLE. 291 convert arable iDto pasture lands, which require fewer bauds. In the farm of Rewcastle, there were in 1832, 39 inhabitants, whereas at present there are only 21. There are in the parish under 10 years of age, . 78 from 1 to 20 . 64 20to50 • 86 50 to O'O m J4 tfO to 70 m 11 70 to 80 • 4 Almost the whole population is engaged in agriculture. There are two stocking-weavers, and one smith, but neither tailor, shoe- maker, nor joiner in the whole parish. These must be sought at Denholm or Jedburgh ; — the former, two, — the latter, three miles and a-half from the village of Bedrule. What can be better want- edf we have neither alehouse nor whisky-shop. The inhabitants in general, as in most pastoral districts, are sim- ple in their manners, and temperate in their habits, and pretty re- gular in their attendance on divine ordinances. The late excite- ment with regard to politics has even reached this retired spot, and has done much to unsettle their calm and peaceful habits, and sour their dispositions. But it is to be hoped that this excitement irill soon pass away, as there are already symptoms of melioration in this respect, and that the sound sense and deep religious feel- ing, for which the peasantry of this country have been so long dis- tinguished, will regain their wonted sway over their minds. It has been remarked to the author, and confirmed by his own experi- ence, that there is less gaiety and cheerfulness among the labouring classes than in former times, and that the song of the milk-maid, and the whistling of the ploughman, which were so common in this land of poetry and song — are now seldom heard. This most in- nocent and heart-cheering amusement, every lover of his kind — every one who takes a deep interest in the happiness of the rural population, the nerves and sinews of a country — cannot but wish to see revived, and that those sweet pastoral songs, with all their in- teresting associations, may again be heard — cheering the labours of the field, delighting the listening ear, and awakening in the mind the most pleasing emotions. The improvement which has lately taken place, generally through- out the country, in habits of neatness and cleanliness, is very con- spicuous in this parish. Not only are the houses of the farm-ser- vants more substantial and commodious, but the furniture is of a superior kind to what was usual in former times. There are few 292 ROXBURGHSHIRE. cottages in the parish where you will uot find a handsome eight- day clock, standing beside a very neatly arranged bink of crockery ware. Two cottages belonging to George Bell, Esq. of Menslaws, deserve particular notice, for their superior accommodation and comfort Either of them would have been considered a very com- fortable farm house, fifty or a hundred years ago. The floor of one of them surpasses, in one respect, any thing of the kind perhaps in the whole county. It is made of a compost of lime and gravel ; and for hardness and smoothness, and appearance, equals any co- vered with flags, and will last, if properly taken care of, as this seems to be, longer than one laid with freestone flags. The dress of the peasantry is neat and becoming. The plaid or maud of the borders, consisting of black and white, or blue and white checks, is almost universal among the men, and they arrange it with a good deal of taste. The dress of the female peasantry is very neat and showy — in many cases too gaudy and expensive m their station. The straw bonnet, of various shapes and hues, is very general. IV. — Industry. Rental. — The valued rent is L. 3475, Ids. 4d. Scots. The real rent cannot easily be ascertained, as there is a cojisiderable portion of the estates farmed by the proprietors. One tenant pays above Lb 900 Sterling, another L. 610, another L.405, and one farm, that was farmed by the present proprietor previously to his pur- chasing it, was let at about L. 350. Farming. — The system of farming is generally what is called the four or five year shift, according to the following order, adopted by Mr Brodie of Bedrule, which may be considered as the standard, not only in this parish, but through a great proportion of the county. First year, fallow or turnip ; second year, wheat after plain fal- low ; third and fourth years, grass ; fifth year, oats. There is a variation after turnip in the second year, when barley or oats take the place of wheat, which is only sown in a fine season. Some- times, beans are sown instead of the second year's grass ; but they are not much cultivated in this parish. Mr Bell of Menslaws adopts what is rather unusual beside the four year shift, a rotation of seven years, and may be called the seven year shift, according to the following order : first year, oats from lea ; second year, beans ; third year, wheat ; fourth year, turnips ; fifth year, barley ; sixth year, grass ; seventh year, grass. That this rotation is well BEDRULE. 293 « adapted to the soil of Menslaws, there is the best of all proofs, the production of excellent crops. Manure. — In addition to dung and compost, bone-dust has been introduced to a considerable extent, and its beneficial effects have been, as elsewhere, strikingly exhibited* Lime is used to a great extent, and as there is none now prepared in the parish, it is brought from a great distance, either from Northumberland or Lid- desdale. Lbrd Douglas has lately erected some lime-kilns on the north side of the Carter, for the supply of his own tenants, and it is to be hoped, that they will be opened to the public also, which, on account of the proximity to this and some of the neighbouring parishes, would be conferring a great benefit. Sheqp. — The number of sheep in the parish is about 110 score ; they are almost all of the Cheviot breed. Mr Jerdon, the tenant of Rewcastle, of a stock of 30 score, hasgenerally a considerable num* ber of his ewes put to Leicester tups, and the produce are half- bred lambs. Mr Bell of Menslaws has thirteen Merinos from the royal flock of Spain. He has had them only for a short time, but expects they will succeed in a dry soil. They ane rather smal- ler than the Cheviot breed, and their wool not nearly so white, having a brownish tinge, and being in smaller quantity than in the native sheep. There are no black-faced sheep reared here, although the pasture seems well adapted for them. The sheep walks in this parish are, in a great measure, composed of heath, which, although it does not grow to the height and thickness of stem found in other parts of the country, is of an excellent quality, and when in blossom has a beautiful and luxuriant ap- pearance. The sheep thrive remarkably upon it, and are sel- dom tainted with disease. It requires great attention and ma- nagement by burning it down at certain seasons. The practice adopted, and found by experience to succeed best, is to burn it every four or five years. Cattle. — The kind of cattle is what is called the short-homed breed, of a middling size, colour generally red or white, and a mixture of these colours. Mr Brodie generally purchases about thirty Highland cattle or Kyloes yearly, which being kept about a year are sold in the month of September. Most of the farmers feed a few cattle for the butcher, some of which may rank in quality with those which are reared by the best breeders in the country. 294 ROXBURGHSHIRE. fVaff€3.^'The wages of a common labourer, without victuals, are Is. dd. in winter, and 2s. in summer. A gardener receives Is. 6d. per diem, with his victuals, and a dram after the labours of the day are finished. A joiner receives 2s. 6d. and a mason Ss. a day. The gains of a farm-servant, or hind, consist of the following items in money and victual; L. 3 Sterling, 5 bolls of oat -meal, 280 pounds to the boll, barley, 10 firlots or 15 bushels, pease 4 firlots, 1200 or 1400 yards of potatoes planted; a* cow's main- tenance summer and winter ; allowed to keep six hens, or IDs. in lieu ; also a pig ; (for house and plot of garden ground, the hind must furnish a shearer during harvest ;) the driving of five or six single horse cart load of coals, for which he pays prime cost at the pit He has, besides, a month's victuals during harvest, whether engaged in the reaping department or otherwise. The gains of a shepherd, as might reasonably be expected, are greatly above those of a hind, but fluctuate with the value of stock, which constitutes a chief part of his gains. Shepherds have in some instances thirty sheep, and are allowed to keep a cow, and one or more pigs — besides a certain quantity of potato ground. Some shepherds, who are industrious and economical, realize conside- rable property, and there are instances, in the neighbourhood, of their being able to take an extensive farm. Gardens and Orchards. — There are good kitchen gardens in the parish, and a considerable quantity of fruit raised ; but the cli- mate does not suit the production of the finer kinds of fruit. Ap- ple trees thrive better than pear trees, and plums better than either, — especially that small yet most valuable plum, called Dam-> son. There is an orchard consisting of several acres of ground at Knowsouth ; * but the trees are old, and many of them decayed, and do not appear to be productive. There are also the remains of an orchard at Newton. Arable Land and Produce, — The number of arable acres in the parish is 1600. The average quantity of grain raised per acre is five bolls. Of these 1600 acres of arable land, one-fifth is regu- larly cropped with turnips and potatoes, with the exception of a small part in plain fallow. Of the grain raised, about three-fourths are consumed in the parish. The number of acres sown with turnips is about twenty-five, the average value of which per acre is nearly * Since this account was put to press, the greater part of Knowsouth, contaiDiQC the elegant mansion mentioned above, has been purchased by George Pott, £aq. w Dod, — Rewcastle and Knowiouth being thu& again united under one proprietor. DEDRULE. 295 L 5 Sterling. About twenty acres are planted with potatoes, which produce yearly about 800 bolls, most of which are consum- ed at home. A portion of both meadow and cultivated hay is rais- ed ; but the writer has not been able to ascertain the quantity, or any thing like an approximation to it. All that is raised is con- sumed on the different farms. The quantity of wool grown in the parish is about 400 stones annually. v.— Parochial Economy. Vittaget and Country Seats, — There is no village of any consi- derable size in the parish. Bedrule itself, once a populous place, has now dwindled away to little more than a farm onstead. The houses in the village were all lately built, and being covered with slate, faave^ from their situation, a very neat and cheerful appearance. The farm-house of Mr Brodie is partly new, and is very commo- dious, and from its site, which has been chosen with great taste, it has a very imposing appearance, and commands a wide prospect of scenery in a high degree beautiful and magnificent. Church. — The present church was erected about thirty-four years ago. It is built on the site of the old one, and though not so long, is oonsiderably broader, and is capable of holding about 140 indivi- duals* It is situated on the top of the bank, having a pretty steep ascent from the level of the stream, and has a commanding view of the surrounding country. What is rather uncommon, the bel- fry is on the eastern gable of the building, and has an awkward appearance. Sir W. F. Eliott, Bart, chief heritor, got a plan drawn Out of a proposed improvement, with an elegant spire on the west ^ud for a belfry and clock, and Gothic windows instead of the pre- sent ones. This plan, if carried into effect, would render the church One of the most beautiful and picturesque of country churches. Ilie expense would not be great, as the finest freestone in the ^^untry could be got from Sir William's quarry in the neigh- lH>urhood. It would also add to the accommodation, by converting t>oth the present passages into seat room, and affording the conve- nience of a vestry, which in all country churches at any conside- rable distance from the manse, is of great importance both to the Comfort and health of minister and elders. Man»e. — The manse was built, according to a date affixed to the lintel of the kitchen window, in 1794, and is a very substantial and ^mmodious house, without any of the gaudy ornaments of some lately erected manses. The great objection to it is the too great 296 ROXBURGHSHIRE. ■ number of windows, which lay a tax on the minister disproportion- ed to his stipend. Half the number of windows would have been sufficient ; but it was built when clergymen paid no window-tax. Of the 46 families in the parish, 25 attend the parish church, and 21 belong to Dissenting congregations of different denomi- nations. There is no dissenting place of worship in the parish ; but those who frequent such places go to Jedburgh. School — The school-house was built a few years ago, and both it and the schoolmaster's dwelling-house are very substantial and commodious. The schoolmaster*s salary is Lb 26 Sterling, with the usual quantity of garden ground, and six days darg of tur£ The number of pupils attending thi^ school, in former times, used to be much greater than now ; but, owing to the decrease of the inhabitants in the village and neighbourhood and other causes, the number has much decreased. The branches taught are, reading, writmg, arithmetic, and book-keeping. The Bible is the general class-book, and the Assembl/s Shorter Catechbm regularly taught. Some of the more advanced pupils read Barrie's Collec- tion. Poor. — These are supported by assessment fixed by the heri- tors at their meetings, held twice yearly for this purpose. The al- lowance to paupers is generally between 2s. and 8b. weekly. In some urgent cases, more is allowed ; but Ss. may be considered as the average. There are but four on the list at present, so that the poor's rates of the parish are very trifling. Indeed, there are few parishes in Scotland where public burdens in general, as they are denominated, are so light Five hundred merks were mortified to the poor of the barony of Bedrule 1695, by William Ramsay in Bedrule mill, and Margaret TurnbuU his wife ; of which the &mily of Cavers Carre are left trustees. Mrs Mary Anne Stevenson, relict of the Rev. James Borland, (formerly mention- ed) sunk L. 100 Scots to the poor of this parish, of which, accord- ing to the account in the parish records, the session appear to have been appointed 4^y her as the overseers. Of the interest of these sums, mortified by pious individuals, the poor of this parish hava received nothing for several years, and the writer has not been able to gain any satisfactory account of what became of the deeds of mortification. Gbneral Remarks. A few years ago, there was a great spirit of emigration in this parish, as in most other parishes in the neighbourhood. But, since BEDRULE. 2^7 the year 1834, a year fatal to thousands of emigrants from this country, who fell victims to cholera soon after their landing in Canada, the fever of emigration has in a great measure sub- sided. The inhabitants of this parish and of the neighbouring parishes have several striking peculiarities of dialect. For instance, instead of me and he, they pronounce these words as if written mti and hii\ instead of tree, they say trei\ and three, threi^ which is pre- cisely the German drei, by the substitution of th instead of tl » They pronounce the Scotch twa, with a peculiar drawl, making it a dissyllable, as if written tweah ; and brae they make bre.ik. All these sounds are rather pleasant to tlio car ; but their pronuncia- tion of the initial h in some words is harsh, and cacophonous in no ordinary degree. Thus the proper name-Hope, signifying a par- ticular kind of glen, they pronounce as if written whupj) ; and hole, as xiwhull; horn as if whimu These peculiarities, as far as the author has been able to ascertain, are confined to the higher districts of Roxburghshire. It might afford a curious subject of inquiry how this peculiarity of sounding the initial h originated, and how far it might serve to throw light on the Aeolic Digam- ma, a subject which has so long divided and perplexed scholars " et adhuc sub judice lis est." These peculiarities of dialect are, of course, generally confined to the lower ranks of the people, — al- though, such is the effect of habit and imitation, you hear some- times people, from whose education and rank you might augur differently, utter the same harsh and barbarous sounds. May 1837* KOKDUKGU. U PARISH OF KELSO. PRESDYTERY OF KELSO, SYNOD OF MER8E AND TEVIOTDALE. THE REV. J. M. MACCULLOCH, A. M. MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — Kelso,* formerly written Kellsowe, and at still more re- mote periods, Calchow and Calkow, is supposed to owe its name to the cliff on which part of the town stands. The name Calkow is composed of two words, — the Celtic calch or ctalc^ chalk, and the Anglo- Saxon ho or hmo, a height : and as the cliff referred to con* tains gypsum and other calcareous earths, the appellation Cortt- how (Scottice Cauk^heitgh) is far from inappropriate. The hard and soft sounds of cli being interchangeable, the original pronun- ciation KaUow would readily slide into the softened KaleAow ; while the further transition of Kalc/iow into KaLsAow, and thence into Kelsow and Kelso is easily accounted for by the usus entmei" audi of the Scottish border. Up to this day, the illiterate part of the rural population give soft ch its French sound, and pronounce cheap, cheat, &c. as if the orthography was sheap, sheat Topofp'aphical Features. — In shape, the parish is nearly trian- gular ; its greatest length is about 5 miles, its greatest breadth about 3. It is divided into two nearly equal parts by the River Tweed, which intersects it in a north-easterly direction, for about three miles : and as the parish stretches longitudinally in a direc— ^ tion at right angles to the river, so as to form a transverse sections of the vale of the Tweed, its topographical features necessarily em — brace both dale and upland, and exhibit the varied character inse- parable from the scenery of a wide and beautifully-diversified val — ley. In the northern division, the country gradually rises fromth^^ * KcJso is not the only name in the parish which exhibits traces of the successi^^* possession of this part of Scotland by the Britons and Saxons. TnH:ed% the name ^^-' the principal river, is the Catubro-British Tmdd, the border of a country. The oZ Saxon Lkaw, or laxo^ a hill, enters into the name of not less than five heights in parish, viz. Brox-/asp, Galla-Zatr, Sharpit./rzTr, Spy-/i/v, SoMatu» One place. Woe has the Saxon d:an as its affix ; another, IMuse-rJ^' has the Saxon rig- There is no of Scandinavian names; but the Norman vUl appears in Maxtrr/7, which was ori nally written Maccusr'i//, and named from Maccus, the proprietor of the parish Maxwell, in the timeof King David I. KELSO. 299 river's edge^ in a series of undulating ridges nearly parallel to each other and to the river ; while, in the soutlicrn, the general slope of the ground, which also gradually rises as it recedes from the Tweed, is modified both by the precipitous character of the river-banks and by the valley on the west, through which the Teviot pours its tri- butary waters into the Tweed. Viewed from the distant heights of Stitchell and Hume, Kelso appears to occupy a level surface at the bottom of a wide and richly-wooded strath ; but when seen in bird's-eye view from the vicinity of the river, it presents the ap- pearance of an amphitheatre, varied as well in its physical outlines as in its artificial adornments, — intersected by two broad and noble rivers, and having for its boundary a circle of wooded heights. Situation of Town, — The town is situate on the north bank of the Tweed, nearly opposite to the point where the Teviot falls into it ; and consequently forms the centre of this amphitheatre. Nor is it unworthy of its environs. Like other towns lying on the banks of rivers, its principal street, following the line of the river, is tortuous and irregular, but it can boast of a square of no incon- ^siderable size, and some architectural pretensions. And its houses throughout being generally built of a light-coloured stone and roofed with blue slate, impart to the place an elegant and city-like air, which preserves its title to the description given of it by Pat- ten so long ago as the time of Edward VI., as ^^ a pretty market- town-*' Scenery.— The picturesque beauty of the scenery about Kelso is too well known to render any description necessary here. It be- 'oxigs^ indeed, to the class of the beautiful rather than the roman- tic ; and its pleasing effect is due, not so much to the command- ^^g character of any single object, as to the blending, combination, *»id harmony of the whole. Yet it may be questioned if Scotland Contains a spot superior to it in its own style of beauty, or richer in ■^^"bjects for the portfolio of the artist. " Bosom'd in woods where mighty rivers run, Kelsons fair vale expands before the sun ; Its rising downs in vernal beauty swell, And, fringed with hazel, winds each flowery dell : Green spangled plains to dimpling lawns succeed, And Temp* rises on the banks of Tweed : Blue o*er the river Kelso's shadow lies And copse-clad isles amid the water rise."* ^t ought to be added, that the charm of a locality, thus beauti- • Lc'vde:^ — " Scenes of Infancy." * ■ 300 ROXBURGHSHIRE. ful in itself, is in no small degree enhanced by the historical and legendary associations which are connected with it, — a circum- stance of which no stronger proof need be adduced than Sir Wal- ter Scott's testimony, that to this very scenery, amidst which he spent the latter period of his boyhood, he could trace the awak- ening within himself of that " love of natural scenery, more espe- cially when combined with ancient ruins or remains of our fathers* piety or splendour," which was in him " an insatiable passion," and imparted so peculiar a colour to his subsequent pursuits and compositions. Every one has not, like Sir Walter, either a poe- tical temperament, or a memory stored with those treasures of bor- der lore necessary to render the gray ruin and the " storied" mea- dow suggestive of the past ; but the portions of border history or tradition, which the rocks, and ruins, and streams about Kelso recall, are fortunately too familiar not to place within the reach of ipost men the pleasure derivable from contemplating the lo- cality in connection with its associated circumstances; whilst the visitor, whose associations take the direction of devotion rather than of poetry, will find here ample food for that enviable habit of mind, which, by connecting the idea of Deity with all the objects and aspects of nature, causes the landscape to become tributary, not only to the imagination, but to piety. Climate. — Though, upon the whole, mild and genial, the climate of Kelso is scarcely so salubrious as might be expected from th^ latitude of the place, its elevation, exposure, and distance from the sea. In common with all parishes which lie on the banks of a larg^ river, and in the trough of a valley bounded by hills, it is subject; to more than an average share of humidity. Hoar-frost is preva- lent during the winter months ; and, at almost all seasons, a con- siderable portion of imperfectly dissolved vesicular vapour may be seen floating in the form of a thin mist over the bed and in the vi- cinity of the river. The prevailing winds are those from the west, which often sweep with great violence down the vale of the Tweed; but easterly winds are also common, especially in the spring months, when the blighting easterly haar is by no means an unfre- quent visitor. In point of climate, however, Kelso has undergone, iu the course of a century, a great and beneficial change. At one period, all the mcailow-lands in the vicinity were filled with pools and marshes ; and even in the memory of many persons still living, the beautiful meadow, to the north-east of the town, which is i KELSO. 301 now used as a race-course, formed the favourite resort of a colony of sea-mews and wild-ducks, which regularly returned in the brood- ing season to its reeds and flags, and supplied by their eggs an article of considerable profit to the children of the iK)or. The last of these morasses has now disappeared under the ameliorating processes of draining and tillage ; and intermittent fever, which was for centuries the scourge of the district, has departed with it. Unfortunately no meteorological registers exist, of sufficient du- ration and accuracy to furnish data lor determining* the mean range either of temperature or of humidity ; but the general mild- ness of the climate is sufficiently vouched by various well ascer- tained facts. Not only have grapes, as the black Hamburgh and white sweet-water kind, ripened in the open air, during an occa* sional hot summer, and polyanthuses, primroses, laurustines, &c. been frequently in full blow during the winter months ; but va- rious rare plants have stood the winter, and bloomed abundantly in the open air for many years ; among which may be specified the Agapanthus umbellatus (blue African lily,) Euromocarpus sea- Aray Passiflora {xerulea^ Glycinea Sinensis^ Fuchsia coccinea, conica^ ^raciliSf Thomsonia and virgata^ as also most of the new varieties of Chinese roses. Rivers, — The only rivers are the two already referred to, the "Tweed and the Teviot, — their tributaries in the parish being but inconsiderable burns, which serve only to diversify the scenery at ^he point of influx into the principal streams. The Tweed is here ^ibout 440 feet in width ; and the Teviot 200 feet ; though the latter, in consequence of being diverted to form a mill -lead, is some- what shorn of its fair proportions at the very point, that of its confluence with the Tweed, — where the lover of scenery can worst spare its full freight of waters. Neither of these rivers, if we ex- cept occasional pools or wheels^ as they are locally designated, is, in ordinary circumstances, of any considerable depth or velocity. But from the length of their course, and the number of mountain- streams which fall into them, they are subject to frequent and sudden floods. Sometimes both are flooded simultaneouslv, and unite in one turbid and headlong stream, *' rolling red from bank to brae." At other times, the Teviot, which is of the two the more liable to floods, is seen after its confluence with the Tweed, carry- ing down its body of dense and discoloured waters on one side of their common channel ; whilst the waters of the Tweed, as if un- willing to combine with it, flow along on the opposite side, pellu* 302 ROXBURGHSHIRE. cid and untroubled. The highest flood of which there is any re- cord took place in February 1831. On that occasion, the Tweed rose with a rapidity and to a height wholly unprecedented. The whole of the lower part of the valley had the appearance of a sea ; corn and cattle were swept before the torrent ; and many of the houses on the haugh lands adjoining the river were filled with water. One result of the occasional floods of the Tweed and Teviot is much to be deplored. Immediately below the point where these rivers unite, and opposite the most prominent part of the town of Kelso, is an islet or annay which at no very remote period was so verdant and richly wooded as to look like a basket of foliage in the middle of the stream, and to form, from its position, a centre to some of the finest scenery of the place. This islet has been severed into disjointed portions as well as robbed of its wood by the floods ; and though several attempts have been made to defend it by bulwarks of stone, &c yet hitherto these expedients have proved wholly abortive. Nor have the inhabitants any other pros- pect than that of seeing the last of its trees laid prostrate, and the remaining vestiges of its sward and soil swept down to aug- ment the fertile land of their neighbours of the lower Merse. Geology. — With respect to the geological features of the parish, it may be stated generally, that the lower and more level parts, constituting the great bulk of the surface, rest upon sandstone, while the hills and rising grounds are composed of trap-rocks, which appear to have been ejected from beneath through the former. The principal sections of the stratified rocks occur on the south bank of the Tweed, which is loftier and more precipitous than the other. These sections exhibit strata of sandstone, shale, and marl-limestones, variously alternating with each other. The sandstone is either of a gray or of a reddish-brown colour, of con- siderable weight, and highly indurated except where the beds are very thin. There is generally a small admixture of iron, and a sufficient portion of calcareous matter to cause the mineral to ef- fervesce freely with acids. In thickness, the sandstone strata vary from a few inches to several feet; and their dip is towards the south-west at an angle of from 15^ to 20^ The shales, or soft marl-clays, which alternate with the sandstone, and in many in- stances form the more abundant strata of the two, also occur in beds of a great diversity of thickness. They are usually of a blue, brown, or purple colour; but the blue is the most common, and KELSO. 303 frequently contains, as in the debris of Broxlaw-hill on the >rth bank of the Tweeii, red and white foliated and fibrous gyp- im ; the 6brous occurring in continuous veins, the red foliated in regular and interrupted beds similar to the flint in the chalk ►cks. The last of these alternating rocks, the uiarl-limestoncp, kewise occur in beds of various thickness, as well as of various 3grees of hardness, — some being very compact and difficult to reak, while others crumble down into cubical or rounded portions ^ exposure to the weather. Their colour is generally of a pale lue or gray, though at some places beds occur of a darker hue, id having very much the external aspect of common limestone. Tone of them, however, contain any considerable proportion of irbonate of lime. The south bank of the Tweed is not the only part of the pa- sh which presents sections of sandstone ; but, as the others do )t differ essentially from this, the above description may suffice. liat which appears in Mellendeau burn, the march between [elso and Sprouston, has the same accompanying shales and marl- tnestones, but is harder and more conglomerate. The sandstone hich forms the foundation of Teviot bridge is still harder, and as the imbedded substances in considerably smaller quantities. ^n the north bank of the Tweed, near Rosebank, a thick bed of ray sandstone, formerly wrought as building stones, appears, ac- >inpanied by numerous thinner stratd of the same rock, contain- ig so large a proportion of mica as to be of a black colour. * Trap-rocks are pretty generally diffused over all the elevated arts of the southern division of the parish ; but the best section in Wooden den, a romantic ravine through which a small burn ows northward into the Tweed. Entering upon the burn a lit- e above the point of confluence, you first meet with sandstone, iiales and marl limestones, similar to those on the banks of the iver. On reaching, however, the point where the ravine begins ) assume a glen-like character, a conglomerate rock of a dark- rown colour makes it appearance, which, though very much re- ambling the old red sandstone, proves on examination to be trap iff, very much decomposed, and fast crumbling down into gravel ad soil. This trap tuff (which in a basis of clay, contains nodules * Tlie question as to the particular formation to which these stratified rocks be- ng, b'one of great difficulty. Tliere seems, however, to be a growing persuasion nong geologists that they belong to tlie conl measures. This opinion, though aercSited br the entire al>sence of the bituminous shales, has at least the support, f fupport It may be called) of the popular tradition, which bears Uiat coal was rmerly found in the district. 304 ROXBURGHSHIRE. of sandstone, claystone, porphyry, heavy spar, &c.) is traceable up the bed of the stream for more than a hundred yards, when it is succeeded by a dark blue compact basalt with amygda* loidal concretions, chiefly of calcareous spar ; * while this again immediately passes hito a more characteristic amygdaloid, contain- ing, besides calcareous crystals, portions of green earth and felspar. As we proceed onward, the country and the precipitous banks of the glen still rising in elevation, the character of the amygdaloid gradually disappears, and the rock is found to have passed into the compact felspar. A fine bold clifl*, rising almost perpendicular from the bed of the stream, and projecting from the contiguous banks so as to form the turn of the glen, consists of this rock. It is of a gray and blue colour, and, besides being intersected with numerous veins of red quartz, is somewhat remarkable from its containing calcareous matter deposited in the form of calcareous sinter, and red calcareous earth, so as to line the sides of nume- rous natural cavities and fissures in the rock. The glen abruptly terminates in another clifi* of irom 50 to 60 feet in height, over which the burn falls perpendicularly, forming a pretty linn or water* fall ; but this last rock presents a very interesting section, being in fact an epitom6 of the structure of the glen ; for the trap-tuff which forms its basis is seen gradually passing into the basalt and compact felspar, which last constitutes the great mass of the cliff above the base. To this account of the prevailing rocks it may be proper to add, that the vale of the Tweed at this particular part, or, to speak more correctly, the large circular basin where the Teviot unites with the Tweed, exhibits very many of those appearances from which theorists generally infer excavation by the gradual subsidence of the waters of a river. The high and rocky banks, indeed, on the south side of the Tweed, and the other terraces on both sides of the river, which form the fence or girdle of this basin, may owe their elevation and separation from each other, to some other cause than flowing water, notwithstanding the comparatively uni- form level of their summits and their covering of rolled gravel : the more probable supposition doubtless being, that they were raised by the force of internal heat when the trap-lavas which * It deserves remark, that, though the point of junction of thctmp tuff with the ba- salt or amygdaloid is clearly marked, there is no appearance to indicate the transi- tion of the one rock into the other. They come in contact like two perpendicular walls, insomuch that it is impossible to determine from the appearances preaented» which is the lower and which is the higher. KELSO. 305 form the higher grounds in the vicinity were forced upwards. But, whatever may be the history of these rocky barriers, there seems Ht- tle reason to doubt that the space inclosed by them, scooped out as it is in the form of a basin as if for the purpose of receiving the contents of two superb rivers, and diversified by haugh and mea* dow ground, and by gravelly terraces rising and retiring one above another, on both sides of the stream, like the tiers of a fortification, bespeaks the action of running water. Whether the Tweed and Teviot, at the remote period at which they flowed at some of the higher levels indicated by these terraces, united to form at this particular place a lake whose subsequent drainage excavated the lower parts of the vale, or flowed as a river as they do still, only with a more lateral and serpentine course, may be a question dif- ficult to settle ; but few geologists will be disposed to doubt that the parallel terraces, on one of which the Castle of Floors stands, constitute the remains of a plain or strath, of which all that is wanting has travelled downwards to form or enrich the haugh- lands of Berwickshire and Northumberland. Botany, — Though there is neither mountainous nor marshy ground within its limits, the parish is not wanting in plants of suf- ficient variety and beauty to reward the search of the florist. In the bed and on the banks the Tweed and Teviot are found, » Ballota nigra Mentha gcntilis Blvsmus coinpressus Pluntago media Adoxa moschatcllina Potainogcton prrclongus and pusiU Cardamine amara lus Chrysospleniuin altcrnifolium Salix pentandra and Hiisselliana* Cliiiopodium vulgare forming some large handsome Erodium cicutarium, in many in- trees. stances witli beautiful M'hite Tragopogon major flowers A'alcriuna pyrenaica lieltanthemum vulgare Cerastium arvense,&c. Hesperis matronalis In the woods which skirt the banks of the Tweed are found. Arum maculatum Pyrola minor Aspcnila odorata Veronica montana Epipactis lutifolia Viola hirta IjUtera ovata and cordata Saxifrnga granulata And the borders of fields and road-sides give us, Bromus sccalinus Malva moschata Cares intermedia Sanguisorba officinalis Cichorium Intybus Silaus pratensis Geranium lucidum Solanum dulcamara Hyoscyamus niger Veronica scutellata, &c. Hypericum humifusum In the den of Wooden, Vinca minor is found in great abun- dance} as also Hedera HeUx^ which greatly beautifies the face of the 306 ROXBURGHSHIUG trap rocks. Nearly forty years ago, the late Mr Dickson of Edin- burgh discovered, near Kelso, one of the rarest of British ferns Asplenium altcrnifolium ; but although dihgently searched for, for several years pnst, by an accomplished native botanist^ Dr Francis Douglas, it has hitherto chided discovery. A fungus, Clavaria roseOf new to Grecit Britain, cilthough described by continental botanists, has recently been found on one of the road-sides. It is a very elegant species of a beautiful pink or rose colour ; and as it has been seen for three successive seasons on the same spot, there is reason to hope that it will retain its habitat. Besides tine specimens of all the more common forest trees, elm, plane-tree, oak, &c., which adorn the park and plantations of Floors and Springwood, the parish can boast of several single trees remarkable for their size, age, or historical interest. Close to the village of Maxwellheugh, is a poplar, which is estimated to contain not less than 800 or 900 cubic feet of timber ; its height from the ground to the point where it gives off branches is 16 feet ; its girth at the root is 31 feet ; at 2 feet from the base, 21, and fit 10 from the base, 18. An ancient elm, known by the name of the trysting-tree, extends its arms at the point where the parish marches with Roxburgh, and marks the spot where the river used to be forded before the erection of Teviot-bridge. It is now in the last stage of decay ; but beautiful specimens of furniture made from its timber may be seen at Floors, espe — cially in the magnificent cabinet of British birds which the tastes of the present Noble proprietor has recently fitted up. Ano— ther tree of equal historic interest, though greatly inferior in age^ is the yew-tree which marks the spot (in the park of Floors) where King James II. was killed in 1460 by the bursting of a cannon while he was engaged in the blockade of Roxburgh Castle. Nor must a remarkable Platanus, or oriental plane, pass unnoticed which, though it no longer exists (except in the shape of fiirni- ture,*) is still remembered as the favourite of Sir Walter Scott's boyhood, and must ever continue to be classical, as having afford- ed the " leafy shade" beneath which he read for the first time Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, — the work which seems to have kindled the minstrel-spirit within him. This tree, under whose overshadowing boughs the border muse may be said to have visited and inspired her favourite son, formed the chief at- * Mr Willinin Darling, KcU;), possesses a (iliiing-tuble made of the timbor of Uiii tree. KELSO. 307 traction of a garden to the east of the town, — one of the latest in this district of those Dutch distortions of nature which have disappeared before modern improvement. The platanus died, b common with most of its kind in this country, in the unusual- ly hard winter of 1814. The garden, of which its " huge hill of leaves'' was the chief ornament, is a garden still ; but its straight walks, yew-hedges, parterres and labyrinth, survive only in the page of the " Great Magician." Zoology. — There is little in the zoology of the parish to distin- ^ish it from the surrounding district. The Tweed, as is well kiown, abounds with red fish, which are believed to aflbrd no f^round for questioning the general opinion, that almost every river bas its distinct variety of the trout or salmon tribe. A small pond, «r rather tani, at the western extremity of the park of Floors, con- tains car}) and tench, while the park itself is not without its complex ment of fallow-deer. — Among birds, the swan deserves to be noticed, iirom the added charm which its presence gives to many of the fine scenes on the Tweed. There are, at present, six white swans upon the river at Kelso, each of them fully realizing, in its smooth and graceful motion on the clear blue stream, the poet's description, *< The twan on still St Mary*s lake, Floats double, swan and shadow.' <*« These creatures are so tame that they readily approach the water's edge to take crumbs of bread from passengers ; and from the pleasure they afford, they are as much prized and guard- ed by all classes and ages among the inhabitants, as though, like the Queen's swans on the Thames, they had the special protection of the corporation. They associate in pairs ; and, what is remarkable, each pair appears to have a specific section of the river allotted to it, which it guards with the utmost jealousy against the intrusion of the others. In the c^ise of one of the pairs, this prescriptive domain extends over a space of considerably more than a mile. The interesting spectacle has been repeatedly wit- nessed of the old swans carrying the young ones on their wings across the rapid parts of the river, while they left them to stem the smooth water by their own efforts. II. — Civil History. The history of Kelso, so far as it can be detached from the general history of the Border, may be conveniently divided into the history of the parish and the history of the town. • Wordsworth. 308 ROXBURGHSHIRE. History of the Parish. — Prior to the Reformation, the territory now included in the parish of Kelso appears to have comprehend- ed three parishes ; the parish of Kelso on the north bank of the Tweed, and the parishes of Maxwell and St James's, * both on the south, and separated from each other by the river Teviot. Two at least of those parishes, Kelso and Maxwell, seem to have been erected and to have had each its separate church, at a period an- tecedent to the foundation of the Abbey. Of the church of Kel- so little more is known than that it was dedicated to the Virgin; given to the monks at the erection of the Abbey ; and burnt down in one of those military or predatory incursions to which the border counties were so long exposed. The church of St James's formed one of the three churches of the ancient burgh of Roxburghe, though situate on St James's Green without its walls. It was founded, according to the Chronicle of Mailross, in 1 134, and exist- ed till the beginning of the fifteenth century, when it was reduced to a ruinous condition, probably by fire,"!* during some of the border wars. The ruin might have remained to the present day, one of the most interesting antiquities on the border, had it not been for a steward on the Roxburghe estate, — more to be honoured for his economy than his taste, — who caused it to be demolished, iu order that its materials might be applied to the building of farm-oSices and fences. The last of the three churches, that of Maxwell or Maccusvill, was dedicated to St Michael ; hut the date alike of its erection and demolition is unknown : though the cemetery of the parish still remains to indicate where it stood. Still more scanty are the memorials of an oratory, in the same parish, dedicated to St Thomas, which is conjectured to have stood at Chapel, a place to the cast of Springwood House. — From the foundation of tho Abbey, when these j)arishes were assigned to the monks as part of their patrimony, their history, until the era of the Reformation^ necessarily merges in that of the Abbey itself. The monks of Kelso were of the class called Tironensesy a sec- tion of the Benedictine order, which had its original settlement at Tiron in Picardv under the elder St Bernard, and which was re- * It i» not absolutely certain that St James's ever fonncd n separate parish. The territory surrounding the church may have orginally formed part of the parish of Roxburgh. f 'fliis prolmbility is grounded on the fact mentioned in the former Siatistical Ac count, that in digging up the foundation, a quantity of wheat and barley was found i a charred state, scattered on a tiled pavement. :3 KELSO. 309 markable for the encouragement given by it to the arts ; — it be- ing a regulation of the order, that the brethren, besides observing the ordinary rules of the monastic institution, should practise with- in the convent some useful craft The Tironenses were intro- duced into Scotland under the auspices of that ^' sore saint for the crown," the celebrated King David, who was doubtless in- duced to favour their settlement, not more by religious conside- rations, than by a regard to the advantages likely to accrue to his semi-barbarous subjects, from the arts cultivated by the monks. Being only heir-apparent to the throne at the date of their first introduction (a. d. 1113), David appointed them a residence at Selkirk, in the vicinity of his paternal estate. But immediately on bis accession, he made provision for their greater influence, by Imilding, within view of the royal castle of Roxburghe, then the principal residence of the Scottish monarchs, the Abbey of Kelso, tjiy which they were removed in 1128 or 1130, and in which they soon attained, under the fostering patronage of this munificent prince, a first rank, in point of wealth and ascendency, among the religious houses of the kingdom. It does not appear from the records of the times, that the mo- nastery ever proved of such advantage to border civilization as its founder anticipated. Its history is singularly barren, in re- ference to the exertions of the monks in diffusing a knowledge of the arts, or even in preserving the treasures of literature. Yet for this, perhaps, the monks are not to be blamed, so much as the untowardness of the times in which their lot was cast There never seems to have existed on the border that respect for reli- gious houses, which in other places rendered them safer reposi- tories for literary treasures than the fortresses of kings : Nor do the monks ever seem to have gained that ascendency over the po- . pular mind, which alone could cause the monastery to act as a centre and source of civilization to the surrounding country. Being the scene of almost incessant wars, not only between the two countries, but between rival barons, the banks of the Tweed were singularly unpropitious for the tranquil occupations of the library and the scriptorium, and not peculiarly favourable to the cultiva- tion of the industrial arts. Nor can it surprise us that the only memorial of four hundred years of the monastic hfe — with the ex- ception of some reputed improvements in horticulture, and the titles of a few lost controversial tracts, — should be the ruins of the magnificent AbBey. 310 UOXBURGUSHIRE. The same causes which precluded the monks of Kelso from prosecuting the arts of peace, render their monastery more fertile than sacred edifices generally are, in the materials of military his- tory. Their annals recall the " memoriam perjuncti periculiy" if not the " testimonium preteriti beri^cii" Indeed, from the commencement of the wars between England and Scotland, un- til the suppression of monachism in 1559, the Abbey is continually mentioned in connexion with the convulsions in which the confines of the two countries were involved. It seems to have been twice burnt, so early as the contest that rose out of the claims of Bruce and Baliol for the Scottish throne ; and so little do the monks seem, even at that period, to have been respected either by the neighbouring barons, or by the people at large, that they requir- ed, in times of general truce, the protection of the King of England to enable them to buy and convey provisions in safety* The greatest disasters of the Abbey, however, were sustained during the successive invasions of the Earls of Surrey and Hert- ford, in 1523 and 1545. In the former of these mcursions, a body of English under Lord Dacre, after sacking the town, demolish- ed the abbot's house, burnt the dormitory, and unroofed the monastery itself, — conveying away the very lead which covered it, insomuch that all religious services were interrupted, and the monks compelled to retire to a neighbouring village to celebrate their sacred rites. The devastation of 1545 was still more irre- parable. Kelso was not indeed, in the latter instance, the exclusive sufferer : for in the course of a few days, 287 places, including the four great monasteries of the border, were sacked, pillaged and dilapidated ; but Kclso, as the only place that offered resist- ance, shared worst The east and north sides of the Abbey tower were thrown down, and the choir reduced to its present ruinous condition, probably by means of a battery of cannon di- rected against it from the north-east ; whilst the town was redu- ced to so wretched a plight, that the weekly market could not be held in it, but had to be transferred for a considerable period to the village of Hume. The Abbey is occasionally mentioned after this period as a place of temporary refuge from the sudden incur- sions of the famous garrison at Wark and other scourges of these distracted times : nor, indeed, do the conventual buildings seem to have been entirely abandoned by the monks, until the Reformation. But there is no reason to think that it was ever used as a place of religious worship, after the bombardment just described ; and, KELSO. 311 though Lesly speaks of a popular tiiniult in 1560, when the images and relics, and whatever else remained of its internal furniture and decorations, were defaced, yet it is certain that the Scottish Re- Tonners are not open to the charge of having dismantled this Po- pish temple. The Erostratus in this instance was not John Knox, but an English baron. The latest mention made of the monks of Kelso is in an act c^f Parliament, eight years after the establishment of the Reform- ^m1 religion, appointing Sir John Maitland to hold the confiscated estates of this rich Abbey in cmnmendam. From this document it ^^irould seem that they had disappeared one after another, and that %ione of them was left in 1587. When Maitland was raised to ^he dignity of Lord High Chancellor, the Earl of Bothwell ob- tained a grant from the Crown of the possessions of the Abbey. On the attainder of Bothwell, these lands and possessions again reverted to the Crown : and they were finally conferred on Sir RoSert Ker of Cessford, Warden of the East Marches, from whom they have descended to the Noble family of Roxburghe, About the year 1580, one of the cells of the cloister was converted into a church for the use of the now united parishes, and the ser- vices of the Reformed religion set up in the room of the Romish worship. A considerable period, however, elapsed before the plas- tic and ameliorating power of the new institutions became apparent. The bulk of the people, having been all along proverbially indif- ferent to Christian observances, and more open to the influence of fairies and elves, the last remnants of Paganism, than to any re- ligious consideration, required to be instructed in the first elements of faith ; while the unsettled state of the times presented obstacles to the success of the Reformed clergy, -^hich render it far from surprising that the moral condition of the border should not have speedily assimilated to that of more peaceful districts. It was not till an advanced part of the seventeenth century that the good fruits of the great ecclesiastical revolution began to be gathered ; nor even then, nor for generations afterwards, were these fruits so abundant here as elsewhere. Throughout the agitating con- tests between the Presbyterian and the prelatical parties, with respect to the King's supremacy, Kelso appears to have generally sided with the hierarchy ; and even subsequent to the Revolution, when the question about Lay Patronage and popular rights, excited so warm an interest throughout Berwickshire and Teviot- dale, such was the ascendency of jacobite and high church prin- 312 ROXBURGHSHIRE. ciples, that Kelso, thougli in the very centre of the agitation, re- mained an indifferent spectator. In the famous petition (and ad- herence) to the General Assembly " anent grievances," there are numerous signatures from all the adjoining parishes,* but not one from this. Nay, what would seem still more indicative of apathy in reference to matters then deemed so important, the appoint- ment of a minister to the parish was, in the only instance in which anything like a contested election occurred, referred uncondition- ally to the disposal of the synod. The heritors and elders hav- ing been unable to unite in the choice of the same individual, it was unanimously resolved to submit a blank call, properly signed, to the synod, and to ask that judicatory to fill it up with the name of a qualified minister : nor do either the patrons or the parish- ioners seem to have offered any resistance, or taken any offence, when the presbytery, instead of obtempering the instructions of the synod, proceeded to settle a minister of their own nomination. Towards the middle of the last century, there is reasofi to think that a more lively interest in the principles and institu- tions of religion was induced. This amelioration, tradition re- fers to the period of the celebrated Mr Ramsay's incumbency ; — an account which is corroborated to some extent by the parish records of the time, which bear ample testimony to the vigour with which the Presbyterian discipline was maintained, and, there- fore, leave room for the inference, that public opinion had then come to be in its favour. Conjecture is converted into cer- tainty by the fact, that, about the year 1750, a Secession meeting was opened in the town : for, as the Secession judicatories were not in the habit of providing ordinances, except where a demand for them existed, or of breaking up the fallow ground, where they had it in their power to divide and appropriate the ripening harvest ; the fact of their planting a congregation in Kelso seems necessari- ly to presuppose the prior existence, in the parish, of a strong feel- ing in favour both of orthodox doctrine and of presbyterial rule. But, to whatever date the commencement of the favourable change may be referred, there is happily no doubt that it continued steadily and progressively to advance, up to the end of the century. Nor need we withhold from the Seceders, the praise of materially promoting The number of signatures attached to this curious document, from some of the other parishes in the same synod with Kelso, are as follows : — Maxton, 17 ; Lillies- leaf, 56 ; Jetiburgh, 63 ; Eckford, JM) ; Ounse, 12 ; Galashiels, 66 ; EarWtoun, S2 ; Westruthcr, 16; Stow, 6.5 ; Meitoun, 16; Selkirk, 24 ; Yarrow,50; Hounam,21. KELSO. 313 a change, of which their own separate ecclesiastical existence was one of the fruits ; though, doubtless, their influence would have proved far more efficacious for good, had they preserved unity among themselves, instead of splitting through internal dissensions from one into three congregations, in the course of forty years. It does not appear, that the higher classes partook much of the moral and religious improvement just described. On the contrary^ it would seem that Jacobite principles disappeared among them, only to make way, in too many instances, for the opposite extreme of French infldelity. But the extent, to which the general popula- tion were brought under the influence of Christian habits, was in- dubitably great There are persons still living, who remember the state of things sixty years ago, when family worship was so com- mon, that you could not pass along the principal street of the town on a Sunday morning, without hearing from many " a lowly roof,*' • ** at intervals The voice of psalms— the simple song of praise.'* Since that period, domestic piety, it is to be feared, has rather re- trograded among the working classes ; though there is every rea^ 8on to believe that the moral condition of all but the very low- est class of the people has, upon the whole, been gradually improv- ing. An additional church has just been erected in connexion ^th the Establishment, in order to render the means of instruction Commensurate with the spiritual exigencies of the parish. The attendance on public ordinances is becoming, every successive year, ^ore numerous ; the charities of those who possess the means of giving are keeping pace with the growing number and claims of the necessitous. And, altogether, despite the serious drawbacks ^ religious improvement occasioned here as elsewhere by the dis- turbing influences of political excitement and sectarian contro- ^^TSjj the prospects of the best of all causes cannot justly be re- garded as discouraging. History of the Town. — Originally, the town of Kelso seems ^^ have been only an inconsiderable village, a kind of suburb to ^lie then important burgh of Roxburgh, which lay on the oppo- sideof the Tweed. From the foundation of the Abbey, how- it began gradually to acquire a more important character. ^^y the time of King Robert I. it had so increased as to consist of tixro parts, Wester and Easter Kelso ; the former being probably ^lie original village, and the latter that which gradually grew up ^.round the abbey. And on the final destruction of Roxburgh by BOXBURGH. ^ 314 ROXBUIIGHSHIRE. James II. it naturally took the place, as well as somewhat of the prominence of the celebrated burgh, whose inhabitants had trans- ferred to it their residence and wealth. Of the rapid growth and early importance of Kelso, one decisive proof has been preserved. So early as 1323, an attempt was made by the burgesses to exer- cise a civil jurisdiction independent of the abbot. By their own authority, they undertook to make new burgesses, to license brew- ers, and in other respects to contravene the riejhts and privileges of their feudal lord. This attempt indeed proved abortive, and the burgesses were compelled to make an apology, and disclaim all intention of offending their lord, the Abbot. Yet the very mak- ing of such an attempt must be held conclusive of the growing prosperity of the place: such a thing would never have been thought of by a weak, or a poor, or a scanty population. The connection of the town with the abbey necessarily made it a sharer for evil as well as good, in the fortunes of that ill-fated house ; nor in truth, is its historv from the fifteenth centurv down to the Reformation, any thing better than a detail of successive sieges and conflagrations. Whenever the abbey was assailed, the town was sacked ; whenever the former was set on fire, the latter was burnt Nor is there any thing in border history more re- markable, than the manner in which its buildings (probably for the most part of wood,) were continually repaired and restored, so as to form the materials of so many and closely consecutive conflagra- tions. Notwithstanding it was reduced to so low an ebb by Hertford's bombardment in 1545, as not to be fit for holding a market in, we find it possessing, at the era of the Reformation, only a few years after, the size and importance of the chief pro- vincial town and emporium. ^' Non moritur, moribunda ; sepulta, resurgit" Soon after the Reformation,anewsourceof prosperity was opened up in the fostering patronage of the family of Roxburghe, who suc- ceeding not only to the revenues, but to the seignorial jurisdiction of the abbots, conferred on the inhabitants all the benefits of aliberal expenditure, and an impartial administration of justice. Througb this patronage, Kelso became, by the time of the Revolution, not only the chief resort of the gentry of the district, but a place of considerable reputation as a seat of learning. Its schools were frequented by the sons of the nobility from various quarters ; and the rectorship of the grammar school was, in at least one instance^ KELSO. 31;3 (that of Kirkwood) accepted, in preference to the chair of Hu- manity in the University of St Andrews. The same fatality in reference to conflagrations, which so often changed the fistce of the town in distracted times, seems to have followed it to a more peaceful period. A destructive fire broke out in 1686, which consumed about half the town; in 1738, it was w&sted by a similar visitation ; and there were fires of some extent so recently as 1801 and 1815. Of late years it has been spared every such calamity ; and has shared largely, in common with the whole of lower Tweedside, in the advancing civilization of the nineteenth century. It is now one of the most steadily pros- perous of the small non-manufacturing towns in Scotland ; and ito^ inhabitants form a little community, which, in point of gene- ral intelligence and polish of manners, may claim a place beside that of the most favoured rural districts in the island. Accounts of the Town and Parish, — The most valuable of the Ancient documents relative to the parish is the chartulary of Kelso with the rent-roll of the abbey, (Rotulus Rcdituum Monas- terii de Kalkow,) in the Advocates' Library ; but almost all the in- formation furnished by it may be obtained in a pleasanter form, in the Monastic Annals of Teviotdale, by the Rev. James Morton, Me of the prebendaries of Lincoln, and a native of Kelso; — in vhich elaborate work there is not only a history of the abbey, to- "ether with an account of its possessions and revenues, but copies f the charter of its foundation by King David, the tax-roll of the >bey, and other rare and valuable documents. ^^ Kirkwood*s riaV' a curious and rare work, published shortly after the union the kingdoms, throws considerable light, though coloured by the u>bite predilections of the author, on the ecclesiastical state of town and district, at the period immediately posterior to the 1 re-establishment of the Presbyterian Church government. laig's History of Kelso,'* published only a few years ago, may be consulted with advantage, by such as wish to see a con- )d view of all the material circumstances in its past history or nt state ; — though unhappily, the value of this work is very tsly abated by the number of errors in chronology, and in points of detail by which it is deformed. Among abridged its, the most to be depended on for accuracy of statement under the article " Kelso," in the Edinburgh Encyclopae- iducted by Brewster. lent Characters. — The number of eminent persons who 316 UOXBURGHSHIRE. have beeu connected with Kelso by birth, residence, or burial, is singularly limited. In the long catalogue of abbots, priors, and monks, preserved in the chartulary, there are not more than two or three names which are associated, in the mind even of the learned, with any thing great or useful or interesting; the vast majority, from what cause soever arising, whether from their in- herent mediocrity, or " quia carent sacro vate," awaken in the intelligent reader, no higher emotion than the names of as many individuals in any common muster-roll. The happy exceptions are chiefly the following : James Stuart, natural sou of James V., who held the office of abbot, during a period which forced him to play a somewhat prominent part in border history; a monk of the name of James, who is mentioned by Dempster, (HisL EccL Gentis Scotoruniy) as among the most celebrated Scottish authors of the fifteenth century ; and Henry, prior of Kelso in 1493, who was the intimate friend of the Italian poet Poliziano, as well as himself the author of several literary works, among others a trans- lation into Scottish verse, of Palladius Rutilius on Rural Affairs. Among the ministers of religion since the Reformation, only two require notice ; the former, Mr James Ramsay, who, during an incumbency of nearly half a century, exercised great weight, not only in the subordinate judicatories, but also in the Gene- ral Assembly ; the latter,' the late Mr John Pitcairn, minis- ter of the Relief congregation, who, together with Mr Struthers* of Edinburgh, materially contributed to awaken, throughout all the sections of the Scottish Church, a taste for the graces of delivery. Kelso has always been peculiarly fortunate in its medical men. Few country towns have produced, in one generation, three such distinguished ornaments of their profession, as the late Dr An- drew Wilson, whose treatise on Morbid Sympathy shows him to have been far in advance of the science of his age ; the late Dr C. Douglas, the author of the former Statistical Account ; and Millar, the well known writer on Asthma. Land-owners. — The chief land-owners are, the Duke of Rox- burghe, who holds about nine-sixteenths of the whole valued rent ; Sir George Scott Douglas of Springwood, Bart. ; Captain * Though scarcely pertinent to the object ofllie present work, it may here be mentioned as a fact worthy of record, that the yUe Dr Andrew Thoinscm wu ee- customed to speak of Struthcrs as his master in pulpit eloquence. While a young man, the Doctor went often to hear Struthers, then the great oratoriael attraetlon of Kdiuburgh ; and his admiration for the orator was such as not only to leaTe an in- delible impression on his memory, but to stimulate him to emulate the graces be mU mired. KELSO. 317 George Scott of Wooden ; James Dickson, Esq. of Pinnacle- hill ; David Monro Binning, Esq. of Softlaw ; Sir William Dick- son of Sydenham, Bart. ; John Waldie, Esq. of Hendersyde ; and the Governors of George Watson's Hospital, Edinburgh. Parochial Registers. — These consist of the minutes of kirk- session, the register of births and baptisms, and the register of proclamations and marriages. The session records, in ten volumes folio and quarto, go back as far as the beginning of the year 1622, and come down, with some interruptions, to the present time. These interruptions are from March 1661 to June 1668; from August 1689 to May 1692 ; and from September 1749 to August 1800, — though this last blank is in a good measure supplied by a set of duplicate minutes, — apparently the original drafts, — which extend, with but few intermissions, from 1697 to 1830. The re- £^ter of baptisms, in eleven volumes, begins at 1597 ; but it has also many blanks, and is, especially of late years, far from being a complete list of the births in the parish. The register of mar- riages commences likewise from 1597, and is generally kept in the same volume with that of births and baptisms. Antiquities. — With the exception of its magnificent abbey, \\\v ixarish now possesses few antiquities of any note. Even since the date of the last Statistical Account, their number has been dinu- nished. The site of the Church of St James's, near the con- fluence of the Tweed and Teviot, is no longer distinguishable from the surrounding sward of St James's Green. The church- ward of Maxwell still contains a few monumental stones, with the inscriptions tolerably legible ; yet, from the dilapidated state in which they are permitted to lie, there is little pros|}ect of their long surviving the fate of the older relics. Some minor ob- jects and buildings in the town, '^ freighted with recollections" of the past, have also disappeared within a recent period. Nor docs a single vestige now remain of the human bones, which used to be upturned, in great numbers, by the plough in the " Bony Brar^** near Wooden, the supposed scene of a battle — with the Danes, according to some ; between the Scots and English, according to others. The possession, however, of Kelso Abbey is itself enough to render the parish interesting to the antiquary ; and there cnti now be little doubt, from the judicious and successful efforts which have been made since 1804 to disencumber the ruins of the rude modern masonry which disfigured them, and to strengthen and repair those parts which were verging lo decay, that this solid auA 318 ROXBL RGIf SHIRK. majestic pile, — the monument of a period when Scotland vied with its richer neighbours in the splendour of its architectural edifices, — will long continue to be the ornament of the town and district. The form of the abbey is that of a Latin cross,— though, con- trary to the general practice in buildings of that model, the head of the cross is turned towards the west^ and the longest limb is the eastern. The only parts of the building which are still tolerably entire are, — the western limb (or head of the cross) which con- tains, among other ornaments, a segment of a most magnificent archway ; the central tower rising over the intersection of the cross, of which the north and west sides remain entire ; and the walls of the transepts, with the northern entrance to them. Of the choir, which seems to have consisted when entire of three divisions, — a centre aisle and two side aisles, all that remains is one of the walls which upheld the main roof, and separated the main aisle from the southern side aisle. This wall consists of two arches with . their piers, and the superincumbent wall, which has within it the thickness of two tiers of galleries, one over the other, and open to the interior by an arcade of small round arches. The style of architecture is the Saxon ; nor would it be easy to find better specimens, than occur, in the north and west fronts, of the deep-splayed Saxon arch, with its numerous mouldings and enrichments. But the fabric cannot pretend, any more than the other ecclesiastical edifices of Scotland, to perfect unity of style. While the plain undecoratcd Saxon predominates, the Norman and old English styles occasionally enter. The interlacing semi- circular arches, for instance, which range round the walls within and without, and which furnish, it may be remarked, as perfect specimens of this species of arch* as are to be found in the island, obviously belong to the Norman style, as do likewise the two arcades of small circular arches, springing from slender shafts, which appear above the massive Saxon arches in the ruinous wall of the choir ; while the four spacious pointed arches in the centre of the cross, upon which the lofty square tower or lantern — the grandest part of the ruin — rests, are plainly of the early English or Gothic style. Of the general effect of the whole ruin, whether as an architectural pile, or as an object in the landscape, no de- * It is acutely remarked by Pennant, in his description of this abbey, that the in- tersection of these interlacing circular arches ** fornns a true Gothic arch, and nay as probably have given rise to that mode as the arched shades of aTenues.** KELSO. 319 scription can convey an adequate idea. Distinguished alike by its great height, its unity of parts, its massiveness, and its inor- nate simplicity, it produces on the spectator, especially when viewed from the west, south, or east, a distinctness and oneness of impression, rarely communicated by other than entire and com- pact fabrics ; and it possesses, in common with all objects which are at once vast, simple, and symmetrical, the charm of gaining on our admiration, the oftener and longer it is contemplated. Its dimensions are as under : — Total length of ruin, from west to east, 99 feet; length of transept within the walls, 71 feet; breadth of ditto 23 feet; height of centre tower, 91 feet ; breadth of ditto, 23 feet; height of pointed arches on which the lantern rests, 45 feet; mdth of ditto, 17 feet; thickness of lower walls, 5^ feet. In the year 1649, a clumsy attempt was made to repair part of the ruin, for the purpose of converting it into a parish church. With this view, two low and gloomy arches were thrown over the iiralls, one over the transept, and another over the head of the cross, while a wing of rude masonry of a corresponding vault-like charac- ter was erected in the ruined choir. A second tier of arches was thrown over the former, to scive the purpose of an outer and inner prison, — which deserves to be noticed from its forming the oriyinali whence the author of Wavcrley sketched the prison of Edie Ochil- tree in the Antiquary. The former of these clumsy erections* con- tinued to be used as the parish church till 1771, when it was finally deserted in consequence of the fulling, during the time of divine service, of some fragments of cement from the roof. The congre- gation hurried out in consternation, under the idea that the vault over their heads was giving way ; and, though the alarm proved un- founded, it was yet found impossible to persuade the people to re- assemble in it, — the more especially that there was in circulation an ancient " prophecy" of Thomas the Rhymer, which bore that this*" kirk should fall when at the fullest." Nothing was done to- wards disincumbering the abbey of these unsightly adjuncts, until 1805, when William, Duke of Koxburghe, began to clear them away. His plans were followed up still more energetically by his successor, Duke James, who, in l(5l6, caused the whole remaining part to be removed ; though it was not till 1823, that those repairs were made on the ruin which have brought it into its present state of beauty and stability. * A view of the ruuicd abbey, widi thcbc rude aiyuncu, token in 1787, may be seen in VoL L of Grosv*s Ajitiquities. 320 UOXBURGHSHIRE Modem Buildings. — Although the town is remarkable for its ge- neral neatness, it does not possess more than two buildings of any architectural merit. These are, the town-house, which occu- pies the centre of the east side of the square, and the new church, recently erected on the north side of the town for the better ac- commodation of the members of the Establishment The former is a building of two stories, with a pediment in front, supported by four Ionic columns, surmounted by a handsome balustrade, and with a neat turret or belfry of sufficient height to form a conspicu- ous object in a town destitute of steeples. The latter, the chastest and most elegant ecclesiastical erection on the border, is an oblong building in the Elizabethan style, with a quadrangular tower 70 feet high. Several of the mansion-houses in the landward parish and of the villas in the environs of the town, deserve to be noticed. The stately ducal mansion of Floors, erected in 1718, is not unworthy of its architect. Sir John Vanbnigh ; nor will its cha* racter as ** a building combining the ideas of ancient grandeur with those of modern taste," * be diminished, but, on the contrary, greatly enhanced, by the alterations which are now in progress under the direction of Mr Play fair of Edinburgh. Ednam House is one of the most elegant private mansions that Nisbet ever de- signed. A gateway, after a design of Mr Gillespie Graham, form- ing the entrance to the beautiful park of Springwood, is also gene- rally admired as a happy application of the style of a Grecian door- way to the purposes of a detached entrance gate. Nor would the mansion-houses of Springwood, Wooden, Pinnacle Hill, Woodside^ &c deserve to pass unnoticed in a district less richly studded with elegant country seats. But by far the most perfect specimen of modern'architecture in the parish, is the bridge across the Tweed, which unites in a remark- able manner simplicity with strength. The plan was furnished by the late Mr Rennie ; and its perfection as an architectural structure may be inferred from the fact, that when called upon.at a subsequent period to furnish a plan for Waterloo Bridge across the Thames at London, this eminent engineer, unable to suggest a better (design, produced an enlarged duplicate of Kelso Bridge. It was begun in 1800, to supply the place of onef which had been swept away These are the terms in which Sir Walter Scott describes this spacious maosioa. t The bridge here alluded to was situate a little farther up the Tweed, and was built in 1754. There was in early times a bridge across the Tweed, at the town of Roxburgh, which was often destroyed and renewed, during contesto for that town. KELSO. 321 by an overflowiiig of the Tweed in 1797 ; and it was finished in 1803, at an expense, including the approaches, of about L. 18)000. The total length of building is 494 feet, the breadth of the road- way is 25 feet, and its greatest height from the foundation, which extends 15 feet below the bed of the river, is 57 feet The ft arches, five in number, are elliptical, the span of each arch being 72 feet, and that of the piers 14. The singular elegance of this bridge is the more fortunate, as its situation renders it the most prominent object in some of the finest landscapes on the Tweed. Connecting two banks, each remarkable for beauty, it forms the eye of a vast variety of pictures, while by its breadth of mellow light it affords a striking contrast and relief to the dark colour of the wooded scenery on either side. This bridge forms the entrance to the town from the south ; and few scenes are more imposing than that which opens upon the tourist as he descends from the oppo- jiite village of Maxwellheugh with the prospect beneath him of this fine architectural object, the majestic Tweed, the ])icturesque town and abbey, and the noble back ground of the castle, woods, and surrounding heights of Floors. III. — Population. Former and present state, — No data exist for ascertaining the amount of the population, prior to the middle of last century. Since that time, there has been a slow but nearly constant increase, as appears from the following table of its amount, at successive periods from 1749. Period, Population, 1749, - - - 2900 J 755. - - 2781 1793, . - - 4324 1801, - - . 4190 1800, - - - 4024 1811, - - . 4408 1816, - - - 4026 1821, . - . 4800 1831. - - - 4939 1835, - - . 5114 Nnmber of fitmilies in the parish, according to census of 1831, - • I i8l ehiefly employed in Agriculture, - - 100 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, - 431 Causes of Fluctuation. — The only remarkable increase indicated above, that of the thirty-eight years, from 1755 to 1793, receives a ready explanation from the change which was then in progress, from the system of small to that of large farms ; a change which necessarily drove the petty farmers and labourers from the rural districts to the market-town. Two circumstances have tended, in recent times, to keep the nitio of increase below that of mvu\^ 322 UOXBURGHSIIIRE. Other places. The one is the constant drain upon the population, arising from the necessity under which a large proportion of the young men are laid of repairing, in search of employment, to places where the market for labour is less limited. The other is the gradual and extensive removal from the neighbourhood, of re- sident gentry, whose expenditure gave employment to many in- dustrious labourers, as well as encouragement to the retail trade of the town. It should be remarked, however, that both these sources of diminution are, to a small extent, countervailed by the influx of aged labourers and others, who are either driven * from the rural parishes when they cease to be fit for work, or attracted to Kelso by the hope of participating in its ample charities. Within a few years, also, a considerable accession has been made to the population by the increased resort to the town of a very unde- sirable class of persons, the Gypsies^ who are now about as nume* rous in Kelso as in Yetholm, their prescriptive settlement ; and who are not found, when transplanted to the crowded lanes of a town, to preserve that quiet and orderly demeanour which is said to characterize them in Yetholm, where they seem to feel that they have a character to support. It may be added, that late years have also witnessed the settlement among us of a few Irish; the gleanings of those immense annual swarms, whose successive emigrations threaten, if not speedily arrested, to lower and dete- riorate, to an extent frightful to contemplate, the character and manners of the populace of this island. These occasional fluctu- ations in the aggregate population furnish but 'too accurate an exponent of the constant change which is taking place among the individuals composing it Though a few Border-names keep their ground, from generation to generation, and thereby indicate that the mass is not without a few stationary particles, the great ma- jority of the inhabitants may be regarded as '^ strangers in the land." The number of land-owners is far from considerable, who * ** Driven," though a strong term, is but too upUy upplied iu this iuktance. To prevent the aged and infirm becoming burdens on the poor mte, it is the practice uf some of the heritors of purely htndward parishes, to demoUih every cottar- house, which is not absolutely necessary us accommodation for the necdfbl complemeot of farm-labourers and country-artisans. In this way, infirm labourers and widovs ure compelled, the moment- they cease to be available workers, to Ifeavc their parishes in despite of all the ties of local Attachment which may bind them to the spot, and to take their chance of an uncertain livelihood among strangers and in the unhealthy lanes and closes of a town. It is astonishing tliat the aristocracy should be so bluid to their own interest, not to say dead to the claims of humanity, as to incur, fat the sake of a paltry economy, the hatred instead of the blessing of a class of worthy per* sons, ro irhom separation from the place uf their fiithers* sepulchres, is the gmtest of calamities. KELSO. 323 have had their properties transmitted to them for a lengthened period, in lineal descent, from father to son ; and the pages of the parish register, as well as the humble monuments of the church- yard, bear witness to an equal fluctuation in the case of the middle and working classes^ It is now as true of the borderers, at least of those of lower Teviotdale, as of the inhabitants of places less fitted to foster local attachment, that there is scarcely one man in fifty who, if he survives the age of manhood, is buried with his fathers. Town Population, — The proportion of the town to the land- Ward population is as six to one. Marriages. — From the growing neglect of registration, the yearly average of births cannot be given. No record of deaths is kept. The average number of marriages for the last seven years is 34. Nobility, 4*c. — There is one nobleman resident for part of the year, the Duke of Roxburghe. The number of families of inde- pendent fortune may be stated at 19; the number of proprietors of land of the annual value of L. 50 and upwards is 17. Parliamentary Voters. — The number of persons on the roll as qualified voters for a Member of Parliament, is 269. Lanf/ftiOffe, — One peculiarity of the pronunciation oF this district lias been alreadv noted, — the tendency to o^ive to the dental sound of ch the sound of sh ; as sheap for cheap. A second, is the habit of sounding the vowel a in a mode precisely the reverse of the English usage : Thus water (broad a) is uniformly pronounced ^odter (long slender a) and vice versa. The mode of enunciating the pronoun of the first person is also peculiar. It is sounded as if it were written aw: a native Kclsonian does not sav, " /saw it," but *' Aw saw it." In truth, in all that respects language, the natives of this district may be said to be Scotorum Scotissimi, Though at the distance of only five miles from England, they speak the Scottish tongue in the most Doric of its forms ; nor does there appear any prospect of a speedy improvement in this particular. It would indeed seem, that, in proportion as the two countries approach their respective confines, the Scotch and Anglican tongues, instead of gradually losing each its distinctive character so as, at the point of junction, to interblend and coalesce in a common dialect, assume each its harshest and most intractable form ; as if for the purpose of keeping their respective marches clear and distinct. At least the fact is unquestionable that, all along the. south side of the east marches, we have the Northum- 324 ROXDURGHSHIUE. brian burr bristling, like a fence of thorns, to prevent the Scotch accent from penetrating into England ; whilst on the north side, the latter dialect assumes a breadth of guttural energy, which effectually protects ^^ the ancient kingdom" against the inroads of the speech of the smoother-tongued Sassenachs* Among the words peculiar to the Marches, the verb to stoothe^ which signifies to lath-and-plaster, is worthy of being naturalized throughout the island, as expressing by a single term what is now done only by means of a circumlocution. That such a term should be in use on the border is the more remarkable, that the practice which it is designed to describe prevails less there than in any other part of the kingdom equally advanced in a taste for domestic comfort and elegance. Popular Amusements^ Sfc. — Though Kelso is less entitled than it once was to the name of the Melton of Scotland, it is still dis- tinguished as a resort of the lover of field-sports. Whether fox- hunting, horse-racing, or the ^* occupation of the angle," be his fa- vourite diversion, the sportsman has here facilities for pursuing it : there being a pack of fox-hounds in the vicinity, a beautiful race- course, and a river than which none affords better sport. Accord- ingly, though its races form no longer any considerable attraction, Kelso is still in vogue for fox-hunting and salmon-fishing; and during several weeks of both the spring and autumn, parties of tlie nobility and gentrj', often from the south of England, take up their residence in the town for the purpose of enjoying these sports. There is also a coursing-club in the parish, which is well supported : and once a year, the whipmen of the border turn out, — horse and rider gaily tricked out with ribbons and silken sashes, — to ride a race, which is the great delight of the rustics and school-boys, and which is now happily unaccompanied with the cruelties that in earlier times attended it. Of the old border games, foot-ball* is the only one which is still a favourite. It is still the practice of the rector of the grammar school and of the other teachers in the town to present " the king," that is, the boy who makes the most liberal Candlemas offering, with a foot- ball, which becx)mes a source of amusement to the whole In early tiincst fout-Imll mutches were common between tlicTin habitants of adjrt- cent parishes, or of the op|>osite l)anks of a stream ; and not only serious accidents but sanguinary quarrels often rosi> out of them. 8ir Uobert Carey in his Memoirs, narrates that Kelso was the scene of n great meeting of Scotch riders, held ostensibly far the purpose of playing at fout-ball, but in reality with the riew of concerting mea- sures for a hostile incursion into England. 4 KELSO. 325 pupils for seTeral weeks afterwards. The custom, formerly con- nected with this, of the scholars marching in procession through the town with a gilded ball on the top of a pole, has of late years &llen into desuetude. Upon the whole, however, Kelso can hardly be classed among places noted for their popular games, at least in so far as the resi- dent population are concerned. Except when a fine summer even- ing tempts a few apprentices to the knowes, to try a match at foot-ball or quoits, or a severe winter provides an ice-bound river for the use of the curlers, nothing of the nature of sport is to be seen among the people at large. The intoxication of political excitement has here, as elsewhere, tended to deaden the popular mind, as well to cheerful amusement, as to other matters of more vital impor- tance. And it is to be lamented that, by reason of the long hours which a tradesman must work in order to provide the means of subsistence, there is a want of time, even when there is no lack of disposition, for these manly and healthful recreations. Is it not to the disgrace of this great and wealthy nation, that the bulk of the working-classes should require to spend so many hours of the day in toil as to have no leisure either for the culture of their minds, or for the improvement of that physical vigour which is al- most essential to a cheerful and contented tone of mind ? In connexion with local customs, it may not be impertinent to rectify a mistake, to which the name of Sir Walter Scott has ^ven currency, with respect to the usage called a " Kelso convoy." According to Sir Walter, this is a proverbial ])hrase of disparage- ment, which took its origin from the practice of the Kelsonians, who, less hospitable than the other borderers, ^^ convoyed," or accompanied their departing guests no farther than the steps of their own threshold. Sir Walter's border lore is in this in- stance at fault ^^ A Kelso convoy," is not a shabby dismissal of a guest aflter attending him only to your door. The old Kel- sonians did indeed finish the ^^ convoy," by parting with their guest on the threshold ; but then this parting did not take place until they had first hospitably convoyed him to his door, and been, in return for the compliment, reconvoyed by the latter to their own. Physical Habits. — In respect of cleanliness, clothing, and ge- neral style and manner of living, the inhabitants, — the class of gypsies and the more improvident of the paupers excepted — are justly considered to surpass most rural populations. A taste for neatness of dress, well furnished houses, and other domestic com- 326 ROXBURGHSHIRE. • forts, is very general ; nay is, in some instances, carried to excess. The men, even in the humblest rank, are for the most part well and substJintially clothed— having a holiday, as well as a working day suit The dress of the females is in ail cases neat; that of female servants (in particular) showy to an extent that might be advantageously abated. Women of all classes, down to the scul- lion and the beggar, wear bonnets in the open air. The ordi- nary food of the peasantry is chiefly of meal, milk, and potatoes, — little butcher-meat being used except pork, and no fish except herrings. The bread employed is, in many instances, wheaten ; but more usudly, a mixture of pease and barley meal. If the fare of the working classes in the town is in many cases better than this, it is also in many cases worse ; it being in the narrow lanes of the town that the most numerous instances of squalid penury and wretchedness occur. General Cliaracter. — The moral character of a population of 5000 souls is, like their physical habits, necessarily various. But as a whole, the people are sober and industrious, amiable in the re- lations of life, and attentive to their religious duties. They are more polished in mai^ners and respectful to all above them than persons of the same station in manufacturing towns, though per- haps somewhat inferior in acuteness of mind and extent of general information. Irregular marriages,* the bane of the working -classes, are believed to be on the decrease ; so also is the proportion of illegitimate births : whilst the increase of benefit clubs and of savings-bank deposits indicates that, along with the abandon- ment of a worse, there is a return, on the part of the com- mon people, to a better course of feeling and conduct. Among the most marked characteristics of all classes, especially the high- er, may be specified, beneficence to the poor, a large spirit of hospitality, and a strong feeling of locerson who officiates on these occasions is at jirescnt a bankrupt tradesman. His predecessor, Peter Mudic, was in the habit of granting the parties who appear- ed iKifore him a certificate, bearing that tliey were *■* legally and lawfully married** by him ; and further containing his own signature with the addendum of V. D. M. It was at one time the practice in some of the border parishes, for the kirk*8csion» before absolving defaulters in this way, to require them to be proclaimed and re-mar- ried. The usual pri:ctice now is, to make them acknowledge their marriage and irre- gularity in presence of the session, and, on evidence of their penitence, to restore them to privileges. Proclamation dues, however, are still in all such cases, exacted by the tHuaion clerk. KELSO. 327 Kelso : and probably few Kelsonians ever so far forget their filial love to their birth-place, even when by circumstances entirely se- parated from it, as not to connect it in their day dreams of the future with the fond aspiration, ^^ Sit mihi sedes utinam senecta;." IV. — Industry. As might be expected in a parish situate in the centre of a pure- ly agricultural district, the chief branches of industry are either agricultural labour, or those departments of the retail trade and of handicraft which lean'upon agriculture. One or two manufactures, carried on with a view to a distant market, such as the currvinff of leather, and the making of coarse woollen cloth, employ a few hands ; but the great bulk of the people are employed in the preparation or retail of articles consumed in the district, and consist, as in other country towns, chiefly of labourers, shoemakers, bakers, butchers, cabinet-makers, carpenters, masons, &c. The most numerous class of retail-shops are those of grocers and drapers. The number of members of the learned professions is 25 ; there being 6 minis- ters of the gospel, 8 medical practitioners, and 1 1 writers, exclu- sive of apprentices and clerks. Agriculture — Tillage and Pasture. — The total number of acres in the parish, standard imperial measure, is estimated at 4400. The whole may be said to be either cultivated, or occasionally in tillage, with the exception of the lawn at Floors, part of Spring- wood Park, and the Race-ground, recently reclaimed from a mo- rass, and now forming a valuable piece of pasture land. Even the first of these has recently come under the operation of the plough, though of course only with a view to its eventual productiveness and beauty, as permanent pasture- The total number of acres property in tillage, is about 3800 in permanent pasture, . 300 Tliere are no waste lands nor undivided common.' Wood* — The number of acres strictly under wood, that is, in inclosed plantations, is about 215. But besides the plantations, there is, especially in the parks of Floors and Springwood, and in the planted dells of Pinnacle-hill and Wooden, a vast amount of fine timber which cannot be estimated in acrcs^ being upon land under grass, or upon steep and broken ground ; to which must bo added the hedge-row trees with which the parish, particularly on the south of the Tweed, is richly ornamented. Tl»e older wood consists, in great part, of oak, beech and ash ; in the young woods, fir predominates ; but here also the harder timber is the growtb. chiefly aimed at, the firs being put in as nurses. The great bulk 328 ROXBURGHSHIRE. being either old or very young wood, no opportunity is at present afforded for following any specific rule in management, with re- gard to thinning, felling, pruning, and the like. Rent of Arable Land, — The rent of land varies greatly in diffe- rent parts of the parish. This is due partly to difference of soil, and partly to greater or less vicinity to the town. Whilst the northern section of the parish consists of a rich black loam with a subsoil of gravel, and lies close around the town, the southern por- tion is both inferior, generally speaking, in quality, and of less va- lue, as being more distant and cut off from free access to the town, by the pontage on the Tweed. Accordingly, the annual rent of land on the north side of the river varies from L. 5 to L. 2, 10s. while that on the south takes the lower range of from L. 3 to 7s. The average of the whole may be stated at L. 2, 5s. Rent of Grassing. — The average rent for grazing a fiill-grown ox or cow is, L. 4 to L. 4, 10s. ; and for each ewe or sheep, these being here of a large description, 10s. Rate of I^abour, — Masons and joiners receive from 2s. 6d« to ds. per day ; farm-labourers from Is. 6d. to Is. 8d. Spade labour upon farms is for the most part performed by contract or piece- work ; in which way a good labourer frequently earns from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per day. Ploughmen (in this parish generally married per- sons) are eng^ed by the year, and receive as follows : in cash, L. 3, 10s. ; 10 bolls oats, which may be estimated at L. 9 ; 3 bolls barley, L. 3, 6s. ; 1 boll pease, L. 1, 83. ; cow's grass and win- ter keep, L. 6 ; potatoes planted, L. 1, 10s. ; coals driven, L. 2, 10s. ; L. 27, 4s. The ploughman is furnished with a house on the farm ; but for this he provides a labourer in harvest, (very often his wife,) generally estimated at L. 2 ; and he is also taken bound, in virtue of the above allowances, to maintain a female-labourer, (distinguished on the marches by the name of a boTidager,) for whose services, when employed, he receives from 8d. to lOd. per day. Stock. — The usual breed of sheep reared and grazed in the pa- rish is that known as the improved Leicester, for which the sur- rounding district is famous, l^hc catHe most common are 9f the short-horned or Teeswater breed. Husbandry. — The system of agriculture pursued is necessarily various in a parish where there are so many, great and small, as seventeen farms with homesteads, besides a number of smaller pos- scssions occupied by cowfeeders, carters, and the like. The sys- KBLSO. 329 tem, however, in general application, is that of the four and five- shift courses, the former predominating. Except upon those lands (to the south of the Tweed) which rest upon a retentive subsoil, turnips or potatoes in limited quantity, are taken as a fallow crop ; this is followed by wheat or barley, sown down with grass-seeds ; and when these grasses are taken up at the end of one or two years, as the case may be, an oat crop follows ; no manure being applied in the course of the rotation to any but the turnip crop or &II0W. The manures generally employed are, besides common manure, lime and bone-dust. The average quantity of lime used annually is estimated at 843 tons ; the average quantity of bone- dust, 25 tons. As regards the improvements of which the husban- dry is susceptible, nothing very specific can be stated. The rich loam on the north of the Tweed, as also the lands on the south, which are upon a dry subsoil, are in the highest state of cultivation, and seemingly incapable of any additional improvement beyond what judicious management, and the application of suitable ma- nures, never fail to produce. But much of the wet and tilly soil in the southern section of the parish is, doubtless, notwithstanding the great and beneficial change which its present enterprising oc- cupants have of late years wrought upon it, still susceptible of ex- tensive amelioration from a more thorough application of draining and similar essential operations. Leasts. — The general duration of leases is nineteen or twenty- one years. The only exception is in the case of small enclosures and crofts in the immediate vicinity of the town, which are let, for the most part, for a double rotation of crops. Farm-buildingSi Sfc. — The farm-buildings are generally substan- tial ; in a few instances, tasteful and elegant. The implements of husbandry are likewise in accordance with the latest improvements. On one large farm, Spylaw, steam is employed as a moving power in the operations of thrashing, &c The whole parish is enclosed and subdivided into fields, generally by hedges, which, from the prac- tice of regularly cutting them with a bill, give the face of the coun- try a garden-like appearance. Where the fences are of stone, the walls are well-built, and sometimes coped with ruble-work. Alto- gether, the state of the parish, in reference to agriculture, may be justly described as worthy of a district, which has always kept pace with the rapid strides made by the country at large in this depart- ment of national industry, and which has long had the good for- ROXBURGH. V 330 ROXHURGHSHIRE.' tune to possess a body of tenantry distinguished alike by their intelligence, cnterprize, and capital. Fisheries. — The salmon- fisheries on this part of the Tweed have existed from a very remote period. At the foundation of the Ab- bey of Kelso, King David gave them to the monks, who seem to have carefully protected them ; though not more carefully than the land-owners whose property they became when the monastery was dissolved. The Kelso fishery yields an annual rent to the Duke of Roxburghe of L. 30 ; but this amount of rent is due less to the actual value of the produce, than to the income which the tacksman derives from hiring out his boats, &c. to amateur sportsmen. The fish caught here are not sent beyond the Kelso market, which, indeed, con- sumes more than this fishery is adequate to supply. The fisheries on the Tweed are under the protection of commissioners and over- seers, appointed by act of Parliament, with whom it lies to appoint head and under water bailiffs for the different districts of the river. The river is open for salmon-fishing from 15th February to 7th November. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised is estimated as under : Potatoes and turnips. - - - - L. 9^900 Grain of all kinds, ..... 11,560 Hay, 920 Pasture, including permanent grass in parks, &c. - 2,150 Gardens and orchards, .... 750 Fisheries, - . . ... 50 L. 19,330 Manufactures, — It has been already stated that the manufac- tures of the parish are very limited. Though the number of branches is considerable, including the manufacture of leather, woollen-cloth, tobacco, the weaving of linen, stocking-making, and the making of hats, they do not give employment conjointly to more than 150 workmen ; nor, if we except the currying trade, which is carried on by one house very extensively, does any of them seem to be advancing. Some of them, as weaving and stock- ing-making, have indeed all but disappeared from the place. Associations. — Though there are no parochial societies for the encouragement of any branch of industry, Kelso has" the benefit of several local associations of this description, which hold their meetings and exhibitions in the town. Among these, the Union Agricultural Society is worthy of notice, from the stimulus it has given to the improvement of stock, agricultural implements^ &c KELSO« 331 on the border. It has a monthly exhibition of cattle, sheep, seed- corn, &c ; encourages ploughing matches ; offers prizes for me- chanical inventions connected with agriculture ; and numbers among its patrons and members all the leading landholders and farmers in Teviotdale, Berwickshire, and Northumberland. V. — Parochial Economy. Marhet'Town^ S^c. — Kelso is the market-town of the district as well as of the parish. It contains a population of about 4200, who, as formerly stated, are employed chiefly in the ordinary branches of retail and handicraft. * It has a daily market for butcher-meat, fish, and vegetables ; a weekly corn market ; and a monthly cattle and sheep-market« I'here are four bank agencies, and numerous handsome shops. The principal transactions are those connected with the trade in corn, and the sale of stock ; and it is worthy of remark, that the business of the corn-market is car- ried on in the most primitive and inartificial manner, without bills, and even without accounts ; — it being the practice for the purchas- er to make payment in cash on the market day immediately fol- lowing that of the stipulated delivery of the article. Municipal Constitution. — Kelso is a burgh of barony ; but the sett is so peculiar as to justify us in here preserving some record of an ancient institute which the progress of municipal law will soon sweep away. Prior to the Reformation, the different lands and manors be- longing to the abbey formed a regality, over which the abbot ex- ercised the authority of a feudal baron. On the abolition of mo- nachism, the jurisdiction fell into the crown. But it was ultimate- ly transferred, under the title of the Lordship and Barony of Hal - lydean, to Kerr of Cessford — the first peer of the house of Rox- burghe. This transference took place in 1607; and in 1634, Kel- so, previously included in the lordship of Ilallydean, was separat- ed and created into a free burgh of barony. 'J'he charter of crea- tion gives power to the superior and his heirs-male, in all time coming, to " receive and admit free burgesses," — to appoint " bailies, clerks, officers, and other members necessary for the • Honourable mention is made in Uic former Suiistical Account (»f nn ingenious optieioni John Gibson, who then carried on a considerable trade in Kelso, ospttial- ly in telescopes. There is now no artisan of this descriptiini. But there is at present an ingenious person who does a great deal of work in a line to the full as unusual in small country towns as that of making spy-glasses. This is Mr Heckford, a bird- stuffer, whose performances, as seen in the Duke of Roxburghe's cabinet of natural history, and in the museum of the Kelso Antiquarian Society, will bear a compari- son with those of the best London artists. 332 HOXBURGHSHIUE. government of the burgh ;" — to " hold a weekly public market and two free fairs yearly for the space of eight days ;" — to " re- ceive and uplift the customs and duties thereof, and apply the same to the common good of the burgh ;'* — and in general to " es- tablish such regulations as may be most conducive to the general good of the town and its inhabitants, the advancement of trade, and the encouragement of manufactures therein." The town seems to have been incorporated, and baron-bailies appointed from the date of the charter ; but there is no formal sett extant of older date than 1757, ten years after hereditary jurisdictions were abo- lished ; a sett which, with a few modifications established by long practice, forms the constitution under which the town is still go- verned. According to these regulations, the powers invested by the char- ter in the feudal lord are delegated after a manner specifically de- fined, to his bailie, certain corporate bodies, and fifteen stent-mas- ters. There are seven corporate bodies, the Merchant Com- pany, and the six crafts of Skinners, Weavers, Tailors, Shoemakers, Hammermen, and Fleshers. To these bodies is delegated the right of admitting freemen, and of preventing persons who do not pay the expense of entry, and otherwise conform to the rules, from carrying on business in the burgh ; and they are also empowered to elect each their respective preses or deacons. The powers vest- ed in the stent-masters have an exclusive reference to the admini- stration of the funds of the burgh, and, in particular, to the levy- ing and disbursement of a stent or tax, which is applied to the repairing of the streets and other burghal expenses. This tax they impose on the inhabitants according to the rentals of their properties, and the supposed value of their trades ; but be- fore levying it, the preliminary step must be gone through of presenting an estimate of the probable expenditure for the ensu- ing year to the baiUe, whose approval and warrant are essential to enable the stent-masters to collect the stent, and with whom also it lies to judge of and determine all claims from exemption, as well as all appeals against the amount of stent imposed. These stent- masters are fifteen in number, of whom eight are nominated by the bailie ; the remaining seven consist of the preses for the time being of the Merchant Company and the deacons of the six crafts ; and they have power, in their collective capacity, to elect from their own number a preses and treasurer, and also to choose their own clerk and quarter-master. The principal officer, however, under KELSO. 33:j this coustitution is the baron-bailie, wlio is the superior's deputy, and invested, during the pleasure of the latter, with the ix)wer of his principal. Besides the power of controlling the proceedings of the stent-masters already described, he has a right, whenever he thinks fit, to require them to exhibit their accounts. He is al- so the judge of all cases of dispute between the corporations and claimants for entry. In addition to which, he holds a weekly court within burgh as a magistrate, for the decision of civil cases, when the sum in dispute does not exceed L. 2, and of criminal actions of assault, battery, or petty theft, punishable by a fine not exceed- ing L. 1. He gives judgment also in possessory actions and se- questrations for rent, though his jurisdiction in such cases is found- ed upon prescriptive usage rather than on any express instruction in his commission ; and he is likewise expected ^' to take a gene- ral superintendence in all matters of police." Such is an outline of this somewhat peculiar and anomalous constitution. With respect to its actual working, it is not neces- sary to enter into detail. The right of nominating a majority of the stent-masters, and also of controlling all their acts, invests the bailie with a power which, in the hands of an indiscreet man, might be prostituted to oppressive ends, and which is in principle opposed to the genius of modern institutions. Yet in practice, the system has never occasioned complaint, — while the progressive im- provement of the town in all that relates to lighting, cleaning, supply of water, and general neatness, affords evidence that the unrestricted control of the town's funds vested in the bailie and stent-masters has not been abused. In fact, where evil has arisen to the community, it has been from the defectiveness of the bailie's power, not from its excess. There is no provision for defraying the expense of a body of police ; nor is the magistrate invested with those summary powers which are essential to the immediate punishment and prevention of crime. The want of an effective police is, accordingly, much felt ; and though the bailie does keep one police officer, (partly at his own cost,) and is ever ready to interpose his authority in order to check riotous disturbances, the amount of disorderly conduct in general, and of juvenile delin- quency in particular, is not on the decrease. All experience proves that it is in such towns as Kelso that most of the offences tried in counties arise ; and there can be no doubt, that were the magistrates of such burghs invested at once with a summary jurisdiction over petty ofTenceSi and with a sufficient executive, it would be in their 334 ROXHURGHSHIRE. power, in very many instances, to crush crime in the bud, to arrest juvenile ofifenders at their outset on the path to ruin, and thus not only to secure the prosperity and peace of the community, but to effect a material saving in the expenditure now necessary for the prosecution of offences before higher tribunals. TowrCs'Funds. — The annual income of the burgh may be stat- ed at about L. 500. Its principal sources are : the stent on the inhabitants already described ; the proceeds of a tax on ale ; the price obtained for fuilzie ; the rent of a machine for weighing coals ; and the interest of a sum invested on Kelso Bridge.* Villages. — The only village in the parish is Maxwell-heugh, which stands on a heugh or eminence on the south of the Tweed, directly opposite to the eastern part of the town. It contains about 100 inhabitants, and is a place of great antiquity. The Earl of Morton had a residence there in the time of Elizabeth. Means of Communication. — There are two post-office deliveries daily ; one when the bag from the south, and another when the bag from the north arrives. ^ No mail-coach passes through Kelso ; but letter-carts or gigs regularly convey the bags to and from Hawick, where the mail passes. Turnpike roads, to the extent of twelve miles, intersect the parish, and connect it with all the sur- roundingtowns, the principal being a branch of the great north road, * The following account of receipts and disbursements for a single year, as given in evidence before the burgh commissioners, will give a better idea both of the reve- nues of the burgh, and of the purposes to which they are applied, than any descrip- tion ; though it is but fair to premise, that the items of <' cleaning streets** and **trades- men*s accounts** are considerably above the average expenditure under these heads, in consequence of additional expenses arising in the year referred to, out of the pre- valence of cholera, &c. Income from Whitsundav 1831 to Whitsunday 1832. Interest on L. 250 vested on Kelso Bridge, Tax of 2d. Scots on pint of ale, . . . . Stent imposed on the inhabitants. Rent of machine for weighing coals, Proceeds of dung collected in cleaning streets. Allowance fVom the trustees of the Lauder turnpike for repair of one of the streets, .... . . Rent of jailor*s house, . . • . . Expenditure. Salaries of officers, . . ... Expense of lighting streets with gas, . cleaning streets, . . . : mending streets, . . . • Tradesmen*s accounts for repairing property, Interest of debt, . ..... Expense of police, ... . . L.^ 50 1 11 269 11 6 25 132 5 of 10 2 L.5(J2 T" "s L.24 19 "T 76 5 10 349 8 2 34 7 11 138 13 5i 26 3 4 21 L.670 18 1* KELSO. 335 ^ia Newcastle, to London. Stage-coaches run daily between Kelso and Edinburgh ; three times a-week between Kelso and Berwick ; and between Kelso and Hawick, taking Jedburgh on the way, twice a-weck : There is also direct access daily to Newcastle and the south by a coachi which runs between Edinburgh and Newcastle. The means of conveying heavy goods, &c. by carriers and wag- goners are ample ; there being 45 of these who come and go from Kelso weekly. The bridges are numerous, and constructed on the most approved principles of the art ; those across the Tweed and the Teviot, in particular, may vie with any similar works in the kingdom. The Kelso and Berwick railroad, from which such extensive benefits were long anticipated to Tweedside and Teviot- dale, has existed for the last twenty years in an act of Parliament, and in the pages of The Travellers' Guide : Why it does not yet exist in any more tangible and useful shape, and seems never likely to do SO5 is best known to the shareholders, who, judged from their past proceedings, appear to have been incoq)orated for the purpose of defeating, not of carrying into effect, the provisions of an act of Parliament. Eccksicutiical State, — Parish Cliurch. — The present church was erected in 1773, and is a commodious and conveniently situated, though somewhat inelegant building. In external shape, it is a regular octagon, flanked by two ample porches, which abut from the north and south sides ; and it is surmounted bv an immense roof of blue slate, tapering to a point somewhat after the fashion of a marquee, and supported by a circle of eight pillars within the building. Its internal figure was also octagonal up to 1 823, when, with the view of improving it as a place of hearing, an alteration was made, which at once deranged its internal symmetry and di- minished its area to the extent of 1153 feet. The loss of ac- commodation thus incurred was in a good measure compensat- ed in 1833 by seating a passage which ran round the lower area of the church. But it is to be lamented that, instead of thus con- tenting themselves with a limited repair, the heritors had not, in 1823, adopted a plan of improving the church, furnished by Mr Gillespie Graham, which would have augmented, instead of cur- tailing the accommodation, and cost only from L. 1100 to L. 1200 more than the alterations actually executed. The two principal heritors, on whom conjointly would have fallen nearly two-thirds of the whole expense, were in favour of the rejected plan, and were willing, besides^ to contribute their proportioii lovjaLTiis WAfti- 336 ROXBURGHSHIRE. ing a church-spire, which is much wanted in a parish where there is no place for suspending bells ; but their liberal design was 0Yer« ruled by the opposition of the smaller heritors, who, for the paltry saving of L. 420, the whole sum which the execution of Mr Graham's plan would have cost them, resisted an improvement which would have been of great and permanent advantage to the parish and the public. The church is seated to contain 1314 ; but in consequence of the polygonal shape of many of the pews, the number which it actually accommodates is under 1300. The whole sittings are allocated to the landward heritors, with the exception of those set apart for the minister, session, schoolmaster, and choir, and 187, which have been allotted to the incorporated trades, in considera- tion of a contribution made by them towards seating the church. The inhabitants of the town, though forming five-sixths of the whole parishioners, have, with this exception, no right to sittings other than the good will of heritors, who happen to have more church-room than is necessary for the occupants of their land. Yet this disadvantage is less felt than might be expected, in conse- quence of the liberality of the only land-owner having a surplus- age of church-room, the Duke of Roxburghe, who has of late years delegated to the kirk-session the power of assigning his surplus seats — about one-third of the church, to the people of the town. Manse, — The manse was built in 1801, and extensively repaired at the entry of the present incumbent in 1832. It is a large and commodious house; and beautifully situate on an open space of ground between the town and the Tweed, — having the abbey im- mediately behind it, and the glebe bounded by one of the very finest portions of the river, in front Glebe, — The glebe is understood to contain about six acres, ex- clusive of the site of the manse, the manse garden, and a portion let as a wood-yard. Its value, including all these pertinents, to- gether with an annual allowance of L. 4, 15s. from the trustees of Kelso- Bridge, in lieu of a part cut off by the approach to the bridge, may be estimated at from L. 50 to L. 60. There is no grass glebe ; but the minister has a prescriptive right to the grass of a plot of meadow called the Knowes, which adjoins the church-yard, and originally formed part ofthe ground used as fttt/^ for archery. From this right he has, however, of late years de- rived no benefit; as the Knowes have become the play-ground KELSO. 337 of the grammar school, as well as the chief resort (in virtue of his written sanction) for the stated exhibitions of agricultural stock, &c. Stipend, — The stipend is 51 bolls of oatmeal and 56 bolls of bear, with L. 193^ 2s. 5d. in money. The Court of teinds awarded, in their first scheme of locality, a stipend larger than this by about L. 70 ; but the above is all that the teinds, when surrendered, were found to yield. Nor would the stipend have reached its present amount, had not the proprietor of the lands of Maisondieu, ori- ginally hospital lands, and, as such, supposed to bo exempt from teind — failed to prove that they had been feued cum decimis in- dusis et nunquam antea separatism previously to the act of annexa- tion in 1587. These lands having been left unvalued^ the court found that they were liable to pay one-fifth of their real rent as stipend. Divine Service^ Sfc. — In the parish church, divine service is performed twice every Sunday throughout the year. The sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper is administered twice a-year, viz. on the last Sundays of February and July. The number of elders, each of whom superintends a defined section of the parish, is at present & The number of communicants is about 1200. Additional Church, — A deficiency of church-room in con- nexion with the Establishment has recently been supplied by the erection of a second church. This church, which is just com- pleted) is situate on the north-side of the town, in a field which, from its elevation and exposure, renders the building, with its ele- gant Gothic tower, one of the most prominent objects in the sce- nery of Kelso. Besides a church capable of accommodating 800 persons, there is a suite of spacious school-rooms, which form the ground-floor of the building, and are designed for the use of an infant and juvenile school ; while the surrounding field is fitted up as a play-ground for the scholars, or tastefully laid out as a pleas^ once to the church. By the constitution granted by the General Assembly, it is provided that, on the settlement of a minister, a section of the town and suburbs shall be disjoined from the ori- ginal parish quoad spiritualia^ and assigned to the new church as a parish ecclesiastical ; and that for the better accommodation of the poorer classes, one-half of the whole church- room shall be let at an annual rate not exceeding ds. a sitting. The appointment of the minister is to rest, during the infancy of the congregation, with four individuals named in the constitution ; but it is ultimately to devolve on the kirk-session and male communicants; — the for- 338 ROXBURGHSHIRE. mer enjoying the right of nominating the candidates (not less than four,) from whom the latter are to elect the minister. A bond for a stipend of L. 80 must be lodged with the presbytery before a minister can be inducted ; but the stipend is not to be li- mited to the sum secured by bond, if the seat-rents and collections, the only sources of revenue provided for in the constitution, afford a larger income. For an addition to its ecclesiastical and education- al ediBccs, which has not been completed under a cost (fabric and site included) of less than L. 3460, Kelso is mainly indebted to a native of the parish, — Mr James Nisbet, Berners'^ Street, Lon- don, with whom the design originated, and by whose muniGcence chiefly it has been carried into execution. The splendid donation of L. 1500 to the object forms only one item of the amount of this gentleman's benefits to the new church and parish. Among the benevolent persons who have co-operated with Mr Nisbet, a pro- minent place is due to three of the elders — Mr John Henderson, Mr Robert Williamson, and Mr Alexander Leadbetter, who, be- sides their liberal donations to the funds, have devoted much time and labour to the superintendence of the work. The Duke of Buccleuch, Mr Alderman Pirie, and Alexander Gordon, Esq. of London, ought also to be mentioned as large contributors. And it would be unjust to the parishioners generally to withhold the fact, that their united contributions directly to the object have amounted to L. 50a * Religious Denominations. — Besides the Established Church, there are five other religious bodies which have places of worship in the town, viz. the Episcopal Communion, the Reformed Pres- byterians, the Original Seceders, the United Secession, and the Relief. The Methodists and Quakers, mentioned in the former Account, have disappeared, though the latter body still retain the right to use their former meeting-house for religious purposes. An Episcopal congregation has existed in Kelso from the time of the Revolution. The present meeting house of the Original Se- ceders was erected in 1772 ; that of the United Secession in 1787; that of the Relief, originally an off-shoot from the last-mentioned congregation, in 1792. The ministers of all these bodies are paid * Although the new church and schools arc now open» a minister and taocher ap- pointed, and A new parish ecclesiastical allocated, (the church was opened on d6th November 1837,) no account is given in this paper of the changes which are being introduced into the parisli by the new parochial arrangements. I ndeed, conndertng the necessarily immature state of arrangements so recently commenced, this wouM have been scarcely practicable, even had it not been wholly precluded by the ctreuoi* stanccj that the materials embodied in the present account were chiefly ooUflcted4n lSd6. KELSO. 339 from the proceeds of seat rents and collections, with the exception of the Episcopal clergyman, whose stipend is derived from a volun- tary assessment upon the members of the congregation. AU^of them, with the same exception, have manses. Their stipends vary, vith the numbers and wealth of the congregations, from L. 200 to L. 50, and are, so far as has been ascertained, as follows : minister of United Secession, L. 200 ; minister of the Relief, L. 150 ; minister of the Original Seceders, L. 50. As respects the time and diets of public worship, &c. the Dissenters follow nearly the same rule as the Established Church. There is divine service, generally speaking, every Lord's day, as also two distinct diets, excepting dur- ing the winter half-year, when a double diet without any interval is adopted. The Lord's Supper is likewise dispensed in the two most numerous congregations on the same days as in the Established Church; and in the othcrsit is dispensed with equal frequency, though not generally at the same times. The United Secession and Relief congregations number among their members many persons of great respectability in point of wealth as well as character, and the Sab- bath attendance is not only respectable but numerous, considering the distances which many of the members have to travel. One of them — the United Secession, is composed of persons collected from so many as thirteen parishes. The following table exhibits the accommodation of the va- rious places of worship, together with the number of persons in the parish of all ages connected with each denomination respectively, as ascertained by a census taken in 1835 : Drnominaiion. Accommodation. No, of PcTMom, £*tabUslied Church. 1314 2631 Episcopaluins, 218 153 Reformed Presbyterians, 320 66 Original Seceders, 600 30 United Secession, 955 1034 Relief, 779 598 Not known to belong to any denomination. 602 Religious Societies. — The societies established for the purposes of Christian charity are, the Kelso Bible Society, (which gives the most of its funds to the Edinburgh Bible Society,) the Kelso Missionary Society, (auxiliary to the Scottish Missionary Society,) the parish Society for the spread of the Gospel, (its funds have been applied to the support of a parochical missionary,) — and the Society for the Missions of the United Secession Church. The first two are supported by Christians of various denominations ; the last twO) as their designations import, by members of the Esta- 340 ROXBURGHSHIRE* blished Church, and of the United Secession respectively. The average iDcome of each society may be rated as follows ; Bible So- ciety, L. 38; Missionary Society, L. 13; Parish Society, L. 60; Secession Missions, L. 65. The sums raised by these societies do not exhaust the contributions of the parish to missionary and re- ligious purposes. Various stated and occasional collections, both in the Established and Dissenting churches, fall to be added, especially the annual collections in the former, in aid of the four missionary schemes of the General Assembly, which have hitherto averaged upwards of L. 50. Education — Schools. — The total number of week-day schools is 10 ; viz. a grammar school and an English school, both parochial ; a side-school for the southern division of the parish, provided with school room and schoolmaster's house, at the expense of two of the heritors; the Roxburghe school (for girls,) taught by a female, and similarly provided at the charge of the Duke of Roxburghe ; the Friendly school, supported by an educational society ; and Gve private schools, undertaken on the adventure of the masters. There are also two boarding-schools for young ladies, as likewise a similar institution for young gentlemen, kept by the rector of the grammar school. Branches taught, — The branches generally - taught in these schools are the elements of reading, writing, and arithmetic. In the Roxburghe school, the girls are taught sewing along with the ordinary branches. In the grammar-school, the Latin and Greek classics are taught together with French, geography and mathe- matics ; whilst in the ladies' seminaries the ornamental branches of education, as music, drawing, &c. may be acquired in addition to the elementary. Though several of the teachers are persons of liberal education, the modes of tuition generally followed d< not differ materially from those which have been in use for th( last forty years ; nor in the instances in which the analytical sys-. tem has been introduced, does there exist any very flattering pro-^ spect of its permanent adoption. The emoluments of most of the schools are so slender that well qualiBed teachers remain in thei only till they can obtain better appointments, and it of^en happei that a teacher versant in the modern improvements of his art £ ^ succeeded by one who is but slenderly, or not at all acquainted ^^ i with them. Emoluments. — The rector of the grammar-school is the ovX'i teacher who has the maximum salary and the legal accommod^- 4 KELSO. 341 tioD. The English master has no liouse, and, excepting a salary of L. 5, lis. Id. paid in equal parts by the heritors and burgh, and the interest of a mortification of L. 240, as a remuneration for , teaching poor scholars recommended by the kirk-session, is de- pendent exclusively upon school fees. The only other teachers nvho have salaries are the mistress of the Roxburghe School, who has an income secured to her (including school fees) of L. 24 ; and the master of the Friendly School, who is in like manner gua- ranteed, whatever sum is necessary to supplement the penny-a- week fees of the children up to L. 40. The unendowed teachers are understood to have their school-wages but indifferently paid ; nor probably does the most popular of them, after deducting school-rent, realize an annual income exceeding L. 50. School Fees, — The school fees charged at the grammar school are, for the classics, 10s. per quarter, and for mathematics, 10s. 6d«; at the parochial English school for reading, 3s. 6d.; writing, 4s. 6d. ; arithmetic, 6s. 6d. ; at the private schools for reading, ds. ; writing, 4s. ; arithmetic, 5s. ; practiced mathematics, 7s. 6d. ; at the Roxburghe and Friendly Schools, reading, writing, and arithmetic. Id. per week. Decreagifig desire for Education, — There are probably few per- sons in the parish between six and fifteen years of age who can- not partially read and write. Yet the state of school attendance, during the last few years, is far from indicating a very lively de- sire on the part of the commonalty for the benefits of education. Not only has there been a gradual falling off in the number of classical pupils,— unhappily common to this district with the whole country, but the average attendance on the English schools ex- hibits a progressive decrease. In 1833, the total number of pu- pils in attendance on all the schools of the parish, boarding-schools included, was 725. In 1834, the number had increased to 765 ; but in 1835 it was only 690 ; while in 1836 another diminution had taken place, the number being 664. Part of this deficiency is no doubt explained, though but a small part, by a growing prac- tice among the wealthier classes, of having their children taught at home by masters who come in for a few hours daily ; and some- thing may be also due to the increasing poverty of many of the people, as well as to the notion not yet obsolete, that a mere abi. Uty to read and write constitutes education, and that, consequent- ly! the merest scantling of school instruction will suffice. But these causes do not account for the whole evil. A growing in* 342 UOXBUllGHSHIRE. difference to the value of early education lies, it is to be feared, a the root of the evil — an indifference strengthened by the loss c self-respect, which a habit of asking and taking indiscriminat charity engenders, and not dispelled by the spectacle of the salu tary working of a thoroughly enlightened and energetic system o tuition. It is to be hoped that the infant and juvenile school connected with the new church will be conducted in a manne fitted at once to enlighten the popular mind on the subject o education, and arrest that tendency to apathy with regard to it benefits now too palpably discernible. Yet considering how diflS cult it is to raise by voluntary contribution, an adequate and regu lar provision for competent teachers, the philanthropist cannot b< sanguine of much amelioration, until clearer symptoms display themselves of a disposition on the part of the legislature to mak< liberal provision both for normal and primary schools. Sunday Schools. — Besides the week-day, there are 6 Sunda] schools ; — 4 connected with the Established Church, and 2 be- longing to the Secession and Relief congregations respectively. Originally there was but one school, attended by children of all denominations, which was held first in the parish Church, and afterwards removed to the Secession meeting-house; but foi many years past, the division. into Church and Dissenting schools has obtained, as also that of the former, into male and female schools. The average number of Sunday scholars may be stated at 500, of which 300 belong to the Church, and 200 to the Dis- senters. By far the most important of these schools, in point both of numbers and efficiency, is the girls' school conducted by ladies, members of the Establishment. Under the head of Sunday schools may be enumerated, though they meet on a week-day evening, two weekly classes, connected with the parochial congre- gation, one, a class of candidates for admission to the Lord's Sup- per, the other, a normal class of Sunday-school teachers. Literature — Libraries. — Kelso is rich in libraries. The prin- cipal of these,' " the Kelso Library," has existed since 1750, and now contains a collection of about 5000 volumes, including many standard English works in all departments of literature. In com- mon with the conimodious building in which it is kept, it is the property of about seventy shareholders, by whose subscriptions it is supported, and to whom the books are accessible. ^^ The New Library," and " The Modem Library" are also the property at joint-stock companies. They were founded in 1778 and 1800, and KELSO. 34;} already contain about 2000 and 1500 volumes respectively, chiefly »f modern works. There is also a Sunday school library con- nected with the Established Church ; a congregational library be- onging to the Relief Church ; besides three sections of the East LiOtbian Itinerating Libraries, which were lately introduced for the ise of the working classes, principally through the exertions of the jresent minister of the United Secession congregation. In con- nexion with libraries may be mentioned a Book-club, consisting Df twenty-four members, (some of them extrfi-parochial,) who con- rribute each a guinea annually for the purchase of books, which are 2irculat«d among the members, and sold at the end of the year, — the proceeds of the sale going to augment the means of purchas- ing books. This Club has existed for many years ; and has very materially contributed, both by the kind of works it has circulated, Bnd by the intercourse it has kept up among the members — to maintain a taste for literature in the town and neighbourhood. Scientific Societies, — " The school of arts," which gave rise to some interesting: courses of lectures on chemistrvand mathematics from 1825 to 1828, is no longer in existence. But the basis of a scientific institution, destined, it is hoped, to be longer-lived, has Tocentlybeenlaidin the '' Kelso Physical and Antiquarian Society," which, though its object is restricted, in the meantime, to the formation of a museum of natural history and cantiquities, may per- haps ere long turn the collection to some useful purpose, by ingraft- ing upon it a lecture or demonstration on some subject of philo- sophical or historical interest. The name of the eminent person at the head of the society. Sir Thomas M. Brisbane, Bart, may be regarded as a pledge that something more is eventually contem- plated than a mere repository of archaeological relics and physi- cal rarities ; while the eminent success which has attended their labours in this, the preliminary department, ought, doubtless, to encourage the directors to adventure on an attempt to compass the ulterior object also. Reading^Rooms, — There are two reading rooms for newspapers in the town ; one of considerable standing, belonging to a select society of gentlemen ; and one, of recent date, open to all who pay the annual subscription. It is to the honour of the latter that, by an express regulation, it is shut on the Lord's day. Newspapers^ Sy. — The " Kelso Mail*' and the " Kelso Chroni- cle" newspapers are printed and ])ublished in Kelso, the for- mer twice, the latter once a-week. The " Chronicle" was esta- 344 ROXBURGHSHIRE. blished for the advocacy of political reform in 1832 : the '^ Mail," a Conservative journal, has existed since 1797, having been pro- jected and, for a time, conducted by the late Mr James Ballantyne, who commenced in Kelso his career as a printer. Various news- papers and other periodical works have issued from the Kelso press » since 1783, when ^^ the Kelso Chronicle," the first newspaper in the south of Scotland, was commenced ; but, with the exception of that journal, v^liich lasted for eighteen years, and another newspa- per, the " Kelso Weekly Journal," which existed from 1808 to 1829, none of them have been successful. It is creditable, however, to the literary enterprize of the place, that so many attempts have been made : and it will ever serve £o connect the name of Kelso with literature, that its press produced the first edition of " The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border." Charitable and Economic Institutions — Dispensary. — The oldest of our charitable institutions is the Kelso Dispensary, which was established in 1777, for the benefit of the sick poor of the town and district, principally through the philanthropic exertions of the late Hon. Mrs Baillie of Mellerstain and the late Dr C. Douglas of Kelso. This institution is supported by voluntary contributions; its accumulated capital, however, being now at length so consider- able as to make it independent of any very laige amount of an- nual subscriptions. Patients are, under certain limitations, visited at their own houses, by the surgeons of the institution; and, in the institution- house, there are both wards for fever patients, and rooms for the performance of surgical operations ; to which have recently been added water and vapour baths, accessible, at a spe- cified charge, to the public generally. The following table (which, with the valuable explanatory remarks and notes appended to it, has been obligingly furnished by the respected physician to the Dispensary,) exhibits the number of patients, and of the principal diseases, registered during the first five and the last five years of the institution. No. of Diseases. Years. Patients. Fever. Ague. Asthma. Rheumatism. Small-pox. Dropsy. 1777-8, J302 13 17 10 15 "^2 10 1778-9, 306 26 83 18 16 17 2 1779-80, 460 109 71 17 22 87 6 1780-1, 675 147 159 19 82 4 5 1781-2, 510 65 103 24 21 4 11 1831.2, 772 66 — 4 40 ~ 9 j^ KKLSO. O' 1892^ otiP *i() (» 1 IH I 7 lasA^, 7-29t 89 J 3 4-2 o 8 I8ai^ 078 G5 ^^ 3 3() 5T 5 J8»5^ 593 63 1 2 28 — 6 345 ** In the last series of five years, there have been above 100 cases of scarlatina ; — in the first series none are recorded. " The years 1780-81-82 were very severe upon the lower classesf as want added its attendant evils to the inclemencies of the sea- sons. Besides the heavy list of fever and ague, 21 CAses of scurvy occurred ; and I have no doubt are correctly stated, as two of the medical gentlemen had served abroad, and were familiar with the disease. " In comparing the first and the last series of years, it will be noticed, that ague has almost disappeared, while fever, though much diminished in its proportion, still holds its place as the most common disease of our district It is at all times difficult to trace the immediate cause of fever, which probably originates in some specific malaria ; but we have evidence that, once generated, it may be communicated from one person to another not exposed to the same noxious miasma which produced it. Marshes and wet ground alone are not necessary to the production of malaria, or many of the pestilential plains of Italy would be freed from disease. ^ •* The cases of asthma have diminished, while rheumatism has increased. The additional comforts and improved living of the lower classes, we should have expected, would have produced a beneficial effect upon both. The .removal of ague was likely to have diminished the cases of dropsy ; it is not a very common dis- ease among us, but as frequent as formerly. It is a curious fact, that stone in the bladder is almost unknown in the district, with the exception of one or two families, where it has existed as a he- reditary disease." Benefit 5ocie^te«.— Various friendly and benefit societies for- merly existed in the parish, but have all either been dissolved, or * " Cholera visited Kelso in 1892. The dispensary was used as a cholera liospitaK and no record kept of the other patients for two months. 'Hivrc were about forty deaths from cholera ; and, as fever prevailed at the same time, the cases of fever were certainly more numerous than the books show. Several of the cases of ague this year were occasioned, apparently, from opening drains in a piece of marshy ground.** t *' In October 1833, a man and his wife, dealers in fish, were seized with cholera, and died. In the course of the year various cases of modified small-pox were noti- ced ; but in the following season, when 51 dispensary cases are recorded, there was mnoh lesa of modification. Various deatlis occurred ; and the medical gentlemen of Ae institution were convinced that the disease was more violent according^o the ditUnee of time which had elapsed from the vaccination of the patient/* ROXBURGH. Z 34(] ROXBURGHSHIKE. are in the course of dissolution, in consequence of the erroneous principles, in respect to the proportion between the rate of admission and the rate of allowance, on which they were based. Nor is there any prospect of the speedy formation of new ones on sounder princi- ples. The only beneficiary schemes of a similar nature now existing are the " Yearly Societies," — four in number, — which are formed with the view of assisting their members when sick, and dissolved and reorganized every year. Each member contributes weekly the ^ sum of Is. '2d., together with 6d. a year for the expenses of ma- — nagemciit, 6d. on the death of a member, and dd. on the death of a member's wife. A member, when laid aside from work by^^ sickness, receives 4s. per week for the first three months, and 2s»^ for the next three months — the allowance not falling lower thac^r this. On the death of a member, his widow is allowed, as funera^^^m. expenses, a sum at the rate of 6d. from each member ; on th» .^rdie death of a member's wife, he is allowed 3d. from each. The onH M^ ly impediment to the beneficial operation of these simple but useiiM: ^au/ institutions is the practice, which cannot be too soon abandoneiF^rt of holding their monthly meetings in public-houses, and spendin ^f their fines on drink, instead of sipplying them to the increase (. -^f the funds. Savinffs Bank. — The want of benefit societies is, to some tent, supplied by a Savings bank, which has existed since 184 having been the first that was organized in Scotland on the mod< of that of Kuthwcll. This bank is managed gratuitously by i agent of the Commercial Bank, Mr John Waldie, who some hours every week to it. Any sum from L. 2 to L. 10 is ceived, — the only limitation being, that whenever and as often the deposit amounts to the latter sum it is withdrawn, and lodge in the Commercial Bank upon a deposit receipt in the depositor' name. The average sum invested yearly amounts to L. 517, 15s. the average sum withdrawn, L. 474, 4s. Id. : the average su: lodged with the Commercial Bank, L. 230 ; the average numbe '^ of depositors, 49. The depositors are chiefly servant girls, la-- bourers, and young persons ; and it is pleasing to notice, that the^ amount of business done is regularly, though slowly, increasingf' The amount lodged at 31st December 1838 was L. 908^ 9s.; snS the number of accounts open, 223. Poor and Parochial Funds, — There are in this parish fow sources of maintenance for the poor, viz. assessment, churcb-cd lections, mortified money, and charitable donations. KELSO. 347 1. A compulsory assessment has existed since 1796. * This assessment is fixed by the heritors, kirk-session, and proprietors of houses, on the real rpnt of lands and houses, — one-half being leviable from the landlord, and the other half from the tenant. Two meetings are held yearly, at Whitsunday and Martinmas, for the purpose of fixing the rate, and also of revising the poors' roll, deciding upon the claims of applicants for relief, and auditing the accounts. These last .are kept, as well as the general business relating to pauperism conducted, by a stipendiary overseer, with the assistance of two subordinate officers, a collector and distribu- tor ; and, to dispose of urgent crises that may arise in the interval between the general meetings, a committee, including the parish minister and one or more of the ciders, is regularly appointed at the half-yearly meetings. It should be added, that, besides the regular pensions, a considerable proportion of the funds is given in the shape of interim supply to paupers who are not on the re- gular roll, or who, though on the roll, require, from temporary causes, additional relief; — a mode of administration which expe- rience proves to be attended with the double advantage, of keep- ing down the numbers on the roll, and meeting necessitous cases without incurring the risk of making them permanently paupers. The average annual assessment for the last twenty years (during * A voluntary wsessmcnt has existed from 1 737. The niinutes bear, that, in order to obtcmper an act of the Sheriff and Justices of the Peace, passed in the year ]7*37, for the regulation and maintenance of the pfior, the heritors and kirk-session, in thnt jear, appointed the elders and others to pernmhulate the parish, and biing in a " list of the poor, aged, sick, lame, and impotent, all orphans, and other poor chiUlrcn vitbin the parish ;** as also, two overseers to superintend the collection and distribu- tion of the funds, and a collector to serve under them. They likewise appointed the •ame persons to ascertain what pei^ns would volunteer to ^ive weekly for the su])- port of tlic poor, with certification, ** that all who were known to be able, and would not do it willingly, would be stented ;" and, in addition, they chose ^^ three fcneibic men fur carrying off and removing from the place all vagrant and stranger-poor that may infect it, or be found troublesome." Tn 17*n, when this plan was commenced, the whole sura necessary fnr the weekly support of the poor, including wages of the eollector, was L. 24, 8s. Scots ; of which ifuui the landward heritors agreed to take Upon them one half, confonn to their respective valuations; the oiher half iKMug Qtade up by the feuars and inhabitants of the town, who, however, were to have for their relief, as far as they would go, the collections at the kirk-door, and the annual l^ent of the money lent out by the session for the use of the ]io(}r. Though this •y a t tfin continued with modi6cations on to 1700, it never seems to have wurked well. Xbough the collection was made weekly in sums, as a|)pcars by the stent-roUs still Ikreserved, not exceeding, in the majority of cases, one hulf-pcnny Sterling, large ar- rears were speedily accumulated, and the greatest dilhculty encountered in keeping the fUndt up to the growing demands. The sum necessary for relief did not rise very tmpicUv, but it steadily advanced. By the ycjr 1700 the number of ))ensioners on the roll was 60, and the sum disbursed among them L. 110, IHs. ; in 1770 the sum WM L. 122, lOs. 4d. ; and in 17U2 it was L. 27(), Uh. 8J. It was this constant ad- vance of the rate, togetlicr with the increasing difliculty of collecting the contribu- %ioiu of the townspeople, which induced the heritors to have recourse, in 1796, to the present compulsory system. 348 ROXBURGHSHIRE. which the amount has not very greatly varied) has been about L. 850,— the lowest (in 1826) being about L. 700, the highest (1836) rather more than L. 1000. The average number of pen- sioners on the roll for the same period of years is 130. The average number of persons receiving interim supply, including those on roll, 73. The average allowance of each person, man, woman, and child, on the roll, (including interim supply,) Is. 8d. weekly ; the average allowance to each individual not on the roll, in the shape of interim supply, L. 2 annually. * 2. The church collections, including in them a proportion of the fees for proclamations, &c. and the trifling rent of L. 1, paid by the convenery for being allowed to provide and hire out the mortcloths, amount at present, after deducting the allowances made to precentor, session-clerk, church-officers, &c. to L.85. Prior to 1796, one-half of these collections was paid over to the heritors, to be applied by them and the session conjointly to the relief of the poor. But since the estabhshment of a compulsory rate, the whole collection has been wisely left at the disposal of the session, who apply it to the relief of such cases of urgent and temporary distress as cannot well be met by the slower and more formal process of an application to the heritors or their committee. The distribution is made weoklv« in the several districts of the parish, by the elders, who, from their intimate knowledge of the people, can have a regard to the moral character as well as the physical necessities of applicants. And there is no doubt that the largeness of the collections — for they are large compared with the average collections in assessed parishes, — is due in no small de- gree to the well-founded persuasion among the congregation, that the fund is wisely and kindly administered. 3. The mortified money applicable to the relief of the poor, consists of five bequests made at different periods by individuals connected with the parish. Three of these, Jamieson's, Sloan's, and Dickson^s, which are under the administration of the heritors * It is believed that, in giving to proprietors of houses a co-ordinate power with heritors and elders in imposing the assessment, and also in taking the real rent as the basis of assessment, the usage of this parish is somewhat peculiar, if not of doubtftil competence. The power conceded to proprietors of houses, however, is found to operate most beneficially in keeping down the assessment ; as these indiTldualsy from their residence among the people, and knowledge of their wants, possess the certain means of sifting all applications, and detecting imposture. The other practice allud- ed to— that of taking the " real rent,** rather than " means and substance*** as the basis of the assessment, is not so unexceptionable. It presses very unequally, inaamuoh as it subjects the farmer, who pays a large rent for his fiirm, to a burden utterly dis- proportionate to that to which the rich manufacturer or capitalist is liable, who ii assessed only to the value of the house he occupies. KELSO. 34!) ftod kirk-session, yield together an annualrcnt of L. 17, 10s., and the remaining two, Jonathan Waldie's, administered by the baiho and minister; and Leadbetter's, administered by the ministers of all denominations, yield at present an annual interest of L. 18. The items are as under : L. 10 2 10 5 - 10 8 L.a> 10 "o Jomieaon't legacy of L. 200 at 5 per cunt. S]oane*a . 100 t>l Dickson's annuity of 5 J. Waldic*8 legacy of 200 6 Lcsdbcttcr*9 - 200 4 4. To these various fixed* sourcesof relief must be added thesums supplied by the public f bounty of individuals, which, though ne- cessarily varying in amount in diflTerent years, cannot be rated at a lower average than L. 100. % These donations arc generally given, in whole or in part, in coals, meal, &c. and are jidministered by va- rious persons, according to the appointment of the donors. ' Putting together all the above-mentioned resources, the annual amount applicable to the wants of the poor in the parish cannot bo estimated much below L. 1300; a sum greatly exceeding what is expended for the same purpose in most Scottish parishes of 5000 population. Yet it must be remembered that the peculiar cir- cumstances of Kelso, if they do not vindicate, sufficiently explain such an expenditure. Irrespective of its vicinity to England, which brings to bear upon it the ill example of an excessive poor- rate, its situation, as the metropolis of a wide rural district, neces- sarily exposes it to a constant influx of indigent persons, by making it the resort, in their declining years, of infirm labourers as well as of widows and sickly females, who, after a few years residence, frequently come in for a share of its charities and even of its pen- sions. The largeness, too, of the provision for the poor, taken in * Under the head of fixed supplies ought perhaps to be included a conioration fundy BTeraging about L. 18 yearly, which arises from the fees of cntrantSj &c. 'I his fund it divided annually, at the discretion of the office-bearers of the corporations, among poor tncoibers, or the indigent families of deceased members. f This term is employed to distinguish the donations in question from private charitVi which of course cannot be included in the ])resent account. $ During the unusually severe winter of 1836-7, the class of donations referred to more than doubled this sum, as the following list will show -. Duke of Roxburghe's donation, (4 oxen,) - L. GO Duchess Harriet, - in coals - ^ Sir Charles Dalbiac, - - ^ Mrs Sheddcn, - in meal, - 40 James Nisbet, Esq. - - - 21 Subscription in Kclao, - in uieal, - 26 350 ROXBURGHSHIRE. connexion with the indiscriminate manner in which the ** public" beneficence of individuals is in some instances distributed, tends to the same result, as it operates as a lure to improvident persons, and especially to the gipsy tribe, to settle in the place ; while the en- tire disappearance, among a portion of the commonalty, of that honourable pride which makes it painful for a man either to re- ceive parish relief himself, or to allow his relatives to receive it, serves both to perpetuate the evil of which it is itself one of the worst fruits, and to render all attempts to abate it next to hopeless. These considerations account but too satisfactorily for the growth and cost of pauperism in Kelso ; though they do not render it the less a subject of lamentation, that there should be nearly one-tenth of the whole population dependent for their subsistence mainly upon public charity, and reduced to such an abject condition, morally and physically^ as to focm almost an inferior caste in the social system. Mendicity. — If we except the case of a few of the parish poor, who are allowed to go round the town, of a Saturday, for a small gratuity, which particular families are in the habit of bestowing on them, there is scarcely such a thing as a beggar to be seen on the streets of Kelso ; a result due to the good offices of the Society for the Suppression of Mendicity, which has been in operation since 1829. The plan pursued by this society is very simple. Having in view at once to suppress mendicity, and to re- lieve the really necessitous wanderer, it maintains an office in a central part of the town, where mendicants (non^parishioners) are required to apply ; and a constable, whose business it is to keep the office, enter the names and description of the applicants in a register kept for the purpose, grant a small relief in money, or provide a night's lodging in an orderly lodging-house, according to their necessities, — and, above all, to take care that, when relievedi they shall forthwith leave the town. The office, constable, and register are, however, but the external machinery of the institution* Its vital principle is the pledge under which its members come, not to give charity to any vagrants who may apply at thfiir houses or shops. The extent to which this pledge is kept is, in fact, the measure as well as the source of the society's success in compas- sing its object ; and if it has hitherto failed in totally suppressing mendicity, the blame lies with the false humanity or too great fe- cility of inhabitants who persist in throwing away their alms oa « sturdy beggars." As it is, the " ancient craflt" of begging » Of whom were lodged for one or Yean. No. of vagrants. Children. more nip;hts. ] 839-30, 528 183 437 1830-^1, 534 ' 264 120 1881-32, 214 107 188 1832-a», 342 119 209 KELSO. 351 happily at a discount in the parish ; and so long as the society is supported, there is little likelihood of its ever again coming out in evidence before the Sheriff of the county, as.it did not very many years ago, that a day's begging in Kelso was, in the hands of " a canny gaberlunzie," worth " good 14s." It may be useful, as an evidence at once of the judicious management of the society, and of the small expense at which important civic ameliorations may sometimes be effected, to append the following statement of the number of vagrants relieved, and the total cost of management during the first four years. Of whom were lodtred for one or Expenditure. L.31 14 22 IG (>^ 14 19 3 20 5 Prison. — The only place for the confinement of delinquents is a lock-up house, the property of the burgh, which is employed chiefly for the temporary incarceration of vagrants. Fairs. — Besides cattle-markets every second PVidayof the month, from April to February inclusive, there are three horse fairs on the first, third, and fourth Fridays of March, and a fair for both cattle and horses on the second Friday of March ; but the chief fair, cal- led St James's, the most ancient and one of the best attended on the border, takes place on the 5th of August. It is held on St James's Green, near the site of the ancient church of St James's ; and it has this peculiarity, that the magistrates of the county town attend and preside, as well as divide the customs with the lo- cal superior. InnSf Alehouses, S^c. — The number of licensed places for the sale of spirits is 63, or one for every eighteen males in the parish above twenty years of age. There are few grocers who are not also spirit-dealers ; and the baleful practice of selling drams across their counter, and in their back shops, prevails to an ex- tent which renders it one of the most fertile occasions of drunken- ness. Repeated attempts have been made to induce the justices to limift the number of licenses, but hitherto, the pecuniary in- terests of landlords, who apprehend some difficulty in getting an adequate rent for their houses, should their tenants be denied a license, have had more weight with the court than the cause of temperance and good morals. Among the many proofs of the de- moralizing effects of the spirit trade in all its departments, it may be mentioned, though the fact is probably not peculiar to Kelso, 352 UOXBURGIISHIRG. that out of the many reputable and exemplary persons who take to tavern keeping as a refuge from reduced circumstances, there is scarcely one who does not in the course of a few years sink down into a habitual and incurable sot. FueL—CosA is the fuel chiefly used. It is brought from the coal-field in the north part of Northumberland, by carters, who pur- chase the mineral on their own risk at the pit, and sell it at what it will bring to their customers. These dealers assemble with their carts daily in the square called the coal-market, where there are steelyards for weighing them. The inhabitants purchase coals in the market commonly in single cart loads, after receiving certifica- tion of their weight at the steelyard. The coals are in general of an inferior quality, and, though sufficiently combustible, contain a large residuum of clay. The average yearly consumption is about 5000 tons, or 1 ton for each person in the parish. The price may be generally stated as about 8d. per cwt. in winter, and 7d. in summer. October 1838. PARISH OF MINTO. PRESBYTERY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOTDALE. THE REV. DAVID AITKEN, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — In old charters, the name of this parish is written Myn- thow, Myntow, Mintov, from which in more modern times it pass- ed into Mynto and Minto. Different etymologies have been pro- posed, but all of them seem to be conjectural. Referring to the situation of the old village on the brink of a steep bank, or to the locality of the mansion-house on the opposite side of the glen, where an angular point is formed by the jimotion of two rivulets, it has been supposed that the origin of the name might be found in the British Mintau, denoting the brink or edge which extends out, Minto the exterior brink or border, and Mintua towards the brink. Ancient names, however, when borrowed from the natural features of the country, arc generally derived from the most strik- ing objects, and it is accordingly more probable, that the bold and MINTO. 353 commanding eminence of Mintp Craigs gave a designation to the parish. Agreeably to this view, as Meynn is said to be the Cam- bro-British, and Meen the Scoto-Irish word for a kid, the Celtic etymologists have concluded the name to signify kid's hill, the more readily, it has been thought, from considering that kids de- light in craggy heights ; unfortunately, however, for this explana- tion, nothing has been found in these languages resembling to or towy which bears the signification of a hill or craig. Another at- tempt has been made to derive the name from the British Mynta, which means an aggregate, or Myntai, what is aggregated, both of these words being applicable to an assemblage of rocks, which certainly present the appearance of being piled or heaped to- gether. In the Welsh dictionaries, Mynydh is translated mojiSy and in Cornish Mynnen signifies the Alps, so that the name may be connected with the ancient British dialects, in which the ety- mologies of leading objects, such as hills and rivers, arc generally to be found ; but, at the same time, showing the room there is for conjecture, a derivation might also be obtained in the Saxon lan- guage, it being well known that the names of several places which end in ov or owy such as Grenehow, Stanehowe, Kalchov, (Kelso), are formed from Aov, the origin of the Scotch heugh^ and of the old English howy a hill, and which in the lexicons is rendered mons prtempta, — a term peculiarly appropriate to the locality referred to. It must be allowed, that the first syllable cannot be so satisfactorily accounted for, though room for conjecture might be afforded by the Saxon Mynta, Mint, or Mintan translated statuere^ disponere. Extentf Boundaries. — The parish of Minto was formerly con- fined to the barony ; it now comprehends a considerable part of the suppressed parish of Hasscndcan, and extends about 3^ or 4 miles in length, 2^ in breadth, and may contain about 8| of square miles. It presents somewhat of an oblong figure, and is bounded on the west by the parish of Wilton ; on the north by Lillieslcaf ; on the east by Ancrum ; and on the south by Cavers, which in some places stretches across the Teviot, so that the river is only partial- ly the boundary. A stripe of haugh along the southern extremity forms the only level ground. The surface in other places rises in frequent undulations, with a blunt outline presenting considerable variety. But the general appearance of the country is chiefly di- versified by two green hills, the highest of which reaches an eleva- tion of 877 feet,* and to the east of them by the Minto Craigs, a * The heights in this neighbourhood are usually very inaccurately stated, and made to exceed the truth) from the calculations being based on a defective survc>{ b^ 354 ROXBURGHSHIRE. congeries of trap rocks, mostly covered with wood, which, with a bold eminence, 721 feet in height above the level of the sea, over- hang the valley of the Teviot. These heights form a ridge run- ning lengthways east and west through the greater part of the pa- rish. To the south of them, the ground slopes to the river, and is farther diversified by some small glens or deans, watered by rivu- lets. Here, as in a great part of the south of Scotland, much of the most interesting scenery is concealed in these sequestered dells. Two may be mentioned as possessing much beauty, consider- ing their scale and extent. The one, near the western boundary, is partly clothed with native brushwood and trees, receding into open glades; the rock in other places is exposed in projecting ledges, at the foot of which a clear stream finds its way, contain- ing, even in the heats of summer, some deep pools; and having almost an appearance of grandeur, when flooded in winter. This picturesque spot was scarcely accessible, and comparatively little known, till of late, when, under the direction of the present pro- prietor of Teviot Bank, it has been laid opeu by judiciously formed paths. The other glen is narrow, and has more the charac- ter of a ravine. The upper part, by means of a head thrown across it, is formed into a piece of artificial water, which winds under the steep and smooth bank, on the edge of which Minto House is si- tuated, and has its margin inclosed by tall evergreens, yews, weep- ing-willows, and several magnificent trees. The water, as it escapes, forms a considerable cascade, and below this the dean assumes its natural character, though still sufficiently intermixed with exotic shrubs, and maintaining enough of a dressed appearance to suit the neighbourhood of a large residence. From the sheltered na- ture of the situation, the trees thrive vigorously, and some of them have reached an uncommon size ; among these, may be mentioned that most graceful of tall evergreens, the hemlock spruce, the common spruce, silver-fir, several varieties of maple, and some larches, among the finest which are to be found in Scotland. Emerging from this closely wooded defile, a path leads at a little distance to Minto Craigs, the most conspicuous and interesting ob- ject in this district. The lower part of the steep is strewn with large masses of rock, dislodged from the precipice above, which, with its irregular surface, covered with a greyish lichen, in some Mr Kinghorn. The foUowing levels are given as approaching nearer to eorreetncts : Bed of the Teviot at Spitalford above the sea, 197 iect ; Minto House, above Spital' ford, 194 feet ; jMinto Craigs above do. 524 ; Minto Hill above do. 680 ; Ruberslav above do. 1 174 feet. In the a(>oye list, Kuberslaw wan very accurately measured by the present Earl of Minto, \stj)y the spirit level, 2d, trigononietrically» anddd* baio- metricaJly, the results by each melVvod W\t\^ vt^c\%^\>} \.\\cing with iimquhilc John Karl of I.cnnox in the field of Linlithgow ; and from T^csley^s History of Scotland, we learn that, seventeen yean afterwards, in the battle of Glasgow Moor, fought 1643, the **• Laird of Minto, who was on the part of Lennox and Provost of Glasgow, was evil hurt." Upwards 364 ROXBURGHSHIRE. these families, the estate of Minto was purchased by Walter Riddell, second son of Walter Riddell of New-house, and by his daughters, who were coheiresses, it was sold, previously to the Union, to Sir Gilbert Elliot, ancestor of the present family of Minto. This eminent person, born in 1651, wasa younger son of Gawen Elliot of Midlem Mill, who was the fourth son of Gilbert Elliot of Stobs, commonly called " Gibbie with the gowden garters," by Margaret daughter of Walter Scott, of Harden, better known by the sobriquet of ** Maggy Fendy." Being the second son of a younger branch, Gilbert was destined to the profession of the law ; but in that stir- ring period of history, he appears also to have taken an active in- terest in political affairs, as, on the 16th July 1685, he was found guilty of treason, and forfeited for being in arms with * Argyle, — the process describing him as a writer in Edinburgh. He seems, however, to have been soon pardoned by the King, for in little more than two years afterwards, he applied to be admitted an ad- vocate, when his examiners, it is said, ^^ stumbled to meet with him, till he first showed his remission lest it might infer converse against them." He was one of the deputation of Scotch gentlemen who waited on King William in Holland, to concert measures for his coming over to England, so that at the Revolution, from the pro- minent part he had taken, the act of forfeiture was rescinded, and of sixty years thereafter, in a letter of the privy-council to the King, as to the deadly feud Ix^twecn the Earls of PIglinton and Lord Scmpil, this sentence occurs : « August 27, ItiOG, We had likewise in hand the process of Glasgow, wherein we have fbuiid very great insolence and riot committed by Mynto and a number of the commons of the town, and hayc committed the persons guilty to ward within the burgh of Lin- lithgow, till your Majesty*8 pleasure bo known.** »Scveral scattered notices of the Turnbulls likewise occur. There is a remission, dated 5th April 1499, to William Turnbull of Minto, and Archibald TurnbuU, son to umquhile John Tumbull, for the slaughter of umquhile John of Rutherford, and for their treasonable passing and remaining in Kngland.'* Only three years afterwards, however, in 1502, the Turn* bulls of Nlinto were again engagetl in several acts of violence, destroying the place of Barnhills, and burning twenty-six bolls of bear, and forty l)olIs of oaU, pertaining to George Rutherford of Langncwton, in his place of Sandystanes, so that, on acccmnt of these outrages, we find, in 1506, William Turnbull of Minto, along with Mark» Edward, and Walter Tumbull, his accomplices, set forth as*^ rebels, and at the horn.** ^ The same lawless habits still continucert Elliot, who, to his other uccoinplislimcnts, added a taste for music. 366 ROXBUKGHSHIR-E. this, the only trees near the house consisted of an avenue of old ash, one or two of which are still standing ; and the village then stretched along the opposite bank in a straggling line, with the church and manse nearly in the midst of it. The greater part of these houses was removed to Minto Green, the site of the present village, the banks of the pond planted, and on one side a row of larches was placed most probably in 1736, being among the first that were introduced into Scotland. There is a tradition, that the seed was sent in a frank by John Duke of Argyle, sown in flower*pots,and kept in the hot-house till, by the advice of the Sardinian Ambassa- dor, who chanced to be on a visit, the plants were removed to their present situation, where several of them have now attained a height of 100 feet.* On the opposite bank, there is a shady avenue of beech of the same date, when the dwelling-house was also farther im- proved, and a library f formed, such as at that time was rarely to be met with in Scotland. From this his femily seem greatly to have profited, as they were distinguished by their acquirements. One of them. Miss Jane Elliot, who died in 1805, is still aflfection- ately remembered from her talents and delightful conversation, but has acquired a more extensive and lasting celebrity as the authoress of the " Flowers of the Forest," of which no less an au- thority than the late Sir Walter Scott has said, that " it is ex- pressed in a strain of elegiac simplicity and tenderness which has seldom been equalled, and imitates the manner of the ancient minstrels so happily, that it required the most positive evidence to convince me that the song was of modern date." This lady ap- pears to have been no less remarkable for strength of character than accomplishment, for at the time of the Rebellion in i745- 46, her father being forced to conceal himself from a party of Jacobites among the craigs, then only covered with broom and long grass, s^e received and entertained the officers, and, by her presence of mind and composure, averted the danger. The Jus^ tice-Clerk died suddenly at Minto in 1766, and was succeeded h^^ his son, the third Sir Gilbert, who seems to have been also intende^^^ for the profession of his father and grandfather, as he passed *^ ^ civil law trials in 1743; but, having early associated with the P^^t^^v,- lie men of his day in London, he engaged actively in political 1'^ ^^fc was returned Member of Parliament, first for the county of ^^^eV * For the measurement of these and other remarkable trees, see p. 875. t The library has subsonucntly received many valuable additions, and may puted as now containing 12,000 volumes. con MINTO. 307 kirk in 1754, afterwards for lloxburgh shire in 1765, and became also Treasurer of the Navy. He died in 1777, of a pulmonary com- plaint, at Marseilles. He possessed an amiable and highly culti- vated mind, and, in the midst of his other pursuits, found leisure for those of literature, favourable evidence of which is preserved in the beautiful pastoral song, — '^ My sheep I neglected, I broke my sheep- hook," published in the notes to the Lay of the Last Minstrel, and in the draught of a letter to David Hume, the me- taphysician, printed along with the first Dissertation to the new Encyclopaedia Britannica by Dngald Stewart, and by that com- petent judge, held to be remarkable for '* sound philosophy and purity of English style." The fourth Sir Gilbert, father of the present Earl, was distinguished by eminent talents for public bu- siness, as is shewn in the number of high offices to which he was successively called. In 1793, he was appointed Governor of Toulon, Viceroy of Corsica in 1794, Minister Plenipotentiary at Vienna in 1799, President of the Board of Control in 1806, and Governor General of India in 1807. He was created Baron Minto, and admitted to the peerage in 1797, and raised to the rank of an Earl in 1812, with the additional title of Viscount Mclgund; for his eminent services in the East, he also received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. He died soon after his return from India, on his way to Scotland in 1814, aged sixty-three years. Though much of his time was spent abroad, the improvements of the paternal estate were continued by Lady Minto, daughter of Sir George Amyand, whom he married a few weeks before his fa- therms death. Besides extensive additions to the plantations, the present House of Minto was built, being fmished in 1814. The present Earl, born in 1782, and married 180G to Miss Brydone, daughter of Patrick Brydone, Esq. author of the Tour in Sicily, and maternal grand-daughter of Principal Robertson, has also been actively employed in political life. He early represented his native county in Parliament, has since held the appointment of Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Berlin, and at present tills the of- fice of First Lord of the Admiralty. Hassendean — Though now, in a considerable part, incorporated with Minto, a brief notice may here be given separately of Has- sendean. Sir Walter Scott, in a note to the Lay of the Last Minstrel, states that Hassende minutus Ctenicerus pectinicornis 4«M«W#^^MMnMM^«WW#t cuprous Sclatosomus eeneus Atopa cervina Lampyris noctiluca Maltliinus biguttulus Hylurgus piuiperda Amalus scortillum Hypera rumicis nigrirostfis arator Donacia cincta Galeruca tanaceti Luperus rufipes Haltica nemonim Phaedon tumidula Chrysomela fastuc litura staphyUea polita sauguinolcnU hyperici Helodes beocabungc Coccinella quatuordedmguttata oblongoguttata dispar Anthicus fuacus Staphylhius pubescens Goerius olens Otbius fulgidus Anthobium groasum II. LEPIDOFTXaA. Sphinx porcdlus Phalsna gamma •^^0^**0000^ menthrastiri m0>0mmmm9*0i0»00mmttt»i^0m0 #tf'tft«V*M^#>MMWWMM«M**MP 9-* 0i^0i^mm0*00^0*»00k ««#^MMn^^0IM«i*WW«MMMtfk 90<^mm0i^^m0mm* *^>0i^mm0*00*0mm Leiosoma punctata Hylobius abietis Otiorhyuchus tcnebricosus Strophosomus coryli limbatus pu viridana chnrophyllata humuli oxyacanthap cratagata TlDUla griMBulariata #tfwwi«^#mMwwf« tfVI««^*IM«WMM«WI •«^#WW*WMWW«M«l«W *0<0>0m^mmm»mmmm ^•^•m^immmmmmmtmm *'^»WWWW^ ■■ Papilio aemele »»mM »t m m 111 UCJe HAWICK. 385 Papilio Artaxerxes Vanessa lo ■■»« Atalaota hortica «MMWWIP«Ma«i PoDtia crataei^ M»MMM«WMMI^ Ua HSBlW ,»,...,„.. cardamines Hipparchia Megera Janira .M hyperanthus blandina pamphilus Argyunis Euphrosyne ^0m0tm0im0im0m^*0^0^m0>0t #«#W«MaWW*MMttM#*M«MM #WWWWM«*MM#W«#>^«W«MMA 0mm>^m0mmmmm^m^t00i0»0m Botany. — Of indigenous plants, the following have been found 1 the parish : Veronica beccabunga agrestis Antboxanthum odoratum Valeriana officinalis ' dioica Eriopbonxm polystacbion Iris pseud-acoms Sdioenus nigricans Scirpus lacustris Phleum pratense Alopecunis pratensis •^— — agrestis — — — geniculatus Agroatis stolon ifera — • canina Aira cBspitosa Poa trivialis «^- annua firixa media Dactylis glomerata Cynosurus cristatus Festuca orina Avena fiitua pratensis Arundo phragmitcs Lolium perenne Tridcura repens Scabiosa succisa Aspeniia odorata Galium verum ' palustre — — - aparine Plantago lancedata — nu\jor Alebemilla vulgaris Primula yeris Menyanthes trifbliata Euonymus Europieus Chenopodium bonus Henricus Oentiana campestris Conium maculatum Heradeum spbondyiium Pkumasaia palustris Linum oatharticum Allimn ursinum Antbericum serotinum Juncus cffusus ■■ articulatus Rnmex acutus obtusifolius — ; — aeetoaella Epilobium montanum Erica mlgaris cinerea -tetraliz Polygonum amphibium Pyrola rotundifolia Saxifraga granulata Stellar ia nemorum Sedum reflexum acre Oxalis acctosella Lychnis flos cuculi Cerastiura Yulgatum Agrimonia cupatoria Euphorbia peplis Sempervivum tectorum Prunus padus spinosa Rosa spinosissima — - canina Rubus idsus fruticosus •- chamcmorus Fragaria vesca Geura urbanum — rivale Comarum palustre Spiraea ulmaria Chelidonium migus Anemone nemorosa Ranunculus ficaria bulbosus Trollius Europseus Caltha palustris Ajuga rcptans Mentha pulegium Stachys palustris Thymus serpyllum Ijamium album purpureum Prunella vulgaris Rhinanthus crista-galli Euphrasia officinalis Melampyrum sylvaticum ScropLularia nodosa Sinapis arvensis — — nigra. Malva moschata Fumaria officinalis Polygala vulgaris Ulex Europseus Ononis arvensis Orobus tuberosus syl vaticus Lathy rus pratensis Vicia sylvatica Trifolium repens — pratenso Ix>tus corniculatus 386 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Hypericum perfbratum Empetrum nigram _.-.^-^ monttoum Querciu robur Tragopogon pratense Coryliu ayellana Sonchus anrensM MercurialU perennis Leontodon Taraxacum Holcua laoatus Hieracium pilo&ella Fraxinus eicdtior Arctium lappa Equisetum paliutre Artemisia vulgaris Pteris aquilina Gnaphalium dioicum Cardaminc amara Tussilago far&ra Adoxa moschatellina Senecio vulgaris Vinca minor '—~^~ Jacobaea Potentilla fragariaitrum. Bel lis perennis — _ rcptans Chrysanthemum leucanthemum Solanum dulcamara AchilUea millefolium Arenaria verna Centaurea nigra Dianthusdeltoicks Viola tricolor Helianthemum vulgare Orchis morio Geranium lucidum mascula — sylvaticum — — latifolia Tormentilla officinalis — maculuta - — rcptnns Betulaalba Vaccinium myrtlllus Urtica urcns i oxycocooa — dioica , Viola hirta Salix vimiualis ■ palustris The largest tree in the parish is an ash on the lawn at Branx- holm Castle. It measures 13 feet in circumference at 4^ feet from the ground, while the stem rises about 16 feet before it diverges into branches. 11. — Civil History. The barony of Hawick appears in Robertson's Index among tb many charters which were granted in the reign of Robert the^^ ^^® Bruce, previous to which we have not been able to obtain any sa — -^^^* tisfactory information as to the civil history of this parish. Alon^^ ^^^i with Sprouston it was granted to Thomas Murray by David II J^ ^} and descended during the reign of the same monarch to Mauric^^> *^^ de Moravia, Earl of Strathearn. According to Chalmers it ap cJ^-^^P' pears in 1357 as a burgh of regality. About the beginning of tW^^ ^ fifteenth century it became the property of Sir William Douglas ^R-^-*^! one of the ancestors of the Queensberry family. Thiscelebrateo^* . . individual who, according to Hume of Godscroft, was an illegitU^-*'S* mate son of James Earl of Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale and Drum ^^^^ *^"'! Ian rig, seems to have signalized himself in no small degree by hi:i ^ gallant services against the English on the Scottish border, in con-^^^^^ sequence of which he obtained a charter from James L, confirm--'*^* "7^" ing to him the lands of Hawick, together with those of Selkirl** ^ and Drumlanrifif.* * The original charter, aco)>y of which is preserved iu A ndcrsoirs collection, w written hy the King's own hand, while a prisoner of Henry IV. of Engkuidy and ru thus : ** Jamis, throw the grace of God, King of Scottis, tic all that this lettre bereis 4 mat or J HAWICK. 387 rom Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig, a lineal descendant le above-mentioned knight, the town of Hawick received its ^nt charter. This was granted in 1537, and confirmed by en Mary in 1545. It appears from the charter, which is 3r a curious document, though too voluminous to be transcribed, the town had existed as a free burgh of barony from an early ; that the ancient rights had, however, been destroyed amid turmoils of the border wars ; and that, to prevent the evils y to ensue from the loss of such documents, the new charter granted, confirming to the town the lands which they had lerly enjoyed, authorizing the burgesses to elect bailies and ers for the government of the burgh, and investing the ma- ates with the power of receiving resignations of lands, or ting seisin of the same, according to agreement of parties. Aer the granting of this charter, the barony of Hawick still lined for a considerable time in possession of the same family. in 1639 the charter of James I. already quoted, was confirm- •y the Privy- Council of Scotland, in favour of Sir William glas of Drumlanrig, who, besides inheriting the estates of his istors, was raised to the dignity of the peerage, being created 1 cf Queensberry, Viscount of Drumlanrig, and Lord Douglas [awick and Tibbers. ia later period the barony of Hawick descended to the barons hiccleuch, who seem to have exercised a seignorial authority their feudatories till 1747, when hereditary jurisdictions being ished by act of Parliament, the Duke of Buccleuch, as ap* "8 from the manuscript of the original return, received L. 400 Dmpensation for the regality. liough holding a less conspicuous place than other towns in district, Hawick has not been altogether undistinguished in annals of border warfare. According to Harding, it was burnt ntn 1418 by Sir Robert Umfranville, Vice- Admiral of England, Grovemor of Berwick. It is likewise believed to have suffered rely in 1544, when, along with other districts, the whole of Modil grytinse ; Wit ye that we have grauntit, and l>e this presentis lettrc itiif a qieciaU confirmatiunc, in the most forme, tie oure traiste and well be- Dosyng, Sir William Douglas of Drumlangrig, of all the landis that he is posscssit ihartrit of within the kyngdome of Scotlaiule, that is for to say, the landis of nlangrig, of Hawyke, aud of Selkirke, the whilkis chartis and possessiouns be this B we eonferme, and will for the mare sekuries this oure confirmatiunc be for- Ui efter the fourme of oure chaunssellure and the tenor of his charirisselit with grate wle in tyme to come ; in witness of the whilkiH this presentis lettre we • with oure proprc hande, under the signet usit in selying of oure lettres, as now roidoune the last daie of November the yer of oure Lorde 1412." 388 ROXOURGHSHIRE. Teviotdale was laid waste by Sir Ralph Evers and Sir Brian Latoun. Nor did it escape in 1570 ; for to prevent its occupation by the troops of the Earl of Surrey, the inhabitants themselves tore the thatch from the roofs of the houses, and set fire to it in the streets, by which, with the exception of Don Lamoreck's Castle or the Black Tower of Hawick, the whole town was com- pletely destroyed. And, whether from the invasion of English armies, or from intestine feuds, no less fatal and calamitous among the lawless clans of the border, it seems to have been involved, during the course of many centuries, in a state of almost perpetual war. This state of matters, it is not to be doubted, has had its influence in imparting even to the architecture of the town, a some- what interesting and peculiar character. For amid the many buildings which, in accordance with the spirit of modem improve- ment, have been erected in every part of the town, there are still standing a few venerable structures, which are not only interesting from their antiquity, but which, whilst occupied as ordinary dwell- ing-houses, have evidently been constructed as places of security and defence, amid the troubles of a warlike age. These ancient tenements are built on arches of rough whinstone, whilst the walls are of massive thickness, almost defying injury from fire, and ca- — pable of being stoutly defended, and though they certainly pre- ^- sent a somewhat rugged exterior, they seem internally to have '^e been planned with no small degree of ingenuity, and must in tro u ^ - blous times have afforded accommodation to a considerable num- ber of families. The same causes which gave rise to this peculiar species of archi- tecture have had their influence in moulding the general charactei of the population, and thereby impressing upon them certain peculia- rities, which, though gradually disappearing like the rough masoni of those ancient buildings, are yet sufficiently obvious to arrest th( notice of any careful observer. The truth is, the border spirit, spirit certainly more congenial with the usages of a ruder and U enlightened age than the present, is not altogether extinct. And^ we doubt much, if a community could be found elsewhere, mor^ jealous than they are of what they conceive to be their own rights, more keen and indefatigable in the working out of what they reckon to be their own interests, and more determined in asserting at all hazards what they deem to be essential to their own independence. Anything like a spirit of vassalage to any man, or to any class of men, how elevated soever in rank, is what they cannot brook, and 3 HAWICK. 389 any attempt, from whatever quarter, to interfere with their ancient or established privileges is sure to be strongly and almost univer- sally resisted. There are, moreover, few places where less atten- tion is paid to the ordinary distinctions of rank, or where all classes are more disposed to associate together on the footing of equality. And with respect to the ordinary business of life, they exhibit a spirit of activity, and enterprize, and intelligence, which, setting every difficulty at defiance, is productive of the most important results. In short, there are elements of character amongst them^ which, if subject to the influence of religious principle and properly directed, might raise them to a very high point in the scale of moral and intellectual improvement, but which otherwise are not unlikely to carry them, as they have sometimes done in seasons of political excitement, into excesses, which no right-minded man can contemplate with any other than a feeling of unqualified con- demnation. Eminent Men. — Gavin Douglas, no less celebrated for his poe- tical genius thap for the nobleness of his birth, was admitted rec- tor of. Hawick in 1496. Of the works which entitle him to a high phice in the ranks of our Scottish poets the most valuable now ex- tant are the Palice of Honour, King Hart, and a translation of the JSneid of Virgil ; and these, it is believed, were produced dur- ing his incumbency in this parish. From his superior talents as well as the great influence of the family with which he was con- nected, being son of Archibald, the celebrated Earl of Angus, he was eventually promoted to some of the most important situations in the church, being appointed, at diflerent periods. Provost of the Collegiate Church of St Giles in Edinburgh, Abbot of Aberbro- thock, and Bishop of Dunkeld. He was likewise nominated Arch- bishop of St Andrews, but was prevented, by the violent ambition of other ecclesiastics, from entering on the duties of this high office. From the various persecutions to which he was subjected in those unsettled times, he was under the necessity of seeking an asylum in London, where he died of the plague in 1522, about the forty- eighth year of his age, and was buried in the Savoy Church. For profound learning, independence of character, and extensive charity, the Rev. Alexander Orrock deserves also to be held in grateful remembrance. Whilst holding the rank of a probationer, he signalised himself by his stedfast adherence to Presbyterian principles, in consequence of which he was at one time subjected to imprisonment, and at another interdicted from the discharge of 390 ROXBURGHSHIRE. his sacred functions. After the Revolution he became minister of this parish, and in 170] he received a call to Kelso, which was sustained first by the presbytery and afterwards by the synod ; but his translation being strongly opposed by the heritors, elders, and parishioners in general, and the matter being carried ultimately to the Greneral Assembly, it was agreed, in compliance with Mr Or- rock's desire, that his connection with this parish should not be dissolved, and accordingly he continued to labour here faithfully and with acceptance till the period of his death. He left 9000 merks Scots for the endowment of a grammar school, 1600 merks for the poor, four silver communion cups, and a baptismal basin for the service of the church, with a very valuable and extensive library to his successors in the parochial charge.* Nor can we forbear reference to the high character and useful- ness of Dr John Young, minister of the Antiburgher congregation in this place from 1767 to 1806. Giving himself to the discharge of his sacred duties with a mind at once stored with the treasures of theology, and possessed of extensive acquirements in general knowledge, he not only attained considerable celebrity as a preach- er amongst the members of his own communion, but his published writings, an^ especially his Essays on Government, for which he obtained a pension, part of which is still enjoyed by his family, are believed, by their sound views and force of argument, to have ex- erted a powerful influence in checking the progress of infidel and revolutionary principles, and contributing, at the same time, to the best interests of the community. * A mural tablet was erected to bis memory, bearing tbe following inscriptioD, wbich is now in a great measure obliterated, but which it is hoped the heritors will renew in the event of the church being repaired. Siste Viator. Hie jacet corpus Domini Alexandri Orrock, Verbi Divini in Ecclcsia Havico fidelissimus. Vir erat vere eximius. In vitiosis reclamandis summe audax. Ob muldfariam erudidonem et vitae innocentiaai Docds piisq. viris admodum probatus. In disciplina ecclesiasdca equalium nemiai secundus. Qui annos XXII officio pastoral! hac in Ecdesia functm* In usum Scholse publicae no^m mille, Et pauperum indigentium mille et sexoentas marcas Testamento designavit. Tandem obdormivit in Domino ^ Annum agens sexagesimum Mm ChrisdansB mdccxi. KaL MaiL Ps. cxu. 9. Dispersit largiens pauperibus : Semper ejus liberalitas stabit HAWICK. 391 A History of Hawick, to which we have been indebted for a few fiicts embodied in this Account, was published in 1825 by the late Mr Robert Wilson, a native of the town. Lcoid^'Oumers, — The chief land-owners in the parish are, His G race theDukeof Buccleuch; Benjamin T. G. Anderson, Esq. of Tushie- law; William Turnbull, Esq. of Fenwick; Allan E. Lockhart, Esq. of Borthwickbrae ; James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers ; James Dickson, Esq. of Alton; James Oliver, Esq. of Burnflat; James Dickson, Esq. of Housebyres ; and the Town of Hawick. The Duke of Buccleuch is proprietor of nearly nine- tenths of the parish. Parochial Registers. — The register of births commences in 1634, and ia continued to the present time, with the exception of two in- tervals, the one occurring between 1057 and 1669, and the other between 1750 and 1756. The register of marriages is defective hi several places, but is complete from 1699 to 1730, from 1751 to 1800, and from 1834 to the present time. The register of deaths was begun in 1755, and has been regu- larly kept ever since. The register of money transactions commences in 1724, and has been carried down without interruption till now. The records of the kirk-session are very defective. From 1700 to 1704, from 1751 to 1768, and from 1786 to 1798 the entries have been made with considerable regularity, but with these ex- ceptions, and a few isolated fragments, there has been no continu- ous record till recently. In looking into these parochial registers one or two points pre- sent themselves to notice, which it may not be superfluous to re- cord. \Mt. Collections were repeatedly made, about the beginning of last century, for the erection of churches in the north, and in other places destitute of the means and opportunities of religious wor- ship, which shows that the extension of the church, even in those days, was not regarded as a matter of indifference. 2d, Considerable sums were expended by the kirk-session in the support of probationers recommended by the General Assembly, and also in the education of young men for the ministry, there be- ing at least six bursars connected with the parish between 1725 and 1740, from which we infer that active measures were adopted, not merely for the erection of places of worship, but for the rear- ing of an ample and efficient ministry. 392 ROXBUttOHSHIRE. Sd. The cases of gross immorality which occurred during the course of about thirty years before the Revolution, and when Epis- copacy was predominant, were about double the number that took place during the course of thirty years after it, and when Presby- tery was restored, which may justify the conclusion, that the exer- cise of discipline according to the constitution of the Church of Scotland is of signal efficacy in restraining the excesses of profli- gacy and crime. 4th. The kirk-session, in compliance with recommendations fronn the superior courts, were in the frequent practice of setting apart days for public fasting and thanksgiving, having special reference among other matters to the purity and preservation of the Protes- tant religion, which wholesome practice must have tended in no small degree to foste^ in the minds of the people that strong anti- pathy to the abominations of Popery which prevailed so extensive- ly during the course of last century, and which, though unhappily disappearing amid the liberalism of the present times, we cannot help regarding as one of the best safeguards both of scriptural truth and religious liberty. Antiquities. — Situated at the upper extremity of the town, and overlooking the main street, there is a relic of great antiquity, which is usuciUy denominated the Moat. This consists of an ar- tificial mound of earth, which is circular at the base, while it rises in a conical form to the height of 30 feet, and is almost flat upon the top. It contains about 4060 cubic yards, whilst the circum- ference is 117 feet at the top, and 312 at the base. Like tumuli ^ of a similar description which are to be met with in other places, .^ j it is supposed by some to have been used at a distant period as a .^^ court for the administration of justice, and by others as a place o9 ^ assembly, where the chiefs of the district held their deliberationsss «r: on public afiiiirs. The probability is, that it was employed for hoXXmM J of these purposes, and this supposition, whilst justified by local tradition, is strengthened by the authority both of Pennant and o* Sir Walter Scott, although they trace the word to a somewhat dif— ^ -■ ferent origin, the one alleging that Mot in the Gaelic languageE^'S signifies a court, and the other suggesting that in the Anglo- Saxoirs <^ it may be translated concilium^ conventus. The vestiges of several towers or border peels are still remain— ^^ ing in different parts of the parish. One of the most ancient o! ^^^ these places of strength now forms a part of the Tower-Inn, cele- ""^ brated jis the residence in former times of the Barons of Drum- HAWICK. 393 laurig, and, at a later period, of Anne Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth, whose unfortunate husband was beheaded in 1685. This tower, which was anciently surrounded with a deep moat drawn from the Slitridge, was the only building in the town which escaped the devastation of 1570. Another of these peels is at present attached to the Castle of Branxholm, celebrated as the ancient residence of the family of Buccleuch, and invested with additional interest of late, in conse- quence of the prominent place which it occupies in the Lay of the Last Minstrel. In the reign of James L, it became the property of Sir William Scott of Buccleuch, and for a long period after was the scene of great baronial splendour, whilst, from its situation and the feudal power of the brave barons that successively possessed it, it was firequently exposed to the most formidable assaults. It was burnt down bv the Earl of Northumberland in 1532, and blown up with gunpowder during the invasion of the Earl of Sur- rey in 1570. It was rebuilt, however, almost immediately after, the work being commenced by Sir Walter Scott, and completed by his widow, as appears from the following inscriptions : — ** Sir W. Scott of Branxheim, Knyt, Yoe of Sir William Scott of Kir- kurd, Knyt, began ye work upon ye 24 of Marche 1571 zeir, quha departitat Grod's pleisour ye 17 April 1574." — " Dame Margaret Douglas, his Spous, completit the forsaid work in October 1576." There is likewise the following legend on a tablet over one of the doors: •* IN. VARLD. IS. NOCHT. NATUR, HES. VROUGHT. YET. SAL. LEST. AY. THAIBFORE. SERVE. GOD. KEIP. VEIL. YE- ROD, THY. FAME. SAL. NOCHT. DEKAY. SHIR VALTER SCOT OF BRANXHOLHE, KNYGHT. MARGARET DOUGLAS. 1571." Besides these towers, which have lost somewhat of their origi- nal appearance by being subjected to frequent alterations and repairs, there is another still standing on the brow of a hill at Gol- dielands, about two miles distant from the town, which retains very much of its primitive character, and is probably as perfect as any on the border. It is said to have been the residence, in former tim^Sf of a &mily of the name of Goldie, whence it seems to have derived its present appellation. It is of a square form, and from its massive and venerable appearance, aided by the elevated situa- tion on which it stands, forms an object in the landscape as pic- turesque as it is conspicuous. A bridge leading from the High Street to the parish church is also deserving of notice as an object of antiquity. Different in its BOXBUROH. C C 394 ROXBURGHSHIRE. structure from any other erection of a like nature in the district, it is supposed to have been built at a very remote period, though by whom, or at what time, is matter of mere conjecture. Though formed of hewn stone, and of considerable strength, it does not seem to have been intended for carriages constructed like those of the present day, and is, indeed, so narrow as to be used only by foot- passengers. But the peculiarity by which it is chiefly distinguished is in the formation of the main arch, which, when viewed from the channel of the river, appears ornamented underneath with a series of narrow abutments, rising from either side of the water-course, and meeting in a semicircular form above, thus presenting, though in a rude form, an approximation to the species of architecture which adorns the porticoes of many of the ancient cathedrals. A hand-bell, belonging to the magistrates of the town, may next be referred to as interesting, alike from its antiquity, and from the singular purpose for which it was used. On the occasion of every death, it was customary at no very remote period', for one of the burgh officers to proceed through the different districts of the town, when lifting hishat, andringingthe bell at regular intervals, he made the following announcement to the inhabitants, with an air of great solemnity : — " I hereby take ye to wit, that our brother (or sister) departed this life at of the clock, according to the pleasure of our Lord." This intimation being made, accompanied with a general invitation to the funeral, the bell was then taken to the house of mourning, and placed, in a spirit of the grossest su- perstition, on the bed where the dead body was lying, and in a po- sition from which it was reckoned altogether sacrilegious to remove it till the time appointed for the interment On the upper part of the bell there is legibly inscribed in relief hawick, with the let- ters R. s I. D. which are understood to be the initials of the then existing magistrates, and on the under part, and in what is said to be a corrupt dialect of the Dutch language, iak. bvrgtb. htis HEFT. MY. GEGOTE. ANNO 1601, signifying John Burgubdid make (literally beget) me in the year 1601. Both the inscriptions are terminated with the likeness of an antique head. An antique jug, of bronze material, having three feet, a handle and spout, and probably used as a sacrificial vessel by the Romans, was dug up a few years ago at Keasknow, and is at present in pos- session of James Grieve, Esq., Branxholm Braes. The same gentleman has two ancient coins, which, with many others, were discovered in a piece of moss ground at Hislop. One of these ia HAWICK 395 a silver penny of Alexander III., on the obverse side of which is a profile of the King, wearing an open crown of three fleurs-de-lys, holding a sceptre, and surrounded with the legend ** Alexander Dei Gra," whilst on the reverse side is a broad cross extending to the edge of the coin, each quarter of the cross containing a pierced •tar, circumscribed with the words ^' Scotorum Rex.'' It is re- markable that this coin, though found in an exposed situation, and struck nearly 600 years ago, is still in the highest state of preser- vation* There was likewise found on the borders of the parish a fibula, made apparently either of jet or cannel coal, and bearing a fine polish. It is conjectured that this material was used by the abo- rigines of the country in the manufacture of various articles pre- vious to the introduction of metals, and probably about the sanae period when it was customary to make use of stone for the con- struction of axes, hammers, arrow-heads, and articles of a similar description. It may also be added, that a cairn which had long stood on the '^auld caknow," about two miles distant from the town, was removed about thirty years ago. At the depth of six or eight feet from the surface of llie ground, there were several large stones set on edge, somewhat in the form of a rude coffin, and enclosing a human skuUf with several bones of a more than ordinary size. It being well known that the Celtic tribes were in the practice of adopting this mode of sepulture, at least with persons of note, it is highly pro- bable .that these were the remains of one of their distinguished chiefs. Sepulchral urns have likewise been dug up in the upper district of the parish, which, though considered to be Roman, are more likely, from their rude construction, to be the relics of a more barbarous and less enlightened people. III. — Population. The following tables exhibit the state of population in this pa- Hah at present and in former times. No. I. • In ]7a5 tho population was 2713 1791, . 2928 1801, . 2798 1811, . . 9688 1821, , 4387 1831, . . 4970 1836, o366 1838, 5998 396 ROXBURGHSHIRE. No. IL Year». In Town. In Country. TouL 1791, 2320 606 2928 1821, 3684 703 4387 1836. 4744 622 5366 1838. 5:)06 No. 692 IIL Years. Males. Femalen. Total. 1791. 1378 1550 2928 18U1, 1309 1489 2798 .1811, 1705 1983 3688 1821. 2153 2234 4387 1831, 2405 2565 4970 1836, 2628 2788 5366 1838, 2959 No. 3aS9 IV. 5998 Years. Under 10. 10—20. 20—50. 50—70 70—100. 1791. 60() 618 1214 423 73 182], 1228 849 1687 528 9(5 1836, 1511 1043 2078 621 lis The following tables contain the number of births, marriagesy and deaths^ as recorded in the parochial registers. With regard to marriages and deaths, the register may be regarded as compre« bending the entire number for the years specified ; but with re- ference to births, it is necessary to state, that the register is to a certain extent defective, inasmuch as it contains, with but few ex- ceptions, the names of those only who are baptised in the Esta- blished Church. Years. 1791, 1834, 1835, 1836, No. I. Dirths. Marriages. 30 17 .54 33 51 28 45 38 Deaths. 71 84 122 142 Years. 1833, 1834, 1837, 1838, 50 Number of Deaths. Males. Females. No. IL Average for 1834, 1835, and 1836. Births. Marriages. Deaths. 45 36 78 63 58 48 113 94 33 116 No. III. Died between the ages of Total. 0—5. 5—15. 15—30. 30—60. 60-100. 103 47 9 6 19 22 84 24 6 8 23 23 191 95 10 14 29 43 157 63 7 17 38 32 There are six proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. and upwards. It appears from the foregoing tables that the gross populatio has been considerably more than doubled since the beginning o HAWICK. .397 this century, or during the space of thirty-eight years ; and as this renoarkable increase has taken place chiefly in the town, the po- pulation of the landward part of the parish having remained al- most stationary since the period of the first census, it may be re- garded as a strong evidence of the flourishing state of the woollen manufactures, to whose influence, in creating a demand for labour and attracting operatives from other places, the increase in the po- pulation is mainly to be ascribed. Habits and Customs. — Of the customs prevalent in this parish, there is none certainly that is less deserving of notice, though none that is more characteristic, than that of distinguishing individuals by other than the names that properly belong to them. This cus- tom was at one time common to the whole district, and was no doubt adopted in ancient times for the purpose of drawing a broad- er lineof distinction between individuals, who, belonging to the same claii^ and bearing the same name, were not unlikely, but for a de- vice such as this, to be frequently confounded with one another. And it is somewhat remarkable, that such fictitious designations have remained often in the same family, and been handed down from father to son in regular succession, through the course of many generations. Indeed there are some of the older inhabitants of this parish, who in the ordinary intercourse of life have been so long accustomed to the conventional usages of the place, that their proper names are but seldom used, and by many of their neigh- bours are altogether unknown. And even in the register of deaths, where it might have been supposed that the evidences of such a strange custom were least likely to be traced, there is actually a faithful record of the sobriquets by which the ancestors of the pre- sent generation were commonly distinguished, a record which, however it may be viewed in other respects, does evidently prove how completely the practice in question has been interwoven with the habits of.the people. It deserves also to be mentioned, though not peculiar to this pa- rishy that, during the course of last century, it was the custom to employ only one coffin at the interment of paupers. This, as ap- pears from the statements of some of the older inhabitants, was used merely for the purpose of conveying them to their final rest- ing-place^ and was so constructed as to be capable of opening by a hinge underneath, by which means the body was permitted to escape when lowered down into the grave. It is not to be denietl that there is something in this mode of interment very much at 398 ROXBURGHSHIRE. variance with the refinement of modern times. Yet we suspect that the practice, revolting as it now appears, was considered at the time of its introduction as an improvement upon the usages of a former age. For we find, that, in the General Assembly held at Edinburgh in December 1563, it was specially ordained: — ^^ That a bier should be made in every countrie parish to carrie the dead corpse of the poor to the burial-place, and that those of the villages or houses next adjacent to the house where the dead corpse lyeth, or a certain number out of every house, shall convoy the dead corpse to the burial-place, and burie it six footes under the earth, and that every superintendent request the Lords and Barons within his bounds to make an act in their courts touching this order, and to cause their officers warn the nearest neighbours where the dead corpse lyeth, to convoy it to the grave.*' Another practice has long prevailed in this parish, and is still occasionally observed. When any member of a family is consi- dered to be dying, the apartment is not only frequented, as in other places, with relatives and neighbours, but in many cases the whole company unite in an act of religious worship, selecting for this purpose one of the psalms most suited to the occasion, such, for example, as the xxiii. the xliii. or the cxviii., and singing it toge- ther with a low and solemn melody, while the soul of the dying person is passing into the world of spirits, and not only so, but when the mortal struggle appears to be over, it is succeeded by a song of triumph and of praise, consisting not unfirequently of th& following verses from the cviL Psalm : — The storm is chang*d into a. calm At his command and will ; So that the waves which rag'd before Now quiet are and still. Then are they glad, because at rest And quiet now they be : So to the haven he them brings' Which they desir'd to see. O that men to the Lord would give Praise for his goodness then, And for his works of wonder done Unto the sons of men ! That this practice has not originated from any species of super- stitious feeling we are not prepared to affirm ; nor are we sure that the results expected to arise from it are always such as are war- ranted by the spirit of genuine and undefiled religion. At the same time, it must be admitted, that there is something in the ser- HAWICK. 399 ▼ice itself which is peculiarly impressive and solemnizing, and we doubt not, that when observed, as it is in many instances, with a devout and becoming spirit, it is productive of impressions very much suited to the solemnity of the occasion. * The practice of riding the marches is still observed in this pa- rish. This ancient ceremonial takes place on the last Friday of May» old style, which is considered by more than the youthful por- tion of the population as one of the most important days of the year. The honour of carrying the standard of the town, the ori- ginal of which is said to have been taken from the English shortly after the Battle of Flodden, devolves upon the cornet, a young man previously elected for the purpose, and he, with the magistrates of tfie town on horseback and a large body of the inhabitants and burgesses, set out in regular procession, for the ostensible purpose of riding round the property of the town, and making formal de- monstration of their legal rights, — a ceremonial, which, however necessary in ancient times, when written documents were in con* stant danger of being destroyed, may now be considered as a use- less form, but which, notwithstanding, is kept up with much spirit by the great body of the people, as well from the influence of an- dent associations, as from the holidav amusements with which it is iDvariably attended.* IV. — Industry. The following table exhibits the number of families, and their respective employments, at difierent periods : * The foUowing are a few stanzas from an ancient song, which seems to embody tiM qpirit of the inhabitants on these occasions, and which is sung by the cornet and hii attendants from the roof of an old tenement belonging to the town, and loudly and cntbusiattically joined in by the surrounding multitude : « We*ll a' hie to the rauir a-riding, Drumlanrig gave it for providing Our ancestors of martial order, To drive the English off our border. At Flodden-field our fathers fought it. And honour gained, though dear they bought it ; By Teviot side they took this colour, A dear memorial of their valour. Though twice of old our town was burned, Yet twice the ibemen back we turned* And ever should our rights be trod on, We*U face the foe to Tirioden. Up wi* Hawick, its rights and common, Up wi* a* the Border bowmen ! Tiribus and Tirioden, We are up to guard the common." 400 ROXBURGHSHIRE. FamiliM employed Families employed All other Total number Tears. in agricnlture. 256 in trade. families. of families. 1811 442 189 887 1821 189 536 192 917 1831 188 556 108 852 1836 175 708 243 1196 1838 194 799 261 1254 According to the last Goverament census there were 1190 males upwards of twenty years of age ; 28 occupiers employing la- bourers; 82 occupiers.not employing labourers; 136 labourers em- ployed in agriculture; 420 employed in manu&ctures; 419 employ- ed in retail trade, or in handicra^ as masters or workmen; 55 bankers, wholesale merchants, capitalists, professional persons, and other educated men ; 70 labourers, not agricultural; 27 other males upwards of twenty years of age, not including servants; 3 male ser- vants, upwards of twenty years of age ; 5 male servants under twenty years of age ; and 140 female servants. Affriadture.^^Gresit progress has been made of late years in the department of agriculture, and this probably will appear sufficient- ly obvious by the statement of a few facts : LA considerable extent of waste land belonging to the town of Hawick has either been planted or brought into cultivation, while, on many of the &rms, similar improvements have been effected, though on a smal- ler 3cale, with respect to land formerly in pasture. 2. Drains to a great extent have been made in the sheep pastures, and nume- rous stells have been erected for the shelter of the stock. 3. Much attention has been paid to the improvement of the breeds of cat- tle and of sheep, and lately with great success, the cattle at the Hawick market being now considered equal to those shown at any other market for the same kind of stock in the county. 4. The Scotch plough is entirely laid aside, while the most approved im- plements of modern invention are now in general use. 5. The number of carts brought into the town on any ordinary market-day amounts generally to about 170, although it is within recollection of some of the oldest inhabitants, when there was only one cart, the property of the mintister, in the whole parish. The subjoined tables have reference to the state of agriculture in the parish at present To Mr Elliot of Goldielands we are mainly indebted for the particulars they contain. Number of imperial acres in pasture» 1 1 100 in Ullage, 4100 under wood, 160 Total number, 15960 HAWICK. 401 Average Rents. — Arable land per acre, i6s. ; grazing per ox or Gow, L. 2, 10s. ; pasturing per sheep, 5s. Wages. — Ploughmen, L. 12 per annum, besides victuals and loc]ging ; shepherds, paid in kind, and estimated at L. 40 yearly ; labourers, on an average, 10s. per week ; female servants, L. / yearly; carpenters, about 15s. per week; masons, from 16s. to 18b. per week ; smiths, on an average, 14s. per week. An iron plough costs L. 3, 10s. ; a turnip-drill, L. 6 ; a cart, Li 10 ; 9 thrashing-machine, L. 140 ; fanners, L. 7, 10s. ; a stone roller, L. 3. Produce. — Estimate of the average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained : Grain of all kinds, • . L. 10000 Potatoes, turnips. • 4000 Hay, « 800 Land in pasture. • 4000 Miscellaneous produce. • 1000 Total yearly value of raw produce, . L. 19800 Formes Club. — A farmer's club was established in this town in 1776, which has contributed in no small degree to the furtherance of the agricultural interests of the district. The following extract, from a very interesting report drawn up by the secretary, James Grieve, Esq. Branxholm Braes, will serve at once to explain the object of its institution, and to point out the benefits which have resulted from its proceedings : — *' The object of the institution is the improvement of farming, and in furtherance of this object the members have given a varie- ty of premiums, recommended the institution and regulation of markets, and have been in the habit of discussing questions con- nected with agriculture, stock-farming, and rural polity in general. The club meets on the first Thursday of every month, when the members dine together, the chair being taken by each member in rotation. A subject has been generally given out one club-day for discussion on the next, and some very interesting questions ap- pear in the records of the society. Previous to 1778, it would appear that there was no regular corn- market in Hawick, for in November that year, the club issued an advertisement of the following tenor : — ^' Several formers in the neighbourhood of Hawick, being desirous of establishing the prac- tice of bringing samples of corn to market, have agreed, that hence* forth they will appear at the cross of Hawick, betwixt the hours of twelve and one every market-day, upon the ringing of a bell 402 ROXBURGHSHIRE. for that purpose, with their samples, and hope that millers and others who want corn, will make use of that opportunity of pur- chasing.'' The fair at Rink originated with the club, who proposed the establishment of it to the proprietor of the ground, Mr Ruther- furd of Edgerstone ; and in consequence of every encouragoment being held out by him, the first fair was held on 15th October 1779, when there were 2540 sheep exposed to sale. This es- tablishment has been of very great use, and, till lately, continued to be the most extensive fair for draft ewes and wedders in the south of Scotland. A market for hiring hinds and herds was also formed at Hawick on the third Thursday of April 1780, which is now generally held on the first, second, and third Thursdays of that month. In 1785, the club proposed to the magistrates and town-council of Hawick, the establishment of a cattle tryst in the month of October. This also continues to be held annually, but has not been quite so successful as was expected. Ploughing matches were held for some years, and premiums given to the best ploughman. The first was. held on the farm of Ashiebank, 15th April 1786, when ten ploughs started. On the 25th January 1787, the second premium was gained by a servant of Sir Gilbert Elliot of Minto, who ploughed with two oxen with- out a driver. In 1803, a premium of L. 5 was given for the best bull, and L. 3 for the best quey ; next year, additional premiums of L^ 3 for the second best bull, and L. 2 for the second best quey were added; and these premiums were continued until 1814, when they appear to have been superseded by the large premiums given by the Bor- der Agricultural Society. In 1807, the club haii^the merit of rousing the attention of the public to the great hardships sustained by farmers from the hypo- thetical mode of estimating their profits under the Property Tax Act. The club appointed a committee to collect the sense of the farmers ot the county of Roxburgh on this subject, and, in con- sequence of their recommendation, a general meeting of the far- mers of the county was held at Jedburgh, and steps taken to bring their situation under the notice of Government Their exertions to procure a repeal or alteration in the mode of assessment were continued for several years at a considerable expense : they were latterly joined by the proprietors of land, and Government was at last induced to repeal this very unequal tax. HAWICK. 403 Id 1826, a market for cattle and horses, at the recommenda- tion of the club, was established at Hawick on the May fairTday, which promises to be of very considerable utility to the neighbour- hood. In 1826, the club appointed a committee to take into considera- tion the existing duty of 20s. per cwt. on all grass seeds imported into Great Britain ; to draw up resolutions on the subject of pe- titioning for its repeal ; and, besides publishing these,resolutions in the newspapers, to transmit a copy of them to the Highland So ciety of Scotland. The subject was taken up by the Highland Society, and a good deal of correspondence took place betwixt tliat society and the club, on the subject of an application to Par- lianaent for a repeal or reduction of the duty, but unfortunately a XBemorial to the Board of Trade was unsuccessful. In 1834, the dub solicited the attention of Lord Althorpe to this duty, but still ^thout the desired effect. In 1826, the club paid L. 8 towards defraying the expense of a young man attending Mr Dick's Veterinary Liectures in Edin- burgh, on condition of his settling as a farrier in Hawick. Many very interesting questions have been discussed by the club; but for the first three years after its establishment, the opinions of the club were not recorded; since July 1779, the minutes have been chiefly occupied by the insertion of the ques- tions submitted to the club, and the answers agreed to. These, as appears from the foregoing extracts, are a few of the public matters to which the attention of this important association has been directed, and in almost every instance with complete success. But the utility of the association has not been limited to these. Advantages, of equal if not of greater importance, though pot so easily embodied in the details oj^ report, have unquestion- ably arisen from the frequent and familiar intercourse of the mem- bers with one another, and we believe that the circumstance of a number of intelligent men meeting regularly together, for the pur- pose of imparting the results of their experience and observation in regard to matters with which professionally they are most con- versant, has contributed mainly and more than any other cause to those agricultural improvements, which are manifest in every part of the district, and which, whilst they reflect credit on the parties from whom they originate, are found to bear, as well on the health as on the increased comfort and well being of the po- pulation at large. 404 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Agricultural Society. — At the suggestion of James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers, and under the patronage of his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, an Agricultural Society for the west of Te?iotdale was formed here in 1835. The object of this association is, to promote the interests of agriculture in general, and more especial- ly to give premiums for the most approved breeds of horses, cattle, and sheep. The parishes of Ancrum, Ashkirk, Bedrule, Bow- den, Cavers, Hawick, Hobkirk, Kirkton, Lilliesleaf, Minto, Ro- berton, Southdean, and Wilton are comprehended within the sphere of its operations; and the annual general meeting takes place at Hawick on the first Thursday of August. The probable advan- tages of this association, it being yet in its infancy, it is scarcely possible to estimate at present. In the meantime, however, it promises well ; and from the support it has already received, and the encouragement to competition and improvement it holds out, it is not unreasonable to expect that it will ultimately be of great benefit to the district. Manufactures. — In this place, employment is afforded to a con- siderable number of hands, in the manufacture of thongs, gloves, candles, machinery, and in the tanning of leather and dressing of sheep skins. But the woollen manufacture is that for which the town is chiefly distinguished, and which is specially deserving of notice, as well from the extent to which it is carried on at the pre- sent time, as from the rapid progress it has been making of late years. In attempting, however, to give an idea of this department of trade, we find it difficult to keep strictly within the parochial bound- ary. Some of the mills are erected on this side of the I'eviot, and are comprehended within the limits of this parish, and some of them on the other, which falls within the parish of Wilton, whilst the great majority both of proprietors and operatives are resident in the town of Hawick. Instead, therefore, of detaching the one altogether from the other, for the sake of adhering to what is pro- perly parochial, we deem it better, as they are otherwise very close- ly connected, to include them both in the following remarks. The working of coarse stockings on the frame was commenced by Bailie John Hardie in 1771, and followed upon a lai^er scale by Mr John Nixon in 1780, but little comparatively seems to have been done anterior to the introduction of machinery for the spin- ning of yam. This appears to have taken place about the b^in- ning of this century, from which time, and without any materia) HAWICK. 405 fluctuation, the woollen manufacture has been progressively advan* cing. More especially within the last few years, large additions have been made to almost all the mills which had previously been established, several new erections also have been completed on a very large scale, and at present there are 1 1 extensive factories, one of which is driven by steam, and the others by water power, besides various buildings of considerable extent for the operation of stocking frames. The kind of machinery made use of in the mills, consists generally of the common engines for teazing, scrib- bling, carding, and spinning, together with doubling and twisting machines, which are worked by hand ; and the principal articles manufi^tured are yams, under clothing, flannels, plaiding, shawls, tartans, druggets, cloths of various descriptions, lamb's wool hosiery of the finest texture, and blankets, both according to the English and Scotch mode of manufacture. From returns with which we have been favoured by some of the leading manufac- turers, we have constructed the following table, which may give a tolerable idea of the state of manufactures in this place for the year 188a • Valne of property employed in manufacture, L. 10U861 Annual amount of wages, . 48,726 Quantity of yam manufiictured, . 854,462 lbs. Annual consumption of wool, 108,162 stones. Quantity of soap consumed, 102,899 lbs. Number of stockings made, .... 1049,676 pairs. Articles of under clothing, . 12,552 Number of operatives, .... 1788 Number of stocking-frames, .... 1209 Number of weaving-looms, .... 226 In addition to the operatives specified in the preceding table, it may be mentioned, that a considerable number of females ob- tain regular employment in sewing stockings ; but as these are ge- nerally engaged not by the proprietors of the factories, but by the stocking-makers, it is difficult to ascertain the exact number. It may also be noticed, that the manufacturers are in the practice of giving employment to weavers and stocking-makers in almost every parish in the district to the extent of at least twenty or thirty miles from the town. Besides, there are a good many smiths, carpenters, masons, millwrights, and needle-makers, who are mainly if not di- rectly dependent on this branch of commercial enterprize, and of course its influence, both in affording the means of subsistence, and in the circulation of capital, is much more extensive than is made to appear from the foregoing details. In closing our remarks on this subject, we cannot help remark- 406 ROXBURGHSHIRE. iDg, that it is not a little singular, that in a district such as this^ these manufactures should have been carried on with such spirit, and to so great an extent The expense of fuel, the distance of any sea-port town, and the want of railroads, canals, or navigable rivers, must have operated, it is to be supposed, very strongly against the introduction or prosperity of this branch of industry. Yet in spite of these formidable obstacles the trade has been pro- secuted with a degree of activity, enterprise, and success, which, whilst highly creditable to the manufacturers themselves, has added not a little to the value of property in the town, given a fresh stimulus to every other department of trade, and afforded, more- over, a readier market to the produce of the agricultural districts. v.— Parochial EcoNOBfT. Market'Town. — Hawick is a market-town, and also a burgh of iiaroiiy and regality. The public functionaries consist of two bailies elected annually by the burgesses, fourteen deacons or re- presentatives of the incorporated trades, and fiA;een councillors who hold office for life. The senior magistrate is a justice of peace ex officio. The landed property of the burgh amounts ta 1090 acres, and the gross revenue to upwards of L. 470 per an- num. In the town there are two printing-presses, three public reading-rooms, and three banks. The subscription rooms used occasionally for public meetings, the town-hall, the parish church, and four Dissenting chapels, are the principal public buildings. The general appearance of the town has been very much altered of late years. New streets have been built in all directions for the accommodation of the increasing population, whilst many of the older tenements with their thatched roofs have been entirely re- moved to make way for buildings more accordant with the taste of modem times. By means of these alterations the dwelling-houses in general have not only been rendered better in point of comfort and accommodation, but the shops also, both as respects their ap- pearance and the quality of the various commodities they supply, have undergone the most obvious and important improvements. The town is well supplied with water, and is lighted with gas, whilst the inhabitants are almost entirely free from the burden of local taxation. Post-office. — It appears from Wilson's History that, " previous to the establishment of the post-office in Hawick about seventy or eighty years ago, the letters, which were brought from Jedbui]gh by a common hawker, once a month, were exposed on a stall in HAWICK. 407 the street on the market day like so many cakes of ginger-bread, and that the people used to look at them with as much curiosity as the botanists of the present day would do at a few exotic plants from Van Dieman's L#and." In contrast with this statement, and as showing the advance that has taken place in the commercial prosperity of the town, we deem it of importance to mention, that during the course of 1838, there were transmitted through the post-oflSce 81, 148 letters, and 9932 newspapers, whilst the revenue amounted to about L. 1000. Roads, — The length of the turnpike roads in the parish extends to about eight and a-half, and that of the statute labour to about twetaty-five miles. The condition of both has been very much amended of late years, but the improvement is more observable in the immediate neighbourhood of the town. Towards the east- ern extremity, an elegant and substantial bridge has been erected over the Teviot, from which the line of communication is carried by an easy access into the main street, instead of passing, as for- merly through the village of Wilton, where the road, being both steep and narrow, was found to be exceedingly dangerous ; and an improvement of at least equal importance has been effected by a total alteration of the road leading into the town from the west, by which means a very considerable acclivity is avoided, and a beautiful approach of ample width and almost level is opened up along the valley of the Teviot. The entrance to the town, both from the east and west, is likewise considerably improved by passing through a fine range of nursery grounds. Means of Communication. — Besides carriers to various places, ibur mails pass through the town daily, two of them from Edin- burgh, and two from London, by way of Carlisle. There is like- wise a coach from this to Edinburgh three times a-week, and an- other to Jedburgh and Kelso every Tuesday and Friday. Bridges. — There are eight stone bridges, most of which are mo- dem erections, three over the Slitridge, and five over the Teviot. They are upon the whole in good repair. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church, as appears from the ancient chronicle of Melrose, was dedicated to 8t Mary, in 1214, and in the Roll of Bagimont, an ecclesiastic, who was commission- ed by the Pope, in 1275, to collect the tithes of all the benefices in Scotland for the relief of the Christians in the Holy Land, the rectoria de Havick is valued at L.16. It is alleged by Chalmers in his Caledonia, though upon what authority he does not state. 408 ROXBURGHSHIRE. that this church, instead of being used only for spiritual purposes, was employed as a court house long after the Scots canons had prohibited such an abuse ; and in proof of this assertion, he men- tions, that it was here, in 1342, that the celebrated Sir Alexander Rainsay of Dalhousie was exercising his judicial functions as She- riff of Teviotdale, when he was rudely assaulted by Sir William Douglas of Liddesdale, and carried off to Hermitage Castle, in one of whose solitary dungeons he was left to perish of hunger. Nor was this sacred edifice profaned by acts of violence merely, whilst prostituted to other purposes than the celebration of reli- gious worship. It seems also in ancient times to have been made the scene of the grossest superstition. For we find from the charter granted to the town by Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig, that several particates of land were not only allocated to the chap- lain of Hawick, but that special provision was made ** for 6nding and iiirnishing one lamp or pot of burning oil before the altar of the blessed Virgin Mary, within the parish church, at the time of the great mass and the vesper or evening prayers, all the holi- days of the year, in honour of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and pray- ing for the souls of the Barons of Hawick, founders of the foresaid lamp, and their successors." The present church, which is situated about fourteen miles from the western and one and a-half from the eastern boundary of the parish, was built in 1764, and has neither been enlarged nor ma- terially altered since that time. Though devoid of every architec- tural embellishment, it has the advantage of a good site, being built on a circular rising ground in the centre of the town, and, though somewhat difficult of access, is, in point of locality, conve- niently situated for the great mass of the population. It so hs^ pens, however, that the accommodation is not only exceedingly in- adequate, inasmuch as there are sittings only for 704, whilst the population of the parish amounts to 5998, but the great body of the people who are resident in the town, and who amount to 5306^ have, strictly speaking, no legal right to any part of the accommo- dation it affords. Two-thirds of the entire area were originally al- located to the heritors and tenants in the landward part of the pa- rish, whilst the other third, affording accommodation to about 234^ is all that is reserved for the town, and not only so, but even this part of the church, limited as it is, is accessible to those only who are either proprietors, or are capable of paying a considerable seat-rent. There are, moreover, no sittings set apart for the poor HAWICK. 409 with the exception of benches inconveniently placed in the passa- ges, and these, capable of accommodating about 33, with all the other sittings, whether let or allocated, are not only fully occupied, but the stairs to the pulpit and to both the galleries are generally crowded. Various attempts have been made for the purpose of removing the evils under which the parish has been suffering from such a sad deficiency in the means and opportunities of religious worship. So far back as 1802, the subject was strongly pressed on the at- tention of the heritors, by a petition from the magistrates, town- council, and kirk-session, and, after various meetings and delibera- tioDS, they have at length agreed as to the necessity of having a new church capable of accommodating 1500, and have recorded their opinion to that effect. There seems, however, to be no im- mediate prospect of this plan being carried into execution, as se- veral formidable obstacles remain yet to be removed. 1. The present church is not legally condemned, and, from the opinion of competent judges who have carefully examined it, is still in a sound and sufiicient state, though uncomfortable in the ex- treme, and in every point of view unfit for a place of religious worship. 2. A large majority of the heritors, in accordance with the feel- ings of the great body of the people, have resolved on the erection of the new church on the site of the present building. This, how- ever, cannot be effected, so as to accommodate the requisite number, without encroaching considerably on the adjoining burying- grounds, which is decidedly objected to by one or two individuals, whose opposition is strengthened by the fact, that the church is not legally condenmed. 3. The difiiculties have been somewhat increased by certain parties claiming right to act as heritors, on the ground of their being assessed for the poor, although they are not rated in the county cess-books, and have never paid any portion of assessment for parochial buildings. It ought not to be omitted, that His Grace the Duke of Buc- cleuch, influenced by a laudable regard for the best interests of the people, has resolved, in the meantime, to build an additional church at his own expense — a measure which, while urgently re- quired, is likely, when carried into effect, to prove of great benefit to the community. ROXBURGH. D d *\0 ROXBUBGHSHIBE. Illustrative of the ecclesiastical state of the parish we subjoin the following details : Relative numbers of Churchmen and Dissenters in 1836 : — Churchmen, 8902; Dissenters, 1464; total, 5366. Seat-holders in 1SS6 :— Churchmen, 704; Dissenters, 685; to- tal, 1389. Without sittings in any place of worship in 1836: — Families, 888; individuals, 1294. In communion with the Established Church: — Male heads of families in 1834,289; in 1836, 323. Total communicaDts in 1834,729; in 18-36, 907. Collections in the parish church, 1831-1635 : — Ordinary, L. 199, 10s. O^d.; extraordinary, L.89, 3s. 3|d.; total, L.2^ 13s. Sid. Sitting in the parish church. Krnnber oT litlingi. Numbn of unlet ntlin^ Allouiedto s« ■™rt Free,o(un»Uy I . iT„i^ T^.i heriUJfsor c. .CT unoccupied, or Lei. Unlet. Tctd. pe^m.hmng ^' •et N»rtlbr )«. right. *^ lingbutnotlrt 37S 3-26 7M S9S 33 Rates at which sittings are let in the parish church. From li. From Sa. Prom 3i. Fniin St. FMm 7i. Yeari. At li. to 2b. U> 3s. to St. to 7i. to lOi. 1831, 28 101 69 ISO 1832, S8 106 66 ITS O 1633, 32 62 38 2S0 6 O 16M, 28 76 72 202 1835, 28 72 22 200 40 16 Revenue of sittings in the parish church : — 1831, L- 50, 3s. 5d. ; 1832, L. 51,8s. lOd.; 1833, L.54, 13s.4d. ; 1834, L. 54, 9s. 4d. j 1835, L.67, 3s. 4d. The manse was built about 1765, and since then has undergone frequent repairs. Some important alterations were made upon it in 1624, and recently it has been both repaired and enlarged. The heritors have acceded with the utmost readiness to every pro- posal that has been made for its improvement. The glebe is situated in the immediate vicinity of the town, and contains about 16 acres of arable land. It is let at present at the annual rent of L. 62. The stipend amounts to 15 chalders, half meal, half barley, with L. 65, 12s. 7id. Sterling. The following have been ministers of this parish at different periods: — Richard de Wytton, 1296 ; Alexander Murray, 1478; Gavin Douglas, 1496; John Scott, 1537; William Fowler, Iftj"" HAWICK. 411 Robert Cunnyngliame, 1624; John Scott, 1659; Alexander Kin- near, 1664; John Langlands, 1669; Alexander Orrock, 1689; Robert Cunningham, 1712; Charles Telfer, 1724; William Som- nerville, 1732; James Lawrie, 1757; Thomas Sharp, 1764; Robert Gillan, 1790; James Arkle, 1800; John Cochrane, 1623; J. A. Wallace, 183a Scripture Reader. — The office of Scripture reader has been kept op in this parish from time immemorial, though unattended with the abuses which fell under the cognizance and condemnation of Uie General Assembly about the middle oF the sixteenth century. The office is generally conferred on the parish schoolmusler, who receives a small salary from the funds of the kirk-session ; and the duty consists simply in reading portions of the sacred Scriptures in the parish church on the Lord's-day, before the commencement of the morning service, and during the interval of public worship. Caerltinriff Chapel. — Connected with the Establishment there is no other place of worship in this parish. There is, however, a small chapel at the distance of about nine miles from the town, which, though situated in the parish of Cavers, is accessible to such of the population as are beyond reach of the parish church. This chapel or preaching station was built for the accommodation of a district, partly belonging to the parish of Hawick, and partly to the parish of Cavers. It was seated by subscription, and is ca- pable of containing about 200. None of the seats are let : the sabscribers have the right of occupation. The chapel has no con- stitu^on, and the preacher who officiates there regularly is not or- dained. The ministers of Hawick and Cavers dispense the sacra- ment of the Lord's supper alternately, and celebrate marriages and baptisms in the district as of^en as required. A manse was built recently at the expense chiefly of the Duke of Buccleuch, but the stipend, vrhich is strictly of a voluntary description, is very inade- quate. Diuenting Ckapeli. — Besides a chapel belonging to the Society of Friends, but frequented only by two families from tins parish, and a small congregation of Independents, whose members amount ' to 18, and whose ordinary place of meeting is a schoot-rooui, there are two places of wontaMttmneclion with the United Associate Synod, and a Relief ^^i^^^^^^With regu^^he three last, we have extrafl^ the Koyal Com 1768 4dO 400 639 306 L.0 8 4 99 1 28 11 ^i 409 108 1780 • 1810 750 • 600 705 • 893 752 • 750 650 • 401 L.0 9 L.0 7 3 8 2 149 7 3 100 16 8 55 19 9t 48 2 4 380 580 185 85 41'2 UOXBUKGHSIilllE. necessary, however, to observe, that the numbers stated in the table below, both as communicants and as ordinary hearers, comprehend not only parishioners, but a considerable proportion gathered from other parishes. The statistics have reference to the year 1835. Diflnenting Chapels. Ist Secc88.CoDgregat. 2d Seces8.Congregat. Reliefl When established. Average attendance, Communicants, Number of sittings, Let sittings. Highest rate of sittings, Lowest rate of sittings, Revenue of sittings. Ordinary collections, . Amount of debt, Amount of stipend, The ministers of the first and second United Secession congre- gations have dwelling-houses. Education. — In 1711, the sum of 9000 merks Scots was left by the Rev. Alexander Orrock, minister of this parish, under pro- vision of its remaining as a perpetual mortified fund, and the in- terest given yearly to the schoolmaster of Hawick, on condition of his teaching such poor children gratis as might be found by the minister and heritors to have a genius for learning. Accordingly, the benefit of this mortification was originally enjoyed along with the parochial salary by the teacher of the parish school. At a subsequent period, however, the parochial salary was given to odc teacher, and the interest of Orrock's mortification to another, and the two schools remained separate for a period of about fifty years. In 1824, it was deemed expedient to revert to the original ar- rangement, and accordingly it was proposed and agreed to : 1. That the schools be united under one rector, having right both to Orrock's mortification, and to the parochial salary. 2. That the rector be obliged at all times to keep an able as- sistant qualified to teach writing, arithmetic, and mathematics. 3. That the assistant be appointed by, and removable at, the pleasure of the rector. 4. That the entire salary, together with school-fees and other emoluments, be divided between the rector and assistant, in the proportion of three-fifths to the former and two-fifths to the latter, and that all necessary expenses connected with the establishment be defrayed in the same proportions. On this footing these schools now stand. The parochial salary amounts to L. 3d, the interest of Orrock's HAWICK. 413 mortification to L. 19, Is. lld.,.and the school-fees on an average are estimated at L. 90. L. 17 are also allowed in lieu of a dwel- ling-house. The branches of instruction taught are, reading, writ- ing, arithmetic, geography, mathematics, Latin, Greek, and French ; and the fees for reading are, 2s. 6d. a quarter, with writ- ing, 3s. ; arithmetic, 3s. 6d. ; French and mathematics, ds. 6d. ; Latin and Greek, 10s. 6d. ' The nomination to the united school is vested in the Duke of Buccleuch. In 1804, the heritors endowed an additional school in the vil- lage of Newmill, in the landward part of the parish. The salary amounts to L. 12, and the school-fees on an average are estimated at L.ia Besides these there are 10 schools carried on by teachers on their own adventure. Six of the teachers are females, and in most of these schools the elementary branches of education are taught, and at much the same rate as in the parish school. A subscrip- tion school was also established a few years ago, which is gradual- ly progressing. There are likewise 24 Sabbath schools on the local system, and in connexion with the Establishment, besides 4 under the super* intendence of the Dissenters. The following table gives the average numbers attending the ipreek-day schools in 1835. It ought, however, to be noticed, that Xhe numbers that attended more or less through the course of the ^ear were considerably greater than those stated in the table, it l^eing found, for example, from the lists of one of the schools which irere kept with great accuracy, that the gross number of children that attended during any part of the year amounted to 191, whilst the number in attendance at one and the same time was never more ^han85. United School, 85 boys. NewmiU School, • 40 Private Schools, 302 Gross numbers. 427 375 802 The numbers learning different branches in 1838 were as follows : reading, 720; writing, 263; arithmetic, 186; English gram- mar, 74; geography, 78; mathematics, 16; modern languages, 15; Latin or Greek, 1 4. Individuals brought up in other parishes are occasionally met with, whose education in early life appears to have been totally neglected. It is not, however, known that there are any of the iia- 65 girls. 150 in alL 25 65 285 587 414 ROKBUROHSHIUE. live population above fifteen years of age who cannot read. Yet, though the people generally are alive to the benefits of education, it is nevertheless to be regretted, that the attendance of not a few of the children at school is neither so regular, nor so long con- tinued as is necessary to a thorough instruction, even in the ordi- nary branches of education. Libraries. — Hawick is well supplied with libraries. The oldest and most extensive is the Public Library, which was establbhed in 1762. The proprietors or shareholders, whose annual sul)seription is 10s. each, amounted, in 1838, to 56 ; and others who are not shareholders upon being recommended by a proprietor, and pay- ing 15s. yearly, are entitled to receive books. This library con- tains about t3500 volumes, with the leading periodicals of the pre- sent day. The Trades^ Library was instituted in 1802, and contains about 1200 volumes, including an excellent selection of the most ap- proved works in English literature. The yearly payment is 4s. Till 1830 the average number of subscribers did not exceed 40. They now amount to 135. The Juvenile Library, under the charge of the minister of the parish, contains upwards of 300 vo- lumes chiefly of a religious description. .This library was original- ly instituted for the children attending the Sabbath schools, but the books are lent out at present to any parishioner on the pay- ment of 2d. monthly. There are likewise libraries of a similar description, for the land- ward part of the parish, both at Teviothead, and at the village of Newmill. School of Arts. — A School of Arts was established in 1824» under the auspices of James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers. Since its formation several courses of lectures have been delivered. Clothing Society. — A society was instituted in 1821 for distri- buting articles of clothing to indigent females. It is judiciously managed by a committee of ladies. The yearly expenditure amounts to about L. 20. Friendly Societies. — There were lately two Friendly Societies in the town, which were of much benefit in promoting industrious ha> bits, and exciting a desire of independence. The one was esta- blished in 1779, and the other in 1802, but being founded, like many others, on defective principles, both of them have been dis- solved. Their places, however, have been so far supplied by va- rious associations, though on a smaller scale, among the operatives HAWICK. 415 of the different manufactories. — A Temperance Society, a Medi- co-Relief Society, an Association for the Distribution of Religious Tracts, and a Home Missionary Society, have also been produc- tive of good results. Savings Bank. — A Savings Bank was established in 1815, which has been productive of the best results, and which is still going on prosperously. During the two years ended May 1815 and 1816, the sum deposited was L. 1750, 9s. 8d., whilst the amount with- drawn was no more than L. 21. During the years ended May 1837 and 1838, the receipts amounted to L.3066, 13s. S^d., and the disbursements to L.2739, 10s. l^d. At last balance. May 1838, the gross amount invested was L. 6857, 19s. 8d., and the total number of accounts open with depositors 483. Pauperism. — About the beginning of last century the poor of thb parish seem to have been supported entirely from church col- lections and other funds in the hands of the kirk-session, and the expenditure at that time was somewhat below L. 20 per annum. Between 1730 and 1740, recourse appears to have been had to an assessment more apparently of a voluntary than compulsory de- scription, it being stipulated that the landward heritors and their tenants should pay one-half, the town one-fourth, and the kirk-ses- sion the other fourth. In 1772, the assessment amounted to Ij.224, 14s. 3d. ; but the funds of the kirk-session being found in- suflBcient to meet the proportion that fell to their share, it was agreed from that time forward that L. 5 should be paid by them quarterly, whilst of the remainder that was necessary two-thirds were to be exacted from the heritors, and the other third from the town. This arrangement seems to have been carried into effect until 181 1, since which time the collections and other sessional funds have, for the supply of occasional cases, been left entirely at the disposal of the kirk-session, whilst the main burden of pro- viding for the poor has been divided between the landward heri- tors and the proprietors of heritable property in the town, the for- mer being assessed according to their valued rent, of which the gross amount is L. 11591, lis. Scots money, and the latter ac- cording to the rental of their premises, which amounted, as ap- pears from a valuation taken in 1838, to L. 7650, 12s. Sterling. This system is in operation at the present time. The heritors meet once a quarter for the purpose of imposing the assessment, fixing the rate of allowance, and appointing a committee of their 416 ROXBURGHSHIRE. own number to watch over the interests of the poor in the inter- vals between the general meetings. The following tables exhibit the state of pauperism in this pa- rish at the present time. No. L Average number of paupers. Yean. Permanent Roll. Lunatics. Occasional. Total. JSaS, .164 . 1 . d90 .555 1886, . 153 . 1 . 460 . 614 1837, .147 1 . 624 . 672 No. II. Amount raised for the poor. Church Otlier sessional Voluntny Years. Assessment. Collections. Funds. Contributions Total 1885, L.910 L.50 15 8^ L.20 7 7 L.46 19 5 L.1028 2 8^ 1836, 82000 505 11 23 18 54 000 89444} 1837, 1009 11 14 95 5 8i 21 17 II4 48 3 1174 17 9\ No. III. Actual expenditure. Permanent Clerk's Yrs. rolL Lunatics. Occasional. Education, salary. TotaL L. 8. d. Im s. d. L. a. d. L. s. d. L. s. d. L. s. d. 1835, 716 3 10 12 7 169 11 54 10 10 28 936 3 1} 1836, 671 4 6 12 7 173 7 34 10 10 28 894 19 7} 1837, 703 1 8 12 7 256 3 10 10 28 1009 9 9 The highest rate allowed to paupers on the permanent roll is L. 1 1, 14s. per annum, and the lowest L. 2, 12s. Such is the state of pauperism in this parish at the present time. It seems, however, to have been very different in former days. We find, for example, in 1727, anterior to the imposiuon of the legal assessment, before any voluntary contribution was made regularly on the part of the heritors, and when the poor were supported entirely by church collections and other funds in the hands of the kirk-session, that the total expenditure, as appears from existing records, amounted only to L. 22, 13s. lOd. ; whereas, in 1837, as is evident from the foregoing tables, there was actually expended no less a sum than L. 1009, 9s. 9d. Considering that the population of the parish has been considerably more than doubled during the last hundred years, it would not have been surprising if the expenditure for the poor had been increased in nearly the same proportion. But the rise from L. 22, 138. lOd* to upwards of L.1000 is by iar too great to be satisfiACtorily ao* counted for by such a cause. And we cannot help thinking, that the increase is to be referred mainly to the influence of a compul- sory assessment, which, by destroying a spirit of honourable inde- pendence, has tended to augment by a rapid process the very evils against which it professes to provide ; whilst the necessity for the continued operation of such a cause, we feel inclined to ascribe in HAWICK. 417 a great measure to the fact, that the parochial system, which in other places has been found the most effectual of all checks both to pauperism and crime, has been prevented, by a deplorable de- ficiency of church accommodation and pastoral superintendence, from being brought into full and efficient operation in this parish. In connexion with the same subject, we deem it of importance to record the following facts : L Marriages are frequently con* tracted by parties without making any previous provision for the maintenance of a £unily. 2. The practice of working only so many days in the week as is barely necessary for the earning of a livelihood is adopted by a large number of the operatives. 3. The savings bank and institutions of a like nature are supported almost exclusively by the church-going population. 4. Applica- tions, especially in seasons of domestic affliction, are made for parochial relief, and apparently without much feeling of degrada- tion, even by families, who, by industrious exertion and provident habits, might have raised themselves to a state of honourable in- dependence. 5. Instances of heads of families clandestinely ab- sconding from the parish, and leaving their wives and children to- tally unprovided for, are of frequent occurrence. These facts we leave to speak for themselves, remarking only, that it is somewhat mortifying to find that such evils should exist to so great an extent in a parish where the most liberal provision has been made on the part of the heritors for the purpose of meet- ing the necessities of the poor, and when, moreover, it is borne in remembrance, that the assessment itself, exclusive of collections and other voluntary contributions, has amounted, since the begin- ning of this century, to upwards of L. 31,850, it is at least deserving of consideration, whether the adoption of a different system, and the application of a liberal expenditHte to the purpose of moral and religious training, would not bear more successfully on the com- fort and moral well-being of the poorer classes of the community, and perad venture reheve the heritors in. a great measure from the burden of a now large and rapidly augmenting assessment Prison. — The Jail, which forms a part of the town-house, and consists of sc very small apartment, is neither properly secured, nor capable of being used without endangering the healtl^of its inmates. For these reasons criminals are generally conveyed to the' county town, a mode of procedure which is not only attended with considerable expense, but which, when taken in connexion with a glaring deficiency of police, presents serious obstacles to 418 UOXBUROHSHIRE. the authorities in arresting the progress of crime and enforcing the. authority of the laws. The number of convictions, inclusive of cases brought not only before the magistrates and justices of peace, but before the Sheriff, and the circuit court at Jedbuigfa, amount- ed in 1838 to 5a Spirit Licenses. — The number of spirit licenses granted to inn- keepers, grocers, and others in the parish, from Whitsunday 1838| to Whitsunday 1839, amounted to 53, and it is not to be doubted that these have exerted a prejudicial influence on the morals of the people. Fairs. — Markets for cattle and for hiring servants are held ge- nerally on the 17th of May, — for sheep on the 20th and 21st of September, — for horses and cattle on the third Tuesday of Octo- ber, — and for cattle and hiring servants on the 8th of November. These markets are in general very numerously attended. Fuel — Both wood and peats are occasionally used ; but the principal fiiel is coal, brought partly from Etal, in Northumberland, and partly from the Duke of Buccleuch's pits in the neighbourhood of Langholm. From the distance of land carriage the expense of this article is considerable, the average price being about Is. Id. per cwt It is computed that 7000 cart-loads areconsumed in Hawick annually, which are estimated at upwards of L. 6000. Miscellaneous Observations. The state of matters in this parish at the present time is widely different in almost every respect from what it was at the period of the former Statistical Account. In the enlargement of the town, the increase of the population, the erection of extensive factories, the construction of new roads, the revenue of the post-office, the system of husbandry, the rate of wages, and the state of the mar- kets, we discern evidences of a change no less rapid than remark- able. And in all that relates to rural economy and commercial enterprize, we believe there are few places of equal extent that have effected more with, the means placed at their disposal, or risen by their own vigorous exertions to a higher and more inde- pendent position. It were well if, in matters of greater moment, and more especially in regard to the means and opportunities of moral and religious improvement, they had enjoyed advantages as ample as their circumstances required, for in that case the virtues of the population might have kept pace with their success in the ordinary business of life. But in tliis respect they have laboured EDNAM. 419 under great disadvantages, and, however much to be lamented, it IB nothing more than might have been expected, if, in these cir- cumstances, there has been a more than ordinary increase of i)au- perisniy insubordination, and crime. Jl%1839. PARISH OF EDNAM. PRESBTTERV of KELSO, SYNOD OF MBRSE AND TEVIOTUALE. THE REV. JOSEPH THOMSON, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Name, Boundariesy and Extent — Ednam, contracted from Edenham, signifies a hamlet on the river Eden, and is descriptive of the situation of the village. In its form this parish approaches to a square; its greatest length being Si miles, and its greatest breadth 8 miles. It comprehends nearly 6^ square miles. Ednam is bounded on the north by Eccles ; on the west, by Stitchel, part of Nenthom, and Kelso ; on the south, by Kelso and Sprouston ; and 00 the east, by Eccles and Sprouston, from which last mentioned parish it is separated by the river Tweed. Tiqfographical Appearances. — Ednam hill, the only one in the parish, shelters the village on the east. It rises to no great height, being arable to the top, but commands a very extensive view of the surrounding country. The scenery in this parish, though not mark- ed by any very striking feature, is highly pleasing. The vale of the Eden is extremely beautiful, and on each side of it is a gently undulating surface, ornamented with trees in clumps and in hedge- rows, and covered with the fruits of a rich and cultivated soil. Climate. — No distempers prevail, which can be traced to local causes ; and the general state of health in this district is such as to evince the salubrity of the climate. Riven. — Except the Tweed, which runs in a north-easterly di- rection,' the Eden is the only stream belonging to Ednam. Tliis small river has its source in the parish of Gordon ; after passing through the parishes of Earlston, Smailholm, and Nenthom, it forms 420 ROXBURGHSHIRE. for a short way the boundary between Ednam and Kelso ; and then dividing the former parish into two unequal parts, it &lls into the Tweed about three miles and a half below Kelso. Soily ^c. — The land in this parish consists of the following va- rieties of soil in nearly equal proportions, viz. loam with a gravelly subsoil ; clay upon rather a porous subsoil ; light gravel with po* rous subsoil, and a light soil upon strata of moorland. These soils rest principally upon a freestone bottom. 11. — Civil History. The first settlement which took place at Ednam is believed to have been, next to that at Jedburgh, the earliest in this part of the country. There is no history of this parish either printed or in manuscript, and no individual resident in it possesses any docu- ment illustrative of its history or antiquities ; nor is its name as- sociated with any important historical event From the chartu- lary of Kelso, and other documents referred to in the ^^ Monastic annals of Teviotdale," it would appear that the parish of Ednam had contributed to the support of the monks of the convent of Kelso. Besides the privilege of digging turf for fuel in Ednam moor, and the fishing in the Tweed from the bounds of Kelso to those of Birgham, the monks had three ploughgates of land, and also Ednam mill, with power to prevent the erection of any other within the parish, and to enforce the services which the inhabi- tants were bound to render to the proprietor of the mill. Eminent Men. — James Thomson, author of the Seasons and other poems, was born in the village, most probably in the manse of Ednam, in the year 1700. He was the son of Thomas Thom- son, the first minister settled in Ednam after the Revolution, — and of Beatrix Trotter, his wife. This parish cannot be expect- ed to furnish any traditionary recollections of Thomson. When he was little more than a mouth old, his father was translated to Southdean ; and there is no reason to believe that the poe^ had any further connexion with the place of his nativity. He received the rudiments of education in the town of Jedburgh. His earliest poetical efforts are said to have been encouraged and directed by the Rev. Robert Riccaltoun, minister of Hobkirk ; and after finishing his course of study in the University of Edinburgh, he left Scotland, and never returned to it In the year 181d-20, an obelisk, 52 feet high, was raised to his memory. It stands on a rising ground within the property of Mr Waldie of Hender- syde, nearly a mile from the village. The expense of this erec- 3 EDNAM. 421 tion was defrayed by subscriptions contributed or promoted by the members of the Ednam Club, which was composed of several gentlemen living in the parish and neighbourhood, who used to meet and dine together in the village on the anniversary of the Poet's birth. Their last meeting was held in September 1819. A miniature of the poet from a painting in the collection of the late Earl of Buchan was presented to the club by his Lordship, and is kept in the manse. The late William Dawson, Esq. of Graden, a distinguished agriculturist, who introduced the turnip husbandry into Scotland, was bom at Harpertown, in this parish ; and there is some reason to believe, from a comparison of the biography of Captain Cook with the parish register, that the father of the circumnavigator was a native of Ednam. Landholders, — The landholders in this parish are, Lord Ward, the proprietor of the estate of Ednam ; John Waldie, Esq. of Hendersyde ; Moffat, Esq. ; Sir William Don, Bart. ; Ro- bert Thomson, Esq., formerly one of the magistrates of Edin- burgh ; and Sir William Dickson, Bart Modem Btdldings. — Hendersyde Park, the residence of Mr Waldie, is the only mansion-house in the parish. There are three corn-mills and a brewery. Parochial Registers. — February 6, 1668, is the date of the earliest insertion in the register of baptisms. In this register there is one considerable blank, owing, probably, to the loss of one of the books. III. — Population. According to a census taken with great care between the 14th and 25th of May 1838, the population of this parish then amounted to 589 ; of which number 274 were males, and 315 females. There were at that time 118 families. One landholder is resident. The means of subsistence and the comforts of life are as gene- rally diffused here as in any other part of the country ; and, with not very many exceptions, the people are peaceable, sober, indus- trious, and attentive to the ordinances of religion. IV. — Industry. Agriculture^ 4*^.— There is no waste land in this parish. Of about 3700 acres of arable land, two parts are in corn, two in pasture and hay, and one part is in turnips and fallow. Tliere are 40 adreg in policy^ 70 in pasture along the banks of the rivers, and 4*22 ROXBURGHSHIRE. about 70 planted with trees of almost every description. The average rent both of arable ground and of pasture is about L. 2 per acre. Wages.^^ The wages of agricultural labourers vary with the price of grain, in which they are most frequently paid. Ten shillings per week is about the average amount of what is earned by sach of them as are paid in money, and by day-labourers in general Journeymen masons and carpenters earn higher wages. Live-Stock. — The cattle are of the kind denominated '* short horns;" and the sheep are principally of the Leicester breed. Great attention has been paid to the improvement of stock. Mr Andrew Thompson, tenant in Highridgehall, in this parish, has succeeded in rearing a stock of sheep of the purest Leicester breeds which, on account of its excellence, has attracted the notice of com- petentjjudges from every part of the united kingdom. Husbandry. — Either the four or the five shift system of husbandry is adopted. The land is thoroughly drained; no part of it is irrigated ; but of late there has been a good deal of embankment Leases are for nineteen or twenty years ; and the capital and skill of the tenants, the accommodation afforded to them in farm buildings and enclosures, and the management of the different properties, are all favourable to the agriculture of this parish, which is under- stood to be in a highly improved state. Improvements. — Within these few years, cottages upon an improved plan havejbeen built on two of the farms belonging to Mr Waldie of Hendersyde. These cottages do not occupy much ground, but, be- sides other conveniences, they contain an upper as well as an under flat ; and thus they afford greater facilities than have hitherto been enjoyed by the labouring classes, for separating the sick from the healthy, and also for assigning separate sleeping apartments to the male and female members of families. The universal adoption of this improvement would contribute greatly to the health, the clean- liness, and the comfort of the rural population ; and might even be expected in the course of time to operate with beneficial effect up- on their manners and morals, in so far as it would probably lead to a greater degree of reserve than at present obtains in the inter- course between young persons of different sexes in the humbler ranks of life. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish is, as nearly as can be ascertained, as follows : — EDNAM. 423 Produce ofgrain of all kinds, L.BTdO potatoes, turnips, &c. 3045 hay, whether meadow or cultivated, 1100 land in pasture, . 2520 Total yearly value of raw produce raised, L.]5,d95 V. — Parochial Economy. The village of Ednam, the only one in the parish, is about two miles and a quarter from the post and market-town of Kelso. There are two stone bridges and two wooden ones, all in an excel- lent state of repair. Besides parish roads, there are three turn- pike roads, — one three miles and a half in length, and the other two more than two miles each. Ecekiiastical State, — The parish church, the only place of wor- ship, is conveniently situated, being near the village, and though not in the centre of the parish, not more than two miles from any house therein. It was built in the year 1800, is in good repair, and affords accommodation for about 260 persons. No seat-rents are levied. The manse, an excellent house, was built in 1833-4. The glebe consists of five Scotch acres, and is let for L. 13 per annum. The stipend is paid in money, and, together with the allowance for communion elements, amounts to L. 158, 6s. 8d. ; L. Ill, 2s. 2d. being payable from the land, and L. 47, 4s. 6d. received from the Exchequer. According to the census taken in 1838, the number of families belonging to the Established Church was 44, the number of Dis- senting families 42, and the number, in which some of the mem- bers attended the Established Church, and some went to dissent- ing places of worship, 32. Three hundred and forty-five persons of all ages were connected with the Establishment, 240 were Dis- BenierSy and there were 6 Episcopalians. There is no reason to believe, that since the date of the census referred to, any material Uteration has taken place in this parish, either in the amount of ;M>pulation, or in the relative proportion of persons connected with lie Establishment, and Dissenters. As has already been stated, lie inhabitants of this parish, of all denominations, are, with not ''ery many exceptions, attentive to the ordinances of religion. The average number of communicants in the parish church is about 160. There are no Societies for religious purposes; the average unount of church collections yearly for such purposes is about L.6. Education, — The parish school is the only one, and no other s required. The branches of education taught in it are, reading ^r English and English grammar, writing, arithmetic, mathematics. 424 ROXBURGHSHIRE. geography, Latin, Greek, French, and the principles of the Christ- ian religion. The schoolmaster has a house and garden. His salary is the maximum ; and the average yearly amount of school fees, which are very moderate, is L.86. There is no person in the parish between six and fifteen years of age who cannot read, and none between nine and fifteen who can- not write. There are two persons, one of them a woman of twenty- four, and the other a man of sixty, who cannot read ; both of whom came lately into the parish from distant parts of the country. The •benefits of education are fully enjoyed and duly valued. Mr John Gibson Smith, the teacher, by conciliating the affection of his nu- merous pupils, by adapting his instructions to their opening minds, and keeping alive amongst them an intense interest in the business of the school, succeeds in imparting to them as much knowledge as can be acquired in the time allotted for the education of children of the labouring classes. Religious instruction, occupying, as it ought to do, a prominent place in his plan of tuition, is conducted by him in such a way as to lead the young to an accurate acquaint- ance with Scripture history, and to clear views of the system of Divine truth contained in the Shorter Catechism, and thus to pre^ pare them for being intelligent and profitable hearers of the word. The writer of this Account has been informed, that the deposits in the Kelso Savings' Bank from this parish are from servants and from minors, and amount to L. 19, 2s. Id. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The heritors of this parish assess themselves and their tenants half-yearly for the maidtenance of the poor. The average number of persons on the poor's roll is 21 ; and the rate of allowance is different in different cases, vary- ing from L.d, 10s. to L.6, 6s. per annum. Persons in desti- tute circumstances, whether paupers or not, occasionally receive assistance from the ordinary church collections, the average yearly amount of which is rather more than L.7. Alehouses. — There are three houses in which ale and spirits are sold, a greater number certainly than is either necessary or de- sirable. At the same time, these bouses are frequented by not many of the parishioners, but chiefly by travellers and persons from the town of Kelso. Fuel — The only kind of fuel in common use is coal, which is procured at the rate of T^d per cwt. from Northumberland. July 1839. PARISH OF CAVERS.* PRE8BYT£RY OF JEDBURGH, SYNOD OF MERSB AND TEVIOTDALE, THE REV. JAMES STRACHAN, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — Cavers is an appellation common to a number of places both in Scotland and England. The term, however, is not found in the Saxon language, and is therefore supposed to have been in- troduced by a prior people. In the Cambro- British, there are the words, Cae and bevj signifying short field or enclosure ; and it is not improbable that this is the source from which the name is de- rived, notwithstanding that both the extent and openness of the parish, as it now exists, would seem to render the appellation most inapplicable. Extent and Boundaries. — The parish lies nearly due east and west along the south side of the Teviot, and is computed to be about 24 miles long, and varying from 8 to 2 miles in breadth. It is bounded towards the north-west and north, by the parishes of Hawick, Wilton and Minto ; on the east and south-east, by the parishes of Bedrule and Hobkirk ; and on the south and west, by the parishes of Newcastleton, Ewes, and Westerkirk. Its 6gure, on a general survey, may be regarded as in some de- gree resembling a sand-glass, from the circumstance of its being narrow at the middle, and expanded towards each extremity ; but its outline, when minutely traced, is found to be exceedingly irregular, owing to the peculiar manner in which it intersects, and is intersected, by other parishes. From the Weensland- milly below Hawick, to the junction of the Allan Water with the Teviot, above it, (including a distance of about six miles), a considerable portion of the parish of Hawick lies on the south side of the river ; and this, together with the whole of the parish of Kirkton intervening, divides, in some measure. Cavers pa- rish into two departments, leaving, however, the upper department considerably the largest. At this particular point, it is only about • Drawn up by the Rev. rU'iiry Scott Uiddell, Cacrlanrig. ROXBURGH. £ 426 liOXBURGHSHIUE. two miles broad. The Teviot, with the exception just mention- ed, forms its natural boundary to the north. To the east, it meets the Rule Water, but at the lower extremity, shoots out to a narrow point below it, towards Spittal, and thence, embracing almost the whole of the northern side of Rubbcrslaw, the boundary line pro- ceeds in a southern direction, but with many irregularities, along the high mountainous ridges which separate the Teviotdale from the Liddisdale district, towards the top of Tutop, where the shires of Roxburgh and Dumfries meet. Taking from thence a north-west direction, but with many irregularities, it crosses the pass of Moss- paul by the Wisp, and Pikethowe to Teviotstone, the western extremity of the parish. Topographical Appearances. — If this parish be irregular in iU outline, it is not less diversified in its general lineaments, possessing (ilmost every variety of hill and dale, glen and shaw, soil and pas- turage. Its two principal characteristics, however, may be con- sidered as these ; its lower department, though undulating, is yet upon the whole flat, and in a state of regular and well-conducted cultivation, with hedges and hedge- row trees for enclosures, and portions of thriving plantation, suitably interspersed, — while the upper department is almost altogether of a pastoral character, and in a state of nature, diversified with lonely wild and stream, green hill, and deep glcn. From Pencrestpen, a little pyrami- dical mountain, lying south of Stobbs Castle, where the pastoral part of the parish may be said fairly to commence, to Teviotstone, where it terminates, a distance of about fourteen miles,-^~an inte- resting family of hills lift up their heads, remarkable for their rotund and distinct appearance, and the manner in which they are interwoven with one another. These, although not very high hills, are nevertheless seen from many points at a very considerable dis- tance ; and as thus seen, especially on summer and autumn days, when fantastically overhung, as they often are, with all their splen- did drapery of towering clouds, obstructing at one time, and emit- ting at another, the downward-darting rays of the sun, they exhi- bit a prospect which the lover of mountain scenery can scarcely fail to admire. These hills in the summer season are covered with verdure ; few rocks or stones, and only some plots of heath here and there appearing; or on certain points of high exposure, a few acres of broken ground, termed in pastoral phrase " moss-hags," lending a darker feature, and heightening the efiFect by contrast. Crawford, in his Cowdenknowes, has apparently, with fond recoUec- CAVERS. 427 tioDy.well characterized the braes of Teviotdale, when he says, ^< the Teviot braes are green and gay/' But Gilpin, in his Tour, thus ambitiously describes them, ^^ the downy sides of all these valleys >f the Teviot are covered with sheep, which often appear to hang )n immense green walls : so steep is the descent in some parts, that lie eye from the bottom scarce distinguishes the slope from the )erpendicular« Several of these mountainous slopes, for some of hem are very lofty," he adds, ^^ are finely tinted with moss of dif- Brent hues, which gives them a very rich surface." It may be iddedy that these hills seem to be a continuation of that irregular Dountainous track which, from the head of Clydesdale, stretches Lcross the country by Tweedshaws, Lochskeen, and Ettrickpen, ind which separates the rivers and streams of this part of Scot- and, sending them to the eastern and western seas. The largest and loftiest of these mountains is the Wisp, imme- liately above Mosspaul, rising 1830 feet above the level of the ea. But it is not so much either its largeness or its height, which BDders it remarkable, as its position, and the diversified and exten- ive prospect which it commands. From its summit, the sea at Ber- ick-upon»Tweed is observed to the eastward : to the south and est, the Solway Frith, and, if the atmosphere be clear, the Isle Man. Tutop is of equal height with the Wisp, or, according I some measurements, 10 feet higher. Pikethowe, Cauldcleugh, rritmoor, and some others in this vicinity, are computed to be sarly of the same elevation. But, besides these, there are a few ills in this parish which serve to impress upon it a peculiar cha- icter. These, from their isolated positions, appear like pyramids the wilderness, conveying the idea, that the district must at le time have been visited from the west by some violent in- idatioD, sweeping almost every thing along with it. The little »Dical mountains referred to are the Maiden-paps, Lieap-hill, ubberslaw, Pencrest and Skelf-hill-pen. The last of these is the ost remarkable. On the south side, it rises abruptly out of a )ep glen ; on the north, it ascends more gradually till, attaining • a certain height, it becomes somewhat rocky and rugged, and len contracting itself suddenly, it towers yet higher, presenting a )ak like the spire of some large edifice, ^^ reared by human hands." "his and Pencrest-pen are memorable for having preserved their iritish names through so many successive generations of different sople* Rubberslaw, rising to a height of 1419 feet above the a's level, though situated in the lower division of the parish, is 428 ROXBUIlGIlSlilUE. in some respects of a more bleak and rugf^^ed cast than any of these just mentioned. It bears more the appearance of volcanic erup- tion than any of the hills in the neighbourhood, or perhaps in this part of the island. Its hollow dells and rocky recesses were once the haunts of the persecuted Covenanters, and not only the place but the very stone on which the volume of God's word was laid when the celebrated Peden declared its truths to a large congre- gation there assembled, is still pointed out. — Independently of all these mountains above-mentioned, another range of bills, in the upper division of the parish, runs along the river. And then, con- stituting the immediate banks of the Teviot, are the holms or haughs, which are for the most part enclosed, and in a state of tillage. Hydrography. — The Teviot takes its rise, and is the principal river, in this parish. The whole of its course is, in length, about forty miles, and in that course it receives the Borthwick and the Ale, descending from their wild moorlands on the north : and the Allan, the Slitrige, the Rule, the Jed, the Oxnam, and the Kail, with all their manifold tributaries, on the south. All the streams in this parish are tributaries to the Teviot, and which, rising in the south, find their way to it in a northern direction. To this, how* ever, there are two exceptions, that of Lymycleuch burn, and that of the Frostly, which flow down their respective glens about five miles, in a direction nearly parallel to the Teviot, the former rising at the Pikethowe, and the latter in Linhope-grains. The Allan Water, the next tributary deserving of particular notice, issues frcrni two fountains in the same range of hills which we formerly describ- ed, and which send the Hermitage Water south to join the Liddle. This stream, after pursuing its course some miles by Skelf-hill and Priesthaugh, through one of the loveliest pastoral vales, perhaps^ in the south of Scotland, turns abruptly from an eastern to a north- ern direction, and, after a rough and rapid course, dischaiges itself from overhanging birken bowers into the Teviot at Allan — mouth Peel, about a mile above Branxholm. The Slitrige, a of greater note, also takes its rise in this parish. Issuing from se veral springs in the Leap-hill, Maidenpaps, and Gritmoor, it liki wise for some time flows in an eastern direction ; but on leavin the stately -woods around Stobbs Castle, it turns its course d north, and, after a run of ten miles, mingles itself with the Tevi as just mentioned. The Rule, a rapid mountain stream, boun in part this parish on the east. The woods which adorn its ban 4 CAVERS. 429 particularly at the mansion-house of Wells, (one of the seats of Sir W. F. Eliott, of Stobbs and Wells, Bart.) are of great variety and value. After flowing twelve miles, and, touching upon the lower extremity of the parish, it joins the Teviot at Spittal, opposite Minto Craggs. CHmate^ Spc. — The climate is, upon the whole, cold and moist, es- pecially in the upper division of the parish. Of late years, however, it has much improved, owing to the great extent of draining which has taken place. No distemper, in particular, now prevails. No slate, limestone, or coal has ever been found, or is supposed to exist in this parish. All the streams abound with trout, and are visited ainiually by salmon from the sea. ' The principal spawning season is about Martinmas. There is abundance of almost all kinds of game in the parish, but especially of black game. The hill-fox, or, as sometimes termed, the grey-hound fox, is a native of the upper part of the parish. This species is much larger, more elegantly formed, and of a greyer colour, than the more inland or plantation Ibx. The erne or Scottish eagle, in certain seasons, frequents the more mountainous districts of the parish. There are no plants or fruits which are not found in the parishes around, save the foxfoot, the foxglove, the cranberry and cloudberry. II. — Civil History. Historical Notices, — The history of the parish, or, more parti- cukurly, the history of the Kirklands of Cavers, as they are for the most part designated in ancient records, is so intimately connected with the history of Roxburghshire in general, that they cannot well be treated of separately. It appears that Roxburghshire was established as a sheriffdom as early as the Scoto- Saxon period : and, as the Douglases were mainly instrumental in freeing Teviot- dale from the oppression of the English in the reign of Edward III., or about the year 1384, that sheriffship, together with the property of the lands of Cavers, for a long succession of genera- tions, followed the fortunes of this bold and ambitious house. The lands of Cavers, with the sheriffwick of Roxburghshire, were grant- ed to George Earl of Angus in 1398. On his demise in 1402, this office and that property seem to have been invested in Isobel Countess of Mar, who transferred them, but without the ne- cessary assent and sanction of the King, to the Earl of Douglas, then a prisoner in England. By this it was supposed tliat both had become escheat : and King Robert III., desirous of rewarding 430 KOXBUllGHSHIRE. the emiDent and loyal services of Sir David Fleeming of Biggar, conferred upon him, in 1405, the lands of Cavers with the sheriff- wick of Roxburghshire. He was not long permitted, however, either to enjoy these lands or fill this office. As Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalwolsy, a former sheriff of this shire, and a man equal- ly eminent for his bravery and justice, had been seized upon by Sir William Douglas, the Knight of Liddesdale, when in the act of discharging the duties of his office, carried to his Castle of Her- mitage, and there immured in the dungeon till he died of want, so Sir David Fleeming was assassinated at Longherdmanston, when returning from conducting James, heir to the crown, on board the ship which was to carry him to France, by James Douglas, second son of Archibald Earl of Douglas, who' fell at the battle of Ver- nueil. After this the lands of Cavers, together 'with the heredi- tary sheriffship of Roxburghshire, were possessed by the Ssunily of Douglas till the abolition of the heritable jurisdictions. From an unprinted act, of date 11th June 1646, it appears that a parliamen- tary ratification of the Kirklands of Cavers passed in favour of (Douglas,) the sheriff of Teviotdale. The town of Cavers was taken and laid waste by the English in 1596, and whether it ever was rebuilt and replenished does not plainly appear. The old baronial castle, which was of very considerable strength and im- portance, was situated not far distant from the place where the old church of Cavers is still standing. William the first Earl of Douglas granted the advowson of the church of Caevers to the Monks of Melrose, in whose abbey he was interred in 1384. After the Reformation, the patronage of Cavers Church was granted to Douglas of Cavers, with whose lineal descendant it still re- mains. Tradition affirms that the kirk of Cavers originally stood at Old- North House, a little village which has now nearly disap — peared, in the upper division of the parish, and about ten miles tant from the present site of Cavers Church. The report goe further, and asserts that the kirk was a thatched one, but no cords, if such ever existed, have been discovered to throw ligh on the transference, or to confute or confirm that report. Cof tain it is, that there is here an old burial-place, though so rouci decayed as scarcely to be recognizable ; and the writer of this conversed with two old and respectable individuals of the district who could remember two persons being interred in the kirk-ya of Old North House. Their graves are still discernible by t CAVERS. 431 careful observer, together with a number of what may have been whin head-stones kything around, but whose tops are now level with the green sward above. Sheepfolds now occupy the place where the church is said to have stood, Land-^nonert, — The principal land-owners are, His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch ; Sir William F. Eliott of Stobbs and Wells, Bart. ; and James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers, the patron of the parish. Eminent Men, — Of eminent characters connected with the pa- rish, Greorge Augustus Eliott, Lord Heathfield, may be mention- ed first. He was the ninth son of Sir Gilbert Eliott of Stobbs and Wells, Bart., the lineal descendant of the far-famed *^ Gibbie an' the Gouden Garters," who, under peculiar circumstances, mar- ried Mary Scott, a flower of Yarrow, and received along with her as dowery, in faithful fulfilment of her father's promise, ** the half o' a Michelmas moon."* Lord Heathfield was born at the pater- nal estate of Stobbs in 1718. He discovered, in early youth, a predeliction for a military life, and entered upon his brilliant ca- reer as an officer in the 2dd llegiment of Foot or Royal Welsh Fusileers. He rose step by step to a high status in the army and in his country's estimation. Serving in Germany, he was wounded at the battles of Dettingen and Fontenoy. Having been appointed to the 15th Regiment of Light Dragoons in March 1759, he headed, in the August following, the second line of horse, un- der the Marquis of Granby, at the battle of Minden. After hav- ing been constituted a Lieutenant-General, he was called from Germany for the purpose of assisting as second in command at the reduction of the Havannah. In 1774, he was appointed Com- mander-in-chief in Ireland, but feeling on his arrival dissatisfied with the appointment, he requested to be recalled, which request was complied with ; and on the demise of Lord Cornwallis, he was made Governor of Gibraltar, which place he defended during the siege in the years 1779-80-81 and 82, with such skill and bra- very as merited the highest praise. In acknowledgement of the services done to his country here and elsewhere, a pension of L.2000 a year was awarded to him in 1783, when he was created a Knight of the Bath. In 1787, he was raised to the dignity of a Peer of Great Britain, but, dying in 1790, he did not long enjoy these honours, so nobly won and worthily conferred. • This means what he could plunder from his enemies on the English Border dur- ing the period implied. Her father was Adam Scott of Kirkhope, in the parish of Yarrow. 432 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Dr John Leyden, so eminently distinguished by the poetical ge- nius which he displayed, and the classical knowledge which he ac- quired in so short a life, was born at the village of Denbolm, in this parish, in September 1775, of parents humble in their rank and circumstances of life, but eminent for their moral worth and intelligence. He entered the University of Edinburgh in 1 790, and in due course was licensed to preach the gospel as probation* er in the Church of Scotland. Ambitious, however, of still high- er attainments in literature and science than he had yet achieved, he shortly after this entered upon the study of medicine, with a view of going abroad, chiefly in order that he might procure op- portunities of enhancing his acquirements in the oriental languages, and thereby gratifying the passion which reigned supreme in his heart Through the patronage of the Right Honourable Wil- liam Dundas, he was appointed assistant-surgeon in the hospital of Madras, but in which situation he did not long continue. After holding the situation of assistant-surgeon in the Mysore Survey, and a professorship in the College of Bengal, he eventually, under the patronage of Lord Minto, the then Governor-general of India was promoted to the office of Judge of the twenty-four Purgun- nahs of Calcutta. He accompanied the Governor* General on the expedition to Java, made for the purpose of investigating the manners, language, and literature of the tribes of that island, and for which Leyden's extensive knowledge of the eastern dialects and customs, eminently qualified him. There he was seized with fever, and this extraordinary man, in whom were combined such virtues, learning and genius, and withal such athletic powers and activity, as are never, or very rarely to be met with in one indivi- dual, after three days illness, died on the eve of the battle which gave Java to the British Empire. John Armstrong of Gilknockie, the famous border freebooter, along with a number of his companions, was, by order of King James V., executed at Caerlanrig, and interred there, in or near by the chapel burial-ground.* * This individual, by harassing and plundering his neighbours on the English bor- ders, appears, in carrying forward his predatory adventures, to bare acted principally upon the misukcn notion of his l>eing his country's eminent benefactor; and his • kindred and Scottish neighbours seem to have encouraged this notion to the utmost - in esteeming him highly as such : King James, however, having sworn that be would " mak the thresh-buss keep the cow," thought very differently, and all the marauder's entreaties and proffered presents (which latter were neither few nor of small value,) could not avail in inducing the Prince to preserve his life. A number of his companions were carried to luiinburgh as hostages for insuring the better behaviour of their friends left behind on the border; but nothing at this time could chain down CAVERS. 433 Parochial Begitiers. — These have hitherto been very imperfect- ly kept, and are consequently very defective. Antiquities. — The principal antiquity of this parish is the Cat- rail, or Picts work ditch, (meaning literally in the language of its constructors,) the partition of defence. It passes through the centre of the parish in a south-east direction, for the space of about seven miles. Entering it at the farm of Northhouse-haugh, it proceeds to Doecleugh, where it appears particularly dis- tinct. Leaving two hill-forts or British strengths on the left — the one on Skelf-hill farm, and usually called Doecleugh Castle, — the other on the farm of Priest-haugh, and uniformly called the Brugh hill, — it enters the Dod, and ascends the Carriage hill, v, here It again becomes peculiarly prominent. From this height it de- scends and crosses the Langside-burn, where it constitutes the InowD boundaries of several estates. Traversing thence the north- ern base of the Maiden-paps to the Leapsteal, it holds its onward course into Liddisdale through the pass of the dividing hills near Eobertslin. There are likewise, besides these just mentioned, a number of camps in the parish, some of which are called Roman, and others cf them Saxon camps. An old castle or border tower stood at a place called Castleweary, in the upper division of the parish, scarce- ly any vestige of which is now remaining. Allan-mouth-peel, an- other feudal fortress, situated at the junction of the Allan with the Teviot, appears from the portion of it yet remaining, together irith the wall and fosse with which it has evidently been surround- ed, to have been a place of considerable importance in feudal times. Its last occupier, it is said, was a brother of Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch, the then warden of the Scottish border. At Caerlanrig, about forty years ago, a number of urns, said to be Ro- man, were dug up. There is here also one of these camps. At Priest-haugh a great number of gold coins were found some con- siderable time ago, supposed to have been there deposited by the attendants of Queen Mary, when she visited Bothwell at Hermi- tage Castle, in Liddisdale. In ancient times Cavers, like seve- ral other parishes in Teviotdale, had an hospital for the poor, die border tpirit, or induce its inhabitants to alter their frcebooting habits, and these boaUges were shortly afterwards exccutcti at Edinburgh ; which circumstance seemh to hare giTen rite to the impression and report that obtains with not a few, that Jonnw Armatrong himself was put down at Edinburgh, nnd not at Caerlanrig, which, however, is not the fitct.-— Sec Buchannn*s History. 434 ROXBURGHSHIRE. wounded, and old. It was situated at a place called Spittal^ at the lower extremity of the parish. 1 1 1. — Population. The population of the parish now amounts to 1625. In 1801, it was 1382 1811, 1402 1821, 1504 1831, 1625 Number of fiiniilies in the parish, - - 316 chiefly employed in agriculture, • 153 trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 103 The total number of proprietors in the parish is 7, all of whom possess land of L. 50 a-year in value and upwards. Only one of them is resident Character of the People. — In the character of the people there exists considerable diversity, according to the localities which they inhabit, and the employments which they follow. In general they are sober, industrious, and intelligent. As the farms, tor the most part, are extensive, and the farmers wealthy, there is considerable disproportion of rank; but the farm-servants and shepherds are kept comfortable, and these seem, especially in the landward part of the parish, contented with their condition and circumstances. Their habits are cleanly, and their food wholesome. About six or seven years ago, poaching, not by the inhabitants of the parish, but by poachers from a distance, prevailed to a very great extent ; but vigorous measures having been adopted to prevent the inroads of those lawless bands of immoral and misguided men, who infested the whole country around, poaching has become a thing very rare- ly practised. IV. — Industry. Live-stock, — The upper division of the parish is particularly well adapted for pastoral purposes. The sheep are all white-faced, and regular stocks are kept. Great pains have long been taken to obtain and preserve the true Cheviot breed, since if this breed becomes corrupted, its tendency to degenerate is fully more than that of any other. Through attention and superior skill, some farms in the parish are stocked with sheep, which are almost purely Cheviot. The total number of sheep pastured in the parish is about 1 1,500. The cattle are for the greater part of the Teeswater breed, and great attention has likewise been paid to rearing and improving them. Rent. — The grazing of a cow or full-grown ox, L. 5; that of a ewe or full-grown sheep, 6s. Valued rental of the parish, L.18>877, 16s. 8d. Scots; real rental, L. 18,000 Sterling. CAVERS. 435 Wages. — The rate of labour per day, for men, during summer, Is. 4d., and for women, lOd. including victuals; and during win- ter, for men. Is., and for women, 6d. The wages of artisans vary from 2s. to Ss. per day. V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Toum* — Hawick, in the adjoining parish of that name, is the nearest market-town, distant about a mile from the nearest point of the parish, and from Cavers church about three miles. The only village is Denholm, situated near the lower extremity of the parish. It contains a population of about 500 souls. The principal means of subsistence is stocking-weaving, given out by the stocking-manufacturers of Hawick. The wages, of course, are re- gulated by the extent and quality of the workmanship. A skilful and industrious person may win, on an average, throughout the year, 15s. per week. Means of Communication. — These, for the greater part, are suit- able and good — ^the turnpike roads being pretty numerous, and in general in a very sufficient state of repair. The main road be- tween Edinburgh and Carlisle, entering at Tein-side bridge, runs through the upper part of the parish, a distance of about seven miles, on which are four mails in the day to and from Edinburgh. Besides these, there are also two other coaches which run the same way in the same time. A turnpike of the same quality as the main one, branching off at Hawick, runs through the lower division to Jedburgh, Kelso, &c. Another, up the Slitrige, communicates with the English border counties, by Note-o'-the-Gate, Carter-fell, &C. ; while the county roads, leading in various directions, are too numerous to be here noticed. A penny post-office is established at Denholm, and another at Caerlanrig Chapel. There are many bridges in the parish, some of which are constructed of stone, and others of wood, the latter being chiefly for the conveniency of foot-passengers ; and the fences, whether consisting of hedges, dry stone dike, or of stone and lime, are in general pretty well kept. Eccksiastical State. — As one church could not possibly accom- modate the whole parish, the present one was built with a view to the accommodation of the lower division of it ; and for this it is pretty well placed. It was erected in 1822, and contains seats for 500. The building is very substantial, as well as somewhat ele- gant, and is at present in an excellent state of repair. The number of communicants is about 300. The manse was built in 1813, and is also in good repair. 436 ROXBURGHSUIRG. Caerlanrig Cliapel. — This chapel is situated in the upper part of the parish, and is intended for the accommodation not only of the inhabitants of that district of Cavers, but also of those in the upper part of the parish of Hawick. The bounds pertaining to it are about ten miles long, and, on an average, nine broad. The chapel is centrically situated. It is said to be of 200 years standing and upwards, as a Protestant place of worship, and has been thrice built on different sites. It seems to have superseded the Roman Ca- tholic chapel, which stood here in the burial-ground, and which is still preserved and occupied as such : or else it was found neces- sary for the accommodation of the inhabitants of the district when the kirk at Old-Northhouse was removed, or done away. At first, and until a chaplain was appointed to the charge, the minister of Cavers was under the inconvenient necessity of performing pub- lic duty at Caerlanrig chapel, one Sunday every month. It is not distinctly known when a chaplain was first appointed, and this prac- tice discontinued. The present chapel was erected by the contri- butions of the inhabitants of the district, about forty years ago, the ground, the wood, slate, and lime being given by his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch. It is at present in good repair, but found to be too small. The seats are all free, unless in so far as they are appointed to, and appropriated by, heads of families. As no endowment has been procured, and no regular stipend as- signed, the chaplain is not ordained, and the chapel consequently is not constituted as a Chapel of Ease. In so wild and extensive a district, this occasions very great inconveniency, both to the preacher and the people, as well as to the ministers of the two pa- rishes respectively to which the chapel belongs. The number of souls dependent upon this chapel for religious instruction is 700, 216 of whom reside in the parish of Hawick, and the rest, of course, in the parish of Cavers. Others, also, from the outskirts of the neigh- bouring parishes, frequently attend, as being nearer to the cha[>el than to their own churches. The annual allowance to the chapel minister is, on an average, L. 52 — L. 25 of which is given by way of bounty by his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch ; L. 5 by James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers ; and L. 3 by the minister of Hawick. The rest is contributed by the farmers, and other inhabitants of the district, each giving as he thinks proper, or finds convenient. As no manse or dwelling-house had hitherto been annexed to the chapel, the Duke of Buccleuch, about two years ago, appoint- CAVERS. 437 ed one to be erected at his sole expense : this he keeps in repair, allowing, at the same time, some other valuable perquisites. The poor of the district being regularly supported by their re- spective parishes of Hawick and Cavers, the collections made in the chapel are applied to the keeping of it, together with the side- parochial school, in repair, and the procuring of other requisites, such as communion elements, &c unless when, in cases of emer- gency, some portion is appropriated to charitable purposes. Both at the church and chapel. Divine service is generally well attended* Dissenting Chapel. — There is a Dissenting house or chapel at Denholm, understood to be supported by James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers. It belongs to the denomination of Independents. There is also a considerable number of other Dissenters, who, for the most part, adhere to one or other of the various Dissenting con- gregaUons in Hawick. Education. — The total number of schools in the parish is 3, all of which are parochial, — one situated in Denholm, — another near Stobbs on the Slitrige, — and another at Teviothead or Caerlan- rig Chapel. The two latter are termed side-ps-rochisA schools. The branches usually taught are, English, English grammar, writ- ing, arithmetic, book-keeping, geography, mensuration of super- ficies, solids, heights, and distances, algebra, &c. Cavers. Slitrige- Cavers. Teviothead or Caerlanrig. The present salaries are, L. 30 L. 12 L. 15 13 I4 Sehoot-fees drawn, . 25 19 19 The school-fees are payable by the quarter of thirteen weeks, and are, for English, 2s. ; for English and writing, 2s. 6d. ; for English, writing, and arithmetic, 3s. ; and for higher branches, 5s. The teachers have the legal accommodations. Through the ge- nerosity of his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, and his Chamber- lain for this district, (William Ogilvie, Esq. of Chesters,) the side parochial schoolmaster at Caerlanrig has, of late, received ground not only for a garden but for the keep of a cow. There is no per- son betwixt six and fifteen years of age, nor upwards of fifteen, in the parish, who cannot read or write, although from many, the schools are distant and inaccessible. Libraries* — There are four Hbraries in the parish. The Sub- scription Library at Denholm was instituted in 1805, and contains at present 880 volumes. The Woodside Library is the property of Mr Douglas of Cavers solely, to which any person can have access gratuitously. It was instituted in 1825, for the use of the 438 ROXBURGHSHIRE. young people attending Denholm Sabbath school, and contains about 1000 volumes.* The Caerlanrig Chapel or Teviothead Library was instituted a considerable number of years ago, and consists of a pretty large col- lection of well selected books. The Juvenile Library at the same place is, as the name implies, principally intended for the benefit of the young, but free to all.f • Poor and Parochial Funds, — The poor are provided for by as- sessment conducted in the usual manner; the annual average amount of which, for the last ten years, is L. 273. The average number of persons receiving parochial aid, as regidar paupers, dur- ing the same period is 53, and the average sum allotted to each is L. 5, ds. per annum. The assessment for the current half-year is L.132, and there being 49 paupers on the roll, the average sum al- lotted each is 2s. O^d. per week. The money raised by means of the weekly collections made at the church, amounting to about L.9 a-year, is left to the sole ma- nagement of the kirk-session, and is distributed in small sums among such poor of the parish as require only a temporary relief. As the system of giving parochial aid, above described, has ob- tained for many years, the certainty which it gives of relief being afforded, generally induces a readiness to take advantage of it on the part of the necessitous. Saving Banks. — The nearest of these is at Hawick ; and there is another at Jedburgh : both are in a flourishing condition. The one at Hawick was instituted January 7, 1815.. At the 30th May last, the number of depositors was 473, from all classes of the com- munity, but especially those for whose benefit such institutions are chiefly intended.}: * This library is not confined to this parish. About ten years ago* Mr Douglas adopted the scheme of Mr Samuel Brown of Haddington, in regard to •* Itinerat- ing Libraries," winch was to send fifty volumes to a convenient station, where they should remain, in order to be read by the inhabitants of the place, for a twelvemoDth, and then be returned, when another box, containing fifty other volumes, should be forwarded, and so on. t As thjs library is altogether free, a quarterly lecture is about to be instituted, the collections arising from which are to be applied partly to the repairing of the old books, and partly to the purchasing of new ones. \ The following shows the state of this Bank, as ascertained by official documents submitted to the last general meeting of managers, on the 1st of August 1839. Amount due to the Savings Bank by the British Linen Company, L.6894 12 5 Gross sum of deposits made during the year ending dOth May last, in- cluding interest on Bank account, . . 1701 Amount paid to depositors during same period, . 1983 10 Received from 114 depositors, L.814 17 Added to accounts still open, 946 3 Received from British Linen Co. 833 Paid L.124 acct. in ftill, 1378 8 Paid from accts. still open, 555 Paid to Britbh Linen Co. 662 CAVEllS. 439 Inns. — In Denholm, there are 4 or 5 inns: in the landward part of the parish, db These latter, being more especially for the accommodation of travellers, are regarded as an advantage ; and, in general, it is not understood that any of these houses have had any demoralizing effect. Fuel, — Peat is a good deal used for fuel in the upper depart- ment of the parish. In the more inland parts, the principal fuel * is coal. It is brought far, and from various quarters — Mid- Lo- thian, Berwickshire, and other places : it is therefore very expen- sive. Of late, however, since the Duke of Buccleuch took his coal- mines in Cannoby into his own hand, great quantities of coal have been brought thence into this parish : and there is a prospect from this source of immense benefit to many. Miscellaneous Observations. Very considerable improvements have taken place in this parish since the last Statistical Account was written, both with respect to the &rming of land, and the management of stock, as well, indeed, as in many other matters. With regard to agriculture, as much has been done, or is doing, especially on the estate of Cavers, as seems advisable in a district where the climate is precarious, and coal and lime are wanting. Store-farming has been improved. Summer hirseling is given up, and ewe-milking done away. The flocks, being left to wan- der wide and more at will than formerly, acquire more strength and condition for enabling them to brave the hardships of winter. lilore stells, and on more eligible situations, have been erected for shelter, and greater quantities of hay, in case of severe and pro- tracted storms, are generally provided. The parishioners are more comfortably accommodated than formerly in their houses. Greater attention is paid to clothing and cleanliness : and the daily food is in several respects more whole- some. In the upland division of the parish, there is much land lying untouched that might be tilled : but considering the precarious- ness of the climate, it is very questionable whether the land in its natural state, and as it is presently stocked, is not more profit- able to the possessor than it ever otherwise could be. The greatest deficiency is the want of plantations. September 1839. PARISH OF CASTLETOWN. PRESBYTERY OF LANGHOLM, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES, THE REV. ANGUS BARTON, MINISTER.* 1. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The origin of the modern, as well as of the ancient name of this parish, is abundantly plain. Upon the summit of a precipice, about 100 feet perpendicular, on the east bank of the river Liddal, and immediately above the church, there was a strong fort or castle, the rampart and fosse of which remain entire : near to these, in the place where the present road was formed, and in several other parts in the immediate neighbourhood, many hearth- stones were dug up, where a town or village had formerly stood. Hence the name of Castle-town. But the ancient name of this dis- trict, and indeed that by which it is still most frequently denomi- nated, was Liddisdale, from the river Liddal, which runs through it in a direction from east to south. In the ancient histories, and geographical accounts of Scotland, it is called the county of Lid- disdale, and in old writs it is designed the Lordship of that name. Erection, Form, and Extent, — This parish formerly belonged to the Presbytery of Jedburgh ; but when the five churches of Esk- dale were erected into the Presbytery of Langholm, it was added to them in the year 1743. This was done on account of its great distance from the former seat of the presbytery. Its form ap- proaches nearly to that of a 'triangle, whose base runs from east to west, along the head of Teviotdale, and whose opposite vertex points to Solway Frith. It contains, according to the map of the county, about 52,160 Scotch acres. It is the largest parish in the south of Scotland, being upwards of 18 miles in length, and about 12 in breadth. Topographical Appearances. — The general appearance of the upper part of the parish is mountainous ; the lower part is hilly ; and a great part of it, at a distance from the banks of the rivers, • 'file greater part of this article, the Topography, Antiquities, &c. taken from the Old Account,^the remainder from diflerent sources. CASTLETOWN. 441 18 bleakand wild to a high degree. But its appearance along the banks of the riversis altogether different. These aregefierally covered with natural woods, or ^oung plantations in a very thriving state. The bar- ren wilds are entirely hid from the view ; the windings of the river, «uid the fine holm-land on every side, present the most picturesque scenes, or exhibit rich prospects to the eye. The inhabited part of the parish consists of two valleys. That along the Hermitage is about ten miles in length, from the source of the river to the point where it loses its name in the Liddal. At the head of this river the country is entirely mountainous. The mountains are very high and steep, but are generally dry, and afford excellent sheep pasture. The greatest part of this stream is fringed with natural wood ; it possesses much rural beauty, and exhibits the pastoral scenes of life in great perfection. The other valley, or strath, is that nlong the sides of the Liddal. Near the head of the parish on the east, the rivers Liddal and Tyne, which run by Newcastle, take their rise, in the midst, of an immense bog, surrounded by mountains. The Tyne winds slowly to the east, between the bleak mountains and the dreary wastes of Northumberland, by Keelder Castle, The Liddal runs due west for a few miles, and then runs due south. This part of the country is mountainous, high, and cold, until it commences to run south, after which it presents ex- cellent pasture. Ou the east and west sides, the thriving planta* tions of the Duke of Buccleuch, and below these, those of Mr Scott Elliot of Lariston, and Mr W. O. Rutherford of Dinla- byre, and on the east, the plantations and woods of Mr Elliot of Whitehaugh, a little below the confluence of the rivers, form a landscape highly beautiful. Here the valley widens considerably, and improvements are everywhere seen. Mountains, — The principal mountains are, Tudhope, Millen- wood-fell, Windhead, Greatmoor, Dun, Dod, Hermitage, Peel, fell, Roan-fell, Lariston-fell, Carby-Hill, and Tinnis hills. The last- mentioned is seen as a land-mark at a great distance out at sea. Tudhope is said to be 1830 feet above the level of the sea, and Millenwood-fell and Windhead are nearly 2000 feet Rivers and Fish, — The rivers are the Liddal, the Hermitage, the Tweeden, the Kershope, (which divides the two kingdoms), the Tinnis and the Blackburn ; with several other streams of in- ferior note. All of them are plentifully stored with trouts, and afford excellent sport to the angler. Climate and Longevity, — The climate is very damp, from the ROXBURGH. F f 442 ROXBURGHSHIRE. high land attracting the vapours of the Atlantic, and from the re- tentive nature of the soil. But the district is very healthy. Within these few years, instances nave occurred of persons reaching very nearly the patriarchial age of one hundred. Minerals. — There is great abundance of limestone in the pa- rish, of different qualities. It is wrought to a great extent in the estates of Lariston and Thorlieshope. Coal is wrought to a dimi- nished extent on the estate of Liddlebank. Freestone quarries of excellent stone are everywhere found, excepting at the head of the Hermitage, where there is nothing but blue whinstone. Medicinal Springs, — There are several springs in this parish, strongly impregnated with sulphur. There is one at the head of it, at Thorlieshope, in that part called the Dead Water^ unfortu- nately situated in the middle of that vast morass where the Lid- dal and the Tyne take their rise. In wet seasons it is weaken- ed by the surrounding water. It is much frequented by persons afflicted with cutaneous and scrofulous complaints, who receive great benefit from it. They drink the water, and use it as a warm bath. A very strong mineral spring is found at Lawstown ; and there i£ one at Flat, inferior in strength to that at Thorlieshope, but of the same quality. There are several springs of this kind. One is found on the Tweeden, exceedingly powerful, and containing a great quantity of water, where large masses of petrified matter ap- pear on every side converted into solid stone. The progress of the petrifaction is distinct and beautiful. The fog or moss^ which grows on the edge of the spring, and is sprinkled with the water, is about eight inches high ; the lower part is converted into solid stone ; the middle appears as if half frozen, and the top is green and flourishing. The petrified matter, when burnt, is resolved into very fine lime. The spring itself, when led over the fields in little rills, fertilizes them exceedingly. There are several beautiful waterfalls on the river Tweeden, the little streams of Dinlabyre, Harden, and Sundhope. But on the river Blackburn, such scenes are in all their beauty and va- riety. Sometimes the river shoots over a perpendicular rock, in one unbroken sheet of water, forming a beautiful cascade ; at other times it is darted over tremendous precipices, and rages furiously among the huge masses of the rock below. In this wild and ro- mantic vale, nature appears in various forms, now beautiful, then awful, sometimes sublime, and frequently terrible. The au- thor of this account measured the principal falls. One is 27 CASTLETOWN. 443 leet perpendicular in height, another 31^; the breadth of the Tock over which it falls, 36 ; a third is 37^ in height, and 20. feet wide. Woods, — The natural woods consist of oak, ash, birch, and alder. Considerable plantations have been made of Scots fir, spruce, larch, oak, ash, beech and plane. They are all in a thriv- ing condition. 11. — Civil History. Eminent Mev^ — This parish gave birth to the celebrated Dr Armstrong, author of the Art of Preserving Health, whose father and brother were ministers of it Antiquities, — There are several monuments of great antiquity in the parish, but their origin and their history are involved in much obscurity. Even tradition itself says little concerning them. Though this parish comprehended a great part of the middle march between the two kingdoms, yet, excepting a few detached facts, there is nothing of consequence preserved or related by his- torians. Castles, — Hermitage Castle stands upon the bank of the river , of that name. It has been a very strong building, nearly 100 feet square, defended by a strong rampart and ditch. The walls are entire, and it has lately been put into nearly a complete state of repair. .Within a few yards of the castle are the remains of the ancient chapel of Hermitage, now in ruins, in the middle of the burying-ground still in use. The font is in the wall of the church- yard. The castle of Clintwood, on the farm of Flight, appears to have been a verj' strong building. It has now been entirely razed. The castle, from which the parish derives its name, in former times, must have been impregnable on the west and north. On the north it was defended by a very deep ravine ; on the west, by the Lid- dal, and a precipice of more than 100 feet in height ; and on the east and south by two ramparts of great strength, and a fosse of great depth. Camps,-'^The principal camp is on the top of Carby Hill. This hill is detached from all others, and commands a view of the whole country, and of all that part of Cumberland, by Bew Castle, &c. The camp is entirely circular, and occupies the whole summit of the hill ; it is fortified by a very strong wall of stones, and a road plainly appears to have been made up to it, winding round a part of the hill, and entering it on the south. It is about 100 feet dia- 444 ROXBURGHSHIRE meter. In the centre a small space is inclosed with a strong wall, and round it are eight circles of different sizes, all surrounded by a stone wall, and all of them having had a door or opening to the east. On the summit of the Side-hill, and nearly opposite to Carby, on the north side of the Liddal, there is another strong encampment, nearly of a square form. It is 300 feet in diameter. The wall or rampart is entirely of earth, and about 18 feet high. This camp has none of the interior circles of the former. On the farm of Flight, and near to the castle of Clintwood, there are two camps at a little distance from each other ; the one round, and fortified with a stone wall about 100 feet diameter; and the other square, about 168 feet in length, with two ramparts of earth. Picts Works, — There are a great many round-abouts in the pa- rish, commonly called Picts Works. They are all circular, and strongly fortified by a wall, composed of large stones. They are frequently found, the one at a little distance from, and opposite to, the other. There are two nigh Heeds-house, two on the farm of Shaws, one on Tofitholm, one on Foulshiels, one on Cocklaw, one on Blackburn, and one on Sorbytrees. On the farm of Mill- burn there is a small circle enclosed by nine stones, which seems to have been a Druidical temple. Tradition says Lord Soules was burnt there. The hill is called Nine- Stone Ridge. CairnsySfc. — There are many cairns in different places. The most remarkable of these is on the farm of Whisgills. The quantity of stones is immense, and they are mostly of a very large size. Near these, there is a large stone set on end, about 5 feet high, called the standing-stone. This cairn is in the middle of an extensive and deep moss. It can be approached on horseback only on one side, and that with much difficulty. There is not a stone to be seen near it At Milnholm there is a cross of one stone, 8 feet four inches high, set in a base 1 foot 8 inches. ' This is a piece of great antiquity. A sword 4 feet long is cut out on the south side of the cross, and immediately above several letters. III. — Population. Amount in 1801, . 1781 1811, - 1887 1821, . 2838 1831, - 2227 Number of families in 1831, .... . 4^] chiefly employed in agriculture, - . 194 in trade, handicraft, or manufiicturesy 110 CASTLKTOWN. 445 IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The rents of the parish arise chiefly froNQ sheep, black*cattle and'horses, and from tillage. Some farmers bring a considerable number of black-cattle from the markets of Falkirk and Doune. They are supported during the winter by the foggage and coarse hay, and sold generally towards the end of summer. Those tried in the country arc principally the Ayrshire and Dutch kind. The butter which is made, even on the coarsest pasture, is not excelled by any in Britain. It is common- ly observed, that the coarser the pasture is, the butter is the better and the richer. Even the mossy ground, though in appearance barren, is of great use both for black-cattle and sheep. The plant, called the mouj rises before any other in the spring, affords ex- cellent nourishment, and is carefully sought after by the flocks. In these coarse lands, there is a constant and regular succession of different species of grass, which rise in their respective seasons throughout the year. 5ot7, Produce^ and Cultivation, — The arable land at present in tillage lies chiefly on the banks of the rivers. Many hundred acres, formerly in tillage, have been thrown into pasture on account of the high prices of sheep and wool. The soil of the holm land is excellent. It is sometimes of a light, but most frequently of a very deep and fine loam, and, where it is properly cultivated, it pro- duces exceeding good crops. Wheat has been sown, and turned out very well. The ordinary crops are barley, pease, oats, and potatoes. Turnips have been introduced to a great extent, and succeed very well. V. — Parochial Economy. There is a weekly market at Castletown, which has been in ex- istence for the last two years. Fairs. — There are 2 fairs at Castletown annually for the sale of sheep. The Eskdale and Liddesdale Farmers' Association, under the patronage of His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, meet alternately at Castletown and Langholm, when prizes are awarded to the far- mers producing the best stock. Churchy 4-c — The church was built in 180a It is in excellent condition, and may accommodate a congregation of 700 or 800. It is situated at the junction of the Liddal and Hermitage, in a centrical situation, and conveniently for the population, as far, at least, as one church can be so, in so extensive a parish. The 446 ROXBURGHSHIRE. manse was put in complete repair, on the entrance of the present incumbent in 1822, and the offices and garden are in admirable condition. At least one-half of the glebe is arable, and the other half pasture and meadow. It is from 20 to 25 acres in extent. The stipend is 17 chalders. Education. — There are 4 parochial schools in the parish, one principal and three auxiliary. The instruction given at the paro- chial schools is in the usual branches. The salaries of the four masters amount to L. 51, 6s. 6d. of which the principal teacher has L. 30, and the remaining sum of L. 21, 6s. 6d. is divided equally among the three auxiliary teachers. The fees of the four schools amount to L. 72 a year. There are no other emoluments. There are also 2 non-parochial schools, at which English gram- mar, writing, and arithmetic are taught. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The number of permanent poor on the roll is 61 ; of poor occasionally relieved, SO ; number of children educated out of funds for the poor, 41, and the expense of their education is L. 29, 12s. 9d. Assessments began to be im- posed in the year 1773, and the average yearly amount for the three years preceding 1837 was L. 381, 13s. 4d. The average amount of church-door collections for the same period was L*21, 12s. 3d. The highest rate of relief is L. 7 per annum. The lowest, L. 1. Libraries. — In the village of Castletown is one public subscrip- tion library. Roads. — Good carriage roads run through the parish, commu- nicating with Jedburgh, Hawick, Langholm, and Carlisle. Two new roads have lately been constructed, one to Bew Castle, the other to Northumberland. No public carriage runs on any road in the parish. Fuel. — The fuel used is peat, of which there is an inexhausti- ble fund in every part of the country, and coal, which is brought principally from Northumberland. But the lower part of the parish is chiefly supplied from the collieries in Canonby, belonging to His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch. Villages. — The village of Castletown was commenced in 1793^ and now contains upwards of 1000 inhabitants. The houses and gardens are held on lease of ninety-nine years, from the Duke ; but the land attached to them, and the right of common are un- derstood to be held on lease of nine years. The village consists of two principal streets running parallel to each other, and bearing 4 MOREBATTLK AND MOW. 447 the names of the two rivers Liddal and Hermitage. Hermitage Street is nearly half a mile in length. Castletown has three hir- ing days^ the first held in April, the second in May, and the third in November. October 1839. PARISH OF MOREBATTLE AND MOW, PRK.8BYTERY OF KELSO, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOTDALK. THE REV. WALTER MORISON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History, Name. — The origin of the name, Morebattle, is not certainly known. In the most ancient records it is written Merbotle and Mere^ botle^ and the most probable supposition is, that it is a compound of the Saxon words, Mer or Mere^ a marsh or loch, and Botl^ a hamlet or village, thus signifying the village on the loch or marsh. This de* rivation is not supported by present appearances, but there is reason to believe that it was sufficiently appropriate at an earlier period. The vale of the Kale, (on an eminence on the south side of which the village of Morebattle stands,) for an extent of upwards of two miles in length, and nearly one in breadth, exhibits obvious indica- tions of having been at one time under water, and of having formed a loch or marsh which has been drained by the waters of the Kale, (which flowed through it,) gradually deepening their outlet through the barrier of rising grounds at its lower end. Another conjecture concerning the origin of the name is that it signifies the village on the moor. It is found sometimes written Muirbath and Moorbattk. But this spelling never occurs in any of the earlier writings. Nor is such a derivation peculiarly applicable either to the present or former locality, at least not more so than to the majority perhaps of the villages of Scotland. Besides, it is liable to the objection of making the name partly Scottish and partly Saxon. Of the name of the other parish, Mow^ (which lies on the upper part of Beau- mont water, and is the highest portion of the united parish,) an- ciently written, Mol and Moll, the only derivation which has been proposed, is from the British Afoe/, which signifies bare, bold, also 448 ROXBURCiHSHlBE. a Daked hill, a conical hill, &c. a derivation not inconsistent with the character of the district. Extent and Boundaries. — The greatest length is in the direc- tion of nearly north and south, and is about 9i miles. The greatest breadth is from east to west, and is about 6 miles. The mean breadth may be about 4 miles. It is bounded on the north, by the parishes of Yetholm and Linton ; on the east, by part of the parish of Yetholm, and by Northumberland ; on the west, by Hownam, Eckford, and Linton ; and on the south, by Northumber- land and Hownam. ♦ Topographical Appearances, — The parish extends to the summit of the Cheviot range, and, with the exception of a small portion of the north and west sides, consists almost entirely of hills and the in- tervening vallies. It presents not, however, that bleak and barren aspect which generally characterizes a mountainous district The hills are verdant and beautiful, the low grounds are under culture, as also the sides of several of the hills to a considerable height, and some of them to their very summits. The principal vales are those of the Kale and Beaumont, neither of them of very great breadth, but extending in length, the former about four, and the latter about six miles. The principal hills are the Cheviot, (part of which is in this parish) ; the Curr is next to it in locality and also in height ; — the Schell, Whitelaw, Percy hill, Woodside^hill, and Clifton hill, abeautiful hill risingfrom the east side of the Beaumont in the form of a dome. Between the Beaumont and the Kale, Swin- don hill, Belford hill, and the Grubit hills ; and on the west of the Kale, Gateshaw hill and Morebattle hill. They vary in height from 500 feet to upwards of 2000. From the Cheviot hills the view is grand and extensive, and in the summer season attracts frequent parties of visitors from both sides of the border. The surrounding counties of Northumberland, Berwick, and Rox- burgh, lie extended below as on a map. On the east, the view is lost in the German Ocean, and on the south and west it is confined by the midland mountainous tract, which stretches from Westmoreland to the sources of the Clyde and the Tweed. The prospect from the Grubit hills, though more limited, is un- commonly fine; — looking down on the beautiful vales of the Kale and the Beaumont lying at their base, and containing within their limits the pleasant villages of Yetholm and Morebattle, the Primside and Linton lochs, the romantic church of Linton, the wooded villas of Marlfield and Clifton Park, the ruins of Cessford MOREBATTLE AND MO^. 449 Castle, famed in Border story, the Tower of Corbet House, also connected with the border feuds, and many cheerful farm-houses, with their adjacent cottages; it embraces in the further distance on the one side, the loftier range of the Cheviot, and on the other, the fertile districts of Merse and Teviotdale, studded with gentle- men's seats, the rich vale of the Teviot, the wooded course of the Tweed, the picturesque Eildons, with their triple summit, Hume Castle, Smailholm's rocky tower, the Waterloo monument on Pi- nelheugh, with numerous other attractive and interesting objects ; and jn the back ground is terminated by the distant hills of Lammer- muir and Selkirkshire. There is a great scarcity of wood in the parish, which would very much improve the scenery and also the climate. A sufficient extent of ground might be laid out in plan- tations without materially encroaching on land otherwise valuable, and what might be taken up for this purpose would be more than compensated by the increased value of the remainder. Many patches are everywhere to be found, at present, nearly waste, which might thus be rendered both ornamental and profitable. Some of the proprietors have, within the last thirty years, turned their at- tention to improvements of this kind, but not generally, nor to any thing like the extent that is required. CUmate, Diseases, and Soil — The climate is dry and healthy. In the lower part of the parish it is mild and temperate, but in the higher districts the winters are severe and stormy. The spring is liable to be interrupted by cold chilly winds, from the neighbour- ing Cheviots proving injurious to the fruit blossoms and the more delicate vegetation. Fruit is here, therefore, an uncertain crop, and not much cultivated. In spring and autumn, fogs and hoar frosts from Linton loch on the east, and a marshy ground on the north-west, often sit down on the valley or basin of the Kale, and frequently injure the crops, especially of potatoes and wheat, in the valley, and also to a certain height sometimes very distinctly marked, on the adjacent rising grounds. Harvest commonly commences towards the middle of August. The inhabitants, in ge- neral, enjoy good health. There is no disease to which they are particularly liable. Agues have entirely disappeared. Epidemics are uncommon. T}*phus fever seldom appears, and when it has occasionally been imported has never spread to any great extent Only five or six cases of small-pox have occurred within these last twenty years. Scarlet fever is perhaps the most fatal disease which now visits the district. Cholera never entered the parish. When 460 ROXBURGHSHIRE. prevalent in the country, every precautionary measure was adopted for keeping it out. The soil is in general light, and such as is well adapted to the turnip husbandry. Hydrography. — The only lochs are, Primside or Yetholm Loch, partly in this parish, and partly in Yetholm ; and Linton Loch, partly in this parish and partly in Linton. * The principal ri- vulets are the two beautiful streams of the Kale and the Beau- mont. Both of them rise in the Cheviot range. The Kale runs from south to north, until it nearly reaches the village of More- battle, where it suddenly turns to the west, and after a further course of several miles, joins the Teviot about five miles above its junction with the Tweed at Kelso. The Beaumont, continuing its northerly direction, enters Northumberland, where it falls into the Till, another tributary of the Tweed. Their pure crystal waters flowing over fine pebbled beds, in continually recurring cur- rents and pools, and between fine grassy banks, abound in excel- lent trout, and are well adapted for angling! In the end of autumn the salmon from the Teviot and Tweed ascend the Kale for the purpose of spawning, when they are killed in great numbers dur- ing the evenings and nights by torch light. Frequent attempts have been made to put a stop to this illegal practice, but hitherto with little success. No salmon enter the Beaumont, being pre- vented by a dam near to its mouth. A similar dam has lately been erected across the Kale, near to the Teviot, for the purposes of machinery, which will probably have the effect of also prevent- ing, or at least, of pjreatly obstructing the passage of the fish, and of diminishing their numbers. II. — Civil History. Land-owners, — The number of heritors is 1 1, and in the order of the value of their properties they are, the Duke of Roxburgh, patron of the parish, and proprietor of the greater part of the lands on Beaumont water ; the Marquis of Tweeddale, to whom the barony of Morebattle belongs ; Sir George Warrender of Whitton ; Mr Pringle of Clifton ; Mr Ker of Gateshaw, the only resident heritor, and in Jlhe superior attention to ornamental improvement on whose estate the advantages of residence are to be seen ; Sir John Scott Douglas of Belford ; the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge ; Mr Oliver of Lochside ; Mr Wilson of Otterburn ; Mr Turnbull of Heavyside ; and Mr Dai^ ling of Temple Hall. • For which see the Statistical Accounts of Yetholm and Linton. MOREBATTLE AND MOW. 45\ Antiquities. — Amongst the hills are to be seen some of these circular rows of stones, called Trysting Stones^ the origin and de- sign of which are uncertain. On some of the heights there are traces of ancient encampments, most probably British, the most distinct of which are on the two adjacent summits of Morebattle Hill. Following apparently the figure of the heights, the larger is of an oval, and the smaller of a circular form. Of various towers or forts, often mentioned in the ancient border records, only two now remain, those of Whitton and Corbet House. The former is on the estate of Sir George Warrender, and is nearly in ruins. It was battered down by the Earl of Surrey in an inroad into Scot- land in the reign of Henry VIII. Corbet House tower belongs to Mr Ker of Gateshaw. Between twenty and thirty years ago, it was repaired and renewed by the late Sir Charles Ker. In 1522, it was burnt by the Knglish, who then ravaged the banks of the Kale and Beaumont jn retaliation of a plundering expedition of the Scots into Northumberland, of which Launcelot Ker of Gate- shaw had been one of the leaders. Eminent Mai. — No names of peculiar eminence occur. But under this head we may mention that Grubit, formerly the estate of Sir William Bennet, and from which he took his title, is si* tuated in this parish, and adjoining to it is Wideopcn, the occa- sional residence of his friend, the author of the Seasons, and at that time the property' of the poet's maternal uncle. Of Thom- son's residence here, several traditionary anecdotes are still pre- served in the neighbourhood. (See the Statistical Account of the adjoining parish of Eckford.) Parochial Begisters. — The session records commence in 1726. There is a gap fronv>1738 to 1771, and again from 1777 to 1803, from which date they have been regularly kept. The register of births and baptisms commences also in 1726. In it, too, a blank occurs, from 1739 to 1760. After this, it continues, without far- ther interruption, to the present time. No registers are kept of marriages, and deaths, or funerals. A small sum is paid to the session funds by parties giving in their names for the publication of bans. The entries of these sums in the session accounts is a sort of register of proclamations, the entries of the mortcloth dues form a similar register of funerals. III. — Population. In 1755, the population was 789. In the last Statistical Ac- county it is stated as nearly the same. By the last census of 452 ROXBURGHSHIRE. 1831, it was 1050. After the commencement of the modern improvements in agriculture, it rapidly advanced. For the last twenty years it has been nearly stationary. The population is entirely employed in agriculture, or in trades dependent upon it. Number of families in the parish in 1831, . . - 210 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 112 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 31 Character y Habits^ Sfc. of the People, — They are in general sober and industrious, of simple manners, and of moral and religious habits. Many of them have a taste for reading, and are well in- formed and intelligent. There are three public-houses Jn- the pa- rish, all in the village of Morebattle, and ale and spirits are idso sold at a toll-house in the neighbourhood. This is perhaps a greater number than the public accommodation requires. Smug- gling by carrying spirits across the border into England at one time prevailed to a great extent, but it has now, for several years past, happily been entirely suppressed. There is neither lawyer nor medical practitioner in the parish. The heritors are sub- scribers to the Kelso Dispensary, where the poor receive advice and medicines gratis, and in cases where they cannot be taken to Kelso, a surgeon from the institution, when requested, visits them at their own houses. The farm-houses are, very different from what they formerly were, large, commodious, and elegant. But there is still great room for improvement in the houses of the hinds and cottagers. IV. — Industry. Agriculture, — The higher part of the parish is mostly in pas- ture. The lower is under tillage, and the soil being that which is suited to the turnip husbandry, the system of farming is the mixed, partly corn, and partly stock. The grains chiefly raised are barley and oats ; wheat, too, but not to a great extent; beans or pease seldom. The prevailing rotation is what is called the five- shift, in which case the land lies two years in grass, and sometimes the four-shift, when it lies only one. The chief manures employ- ed are the dung produced on the farm, — lime, which is brought from a distance of seventeen miles, at the rate of about 10s. the one horse cart, — and of late years, with much success, bone dust. The great proportion of the turnips are eaten on the ground with sheep, and when the crop is good, this is a sufficient manuring for the re- maining years of the rotation. Without this in a district where there is no command of dung, tillage could not be carried to near- MOREBATTLE AND MOW. 453 ly the extent that it is. In the higher district, the sheep are of the Cheyiot breed ; in the lower the Leicester, and in some places a cross between the two. The cattle are almost all of the short- horned or Teesdale breed. Rents. — The rents, of course, are very various. The average of the arable lands may be from L.1 to L. 1, 5s. per acre, and of the pasture lands from 8s. to 10s. The valued rent of the parish is L. 16,081, 14s. 8d. Scotch. The real rent between L. 11,000 and L. 12,000 Steriing. Mate of Wages, — Day labourers, men, Is. 6d. and 2s. ; women, lOd. and Is. ; carpenters, 2s. 6d. ; and masons, Ss. ; tailors. Is. 6d. with meat; shearers, men, 13s. ; women, 12s. a week and their meat The yearfy wages of hinds, or, as they are called, the conditions of hinds, are the following, 10 bolls or 100 stones of oatmeal ; 15 bushels barley; 6 bushels p^ase ; 1200 yards of potatoes planted ; a peck of lint sown, in lieu of which L. 1 is now generally allowed ; L. 3 under the name of sheep siller ; a cow's grass, or in lieu of it, L. 5, 10s. or L. 6 ; the privilege of keeping hens, or, instead of them, 10s. or 12s. ; and the carriage of four two-horse carts of coals. It is customary to give them their meat during one month in harvest. They commonly keep a pig, which they feed at their own expense. Their wives shear for their houses and yards. The hinds are bound to keep a servant woman called a bondagerj at least during the summer half-year, for work- ing on the farm at day's wages, commonly lOd. They gene- rally complain of this as a hardship, alleging that what they receive for their servant's work will not 'do more than pay their half-year's wages, and that they have to give them victuals for nothing. V. — Parochial Economy. Villages and Markets. — There were formerly several consider- able villages, of which scarcely any vestiges remain. ^Morebattle is now the only village in the parish, containing about 800 inhabi*- tants. The ground on which it is built is held of the Marquis of Tweeddale,the superior, on leases of nineteen times nineteen years. In the former Statistical Account, the houses are stated to have been then ** mostly of one storey, and covered with thatch." A great proportion of them are now of two stories, and covered with slates. The appearance of the village is greatly injured by the slovenly custom of laying down ashes, fire-wood, and rubbish of different kinds, in front of the houses, along the sides of the street. 464 ROXBURGHSHIRE. Were this nuisance done away, as has been frequendy proposedi the striking improvement in comfort and cleanliness would soon re- concile the villagers to any restrictions to which it might subject them. There was a small common near the village, on which the rentallers, by the terms of their leases, had the right of casting turfs. About forty years ago, this was divided amongst them, with the consent of the Marquis of Tweeddale, in shares, proportioned to the amount of their rentals. It has since been all inclosed, gra- dually improved by manuring, trenching, forcing, &c and now bears very good crops of potatoes, turnips, grass, and also of com, and thus, from being a waste and useless moor, is now a consider- able benefit to the village. Means of Communication. — No stage-coach runs through the parish. There are carriers to Kelso (the market-town) three days a-week. A turnpike road passes through the village, communicat- ing with the Kelso and Jedburgh road on the west, and leading into Northumberland on the east The parish roads are kept in good repair. Some years ago it was proposed to establish a side post in Morebattle, but the villagers on being consulted refused it as dis- advantageous. They stated that their correspondence being chiefly with Kelso, their letters are either carried free of expense by people going down, or at least for Id. by 'the carriers, whereas by post they would cost Sd. or 4d. There are no fairs or markets held in the parish. Ecclesiastical State. — The church is situated at the north-wes extremity of the parish, being within half a- mile of the boundary o that side, and between nine and ten from that on the other Ther is no other part of the parish, however, in which it could be plac more commodiously for the bulk of the population. It stands the north side of the village of Morebattle, on a height overlo ing the Kale. It affords accommodation for about 460 sitters, if well filled, would contain 500. It was built in 1757, and i present undergoing repairs, which, when completed, will rend comfortable and handsome. No seats are let. St Lawrence the patron saint. A well below the churchyard, which supplie village with water, still bears his name, corrupted into La Well. At one period there had been a chapel at Cliflon, f village, and another at Whitton. The collections at the c doors are very trifling. The number of heads of families c< nicants on the veto roll, made up at the last communion The manse was built in 1830. The accommodation is lai MOREDATTLE AND MOW. 455 the work being very ill executed, it has already required consider- able repairs. The stipend, as modified at the last augmentation, in 1820, is 16 chalders, half barley, half oatmeal, with L.d, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. The glebe consists of about 11 acres of very good land. The minister had also a right to a number of carriages of coals from the tenants, the greater part of which have fallen into disuse. He had also the right of casting turfs on the farm of Morebattle Braes. But the ground being brought under tillage, he agreed to take in lieu of this privilege the carriage of 14 bolls of coals yearly, which, however, for 'a long time past, he has never received. There is one Dissenting-meeting house in the parish, which belongs to the United Secession. It stood originally at Gateshaw, which was the first settlement of the Secession in the south of Scotland. Their first minister, Mr Hunter, was ordained in 1739. It was some years before a place of worship was built, during which time the congregation assembled summer and winter on Gateshaw Brae, and the minister preached to them from a tent About sixty years ago, the meeting-house and manse were removed to Morebattle, where they still continue. The minister has a good house and garden, a yearly stipend, I believe, of L. 1 10, and an al- lowance for sacramental expenses. Education, — There are two parochial schools — the first in Morebattle, attended on an average by 100 scholars. The school- master has the maximum salary, L.8 as heritors^ clerk, and a trifle as session-clerk. The amount of his fees may be about L. 30. A new school-house has lately been built, without excep- tion, the finest in the county. The schoolmaster's house is of two storeys, containing four rooms, kitchen, and back kitchen, be- sides garret apartments. The second-school is at Mowhaugh, on Beaumont Water. It was established about fifteen years ago. The teacher has a house and garden, and L. 17 of salary, with the school fees. The branches taught at both schools are, En- glish grammar, writing, arithmetic, geography, mathematics, La- tin. There is also in the village of Morebattle a private school, attended by about 30 scholars. There are no persons above fifteenjyears of age who cannot read, and few, if any, who cannot write. Literature. — A library was established in the parish about forty years ago, which now contains between 600 and 700 volumes. Thejprice of a share is L. 1, Is. and the yearly contribution is 45G . ROXBURGHSHIRE. ds. 6d. The books, which are chiefly in general literature, are chosen by the members at a general annual meeting. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of paupers at pre- sent on the roll is 45. The sum annually expended for their support is about L. 280. It is derived from assessments on the heritors, and the interest of L. 1500 bequeathed to the parish by a Mr More, a native of the place, who went out to India, where he died. The terms of the destination are, " for the sup- port, maintenance, and education of real poor and destitute orphans." The heritors throw it into the general poor's fund. They 'aliment, of course, the poor orphans, and also pay their school fees. Fuel. — One of the greatest disadvantages under which the dis- trict labours is the distance from coals, (about seventeen and eighteen miles,) which are almost the only fuel used, or which can be procured. October 1839. UNITED PARISHES OF STITCHELL AND HUME. PRESBYTERY OF KELSO, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE. THE REV. PETER BUCHANAN, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Extenty Sfc. — The parish of Stitchell lies in the county of Rox- burgh, — that of Hume in Berwickshire. The united parishes are betwixt 5 and miles in length from north to south, and betwixt 3 and 4 in breadth from east to west The boundaries on the north are the parishes of Gordon and Greenlaw ; on the soutbi the parishes of Kelso, Nenthorn, and Ed nam ; on the east* Eccles ; on the west, Nenthorn and Earlston. II — Civil History. Parochial Registers, — These have been kept for both parishes since the year 1640. Land'owners. — The principal land-owners are, Sir John Prin- STITCHELL AND HUME. 457 gle, Bart, of Stitchell; Sir Hugh Purves Campbell Hume, Bart.; and MrBaiUie of Mellerstain. MansUma. — The chief mansion in the parish is that of Stitchell House, belonging to Sir John Pringle. Antiquities^ Sfc, — The Castle of Hume, which stands in the pa- rish, was for ages a noted defence to its neighbourhood, during the contentions and wars on the borders. The Earls of Home resid- ed in it. Our southern neighbours often besieged it. It was surrendered to the Duke of Somerset in the year 1547, and re- taken in the year 1549. It is said that Oliver Cromwell, when at Haddington, sent a summons to the Governor, ordering him to surrender the castle ; but that the then Governor returned for an- swer, that *^ He Willie Wastle, stood firm in his castle, and that all the dogs of his town should not drive Willie Wastle down." Oliver Cromwell, however, after considerable difficulties, made himself master of it, and in a great measure demolished it. There is a tradition generally believed in the country, that when King James XL went to besiege the Castle of Roxburgh, he left his Queen in Hume Castle ; that one day when she was upon the road to visit her royal husband, she was met about half a mile east of Stitchell House, by a messenger, with the melancholy ac- count of bis Majesty's being killed by the bursting of a cannon. This sad news brought on her pains, and she was immediately de- ^'Vered of a child, upon a hill, ever since called Queen's Cairn.* III. — Population. ^mouDt of the population of the united parishes in 1831, - 804 1835, - 850 dumber of families in the parish in 1831 , ^ - 186 chiefly employed in agriculture, - 129 trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 23 The number of illegitimate births in the course of the last *^ •■ee years is 7. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The number of standard imperial acres in the ited parishes is 5478. Almost all are in tillage. The real rental of the parish is about L. 8000 per annum. A considerable part of the land is of a strong soil, and bears good ^^ps. The lands are well enclosed. V. — Parochial Economy. J^esiastical Slate. — Number of families connected with the tablished Church, 101; of Dissenting or Seceding families, * Old Sutistical Account. BOXBURGH. O g 458 ROXBURCillSHinE. about 80. Slipend, 15 chalders; glebe, 11 acres in extent ; value, L. 28 ; manse built in 1830, and in excellent condition. The church stands in the village of Stitchell, at the west end of the pa- rish ; and it is at present in excellent repair. The village of Hume is distant from it two miles. There is a Secession church at the east end of the village of Stitchell, in connexion with which it is supposed there are about 300 individuals. Education. — There are two parochial schools, one in each pa- rish. The salary of the teacher in Stitchell is L. 25, and his school-fees amount to about L. 20 a year. The salary of the teacher in Hume is L.25, and his fees may amount to L. 24 a year. Each of the teachers has from other sources about L.2, 10s. a year. Poor and Parochial JFwwrf*.— Number of permanent poor on the roll, 17; lunatics, 1; of poor occasionally relieved, 15. Aver- age yearly amount of church collections for the years 1835, 1836, 1837, L. 21, 6s. 5d. ; of other voluntary contributions, 13s. 4d. ; of assessment, L. 116, 12s. 8d. Amount distributed yearly to permanent poor, L. 79, 15s. lOd. ; to the lunatic, L.2d, 10s.. to the occasional poor, L.28, 18s. 2d. ; for education of poor chil- dren, L. 7, 2s. 6d. ; highest rate of relief, L. 5, 4s.; lowest rate, L.2, 12s. November 1839. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE COUNTY OF ROXBURGH.* This County, one of the most interesting and beautiful in Scot- landy presenting a great diversity of scenery, is bounded on the south by Dumfries-shire and the counties of Cumberland and Northumberland ; on the east, by Northumberland and Berwick- shire ; on the north, by Berwickshire ; and on the west, by the shires of Edinburgh, Selkirk, and Dumfries. Its extreme length from north to south may be about 40 miles, and its extreme breadth from east to west somewhat less. It marches with Eng- land along a space of not less than about 50 miles. ** A river here, there an ideal line, Divides the sister kingdoms/* Usually, the ridge of the mountain barrier, which separates the two countries, is the bounding-line ; sometimes it is a mountain stream, at others ^^ a dry stone dike." From its position with re- gard to England, this county was the scene, in former times, of many a fierce and bloody struggle between the inhabitants on either side of the border; and the whole county we find to have been at one time studded with an almost incredible number of castles, and peels, and towers, and other fortified edifices, — the crumbling remains of which are now fast disappearing before the plough and other modern agricultural improvements ; though we cannot but regret the too frequent practice, (not now so common, we believe, as it was,) of pulling down these rude relics of a former and very different state of things, and using them in the erection of stone fences and farm-buildings. Roman camps, also, and Bri- tish forts, are numerous throughout the county, — evidences, per- haps, ofits ancient importance; and the great middle Roman road into North Britain, usually denominated Watling Street, crosses the county, in nearly a north and south direction, and in some places, as in the wilder and less cultivated districts of Hounam and Ox- nam, is still distinctly visible. Topographical Appearances. — Though the ancient divis?ion of * Dninrii up liy tiio Rev. Joim Diiird, Y'etholm. 4G0 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS Tweeddalcf is scarcely understood, we believe, to include any por- tion of Roxburghshire, yet that portion of the county watered by the lordly Tweed may be regarded as possessing certain features distinguishing it from the rest of Teviotdale, the principal division of the county. It contains no extensive tracts of uncultivated pas- ture lands, no ranges of hills, — the classical and singularly beau- tiful Eildon hills being almost the only exception. Tliough undu- lating in its outline, and rising often to a considerable elevation, yet, compared with the rest of the county, it may be described as almost a level district, and almost the whole of it has been brought under the dominion of the plough. Especially in the neighbour- hood of the river, it is richlv wooded. The immediate banks of the Tweed are generally precipitous, on one side at least, some- times on both, — so that the river, flowing in a deep bed, isfrequent- ly invisible from the public roads, and many of its most striking beauties are known, therefore, only to those who are familiar with the district. Everywhere, however, from the higher grounds the views of the river and of a richly wooded and highly cultivated country, are exceedingly fine. The tributaries of the Tweed within the county, are the Gala, on the borders between Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire, the Allan in the parish of Melrose, the Leader separating this county from Berwickshire, the Teviot and the Eden, — the former, the graceful and romantic Teviot, where, mingling with the princely Tweed, almost doubling the volunfie of his waters. The Teviot, (whence the name Teviotdale given to the middle division, if not to the whole of the county, with the exception of Liddesdale,) though only a tributary of the Tweed, is the peculiar river of the county, which it nearly divides, and few districts in the kingdom can boast a river of greater beauty. Its whole course, which is about 40 miles, and all within the county, is beautiful; but we might instance, in particular, the district from Crailing to Hawick, whether seen from the one side of the river or the other; and the views are still more magnificent, when contemplated from some of the higher grounds which rise from the banks of the river. Many beautiful seats ornament its banks. The river, almost every- where seen from the road, flows in the bottom of a spacious, open, sunny valley, the sides of which, gradually receding from the river, rise often to a considerable height; Minto Crags and Minto Kame nil the one side, and the Dunian and Rubcrslaw on the other, i)eing hills of from 700 to 1400 feet in altitude. .The fields are in a high state of cultivation, and the whole country is finely cloth- 4 i ON THE COUNTY OF ROXBURGH. 461 V h wood. Above Hawick, the valley in which the Teviot gradually contracts, — the hills generally attain a greater ele- y— its banks possess less cultivation, and it speedily assumes laracter of a pleasing, pastoral district. The several tribu- of the Teviot, the Ale, and the Borthwick waters, on the side of the river ; the Kale, the Ox nam, the Jed, the Rule, itridge, and the Allan waters on the south side, — all flow ;b valleys of great natural beauty, ofken much contracted in b, and presenting fine specimens of bold rocky scenery, often rival in beauty the vale of the Teviot itself, though ossess a very different character of beauty. ) whole of what may properly be denominated Teviotdale, »trict watered by the Teviot and its tributaries, may be de- l as hilly, and by far the greater part of it pastoral. On mks of the Teviot and other streams, and wherever the 1 is not too steep for the plough, the land is in cultivation \en well wooded. All the intermediate country between nt^rsecting valleys is a wilderness of beautiful green and ge- ' rounded hills : *' The pastures of the wilderness ; The little hills rejoice on every side. Tl)e pastures are clothed with flocks ; The valleys also are covered over with corn ; lliey shout for joy, they also sing." » district all along the borders beween the two kingdoms is 6 the most mountainous portion of the county. The hills, )r, are generally smooth, green, and pastoral, with many a glen and sparkling stream between, — though it must be con- that, in some places, as in the neighbourhood of the Car- ers as cold, bleak, wet, and barren exist, as almost any other Scotland can produce. lesdale, or the parish of Castleton, the southern division, ng about a sixth part of the county, is separated from Te- ) by a range of lofty hills, and the only entrances to it from «r are by roads almost as alpine as can be travelled in the nds itself. It is essentially a pastoral district; the only cul- being on the banks of the Liddel and Hermitage waters, ntersect it from nearly north to south. There is generally deficiency of wood. The two vales of the Liddel and Her- in which almost the whole population reside, are bounded of moderate height, green in summer, brown and moorish- in autumn. Towards the sources of the streams, the coun- K 462 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS try is wild and hilly ; but as you descend to the village of Castle- ton, especially from the confluence of the Hermitage with the ^ Liddel, it is extremely pretty, with well grown plantations and cul- tivated fields. The climate of Liddesdale is wet, though said to be milder in winter and spring than that of the rest of the county. The soil is complained of as weak, not able to bring the crops to perfection, and the wetness of the climate in summer and autumn greatly retards the ripening and in-gathering of the grain. These are alleged as reasons for less cultivation prevailing in this than hi many similar districts of the county, though in this, there are at the same time great apparent facilities for improvement, — abundance of lime on almost every &rm, with coals at no immoderate distance, an uninterrupted descent for draining operations, a moderate rent, we presume, — and the Duke of Buccleuch, one of the best landlords in the kingdom, is the Lord of Liddesdale. The only stream, of any importance, in the county, which has not been already noticed, is the Bowmont water, which has its source in the Cheviot range, and which, after a course of ten miles through a diversified and beautiful, but rather naked val- ley within the county, enters England, and after uniting with the College and the Till, finally loses its waters in those of the Tweed. Agriculture, — It appears that not more than about one-third of the whole county is in tillage, the remaining two-thirds being in permanent hill-pasture and moor, though of this last there is com- paratively little, with a small, yet not disproportionate part, under wood. Everywhere, soil and climate being at all favourable, (and these are daily ameliorating by the growth of young plantations,) fresh land, and land which has not been in tillage for many years, is brought into cultivation, and in all such cases thoroughly im- proved ; and every year is adding more or less to the quantity of land in tillage in such situations, so that there is now as great a breadth of land under cultivation, and in a far superior condition, as there was during any period of last war. The number of acre:^ , under the plough at present, compared with what there wasabou' ^ the end of last century, it would be important and interesting t^ ,j^ know, but correct information is wantincr. In some even of tb.^ finer districts of the county, there is now fully one-third, in other=r -^^ one-half more land under cultivation, than there was at theform^^r period referred to ; and over the whole county, it may be slatc^^ we believe, without any exaggeration, that there is now fully ^ third more land under tlie plnuoh, fhan there was little more thaw ON THE COUNTY OF ROXBURGH. 4(i3 forty years ago. " Towards the close of last century," says an intelligent observer, well acquainted with the agriculture of Scot- land, ^* some of the finest arable portions of the county were alto- gether unenclosed, and, excepting the better descriptions of land upon the immediate vicinity of its rivers, exhibited the dominion of the plough only in irregular and detached patches, — the inter- mediate portions being very generally devoted to grazing."* He mentions, with regard to what he describes as the finest district of the county, the parishes in the immediate vicinity of Kelso, in- cluding an extent of 42,000 acres, — that in 1790, there might be of these 21,000 acres under cultivation, whereas in 1837 there were nearly 35,000 ; that the value of the produce of the former might be L. 84,600, of the latter, L. 172,400 ; and he calculates the pro- duce of each acre as one-fourth more. If we include the produce of farms, in stock as well as in corn, the productiveness of the land has been increased in a much larger proportion. For it is a re- markable fact, that in a farm, we will suppose of 1800 acres, which, towards the close of last century, was devoted almost entirely to sheep pasture, there may be now from 500 to 600 acres in regular rotation of corn crops, while the number of sheep kept upon the farm has been in no degree diminished, cind these are kept and fed in a &r superior manner. The number of sheep at the close of last century compared with that at the ])resent time, in the finest district of the county, the same gentleman whom I have quoted above, calculates as about three to four, and the weight in the pre- sent time cannot be taken, he thinks, at much less than double that of the former period. The great improvements in agriculture during the last forty or fifty years, and the immensely increased productiveness of the soil, have been owing principally to the intro- duction of the drill turnip husbandry, now universally adopted in the county, " the judicious intermixture of the feeding and graz- ing of live stock with arable culture," the use of foreign manures, as lime and bone dust, and an improved system of draining. The rental of land in the county has uniformly kept pace with, if it has not been generally in advance of, its increased value. The rents of farms, since the end of last century, have been increased in most instances about a half, in not a few much more than a half, and in * Sec Mr Dudgcon'n '' £s!^y on the Agriculture of Scotland," in the liist voluine of the Journal of the English Agricultural Society, 1839. See also the New Statistical Accounts of the parishcic of Melrose, Maxton, St BoswcU's Linton, Yctholni, Hounam, Croiling, &c. 461 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS none, perhaps, less than a third. Lands, also, sold of late yearsi have brought double, treble, and even four times the sum paid for them, forty or fifty years ago. The farmers in this county are generally men of capital and in- telligence. Tillage farms may average from 400 to 600 acres ; sheep or pastoral farms from 1000 to 3000; and farms partly arable and partly in permanent sheep pasture, of which descrip- tion there is a large proportion in the county, from 600 to 1400 acres ; though there are many farms, of course, of smaller as well as of much larger extent. The leases are generally for nineteen or twenty-one years, and the rents vary, of course, according to soil, climate, situation, and facilities of markets. Probably more than one-half of the arable land of the county is upwards of 250 feet above the level of the sea, and from that to 600 and even 800 feet Much of the land in elevated situations, especially in our trap districts, is of the best quality, but the climate is cold and ex- posed. How much more land of this description, than is at present in tillage, and of moss and moorland in low districts, might be brought into cultivation, with profit and advantage to the farmer, a few more years may determine : though it must at the same time be admitted, that, in some situations, lands of the description now mentioned, after having been in cultivation, have been again restored to pasture, their continued culture being found not remu- nerating, the climate being bad, or more probably, the expenses attending a thorough system of improvement being too formidable to be incurred under unfavourable circumstances. On the larger farms, the fields or enclosures contain generally from twenty to forty acres, and these, in the older cultivated districts, are usually fenced with thorn hedges interspersed with trees, which give an ap- pearance of clothing and richness to the landscape, while the newer enclosures are more generally fenced with dry stone dikes, i. e. walls of from four to five feet in height, built without mortar. The soils in different districts, of course, vary very much, and these may be noticed more particularly when we speak of the geolog}* of the countv. The same spirit of improvement which has, of late years, per- vaded more or less the whole country, has extended also to this district, and Roxburghshire can boast of not a few enterprising and intelligent farmers. It is yet to be regretted, however, that few comparatively have hitherto practised to any extent the more recent improvements or discoveries, such as the system of frequent OxVTHE COUNTV OF ROXBURGH. 465 or furrow draining, subsoil and trench-ploughing, which a few years experience, we have little doubt, will pronounce to be indis- pensable for the right management of land. These improvements, however, are extending, and equal attention has also, of late years, been shown to improving the breed of cattle and sheep. Farming is now practised more as a science than formerly ; and it were certainly desirable that our young men, destined to be far- mers on a large scale, should receive a suitable education for such profession. An acquaintance with the various branches of na- tural history, geology, botany, and with natural philosophy and chemistry especially, ought to be regarded as essential for the suc- cessful prosecution of agriculture in the present day, and an in- creasing conviction begins to prevail of the great utility of such knowledge. Among the recent improvements connected with the agricul- ture of the county, we are glad to notice, and we wish we could do so in terms of stronger approbation, that of late years in all new erections of farm-builings, somewhat more attention has been shown to the comforts of that quiet and industrious class of men, the hinds or farm-servants, who in this county, different in this respect from many others, are generally married men with fami- lies, residing in separate dwelling-houses, collected together as a little hamlet, situated at a short distance from the farm-house and offices, as the other farm-buiklings are generally called. The houses of these men, formerly often wretched hovels, in many in- stances worse than those appropriated to the cattle, are now in many new erections made larger, warmer, and are provided occasionally with sleeping apartments above. The other agricultural labourers, residing generally in towns and villages, are most frequently em- ployed by the piece, or according to the measurement of work done, and their gains, whether they are employed by the day or the piece, have been of late on the advance, being now from 10s. 6d. to 12s. per week. It is no unfrequent subject of regret and complaint, that proprie- torsin general are so careless and short-sighted in giving encourage- ment to tenants desirous to improve their farms, though tenants them- selves, we have no doubt, may frequently be equally to blame in this. Improvements executed solely at theexpense of the tenant are gene- rally made to last only a limited period, and are consequently not permanent. They benefit the land for the time, and remunerate the farmer, but at the end of the lease, the farm is in a condition lit- ROXBURGH. H h 466 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS tie, if at all, superior to what it was in, at the conninencement, and the improvements must be in a great measure renewed. A thorough and permanent improvement of land can only be made at a very considerable cost; and it would be unreasonable to ex- pect that a tenant, who has only a temporary interest in the lands he occupies, should attempt improvements which are ultimately so much more beneficial to the landlord than himself; for at the ex- piry of his lease, such farm will let at a greatly increased rent, and another may reap the benefit of his improvements. But in few cases, have tenants capital adequate to such an undertaking. Were proprietor?, on the other hand, to execute such improvements them- selves, or join with their tenants in the execution of them, binding them even in their leases to make such improvements as would be for the permanent benefit of the land, they would greatly in- crease the value, and it may be even the security of their proper- ties ; and there is no wise tenant but would be wiUing to pay L. 6 or L.7 per cent, during his lease for all money thus expend- ed by proprietors ; while, at the termination of the leases of such improved farms, they would bring greatly increased rents ; and in the present day, when agricultural pursuits are so much in fashion^ and so many competitors start for every farm that is in the market, proprietors can be at no loss in the selection of suitable tenants, men of capital, education, and enterprize. If farms were general- ly improved, as we have seen some farms improved, there can be no doubt, that a large proportion, probably two-thirds of the whole til- lage land of Scotland, would be made to yield one-third more than its present produce, and deducting from the value of this third ad- ditional produce, the interest of money advanced on improvement, the farmer would still be enabled to dispose of the produce of his farm at a reduction of fully a fourth of the present prices ; and not only so, but as agricultural science is but in its infancy, by the increased countenance and aid of our aristocracy and large landed pro]Mietors, an impulse would be given to improvement, new dis- coveries would be made in the way of manures, the treatment of soils, the cure of those diseases to which both plants and animals arc liable, the implements employed in culture, and in a general- ly improved mode of management ; waste land might be reclaim- ed ; the researches of the scientific would be enlisted in the ser- vice of the agriculturist ; and by such means, there is no improba- bility, that corn and the other produce of farms might be rais- ed and sold in this country at one-half, certainlv at one-third ' 3 ON THE COUNTY OF ROXBURGH. I'i? less than the present prices; the eounlry would be able to sup- port its whole population without assistance from foreign coun- tries, while both the profits of the farmer and the rents of the land would remain undiminished or be advanced. It is generally cal- culated, that land of an average quality, when thoroughly improv- ed, will yield a return of from 10 to lH bushels per acre more than before. If the produce before improvement, upon an average of years, was 4 bolls per acre, after improvement, the produce will be 6 bolls, the increase in this instance being one-half of the whole former produce. The proportion of this additional increase, re- quired to pay a large per-ccntage on capital laid out in improving, being, according to circumstances, from a-fourth to a-.sixth of the whole, there are still left from C to 10 bushels as clear disposable grain. The rapidly increasing population of the country domands that more food shall be raised, or in some other way provided, without any additional cost to the consumer : an incroasin«i: nnmbcr of labourers also demands employment. And those demands may be met by a general adoption of agricultural improvement ; and this is a subject, we think, which merits, much more than it has re- ceived, the attention of proprietors in general. Geolof/y, — There are four dilferent formations of rocks in the county, — the grcywacke, the coal formation, the red sandstone, and the trap. The position and space occupied by these forma- tions would be better understood by the simple inspection of a co* loured geological map than they can be by any description. The greywacke and grey wacke slate, which we shall tir>t notice, occupy the whole western portion — almost the^western half — of the county, with the exception of Liddesdale. The line se|)arating this rock from the red sandstone, which occupies the middle and northern part of the county, might be traced from nearly the north-east corner of the parish of Melrose in a southern direction, skirling the base of the Eildon hills, thence by the east of the village of Bowden, through Ilassendean on the banks of the Teviot, to the south of Hobkirk, whence it curves to the east by Sonthdean, Old Jedburgh and Oxnam ; a little beyond which, it disappears, or is seen only in a few detached spots left uncovered by the sandstone. All to the south of the line drawn from Hobkirk to Southdean, till you reach the borders of Castleton parish, is of the same rock. From Southdean to Oxnam, the greywacke occupies only a nar- row space of a few miles in breadth, the red sandstone covering it on the north and west, the trap rocks occupying nearly all to the 468 genilRal observations south and east. The greywacke of Roxburghshire presents the same general characters possessed by this rock in other dis- tricts. The strata are generally vertical or nearly so, but they vary from vertical to an inclination of 30°. They are found most usually to dip to the south-east like the other stratified rocks of the county, though they are also observed not unfrequently dip- ping to the north-east, and even north-west. The whole of the large district occupied by this rock is hilly; but some of the high- er peaked and more abrupt hills are of trap and porphyry. The range of hills, separating the parish of Castleton from the rest of the county, is of greywacke ; but as you descend into Lid- desdale, you find resting on the southern slope of these hills, the rocks of the coal formation, which thenceforth occupy the whole of Liddesdale. A small portion of the great Northumbrian coal- field crosses the border into Scotland on the south and east of the parish of Southdean, and occupies, probably, a third of its extent. Coal is wrounrht on the Ennflish side of the Carter Fell, which here forms the boundary between the two kincrdoms; but none is wrought in the county of Roxbtirgh, though both here and in Lid- desdale limestone is frequent and abundant. A still smaller por- tion of the coal formation is exposed at Hunthill, in the neighbour- hood of Jedburgh, where a trial has lately been made for coal, with some prospect of success. The strata passed through in this attempt are grey and micaceous sandstones, limestone, clay-iron- stone, and shale, with thin seams of coal, and numerous vegetable impressions. These rocks seem to lie beneath a thin deposit of the red sandstone. A much larger, but much less distinct and characteristic portion of the same formation is found occupying the lower portion of the parish of Kelso, on the banks of the Tweed, part .nlso of the parishes of Sprouston and Ednam, to the borders of the county. In the bed of the Teviot, near its con- flucnce with the Tweed, some of the strata contain vegetable im- pressions in great abundance. The next formation is the red sandstone, and we may in the meantime call it the new red sandstone, without farther, in these present remarks, giving an opinion as to the claims of this rock to belong to an older formation. It occupies all the middle and northern parts of the county, excepting those districts we have already described, as occupied by the greywacke and coal series, and it is bounded on the south and ejist by a line, which, for all general purposes, we may regard as stretching in nearly a straight ON THE COUNTY OF ROXBURGH. 469 course, from near Southdean, by Old Jedburgh, to the Dorthem point of the parish of Yethohn, on the borders of England : all to the south and east of this line is occupied by the great trap formation of the Cheviot. Small detached portions of the red sandstone are occasionally found considerably below the limits now assigned to it, as if it had at one time extended over a much larger space. Splendid sections of this rock may be observed on the banks of the Kale, the Oxnam, the Jed, and the Rule, as also of the Tweed and Teviot Though the usual colour of this sandstone is red, yet it not unfrequently also occurs of a white co- lour, and there are many excellent quarries of both the red and white varieties, in different parts of the county. Though it fre- quently, therefore, is found in beds of considerable thickness, and is employed as a good substantial building stone, yet its most usual mode of occurrence is in thin and almost horizontal strata, soft, * brittle, and easily decomposing. Possessing, in general, the cha- racters of the new red, it occupies, in many situations, the place of the old red sandstone, resting immediately on the greywacke, without the interposition of the coal formation, even where this is found in the same neighbourhood. Elsewhere, however, we find it apparently covering, and in that case, therefore, nearer than the coal series. The total absence of fossil organic remains in this sandstone is a principal cause of the uncertainty which exists with regard to its relative age. Many observations, indeed, are yet wanting, before it can with any certainty be said, that all the three classes, the old red, as well as the coal, and the new red sand- stones, do not exist in this part of the county. The last class of formations in the county are the traps and por- phyries ; and of these, the felspar porphyry, usually of a reddish- brown colour, but varying also very much in this respect, is by far the most abundant. The whole of the Cheviot range, and indeed the whole of the district, comprehending the parishes of Yetholm, More- battle, Hounam, and the greater part of Oxnam, are composed of this rock, as well as several of the higher hills in other parts of the county. It is also apparently the oldest of the Plutonian rocks of Roxburghshire ; of more recent origin than the greywacke and the coal formation, but older than the red sandstone, fragments of this porphyry being one of the most abundant materials found in the conglomerate which forms the lowest and oldest of the sand- stone strata ; and we have instances also of the red sandstone, in its usual almost horizontal position, and unaltered in appearance^ 470 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS resting immediately over the porphyry. There are many trap rocks in the county, greenstone, basalt, trap tuflF, amygdaloid, &c. some or all of which appear to be of later origin than the felspar porphyry now described. In the red sandstone district, trap rocks are numerous and abundant, every mile, often every half, and even quarter of a mile presenting some variety of this rock, in dikes, or in some other of the various modes in which it occurs. Some of these have obviously passed upwards through the sandstone, elevating, dislocating, and indurating the strata. Again, in other situations, the sandstone seems as if it had been quietly deposited over the trap. In the coal formation of Lid- desdale, also, traps occur of newer origin than the stratified rocks. One in particular presents itself on the opposite bank of the Lid- del from Castleton manse, where the stratified rocks from an in- clination of about 30^, are suddenly thrown up into a vertical, jind even partly reversed position, and are considerably indurated. In this hasty survey of the distribution of the rocks of the county, we have been unable to notice many interesting appearances pre- sented by all the diflferent formations of rocks, some of which might have thrown some light on the discussion affecting the relative age of the red sandstone of this and the neighbouring county of Ber- wick, — a question somewhat more difficult to detek'mine, than it may perhaps appear to be, from these brief notices. Soils, — Over the grcywackc, the soil is generally a thin, cold, wet clay, of a grey or white colour. Where, from its situation, it is intermixed with the ingredients of other rocks, and especially where it has been improved by under-draining, and possesses the ad- vantage of shelter, the soil seems well adapted for the growth of white crops, but still late. According to circumstances and si- tuation, the crops in such districts are from one to three weeks later than in similar and equally elevated situations in the county, but where a different class of rocks prevails. Over the coal for- mation, the soil is generally weak and sandy ; on the higher grounds, much intermixc d with peaty matter, and therefore wet. This description is applicable chiefly to the southern districts of the county, where the coal formation covers a large extent of sur- face ; but is not true with respect to the Kelso district, where nu- merous strata of indurated and shaly marls alternate with the sand- stone, and all the surrounding higher grounds are of trap rocks, where shelter also abounds, and the lands have been long in cul- ON THK COUNTY OF ROXBURGH. 471 tivation. Here, therefore, upon rd open subsoil, the soil, espe- cially in the lower grounds, is a deep rich sandy loam. Over the red sandstone, the soil is of various qualities, being among the best and the worst in the county. The quality of the soil varies very much with the quality and ingredients of the sand- stone, which is sometimes a loose, gritty, silicious rock, easily dis- integrating, much impregnated with iron, and containing a very small proportion of clay ; at other times, much finer in its texture, with a greater adhesion among its particles, and containing, with not less iron perhaps, a large proportion of clay. Over this latter description of rock, there is generally a deep rich red and rather early soil, while over the former there rests often the most worth- less description of soil in the county, an unproductive sand. There is every variety, however, in the district occupied by the red sand- stone, between these two descriptions of soil. Over the trap and porphyry rocks of the county, there is generally a loose, light, warm, dry and early soil, except on haugh lands, where there is generally a deposit of deep, rich, strong clay loam. The higher trap districts afford the finest sheep pasture in the county. Of course, these remarks must be understood as applying in a very general manner to the soils of the county. For in a district like Roxburghshire, so much intersected by streams, most of which flow through all the classes of rocks described, it must be expected, that in the lower and more highly cultivated situations especially, there will be a great intermixture and combination of materials in the composition of our soils. Roads. — The roads in the county are in general good, — we might almost use a stronger term, — and they have been much im- proved of late years. In the wilder districts of the county, where the roads have been more recently formed, they are better, per- haps, than in many of the older cultivated districts ; probably from this cause, that more good sense is now displayed in selecting the lino of road, as well as superior skill in their original construction ; both which causes operate in rendering them more easily kept in repair. Coaches from Edinburgh to England pass through all the principal towns of the county ; and during the bathing season, a coach travels from Hawick through Jedburgh and Kelso to Berwick and Spittal ; and Kelso furnishes a daily coach for its in- habitants during the same season, as well as a coach twice a week to Berwick throughout the year. 472 GENERAL OBSEUVATIONS Table I. Shewing Ecclesiastical State, &c I .«.'eV*si.»««rical State. | Par. School) • mm ^ -il ^ 1 i-^l. = 0m . 3^ -^^1 3 « -5° B-c Parishes. "" mm |x ■§s ^2 Amount of paro- -•s "5 25 :-s l^ '>^ chial Ministers* 21 Salary. | mil W4 VC at • •• 1 § "•1 • • • i^ =-2 Stipend. J3 'J} 1 JelIsoatm.87 qrs. Slo, barley. 1 25 22 Ashkirk, 505 • • • 173 • • . 93 14 ch. 1 30 23 Bedrule, 257 25 • • • 21 • • • • • • 1 26 24 Kelso, 4939 • • ■ 2631 • •• 1881 21 bolls n)1.56l)o1 bear, L. 193, 2s5a 10 a • • 2.5 Minto, 481 • • • ■ • • • • • • • • • •• 2 34 2(i Kirktoun, 294 • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• I 26 27 Hawick, 4970 • • • m>2 • • • 1464 15 ch. and L.65. 12 ;» '2h Kdnani, • • • • • • 345 • •• 240 L. 158. 1 34 (30 29 Cavers, 1625 • • • ... • • • • a ■ L. 250. 3 )l2 (15 i3() Castletown, 2227 • • • . •• • • • • • • 17 ch. 6 51. 6 6 31 Morebattle, 1050 • • • • • • • • • • • 16 ch. 3 il7 (25 125 :3i> Stitchell, 834 101 ... 80 3(X) 15 ch. 2 Addenda. 1. Jcdburffft. — The Dissenters above enumerated come not merely from this, but from nine or ten surrounding parishes. ON THE COUNTY OF ROXBURGH. 473 of Parishes in the County of Roxburgh. roasters* Emoluments Annual amount of contributions for the Poor. { From assess- ment or vo- From From Alms, Fees. Toul. luntary contri- church 1 Legacies, Total. bution by Collections. &c. 1 Heritors. • • • ■• • L. 992 9 L.40 L.23 L.1055 9 2 L.17 L.42 126 10 4 7 4 13 138 9 8 9 45 96 128 15 Interest of L.900Scots. • • • 4 •■• • • • sae SceAccount • •• • • • 5 50 84 308 16 • • • 324 6 24 58 100 10 • • • no 160 7 16 30 ... .. • • • • g 40 65 62 19 4 28 7 • • • 91 6 4 9 20 45 • • • 4 6 10 10 10 4 • • • 10 26 77 153 7 ■ •• 160 11 17 51 5 17 5 10 1 3 5 12 10 5 12 90 64 70 12 • • • 82 19 20 54 60 6 • • • 66 14 90 64 252 14 • • • 266 15 ••• •• * See Account. 12 • • • ■ • • 16 9 43 • • a • • • • • • 38 5 17 22 .W 80 12 • • • • • • C21 117 89 • • • • • • • • a • • • 10 40 70 160 14 3 10 9 5 *• • 171 3 8 20 ao 64 150 15 • • • 165 21 12 37 • • • •• . 4 3 4 • • • 22 16 46 52 6 18 3 • • • 58 18 3 23 • 1 »• ■ • • 5$ec Account. • * • • • • • • • 24 • 1 • • • • 850 85 35 10 970 10 25 • 1 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10 10 10 26 15 41 10 10 • • • • ■• •• . 27 90 123 1009 95 • • • 1174 28 96 (25 70 • • • 7 • •• ••• 29 }l9 (19 s 120 273 9 • • • 282 90 72 123 6 6 381 13 4 21 12 3 • •• • • • 31 • •• • • ■ 209 • • • • • • 280 92 44 94 116 12 8 21 6 5 13 4 138 12 5 N. B. The emoluments of the parochial schoolmasters stated in this table do not in- clude what they derive from other sources than salaries and school fees. BOXBURGH. I 1 474 GENERAL OltSERVATIONS. Table II.— Shewing extent, &c. of Parishes in County of Roxburgh. Acres culu- Acres suppos- Acrft>ft 1 Parish. Acres in Parish. vated or oc- casionally Acres un- cultivated ed capable of cultivation under wood. • • • tilled. with profit. wW ^^%^^A • Jedburgh, 14281 9418 • • ■ 2488 Lillicsleaf, • • • 2600 3650 • • • 600 Bowdcn, ■ * • 3460 2791 1000 260 Mel rote, ■<• 21100 88(M) • • • J200 Wilton, 11200 7406 37;)4 ■ ■• 100 Roberton, • • » 2(NN) 28CK)0 ■ ■ • 550 Southdvan, • • • dlNX) • • • ■ >• 500 St BuswcirH, 2600 2560 » • • ... 175 Maxton, 4514 3827 687 • • • 66S Roxburgh, ■ • • 5617 1956 • • • 221 Malkerston, 2854 2774 • • • • • • 80 Smallhulm, • • • ai50 517 • ■ a 60 Liiitun, 6500 4760 1750 • • ■ 80 Yothohn, 5700 2600 3100 ... 100 Crailinift 6415 5205 1210 ... 300 ^3 ' Hounani, 14458 766 \m\n ... 102 Hol)kirk, 19000 34(X) 15600 ... 860 Eckford, ■ • • 7728 1967 ... 813 Sproiiston, 8207 7128 1079 400 123 Ancruiii, * • • 7496 ■ • • • •• 820 Oxiiatii, • • • 3480 17640 ■ • ■ 650 Ash kirk. • • * 2804 ( • • ■ • • 386 HcMlrulv, • • • 1600 • • • • • ■ • • « Kvlso, 44(N) ;38(»0 600 • • • 215 Minto, . . . • • 3205 2244 • • ■ 786 Kirktuun, • »• • • • • • ■ • • • •■ Hawick, ■ • • 4100 11260 • • • 160 Ednam, • • • 3700 180 • • • 70 Cavers, • • • • • • • • • ■ • • i • • ■ Ca-stlcton , 52160 • • • • • • • ■ • ... 1 Morebattic, • • • • • • • • • ••• 1 ... , Stitchdl, 5478 • • • • • • \ 1 ... I N. B..i— The acres uncultivHte 151 Greenhill house, 195, 198 Grubit hills, the, 448 Hadden-rig, battle of, 296 Hall of Haughead, the Covenanter, 226 INDEX. 470 Harden house, ruins oi\ 91 Hare well, the, 105 Harestanes, Druidical remains at, 244 Hassendean, 368 — bum, 356 — church, ruins of, 372— tower, ruins of, 370 Haughead, conventicle of, 226 Hawick, parish of, 370 — its ministers from the Reformation, 410 Hiiwick, town of, 406 — farmers* club of, 401 — history, 387 — manufactures, 404 — markets, 401 — peculiar cus- toms of, 307 — visited by cholera, 382 Hawthorn, remarkable, at Southdean, 99 Haxalgate, the, 61 Headshaw loch, 269 Heathfield, Lord, birth-place of, 431 Hendersyde park, 421 Hermitage castle and chapel, ruins of, 443 — water, 441 Hieton, village of, 133 Hobbie Ker*8 cave, 227 Hobkirk or Hopekirk, parish of, 208 — husbandry of, 218 Holydean, site of« 36 Horsely hill tower, 370 Hoscoat house, 92 Hoselaw chapel, ruins of, 152 — loch, 148 Hounam law, 189 — parish of, 188— vil- lage of, 198 Hume castle, ruins of, 457 — birth of James, II L in, 457 Hundalee house, 14 Hun thill house, 14 Inns and alehouse, and their effects, 23, 82, 50, 75, 113, 144, 187, 206, 217, 235, 250, 351, 418, 424, 439 Iron ore found at Jedburgh, 4 Jails, Hawick, 418— Jedburgh, 22 James II., death of, 306 — yew tree mark- ing the spot, 130 James III. birth of, in Hume castle, 457 Jed forest, remains of, 5 Jed water, the, 2 Jedburgh Abbey, description of the ruins of, 8— history of, 9 — castle, ruins of, 10 — the modem, 14 — parish of, 1 — improvements in it, 23 — town of, 14, 17 — its dispensary, 20 — grammar school, 19— jail, 22 Kale water, the, 147, 189, 191, 221, 450 Kelso bridge, 320— dispensary, 344 — grammar-school, 340 — library, 342 Kelso abbey, foundation of, 308 — de- straction by Surrey, 310 — description of the ruins of, 317 Kelso, parish.of, 298— history of, 308 Kelso, town of, 299— history of, 313— municipal constitution of, 331 — visit- f*d by cholera, 345 Kcrshopc watei, the, 441 King of the wood,*the, 5 Kippilaw house, 39 Kirk land's house, 245 Kirktoun, parish of, 377 Kirk-Yetholm, vUlage of, 170, 173 Knowsouth house, 286 Lakes — Alemoor, 88 — Ashkirk, 269 — Headshaw, 269— Hoselaw, 148— Lin- ton, 450 — Moodlaw, 88 — Newton, 283— Primside, 160, 450— Shiels- wood, 269— Windbrugh, 209 Larigburn, the 210 Langlands dean, village of, 81 Langlee house, 14 Lanton tower, ruins of, 1 1 — Wtlage of, 18 Lawston, mineral spring at, 442 Leader water, the, 53 Lempitlaw, barony of, 235, 237 — villHgc of, 239 Lessudden, parish of, 104 — place, 105 —village, 104, 110 Leyden, John, 377 — birth-place of, 432 Libraries and literature, 20, 31, 50, 71, 112, 173, 186, 217, 234, 277, 342, 414, 438, 446, 455 Liddell water, 440, 441, Lilliard's edge, 119— tomb, 244 Lilliesleaf, castle, ruins of, 25 — pLiihh of, 24 Limestone, see Quarries Lintalee house, 14 Linthill house, 39 Linton hill, 146— loch, 145, 450— pa- rish of, 145 — tower, ruins of, 150 Littledean tower, mins, of, 119 Live>*stock, see Cattle Livingston, John, 245 Longevity, remarkable instances of, 2, 268 Lymycleuch bum, the, 428 Makerston, parish of, 137 Maltan walls, mins of, 243 Manufactures, 330— of Hawick, 404 — of Jedburgh, 17 — of Melrose, GO — of WUton, 80 Marl, 147 — animal remains found in, 148 Marlefield house, 146, 228 Maxwell, old church-yard of, 317 Maxwellheugb, village of, 321, 334 Maxton, parish of, 115 — village of, 117 Melrose abbey, 58, 59 — parish of, 51 — village, 52, 67 — cross, 61 Meteorology and climate, 1, 24, 35, 54, 87, 98, 128, 141, 146, 190, 221, 2;J<$, 253, 268, 281, 300, 355, 381, 429, 441, 449 Midlcm, village of, 48 Millenwood fell, 441 480 ROXBURGHSHIRE. MineraloK>'» see Geology Minholm cross, 44o Miiito, barony of, 362 — craigs, 353, 354 —family of, 868— hill, 353— house, 354, 372— parish of, 352— village, 373 Moat of Hawick, the, 392 Monastery of old Melroee, 56 Monteviot house, 181 Moodlaw lake, 88 Morebattle and Mow, united parishes of, 447 Morebattle hill, 448— village of, 146, 453 Moss tower, ruins of, 223 Mossburnford house, 14 — tower, ruins of, 260 Mountains and hills, Belford, 448 — Bon- chester, 208— Carterfell, 1, 103, 253 — Cheviot. 188, 209, 253, 448 — Clifton, 448— Criblaw, 87— Duncan, 1, 283— Ednam, 419— Eildon, 34, 52 — Fanna, 208— Gateshaw, 44S— Gat- tonside, 52 — Graden, 145 — Grubit, 448 — Hounam law, 189 — Linton, 146^Millenwood, 441— Minto, 853 Pencrestpen, 426-— Percy, 448 — Pi- nelheugh, 178— Rubberslaw, 208— Schell, 44S— Swindon, 44S— Thirl- Btane, 161 — Tinnis, 441 — Tudhope, 441,427— Windburgh, 208— Wind- head, 441— Wisp, 427— WoodenhUl, 220— Woodside, 448 Newstead, village of, 67 Ne\»ton pond, 288— village of, 67, 287 Nisbet, district of, 178— village, 183 Old-north-house, village of, 430 Orchards at Jedburgh, 5 Ores, antimony, 98— iron, 4 Orrock, Rev. Alexander, 389 — bequest by, for the endowment of a school, 390, 412 Oswald, king of Northumberland, con- version of, 56 Overtown, village of, 142 Oxnam, parish of, 252~water, 2, 177, 254 Pauperism, see Poor Pencrestpen hill, 426 Percy hill, 448 Pictish camps at Roberton, 90 — towers in Castleton, 444 Pinelheugh hill, 178 Plantations and planting, 5, 28, 38, 41, 65, 78, 90, 108, 121, 211, 268, 271, 327, 874, 441 Plenderleath chapel, ruins of, 258 Poor, assessments for, 347, 4 1 5 J*ooi\ mana^emeiit of, 21, 82, 50, 73, 85, 97, 103, 112, 125, 135, 139, 144, 157, 1 73, 1 86, 205, 21 7, 234, 240, 250, 266, 296, 346, 876, 378, 415, 424, 438, 446,455 Population, character of, see Character Population returns, 14, 27, 39, 62, 77, 92, 100, 106, 119, 131, 138, 141, 153, 164, 182, 198, 218, 230, 2S7, 246, 262, 274, 290, 320, 378 878. 395, 421, 484, 444, 451, 457 Primsideloch, 160,450 Pringle, Thomas, birth-place of, 153 Quarries, conglomerate, 58— freestone 16, 102, 106, 178, 210, 238, 247, 280— limestone, 3, 210, 281, 442— whinstone, 140 Railways, projected, from Dalkeith to Galashiels, 45 — between Berwidcand Kelso, 335 Ramsay of Dalhousie, assassinatioii of, 430 Red abbey stead, 58 Redden hiaughs, the, 235 Reidswire, Raid of, the last border bat- tle, 103 Relief church, origin of, 6 Remains, oi^ganic, fomid in Linton locfa, 148 Rent of land, rates of, 29, 42, 65, 76, 94, 101, 108, :142, 171, 280, 238, 247, 263, 275, 328, 374, 401, 453 Rewcastle, antiquity and former import- ance of, 285 Riccalton, Rev. Robert, 212 Richmond, defeat of, by Douglas, 12 Riddell, Rev. Archibald, persecution of, 26 Riddell, antiquity of the family of, 27 Ringan*8 Dean, remhins found at, 38 Ringly hall fort, ruins of, 118 Rivers and streams, Ale, 24, 88, 241, 270 — Allan, 58, 428 — Beaumont, 160, 450— Borthwick, 76, 89i— Cape- hope, 189, 191— Coquet, 254— Eden, 419— Frostly, 428— Gala, 58— Has- sendean, 356— Hermitage, 441 — Jed, 2— Kale, 147, 189, 221, 450— Kers- hope, 441 — Langbum, 210 — Leader, 53— Liddle, 440— Oxnam, 2, 177, 254— Rule, 209, 280— St Boswell's 105— Slitridge,76, 377,881— Tevioli 2, 76, 221, 301, 880, 428-Tiniiii, 441 — Tweed, 58, 801 — Tweeden, 441 Roberton, parish of, 87 Roman camps, see Camps— camp-ke^ tie found at Edgerston, 18— at Stot- field, 261— coins found at Mindrum, 164— road, remains of, 12, 38, M^ 131, 196, 259— spear found at Lin- ton, 152^ vessel dug up at Rc*^ know, 394 Roxbiu-gh cabtlc, ruins of, 130— p*'^'' INDEX. 481 of, 127 — tower, ruins of, 131 — town, history of, 190, 133 Roxburghshire, general observations, 459--^agriculture, 452 — geology, 467 — drivers of, 460 RubbersUw bill, 208 Rule water, the, 209, 280 Rutherford, Andrew, 8 — Principal, 7 — Samuel, birth-place of, 7, 179 Rutherford village, origin of, 118 St BoswelVs, ancient village of, 110 — bum, 105 ^chapel, ruins of, 57 — fair, 112— gieen, 108— parish of, 104 St Cuthbert educated at Old Melrose, 57 St James* church, 908 St Kennock, abbot of Jedburgh, 7 Salanside tower, ruins of, 274 Salmon fisheries, 66, 133, 238, 330— leap, the, 192 Sandyknow, 141 Sandstone, see Quarries Sarcophagus found at Jedbui^h, 1 3 Savings banks, 21, 72, 346, 415, 438 Schell hiU, the, 448 Schools, see Education— of arts, at Haw- idL,414— at Kelso, 343— Sunday, 342 Scott of Hassendcan, family of, 368 Scraesburgh moss, improvement of, 256 Sheilwood loch, 269 SUtridge water, the, 76, 377, 381 iSmalholm, parish of, 141— tower, ruins of, 141 Societies, Eskdale farmers*, 445^ — friend- ly, 21, 32, 72, 845, 414— Kelso Phy- sical and Antiquarian, 343 — Kelso Union Agricultural, 343 — Roxburgh Horticultural, 17 — ^for Suppression of Mendicity, 350 — Religious and Chari- table, 19, 70, 339, 414— Teviotdale Agricultural, 414 Sommerville, family of, 150 — Rev. Dr, 8— Walter, 151— William, 150 Soutbdean, parish of, 98 Spittal, remains of, 181 — hospital, 433 flings, mineral, 2, 105, 191, 442— pe- tn^ng, 2, 442 Springwood paric, 320 Sproiiston, parish of, 235 — village of, 237,239 Stewart, Sir William of Jedworth, put to death by Hotspur, 7 Stewartfield house, 14 Stitchell and Hume, united parishes of, 456 Stitchell house, 457 Stone-coffins founct at Hawick, 395^ at Jedburgh, 10 — at Priesfs crown, 227— in Yetholm church-yard, 163 Sunlaws, caves at, 128— tower, 161 Swindon hill, 448 Teviot, the river, 2, 76, 221, 301, 380, 428 Teviotbank house, 372 Thimblerow, village of, 198 Thirlstane hill, 161 Thomson, Andrew, minister of Sprous- ton, 237 Thomson, James, 100 — anecdote of, 229 ^birth-place of, 420 — educated at Jedburgh, 3— obelisk erected to Lis memory, 420 Thorlieshope spring, 442 Timpandean tower, ruins of, 1 1 Tinnis hill and water, 441 Tod Craigs, the, 161 Town- Yetholm, village of, 170, 173 Trees, remarkable, at Ancrum houso, 244— at Floors and Springwood, 306 —at Minto, 375 Trysting tree, the, 129 Tumuli at Linton, 152 Turnbulls of Bedrule, family of, 285^— bishop, 285 Tutop hill, 427. 441 Tweed river, the, 53, 301 Tweeden water, the, 441 Ulston, village of, 18 Wages, rates of, 43, 66, 78, 94, 122, 172, 200, 214, 238, 247, 275, 294, 328, 374, 401, 422, 435, 453 Wallace tower, 131 Watling street, see Roman Road Wells house, 283, 429— heronry at, 282 Whitelaw, 428 Whitten house, 451 Wilton, parish of, 76 — village of, 81 Windburgh hill, 208— hike, 209 Windhead hill, 441 Wisp hill, 427 Wooden dean, 303— hill, 220— house, 320 Woodside hill, 448— house, 320 Tester, Lady, mortification by, for the poor of Oxnain, 266 Yetholm loch, 160— parish of, 159 Young, Andrew, regent of phUosophyac Edinburgh, 8— Dr John, 390 Zoology, 4, 89, 1 16, 193, 21 1, 222, 256, 271, 282, 307, 360, 384, 429 rniNTED BY JOIIM STARK, OLD ASSEMIILY CLOSII, LDINBUAGU. PEEBLES. CONTENTS. 1IROUOHTON, GLENHOLM, , AND KILBUCIIO, PAGE 78 DRUMMELZIER, tt 71 EDDLESTONE, • 146 INNERLEITHEN, • 2-^ KIRKURD, 127 LINTON, • 155 LYNE AND MEUUKT, 166 MANNER, • 110 NEWLANDS, 135 PEEBLES, • 1 SKIRLING, • 99 STOBO, • 121 TRAQUAIR, 36 TWEED8MUIR, • 56 . I* 1 t > 'I I I I ■• PEEBLES. CONTENTS. UROUOHTON, GLENHOLM, AND KILBUCHO, DRUMMELZIER, EDDLESTONE, INNERLEITHEN, KIRKURD, LINTON, LYNE AND MEGUKT, MANNER, NEWLANDS, PEEBLES, SKIRLING, STOBO, TRAQUAIR, TWEEDSMUIR, PAGE 78 71 146 24 127 155 166 no 135 1 99 121 36 56 PARISH OF PEEBLES. PRESBYTERY OF PEEBLES, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. THE REV. JOHN ELLIOT, A. M. MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries, — In the grant made by David II. of some of the Burgh mails, the name is spelled Peblys : but the or- dinary spelling in the old records is Peblis and Pebblis. In the oldest record belonging to the Presbytery, extending from 1596 to 1600, the name is almost uniformly written as at present, Peebles, In the next oldest record, from 1603 to 1624, it is generally spelled Peibles. The author of Caledonia, after an indifferent sarcasm against Dr Dalgliesh in the former Account, for deriv- ing the name from " the pebbles with which the soil abounds," deduces it from the Celtic word Pebyll^ corresponding with the Saxon word Shiels, and signifying moveable dwellings or tem- porary encampments. The parish is bounded on the south by Ma- nor and Yarrow; on the west, by Lyne, Stobo, and Manor; south- east, by Yarrow and Traquair; east, by Innerleithen ; and north, by Eddlestone. From east to west it extends about six miles, and from north to south about ten ; but the most southern part, stretch- ing three or four miles into Selkirkshire, is uninhabited. The burgh may be considered as the centre of the parish ; and none of the inhabitants are above dg miles from the parish church. The parish is calculated by the author of the ^^ Companion to the Map of Tweeddale" to contain 18,210 acres; which calculation was submitted to the Court of Teinds in 1821, and sustained. Topographical Appearances. — The general aspect of the parish is hilly, except along the banks of the Eddlestone water and the Tweed, on the latter of which is a vale of considerable size, com- mencing at Peebles, and extending to the extremity of the parish towards the east. None of the hills rise to a great height, as in lome of the neighbouring parishes. They are, for the most part, grassy, except those towards the south, which are covered with heather, and abound in grouse. PEEBLES. A 2 PEEBLES-SHIRE. Meteorology. — From the land being almost all of a light gravelly soil, from the absence of stagnant water or marshy ground, and from the elevated situation of the parish, the air is healthy, though keen. The medium height of the barometer at Peebles 535 feet above the sea, is 29.2 in summer, and 29 in win- ter. The medium depth of rain yearly, on an average of seven years, is about 26.75 inches. The prevailing wind is the south- west, which blows at least nine months in the year. The eastern fogs, which overspread the Lothians, scarcely ever reach Peebles. Hydrography. — The Tweed runs here a course of about 5} miles, dividing the parish nearly into two equal parts. The whole course of this beautiful and far-famed river, the fourth in mag- nitude in Scotland, is about 90 miles, with a fall of 1500 feet; and it is calculated to drain about 1870 square miles of coun- try. Though at Peebles it has run only about one-third of its course, it has fallen no less than 1000 feet, t. e. 33^ feet per mile; and in the remainder of its course to Berwick, about 60 miles, it falls 500 feet, or 8^ feet per mile.* On entering the parish of Peebles, and onwards, the Tweed is confined within narrow banks; but immediately below the bridge, a beautiful and extensive vale opens, resembling more an Italian than a Scottish landscape. On reaching the parish of Peebles, it receives the'Lyne water; which, in the opinion of some writers, is entitled to be regarded as ** the head of Tweed," and not a tributary. The Lyne, however, has nothing of the character of a great river, and does not contain a sixth part of the waters of the Tweed. A mile lower down, the Tweed receives the Manor water from the south, the Eddie- stone water at Peebles, and the Haystone bum two miles farther down. All these streams abound in trout; and anglers may be seen on their banks almost all the year. The quantity of trout caught from April to October is immense, and far exceeds belief. Salmon are sometimes taken in considerable numbers, but, owing to the dis* tance from the sea, they are much inferior in quality to those caught near the mouth of the river. The system of drainage has proved unfavourable to the run of salmon, for the heaviest rains are soon carried off, and a flood seldom lasts more than a few hours; whereas * The Rhone at Geneva is only 1 154 feet above the level of the MediternmMBi according to Sir G. Shuckburgh, and yet the rapidity of its course lecm a iDfinitely greater than that uf the Tweed. This can be accounted for, only by the fiwtf that " the arrowy Rhone," with its great mass of water, runs almost in a ttrmu;fat liiie» whereas the Tweed's current is impeded by innumerable windings, whiA am to tlic beauties of this pastoral river. PKKHLKS. :i formerly, a heavy rain required some days to run off; and the river being thus kept full, the fish could easily ascend. Minerals. — Though the upper part of the country abounds in minerals, the parish of Peebles can boast of very few. Sandstone is unknown, and there has been no appearance of coal. A quarry of transition limestone, indeed, was opened many years ago about two miles from Peebles, on the Edinburgh road; but the lime was of so coarse a quality, and coals were so expensive, that the working of it was soon abandoned, and it has never since been resumed. Greywacke abounds in all the hills ; and as it is frequently of a fine texture when dressed, the houses built of it have a very hand- some appearance. The strata of the low grounds are generally covered with gravel and sand. II. — Civil History. There is reason to believe that Peebles contained a considerable number of inhabitants at a very early period. The fertile valleys on both sides of the Tweed would early invite settlers, and its se- cluded situation would afford them protection against hostile inva- sion. The wild mountains and thick forest of Ettrick protected the inhabitants against inroads from the south and east, and an equal barrier was opposed against invasion from the Lothians. It was only when the woods began to be cleared that the inhabitants at length took part in the disputed successions to the throne, or became exposed to the hostile inroads of the English. Historical Notices. — The earliest notices of Peebles give intima- tion of some advancement in agriculture and civilization. The Inquisitio of David Earl of Cumberland, afterguards king David I. in 1116, found that there had belonged (it does not state how long) to the See of Glasgow, ^^una carrucata (ploughgate,) terrseetec- cleda;'' * and shortly after, we find mention made of a mill and brewery. It is seldom that a poor or thinly inhabited district can support ex- tensive religious establishments ; Peebles must therefore have at- tained to considerable eminence. Accordingly, we find that Ingclram Newbigging, Rector of Peebles, and Archdeacon of Glasgow, after having been made Chancellor of the kingdom by King David in II6I9 was appointed Bishop of Glasgow in 1164. When Rector of Peebles, he vigorously defended the independence of the Scot- tish church against the claim of superiority set up by Roger, Arch- bishop of York, in a provincial council held at Norham, and after- wards at Rome, where he recommended himself so much to the • Ciil)»on*s (ilasgow, p. '2S\. 4 PEEBLES-SHIRK. favour of Pope Alexander the Third, that he was consecrated by him Bishop of Glasgow, notwithstanding the opposition made by the agents of the Archbishop of York. * From a very early period, Peebles was the favourite residence of many of the Scottish kings, and particularly of Alexander II L who Seems to have been much attached to it, and who gave a substan- tial proof of his munificence by building and endowing the Cross Kirk, and a monastery for Red Friars. The place was chosen from its vicinity to the extensive forests, in which these princes might enjoy the amusements of the chase. During the usurpation of Edward I. ^' the baillyf, several burgesses, and tote la comunate de Pebles," swore fealty to him at Berwick in 1296. In 1304^ the same king granted to Aymer dc Valence ^^ burgum nostrum de Pebbles cum molendinis." It does not appear, however, to have been created a Royal Burgh till the year 1367, when David IL granted it a charter, which was confirmed by charters from James II., James IV., and James VI. in 1621. The charter granted by David II. was probably given in reward for the loyalty of the inhabi- tants in having sent two representatives to the Scottish Parliament in 1357, to provide a ransom for their sovereign, who had been taken prisoner ten years before by the English at Neville's Cross. The town not being a royal burgh, must have been distinguished for its wealth and influence ; otherwise it had not been entitled to join with sixteen of the principal towns in Scotland in sending repre- sentatives to Parliament. The charter of James VI. confirming former grants and privi- leges, affords a strong proof of the Uberality of former monarchs, and of the extensive possessions belonging to the burgh. " Our royal muir of Cademuir, Hamildean, Venlaw, Glentras, the Castle-hill, with the mill-granary, called the Ruid Mill, and Wauk Mill, built upon the side of the said Castle-hill, and with the mill-granary, called the Auld mill, upon the water of Peebles, the mill and gra- nary of Innerleithen," f attest the wealth of the burgh in former times. Cademuir was afterwards divided into *^ soums** by the burgesses, and these soums are now sold like any other transfer- able property. The land is let as a sheep-farm, and the jovm- holders receive rent according to the number of their shares. Of all the rest of the extensive possessions, little else now remains than the farm of Shielgreen, acquired by purchase, and a few fields near the town. " Large tracts of land," says the author of the Agri- ' CnliMin's History of Glasgow, p. II. -f- Charter of James VI. PEEBLES. 5 cultural Survey of Peebles-shire, " extendiug on the hills for six or seven miles downward to Gatehope bum, would seem to have been granted to Peebles in property, or in right of pasturage, the rights to which are now lost, from encroachment, or through dereliction."* In 1712, in a petition to the presbytery against the induction of the presentee to the church by the magistrates, chiefly on account of his youth, they lay much stress on their paying one-tJiird of the stipend. At present the stipend paid by the burgh is, on an average, only L.16 a-year. f In 1545, when the Earl of Hertford, afterwards Protector So- merset, in revenge for the defeat which the English had sustained the year before under Lord Evers, from the Scots, commanded by the Earl of Angus, destroyed the towns of Kelso and Melrose, with their magnificent abbeys, — Peebles shared the same fate, and was reduced to ashes. The churches, greatly inferior to those two splendid edifices, seem to have escaped the vengeance of the invaders and were spared. In 1604, the town suffered severely from an accidental fire. The houses being thatched, the destruc- tion of property was very great. In the civil war, Cromwell's troops occupied Peebles during the siege of Neidpath Castle, and, from want of accommodation, they stabled their horses in St. Andrew's Church, the principal place of worship in the parish. From there being no record or tradition of excesses committed, it is probable that the severe discipline of the Protector secured the inhabi- tants against any outrage of the soldiers. " The inhabitants of this district," says Pennecuik, " arc of so loyal and peaceable dis- positions, that they have seldom or never appeared in arms against their lawful sovereign ; nor were there amongst that great number twelve persons from Twceddale at the insurrection of Rullion-grcen or Bothwell Bridge. Of their loyalty they gave sufficient testi- mony at the fight of Philiphaugh, where several of them were kil- led by David Leslie's army, and others, the most eminent of their gentry, taken prisoners." In the Rebellions of 1715 and 1745, the inhabitants of Peebles remained unconcerned spectators of the struggle ; and, though there were Jacobite families in the district, they had fortunately the prudence to take no part in the unhappy conflict. But though the inhabitants of Tweeddale have been distinguish- • Findlater's Survey, p. 10. f Mr John Hay, the youthful presentee, after live years' litigation l)efore the su- perior courts, ovcrcttmc the objections made against him on the ground of his youth, and was an able and efficient minister till 1760. 6 PEEBLES-SHIRE. ed for their peaceful habits, — in seasons of danger and alann they rivalled their border brethren of Selkirk and Roxbui^- shires in patriotic devotedness to the service of their country. When the war broke out after the treaty of Amiens, and the coan- try was threatened with foreign invasion, an additional levy of vo- lunteers and yeomanry was ordered, and the loyal inhabitants of Peebles, considering the exigencies of the tiihes, mustered no lest than 682 effective officers and men as an infantry corps, and two troops of cavalry, making a total of 820 soldiers, — besides furnish- ing their quota to the militia. This force, out of a population of 8800, exceeded the muster made by any other county in Scot- land, according to the number of its inhabitants ; and in that spirit- stirring period, a finer body of men could not be found in Britain^ nor one more prepared to repel foreign invasion, or ^* nobly die the second glorious part," than the hardy and patriotic sons of Tweeddale. In Pennecuik's time the number of militia was 266 foot, and 29 horse. Ecclesiastical History. — At what period, Peebles was added to the diocese of Glasgow, it is difficult to ascertain. That it had belonged to it previous to the inquisitio of David in 1116, we have already seen. When that prince refounded the see of Glasgow, he seems to have conferred on the bishops of Glasgow the whole of the ecclesiastical rights, while he retained the demesne of PeebleSi The church of St Andrew, for many ages the parish churcfa, seems to have been built on the ruins of the old one in the year 1195, as it was consecrated by Bishop Joceline, who, in II74y succeeded Ingelram, already mentioned. In 1260, the Conventual Church of the Holy Cross was built by Alexander IIL in honour of St Nicholaus, who was supposed to have suffered martyrdom in the third century. This church of the Holy Cross was one of the four id Scotland called ministries, and their governor was styled minister. f It was founded for Red or Trinity friars, seventy in number ; and was richly endowed, not only by its royal founder, but by many princely donations, particularly from the noble and powerful fa- mily of Frazer, who, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, possessed a great part of Tweeddale. The strath of the Tweed, from its source to the brook which forms the eastern boundary of * For a full account of the erection and endowment of this church, the referred to the original record found in St. John's College, Cambridge, and ioacrted in Pcnnecuik's Description of Tweeddale, p. 381 "f Council on Tithes. PEEBLES. 7 the parish of Peebles, separating it from Innerleithen, was the pro- perty of that family, — extending to about thirty miles. Some branches of the family of Frazer acquired extensive pro- perty in East-Lothian, and we learn from Crawford's Lives of the Officers of State, that a branch of that family was proprietor of the lands of Forton, in the parish of Athelstaneford. Frazer of Forton seems to have given from his lands of East Forton ten bolls of wheat and ten bolls of barley, to the monks of the Cross Church of Peebles ; and that quantity of grain continued to be delivered to the minister of the Holy Cross Church of Peebles after the Reformation, when monastic institutions were abolished in Scotland. That donation of grain from the lands of Forton had been reckoned so valuable, that it was included in the deed of entail of the March estate, and has descended to the Earl of Wemyss and March, the heir of entail. In 1218, Patrick, the fifth Earl of Dunbar, founded a monas- tery of Red friars at Dunbar; and Christian Bruce, wife of Patrick, the seventh Earl of Dunbar, and only daughter of Robert the Bruce, competitor with Baliol for the throne of Scotland, built a noble maasion for the Red friars at Dunbar. That establishment was suppressed at Dunbar sometime before the Reformation ; and in the inventory of the late Duke of Queensberry's papers, is the following extract : ^^ Gift by King James the Fifth, under the Great Seal, to the Holy Cross Church of Peebles, of a house in Dunbar built by Christian Bruce, Countess of Dunbar, and given by her to the brethren of the order of the Holy Trinity, formerly at Dunbar, then translated to Peebles, dated 5th July 1529." It appears from other documents, that sundry houses in the West Port of Edinburgh, and certain lands in the parish of Cra- mond, had been gifted to the Cross Church of Peebles. All the above sources of income appear to have been conferred on William Earl of March, second son of the Duke of Queensberr}', at the pe- riods of the Revolution of 1688, and of the Union in 1707, together with fifty acres of rich glebe land lying in the vicinity of the church, —only four acres being reserved for the minister of the parish of Peebles. Dr Pennecuik mentions three churches and three old steeples. The third church was the chapel attached to the castle, which in former times stood on the mound called the Castle-hill, on which the present church is built. The chapel stood twenty or thirty yards to the east of the present church, and occupied the middle 8 . PEEBLES-SHIRE. of the High Street. It was a long narrow Gothic building, but when or by whom built is unknown. It seems not to have be- longed to the see of Glasgow, but, according to the Rev. James Morton, author of the Monastic Annals of Teviotdale, King Wil- liam confirmed to the monks of Kelso the possession of the chapel of the castle of Peebles, with a ploughgate belonging to it, and 10s. a-year, granted by his grandfather. King David, out of the revenues of the burgh, to found a chapel in which to say mass for the soul of his son Earl Henry. * Immediately to the west ot this chapel ran the town wall ; and a port opened to a deep ditch or pass, which might be considered a kind of fosse, to prevent an entrance from the bridge. The chapel continued for many years to be the place of the meeting of presbytery and kirk-session, and frequently for the celebration of marriages, till the building of the present church was begun, when it was pulled down. Of the cas- tle and its chapel, not a vestige now remains. A hospitium dedicated to St Leonard for the support of aged and infirm persons, and for temporary relief to strangers, stood at the eastern extremity of the parish, on the farm of Eshiels, part of the Hayston estate. No part of it now remains. At the Re-^ formation, the church of the Holy Cross became the parish church; but from the numerous meetings of the heritors for repairs, as re- corded in the session-books, it seems for many years to have been in very bad order. It was finally abandoned in 1784, when the present church was opened for public worship. Of St Andrew's church little now remains except the tower. It stands in the midst of a spacious burying-ground, which, though of great antiquity, contains no monuments of any great interest. The Cross church, when deserted, by being used as a quarry, was fast disappearing, when a public-spirited citizen, the late Mr John TurnbuU, pur- chased it from the magistrates, and stopped the work of desecra- tion. The late Sir John Hay, whose family vault it contained, afterwards purchased it, and, planting a considerable piece of ground around it, enclosed the whole with a wall. The cross, which stood on that part of the High Street which still bears its name, was also doomed to destruction, and was sold for building materials. It was a work of great antiquity, having been erected by one of the Frazers of Neidpath Castle before the time of Robert the Bruce, and bears the arms of the Frazers. After the pedestal had been • Morton's Monastic Remain^. PEEBLES. 9 removed, and used in the ignoble work for which it was sold, the shaft was purchased, at about five times the price which had been paid for the whole, by the present Sir John Hay, and was by him transported to his seat of King's Meadows, where it ornaments the pleasure-ground of the only descendant of the Frazers now in Tweeddale. Parochial Registers, — The oldest session record is entitled " a Register of the Kirke at Pebles, containing the discipline of the sessione by the elderis, and diligence of the deaconcs for the poore, there begun in the year 1657. Mr John Hay, minister." — The session consisted of no less than eight elders and six deacons for the burgh, and seven elders and six deacons for the landward part of the parish. The records appear to have been kept with great accuracy till 1760, from which time till 1808 they are written on detached pieces of paper, and, like the Sibylline leaves, they have been ludibria ventisy as many of them are irrecoverably lost. The presbytery and synod records extend back as far as 1596, and are in a state of good preservation. The oldest register of baptisms b^ns in 1622, and ends in 1659 ; that of funerals begins in 1660. Antiquities, — On the top of the hill of Cademuir may be traced the remains of a Roman camp, and on Janet's Brae, about half a mile east from Peebles, the remains of two camps are still visible. The castle of Neidpath has been so often described of late that a Tery short notice of it may suffice. It is a large square building, more distinguished for massive strength than architectural beauty. It was built and long possessed by the powerful family of Frazer, and, by the marriage of the heiress of that house, passed, along with the hereditary sheriffship of the county, into the family of the HiBtys of Gifford, the ancestor of the present Marquis of Tweed- dale. In 1686, the second Earl of Tweeddale sold his estates in PeeblesHshire to the first Duke of Queensberry, who settled them on his second son, the Earl of March, who, on the abolition of he- ritable jurisdictions in 1747, claimed L. 4000 for the sheriffship of Peebles, and was allowed L. 3418, 4s. 5d. for that office and the regality of Newlands. ♦ The late Duke of Queensberry, who was bom in the town residence of the noble family of March in Peebles, commonly called the deans' house, as it had belonged to the deans of Peebles in former days, spent the early part of his Kfe, and was educated in Neidpath Castle. * J^ist of Claims. 10 PEEBLES-SHIRE. Pehlisto the Play ^Sfc, — Peebles^ though informer times celebrated for games and amusements, at which sovereigns presided, can now boast of no such diversions. ^^ Peblis to the Play^ gives us a good specimen of former sports and pastimes. ^^ It was composed," as a profound scholar, and good judge of early Scottish literature writes to me, ^^ by James L, one of the most distinguished characters of the age in which he lived. It is written in the same stanza as Christ^irk on the Grene. Like that poem, it is descriptive of rustic merriment and of rustic quarrels, and it is conspicuous for the same rich vein of native humour. It was first published by Pinkerton, and occun in his select Scottish Ballads, Vol. iL Lend. 1783." By a strange and unaccountable mistake which a perusal of one stanza of tb poem would have corrected, PeblLs to the Play has often beenascrilH ed to Allan Ramsay, who, like Hercules of old, seems to have fik- thered all unappropriated prodigies. Connected with the locali- ty of Peebles is another poem of merit though little known. *' From an edition which appeared at Edinburgh in 1603, Mr Pinkerton has also published," says the learned author of the Life of Bu« chanan, « The JTirie Tailes of the Thru Priests ofPMU. These tales, with apparent propriety, have been referred to the re^ of James III. Many of the allusions are completely applicable to the conduct of that deluded prince. King James, it will be necessary to recollect, was slain in the year 1488 ; and the style of the poem does not seem of a modem cast. ^< The three priests of Peebles having met on St Bride's day for the purpose of regaling them- selves, agree that each in his turn shall endeavour to entertain the rest by relating some story. They acquit themselves with suflBcient propriety. The talcs are of a moral tendency, but at the same time are free from the dulness which so frequently infests the pre- ceptive compositions of our earlier poets." * The earliest edition that has been traced of this curious poem was *^ imprinted at Edin- burgh be Robert Charteris," 1603, 4to. It is a book of great rarity, and probably not more than one copy exists. III. — Population. Before the Reformation the population was probably far greater than at present The numerous religious houses, the chuitable endowments, the hospitia^ the mills and breweries, all betoken a great propulation, and a well-maintained set of inhabitants. There is much truth in many of our old Scotch songs, which ascribe • Ining's Lives of the Early Scottish Poets, Vol. i. p. 872. 4 PEEBLES. 11 comfort and plenty to the neighbourhood of mills and breweries. As every farm-steading, and almost every hamlet had its brewery, and generally its mill, and as numerous cottages were invariably, till about the middle or close of last century, attached to farm- houses, we might naturally expect to find a great population. Be- sides this, the members of religious houses were in general not only good farmers themselves, but they taught their tenants, to whom they were kind and indulgent landlords, the best mode of cultivat- ing their lands. Hence we almost invariably find that the preva- lence of religious houses in any district during the time of Poper}', so far from checking agricultural improvements, had the opposite effect ; and if the best land of the parish belonged to such esta- blishments, it was not because the monks or friars appropriat- ed it to themselves, which they had no power to do, but because, while the bulk of the community were engaged in warfare, or were too indolent or ignorant to cultivate their lands, they were render- ing theirs productive by their superior diligence, industry, and skill. So far from many of the inmates of the religious houses being only lazy drones, " fruges consumere nati," they laboured with their own hands to raise the produce which they consumed. Other circumstances some ages ago contributed to the population of Peebles. It was the favourite summer quarters of the Scottish kings for the sports of the chase till the accession of James VI. to the crown of England ; the residence of many of the Scottish no- bility, and the castle of Neidpath, the seat of the powerful family, whether of the Frazers, the Hays, or the Douglases, — could not fail to attract a numerous train of followers and dependents. Add to this, that the great extent of the burgh lands and free pasturage must have contributed to keep up a great population, as many of the burgesses were enabled by their civic privileges to live as small farmers. The present incumbent has examined the presbytery and ses- sion records from the earliest date, but he can no where find any entry made of the number of the inhabitants. Dr Webster's re- port gave 1896 souls ; but Mr Findlater observes, that ^^ that re- turn was made up from calculations founded upon the proportion which the whole population is supposed to bear to the examinable persons upon the minister's examination roll." No accurate cal- culation can be given from such data. It is extremely difficult to nnake up accurate lists, and the number of examinable persons may fluctuate in different years. 12 PEEBLES-SHIRE. Aooording to Dr Dalglif»h*s return in the former Statistical Account, the popula- tion was In the old town, ... 350 In the new town, - - 1190 In the landward part of the parish, - 440 1930 The Government return of 1801 gave 2088* 1821 - 2701 1831 - 2750 1 1 . Families chiefly employed in agriculture, ... 93 trade, manufactures, and handicraft, • 365 2. All other families not comprised in the above lists, - - 185 3. Occupiers of land employing lalKiiircrs, ... 27 only their own families, - - 3 4. I#al)ourers employed in agriculture, ... 100 From the 1st of January 1827 to the 1st of January 1833, the number of proclamations was 1 34, giving an average of 22 J yearly. Of these cases, when both parties belonged to the parish, the num- ber was 79 ; and 55 when only one belonged to the parish* The number of baptisms, as recorded from the beginning of 1827 to the end of 1832, is 284, averaging 47^ a-year. But, as many of the dissenters do not register the births of their child- ren, the above list is considerably below the number of children bom. As the church-yard has been for some years past carefully watch- ed, the remains of persons belonging to other parishes are fre- quently brought hither for interment ; a very accurate return, there- fore, of the number of deaths in this parish cannot be given. But as nearly as can be calcuhited, the average number of deaths may be stated at 47 a-\ear, for several years past* From 1780 to 1789, inclusive, the yearly average was 48 j% ; from 1790 to the end of the centur>'the number was 31 ^'g a-year; and from 1800 to 1809, inclusive, it was ^i% a-year. In 1G60, the number of baptistrs w, - . 67 1799, - - - 41 1799, ... 99 180i», - . - 44 1800, - - 61 It is not probable that there will be any great increase of popu- lation either in the burgh or landward part of the parish for many years to come. Hamlets have disappeared ; and no more cottages are kept up than what are sufficient for the accommodation of the * The nuiiilier of males returned was probal)ly less than it ought to have been, owing tu the reluctance of the young men to l>e billctted for the mJlitiaf and tbeir names being therefore suppressed. *t* From a very accurate list made out in 1890 by the elders, there were iu the OM Town, 537 ; in the New Town, 1568; in the hindward part of the paririi, 717; making a total of 281 7. PEEBLES. 13 cultivators of the soil The town is not extending its limits, and when a house is built, it is generally a handsome structure raised on the site of one that has fallen to decay, adding to the beauty of the town without increasing the number of inhabitants. The number of illegitimate births in the parish annually may average 5. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy, — The number of Scotch acres under the plough is 2500 : and it is believed that a very small por- tion of land not yet cultivated could be cultivated with profit. Plantations. — When Dr Pennecuik published his Description of Tweeddale in 1715, there seems to have been very little wood in this county. " Their greatest want," says he, " is of timber, little planting to be seen in Tweeddale, except it be some few bushes of trees about the houses of the gentry, and not one wood worth the naming in all this open and windy county ; so that this un- happy want of foresight in their forefathers necessitates them to be obliged to the sheriffdom of Lanrick for most part of the tim- ber necessary for their houses and husbandry." * This reproach is now fortunately wiped off, and the county, particularly the lower part of it, presents a different aspect from what it did in Penne- cuik's days. The late Sir John Hay, the principal proprietor in this parish, towards the end of last century, in addition to va- rious improvements on the estate of Haystone, planted above 300 acres. The present Sir John Hay has within these three years planted upwards of 700 acres, and is still carrying on the work of planting. The Earl of Wemyss and March has also planted be- tween 200 and 300 acres; and other proprietors, though on a smaller scale, have ornamented their estates with plantations. The land is a light sharp soil, well adapted for oats, barley, and pease. Of late years, wheat has been sown to a considerable ex- tent, and if the returns are not equal to those in the Lothians, the deficiency is not to be ascribed to the unskilfulness of the farmer, but to the difference of soil. The quality seems excellent.|f Husbandry. — The farmers having, from experience, found that the land " had become tired of bearing rye-grass and clover," in- stead of a rotation of four years, extend it to five and six years. Turnips are universally cultivated, and are frequently eaten on the * Deioription, p. 4. t The wheat rused on the slobe this year from white Essex wheat on potatoe land, andlMnm in October, weighed 18 st. 121b. imperial weight, of four bushels to the boll, exclusive of the sack. 14 PEEBLES-SHIRE. ground by sheep. The ordinary rotation is, 1. after grass, oats; S» pease, turnips, or potatoes ; 3. wheat or barley, and then rye* grass and clover. The writer of this in spring 1832, and again in 1833, tried the experiment of sowing oats of the Kildnmimy kmd in the month of February, as he had seen practised in the south of England. Both experiments perfectly succeeded, though he was told that one-half of the seed would be destroyed by the wet, and the other half be devoured by birds. The return this season from scarcely three quarters of an English acre was 8 bolls 4 bushels im- perial measure, of 6 bushels to the boll, and 2 bushels of light grain. It was of excellent quality. When made into meal, it yielded a good deal more than what millers term meal for com. In the be- ginning of last November, he sowed two small patches with barley and oats, the braird of which promises well. Breeds of Live Stock. — The Teeswater breed of cattle is gene- rally reared by the farmers, as it fattens best for the butcher. The sheep are the Cheviot and black-faced breed. Smearing is generally practised, and tends greatly to the preservation of sheep. Tar and palm-oil are generally used on black-faced sheep, and tar and butter on the Cheviot. About six fleeces of the black- faced smeared make a stone of 24 lb., and from six to eight fleeces of the Cheviot. Rock mercury was at one time used for smearing, but as it was found neither to contribute to the warmth of the sheep, nor to promote the growth of the wool, it was laid aside. Wool has been sold at higher prices this year than for many years past. Black-faced, smeared^ was sold at 13s. a-stone, and the Cheviot from 20s. to 23s. a-stone of 241b. The diseases to which the sheep in this parish are most subject are sickness and the louping-ilL The former is inflammation in the bowels or blood, and prevails in pas- tures where heather abounds. Hoffs suffer most from this disease. Castor-oil or salts are the best remedies. The louping-ill or palsy prevails in the month of May and beginning of June, particulariy during a dry east wind. It attacks lambs and sheep of all ages. Sturdy, or water in the head, ma^ also be mentioned in the list of diseases. The seat of the disease is easily discovered by that part of the skull becoming soft and spongy. If not near the root of the horns, it is generally cured by applying red hot iron ; but this seldom succeeds if the disease is near the horns. Mejit of Land. — The rent of arable land may be reckoned at 25s. an acre, except a few fields near the town, which bring a higher rent. One of the best farms in the parish, and per- PEEBLES. 15 haps in the county, consisting of 450 acres, all arable, is let for L. 625 a-year. The yearly rental of the parish is supposed to be about L. 7000. Rate of Wages. — Female servants receive from L. 4 to L. 5 from Whitsunday till Martinmas, and between L. 2 to L. 3 for the other half year. Ploughmen, when lodged in their masters' houses, re- ceive from L. 8 to L. 14 a-year. When married men, they are paid in meal, money, a cow's grass, &c. Shepherds in this pas- toral county have generally a certain number ol grazings for sheep, and their wages must therefore depend on the price of wool and the value of sheep. Labourers during the summer are paid from 9flL to 12s. a-week : masons and wrights, 15s. The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly rais- ed in the parish as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows. Amiming that there are 3000 English acres, and \hst^ve years are the usual rota- tiont 6U0 acres will thus be annually allowed for each crop. An entire crop is lekbm taken of one kind of grain, &c. as in the fourth and fiAh break* 600 acres sown grass, 150 stone per acre, at 7d per stone, 600 do. the same in pasture for dOO cattle at L. 3 each, 600 do. oats, 8 bolls per acre, at 12s. per boll, 150 do. potatoes, 20 bolls per acre, at 5s. per boll, 150 do. pease, 4 bolls per acre, at 15s. per boll, 800 do. turnips, at L. 3 per acre, - - - 200 do. wheat, 12 bolls per acre, at 25s. per boll, 400 do. barley, 10 bolls per acre, at 16s. per boll. The annual thinnings, &c. bark of the larch, &c. Grasing for 8000 sheep at 58. each per annum, To the above may be added wool, lambs, &c. Wod, black.fiKed, ttnearcd, 1000 stone at Ids. per stone. Do. Cheviot, smeared, 143 st. at 22s. per st. Do. do. not ttneared, 143 st. at d2s. per st. 50001ambs sold, averaging 10s. each, ... 20OO kept for breeding, feeding, &c. J . . 9000 ewesy hogs, wethers, &c sold annually at 20s. •L. 5,535 12 Manufactures. — Much has been said against the want of enter- prise and public spirit in the inhabitants not introducing manufac- tures. The high price of coals is one obstacle; and, though there is plenty of water, it might be difficult to procure another fall of water in addition to that of the Tweed used for the corn-mills, and that of the Eddlestone water for the waulk-mills. A manufactory for carding, spinning, and making cloth, flannel, and plaiding to a ▼ery considerable extent, has for several years existed. In the * No allowance is here made for deaths, which, in wi-t winters and barren springs, •re very considerable ; the calculations, especially on the last two items, are probably two high, as the total amount shews rather more than the usual proportion to the rental. L. 2,625 900 2380 750 450 900 3,000 8,200 300 2,000 .. 17,005 "o 650 157 6 228 6 2,500 1,000 2,000 6 16 PEEBLES-SHIllE. same establishment waulking and dyeing are carried on. Stocking- making IS also a branch of manufacture here, but of very limited ex- tent. Cotton webs are sent from Glasgow, but afford a very poor remuneration to the weavers, few of whom can, with the utmost diligence, earn more than six shillings a-week. V. — Parochial Economy. Town. — Peebles, the capital of the county, and the seat of the presbytery, is situated on the north side of the Tweed, in latitude 55° 38" 4(r, and 3° 6' west longitude, the meridian of Edinburgh passing through the town. It is 21 miles south from Edinburgh, 22 from Selkirk, and 54 from Glasgow. The town is divided into the Old and New, the former standing on a high ridge of ground, with the Tweed forming the southern boundary ; and ex- tending to the east on a lower tract of ground ; it is bounded by the Eddlestone or Peebles water. The New town, with the exception of a few paltry houses on the south side of the Tweed, lies in a peninsula formed by that river and the Eddlestone water. This water runs in almost an opposite direction to the Tweed, and falls into it, contrary to the course of most rivers, forming an acute angle, with the apex pointing uj) the stream. The New town presents the strange anomaly of being bounded on the south by a river running due east, and on the north by another river running due west. The burgh of Peebles, till the passing of the bill which altered the representative system, joined with Selkirk, Linlithgow, and Lanark, in returning a member of Parliament. It was then thrown into the county. The town-council consists of a provost, two bai- lies, a dean of guild and treasurer, with twelve councillors. The number of electors amounts to about 94. The revenues of the burgh amount to about L. 643, from the following sources. : Rents of lands, - - L. 333 2 6} Rents of mills, houses, &c. . 168 14 2 Customs, &c. - - - 120 5 reu-dutie«, - - - . 10 9 8| Interest on fences, &c. - . 10 17 94 L.643 9 2i The amount of debt in October 1833 was L. 5426, 2s. 5d. Tie income at present is more than sufficient for all expenses, and even for discharging part of the debt. The town is very well supplied with water, and lighted with gas from the burgh funds. The weekly market for grain in bulk has within these few years been revived, and the magistrates, with a becoming liberality to encou- rage the farmers to bring their grain, make no demand for customs. Bonds and Bridges. — From the excellence of the materials of PEEBLES. 17 <¥hich they are made, the roads in Tweeddale are generally very good, but too narrow, and in a hilly country where precipices are so common, the want of parapets is greatly felt, and adds to the danger of travelling by night It is not known when the bridge across the Tweed at Peebles was built As the style of architec- ture in the different arches and piers is not the same, it was pro- bably built at different times. * It consists of five arches in the channel of the river, and three small arches on dry ground, for carrying off the water when the Tweed overflows its banks. The bridge is inconveniently narrow, being only eight feet wide, admit- ting only one carriage at a time, but it will probably be widened in the course of next summer, as an act of Parliament has been ob- tained for that purpose. An iron bridge for foot-passengers was thrown across the Tweed a little below Peebles, where it is 108 feet wide, by Sir John Hay, about sixteen years ago, to connect his pleasure grounds, which lie on both sides of the river. It is a light handsome structure, and, though much exposed to violent winds, it is as perfect as when it was built A survey was made •several years ago by Mr Telford, for the purpose of forming an iron rail-road between Glasgow and Berwick, but the design was abandoned. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church was built in 1784, and gtands at the west end of the High Street, on a small eminence, on which the castle of Peebles formerly stood. It is a substantial edifice, built of dark-coloured whinstone, and if a little more architectural taste had been shown, it would have been very ornamental to the Higfa Street. In imitation of Catholic oJid Episcopal churches, it is placed due east and west instead of fronting the High Street, which runs a few points north-east and south-west. The massive steeple which, by being built inside the church, destroys the uniformity of the gallery, should have been placed outside of the church, and flank- ed with a few pillars. The seats in the body of the church, by running across instead of lengthways^ make the audience sit with their side to the pulpit Being built on a gravelly mound, and the whole of the workmanship being of the best order, the church is extremely comfortable for the audience, and this comfort has been still farther increased by a stove having been introduced two years ago. The stipend, which was augmented in 1821, consists of 139 bolls, 1 peck of oatmeal, and the same quantity of barley, paid according to the highest rate of fiar prices in the county, and L.d9, 1 9s. surrendered • On one of the piers are the letters I Vrr26, which may perhapit be meant for 1426. PEEBLES. y* 18 PEl^BLES-SUlRE. teind in money. In this is included the sum of L. 10 for communion elements. The amount of stipend varies from L.250 to L.400 a-year^ according to the fiars prices. The teinds are so nearly exhaustedt that no farther augmentation can take place. According to Penne- cuik, the annual value of the living of Peebles was 6000 merks, conimunihus annis, but to this was attached the rectory of Manor.* At the revolution in 1688, on the final establishment of the Pres- byterian Religion, when a valuation was made of the different liv- ings, in the Presbytery Records it is stated, that the minister of Manor declared, '* that his paroch being a pendicle of Peebles, he was presented with the small viccecadge of the paroch, for the pay- ment whereof, he had his localitie from the parson of Peebles. The parson of Peebles furnishes the communion elements.*' It is stated by Dr Dalgliesh, that at the reformation, ^* the patron of the parish assigned part of the vicarage tithes of Peebles to the mas- ter of the grammar school." A vicar still exists in the parish who draws between L. 17 and L. 18 a-year, from the small tithes, but has no coimexion with the grammar-school, nor any ecclesiastical esta- blishment, farther than precenting in church. This appointment is in the gift of the patron of the parish. The old part of the manse was built in 1770, and a front was added to it in 1812, giving four additional rooms. It stands od the top of a steep bank, 22 feet above the surface of the TVeedi which washes the garden on the south. It is in excellent or- der, and in every respect is a very desirable residence. The glebe consists of 6^ English acres, of which about three quar- ters of an acre are meadow, and the rest arable, and of excellent quality. When the addition was made to the manse, upwards of an acre of meadow land was excambed from the glebe, for a piece of ground which lay adjoining to the garden of the manse. The Earl of Wemyss who succeeded to the title and estates of the Earl of March, on the death of the Duke of Queensberry, is patron of the parish. There are four dissenting places of worship in the burgh ; two of the Associate Synod, one of which formerly belonged to the Antiburgher communion; one of the Relief; and one Episco- pal. That which belonged to the Antiburghers is now vacant, the last two clergymen having gone to America; but another is on the eve of being settled. The stipend is to be L. 65 a-year, with a house and garden. The other Associate Synod congrega- tion pay their minister L. 130 a-year, including communion ele- • Description, p. 2. ■ PEEBLES. 19 inents, besides a house and garden. The minister informs me that his chai^ extends to no less than nine parishes. The clergyman of the Episcopal communion had from the beginning of his labours ID 1828, L. 70 a-year, but a reduction of L. 20 being proposed, he resigned his charge at Whitsunday last Another has lately been appointed. Of the Relief congregation, I cannot give any accu- rate account. The total number of families attending the Established church is about 232; of families attending the chapels, of dissenters, 108.* Education. — There are two teachers who are appointed by the magistrates, and have salaries from the burgh funds. The master of the grammar-school is allowed a good house for the accommo- dation of boarders, and L. 10 a-year of salary : from 16 scholars he receives L. 16 a-year. The boarders enter into a different cal- culation. The master of the English school has a salary of L. 28, and when the number of scholars is considerable, L. 10 additional for an assistant, but no house. His fees amount to betwixt L. 30 and L. 40 a-year. His fees as session-clerk are somewhat under L. 10 a-year. A female teacher is allowed L. 10 a-year by the burgh. The number of scholars attending the grammar-school is 18 day scholars, and 48 boarders, f In the three schools taught by fe- males, the number of scholars at present is 87, making in all, the number of scholars at the day schools 49 1 . In this list, those attend- ing the evening classes are not included, as several of them are day- scholars. There is no parochial school, and considering the popu- lation of the parish, it may reasonably be inquired why provision is not made for such an establishment, as was done some years ago in Haddington and several other burghs. The grammar-school has long and deservedly been distinguished as a boarding establish- ment, and never more so than at present. There are no mortifi- cations nor any funds for the education of the poor, who are taught at the expense of the kirk-session. For several years a Sabbath evening school has been taught in each of the two meeting-houses belonging to the Associate Synod : this school, however, is not li- mited to the children of any particular congregation. The present incumbent in the beginning of last summer began a Sabbath even- ing school with three assistants, which promises to do much good. * When the heads of fiunilles attend different places of worship, they are not in- cluded in these enumerations. From a census taken by the elders in 1830, the num- ber of indinduals belonging to the different congregations was &s follows :— Number of grown up persons attending the Established church, 850; lst_ Burgher >n, formerly ._ _ -- - MBgregation, 929 ; Episcopal meeting-house, 7. eongrcgation, formerly Anti- Burgher, 105; 2d Burgher congregation, 247; Relief f In the English school there are bl scholars ; and in three private schools the •ebohn amount to ^7. 20 PKKBLKS-SIIIRE. Poor. — In a populous parish, where no compulsory assessment is levied, and where the management of the poor devolves on the kirk-session, few duties fall to a clergyman which require greater pnidence, caution, and patient investigation, than the application of the poors funds. Most of my brethren will concur with me in stat- ing, that in the first two or three years of our incumbency, the per- sons who draw most freely from the session funds and the minister's purse arc the least deserving objects, and it is only when taught by experience we becoipe a Uttle more discriminating in our charities. In the oldest session record, where any mention is made of the distribution of money to the poor, the receipts from 2dd April 1662 to 25th March 1663, were L. 62, 5s. Scots, and the disbursements L. 137, 8s. Scots ; and there was a debt due by the kirk-session of L. 232, 4s. From that date to the present time, there has been a number of regular poor on the list. In 1699, the sum of Lb 88 Scots, and a few months afterwards L. 95, were distributed among 74 ^^ clamant" poor. In 1733, the collection at the dispensation of the Sacrament was L. 91, 17s. Scots; and on that occasion, and on many others both before and after that date, the common beg* gars received nearly the same allowance as the regular poor. Eight years before that date, in 1725, there were 18 regular poor on the list, and 15 who occasionally received relief. And a meeting of the heritors and kirk-session <^ appoint that any of the said 88 poor persons who shall apply to the minister, and shall be furnish- ed with certificates under his hand for charity, are to be served by the householders within the paroch, according to their several abi- lities, once a-week, and di^harges the inhabitants of the paroch to serve any others." * That we may compare the state of the poors' funds a hundred years ago with the present expenditure^ it may be farther stated, that from July 1732 to August 1739, the receipts were L. 3156, 1 7s. Scots, and the disbursements L.3086, 19s. The maiirtenance of an orphan child in 1733 was Lw2 Ster- ling, and 10s. for clothing ; at present, the common allowance is 2s. 6d. a-week. A coffin for a ])auper, paid by the kirk-session, cost 4s. Sterling. The average allowance to a regular pauper seems to have been 8d. a fortnight For many years previous to 1760, from L.60 to L.90 Scots was the collection made at the sacrament ; from that time till the end of the century, about L. 8 Sterling. At present, the number of poor on the roll is 28; of these 7 arc men, and the remaining 21 women. The allowance * Si^wiioii Records. PEEBLES. 21 varies from Is. to ds. 6d. a-week. In the return made lately by the writer of this article to Parliament, the average allow- ance for 1832 was Is. lO^d. a-week. In addition to the above, there are 19 orphan children on the list, and one insane female lodged at the rate of L. IS a-year. The whole annual expendi- ture, calculating for seven years, is L. 272.* There has for some years been rather a reduction than an increase. No allowance is made to persons out of employment, if able to work ; but if, from bad health, they cannot earn a subsistence, parochial relief is given without the session taking any cognizance of their substance. A dif- ferent system prevails in England ; and the writer of this article has known the church-wardens dispose of a poor man's cow before they granted him relief in his illness; the consequence of which was, that no distinction being thus made between provident and improvident habits, he continued a pauper for life. The poor are supported by the collections at the church doors, averaging L. 62 a-year, — by the interest of L. 700, — by mortcloth money, and the voluntary contribution of the heritors, paid accord- ing to the valuation of their lands. Though they contribute about two-thirds of the whole money expended on the poor, and though only three paupers belong to the landward part of the parish, the moderator of the kirk-session, at the half yearly meetings, has only to state how much money is required, and it is cheerfully granted, with the exception of one individual, whose contribution would be about L. 2 a-year, but who has long refused to pay. f. * In this sum are included clothing and education for several of the children, — the lalarieaof the treasurer and kirk officer, — the fees ofthe synod and presbyterj clerks, &c. f The most objectionable part of the present system of managing the poor is the hrm afaeiUement^ the bad efiects of which are forcibly experience in this parish. With the exception of two or three small villages, there is no other place than the eonnty town to which a labouring man can resort, when, by reason of bodily infir- mitiea or advancing old age, he is not equal to the duties of an able-bodied man. As there arc no supernumerary cottages in the country parishes, he must give up his boose to his successor, and betake himself to the burgh, where lodgings ofall descrip- dODt can be procured. If he can struggle on for three years by jobbing, working on the public roads, or by living on the savings of his industry, without applying for re- lief to the pariah in which his best years were spent, and which was benefited by his labour, when he can work no longer, or his means are exhausted, a settlement for bimaelJ^ or, in the event of his death, for his widow, is thus obtained in this parish. We are thus burdened not with the poor either of the town or the landward part of tbe parish, but by many from all the neighbouring country parishes. This was an evil flo nmch felt so rar back as 1749, that ** the session, considering that there are several poor old people come into this place and parish who likelv will prove burdensome to the poors* box, and who are not clothed with sufficient testimonials, do therefore appoint the elders in their several bounds to take strict notice of such, and apply to the magis- trates lor their concurrence to remove them out of the place, unless they produce suf- icient teatimoniak from their respective parishes to which they belong, and from wbenee they come, that they are willing to receive them back as soon as they prove trauUcsome and burdensome to this place, "f The resolutions and enactments of the f Session Record. 22 PEEBLES-SHIRE. In the application of money to the poor, it may be mentioned, that the collections made at the administration of the Lord's Sup- per, now twice a-year, amounting to about L. 15 or Lw 16, are given, not as in former times, doubling the fortnight's allowance, to the regular paupers, but are disposed of by giving two-thirds of the col- lections to communicants at the sacrament, who are not on the poors' list, and the remainder to the regular poor who are mem- bers of the church. In treating of the poors' laws, it is not unusual to prognosticate that Scotland will soon be in the same condition as England. No opinion can be more erroneous, as no Scotch act of Parliament bean any resemblance to the 4dd of Elizabeth, as it is now interpreted and acted upon. The poor in Scotland are under the management of the heritors and kirk-session ; in England, a magistrate in a distant part of the county can award what relief he thinks necessary, with- out knowing the merits of the case, till the Quarter Sessions are held. If the funds of the poor are administered with a steady and ju- dicious hand, there is no great prospect of any considerable increase of expenditure, unless the population should be greatly augmented. The utmost caution, however, should be observed in admitting poor persons on the permanent roll, for then it is almost impossible to strike them off. All donations or legacies left to the poor of any parish ought to be strictly applied to them, and not given indiscri- minately to new incomers who have not gained a settlement, or to paupers belonging to other parishes. To extend such charities equally to all, is to hold out a premium and encouragement for the poor to settle in places to which they do not belong, and to consume those resources which should be applied to the native population. Inns^ Sfc, — The number of inns in the burgh is 6, of taverns 7, and of grocers' shops where spirits are sold, 17. There are 3 breweries. The reduction of the duties on whisky was defended by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the plea of underselling the smuggler, and thus putting a stop to illicit distillation. It may reasonably be questioned if the country has gained by the change in the excise laws. No doubt, smuggling supported a law- less race of men who set order and good government at defiance; but it ought to be remembered that illicit distillation was confined kirk-session were excellent, but unfortunately neither the magistntes <^ this burgh nor any other magistrates can enforce them. The grievance is sererely felt* but we cannot remedy it A legislative enactment that would extend the law of seCtlmieot to five or rattier to seven consecutive years of residence* would confer a srcat benefit on towns surrounded by parishes where the work of depopulation is gmng fimrardi /i/id would thul after what has been said of the liberality of our heritors, that the salary is the maximum ; and the parochial teacher has fully double the legal accommodations. The school-fees may amount perhaps OD an average to L. 25 per annum. Owing to the great length of the parish in proportion to its breadth, many of the children can scarcely be expected to attend regularly, except perhaps for a short time in summer. Those in its western division find accommoda- tion in the schools of Peebles ; while a few families on its eastern borders are more destitute. A few years ago a small school library was founded in the parish ; at first it seemed to be verj- popular, but now it is very much ne- glected. Tlie same thing may be said of a Sabbath evening school, or lecture, established principally for young people after having left school and gone to service, as also for the aged and in- firm, and mothers of infant children, who could not attend church in the forenoon, but which, owing to the gradual decay of attend- ance, has, in the meantime, been discontinued. Popular lectures on some of the more simple parts of science were delivered gratis in the school-room two winters ago, and called forth a very crowded audience. They may perhaps be resumed occasionally hereafter. Friendly Societies. — Many of our people arc connected with se- veral of these, especially in Peebles ; and there is the Innerleithen and Traquair society of this kind, the funds of which are well ma- naged ; and the society is well supported. Some of the labouring: classes, when unable to work from sickness, are entitled, we believe, to as much as 9s. a-week from these societies ; but it has Ijcen no- ticed by some, that many of the members of such societies very sel- dom put any thing into the poors' box on Sunday. We must add, however, that we are not aware that almost any of them have come upon the poors' roll, except perhaps when rendered totally un- able to work, by accident or by old age, and when the weekly emoluments furnished by such societies become very small ; these becoming less and less the longer the members continue unfit for Work. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons t*eceiving regular parochial aid is 18. At present the number is 5i5. They consist of 1 widower, and an old man unmarried ; 6 ^dows, one of them having three children, and one old woman \inmarried ; 1 family, consisting of both parents and three child-* 52 PEEBLES-SHIRE. ren ; and 8 orphans and illegitimate children, deserted by one or both parents. On an average, the old people receive for house rent, medical attendance, and maintenance, 2s. 6d. per week, or L. 6, 10s. per annum ; and the children about half of this sum, exclusive of the expense of their education, which has amounted for some years past, along with that of others not on the poors' roll, to nearly L. 10 per annum. The funds by which this expense is defrayed consist of four different kinds. Ist, Interest of mortified money, amounting to about L. 8. 2dj Collections in the church, averaging about L.18. 3d, A voluntary offering made by the heritors for fully fifty years past, and instituted long before any regular assessment was impos- ed, of L. 6. And Ath^ An assessment borne in equal parts by both heritors and tenants of land. We do not take into account church dues, arising from the use of mortcloths, for these are very seldom paid ; and no fines for church censures are ever exacted. The regular assessment has been in operation since the beginning of the present century, and was conunenced during the great scar- city and dearth of these days. For the last fifteen years it has amounted to L. 77 per annum on an average, so that not less than L. 100 or L. 110 a-year are regularly spent in this parish on the support of the poor ; altogether exclusive of the private charity of families in this parish, and of individuals connected with it. The effect of the assessments is undoubtedly to impair that old Scot- tish spirit which considered the seeking of parochial relief as de- grading. It ought to be stated, that it is the labourers in the parish, not the artisans, ploughmen, or shepherds that expect a share of these charities ; a proof of the advantage of baring a fixed employment on which to depend for the means of sub- sistence. Alehouses. — There are two inns or alehouses in " the i)arishen." We cannot report that these have been sensibly injurious to the morals of the population. Fuel. — The great scarcity and consequent expense of this article is the greatest disadvantage under which this parish lies. Till within these few years, coal from the county of Mid-Lothian cost here Is. 6d. per cwt., or L. 1, 10s. per ton, a price which was at- tended with great distress to the poorer classes. By the new line of road now making in the county of Edinburgh, in continuation of that lately made from the Tweed along the banks of the Leithen, TRAQUAIR. 53 it is believed that we shall not be above fifteen or sixteen miles from coal; and that what now costs here from lOd. to 14d. per cwt, will, on an average, be reduced fully below the lowest of these two prices. Compression of Peat. — The time and attention required for the drying of peat has been the great objection to its more gene- ral use ; and it is on this account chiefly that we consider the plan of compression lately introduced to the notice of the pub- lic as deserving of attention. The writer of this having made several experiments on the subject, feels confident in stating, that a very considerable quantity both of time and labour in the drying of peat may be saved by this process ; but it appears to him, that, unless some simple, effectual, and speedy plan of with- drawing the peat from the box after being compressed be employed, the value of the plan of compression will be, as to economy, almost completely neutralized. On this point he would simply throw out the following hifits : Ist^ The principle of the corking-machine, by which a perfectly perpendicular moven«nt is communicated through the lever to the piston, or lid of the box in which the peat is to be compressed, is indispensable. 2d, The box itself ought to be firmly fixed to the platform on which it rests; and, Sdj a false bottom (perforated, of course, Uke the real bottom of the box,) with an up- right rod of iron attached to each end of it, so formed as to tra- verse (also perpendicularly) in a groove in each end of the lid or piston, with a knob at the top of each rod, by which, when the lever is raised up, after compression, the peat might be withdrawn from the box, and then with ease and expedition removed off this false bottom by the hands of the person who builds up the compressed peat in the small stacks or " rickles." By this plan we think that two men, one to cut the peat, and the other to work the lever, with two, or at the most three women or boys to take the peat from the cutter, to place it carefully on the false bottom, to remove it when compressed, and to build it up in the heaps for drying, would be quite sufficient for the whole process; and in this way we should suppose that the expense of the compressed peat would not be more than double of its cutting in the common way ; or when ready for carrying home, not more than that of common peat, because all the expense of " fitting" and " turn- fitting ;" in a word, all the labour between cutting and carrying home is saved, and the whole work is done in one or more conti- nuous days. 54 PEEBLES-SHIRE. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the last Statistical Account was drawn up, the whole sys- tem of agriculture in the parish has been changed, improved, and extended. The old Scottish plough is now entirely laid aside, and four horses are probably never seen yoked together in the field. Instead of ^^ a small quantity of turnips being raised," they form a regular rotation in every farm. Instead of " 500 bolls of barley being exported," there is now at least double that quantity. In- stead of the wheat being ^^ nothing equal to the consumption," that consumption is not only immensely enlarged, but a considerable overplus for sale is left. Instead of the small coarse-wooUed black- faced breed of sheep, we have now the Cheviot. Instead of one resident heritor, we have four. Preparations are now going on for a ycTy considerable extension of the plantations on the estates of The Glen and Cardrona. Every farm-steading in the parish has probably been rebuilt in the interval. It only remains to add, that the first water-meadows in Scotland were formed in this parish. Some of them are still irrigated regularly, and we have heard one fanner allege that they would amply repay the original cost, were he com- pelled by wet seasons to cart the grass they produce directly to the dunghill. Owing partly to the lightness of the soil, and partly to its having been so long in cultivation, the land in general is becoming .ex- hausted. Much of it will no longer produce clover and rye-grass, (the only grasses, we believe, that have been attempted to be rais- ed in this district,) so as to be a remunerating crop, and some farms seem also to have begun to weary of turnip ; at all events, the disease known familiarly by the name o{ Jiiiffers-and-toes has shown itself more or less in some of our fields. The writer would propose, in the first place, that there ought to be an understanding, at the commencement of every lease, that if the tenant cultivate his farm properly, and pay his rent duly, it shall be in his own option to continue in the farm so long as he does so, on a rise or fall of rent corresponding to the fiars prices and to the times ; for it is known to every one, that, by the stimu- lus of lime, a tenant can " take every good quality out of the soil that is in it," by the termination of his lease, and yet not violate a single condition of the contract. Hence the desire the tenants all express that they should know whether they are to " flit " or not, even several vears before the end of the lease. TRAQUAIR. 55 Were this understanding to become general, the farmer would be encouraged to give full attention to the procuring of foreign manure to make up for the loss sustained by the grain raised not being consumed on the farm. This, it is believed, might be ac- complished in a district such as this, by water-meadows, or simply by cutting, were it only for the dunghill, immense masses of ferns, heath, and above all ^^ sprits," which are allowed to grow up and rot on the hills, and which, at best, only increase annually the quantity of peat bog. With the sprits, and even with the ferns, if cut green and well salted, they might winter in the straw yard an additional number of cattle, and thus add both to their purse and their dunghill, without deducting a single comfort from their sheep; nay, adding many, in the sweetness and variety of the young and tender grasses that would spring up. And again, let an inch, — more or less, — of new mould, nay, even of " till," be brought up at every rotation of turnip fallow, and well incorporated with the now rich old soil, and we venture to say, that the productive qua- lity of our' fields will again return, and wil^ soon repay all the ad- ditional benefit that had been heaped upon them. April 1834. PARISH OF TWEEDSMUIR. PRESBYTERY OF PEEBLES, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. THE REV. GEORGE BURNS, D.D. MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, Boundaries, Sfc. — This parish having originally been at- tached to that of Drummelzier, appears to have been formerly cal- led Over-Drummelzier. As to the origin of its present name, which it has had at least since the year 1643, when it was erected into a new parish, it is only necessary to state, that the Tweed has its rise in this parish, and that a considerable proportion of the country, particularly beside the source of the river, is in a re- markable degree distinguished by the bleakness and moorishness of its aspect. The mean length and breadth of the parish are nearly equal, and arc not less than eight miles. It is thirty miles in circumference, and has been calculated to contain sixty-four square miles, or about 33,380 Scotch acres. But if allowance be made for the vast inequalities of ground, the extent may be fairly estimated as at least two-thirds more. The parish is bounded on the south by Moffat ; on the east by Megget ; on the west by Crawford ; and on the north by Drum- melzier. It is situated in the midst of that vast range of mountains which stretches into Scotland from Northumberland, advances to the head of Lanarkshire, passing through Selkirkshire and the northern boundarj- of Dumfries-shire, and terminates in the coun- ty of Ayr, thus forming a chain of connection between the east and west counties of the south of Scotland. Topographical Appearances. — The highest hills in the parish are Broadlaw on the north, and that part of Hartfell or Hartfield on the south, which comprehends its highest point of elevation. By an accurate calculation, made by order of Government, Broad- law was found to be 274 1 feet above the sea level at low water, and Hartfell 2635, the former being the highest hill south of the Forth. From the summit of Broadlaw a prospect opens extensive and mag- nificent in the highest degree; for, while the eye passes over TWEEDSMUIR. 57 mountain after mountain in apparently endless succession, like waves of a tumultuous sea, it rests not till it reaches the English border and the German ocean. It is worthy of remark, as regards this and most of the other hills in the parish, that they are of com- paratively easy ascent, and are flat as attic plains on the top. Many of the inhabitants of the parish are supplied with excellent peat from these lofty regions, which is brought down in common carts, drawn by horses with comparative ease and safety. And, what constitutes at once the ornament and the value of these moun- tains, is, that they are clothed in the finest verdure, even to the top, and produce an herbage so luxuriant in summer, as to admit of being mowed to an indefinite extent. The pasture which they afford for sheep and black-cattle is of the richest and most nutri- tious quality ; in proof of which, there is no part of this or any other country that produces flocks more healthy, or in higher re- pute in the English market. It may also be remarked, that these mountains have none of that Alpine boldness of contour by which the Grampians and most other hills of Caledonia are distinguish- ed. The flats and morasses of this district are comparatively few and inconsiderable. Meteorohgy. — It may be remarked under this head, that no ma- terial difference has been observed betwixt the weather here and at Edinburgh. Snow or rain in some instances has preceded that at Edinburgh by sevenal hours ; and in the case of a fall of snow which happened in November 1831, it was found that it fell to a greater depth in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis, than even in this elevated region. From the situation of these moun- tains in relation to the eastern and western seas, storms of snow and rain frequently spend their force before reaching them ; and those who have lived long in the country give it as the result of their observation, that the sheep have seldom been denied their pasture for any length of time, in consequence of the depth or long continuance of the snow ; and that the loss of sheep or lambs from the severity of the weather has at no time been very consi- derable. The average quantity of rain that falls annually through- out the county does not exceed twenty-eight inches ; and hence it may be inferred that though showers are more frequent, yet that the actual quantum is not so great as in those counties which lie east and west of Tweeddale. A book of meteorological obsena- tions, kept by the late schoolmaster of this parish for several years previous to his death, exhibits the following results. 58 PEEBLES-SHIIIE. Mean temperature of the different seasons at Tweedsmuir, from 1821 to 1828, inclusive, reckoning March, April, and May, the months of spring; June, July, and August, those of summer; Sep- tember, October, and November, those of autumn; and December, January, and February, those of Winter. 1821, 1822, 182d, 1B24, 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, Spring. 42^.973 45.183 42 .796 40.19:) 41 .966 43.220 42.256 42.960 Summer. 54^616 56.940 52.253 54.120 55.680 56.180 53.873 54.746 Autumn* 46».780 45.406 44.886 43.716 45.070 43.266 46.246 45.570 Winter. 35^9e0 38.333 32.990 36.730 35.546 34.516 34.090 37.953 Mean annual temperature of a constant spring, and of the air at Tweedsmuir, from 1821 to 1828, inclusive. 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, Constant Spring. Air in the Shade. 45°.711 - 45^.300 45.866 - 46.129 44 .743 - 43 .436 45 .055 - 43 .565 45 .291 - 44 .494 45.565 - 45.212 44.896 - 44.179 45.195 . 45.316 Monthly Mean Temperature. TdT 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 I an. 36^02 38.00 31 .75 36.77 35.57 30.15 32.44 37.36 S5°.94 38.46 32 .72 36.46 35.60 38.79 30.12 30.04 Mar. lAprii. 38^86^45^70 41 .1244.00 37 .3340 .77 34.14 36.17 40.11 41 .97 r37.4943.02 35.8842.37 :J8.9641 .34 Aug. 57».36 55. 53.02 33 .59 .36.04 7348 .3956.82 55.9352.87 54.15 Sept. ji* .99 .30 49.97 50.41 53.90 49.76 51 .46 50.56 Oct. 46^61|89» 40. 42. 42. 46. 45.27 47 .3939 44.00 .0241 .7241 .2938 .3834 JNov. U^ .74 ».M .9031.50 .9736.96 .4535.47 .93 34 .61 34 .77 39 .71 .8940.461 42 .]5|40 .5\ The prevailing winds in this quarter are S. and S. W. which most commonly bring rain, whereas snow is generally looked for from the N. and E. Small-pox and measles are the only infectious diseases known here, and have never appeared unless when imported. There are no epidemic or prevailing distempers. Within these few years, several persons have died at the ad- vanced ages of from 90 to 95 years ; and there are two individuals a male and a female, at present enjoying vigorous old age at up- wards of fourscore. The average of deaths in the parish itself, does not exceed three or four per annum ; but as many persons are brought from other parishes for interment here, the number of burials in the course of a year is very considerable. Hifdro(jraj)hij. — Tweed. — A very insignificant well near Tweed- TWEEDSMUIR. 59 shaws, at the upper extremity of the parish, gives rise to the far- famed river Tweed, which runs ten miles through the parish, in a north-westerly direction, and, after pursuing a beautiful meander- ing course for ninety miles farther, loses itself in the German Ocean at Berwick. The source of the Tweed is half a mile from Lanarkshire, on the west, and jthe same distance from Dumfries- shire on the south, and it is not a little remarkable, that from the base of one and the same hill, the three celebrated rivers, Tweed, Annan, and Clyde, take their rise. It may with truth be said, that though the origin of the Tweed be humble, it is not lowly^ as the spring whence it flows is fully 1500 feet above the sea's level. Almost innumerable are the tributary streams in this parish which the Tweed begins to receive from within two miles of its source, and which cause it to swell and to amplify as it rolls along. These have the names of waters and bums applied to them according to their relative degrees of magnitude or importance. The Core, Fruid, and Tala, three waters in this parish, run into the Tweed from the south-east The first rises on the lands of Earlshaugh, and, after running three miles, falls into the Tweed a mile below Tweedshaws. The second has its origin three miles east from the source of the Core, and, after a course of seven miles, joins the Tweed a mile above the church. The third originates in a small spring half a mile west from Loch Skeen, and descends from tluv hills seven or eight miles, when it loses itself in the Tweed below the church, where a good stone bridge has been erected. There are in this parish nine burns, marked by the following names, viz. Tweedhope, Glencraigie, Badlieu, Old Fingland, Menzion, Glen- riska, Moat, Harestone, and Polmood. These all run in a north- easterly direction to the Tweed, in which they empty themselves. The only other of any consequence is Gameshope Jwrw, which joins Tala water four miles above the spot where it mingles with the main river. These different streams, great and small, have an abundant supply of trout, par, and eels ; and in Tweed at spawn- ing time, which commences about the end of autumn, salmon of considerable size often fall victims to the snares of the poacher, which are commonly the light and the leister. At the bridge over Tweed is CarloVs Lin«, a small but interesting water-fall, formed by the rocky bottom over which the river here passes. There is a lake in the parish worthy of notice, not on account of its extent, for it is only 586 yards in circumference, but as being, perhaps, the highest sheet of water in the south of Scot- 60 PEEULES-SHIRE. land. It is called Gameshope Loch, and abounds in excellent trout, though, on account of the dark and mossy hue of the water, they are of a black colour. From what has now been stated, it may be inferred that this parish affords opportunities for fishing such as are seldom to be met with. It is accordingly much re- sorted to in favourable seasons by the lovers of that sport from Edinburgh and other quarters. Every water^ and almost every bum^ has its range of hills and its valley, with scenery more or less beautiful, romantic, and inte- resting. There is high ground on both sides of the main river, and towards the lower extremity of the parish, the spots of culti- vation, and fringes of planting which adorn its banks and the adja- cent hills, give the whole an inland appearance, and cannot fiiil to please the eye of the tiisteful observer. Near the top of Broad- law hill, there is a remarkably fine perennial spring called GeddaU Welly and from the Hartfell spa at the south skirt of that moun- tain, chalybeate waters are transported for the cure of many ulcer- ous disorders. Geology and Mineralogy, — In this parish, nothing has yet been discovered to gratify the professed geologist or mineralogist Greywackc and greywacke-slate {whinstone of the peasantry,) and some other lapideous strata belonging to the order of transition rocks, are to be found in abundance; but no secondary strata have been ascertained to exist, though, from the soft outline of these mountains, it might be supposed that sandstone could be found beneath the soil. It docs not, however, appear that any at- tempt has been made by mining or otherwise to make geological discoveries or observations. In many places the soil is strong, be- ing a thick mould formed of earth and moss. The arable parts of the parish present a soil in general of a light loam, with gravel and sandstone at the bottom. Zoology. — The only rare animal that has been known to frequent this parish belongs to the feathered tribe, and is called Eme^ or White-tailed Eagle, (the young bird, the Sea Eagle, or Faico as- sifragns ; the old bird, the White-tailed Eagle, the Falco albi- cilia,) which at one time used to hatch in an island in Loch Skeen, and to nestle among the clefts around Tala Linnfooti. So great were its ravages among the sheep, that every effort was made to extirpate it, and for many years past there has been rea- son to think that these efforts were successful. But in the course of the reason just closed, it rcaj)peared in the same as well as in TWKEDSMUIR. Gl other parts of the parish, and committed several depredations. It had well nigh carried off a shepherd's boy, but fortunately it was discovered hovering over its destined victim, and driven away just before it had pounced upon its prey. Under this head it would be unpardonable to omit the fidm Achates^ or shepherd's dog, whose docility, sagacity, and vast utility cannot be too highly ap- preciated. As occasion requires, and the shepherd issues the man- date, he either remains on permanent duty as a guard or watch over the flock when his master is necessarily engaged elsewhere, or he goes round the scattered sheep at a great distance and collects them, thus relieving the shepherd of the most arduous part of his labours, and accomplishing feats on these mountains which, with* out his dexterous management, could not perhaps be accomplished at all. Those of the true breed bring a high price, varying from L. 3 to L. 5, and even L. 6 Sterling. Botany. — The earliest spring food for the sheep in this district is the plant bearing a white cotton head, vulgarly called moss-crop, t. e. bog cotton, the Eriophorum polystachion of Linnaeus. To this it is thought Ossian refers when he thus describes a certain beautiful female ; ^^ If on the heath she moved, her breast was whiter than the down of Cana, &c." It begins to spring about Can- dlemas in propitious seasons, and grows in mossy ground. Draw- ling, the jE. vaginatum of Linnaeus, succeeds it in March, and the sheep gently seize upon the part above ground. Heath is the hist in order, and it being the practice to burn a part yearly, in order to secure a succession of it, the burnt or young part is first dis- cernible. Tradition as well as living authority informs us, that this country abounded in wood of a natural growth ; but, partly through the cu- pidity of proprietors in turning their timber into c^ish, regardless of the interest of their successors, and the beauty of the countrj', and partly through the increasing demand for mutton and broad- cloth, the hills are now denuded of their trees, and almost wholly devoted to pasture for sheep. Some old ash trees still remain at Fniid and Ilawkshaw, and it is found that larch, birch, Scotch and silver fir, and poplars, agree best with the climate and soil of this elevated region. It is unfortunate that leases are not long enough to encourage tenants to plant trees to any extent, but it is grati- fying to be able to report that the Earl of Wcmyss and Sir James Montgomery of Stanhope, Bart, have not been altogether inatten- tive to this object. In the course of a few years, the young and 62 PEKBLES-SHIRE, thriving plantations around the onsteads at Crook and Harestone, belonging to the former proprietor, and at Nether Menzion, be- longing to the latter, cannot fail to add greatly to the beauty and comfort of the dwelling places. IL — Civil History. Accounts of the Parish, — Besides the former Statistical Account of the parish furnished to Sir John Sinclair by the Rev. J. Muschet, there is a more extended one in the Edinburgh Literary and Sta- tistical Magazine. It is understood to have been written by the Rev. James Gardner, last minister of the parish. Antiquities, — At the source of the Tweed, and where this pa- rish borders on Annandale, there is a spot called Tweeds-cross^ where stood one of those erections so frequently to be met with on public roads in this kingdom before the Reformation, — probably placed as devotional land-marks to guide travellers from one mo- nastery to another. " Tweed's cross is generally thought to have been a place of Druidical worship to the sun, and it is more than probable that it afterwards became a mark of direction on so pre- carious a pass, as well as a terminate point of division between the shires." From its elevated site, 1632 feet above the level of the sea, it justly claims a pre-eminence over every other human erec- tion of the kind in the south of Scotland.* Near Earlshaugh, in this vicinity, is a hill called the Crown of Scotland^ for reasons now unknown. On the right side of the road leading towards the Bield Inn, is the shepherd's house of Badlieu, the property of Lord Forbes, and well known as the residence of Bertha, so celebrated for her beauty and her tragical fate. Grimus, King of Scotland, who had a hunting-seat at Polmood, was captivated by her charms, and the birth of a son was the consequence of an illicit connection between them. During the absence of the king, occasioned by an attempt on the part of the Danes to invade the northern frontiers of his kingdom. Bertha, her father, and her child were murdered by as- sassins employed by the queen. The queen did not long surviw this act of barbarity. The king on his return caused the grave to be opened, and contemplated with mingled feelings of grief and horror the three mangled bodies. From that period he lost * In the immediate neighbourhood of this cross, during a severe snow storm in February 1831, the guard and driver of the mail cotich to Edinburgh were compeUed to leave the coach, and attempted to carry the letter-bags on their shoulders ; but un- fortunately Iiaving gone off the high road, they became exhausted, aud sunk lifdess aiuong the snows. They luing the bags upon a pole at the side of the road, vhich is still marked out to the passing travelltT. TWKEDSMUIR. G3 all relish for the joys of life, and soon afterwards died on the field of battle in the eighth year of his reign. On the opposite side of the Tweed, and close by the road leading from the church to Menzion house, there are the remains of a Druidical temple, or Pictish court of justice. Only one stone is left of a number similar in appearance and size which stood toge- ther, and which have been removed for the purposes of dike-build- ing, &C. It is called the Standing-stone, and is five feet above the surface of the earth. From behind it, a person of diminutive stature, known by the name of Little John, discharged an arrow at the head of a freebooter of formidable dimensions who greatly annoyed the peaceful inhabitants, and who, though on the oppo- site side of the Tweed, was unable to elude the deadly stroke. * A tumulus at the spot where he fell is still pointed out as the giant's grave ; and certain it is that sixteen years ago a labourer, in removing the stones of a cairn at the spot, found the grave of some ancient hero. " The sides of it," says the late incumbent of this parish, ^^ were all regularly lined with smooth thin stones, and the top well covered with a large flag of full length." Frag- ments of an urn of strong earthen-ware were found within, a piece of which was brought to the minister at the time. About thirty years before this event, a grave of the same descrij)- tion, and containing an urn, was found under a cairn upon Nether Oliver, the property of the Earl of Wemyss. And at a later date, upon the landsof Menzion, there was found another grave, with side stones about six feet, and a covering stone two feet thick, and five in length. Over this monument there was no cairn or heap of smal- ler stones. At Fruid, Hawkshaw, and Oliver are vestiges of those andent castles, towers, or strengths, of which the strath of Tweed from this part of Peebles-shire, down to Elibank Tower, and from thence to Berwick, exhibits so manv relics. The parish church stands upon an eminence resembling a Saxon moat, triangular in form, and thirty feet in height. It has some- times been called Quarter Knowe^ and supposed to have been a place of Druidical worship. Forsyth inHiis Beauties of Scotland says, that " it is generally supposed to be an qncient tumulus, and is vulgarly called a Roman work." Some of the old inhabitants suppose that it is an elevation left by the confluence of the Tala and Tweed, which they say at one time overflowed the low • This event is thought to hiive given the to the well-known story of Jack the Giant KUIer. 04 PEEBLES-SHIRE. grounds now forming the glebe. A veil of mystery hangs over it which will probably never be dispelled ; but as it forms the parish burial ground, as well as the site of the church, an opportunity is afforded, every time a grave is opened on the higher parts of the eminence, of observing the vast accumulation of stones which at one time or other may have there been brought together by human hands. Family of Porteous. — Hawkshaw was formerly, and for upwards of 1000 years, the residence of the family of Porteous, allowed to have been the chief of the name ; and the armorial bearing of that family has for a motto, " Let the Hawk Shaw" Near the dwelling- house are faint vestiges of a chapel and burial-ground, where the sculptured head of a monk was found some time ago. Near Tala Moss, in the same neighbourhood, there is a spot near which a detachment of sixteen horsemen from Oliver Crom- welPs camp at Biggar was surprised and barbarously murdered by Porteous of Hawkshaw. It is also reported that here at one time a number of predatory barbarians from the English border were attacked and killed by the inhabitants. Family of Fraser. — Oliver Castle was the paternal seat of the Frasers. " This noble and ancient family," says Nisbet, " were originally from France, and settled in Scotland so early as the reign of Achaius 794, coeval with Charlemagne. The posterity of this emigrant were Thanes of the Isle of Man, and afterwards in Tweed- dale, where they first assumed the name from the French straw- berry Frasses. In the reign of Malcolm IV., they possessed an im- mense tract of land in the south of Scotland, particularly in Tweed- dale, and were dignified with the power of High Sheriff of the county; and in the reigns of Alexander II. and III., and during the minority of the queen, Sir Simon Frazer, lord of Oliver Castle, 1292, with the heroism of a sound patriot, fought and defeated, with the assistance of Cummin and 10,000 Scots, a superior num- ber of Edward First's army, said to have been 30,000 strong, near Roslin, 27th February 1303. But he did not long enjoy these merited honours, for, like the renowned Sir William Wallace, he was put into the hands of Edward, and, like him, died a martyr to his coun- try's \\Tongs. His son being sent into exile in France, left his two sisters in possession of the estate, who soon after divided the lands in marriage with Fleming of Wigton,* and Hay of Yester ; f but, • Ancestor of the Karl of Wiirton. f Ancestor of the Marquis of Twecddale. TWEEDSMUIR. 65 hearing of the unexpected success of Robert Bruce, returned to claun his right, and to support that of his country. The king, however, on his remonstrance, finding the possessors in nowise wil- ling to relinquish so valuable a property, granted to him an equi- valent of lands in the north." These noble families have now no interest in Tweeddale. * There can be no doubt that the glens and mountains of this pa- rish were among the favourite haunts of our persecuted forefathers in the reign of Charles II. Donald's Cleugh, in Games-hope, is generally understood to have been so named from its being the re- treat of that sturdy adherent of the Covenant, Donald Cargill, after he had fled from his charge in the Barony church of Glasgow, in consequence of the violent persecution directed against the cove- nanters of the west.f Land-owners. — The chief land-owners in this parish are the Earl of Wemyss and March, and Sir James Montgomery of Stanhope, Bart Parochial Registers. — The parish registers commence in June 1722, and have been kept with tolerable regularity. III. — Population. In 1755 the population was - 397 1775, . 250 1790-8, . . 227 1800, 277 18:31, . . 288 1. Number of families in the parish, ... 49 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 24 trade, manufiu^urcs, or handicraft, 5 not in any of these occupations, 20 2. Nunaber of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 5 women, including widows, upwards of 45, 3 3. 7*he number of persons at present under 15 years of age, - 121 upwards of 70, - - 9 * Buchanan of Auchmar, in his inquiry into the genealogy of ancient Scots sir- names, says, ** That great man Sir Simon Frazcr, so famous in the reign of Robert I., was Lord of Tweeddale, and resided at Oliver Castle in that county ;" and adds, that '* the Tweedies, now possessors of that castle and adjacent estate, are supposed to be descended from the ancient Frazers, now of Lovat and Saltoun." How the TVeedies became proprietors of Oliver Castle is variously conjectured, but it is un- doubted that they resided at Drummclzicr in James First's time, and were possessors of almost the whole lands from Neidpath Castle, near Peebles, the ancient property and chief residence of the Frasers of Oliver Castle, in this parish. It is thought that Drummelzier was alienated from them about the latter end of James Fifth's time. The site of the old castle of Oliver is still pointed out at a clump of trees on high ffround opposite the manse, but on the other side of the river ; and contiguous to it u the present mansion-house, a plain substantial edifice, the occasional residence of Lawrence Tweedie, Esq. now I^ird of Oliver. As to the origin of the Tweedies, see Waverley Novels, Introduction to the Betrothed, pp. 6 — 8. f A different account of that si*cluded region given by IVIr William Hogg, brother of the Ettrick Shepherd. PEEBLES. E 66 PEEBLES-SHIRE. The decrease of population has been owing to the extension of farms. The whole property of the parish belongs to nine indivi- duals, only one of whom ranks as a resident heritor. There are only five or six individuals that can be called resident tenants. Character and Habits of the People. — The people in general live in comfort, and scarcely any are unable to lay in their mart for winter. Poaching prevails to a considerable extent both in game and salmon ; but, on the whole, the people are intelligent, moral, and religious. Tlie shepherd's plaid is universally worn. At Tweedhopefoot, two miles north from Tweedshaws, there lived a well-known character in his day, called Jamie Welsh, and ironically nick-named the Bairn of Tweedhopefoot^ a perfect Mile in physical strength, huge in corporeal bulk, and having ^^ a heart ofoak^^ in respect of personal courage. His putting-stone is still shown, and it is a heavy lift for any ordinary man. It is said that he carried a load of meal (16 stones) on his back all the way from Peebles, a distance of 24 miles, and only rested twice. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — The number of English acres actually under tillage and enclosure does not exceed 300. But it is impossible to calculate how much is arable, a great proportion of the mountains being quite capable of cultivation ; though, from the expense of lime and other causes, it is not considered an ob- ject to bring it into that state. Oats, barley, turnips, pease, pota- toes, and artificial grasses are the usual crops, and succeed well. The average return of grain is six bolls to one sown. There are no acres in undivided common ; and the number of those under wood does not exceed 25. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land per acre is 18s. The average rate of grazing is L. 3, lOs. per ox or cow, and 5«. per ewe or full-grown sheep pastured for the year. The valued rent of the parish stood thus in 1819 : Earl of Wemyss, Sir James Montgomery of Stanhope, Bart. Anderson of Carterhope, Lord Forbes, . . . . Scott of Fingland, Stewart of Hawkshaw, Tweedie of Oliver, Welsh of Earlshiugh and Tweedshaws, Stewart of Glenbreck, Toul in Scotch money, . L. 8962 6 6 Bate of Wages. — A good man-servant gets L. 12 per annum; ami if married, a house in addition, and sometimes a cow's grass, if ;3 .1657 7 720 278 10 10 272 7 237 9 2 228 12 215 Id 6 180 172 7 TWEEDSMUIR. 67 he does not receive victuals from his master. A very capable servant- woman gets at the rate of L* 6 per annum. Mechanics charge 2s. 6(1. per day with victuals, and ds. without victuals. Shepherds. — That very useful class of men receive as wages 45 sheep, (which may be valued at 7s. each,) 3 loads, or 6 bolls, of meal (per annum,) a cow, and dwelling-house, with a gar- den or potato plat. In some cases, where the charge is exten- sive, two or three milch cows are allowed ; and if a shepherd has to employ a son, or any young man, as an assistant, a propor- tion of meal and sheep is granted for his wages and maintenance. Being more in the capacity of stewards or overseers than servants, our shepherds have much confidence reposed in them by their masters, or rather employers, and enjoy advantages and comforts corresponding to the importance of the station they occupy. They are seldom removed from their situation ; their fidelity insures it to them till old age unfits them for the discharge of its duties, and often it descends from father to son. Husbandry. — Smearing of sheep is universally practised, and tar and palm-oil forming a cheaper preparation, and no less efficacious than others that have been reconmiended, is now very geneniUy used, though, to prevent the undue preponderance of the first named ingredient, many add a considerable proportion of butter and train-oil. Light stocking is carefully attended to, and ewe milking is almost entirely abandoned. At the great show of the Highland Society at Dumfries, Mr James Welsh of Earlshaugh, who is the present tenant of Carterhope, gained the highest pre- mium for black-faced, and Mr William Aitchison, present tenant of Menzion, for Cheviot. The former has for upwards of two years past tried the experiment of crossing the whole of Carter- hope ewes with the Leicester breed of tups, which is found to succeed well. The price obtained for 600 sold at Liverpool last year was 14s. 6d., which he considered a good return. In this parish there are 16,000 sheep, of which 9,000 are Che- viot or white-faced, and the remaining 7,000 are black faced. The former were introduced about thirty years ago, and, on account of the superior quality of the wool, are allowed to give the best return, especially when reared on land grassy and dry. But as the latter are generally supposed to be a hardier race, some give them the preference as best adapted for high, wet, and badly sheltered situa- tions, though the opinion of some of the most intelligent, judicious, and experienced of our store-masters is decidedly against this notion. G8 PKEBLES-SIllRE. About fifty years ago draining commenced in this parish on a large scale, and at a rough calculation not less than 80,000 roods have undergone that process. Catching of moles, building of stells or shelters for the sheep in stormy nights, and erecting march dikes or fences between different farms, are great improvements, and much has been done in these respects of late. The unce- mented or Galloway dike is preferred as a fence for sheep. The duration of leases for such farms as this parish contains is extreme- ly various, being 4, 6,- 8, 14 to 19 years. The farm-houses are all slated and built of stone and lime, and most of them are two stories high. Several of the shepherds* houses are built of stone and lime, and covered with slate. The greatest obstacle to improvement is the distance of lime and extent of land carriage for all kinds of material. A single cart of lime when every thing is hired costs Ids. or 14s. Produce. — The average value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : Oats at 148. 6d. per boll, barley at 22s. per boU, and pease at 208. per boll, the only groiiis cultivated in the parish, I^ 903 14 Potatoes at 5s. per boll, ... {43 ]5 Turnips at SOs. per acre, - . . 80 Meadow hay at 4d. per stone, ... 241 17 6 Cultivated do. at 6d. per stone, - . . 61 15 Wool at the present prices, not less than 18s. per stone, 2400 L.d23l 1 6 V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Town. — The nearest market-town is Biggar, which is twelve miles from the Crook Inn. In the parish there is no village of any description. Means of Commiinicatian. — There are post-chaises and horses at Crook, where is also our post-office. The great road from Edin- burgh to Dumfries by Moffat runs ten miles through the parish ; and, as the mail-coach passes along it daily, it is of course kept in a state of excellent repair. Ecclesiastical State. — The church is scarcely two miles from the lower extremity of the parish, and, consequently, some of the pa- rishioners have to travel eight miles in order to i^each it* It was built in 1648, and is at present in good repair. It accommodates 160 individuals, and about 30 free sittings are afforded by the communion seats, which, however, have lately been removed to make way for a stove during the severer months in winter; but in summer, when required for the greater attendance at that time^ they are replaced. TWEEDSMUIR. 69 llie manse was built thirty-six years ago, and, along with the church, has just been receiving extensive repairs. The glebe contains 9 acres and 17 falls Scots measure, of ex- cellent quality, and may be worth L. 20 Sterling per annum. The church, manse, and glebe are situated on a beautiful penin* sula formed by the junction of Tweed and Tala. The stipend is 14 chalders, with L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. Of va- lued teind there is about I^ 60, which is paid in money, without conversion into meal and barley. The last augmentation was ob- tained in 1821, leaving the teinds unexhausted. The parishioners are all attached to the Established church, and attend its services, with the exception of two individuals, who had been brought up in Secession principles at Peebles, and generally attend a meeting-house at Biggar, though they frequently appear along with their family at the parish church. The communicants are 120, and, considering the scattered state of the population, and the distance of many from the house of prayer, the usual attendance at Divine ordinances is remarkably good. Education. — Besides the parish school, there are occasionally two private teachers hired for the convenience of a few families at a distance. The branches taught in the parish school, besides the ordinary ones, are geography, French, Latin, and Greek. The sa- lary is Lb 32 Sterling per annum ; and school fees amount to about L. 12 more. The legal accommodation of a dwelling-house is af- forded. The garden is only one-half of the legal allowance, but in lieu of the other half, one boll of meal is granted. For teaching reading the master charges 8s., writing, 10s., arithmetic, 12s., Latin and Greek, 14s. per annum. Poor and Parochial Funds. — There was formerly a voluntary assessment among the heritors, but at present there is no assess- ment of any kind. The only support for the poor is derived from the weekly collections at church, — the proceeds of mortcloth and proclamations of banns. The spirit of independence is very strong among the people of this parish, and great aversion is generally felt to receiving aid from the poor-boxy as it is called. There is at present only one pensioner on the poors' funds, who receives Is. 3d. per week. Foreign mendicity annoys us greatly, and the conveyance of cripples, &c. from hence to Moffat, on the one hand, (fifteen miles) and to Broughton, on the other (eight miles,) forms, as might be expected, a very important item in our annual expenditure. The annual amount arising from all the usual sources 70 PEEBLES-SHIRE. combined for tlie support of the poor, does not reach at an average L. 10 Sterling. luTis. — There are three of these in the parish, but, being situ- ated on the turnpike road, they may be considered necessary for the accommodation of travellers. At the same time they are, to a certain extent, demoralizing in their influence, especially on the habits of those who live in their vicinity. From the responsibility attached to the oflBce of shepherds in this district, where they are entrusted with almost the whole management, men of truly up- right characters have been generally selected, and it certainly speaks volumes in favour of their principles, that few of them are at all injuriously affected by the temptations which the contiguity of taverns seldom fails to present FueL — Coal of good quality cannot be procured nearer than Douglas, twenty-six miles distant, and of course it is an expensive fuel. But excellent peat abounds in the parish, which is of im- mense value, as respects the comfort of the poor. Such was the wetness of the summer 1830, that it was scarcely procurable, and coals were used in most houses during the following winter; and persons upwards of seventy years of age had recourse to this kind of fuel who had never seen it in their houses before. April 1834, PARISH OF DRUMMELZIER. PRESBYTERY OF PEEBLES, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. THE REV. JAMES SOMMERVILLE, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries. — Mr Welsh, in the Statistical Account of 1790, states, that the name signifies in Gaelic ^^ here is aplain.^^ Mr Chalmers in his Caledonia, derives it from a term signifying the inhabited " ridge." The figure of the parish is irregular. The extreme length may be reckoned fourteen miles, and the average breadth betwixt three and four. It i§ bounded for the most part by the Tweed, and the mountains rise at a small distance from the river, leaving no great quantity of arable land, though in difierent places it spreads out into very fine haughs. The population is also chiefly on the river side. Meteorology. — From the height of the parish above the level of the sea, the temperature of the air is rather cold. The prevailing winds are the west and south-west. The greatest rains are from the south and south-west; and though there are very heavy showers from the west, they are seldom of long duration. Rain from the east is not frequent, but when it does take place, generally con- tinues long. The air is damp from the neighbourhood of the moun-* tains, though the soil is so dry that the greatest rains speedily dis- appear. The east wind prevails much in spring, but the eastern hoar is never seen here. The crops are occasionally so much in- jured by frost, in late seasons, as to be unfit for seed. Diseases, — The prevailing diseases are fevers and consumption, as stated in 1790 ; but rheumatism, which then prevailed, has greatly ceased, probably owing to the people being now better lodged and clothed. Ague, which appears to have greatly pre- vailed in the seventeenth century, is now unknown. Hydrography. — The only river in the parish is the Tweed, which divides it on the upper part, and runs along the west and north sides 72 PEEBLES-SHIRE. of it through the lower part ; its depth varies from one foot to three or four, with occasionally deep pools. Geology and Mineralogy. — The rocks consist of a very hard grey- wacke (whinstone,) having many veins of quartz; of which latter there are also detached masses frequently met with. There is a rock of compact and very white limestone, on the side of a hill on the east side of the Tweed, and another similarly situated on the west side, exactly opposite each other; and no other lime is to be found nearer than twelve miles. The stratum in both, ranges from west to east. Neither of these, however, are wrought, owing to the distance from coal. There is abundance of slate in the hills, but none wrought at present, as there is an excellent quarry at Stobo, ca- pable of supplying all the neighbourhood. Although the mountains are of transition formation, no organic remains have hitherto been found in them. The soil is generally sharp ; the haughs consist of rich alluvial deposits; the land is in general excessively stony; and the stones are of the same kind as those which compose the neighbouring rocks. There is no sandstone, and very little clay in the parish. Botany, — The common heaths and natural grasses prevail on the mountains, and form excellent sheep-pasture. The hills are well fitted for bearing Scots firs and larch ; ash, plane and elm, thrive well on the lower grounds, and much of the hills might be planted with great advantage. But the planting of trees is expen* sive here, as very suflScient fences are necessarj^ to preserve them from the sheep. There are upwards of 400 imperial acres of wood in the parish, part of which is on the property of each of the heritors, but chiefly on the estate of Dawick, the property of Sir John M. Nasmyth, Bart, of Posso. He has already planted 360 acres, besides old wood in the park, single trees and shrubberies, and he is about to plant still more extensively. Some of the finest wood in Scotland has been raised on this estate ; the horse chesnuts arc not only ascertained to be the first introduced into Scotland, but are among the largest. The oaks and sycamores are also very large, and the larches the largest in Scotland, introduced into the country in 1725, by the grandfather of the present proprietor, one of the earliest and most spiritedimprovers in Scotland. One larch is about twenty feet in circumference at the bottom. There are about eleven im- perial acres of natural wood. DRUMMELZIEB. 73 II. — Civil History. Accounts of the Parish. — In Dr Pennecuik's History of Tweed- dale there are several notices of the parish of Drummelzier. There is also something on the same subject in the very accurate and particular agricultural survey of the County of Peebles by the Rev. Mr Findlater. LandHwmers. — The land-owners are, Sir John M. Nasmyth, Bart, proprietor of Dawick ; Sir James Montgomery, Bart, pro- prietor of Stanhope; Andrew White, Esq. proprietor of Drummel- zier; the Rev. John T. Beresford, proprietor of Kingledoors ; and Colonel Hunter, proprietor of Polmood. Parochial Registers, — The parochial registers begin 1649, and have been regularly kept ever since, except from the year 1683 to 1689, during which period the minister was ejected for non* conformity ; -except also from 1694 to 1700, and from 1702 to 1705, in which intervals there were vacancies in the incumbency of the parish ; and during vacancies the registrations seem to have been altogether neglected. Antiquities. — There are traces of a road along the top of the mountain Scrape, understood to have been Roman, and which pro- bably connected the camp at Lyne with the great road which ran from Carlisle towards Falkirk. There are also the remains of two old castles, the one called Tinnes Castle, supposed to be a cor- ruption of Thanes. It is of so great antiquity that there is no tradition either of its erection or destruction. The walls are two Scots ells thick, and the cement as hard as the stone. The other is called Drummelzier Place, evidently more modern. It was the residence of the Tweedies of Drummelzier, the last of whom died in 1617. III. — Population. It is impossible to discover the state of the population further back than Dr Webster's Account, 1755. But in as far as calcu- lation can be founded on the register of baptisms, the population does not diflFer materially betwixt 1649 and 1755. It has been gradually decreasing ever since that time, from the increasing wealth of the country, which puts it in power of indi- viduals to take much larger farms than they were formerly able to do. The cottages also are allowed greatly to go to decay. This seems bad policy, as the cottages supply the farmers with labour- ers ; and the servants whose parents reside in the neighbourhood are generally most trust-worthy. 74 PEEBLES-SHIRE. In 1 755 the population was - 905 1801, - - - 278 1811, . - - 292 - 1821, ... 293 Proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, are 5, and they constitute the whole proprietary of the parish. 1. Number of families in the parish, . . . . ^ of fiunilies chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 26 chiefly employed in trade, manu&ctures, or handicraft, 8 2. The average number of births yearly, for the last 7 years, - - 46 deaths, _ . - - - 16 marriages. 18 3. Number of deaf and dumb, ...--. I Tliere is one deaf and dumb boy now receiving education in the Edinburgh Institution. Character of the People, — The people, on the whole, enjoy the comforts of life in a reasonable degree, and are contented with their situation and circumstances. There is little poaching in game, but a great deal in salmon. Since the duties were so far lowered that good spirits can be got at moderate prices, an end has been put to smuggling, which at one time prevailed considerably ; nor is there any more drunkenness in this parish now than formerly, in consequence of the duties being lowered. There are neither spirits nor malt liquors sold in the parish. The people are remarkably sober; and their general sobriety has improved greatly of late years. During the last three years, there were 7 cases of illegitimate birth ; but in 5 of these the parents married. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — There are 12 ploughs in the parish, which may have on an average 60 imperial acres each. The number of acres never cultivated is 13,815. It is supposed there are about 36 acres in the low ground that could be profitably brought under cultivation. ITie number of acres under natural wood is 1 1 ; under plantations, 400. Rate of Wages, — The rate of wages to farm-servants is from L. 10 to L. 12 per annum, with victuals ; of women, L. 6. The wages of day-labourers are from Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. with victuals, per day for men ; for women, 8d. In 1 790 they were only the half of that amount Wrights and masons get 2s. 6d. per day, without victuals. Breeds of Live-Stock. — There are about 6600 sheep in the pa- rish, mostly of the black-faced breed, which, though inferior to the DRUMMELZIER. 75 Cheviot in fineness of wool, suit the climate better. The Ayrshire breed of cows prevail, and every attention is paid to improving them. jRent of Land. — There is some pasture-land let this year for one season at L. 3, 3s. per Scots acre. The rent of arable land cannot be particularly specified, as all the farms consist partly of arable, and partly of hill pasture, and a general rent is given for the whole, some of the farmers putting more, and some less on the arable ; but the average among those who live by farm- ing may be reckoned 18s. per Scots acre. Some small lots are let to tradesmen, &c. at L. 2, 5s. per Scots acre, though of very inferior quality ; but this is far beyond what could be given by those who are to make their livelihood by farming. Husbandry. — The farm-buildings are generally good, and the en- closures mostly dry stone dikes. The crops are chiefly oats and barley. Bear or bigg is scarcely at all sown. Wheat is some- times tried, but in small quantities. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : Wheat, 75 bolls, of 4 bushels each, ... Pease, 90 do. do. ... - Oats, 1689 bolls, of 6 bushels each, Barley, 240 do. ..... Potatoes, 27 acres, from L. 3 to L. \o per acre, Turnips, 79 acres, from L.2, lOs to L. 5 per acre, N. B.— There is scarcely any market for ]M>tatoos or turnips, which are mostly consumed on the farms. Tlie above is their estimat- ed yalue, but not what they actually bring in to the farmer. Meadow hay, 41 acres, 3600 stones, at from ti^d. to 4d. CultiYatcd, 574 acres, 7475 stones, at from 5d. to 6d. The same remarks apply here as to potatoes pnd turnips. Pasture. — Cattle, 209 milk cows or grazing cattle, from L.2 to I#. 3, Ss. each per annum, - . Sheep, 6600, from 4s. 6d. to 5s. each, ... ToUl, - L. 4414 6 Two acres of hill pasture may be considered as the average quan- tity for a sheep, and two acres of arable land sown with grass seeds may be considered as the average for a cow or ox. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Towns^ — There is no market-town in the parish. The two nearest are those of Peebles and Biggar, the first 10, and the other 8 miles distant. As grain markets, — Lanark, which is distant eighteen miles, and Dalkeith twenty-four. There is a small vil- lage in the parish containing fifteen or sixteen families. Means of Communication, — These are not very favourable. Coal is brought from Douglas, about twenty miles distant, and the near- est lime is at Wiston, distant twelve miles. There are two roads L.87 18 63 1168 5 240 18 286 10 283 91 Id 158 16 4 2 a32 1502 76 PEEDLES-SHIKE. to the coals and lime, one over 'the top of a inouutaiii, impassable by a heavy loaded cart in the heat of summer, and the other through mire equally impassable, except during the dry months. A small outlay would procure a good and level road both for coal and lime. Another great disadvantage is the want of a bridge over the Tweed, which, when swelled, as it frequently is, by the rains of winter, completely intercepts all communication betwixt the opposite banks. There can be no doubt but the farmers would pay better rents, if they were only favoured with better access to the markets, and to lime and coal. There is a post-office at Rachan Mill, about a mile distant. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is not very convenient^ ly situated, being considerably farther from one end of the parish than the other. It is in a good state of repair, and may contain near- ly 200 sitters. The average attendance is about 85 or 90. Young people generally communicate when about 15 or 16 years of age. The manse was built in 1787, and has undergone several repairs. The glebe is ten Scots acres, worth L. 1 per acre. The stipend consists of 89 bolls, d firlots, SI lippies, barley; 91 bolls, 1 firlot, 3 pecks, 1^ lippies, oatmeal ; 10 bolls oatmeal for Dawick glebe, all allocated according to the old weights and measures. The teinds are exhausted. The average amount of stipend for the last three years has been L. 198> 8s. 8d. This parish was united to Twecdsmuir previous to the year 1643; when they were disjoined, Dawick was suppressed in 1742; and part of it joined to Drummelzier, and part to Stobo. The glebe of Dawick and some servitudes arc divided equally betwixt the ministers of Drummelzier and Stobo, for which they receive 10 bolls of oatmeal each, according to the Mid- Lothian fiars. There are no dissenters of any description in the parish at present. Education, — The parish school is the only one in the parish. At present there are no Latin scholars, though there was a con- siderable number a few years ago. English costs 2s. per quarter ; with writing, 2s. 6d., with arithmetic, 3s, 6d., and with Latin, 4s, 6d. The salary is L. 32, and the teacher has all the legal accommoda- tion. The average amount of school fees during the last three yearsis L. 10, 2s. 3d. The people are fully alive to the benefits of edu- cation, and all can read who are of age sufficient to attend school. Part of the population is betwixt three and five miles from the pa- rish school, but are within reach of a school in the neighbouring parkh. It is worthy of remark, that the session record, betwixt the years 1650 and \6^0, \i^wc^, VW\. vW minister interrogated all DRUMMELZIER. 77 the elders, if they kept family worship, by reading the scriptures, &c and they all answered, that they neither could read themselves, nor had any in their family who could read. On which the mini- ster exhorted them to send their children to school, and in hiring servants, to try to get some who could read. Poor and Parochial Funds — At present there is only one per- son receiving regular aid : his allowance is betwixt L. 2 and L. 3 per annum. There have occasionally been six or seven on the poors' roll, some receiving 3s. 6d. a-week. They are sup- ported by weekly collections, — the interest of L. 40, — and occa- sional donations from the heritors. There was an assessment for several years, but there has been none since 1824. The average amount of collections for the last seven years is L. 10, 2s. per annum ; average from other sources, L. 5. The heritors have always been ready to come forward most liberally in any case of particular dis- tress. Miscellaneous Observations. In the last Statistical Account, Mr Welsh observes, that " few grass seeds are sown on account of the sheep, which are great ene- mies to them." At present, the sowing of grass seeds (chiefly perennial rye-grass with clover) is universal. In 1790, aman-ser- Tant's wages were L. 6 a-year, a maid-servant's L.3, 5s. Now, the man-servant receives from L. 10 to L. 12, and the maid-servant L. 6, with victuals. In 1790, a lamb cost 5s. or 6s.; now it costs about double of that sum. Sheep, if fat, cost lis. in 1790; now they are sold at from 18s. to 20s. The ploughs used in 1790 were of the Scotch kind, few English being used, except by gentlemen or im- provers, on account of the stony quality of the land. At present there is not a Scotch plough in the parish, and two horses are now universally used instead of four. The iron plough is become very common. In 1790, there were seven weavers in the parish; at present there is only one, and he has scarcely any work. There was then also a dyer, but at present there is none. The giving up of weaving and dyeing is one of the greatest changes that have taken place in parochial economy. It is found more profitable to pur- chase at once from the manufacturer. The turnip crops contri- bute much to improve the condition of both cattle and sheep. Ewe- milk cheese, of which a great quantity was made in 1790, is now ahnost entirely given up, as tending to injure the sheep. The introduction of thrashing-machines is an entire novelty since 1790, and they are now universally in use. ApHl 1834. UNITED PARISHES OF BROUGHTON, GLENHOLM, & KILBUCHO. PRESBYTERY OF BIGGAR, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. . THE REV. HAMILTON PAUL, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. This parish, which comprehends the old parishes of Brougfaton and Glenholm, with the southern or larger division of Kilbucho, retains, agreeably to the provisions of the deed of annexation, all the three names. Names — Boundaries. — The origin of the designation Glenholm is sufficiently obvious. Kilbucho spelled KiJbeukhoe^ KiBwchoe, Kilbochoj and Kirkbucho^ is supposed to be the Gaelic term for the cell or chapel of St Bede, the venerable church historian, or St Bega, the patroness of Kilbagie, or St Bees, in Cumberland. Broughton is by some alleged to be a corruption of Borough-town, and by others of Brook-town. More probably, however, as the plain in which the hamlet is situated is surrounded by hills, form- ing a complete amphitheatre, and as the term Brough or Bruch in the Scottish dialect means a circle, the name has taken its rise from this circumstance of locality; " the town or village within the brough or circle of hills." This united parish is bounded on the west and north-west by Culter and Skirling ; by Kirkurd on the north ; on the east and north-east by Stobo ; and by Drummelzier on the south and south- east. The Tweed divides it from Drummelzier for about four miles. It is nine miles and a half in length, and three and a-half in breadth, containing a superficies of thirty square miles. Topographical Appearances, — The surface of the ground is beau- tifully irregular, and were it as well wooded as many other districts, would be extremely picturesque in respect of scenery. It is re- markable that there are only three hills or detached insulated emi- nences in Tweeddale. Rachan Hill in Glenholm, which is one of BROUOHTON, GLEN HOLM, AND KILBTJCHO. 79 the three, is a lovely green solitary height, decliDing suddenly to the Tweed on the one side, and on the other rising with a gentle acclivity from Holms water. The rest of the eminences are continuous chains or mountainous ranges. One of these ridges, which separates Broughton from Stobo and Kirkurd, extends for more than three miles from south to north ; another, which divides Glehholm from Kilbucho and Culter, runs for nearly five miles from north-east to south-west, and a third runs parallel with the Tweed in a southerly direction for upwards of three miles; a fourth range passes through the middle of the old parish of Kilbucho from east to west for about two miles ; and a fifth, though of less elevation, divides the parish of Broughton into two unequal parts. These heights are in general steep, but accessible. Culterfell, which is partly in Glenholm, is 2430 feet above the level of the sea. Garden, in the immediate neighbourhood, with Chapelgill attached to it, is nearly as high. The other remarkable heights are Mossfennan Wormwell, and Blakup, in Glenholm; Pyket- stane and Broughton-hope in Broughton, which vary from 1500 to 1800 feet above the level of the sea; and Goseland in Kilbucho, of almost equal altitude. Between those chains or ridges above- mentioned are some fine fertile valleys. Glenholm, in particular, is a delightful pastoral vale, stretching from the site of the old church about four miles, and intersected by a limpid stream, whose windings cheat the eye so as to render it doubtful whether it be flowing up or down the glen. Its tribu- tary streams descend through Glenhigton, Glencotlio, Glenkirk, and Glenlude. At the confluence of each of these rills with Holms water, stands the dwelling of a shepherd, around which a Sabbath- like serenity reigns, save when the gathering or shearing, or wash- ing of the sheep takes place, as described by the poet, " Urged to the giddy brink much is the toil) The clamour much of men and boys, and dogs, Ere the soft fearful people to the flood Commit their woolly sides." Biggar water, which forms the boundary betwixt the Broughton on the north, and the Glenholm and Kilbucho divisions of the pa- rish on the south, pervades a tract of moss and meadow, receiving in its course the tribute of Kilbucho and Broughton burns, and Holms water; and after its junction with the last, becomes the boun- dary for half a mile betwixt Stobo and Glenholm. Broughton burn falls into it at a right angle from the north, and Kilbucho burn and Holms water at similar angles from the south or south-west, and 80 PEEBLES-SHIUE. the united streams throw themselves into the Tweed opposite the spacious and fertile haugh of Drummelzier. Here all the streams of the three parishes are united, and the scene may, with proprie^i be styled " the meeting of the waters." Geology. — Batshill, a singularly formed eminence near the village of Broughton, is composed of hard loose stones of a slaty appear- ance, a species of trap or tufia, excellently adapted to the Macad- amizing of highways. Attempts have been made to find coal io Broughton, Glenholm, and Kilbucho, without success ; the pre- vailing rocks here being those of the transition class, coal was scarcely to be expected. The general character of the soil in this united parish is moss, clay, loam, with a considerable pro- portion of alluvial deposition. Beautiful pebbles are frequently found on the north side of Biggar water, but on the south side not a single specimen has ever been discovered. Porphyry and jasper in small masses are abundant ; and gray whin or puddingstone in detached pieces is of frequent occurrence. Soil, — The vales through which the streams already-mentioned flow are at the upper end generally of a mossy or coarse grassy character, but where they spread out at the lower ends into holm or haugh land, the soil is deep, rich, and adapted to any species of crop. At the junction of Biggar water with Broughton bum, the soil rivals that of the finest carse lands, and where the Capolm meets these united streams, the alluvial deposits render the ground exceed- ingly fruitful. They require no manure, but yield the same white crops for five or six years successively, and these are in danger of lodging from their exuberant growth. But for their liabiUty to be overflowed by the swellings of Biggar water, the fields would make an ample return of green crops. The potatoes have some- times materially suffered from the inundations; and early frosts have proved fatal to the pease, as well as the potatoes. Meteorology, — In winter, the thermometer varies from below zero to 40°, and in summer from 50® to 90°, and the barometer takes the whole range from 28® to 31°, or from great storm to very dry. The clouds assume every variety of shape, colour, and ap- pearance. In the mornings, the valleys are often covered with a thick fog, which gradually ascends the hills, and is often the pre- lude to a hot sultry day. When the mist forms first on the hill tops, and descends towards the valleys, it prognosticates rain ; when the clouds rise gradually around the horizon, and move towards the BROUGHTON, QLENHOLM, AND KILBUCHO. 81 zenith, or ivhen a dark cloud, with a well-defined edge, hovers at no great height, we are sure to have a storm of thunder and light- ning, and hail or rain. A luminous arch of electric matter extend- ing nearly in the direction of the Milky Way has been seen three times at least within these twenty years, and mistaken by some un- philosophical observers for a lunar rainbow, but at the time there was no moon in our hemisphere, and the bow was in the zenith. The climate is in general moist, and the atmosphere cloudy. Yet the improvements in agriculture, especially the draining of the bogs and cultivation of the mosses, have greatly improved the health of the inhabitants. Ague is now unknown, and many other ma^ ladies are either mitigated or exploded. Diseases. — The principal disorders are fevers, typhus, inflamma- tory or rheumatic; colds accompanied with coughs, asthma, and consumption. Vaccination is almost universally practised. Stone and gravel are less prevalent than they were in days when strong ale was the favourite beverage. Gout is scarcely known. Cuta- neous eruptions are by no means common. This must in a great measure be attributed to that weekly lustration which takes place among the church-going part of the community, preparatory to their attendance on public worship. £/onffevity. — The instances of longevity are perhaps unparalleled among a people so limited in respect of numbers. About twelve years ago, there were living within the space of four square miles, four persons who were each considerably above eighty years of age. In Kilbucho, there were also four who had reached the borders of ninety. Four brotjiers were bom at Broughton-Mill, who all weathered the frosts of fourscore winters. In the village, there are at present six individuals who have passed the promised age of threescore years and ten. In the country part of the parish, there are six persons between eighty and ninety years of age ; and one man has lived to see six incumbents in the pastoral care of Brough- ton parish, though one of them was upwards of forty years minister. The oldest man in the united parish at present, and who is tolera- bly healthy, is eighty-nine, and the oldest woman, who also enjoys a comfortable share of bodily strength, is eighty-two years old. Hydrography, — There are at Rachan two fine pieces of water, ornamented with wooded islets. The one is stocked with trout, and the other with perch. The latter is fringed round the margin with an aquatic plant called tench grass. Of rivers we have none save the Tweed, which forms the southern PEEBLES. F 82 PEEBLES-SHIRE. boundary of Glenholm ; as it has frequently changed its course, it sometimes happens, that a part of Drummelzier is on this, and a portion of Glenholm-bn the other, side of the stream* The streams besides those already mentioned are Logan and Hollows bums, the one a tributary to Broughton bum, and the other to the Tweed. Springs. — Few parishes are more highly favoured than this in regard to salubrious springs. Bede's or Bees well, as it is common- ly called, was an open draw-well built round with stone, from which issued a plentiful current The proprietor of the glebe of Kilbucho has covered it over with flags or flat stones and earth, so as to ren- der the spot arable, and the water, by means of a conduit, spouts in abundance from the banks into the channel of the bum. On the old glebe of Broughton, is a well with a large stone in the middle of it The water which springs from one side of the stone is sweet, that which rises at the other side is brackish and medicinal. Among the hills there are wells of which the water is so very cold, that in the heat of summer a person cannot hold his hand in it for more than a minute without suffering the pain of extreme cold. One spring is remarkable for reducing spirits without tinging them. Mineralogy, — There is not much to engage the attention of the mineralogist in this quarter. The prevailing rock is greywacke (whinstonc) ; some of the beds lie in a horizontal position; but they in general dip towards the centre of the hills. In some places where a deep cut has been made for the improvement of the high road, the section offers to the view a variety of strata, consisting of water channel, greywacke, detached masses of granite and pud- dingstonc, intermixed with narrow beds of sand, but with few or no crystals of quartz. Brick-clay is rare, and no sandstone is to be found. On the farm of Wrae in Glenholm are a limestone and slate quarry, which, owing to the great distance from coal, and the immediate neighbourhood of the Stobo slate quarry, would scarcely repay the expense of manufacturing the minerals. Slates are also found on Rachan hill, but, for the same reason, it has not been deemed advisable to work the mine. A bed of fine sand on the farm of Stirkfield in Broughton is admirably adapted to the in- termixing with lime for building, and gravel-pits are numerous. In the vale of Kilbucho lies an extensive moss, obviously form- ed by the decomposition of wood and other vegetable matter. The BROUQHTON, OLENHOLM, AND KILBUCHO. 83 peat is of excellent quality. Large trunks of oaks and other trees, in good preservation, have been found imbedded in the mosses. Zoology. — Birds. — A single pair, resemblijig the Saxicola ntbe" tra or whin-chat, come regularly every season and build their nest on the ground, close by the side of the road leading to the manse. They usually bring seven young ones, and when these are able to fly, they all take their departure hence. It may in general be said that we have as residents or occasional visitants some species of the following genera : — Motacilla^ Hirundo, Cucidusj Columboj Mallusj Alaudoy CapHmulgus^ Turdus, Corvusj Scolopax^ Anas^ Emberiza^ Panuj and FringiUa. The only sleeper we know is the bat. All birds that feed ex- clusively on insects must either in winter repair to milder climates, or betake themselves to repose. The birds of passage that visit us in winter are the fieldfare, the red-wing, the snow-flake, and the cock of the north, to which we may join the ring-ouzel, that stays only till the fruit of the mountain ash is exhausted. The water-ouzel, which feeds on fish, remains with us all the year round. The opinion, that the male chafiinches leave this district in winter, seems to originate in a mistake. The young males have for the first season no gayer plumage than the females, and, consequently, during the winter the number of females ap- pears to be altogether out of proportion to that of the males. Wild-swans, wild-geese, and sea-mews are not so plentiful as formerly, owing to the same cause which has banished the wild- ducks, viz. the draining of the bogs and cultivation of the meadows. The snipes, for a similar reason, are less frequent than formerly. Magpies are natives ; but the jay is seldom to be seen within our bounds. Wood-pigeons are enemies to turnips, especially the ruta baga. In severe winters they collect in thousands, and eat up not only the leaves, but penetrate into the very heart of the plant Green kail and cabbage, if planted at a distance from houses, are equally liable to their depredations. Pheasants, as well as crows, are pe- culiarly hurtful to potato crops: but a species of potato has been dis- covered that bids defiance to their ingenuity. It maybe planted so deep as to be out of the reach of their mining bills, and yet springs up as well as those planted much nearer the surface. The jay and the bullfinch are particularly obnoxious to gardeners. It is uncertain, however, whether the latter are in search of insects that 84 PEEBLES-SHIRE. devour the buds of fruit trees, or whether they eat up the hearts of the buds themselves. The weasel, though an enemy to the poultry, is in some respectsta friend to the farmer. It kills the mice and rats which lodge in corn-stacks and infest the bams of the husbandman. The usefulness of the polecat is doubtful: it seems formed only for destruction. It has been known to kill and carry away dozens, and even scores of barn-door fowls in the course of a night. Frogs and efts, or newts, purify spring water, by feasting on the insects that would corrupt it ; and the lizard perfonns a similar ofRce on land, by devouring those minute animals that prey on the leaves of plants. The heron, on the other hand, prevents the race of frogs from becoming too popu- lous, in which he obtains the co-operation of ducks, wild and tame. A species of bird resembling the sea-mew is a constant attendant on the ploughman in spring, and eats up an incalculable number of grubs and worms. Tadpoles are infinite in number, but are kept down by the different species of water-fowl. In severe winters, especially in time, of snow, the bam-yards are the common rendezvous of fowls of every wing ; and the loss to the farmer, if he dwell contiguous to a great man's preserve, is al- most incredible, not only with regard to his stacks in winter, but his green and white crops in summer and harvest. The damage done by hares and pheasants has been ascertained to equal the rent of the farm. Botany, — The brambleberry is scarcely known here, but the raspberry grows wild. Blaeberries are exceedingly abundant in Radian woods, and on some of the heights. The whortleberry is also found on lofty places, along with the crane and crawberries. The sloethorn is to be found only at Mossfennan ; and wild roses flourish in many places. Hazel-nuts have been found several feet below the surface of the ground, though there are hardly any hazel bushes existing at present in this quarter. Filberts are occasionally planted in the pleasure-grounds, but they seldom bring their fruit to maturity. The remains of a natural wood may be seen on the estate of Moss- fennan ; but all the other trees in the parish have been planted, though formerly many of them were indigenous. About half a century ago it was scarcely believed that any trees would thrive in this climate, except Scotch fir. John Loch, Esq. of Rachan, however, set the example; and, besides fifty acres of Scotch fir, planted larches, and a variety of hard wood trees, which BROUGHTON, GLENHOLM, AND KILBUCHO. 85 have succeeded well. In one or two places there are trees of old standing. The soil appears friendly to the production of every species of tree, whether deciduous or evergreen ; but the larches, Huntingdon willows, lime, and mountain ashes, shoot up most ra- pidly, and the ornamental shrubs are not backward. The oldest and largest trees in the parish are ashes. In some parts of the parish, where there were extensive plantations of Scotch fir, these trees have either died or been cut down by the hand of man. The soil, which is of a gravelly and sour description, appears to be pe- culiarly unfavourable to the growth of that species of plant The climate is also unfavourable to the ripening of the richer and more delicate species of fruit. At Mossfennan, Broughton Place, and the manse, are walled gardens, which sometimes yield a good crop of apples, pears, cherries, plums, and small fruit. The wall of the old garden at Kilbucho Place is in a dilapidated state, but the crop of apples and plums is often very abundant. In some other gardens, which are surrounded only by a hedge or paling, fruit-trees are sometimes sufficiently productive. > At Moss- fennan, where the garden has been recently formed, with a fine ex- posure to the mid-day sun, apples are reared that will stand com- parison with the richest produce of the orchards of Clydesdale. In former times every farm-house had its small orchard ; and if proprietors would allot to every tenant a rood or two of land, free of rent, on the condition of his planting it with fruit-trees, the country would in a short time assume a more interesting aspect, and supply the people with many of the simple luxuries of rural life. II. — Civil History. Accounts of the Parish. — The modem history of the parish can be gathered only from the parish registers, Dr Pennecuik's and Armstrong's Accounts of Tweeddale, and Findlater's Agricultural survey of Peebles-shire ; and from the Statistical Account rendered to Sir John Sinclair, and another by a literary gentleman, a native of Glenholm, published in the Statistical Magazine of August 1819. Eminent Persons. — The most remarkable characters connected vrith the district were. Secretary Murray, called the Apostate, who resided at Broughton Place, and whose history is well known : — Robert Macqueen of Braxfield, whose rigorous measures, when he was Lord Justice- Clerk, were supposed to have been amongst the means of saving this country from the horrors of a revolution. Land-moners. — John Macqueen, Esq. of Braxfield, is sole pro- 86 PEEBLES-SHIRE. prietor of Broughton. In Glenholm there are three residing heri- tors or families: Loch of Rachan, Welsh of Moi^fennan, and Tweedie of Quarter. The non-resident heritors are, Sr John Hay of Hayston and Smithfield, Baronet, M. P. ; Sir John Na- smyth of Posso, Baronet; Hunter of Polmood, and Seton of Dukepool. The property of the last mentioned gentleman is in extent no more than a Scotch acre. * Sir James Montgomery is proprietor of the eighth part of Glenkirky amounting to L. 34 Scots of valuation. The heritors of Kilbucho are four in number, of whom three, namely, the Honourable Lord Medwyn, John Dickson, Esq. of Hartree and Kilbucho, and John Cuninghame, Esq. of Duchrae, are non-resident. The fourth, James Richardson, Esq. of Springfield, is proprietor of the old manse and glebe, on which he resides. Parochial Registers. — The parochial registers go back as laras * There is a curious, if not fid>ulous, tradition as to the mode in which this pro- perty was acquired. It runs thus : That, as one of the Scottish kine% (peihqps James IV*) who occasionally, during the hunting season, qpent a §bw oajs at VA- mood or Badlieu, was retummg from one of those rambles, which he frequently un- dertook in disguise, he passed the casUe of Drummelsier, the seat of Sir James Tweedii^ who was in the habit of exacting homage, and levying tribute, from all iiwwiiigiiii. The king came up to an old man, a cobbler, named Bartram, tending his cow, and amusing himself with a tune on the bagpipe. The monarch accepted an inritatioa to the cottage of his new acquaintance, where he was hospitably, but with homely futt entertained by the cobbler and his wife. In the momincp the king disclofled to Ui host who he was, and nude him a grant of certain liipda m riew of his houses to the extent of fourteen acres, with the pool in the centre, to be caUcd Drone instead of Duckpool, in memory of the tunes played on the bagpipe the evening belbre^ and as much more ground at the foot of the Holms water as would keep a mare and s foal, with a brood sow and nine pigs, and a free passage for them to and from his house ; and they were to be driven at no harder rate than a wonum could walk knit- ting a stocking, or spinning on a rock or distaff. Bartram was also to have five soums of sheep on Holms common. After the king, accompanied by the cobbler, who had offered to be his guide, ptssed the castle-gatc without yielding the accustomed homage, they were immediately pur- sued and arrested by Sir James Tweedie and his armed followers. Thereupon, the king, taking a small bugle horn from his side, and sounding it, in the course of s few minutes four-and-twcnty belted kniehts came from Badlieu to hb aasistanee. The haughty feudal chief, having now discovered the dignity of his priaoner, ffSi on his knees, and implored the clemency of his sovereign, who forgave him fi>r the pre- sent, but upbraided him with his t3rranny and exactions, and commanded him against a certain day to attend his pleasure at the palace of Holyrood. Hie pool in the Tweed where the king was arrested is to tliis day known by the name of the Drone pool. It is near the march betwixt Badlieu and Glcnbreck. The king charged Bartram to appear in iiis holyday array at Holyrood on the day appointed for Sir James Tweedic*s trial, which he did, and was honoured with taking preoedeoee of all the nobles on their entrance into the royal presence. Tweedie was tried lor his ofiences, stript of the greater part of his possessions and titles, and was the last de- scendant of the Frazcrs of Oliver that enjoyed the honour of knighthood. LAvrence Tweedie, Esq. of Oliver, is said to be the only surviving representative of thadt frmi]y> Tlie property of Bartram, now called Dukepool, has dwindled down to its pment dimensions, as is allied, by the encroachment of the neighbouring propricCort. it is now the property of Mr Seaton, son-in-law to Mr John Bartram. BROUOHTON, GLKNHOLM, AND KILBUCHO. 87 the year 1700. Large portions of them have been lost ; but they are now, and have for some years past been, exceedingly well kept, and it is in contemplation to make them more complete by a rigor- ous enforcement of insertion. Antiquities. — Of the circular fortifications or enclosures called camps, there are traces of no less than nine. The most remark- able is, for reasons unknown, -called Macbeth's castle. It was sur^ rounded by two concentric walls and ditches. The exterior cir- cumvallation was about half a furlong in circumference. It was probably a place of refuge for women, children, and cattle, during the incursions of the border marauders, or it might have been a baronial or feudal judgment seat The lesser circular strongholds appear to have been beacons or alarm posts, as they were all placed in such a line pf communication as to telegraph, as it were, tidings of invasion or threatened outrage with the least possible delay. * On the side of a hill in Kilbucho, called Aiken or Oaken Brae, where there is not a single vestige of wood at present, an axe, dif- fering a little in shape from those now in use, and greatly corrod- ed with rust, was turned up by the plough a few years ago. It had doubtless been employed in felling the wood, especially the oaks, which grew there in former days when this country was al- most an entire forest. A kind of battle-axe of mixed metal was ploughed up near the same spot, and an instrument of a similar metallic composition was discovered in the vicinity of Polmood, a hunting-seat of our ancient Scottish kings. It has perhaps been the lock of a cross-bow, as it has a spring and a trigger. A third axe was very lately found in Cloverhill, parish of Broughton, with a hose to receive the shaft. Near the confluence of Biggar water with the Tweed, on the estate of Rachan, in the midst of a knoll or tumulus, stone coffins containing human skeletons were discovered about forty years ago. One of the bodies was of gigantic size, and had golden bracelets round its arms. At Logan a rude stone coffin was lately found, in which were the remains of a human being ; and at a place near the church, called the Gallow Knowe, a similar discovery was made. The bones are supposed to have belonged to a criminal or vassal executed there in feudal times. A wedge or ring of gold of considerable weight was dug up by a farmer in the parish of Broughton. He sold it to a goldsmith * See original MS. for some details as to the remains of churchi*8, and of the man- •km-hoiues that belonged to the proprietors before-named. 88 PEEBLES-SHIRE. in Glasgow, and the price enabled him to pay at least a year's rent of his farm. An ancient candlestick, and some other articles of no great value, were disinterred near the ruins of the circular camp, called Macbeth's Castle. Stone hammers and axes, arrow heads of flint, whorls of stone for old women's distaffs, adder or elfstones, tobacco-pipes, called cutties^ and other productions of primitive art, are frequently brought up to view by the plough or the spade. Modem Buildings. — The more modem buildings are those of Rachan, Mossfennan, and Quarter, which, with some recent addi- tions and improvements, are delightful residences. They are all embosomed in wood, and can bid defiance equally to the winter's blast and the sunmier's ray. Many of the farm-houses vie with those of the gentry in outward appearance and internal accommodation. Broughton Place, however, is, perhaps, the best finished house in this vicinity. It occupies a commanding station, amid fuU-grown woods, near the middle of an avenue of old trees half a-mile in length. III. — Population. • Half of The population, according to Broughton. Glenholm. Kiibucho.f Total. Dr Webster, was in 1755, - d67 392 139 899 * That the population of these parishes was greater in fiumer timea than at present, is evident from a document giving an account of a weapon-showing on Uie Borrowmuir, or King*s muir of Peebles, in presence of James Naamyth of Poho^ Sheriff-depute of the sheriffdom of Peebles, the 15th day of June lfi27, when, among others, compeared the Laird of Stcnhopc, absent himself, seven of his men pr esen t horsed, all with lances and swords, in the parish of Broughton.— The Laird of HaUoa absent himself — John W^aldon, his bailie present, in his name, accompanied with ten horsemen and twelve footmen, with lances and swords, in the parish of Broughton.— The Laird of Langlawhill, present, well-horsed with jack and steel bonnet, lance and sword, with thirteen horsemen with swords and lances, in the parish of Brou^^ton. — John Paterson, portioncr of Broughton -shield, present, well-horsed with lance and swurd, parish of Broughton. — John Chisholm, Glenholm, for my Lord Earl of VTig- ton, well-horsed himself, accompanied with seven horsemen with lances and swonb, dwelling on the said Noble Earl, his lands lying in the parish of Glenholm. — The J^ird of Glcnkirk, absent himself, four of his men present well-horsed with lances and swords, within the parish of Glenholm. — James Geddes of Rachan, present him- self, well-horsed, with jack, steel-bonnet, sword and pistol, with five horsmen, with lances and sword, within the parish of Glenholm. — Adam Gillies, portioner of Whits- laid, present, well-horsed, with a lance and sword, in the parish of Glenholm.— .Wil- liam Brown of Logan, present, wcU-horscd, with lance and sword, and a horseman with nothing, parish of Glenholm — William Tweedie, vounger of Wrae, present, horsed with one horseman, both with lance and sword, parish of Glenholm.— -iSir Ar* chibald Murray of Dornholl, well-horsed, with a collet, accompanied with ibrty-two horsemen with lances and swords, ten jacks and steel bonnets, within the parah of Kilbucho and Eddlestone. — The Laird of Ilartree, absent himself, ten of his men present, horsed, with lances and swords, parish of Kilbucho.— 'The two last mention- ed can hardly be said to have belonged to tlus parish, as the great propcnrtion of their property lay without its bounds. t The half of Kilbucho is here assumed as the proportion of the soutbeni division— but it is incorrect. The southern half, as it is cnllefficer, who is also sexton, - ... Repairing bdl chain, . - ... Given to a soldier's wife, .... Total disbursements in the year 1831, Annual collections in church, - - - . L.2410 Interest of L. 186, of which L. 90 is a legacy left by the late Rev. W. Porteous, - . • - - 2 15 Voluntary contributions by the heritors once in three years or so, of L.25^ . - - - - 8 6 8 Mortcloth 14s. 4d., fines L. 1, 1 14 4 firom w^thy or non-residing heritors, less or more, > 5 5 L.9 15 6 5 2 8 8 1 10 10 6 1 6 1 5 1 1 5 2 2 6 1 L.42 1 "o Total receipt for 1831, - - - L.42 2 When the disbursements exceed the receipts, apphcation is made to the heritors within the three years. No demur on the part of the heritors ever takes place. It may be added, that, at the commencement of winter, the farmers assess themselves in meal to the poor, to be given at a reduced rate, or for nothing ; and that Mr Swan at Ponfeith coal-works gives occasionally a dona- tion of coals, which the tenants lead free of expense. It is not in general thought disgraceful to apply for parochial assistance. Some apply for relief from the poors' funds whose re- lations are by no means in indigent circumstances. But there are one or two who would rather almost starve than make their wants known. Fair. — Broughton has an annual fair, held on the dd of Octo- ber. It was once a cattle-market, and distinguished by horse and foot races. It is now attended principally for the purpose of hir- ing servants, paying accounts, and fixing the prices of butter and cheese. The fair is held on the street of the village, and the stalls are overloaded with the produce of the orchards of Clydes- dale and other merchandize. Inns. — Each parish has its own inn. That of Broughton is a PEEBLES. G 98 PEEBLE8-8HIBE. commodious house, with a court of offices in good repair. It forms a convenient stage betwixt Edinburgh and Mofiat; and in the parish of Kilbucho a new inn was lately built. Rachan Mill is al- so a public-house, conveniently situated for the accommodation of the public, as it stands at the junction of the road from Peebles to Moffat with the great road from Edinburgh to Dumfries. There is also an alehouse in the village on a smaller scale. Fuel. — The distance from fuel is one of the greatest drawbacks on the comforts of the public. The coal is mostly brought from Ponfeith, which is eighteen miles distant from the centre of the parish. Kilbucho moss supplies a number of the farmers there with peat. The thinnings of the plantations in the other two di- visions of the parish afford a supply of fuel to a few of the neigh- bouring poor. The wood is not sold, but given to them gratiSi 12 cwt. of coals may be purchased at the mouth of the pit for half-a-crown. The tolls are Is. more, and when the carriage is paid for, the cart will cost 12s. 6d. When the peat-moss is at a considerable distance from the residence of the consumeri that species of fuel comes nearly as high as coal. May 1834. PARISH OF SKIRLING. PRESBYTERY OP BIGGAR, SYNOD OP LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDAI.E. THE REV. JOHN ALPINE, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries. — The name has at different periods been written Scrawlinej Skirlin^ Scarlane^ and Skirling ; but the origin of these various designations cannot now be traced with certainty. Tie parish is only about two miles and a-half in length, the same in breadth, and approaches nearly to a square. It is bounded on the east by Broughton ; on the south by Kilbucho and Big- gar ; on the west by Biggar ; and on the north by Dolphinton and Kirkurd. * The character of its surface is uneven, never rising into any great elevation, and never spreading out into any wide extent of plain. The soil is generally fertile ; and with a very few spots excepted, where there is short heather, even those parts which have been un- disturbed by the industry of man, are covered with a lively green. Botany. — One rare plant was discovered about two years ago in this parish, named the Asperula taurina. It was found by a medical gentleman in a mouthful of grass plucked by his horse. It was examined by several eminent botanists, who expressed much asto- nishment at its being found in the open fields, and with difficulty believed that it was not the production of a garden, being found in this high latitude, and so far from the sea coast; where it grew, however, no garden had ever been. II; — Civil History. Historical Notices. — Very few facts are known as to the history of this parish. The earliest period to which any known record refers is the reign of King Robert Bruce, who granted to John Monfode the barony of Scrawline, with the advowson of the church; and in this family it seems to have continued a considerable time, for we find that a Margaret Monfode, granted an annuity* of two merks * Robertfton*!! Hist. Ind. pages 24 and 7*2. 100 PEEBLES-SHIRE. Sterling, out of the lands of Scrawline, to a chaplain in the church of Dunmanyn, — which grant was confirmed by David II. in 1362* From this date there is nothing known till the sixteenth century, when the lands of Skirling, with those of Roberton, Newholm, and Heeds, in the parish of Dolphinton, were in the possession of the Cockburns. * Having passed from them, the barony appears to have descended with rapid succession from one family to another, for about a hundred years. In 1647, it belonged to Sir James Ha- milton of Priestfield. Thence it passed to a Sir James Murray, probably one of the Murrays of Stanhope, who then held a power- ful sway in this district. " In 168S, David Oswald of Dalders was infeft in the lands and barony of Scrawline." At the revolution, the estate of Skirling was possessed by a General Douglas of the Queensberry family, who, according to tradition, -(- fell at the battle of the Boyne. Immediately after this, it was purchased by Johik first Earl of Hyndford, for his second son, the Honourable William Carmichael, and in that line it has continued ever since, the present sole proprietor of the parish being Sir Thomas Gibson Carmichael of Skirling, Bart. | great-grandson of the* Honourable W. Caiv michael by Helen, his eldest daughter, married to Sir J. Gibson of Durie. Parochial Registers. — The date of the earliest parish record is the 6th of July 1654. From that time till the year 1674, the meet pointed regularity seems to have been maintained, in recording every transaction connected with the session. Afterwards, to the close of that century, few entries appear to have been made. On the 2dd6f August 1 700, regular registration again commences, and is carried on with care down to the 16th of March 1713, when it is again given up as to every thing except births : and that, too, ceases to be at- * ^ In December 1513, a cause was heard by the Lords of Council, against William Cockbum, laird of Scrawline, fur taking by violence a part of his own goods, which had been escheated and granted to Matbew Campbell, tiz. three verdour beds, an arras bed, three pair of sheets, a buird-claith of Dornik, (a damask table-cloth,) sii frocks of Dornik, a linen buird-claith, a feather be - - 2} 4. The average number of persons under 15 years of age, - 126 upwards of 70, - - 10 5. There is one fiituous person in the class of persons betwixt 30 and 50. e» Number of unmarried men upwards of 50, - - 6 of women upwards of 45, - - - 8 7. Number of fiunilies in the parish, - - - - 64 chiefly employed in agriculture, - 22 in trade, manufactures, and handicraft, 17 It is worthy of remark, that there is one woman, a widow, in the parish, now in her ninety-fourth year, and that about two years ago the writer of this account met her in her own house, along with her three brothers and her sister, all children of the same father and mother, and all hale and healthy, though their united ages amounted to 438 years. Character and Habits of the People. — As to the outward cir- cumstances of the people of this parish we must report very fa- vourably. While there are some who can afford to live in the most comfortable manner, there is the absence of every thing like squalid poverty ; for, even in our humblest cottages, thf ough the abounding beneficence of Sir Thomas 6. Carmichael, poverty in its sterner features is not seen. The general fare of our peasantry, though plain, is agreeable and wholesome : and having in a rea- sonable degree the means of subsistence, and being enabled to clothe themselves in decent apparel, they show themselves con- tented with their condition and circumstances. They are at the same time cleanly in their habits, orderly in their deportment, and attentive to the observances, while many of them, I trust, are ac- quainted with the power, of religion. During the last three years there has not been a single illegi* timate birth in the parish. • Vol. iv. 245 and 246. 104 ' PEEBLES-SHIRE. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy, — By a plan of the parish^ tak- en by Mr Bell of Edinburgh, and lying in the possession of the proprietor at Castle- Craig, it appears that the measurement of the parish in Scotch acres is 2642. Of these there are under cultivation 2072 acres ; 320 capable of a profitable cultivation, were the markets to become a little more favourable ; and 250 in- capable of a profitable cultivation ; in undivided conunon, 8 ; un- der wood, 27. The trees planted are ash, elm, beech, plane, and fir of different descriptions. Rent of Land, — The average rent of arable land, per acre, is 15s. ; of sheep-walk, 2s. 6d. per acre. Rate of Wages, — The rate of labour for agricultural purposes is, for hired male-servants, per year, from L. 8 to L. 12 ; hired female do. in summer, from L.d to L.d, 15s., and in winter, from LI, 15s. to L.2, 5s. Breeds of Live-Stock, — The few sheep kept are of the black- faced description, and form but an inconsiderable item. As stock, they have, we believe, received but little attention ; but the dairy being here a principal source of income to the cultivators of the soil, the cows, chiefly of the Ayrshire breed, are objects of great care, and so attentive have the farmers been to their improvement, that at the neighbouring exhibition at Biggar not a few of the prizes annually fall among us. Husbandry, — The system of cultivation pursued is of the most approved character. The rotation followed is that which has found most favour with experienced and intelligent judges in mo- dem times. Lime, though brought from a distance, is much em- ployed ; and draining and irrigation, so far as they are practicable and profitable, are highly popular. From the spirit of activity in- troduced, there are not many acres remaining unreclaimed which could be cultivated with profit, while grain is so low in price ; and there are a few spots now under the plough of a rather thin soil, which perhaps would yield a better return in pasture than in crop. The farm-buildings, though not so excellent as in some other parts of the country, are in general commodious and suitable to the requirements of their occupants. The leases are ordinarily of nineteen years' duration ; and though probably too short where there is much new land to be broken up, they seem sufficiently an- swerable in the circumstances in which husbandry has already been placed. ' SKIRLING. 105 Produce. — As to the average gross amount of raw produce, we give the following as a probable approximation to the truth : Raised in the parish of oats and barley, value - L. 9088 Potatoes and turnips, ... 998 Pasture, .... 918 Rye-grass and meadow-hay, . . ^10 Total yearly value of raw produce, - L. 5614 The present rental of the parish is about L. 1500 a-year : but as nearly one-third of the parish is let on an old nineteen years' lease, a considerable rise may be expected at its termination. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication, — The length of the turnpike roads in the parish is three miles; and there are five bridges. The means 'of communication are good, as we have excellent roads in all direc- tions. The nearest market-town is Biggar, distant two miles. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is very conveniently si- tuated, the house most distant from it being within two miles. At what time it was built it is impossible to say ; but it seems to have undergone large repairs in the year 1720, and is at present in a state of decent repair. It has sittings for upwards of 200 per- sons : four of these are free ; but as the people arc very regular in their attendance, some families are complaining of a-^'ant of accom- modation. Perhaps something might be done to remedy this evil, by a slight alteration of the allocation of seats. The manse was built in 1803, and is commodious and elegant. The glebe is an excellent one, and has been made so chiefly by the exertions of the present incumbent. In the former Account of the parish, it is stated that the house of Skirling was surrounded by a morass : and when the present m^se was erected, it was con- sidered better to fix its site near to this, than to have it in the vil- lage, where the former one stood. In consequence of this, an ex- change of land was proposed and efiected under the authority of the presbytery, — twenty-four acres, from the difference in quality, being given for eight, the extent of the old glebe. This bog, or rather quagmire, (for into various parts of it neither man nor beast could then penetrate,) came thus into the minister's possession, and he, instantly and vigorously commencing a system of draining, and drawing the different springs to one point, from which they flow off* in a considerable rivulet, has succeeded in reducing it to a dry and fertile state. A stronger proof of the improvement efiected cannot be given, than by the simple statement, that though land generally cannot be rated higher, it was valued by good judges at L.24 when 106 PEEBLES-SHIRS. tnnsSerred to him, but is now worth L. 72 at a moderate calcula- tion. It is now beyond doubt a great advantage to him» and this, with 14 chalders of victual, one half meal and the other half bar- ley, t(^ther with L. 8, 6s. 8d. allowed for communion elementSi forms the living of the incumbent. The stipend for 1832 amounted to L.19d, 4s. The number of families and persons attending the Established church, and the chapels of dissenters, is as under: Number of fiunilies attending the Ettiiblished ehurehy 53 of persons, - - - 270 of oommunieants, • - IdO of fiimilies attending Bingiier ohapd, - 6 of persons, - - - 21 offamilies attending Relief ehapely - 5 ofperaons, • - - 28 It may here be remarked, that what may be considered as the fluctuating population of the parish, the servants, adds considerably to the numerical strength of the dissenting interest, and that the children of some of the parents who belong to the dissentors are connecting themselves with the Established church. Education. — There is only one school, the parochial, which, however, is quite sufficient for the acconmiodation of the parish. The branches of instruction taught in it are English, English gram- mar, writing, and arithmetic, practical mathematics, geography, Latin, and Greek. The schoolmaster has the full l^al accommo- dations, the maximum salary, and may receive of school fees, on an average, nearly L. 26 per annum. There is a library belonging to the school, formed in 1828, and upheld by public subscriptions and collections. It contains 142 volumes, and appears to be much valued. The annual expei^ of education is, for English, 10s. , English and writing, 12s. ; English, writing, arithmetic, &c 14i. ; Latin, 22s.; Latin and Greek, 24s. The school is excellently taught and well attended, and if there be any cause of complaint, it is, that parents are too much inclined to take advantage of the improved mode of teaching to shorten the attendance of their children, and thus in some instances sacrifice the substantial benefit of their children for the present saving of a little money. There are only two persons in the parish upwards of 15 years of age who cannot read or write : one of these is from Ireland, and the other fatuous. Friendly Society. — There is in the parish a friendly society for the mutual benefit of the members in sickness. It was instituted in 1800, and has 78 members. Its stock is L. 128, 2& lljd. It SKIRLING,. IV7 gives an allowance of 3s. a-week for the first sixteen weeks of sick- ness, and Is. 6d. a-week thereafter, with this proviso, to prevent injury to the society, that when any person shall have received L. 16, 13s. 8d., his claims shall thenceforth cease and determine. It is evidently a very useful institution, often aiding those in dis- tress who would otherwise be cast upon the fund of common cha* rity ; and I have not the smallest doubt that it has a powerful effect in preserving that spirit of independence so beneficial to the inte- rests of our country. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of poor upon the session's roll is five ; weekly allowance to each. Is. 3d. ; annual amount of collections made in the church on their behalf, no mort- cloth or extra profits included, L. 11, 10s. 6d. This is the only fund from which they are supplied, and any deficiencies that may occur are met by the liberality of Sir Thomas G. Carmichael, the proprietor. The number has been larger than usual for some years, and may be expected to decrease; but the diminution is to be looked fom chiefly from the natural effects of time, in the removal of those advanced in life, of whom the list of paupers is at present principally made up, and not, we fear, in any indisposition generally to apply to this source of relief. It is still, without question, considered to a certain extent degrading to come upon the parish, and there are smne who would submit to very severe privations ere they would consent to receive public aid ; but the feeling of delicacy upon this point is certainly not nearly so intense as it was in former times. Prisons. — There is a jail in the parish, the proprietor having a baron-bailie appointed, who has the power of imprisoning for forty- eight hours, but fortunately it is required only for holding the mort- safes and other parochial implements. JPair«.«- There are fairs held here on the third Tuesday after the 11th of May, on the first Wednesday after the 11th of June, and on the 15th of September. The first of these is a small mar- ket now limited to cattle, but the other two, especially that in June, have a large attendance of queys, cows, and horses, and there is much business done. At a former period we had a fair also on the Tuesday before the 12th of May, which now has no existence save in the almanack, and at a still more remote date the market for sheep, hogs, now held at Linton the day before the third Wed- nesday after the 11th of June, was held at Skirling. The traces of the bughts are still to be seen, and not long since an aged per- son died who recollected distinctly his having seen more than once 108 PEEBLES-SHIRE the bustle of the sheep fair. Why it was removed cannot now be accurately ascertained, but it may possibly be accounted for, in the tendency of the seller in dull times to draw towards the buyer; and about eighty or ninety years ago, the demand being small might induce store farmers to make a nearer approach to those arable districts of the country, where they could secure an outlet for the extra produce of their stock. - Inns. — There are two inns, clean and comfortable, for the acconn modation of the people attending the markets. Fuel. — There is scarcely such a thing as peat, the principal if not sole fuel being coaL It is brought from Douglas and Wilsontown, both places being nearly fourteen miles distant« In consequence of th6 long drive, it costs when laid down here at the rate of 2s. 4d. per load, or about 8d. per cwt. By the wealthier this evil is not so sensibly felt, but it presses hard upon the poorer class, and were it not for the attention of Sir T. Carmichael in clearing all the direct outlay, and of the tenantry in driving coals for them, they would necessarily and frequently find themselves sufferers from the inclemency of winter. Miscellaneous Observations. In the Statistical Account given by the late Rev. Mr Howe, it is stated that every farmer sowed five or six lippies of flax seed, and those having small possessions and even cottages two or three lip- pies, but now this article has scarcely a name among the produc- tions of the parish. Cottagers and smaller tenants grow no lint, and it is rarely to be met with on any of the larger farms, as it is considered more profitable to purchase it dressed or manufactured into the fabric than to incur the necessary expenses of raising it at home. The great advance of rent not only intimates that changes favourable to the prosperity of the nation have been passing during the last forty years, but likewise that agricultural industry and im- provement have been progressing. The ten smaller possessions around the village which formerly were rented at L. 1 and L. 1, 5s. an acre, now rate as high as L. 3 and L. 4 ; and the average rental over the whole parish, instead of 4s. is now 15s. ; while, from any thing we can learn, the tenant has far less difficulty in answering the money demands made upon him by the proprietor, and has received a mighty addition to his personal, family, and domestic comforts. But though much has already been done, there are still improve- ments of great benefit which remain to be accomplished. Within SKIRLING. 109 these thirty years, at great expense, and with much labour in banking and draining, upwards of 100 acres have been raised from a boggy barren condition, yielding a little coarse dry hay, into a very pro- ductive state, and, by deepening Biggar water, which lies on the southern boundary, eighteen inches or two feet, up from Brough- ton bridge, that already reclaimed would be rendered a great deal more fertile, and more would be recovered in this parish, while in those adjacent several hundred acres would be gained* The thing has been proposed, and we have no doubt as to its ultimate accom- plishment There is another thing which demands attention, and that is the present want of plantations and fences. Were these in greater abundance, while they would afford shelter, a thing greatly needed generally in Scotland, they would likewise render Skirling one of the sweetest parishes in her mountainous domains; nor are we without good expectations that this will not be long overlooked. There are a number of farms let upon tacks of fifty-seven years' duration, and these, unfortunately, are so scattered up and down, as every where to fetter the proprietor in the free exercise of his pleasure, but they are now drawing to a close; and from the well-known disposition of Sir Thomas Carmichael to do what is for the advantage of his estates, and from what he has actually done on his property in the parish of Kirkurd, we anticipate the period when the ditcher shall be preparing the thorn-bed, and the diker shall be plying his ham- mer, and the planter his spade, and the bleakness of the unenclosed plain, and the unwooded* hill, shall no longer glare upon the eye of the observer. May 1834. PARISH OF MANNER. PRESBYTERY OF PEEBLES, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWSEDDALE. THE REV. JAMES CRUICKSHANK, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries. — The name of this parish is at preseni spelt Manner or Manor ; but it appears from the parochial k«gi^ ters, of which the earliest entry is dated 1663, — and from a grest number of family papers in the possession of the principal heritoTi some of which are dated 1573, — that the first-mentioned ortho* graphy was established by the usage of centuries, and continued until the publication of the last parochial Account. The origin of the name is uncertain. The parish extends from S. W. to N. K nine miles, and ave* rages about three. It is bounded on the N. E. by Peebles; oo the S. E. by Yarrow; on the S. by Megget; on the S. W. by Drummelzier; and on the W. and N. W. by Stobo. The dis- trict consists of the vale which is traversed by the stream called ^* Manner Water," and of part of the mountainous range which skirts it on either side. Topographical Appearances. — The rivulet just named takes its rise among the mountains which bound the parish towards the south, and pursuing a rapid and circuitous course, falls into the Tweed, about two miles above the town of Peebles. Two hills, of which one is wholly and the other partly situated in this parisbf stand unconnected with the neighbouring range, and, excepting a similar one in an adjoining parish, are the only hills of this descrip- tion which are to be found within the limits of the county. The acclivities of the several hills composing the chain are in general steep ; and some of the cliffs fronting the stream near its source, and approaching closely to each other, are very lofty and precipitous. The outline of the less elevated part, of the range is undulating, while the loftiest summits are rotmd'^Hicked, The highest peaks are those of Dollar-law and Scrape, from which an extensive view is commanded of the Lothians, Berwickshire, and 3 MANNER. Ill to the English borders. The former of these emineDces, according to Armstrong, is 2840 feet above the level of the sea, and is, there- fore, higher than Hartfell in the adjoining parish of Tweedsmuir. The lower part of the range may vary from 1600 to 1900 feet above the sea-level. Meteorology. — Cold easterly winds often prevail during the spring ; but the most prevalent are the S. and S. W. winds, — the position of the hills on either side of the deep valley giving a direction to the current of air, which sweeps down through it as through a funnel, and frequently with terrific violence. The climate at such a lofty elevation is of course comparatively late, though the harvest in this parish is earlier than in some others which are contiguous, — a fact which may be accounted for by the peculiar position and configuration of the hills, from the steep ac- clivities of which, — covered in many places with loose stones, — the rays of the sun are reflected in summer with great intensity on the cultivated grounds beneath. The frosts, however, are early and long continued ; and the district is exposed to a kind of partial frost in the end of August and beginnuig of September, which chiefly afiects the low-lying lands on the border of the stream. It counterbalances in some degree the disadvantages of the climate, that the air is particularly dry and salubrious, and epidemical dis- eases are almost unknown to the inhabitants of this parish. Geology and Mineralogy, — Wherever the rock of which the mountain-range is composed breaks the surface, it consists almost entirely of greywacke. As the rock is exposed^but in a few places to such an extent as to admit of accurate and sufficiently numerous observations being made with regard to the position of its strata, which in some localities are variously waved, there is considerable difficulty in distinguishing their partial from their general direc- tion* and inclination. On comparing the results of many particu- lar observations, it appears that the general direction of the strata is north and south, and that they dip to the west, forming an angle of inclination amounting to nearly 45^. A bed of clay-slate, in some places much indurated, ranging from one to five feet in thickness, and preserving the same general direction, dip, and incli- nation, as those of the circumjacent greywacke, runs across the lower extremity of this parish, and seems to communicate with the slate formation in the adjoining parish of Stobo. The greywacke has not been quarried to any considerable extent, and few imbedded minerals have been detected. 112 PEEBLES-SHIRE. Very rich specimens of galena have been found in boulders in the channel of the stream, and the existence of it in sitUy in one particular spot, hais also been ascertained ; but though an attempt to mine it was at one time commenced, it was ultimately abandoned From the centre of the vale towards its north-eastern extremity, which is bounded by the Tweed, there occur alluvial deposits of considerable extent, consisting principally of clay and loam. On grounds of every elevation in the parish, but chiefly in the higher districts, and often on a declivity, moss is found deposited in beds varying in depth from one to ten feet, — that part of it which lies lowest being perfectly black and of great solidity, while towards the surface it is in most cases spongy, and of a brownish colour. Along the margin of the stream, the deposits are chiefly of gra- vel, with an occasional thin stratum of moss, lying on a thick sub- stratum of blue clay. Soils. — On some of the more elevated pasture-grounds, the soil is principally composed of moss, with a small admixture of sand, and gives sustenance to little beside heath ; but the most extensive portion of pasture-ground, and that also which is of greatest ele- vation, consists of soil but slightly impregnated with moss, and which is favourable to the growth of grasses. These grasses ac- cordingly cover its whole extent, except where, on steep declivities, loose fragments of stone in extensive masses impede vegetation. Where the hilly ridges begin to decline into the valley, there predominates a thin soil of sand and clay, slightly mingled with loam, resting on a subsoil of gravel ; and of this character is a great proportion of the land which has been brought under cultivation. The clayey and loamy soils, which occupy the flats and the gen- tle acclivities towards the lower extremity of the parish, are in ge- neral of inconsiderable depth. Zoology. — The following is a list of quadrupeds and birds that have been seen in the parish, which are either rare in Scotland, or the comparative numerical distribution of which it may be de- sirable to ascertain. Quadrupeds. Erinaceus Europaeas, Hedgehog. Lepus cuniculus, Rabbit. Not abundant. variabilis, Alpine hare. Mustek lutra, Otter. Very abundant a few years ago, but rarer now. Mustcla crminea. Ermine. putorius, Polecat. vulgaris, Weasel. Abundant. Mus Norvegicus vel deoumanus, Brown rat. The Black rat, Mus rattus. is extinct. Sciurus vulgaris, Squirrel. Introduoed on the North Esk from England. Ra- ther rare. Ursus meles. Badger. Seen ooeasioo- ally. BlEDS. Alcedo ispida, King-iisher. One(acoek) seen lost summer, and a pair was shot MANNER. 113 three jeun ago. About thirty years since they were not so rare as they are now. Anas boschas. Wild duck. Abundant. crecca. Teal. Veryabundant, espe- cially when the winter is severe. Ardea major, Heron. Crarimulgus Europaeus, Goat-sucker. One shot three years ago. Falco cyaneus, Blue-hawk or Hen-har- rier. Fako Mfulont Merlin. — Nisus, Sparrow-hawk. — — peregrinus. Hunting-hawk. Builds r^;iilarly on Posso Craigs. llils was A royal eyrie during the reign of some of the last of the Jameses ; and the breed of hawks procured from it was in such high repute as to be esteemed superior to any in Scotland, and equal to the finest brought from Norway. Falco pygargus. Ihe Ring-tail is the female Falco pygargus, and is often mistaken for a difierent species. Fringilla Carduelis, Goldfinch. This bird had become very rare here, as it has in most districts of Scotland, but this winter a great number has been seen. Loxia pyrrhula, Bulfinch. Common. Phasianus Colchicus, Pheasant. Abund- ant. Rallus crex. Corn-rail. Common. Scolopax arquata, Curlew. Plentiful. gallinago. Snipe. Do. rusticoU, Woodcock. Rather rare. Strix flammea. Bam or White owl. otus. Homed do. Seen not un- frcquently. Strix aluco. Grey do. Frequently seen. Stumus cinclus, Water Ouzel. Tetrao Scoticus, Red Grouse. ) abund- Tetrix, Black-cock. j ant. Turdus Mcrula, Blackbird. 1 I musicus. Thrush. > numerous — — pilaris, Field&re. } torquatus. Ring Ouzel. Vtdtur albiciUa^ more correctly designated Faho aJbicilla^ the Eame, once frequented the cliffs at the head of the parish, but disappeared from it several years since. In a late edition of White's Natural History of Selborne, the editor enumerates several accidental varieties of British birds, among which he had himself seen a mottled blackbird, white crows, a white robin, a white sparrow, and a -white jackdaw. Similar va- rieties of the pheasant have been noticed here for several succes- sive years, some entirely white, and others pied or speckled. Four birds, two of them white and the others variegated, have been seen in the same covey. Fishes. — Salmon come up the " Manner water" in great abun- dance to deposit their spawn, about the month of October ; and we are afraid that few of them are allowed to return to sea. When the stream has subsided after a flood, and become sufficiently clear to admit of the fish being seen, bands of poachers, armed with their long-shafted tridents, ( called " leisters,") may be seen, sometimes during the day, but oftener by the red glare of their torches during the night, beating every foot of the water for their prey, which, after a fatiguing run of sixty miles, are transfixed without much effort at escape. The number of fishes which, from the month of October to that of February, are thus slaughtered in an unwhole- some condition, and generally before they have time to spawn, is ahnost incredible. Upwards to the source of the Tweed, and a considerable way down the river, as well as in many of its tribu- PEEBLE8. H 114 PKEBLE$*^SHIRE. taries which are of sufficient size to allow the salmon to asoend, this practice prevails, — very partially, if at all, checked by the pro- prietors, who might be supposed to have an interest in putting into effect the existing laws against such offenders. The fact iS| — so few salmon find their way during the open season above the site of the various fisheries on the Tweed, that the proprietors of land situated farther up the river have no interest in their preservation during the period of spawning ; and Hence this system of poach- ing continues to check, in an incalculable degree, the increase of this valuable fish, and to encourage the worthless habits of the many idlers who, during the winter months, thus injure their health and dissipate their time. About fifteen or twenty years ago, this parish was reckoned one of the finest localities in Scotland for angling, but within that periodf the notoriety of " Manner water" has attracted so many anglers to its banks, and it has been so often and unsparingly swept by the small hoop and drag-net of the poacher, that except in autunm, when a few salmon and sea-trout make their way up, little is to be found except pars, which still swarm in shoals. The fine yel* low and dark-coloured hum trout, once so abundant in the Man- ner, are now scarcely to be seen here, except in the deep pools of some of its small tributaries. II. — Civil History. Eminent Persons. — We are riot aware of any very eminent cha- racter connected with this parish, unless David Ritchie, the well- known prototype of the " Black Dwarf," is to be considered as such. With this individual Sir W. Scott became acquainted in the course of his frequent visits at Hallyards, the seat of the late venerable Professor Ferguson. He was buried in the churchyard of Man- ner : his cottage and garden walls built by himself, and now ob- jects of interest to the tourist, are preserved in exactly the same state as when he died. Land-owners, — The chief land-owners are, James Burnett, Esq. of Bams; Sir John Nasmyth of Posso; Thomas Horsburgh, Esq. of that Ilk; Andrew Ballantine, Esq. of Woodhouse; John Ker, Esq. of Hundleshope ; Mungo Campbell, Esq. of Hedlyards and Ballenridge. Parochial Registers, — The earliest entry in these registers, which seem in some respects to have been kept with considerable rega- larity, is dated 1669. Antiquities, — There exist within the parish the remains of tw6 3 MANNKn. 115 ancient camps, so considerable in extent, and of such distinct con- figuration, that a circumstantial account of them seems to desenre a place here, especially as the more remarkable of the two does not appear to have been noticed in any previous publication, and as the origin of the other, which has been alluded to by several writer?, has been, by all of them, certainly mistaken. The more extensive camp is situated near the farm-house of Cademuir, and must have commanded the pass which diverges from the vale of Manner, and leads eastward in the direction of Peebles. A steep and lofty hill rises on either side of the camp, and at a little dis- tance from it ; and a morass, existing within the memory of some of the present inhabitants, extended from the foot of either hill to the extremities of the circumvallations. These last, which are semicircular mounds of earth, and which, by that form, seem to indicate that they are of British or Danish origin, consist of an interior semicircle, measuring about 80 paces from the one extre- mity to the other, and of four curvilineal fortifications, about 5 paces broad, as many high, and 106 in length. A road, 5 paces in breadth, leads from the centre of the inner semicircle, directly west, and bisects the exterior lines, which are 12 paces apart. If any trenches and mounds corresponding to these and connected with them, existed on the east, they have disappeared. Tlie other camp occupies a conmianding site upon Chester's hill, a steep conical eminence, nearly a mile distant from the in- trenchments which we have described. The fortifications consist of loose stones piled upon each other to a breadth varying from 9 to 11 paces, and within the last twenty years, were upwards of ft feet high. The exterior wall is of an eUiptical figure and mea- sures 222 paces in circumference, within which there is another wall of a circular shape, occupying nearly the whole breadth of die circumscribing fortification, and, forming of course two cres- cents at the extremities of the latter. Within the compass of the circle, the ground seems to have been hollowed out artificially, the excavation deepening towards the centre. In the last Statistical Account of the parish, and in a Gazetteer lately published of some celebrity, these are pronounced to be the remains of a Roman camp : and it is also stated in these publications that an urn con- taining a quantity of Roman coins was dug out of the ruins se- veral years ago. It is now. very difficult to find any of these coins, but one which was examined by the writer of this account proved, to 1h« surprise^ to be an English coin, and bore the name of one of 116 PKEBLES-SHIRE. the Edwards, clearly enough impressed around its border. This fact, as well as the fonn of the circumvallations, which differs fronr that of all the camps which are certainly known to have been form- ed by the Romans, and which ^^'erc invariably quadrilateral, forbids the supposition that the one which we are describing is of Roman origin, — ^an idea very likely to have been originally suggested by the name " Chesters," which might seem to be a corruption of the Latin " Castra." While upon this subject we may add, that several silver coins of Queen Elizabeth have been found by workmen engaged in making roads near the camp on Chesters hill. Besides the fortifications already-mentioned, three other circular entrenchments, of much smaller dimensions, are severally viable upon Hound hill, Woodhouse, and Ring-knoll of Hall- Manner; but these appear to have been erected for the protection of live-stock during the incursions of the English, which, owing to the proxi- mity of this district to the borders of England, were very frequent There still remain the ruins of some of the fortified residences of the chieftains ; which formed a confederate chain of beacon- towers, extending from one extremity of the parish to the other, and from whose fire-proof summits the signals of smoke by day, and fire during the night, proclaimed, in the course of a few mi- nutes, to the whole inhabitants of the vale, the approach of the English moss-troopers. Of these towers, there were originally six, succeeding each other in the following order, — the first men- tioned being situated at the head of the parish : Mannerhead, DoUarburn, Langhaugh, Horse-hope-shank, Castle-hill, and Ca- verhill. This last communicated with Niedpath castle on the Tweed downwards, and with the beacon-tower at Lyne upwards, which was the first in that direction both for Tweed and Lvne " water." In addition to these, there were houses of defence, (Peel-houses,) at St Gordian's or Gorgham's kirk. Old Posso, Glenrath, town of Manner, Woodhouse, and Barns, — the last of which is still preserved entire. That at Posso seems to have been more extensive and modern than the others ; and the one at Town of Manner was generally called the Temple House, from the cir- cumstance of it, and part of the adjoining lands, having at one time belonged to the knights of that order. The route which was pursued by the border freebooters, against whose incursions this defensive system w^as chiefly adopted, is still distinguished by the name of the " Thiefs Road.'* It passes along MANNER. 117 the heights of Mannerhead and Dollar-Law to the north end of Scrape, and crossing Tweed below Stobo, runs northward in the direction of Lyne, Newlands, and Linton. Dollar- Law, just men- tioned, seems to have derived its name from being the site of a battle, and was popularly called Dolefu' Law or Doleur-Law. The antiquities which remain to be noticed are, the Standing Stone^ a rude obelisk, " with uncouth sculpture decked," which, having been removed from the situation which it originally occu- pied, was built ii^to the wall by the side of the parish road, and is supposed to be an aboriginal monument; the ^' Font Stone" which stood in St Gordian's chapel " while yet the church was Rome's," but was afterwards removed to mark the spot where three lairds' lands met ; the " Giant's Grave," a tumulus which has never been opened ; and, lastly, " some appearance of a build- ing," says Armstrong, " on the summit of Woodliill, called Mac^ betVs Castle^* but which, that statist, in despair of making any thing of the vague popular tradition respecting the famed Scot- tish tyrant, believes to have been consecrated for the worship of Woden by the Druids, whose memory cannot be held in sufficient reverence, for the relief which they afford to many a puzzled an- tiquary. IIL — Population. 1. In 1755, the whole number of persons in the parish amounted to 320 and in 1791, to 229 In 1811, it amounted to .... 302 In 1821, to 324 In 1831, .... 254 2. The yearly average of births for the last four years, . . 9 ofdeaths, - - - - - 2^ of marriages, - - - - 2} 3. The average number of persons under 15 years of age, - 95 betwixt 15 and 30, - - 81 betwixt 30 and 50, . . 48 betwixt 50 and 70, - - 12 upwards of 70, - - 2 4i Number of unmarried men, bachelors and widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 6 5, Number of ikmilies, - - -- - - -41 of fiunilies chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 34 in trade and manufactures, . - 6 Average number of children in each family, .... 5 6, The number of proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, 2 Character of the People, — From the nature of their employments shepherds have occasionally a good deal of leisure, which that class of individuals in this parish (and they form a very remarkable part of its population) devote to the improvement of their minds by read- ing, instead of indulging in idleness or immorality : and of them, and of the people in general, it may be justly said, that their cha- 118 PEEBLES-SHIRE. racier, intellectual as well as moral, stands deflervedly bigfa. They testify a deep and habitual regard to the public ordinances of re- ligion ; and ihere appears to be good reason for believing, that the " form of godliness," which is so prevalent among them, is intimate* ly and extensively associated with its ^^ power/' Such is their general character : but it must be added, that 3 illegitimate births have occurred in the parish during the last three years. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — The number of acres, standard imperial measure, in the pariah, iHiich are either enl- tivated or occasionally in tillage, is . - - . 1690 The number of acres thiat might be cultivated with a profitable implication of capital, ...... 910 Number of acres under wood, .... 400 The number of acres in pasture cannot be correctly stated. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land in the parish may be estimated at L. 1, 5s. per acre. The average rent of grai' ing a full-grown sheep, pastured for the year, 5s. At the time of the last Statistical Account, the rental of the parish was L.1685; now it is L. 4145. Breeds of Live^Stock. — A large proportion of the sheep in the parish, which amount in whole to about 7400, is of the black-faced or mountain breed ; but some of the farmers have introduced a cross-breed between these and the Cheviot stock, and the former have thus been very much improved. Upwards of a third of the whole stock in this parish consists of the breed formed by this cross. During the last war, when high prices were obtained for the wool of Cheviot sheep, an attempt was made to domesticate this species, on the higher and more exposed pasture-grounds, but, in coDse- quence^ of their delicacy, they were not found to thrive. It is thought, that if care had been taken to breed in the stock gradu- ally, the experiment would have met with that success which has attended it when made in some similar districts. The short-homed breed of cattle introduced by Mr Burnett of Bams is now in great demand. Since the publication of last report, very extensive improve- ments have been made in draining and reclaiming waste land. At the period alluded to, there were very few enclosures ; but at pre- sent, the whole of the land which is of good quality is well enclosed and subdivided. Irrigation has been successfully practised to some extent. The great improvements which we have alluded to as having MANNEB. 119 taken place in the agricultural state of the parish have been prin- cipally brought about by Mr Burnett, to whom a third part of the property in it belongs. Besides greatly ameliorating his land by draining and fencing in the most admirable manner^ he has re- claimed an immense portion of waste ground, and planted more than two-thirds of the whole wood in the parish. The very ex- tensive farm of Haswellsikes, belonging to this gentleman, and farmed by himself, deserves to be especially noticed, as exhibiting, perhaps, the finest model of agricultural management which is to be seen in the county. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : 255 an, of whctA, 500 do, barley, - - - L. 6S7 10 700 500 do. peas, ... 650 1000 do. oats. 900 828 bolb potatoes, at 7s. per boll, 289 16 laO acres turnip, at L. 2 10s. per acre. 347 10 10400 stones meadow-hay, at dd. per stoue, lao 2780 stones clorer-hay, at 6d. 68 L.3722 16 The number of sheep pastured in the parish is 7400 ; of cattle, 800 ; of horses, 72. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication, — The inhabitants have access, by means of a good parish road, to the market-town of Peebles, which is not above a mile and a-half distant from the north-eastern ex- tremity of Manner. There are four stone bridges in the parish, the largest of which crosses the Manner water a few hundred yards above the spot where that stream falls into the Tweed. JEcclemutical State. — The parish church is situated inconve- niently for the population, — being not more than one mile from the lower extremity of the parish, while the other extremity is not less than eight miles distant from it. The time at which it was built cannot be ascertained. Though very old, it is in a tolerably good state of repair. It is capable of affording accommodation for 160 persons. The principal part of the manse was built upwards of twenty years ago. The glebe is thirty acres in extent, and, under proper management, might be worth from L. 35 to L. 40. The stipend 120 PEEBLES-SHIRE. amounts to L. 113, ds. 1^. of money ; 23 bolls, 2 firlots, 2 pecks, ^ lippie of barley, and the same quantity of meal. The number of families attending the Established church is 30; of persons of all ages attending that church, 120 ;* of persons of all ages attending the chapels of Dissenters and Seceders, 36; of Episcopalians, 7 ; of Roman Catholics, 2. Considering the very inconvenient situation of the Established church. Divine service there is very well attended. The average number of communicants at the Established church is 65. EducalioTu — The parochial teacher has L. 30 of salary, and L. 14 arising from school fees, together with the legal accommo- dations. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid is 4 ; the average sum allotted to each per week, 3s. ; the annual amount of contributions for the relief of the poor, L. 15. Of this sum, about L.8, 10s. are collected in the church ; L. 3 arise from occasional contributions, and the remain- der is supplied by the interest of L. 184, which i^ the amount of our existing poors' fund. Inns J Alehouses J S^c. — There is not a single inn or alehouse in the parish. Coal is the kind of fuel principally used in this parish. It b generally procured either from White-hill, in Mid- Lothian, or from Wilsonton, in the upper ward of Lanarkshire. When brought here it costs about Is. per cwt. — two-thirds of the expense being occasioned by the carriage. Though there is abundance of peat, of good quality, in various parts of the parish, very little of it is used by the inhabitants for fuel. * It deserves to be mentioned, that besides these there are some who firequeDtly attend the Established church, but who communicate with the Dissenters or Secedcrs- May 1834. PARISH OF STOBO. PRESBYTERY OF PEEBLES, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. THE REV. ALEXANDER KER, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Extent and Boundaries, — The extent of the parish was increas- ed after the parish of Dawick was suppressed in 1742, on which occasion a part of that parish was annexed to Stobo, and the other part of it to the parish of Drummelzier. The length is 7 miles, and the greatest breadth 5^. It contains \l^ji square miles. It is bounded on the west and east by the waters Biggar and Lyne ; on the north and south by the hills, or what is termed the waterfalls of the ranges of hills, which run parallel to the river Tweed. From the range of hills on the north of the bank, there are three lower ranges of hills which run to the south, forming valleys between, with streams of water flowing into the Tweed. The hills forming these several ranges have separate names. The highest are the Pyked Stane, 1884 feet, Benvalla 1850, Bin- liga 1692, Flint hill 1621 above the level of the sea. They do not appear high, as they rise from a high level. The foot of Pyked Stane, where the Stobo burn has its course, is 700 feet above the level of the Tweed, where the burn joins it, so that the burn falls 700 feet in five miles. Meteorology. — There is nothing particularly deserving of remark in the parish under this head. Among the prognostics of weather may be mentioned only one, which is common of course to other districts. Goats are said to have a peculiarly instinctive perception as to the change of weather. Though they delight to browze amongst rocks and high clifis picking up herbs and eating shrubs, of which they have a peculiar relish, yet they are never caught in this exposed situation during a storm. If you wish to find them, search for a bield or sheltered corner, or recess in the neighbourhood, where they have taken up their quarters, and bid defiance to the blast Shepherds of observation, who attend to the manner in which their sheep conduct themselves previous to an approaching storm, remark that their old sheep or ewes (for the hogs are dull and stu- pid,) have a presentiment of change of weather. 122 PEEBLES-SHIRE. Hydrography, — There are many perennial springs, some of which flow from the earth, and others from rocks. Their temperature is 46^ ; they are very clear, but not very large, and none of them so far impregnated with any mineral or chemical substances as that these become distinguishable by the taste or smell. Tweed is the largest river in the parish. It has its source in the parish of Tweedsmuir, at a fountain called Tweedswell, about seven* teen or eighteen miles above the uppermost part of the parish. It is upwards of twenty yards broad, and on an average about one foot and a-half deep at the fords. It enters the parish where Biggar water joins it, and at the junction is 615 feet above the level of the sea. It leaves the parish where the Lyne water joins it, and at the junction is 550 feet above the level of the sea. It runs either through or along the parish for seven miles. Its declivity is about twelve feet per mile. Geology and Mineralogy. — There is a bed of clay-slate in the pa- rish which has been worked for centuries. It is of excellent quality, and resembles much the slate from the quarries of Ballachulish in Argyleshire. Its direction is from west to east, and it dips to the south-east. All the other rocks are greywacke, more or less dis- tinctlv stratified. The slate and greywacke rocks (whinstone) have been only work- ed where they crop out on the surface, and where there is little or no soil covering them. Soil, — The soil is generally light and gravelly, abounding with numerous water-worn stones, especially in the valley of Tweed. In s()me parts the soil is clay, especially on the north parts of the bills, and in the best parts at the bottom of the hills. The alluvial soil in the haughs of Tweed is various, part being carse-land, part sandy or gravelly, evidently the deposit of the river, or what was at one time the bed of the river. II. — Civil History. Accounts^ Sfc, of the Parish, — The only account of the parish, besides the former Statistical Account, is to be found in a publica- tion entitled " A Companion to Armstrong's Map of the County of Peebles," published in 1775. Sir Alexander Murray, once a proprietor of Stobo estate, which comprehends now three-fourths of the parish, had a plan of it made and engraved about the year 1734, which is correct, and gives the heights of many of the hills. Eminent Persons, — Sir Alexander Murray, Bart who resided in the parish during part of the incumbency of my predecessor, was possessed of a most enterprising spirit, and carried on improvements STOBO. 123 on his estate with an ardour and a taste scarcely equalled among his contemporaries. I must mention also the late Lord Chief Ba- ron Montgomery, of his Majesty's Exchequer in Scotland, who was distinguished not only as an enterprising purchaser and improver, but for his great spirit in public undertakings, being always forward in encouraging every measure that could contribute to the advan- tage and improvement of the county of Tweeddale, over which he long presided in all matters of public concern. His remains are deposited in the family burjing ground in the churchyard of Stobo. Land-owners, — The chief land-owners in the parish are Sir James Montgomery of Stanhope, Bart. ; Sir John Nasmyth of Posso, Bart.; the Right Honourable the Earl of March and Wemyss; and William Gray, Esq. of Brown's Lands. Parochial Registers. — The date of the earliest entry of the pa- rochial register of births, marriages, and deaths is in the year 1653; since that period a register has been regularly kept, and the prin- cipal events in the parish briefly recorded. Antiquities. — On Sheriflinuir there are two large stones three feet in height and six feet distant from each other, which are sup- posed to mark the grave of some chief who had there fallen in bat- tle. There are also two cairns of stones on this muir, and single stones about a foot in height planted at regular distances, which some suppose to have been planted to perpetuate the memory of some person of distinction, while others regard them as relics of Druidical temples. There is also to be seen in this muir a large round cavity in the form of a basin, called Pinkie's Hole. It is about ninety paces in circumference ; and at the time when the former Statistical Account was written, it was at the centre between six and seven feet below the level of the adjacent plain ; but the depth is now considerably less, from the decay of the luxuriant crops of grass in the inside, — the grass in the inside being far more luxuriant than on the rim of the cavity, probably from the soil being enriched by the decay of the bodies therein buried, of those who had fallen in battle. This muir, being both centrical for the county and well adapted for mustering the Tweeddale militia whilst the unfortunate animo- sities subsisted between the sister kingdoms, was the place where the sheriff-depute was accustomed to summon them to appear be- fore him on a certain day and at an appointed hour; hence it was called the Sheriff-muir, and still retains the name. Modem Buildings. — Stobo Castle is the chief modern building in the parish. The materials generally used for building are whin- 1 24 PEEBLES-SHIRE. stones for the body of the buildings, ornamented according to taste or fashion with freestone. III. — Population. The state of the population previous to the year 1734 cannot be traced with any degree of certainty, but from various circum- stances there is reason to believe the population is now partly di- minished, — but from what causes it is not so easy to determine. In 181 It the population was 422 1821, - - - 413 1831, . - - 440 The yearly average of births for the last 7 years, • - - > 5 of burials in the parish, ..... 4 of marriages, - - - - - - 8 The average number of persons at present in the parish under 15 years of age, 196 upwards of 70, 8 Number of bachelors and widowers upwards of 50 years of age, - - 6 of widows and unmarried women upwards of 45, - • 4 The number of families in the parish is 85 ; whereof 41 are chiefly engaged in agriculture ; 8 in trade, manufactures, and han- dicraft ; and 36 not belonging to either of these classes. The only individual of independent fortune resident in the pa- rish is Sir James Montgomery of Stanhope, Bart ; but there are four proprietors of land in the parish of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards. Character of the People. — My residence amongst them has been for upwards of sixty years. I have known in the parish many re- spectable, benevolent, and kind-hearted parishioners. They are gone, and I have mourned their loss. Yet they have left behind them successors to whose integrity of life and manners I am hap- py to have the opportunity to bear testimony. There is, in one word, perhaps, no parish where the moral character and conduct of the people are in all respects more uniformly unexceptionable. During the last three years there have been, however, two illegi- timate births in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. The number of imperial acres cultivated or occasionally in tillage, is - 1355 Capable of being cultivated with a profit, - - - - 711 In pasture, including hill ground, ..... 10,090 In undivided common, ...--.-0 Under wood, planted, ... . - - 587 Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land, per acre, in the parish is L. 1. The average rent of grazing, per ox or cow, for the year, L.3, lOs. The average rent of ewe or full-grown sheep, pastured on the hills for one year, 5s. ; on the valleys or improved ground for one year, 10s. Rateof Wages. — The rate of labour during the summer, per week, STOBO. 125 for farm-labourers, or labourers at the high roads, is 10s. ; and in the winter, per week, 9s., they finding their own victuals. Carpen- ters are paid at the rate of Is. 6d. per day, summer and winter* with their victuals. Tailors are paid at the same rate. Masons are paid 2s. 6d. per day, but maintain themselves. Husbandry, — All the farms in the parish are stocked with the Cheviot breed of sheep, efxcept two, which are stocked with the black-faced. In some farms the breeds of cattle have been of late improved by crossing them with the Tees- Water and Ayrshire breeds. The state of farm-buildings in the parish is generally good : and the greater part of the arable ground, which is generally plough- ed, is enclosed with stone dikes. The duration of leases is nine- teen years. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as that can be ascertained, is as follows : Produce of grain of aU kinds, whether cultivated for food of man or the domestic animals, 8600 bolls. 87 acres potatoes, at L. 6 per acre. . . . . L. 222 188 acres, turnips, at L. 3, 10s. per acre, ... 483 Q 5580 stones of hay, at 4d. per stone, - - - - 93 8 4 L. 796 8 4 As to the produce of land in pasture, tlierc are 1380 acres m that state. It may be rated at L. 2, IDs. per cow or full-grown ox, grazed, or that may be grazed for the season ; at lOs. per ewe or full-grown sheep, pastured or that may be pastured for the yeari Annual thinning and periodical felling of woods, plantations, and copse, 60 Quarries, - - - - - - - 6000 The real rental of the parish is L. 2847. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication. — There is a communication between Peebles and Stobo weekly, by a carrier, who passes through the parish ; and between Edinburgh and Stobo weekly by the same means. There is no post-office nearer than Peebles or Rachan Mill. There are two turnpike roads in the parish, one of which extends towards the west about four miles nearly along the side of the river Tweed ; the other upwards of three miles, till it joins Kirkurd parish on the north-west, and Ncwlands on the north-east. Over Lyne water there are three bridges at a short distance from each other; and on Biggar water, the boundary between Stobo and Broughton parishes, there is a bridge, — all of which are kept in good repair. Ecclesiastical State. — The church is a Gothic structure of great antiquity, and has been evidently erected in times of Popery. For a long time the building afforded insufficient and uncomfortable accommodation ; but these defects have now been completely re- 126 HERBLES-SHIRE. medied. It affords accommodation to upwards of 200 sitters. There are no free sittings. The mi^nse was built in the year 1791. The glebe is subdivided, and enclosed with stone dikes and hedges. It contains about twenty-one acres of arable land, each acre worth about L. 1, 10s. per annum. To make up the stipend to L. 150, exclusive of communion elements, it was necessary to apply to the Exchequer fund for L. 12, Ids. Id. There are also ten bolls of oatmeal which the minister of Stobo draws from Sir John Nasmyth, as his half share of the glebe and grass of Dawick, and a servitude which he has on the Harrow and Stobo Hope of six days of a man's casting turfs. The number of dissenters in the parish is about 34. The ave- rage number of communicants in the parish church is 154^ Education. — The parochial school is the only school in the pa- rish. Besides the usual branches, Latin is sometimes taught there. The salary is L. 32. The school fees amount annually to about L. 11. As an encouragement to the people to attend, Sir James Montgomery pays the school fees of every boy or girl of a family when the numbers that attend the school out of each family ex- ceed two. The school fees for teaching to read English, for one year, are 4s. 6d. ; for English and writing, 6s. ; for arithmetic, in- cluding English, 7s. 6d. ; for Latin, 12s. TTie schoolmaster's ac- commodations are good. There is no person in the parish up- wards of fifteen years of age who cannot both read and write. Poor. — There are at present nine or ten paupers receiving pa- rochial aid, each receiving upon an average L. 3, 5s. per annum. Their relief arises from the collections in the church, averaging about L. 12 per annum, and from the sum of L. 545, which has been realized by savings from church collections. As to the feelings of paupers in regard to their receiving aid from poors' funds, these of course are different in different indivi^ duals. I may state, as illustrative of the depraving effects of a de- pendence on this sort of charity, the case of one pauper, who at one time was so shocked at the debasing idea of being indebted for relief out of the poors' box, that she told me that she would rather work " till the blood came out at her finger points ;" but now this woman is the most clamorous for relief of all that are on the poors' roll. Fuel — Coals are the chief staple article for fuel in the parish. They are brought either from the Lothians, Douglas coal-hiU, or Wilsonton, in the west country. Mny 1834. PARISH OF KIRKURD. PRESBTTERT OF PEEBLES, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. THE REV. DAVID ANDERSON, MINISTER. , I. — Topography and Natural History. Name — Boundaries* — According to Chalmers in his Cale- donia, the word Kirkurd was formed by prefixing the Scoto-saxon Kirk to Urd^ the Celtic name of the place, signifying an eminence or height. This seems the most probable derivation of the name. The length of the parish from east to west is 5^ English miles, and its breadth from north to south is from 3 to 4 miles. It is bounded by Broughton, Skirling, Dolphington, Linton, Newlands, and Stobo. Topographical Appearances. — The highest hill in the parish is called Hell's Cleugh, which, according to Armstrong, is 2100 feet aboTe the level of the sea. On the summit of this hill there is a small cairn called the Pyked Stane^ the boundary of three parishes, Stobo^ Broughton, and Kirkurd. This cairn commands a very ex- tensive view. Towards the north-west, the view extends as far as Dumbartonshire, and towards the east as far as the Eildon hills, near Melrose, and the Cheviot hills in Northumberland. Hydrography. — There is a copious sulphureous spring near Castlecraig. The late celebrated Dr Black, Professor of Che- mbtry, in the University of Edinburgh, from a chemical analysis, ascertained its water to be stronger than the sulphureous water at Moffat, but weaker than that at Harrowgate. It has been used with success in several diseases. The water Tarth flows along the north of the parish, and divides it from Linton and Newlands. This is the only stream in the parish. The lands in this parish, though in general high, being betwixt 600 and 700 feet above the level of both the east and west sea, are notwithstanding healthful — the soil being for the most part gravelly. The soil appears to be well adapted for the growth of timber of various kinds, and a great deal of wood has been planted. 128 PEEBLKS-SHIRE. which tend much to beautify and improve the country. The pre- vailing winds are from the south-west, and the heavy rains are im- mediately absorbed. Rheumatism is the most prevalent distemper. Geology. — The prevailing rocks in this parish appear to belong to the transition class. Not long ago, in digging for marl in the. Mount bog, several horns of the elk, in a high state of preservation, were found. It is conjectured that there must have been a lake at one time in that place, perhaps in a semifluid state, and that the deer running into it when pursued by the hunters had perished. In proof of there having been a lake, it may be mentioned, that, in boring for marl in another part of the bog, there were found several hazel-nuts by no means in a decayed state. The discovery of these horns affords one, among many other proofs, that this country must have abounded in former times very much in wood. * II. — Civil History. Eminent Men. — James Geddes of Rachan, whose ancestors pos- sessed the large estate of Kirkurd for a long course of years, was bom in this parish in the year 1710. He was educated for, and practised several years at, the bar, and was to have been appointed to the Bench of Judges. He died of consumption before he ar- rived at the age of forty. He published an Essay on the Compo- sition and Manner of Writing of the Ancients, and left behind him several other tracts. It is recorded in history, that, at the close of the civil wars with the Douglasses in the reign of James IL, Sir David Scott of Kirkurd and Buccleuch obtained great gifts of land for his clan's service and his own at the battle of Arkinholme, in the valley of £sk, where the. brothers of Douglas and his followers received a severe defeat, and that the possession of this landed property was the commencement of that course of greatness which afterwards raised his family to the dukedom. Land-mcners. — There are four proprietors in this parish, the principal of whom are Sir Thomas G. Carmichael, Bart, of Skir- ling, and John Lawson, Esq. of Cairnmuir. The former gentle- man is patron of Kirkurd, and possesses several valuable estates in other parishes. His estates formerly belonged to John Earl of Hyndford, his grand-uncle. They are entailed in the male line. Parochial Registers. — With regard to these, it may be stated, that three books exist containing part of the records of the kirk- session. The first begins in September 23, 1705, and ends Fe-. KIRKURD. 129 bruary 23, 1707; the second begins November 10, 1717, and ends July 12, 1724; the third begins January' 3, 1725, and ends July 30, 1738. The registers have been regularly kept from Oc- tober 27, 1742, to the present time. Antiquities. — Several stones of a circular form are standing in the neighbourhood of old Harestanes, supposed to have been erect- ed by the Druids for religious purposes. • Near Castlecraig house are two mounts called the Castle and the X^aw, supposed to have been sepulchral barrows of ancient construction, though afterwards used as stations for the admini- stration of justice to a rude people. To the east of these is a circular fortification, on an eminence near Ladyurd, called the Rings, and another to the west called the Chesters. They are supposed to have been military erections. A-t Mount-hill, about the year 1754, a stone chest enclosing a large clay urn containing human bones was found. And more re- cently there was found at the bottom of the same hill a stone cof- fin 4^ feet long, 2^ feet wide, and 2^ feet deep, which contained human bones, among which were discovered three flint stones, — one resembling a halbert ; another of a circular form ; and the third of a cylindrical form, with a small ring, supposed to have been a Dniidical amulet In another part of the parish, there was also found a few years ago another stone coffin, formed of a great many stones rudely put together, and containing human bones. Modem Buildings, — Castlecraig, the seat of Sir Thomas G. Carmichael, is an elegant and commodious mansion-house, erected by Sir John G. Carmichael, and enlarged and beautified by the present proprietor. The garden and pleasure grounds are very ex- tensive, and tastefully laid out. The house at Cairnmuir, belong- ing to John Lawson, Esq. is also an excellent one, and well fitted for the accommodation of a large family. III. — Population. Population in ]K)1, - d27 1811, - aM7 1821, - 3d2 1831, . 318 The population of 1831 is now considerably less than when the last census was taken, owing to the two principal proprietors not being resident in the parish.* 1. Number of families in the parish, • - -57 of fiimilics chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 46 handicraft, - - 7 * Sinoe'the above was written, the heritors have returned, and the population may be about 360. PEEBLES. I 130 P K £B LES-S H 1 RE. S. The average number of births yearly, for the laet 7 yean, - 6 of deaths, betwixt - - 8 and 4 of proclamations, betwixt • . 6 aad 7 Owing to the prodigious increase of machinery of late yean, which greatly lessens the price of various articles, very little wool or lint is spun at home, and the general practice is to purchase Qvery thing from the merchant. And, indeed, still fewer articles will hereafter be manufactured at home, because, in reality, no profit is derived from the system. The people in a reasonable de-^ gree may be said to enjoy the comforts and advantages of society; and, accordingly, it may be mentioned that no emigrants to foreign countries have gone from this parish. During the last three years there have been four or five illegi- timate births in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — By actual measurement the parish was found to contain 6620 English acres. It has been plau- sibly supposed that these may be divided into three nearly equal parts, Isty land that is at present under cultivation; 2dj land that may be cultivated or improved : 3^, land that is solely adapted for sheep-pasture. Under the second of these divisions, however, an included nearly 600 acres which have been planted ; and the re- maining 1620 acres must merely be considered as what it is pos- sible to make arable, not what may be advantageously cultivated. This last point cannot properly be determined ; only we may safely assert, that the number of acres that might with profitable appli- cation of capital be added to the cultivated land is very small lo fact, in some instances too great a desire has been manifested to bring high ground into cultivation, and it may be questioned whe- ther the farmer has received a proper indemnification for the ex- pense incurred. This parish has derived great benefit from the attention that has been paid to the growth of timber. The plantations belong- ing to Sir Thomas G. Carmichael and Mr Lawson are extensive, and are in a flourishing state. Sir Thomas, indeed, has done in- calculable service to the parish by his numerous plantations. These have wonderfully improved the climate, and beautified the country. In this county much may yet be done in the way of planting trees ; and proprietors would receive a proper remunera- tion, for it cannot be disputed that the plantations on the hills tend to improve the lower grounds. Rate of JVages. — The wages of men-servants for the year arc 4 KIRKTRD. 131 betwixt L. 11 and L. 13 ; aiid of women-servants betwixt L. 5 and Lb 6 for the same period. The wages of women*servants are much higher in summer than in winter, owing, no doubt, to the greater amount of labour to which they are subjected in the one season than in the other. Husbandry. — All kinds of grain excepting wheat and beans are raised, and it is found that the more early kinds suit better than the later. Wheat, indeed, has been attempted, but this so partially, as scarcely to merit notice.* The green crop cultivation is much at- tended to, and potatoes and turnips are generally of excellent qua- lity. The dairy system is carried on here to a considerable extent, and it has been said that the farmers are nearly enabled to pay their rents from the produce of their cows. The plan of irrigating meadow ground has been adopted in some places in the parish very successfully. — It has been ascertained that some water meadows have produced on an average about 400 stones of hay per acre, reckoning 22 lbs. to the stone. As to the duration of leases, it may be stated, that all farms, with a few exceptions, are let for nineteen years, and if they are let on an average at 20s. per acre, both landlord and tenant are consider- ed as equally benefited. Very little can h|je said in praise of the farm-buildings in the pa- rish. These are commonly taken by estimate, and the lowest is generally preferred. Hence the fann-houses are rather superfi- cially built It has now, however, become customary for the te- nants themselves to drive materials for the buildings, and this DO doubt tends, with as little cost as formerly to the proprietor, to tecure a more substantial and comfortable erection. Produce, — The ^.verage gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : OatSy 2392 boUs at 15b. per boll, Bu-ley, 256 bolls at 22ii. per boll, Peaie, 50 bolls at 16a. per boll. Turnips, 1 13 acres at L. 4, 10s. per acre, Potatoes, 33 acres, 40 bolls per acre, at 8s. per boll. Hay, cultiyated, 12,000 at Gd. per stone, Hay, meadow, 11,000 at 3d per stone, Sheep, 2000 at 6s. each, .... Black cattle, Ayrshire breed,— 240 at L. 3 each, Wood disposed of, . . • . L. 5126 16 The above may be considered a pretty accurate account of the * It was found not to succeed, owing, probably, to the high situation, Ac. L. 1794 2et3 16 40 508 10 528 30O 137 10 GOO 720 215 132 pl:i;bles-shirk. annual produce, and in connection with this, we now state that the real rental of the parish may be about L. 1900 yearly. The land^ upon the whole, is well cultivated. The improved system of hus- bandry has been adopted, and good crops in general are produced. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Tmcnsj and Means of Communication* — There is no vil- lage in the parish, and the nearest-market towns are Biggar and Peebles, the one seven and the other ten miles distant from the church. The parish enjoys abundant means of communication, the great public road betwixt Edinburgh and Dumfries, &c. pas- sing through it, and also the road betwixt Glasgow and Peebles, 6uu The length of the turnpike roads are betwixt seven and eight miles, and they are kept in excellent repair. There are three principal bridges, all of which are in pretty good condition. Ecclesiastical State, — The situation of the church is convenient for the bulk of the population, the distance from one extremity being two and a-half miles, and from the other about three. It was built in 1766, and is fitted for accommodating about 300 people. The interior is upon the whole pretty comfortable. The sittings are all free, every farmer in the parish being entitled to a seat in the church for himself and family. We understand that in 1116 there belonged to the Bishop- rick of Glasgow in Kercayrd one carucate of land and a church. This church was confirmed to the bishops of Glasgow by the bulls of Pope Alexander in 1170 and 1178, and by the bulls of Lucian and Urban in 1181 and 1186. The church of Ord was afterwards given to the hospital of Sottra in proprios ttsusy and con- tinued with it till 146*2, when Mary of Gueldres transferred it to the Trinity church of Edinburgh, upon condition that the sacrist of the collegiate church of the Trinity should keep in repair the church of Kirkurd. It is a curious fact, that in 1384 Sir James Douglas of Dalkeith founded near his castle a chapel, which he endowed with the lands of Lochard, and 40s. out of the lands of Kirkurd in Peebles-sliire. It would appear that the church of Kirkurd must have been a vicarage in Roman Catholic times, for we are told that in 1477 William Chamber, the vicar of Kirkurd, granted some lands in the manor of Corstorphine and various annual rents for supporting a chaplain to officiate at St Ninian's altar in Corstorphine church; and that this endowment was confirmed in 1477 by James IIL It may be proper to mention, that during the prevalence of the KIIIKIRD. 133 keen discussions regarding church government, the minister of Kirkurd, Mr John Bennet, was sent as one of the commissioners from the Presbytery of Peebles to the famous assembly that con- vened at Glasgow in 1638) where Henderson was moderator, and where Episcopacy was abolished. There is only one place of worship in the parish, and those who dissent from the Established church generally attend a Relief cha- pel in the parish of Newlands. The average number of communicants for many years past may be about 160. The sacrament is dispensed annually, and the people are very regular in attending upon it. The manse was built in 1788, and has once or twice undergone some trifling repairs. It is too small, and inferior to the generality of manses. The extent of the glebe is about nineteen acres, nearly all arable. When the present incumbent was settled in 1787, a new glebe was given, and as part of the land was very indifferent, this accounts for the glebe being larger than usual. It has been much improved by manuring, draining, and by its being enclosed. The present minister was once in the habit of letting it, and one year received a rent of L. 30, with a cow's grass. The parish was valued at an early period, and was found to be no more than L. 1108, 15s. 4d. Scotch money. The stipend from the heritors is about L. 70, and as the teinds are exhausted, more than double is received from the Exchequer to make it amount to L. 150. Education, — There is one public school in the parish, attended on an average by about forty scholars, but often- by more, from its vicinity to other parishes. Occasionally there are a few scholars instructed in Latin and Greek, and practical mathematics. The teacher has the maximum salary. The school-fees fixed by the heritors and minister are 2s., 2s. 6d., and 3s. per quarter. These may amount annually to L. 12. The dwelling-house for the school- master is very small, there being only a kitchen and one small room. There is scarcely an individual upwards of twelve years of age in the parish who cannot both read and write, and the people are alive to the benefits of education. Library, — A parish library was instituted in 1810, and is upon the whole in a flourishing state. A school library was likewise founded in 1828. Poor and Parociiial Funds, — The weekly collections in the church are found more than sufficient to supply the ordinary poor 134 PEEBLES-SHIRK. in a purely agricultural parish, where there is no village and no manufactories. These collections vary considerably at different times. When the heritors' families are resident, they are some- times 9s. or 10s., and 2s. 6d. may be considered as the average at other times. Occasionally, collections are made for religious and charitable purposes, and the people in general contribute liberally enough. It may be right to mention, that there was at one time a capital of about L. 400, which by extraordinary expenditure, as in the payment of a schoolmaster's salary for several years, the building of a house for the church-officer, the maintaining of a widow with a large family, and by purchasing mort-safes, en- closing the schoolmaster's garden, erecting an iron gate to the churchyard, and occasionally repairing the church, painting the same, &c. is now reduced to less than L.200. At an average for several years past the disbursements for the poor have been about L.40 annually; and the number of persons receiving aid yearly has been six. It may be safely stated, that there is little danger of any assessment ever becoming necessary in this parish. To the credit of the people it may be mentioned, that a highly laudable and independent spirit exists among them, and that they will not have recourse to parochial assistance except from absolute necessity. They very generally avail themselves of the advantages arising from Savings Banks, estabUshed in different parts of the county. Inns, — There is one inn in the parish, chiefly for the accommo- dation of travellers. Fuel, — Coals are generally used. The nearest are six miles distant, and can be procured, including carriage, &c for nearly 10s. per common cart, containing about 12 cwt. The people in general, however, prefer getting their coals from Douglas, and the neighbourhood of Carnwath, because, though at a great distance, they are reckoned excellent in quality. Friendly Society. — A Friendly Society was many years ago es- tablished in the parish ; but, owing to its not being founded on proper principles, and to the want of efficient management, it has become extinct. May 1834. PARISH OF NEWLANDS. PRX8BTTERY OF PEEBLBS, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. THE REV. CHARLES FINDLATER, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Extent^ 4rc. — The parish may be considered as about 1 1 miles in length, and about 2 miles in the average breadth, in whole, probably, 11000 or 12000 acres. A chief part of the low land lies in a vale, which is bounded to- wards the south-east by a range of hills, called KellyheadSi run- ning parallel to the range of the Pentland hills. This vale is bounded on the opposite side by a low hilly ridge, passing under different names, such as Dodhead and Broomt/leas. In the botf- tom of this vale there is a moss, called Hallmyre bog, of about db acres, along the middle of which a very deep and wide ditch was cut down to a gravelly bottom, full of springs, by the late William Gordon, Esq. of Hallmyre, into which the bog has been drained by cross-drains, and is now all good arable land. With the inter- ruption of Lyne water, which cuts it nearly at right angles, this vale continues, bounded by lesser hills, or rather a swelling ridge, along the public road till you arrive at the bridge over the Terth, which water forms the boundary of the parish with that of Kirkurd and of Stobo. The vale of the Lyne is bounded on the one side by the Kelly- heads range above-mentioned, taking various names, and interrupt- ed only by the small burn, called Flemington'mill bum^ and the still smaller ones of Stevenson bum, and Hagen-hope bumj all fal- ling from the east into Lyne vale, which last forms the boundary with the parish of Lyne. This vale is bounded on the other side of the Lyne water by gently rising acclivities, which on their op- posite side descend to the water of Terth before-mentioned, as the boundary with the parishes of Kirkurd and Stobo. Besides these vales, the parish extends over the tops of the range of the Kellyheads, and down their opposite sides to Fie- 136 PEEBLES-SHIRE. mington-mill burn and its tributaries, where the parish is bounded by that of Eddlestone. Hydrography. — The only waters of any importance in the pa- rish are the Lyne and the Terth, and next to them Flenungton- mill burn. These are frequented only for trout fishing. There is an artificial pond of about fourteen acres at Whim, and another perhaps about half as large at Magbiehill; they contain trout, eels, and perch. The new proprietor of Lamancha is also form- ing some fish-ponds. Mineralogy. — The rock in the range of the Kellyheads is whin, which is rarely to be found in solid beds, but is divided by fissures in all directions. It contains veins of pretty rich ironstone ; and there are many chalybeate springs. In the east end of the parish, on the estates of Whim and Lamancha, the coal formation occurs, composed of limestone, slate, white sandstone, and common black bituminous coal. None of these are now wrought for sale. On the adjoining estate of Magbiehill there is lime for sale ; but the coal for burning it is brought from the neighbouring parish of Lin- ton. Farther down in the vale, in the hill of Broqmyleas, there is a quarry of excellent durable red sandstone or freestone, which supplies all the county. Zoology. — Under this head may be noticed the brown, or Rus- sian, or Norwegian rat, which a good many years ago invaded Tweeddale, to the total extermination of the former black rat in- habitants. Their first appearance was in the minister's glebe at Selkirk, about the year 1776 or 1777, where they were found burrowing in the earth, a propensity which occasioned considera-> ble alarm, lest they should undermine houses. They seemed to follow the courses of waters and rivulets, and, passing from Selkirk, they were next heard of in the mill of Traquair ; from thence fol- lowing up the Tweed, they appeared in the mills of Peebles; then entering by Lyne water, they arrived at Flemington-mill, in this parish ; and coming up the Lyne they reached this neighbourhood about the year 1791 or 1792. Within thirty or forty years the brown squirrel has founds its >vay hither from Dalkeith. II. — Civil History. Eminent Persons. — Of remarkable persons born in the parish, I can only state Sir Robert Murray Keith of Hallmyre, who was am- bassador at Copenhagen, and saved the life of the queen in the affair of Count Struensee ; and Sir Basil, his brother, who died in NEWLANDS. 137 Jamaica, governor of that island ; to whom may be added the late Lord Chief Baron Montgomery, who was one of the first sheriffs of royal nomination, after the abolition of the heritable jurisdic- tions, and the first Scotchman who attained to the dignity of Lord Chief Baron,* Land-owners. — The proprietors, reckoning from the easter end of the parish, are Sir James Montgomery of Stanhope, proprietor of Whim, non-resident, but whose house, with some parks, is occupied by his brother Archibald Montgomery, Esq.; William F. Macken- zie, Esq. of Portmore, proprietor of Easter and Wester Deans- houses, non-resident; James M'Intosh, Esq. proprietor of La- mancha, resident; the Rev. Mr Berrisford of Magbiehill, occasion- ally resident; Henry Veitch, Esq. of Elliock, proprietor of Bogend, non-resident ; the family of the late William Gordon, Esq. of Hall- myre, non-resident; Adam Kennedy, Esq. of Romanno, resident; the Earl of Wemyss, proprietor of Whiteside, Fingland, Fleming- tOD-mill, and Drochil, non-resident ; Sir John Hay of Hayston, proprietor of Stevenson, non-resident ; William Aitchison, Esq. of Drummore, proprietor of Boreland, non-resident, but occasionally visiting his farm ; Sir Thomas Carmichael of Skirling, proprietor of Scotston, non-resident ; James Aitken, Esq. of Callends, resi- dent. There is none of these proprietors whose rental is not more than L. 100 a-year. Antiquities, — As to the vestiges of antiquity remaining in the parish, there are circular circumvallations called rings on the tops of several hills, as on Callends hill, \Vhitesidc hill, Boreland hill, and Penria hill. Drochil Castle, situated in a commanding situation, in the angle made by the junction of Terth with Lyne water, is not very much dilapidated. Tradition ascribes the building to R^ent Morton : The lintel of one window to the west has the Douglas arms upon it in relief. Parochial Registers. — The old session record, beginning with a mutilated leaf of a minute in 1650, might probably be ranked among the antiquities of the parish. From that record it appears that an yearly sum was paid by the adjoining parishes to the Peebles magistrates for watching witches in Peebles prison, — to enforce confession, probably by the torture of preventing them from sleep- ing. From that record great alarm seems to have prevailed at the approach of Cromwell's army, (designed ihe Sectarian Annij^) fast- ♦ Vide Account of Stolw. 138 PEEBLES-SHIRE. days being frequently appointed to avert the impeoding calamity; and the Sabbath day itself was often set apart for that piirpoie. Intimations are given from the pulpit to the militia to meet at oeN tain places of rendezvous, and thence to proceed to the Scotch army, wherever it may be at the time. After the defeat of the en* gagers under the Duke of Hamilton, I find that Sir Michael Na- smith in Drochil appeared before the kirk-session, and upon his knees confessed his conviction of the sinfulness and unlawfulness of the late engagement, whereupon he was again received into the So* lemn League and Covenant During Cromwell's administratioD, the session seems to have kept remarkably quiet. After the Resto* ration, and during the persecution of the Covenanters, great anxiety seems manifested against any persons being received into the parish without sufficient testimonials, attesting, it may be presumed, that they did not attend conventicles : And great alarm is also expres- sed when a placard was found affixed to the church threatening re- taliation on the part of the persecuted. The session seems to have assumed great censorial powers, and informations were listened to and sought after in regard to the slightest irregularities, which weri made matter of impeachment and judicial trial, with citation and examination of witnesses, so that discipline seems to have been strict in the parish. The session record is not now so voluminous; no record is kept of scandals, nor of marriages, nor deaths ; and even that of births is not completely regular, there being no suflS- cient compulsitor to enforce registration. III. — Population. In 1801, the population was 950 1811, . . 1163 1821, - 1041 1831, - - 1078 Number of famili^ in the parish, ..... 205 of families chiefly em])loyed in agriculture^ ... 100 in trade, manufiictures, and handicraft, 3B of other families, ...... SA There are 2 fatuous persons, and 1 deaf and dumb in the pa- rish. During the last three years there have been six illegitimate births in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Mural Economy. — Land now or occasionally in tillage, - 3841 acres. Never cultivated, ... 7659 In undivided common, . - Cnder wood, - - - 337 NEWLANDS. 139 With the aid of bone and oil-cake manure, none of the land need lie unimproved, excepting probably 500 acres of the apex of hills, inaccessible to the plough. But a great part of this is occa- sionally ploughed, cropt with oats, and then resigned for years to pasture. I would observe in general, that, from the vicinity of the parish to Edinburgh, dairy farming is much in practice. The most pro- ductive mode of dairy farming here is to churn the whole milk, and to send both butter and butter-milk daily, or twice or thrice a-week to the capital. The next mode in point of profit which our farmers adopt is to chum only the cream, and convert the skimmed milk into cheese ; sending the butter by weekly carriers to Edinburgh, and selling the cheese at the end of the season. At a greater dis- tance, it is expedient to convert the whole of the milk into cheese. Soum Grasses. — Fallow land, when sown out for hay, is sown with grass seeds at the rate of 8 lb. red clover, and 1^ bushels of annual rye-grass per imperial acre. If intended for pasture, at the rate of 4 lb. red, and 5 lb. of white clover, and the same quantity, 1 1 bushels, of perennial rye-grass. Where the soil is mossy, Ti- mothy and rib-grasses are mixed with the clovers ; in some few instances double the clover, with only two-thirds of the rye-grass above specified, are sown. Live-Stock. — The stocking of a sheep-farm is the number of sheep that are smeared and kept through winter ; whether lambs bought in the end of June or beginning of July, kept over winter and sold as hogs next June or July, or ewes, as a breeding-stock, whose lambs, excepting those retained to keep up the stock, to- gether with the old discarded ewes afe sold to the butcher, or the Iambs sold to farms of the first description, part being kept to re- place the breeders discarded, or part may be even retained upon the farm to be sold as hogs. In this parish both old sheep and lambs are sold to the butcher, excepting the lambs retained to keep up the breeding-stock. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish may be as follows : Imperial acres. Return per acre. Total. Sown grass hay, 367, J 25 stones, 45815 stones. L. 1145 Watered meadow, 60, 200 do. 12000 do. 250 In fallow, gene- f prol>ably one-tenth may rally with turnip > 509, be deducted for bare fal- and potatocjt, ) low previous to wheat. 140 PEEBLES-SUIRE. Imperial acres. Return per acre. TotaL In barley, - 183, 64 bolls, 1189 bolls. L. 1070 In pease, - 60, 5 do. 300 do. 195 In oats, - 1045, 5 do. 5225 do. 3135 In wheat, - 36, ' 8 do. 288 do. 408 In potatoes and turnips 450 acres, say at L. 5 per acre, ^^ - 2250 L.8448 Whilst a considerable quantity of sown grass hay is sold on ac- count of vicinity to Edinburgh, it is replaced by nearly an equal quantity bought in from the west country. There may be of barley sold, 800 bolls, retained for seed, 140, consumed 260 of pease, 60, do. 240 of oats, 2260 do. do. 965, do. 2000 of wheat, - _ « - . 288 The wheat raised is all consumed; the seed bought in, as also flour occasionally. In general all grains for seed are brought from other parts of the country. The stock kept in the parish, with the rent it is supposed ca- pable to pay per head, is as under : BLack-&ced breed, 1 100 7 shillings per head. Rent from them L. 385 5 Crossofthescwith Cheviot 900 6 do. do. 365 Cheviot, - 1600 8 do. do. 640 Leicester - 400 16 do. do. 320 Total, 4000 L. 1710 5 Of the Cheviot breed, 400 of the above, consisting of the old ewes and rams, may be kept on through winter and sold in spring, and these can only be estimated at 4s., hence deduct - - 80 Remains L. 1630 5 'Jlic gross produce of the sheep pasture may he stated at - L. 21 10 The sheep-pastures being fine, and enabling all to be sold fat to the butcher, the value of the sheep per head is above the ave- rage of the county. Black-Cattle. — Yearly gross produce of cows. ITie niimlxjr of milk cows kept may be 340 — the calves kept yearly 160, which st three months old may be valued at L. 2, - - L. 640 And there may be afterwards made of the cow in cheese and butter, L.3, 10s. 1 190 i L. 1830 In some few instances where no calves are reared, there has been ob- tained from a cow to the value of L. 10. But upon an average L. 5, 10s. may be considered as the full value of the yearly pro- duce of a cow, in calves, butter, and cheese. About 160 full aged black-cattle may be annually sold from the parish ; part of them sold for the dairy in spring, and part fed off with turnip in au- tumn and winter, and sold to the butcher. The average value of these may be L. 9, 9s. a-head, ----- 1502 The total gross produce from cows L. 3332 Horses, — The total number of these may be 192 ; of this num- bfer 35 may be kept for the road or field. The number bred year- ly may amount to 35, to supply those worn out. NEWLANDS. 141 Bate of Waff es. — The number of plouglimen may be 51, with victuals in the house, or livery-meal and kitchen money yearly as wages L. 11, lis. each; women-servants all victualled in the house, in summer, 91, L. 3, 15s. each ; do. in winter, 68, L. 2 ; day-labourers at Is. 6d. per day, 35 ; boys, 50, L. 3 each yearly. Rent, — The whole rent of the parish, valuing what is farmed by proprietors, is L. 6300. The valued rent, Scots money, L. 4020, 10s. Id. Farm of Boreland. — As the improvements upon the farm of Boreland, the property of William Aitchison, Esq. of Drummore, in the vicinity of my manse, have, in various respects, given a sti- mulus to improvement in this quarter, I judge it proper to give a general account of them. The farm contains 372 acres, 30 acres of which Mr Aitchison, who purchased it in 1806, devoted to stripes and clumps of planting for shelter, and which is all in thriving condition. The surface on the north rises gradually from Longstruther burn into a long ridge of no great elevation, the soil of which is in general a black moorish soil, so light as to blow with the wind when pulverized in- to a tilth for turnip. This ridge declines into a plain, and then rises into a similar ridge, but of greater acclivity, which gathers in its middle to an eminence, crowned on its top with a small circu- lar circumvallation, called Boreland Rings. This ridge descends rather more precipitously into the narrow glen of Callends burn. The soil of this plain ridge is a gravelly loam upon an open bot- tom. The whole is easily accessible to the plough, and has been all under plough culture, excepting some few spots converted into water meadow. When purchased by Mr Aitchison it was in the possession of a back-going tenant, the remainder of whose lease he bought up, — the whole in the worst possible order. The first surface improvement it underwent was liming the whole at the rate of 45 bolls of shells (or 18 one-horse cartfuls) per acre, so soon as it cx)uld be overtaken by fallowing. This Uming seem- ed to have but little effect on the light soil of the northern ridge. Much draining was required ; and the first operation of this kind was performed upon a narrow stripe of land, consisting of 6 1 acres, lying along the end of the second mentioned ridge, from a little above the bridge over Lyne at the manse, to Callends burn, and bounded betwixt Lyne water and the road to Peebles. It was a mos§ soil at the outburst of the springs from the ridge, in which 142 PEEBLES-SUIRE. * the cattle of the former tenant used often to be bogged in search«- ing for the early grass from the springs. Lying upon a bottom'of chattery rock, no ditch could confine the water, and of course waa not attempted. It was merely surface-drained by shaping it into high-crowned ridges by the spade ; it was then limed from bas- kets carried by women, and sown out with grass-seeds, and has re- mained in grass ever since ; a part of it being subsequently watei^ ed, though scantily, from Callends burn, hay is yearly cut from it at nearly 200 stones per acre. Three small springs have had two small portions assigned to them for watering, — the water of one of them being carried a part of the way to its destination in a timber conduit, supported upon tresses. But the most remarkable effect produced by irrigation was upon a field of a semifluid moss of five acres along Longstruther burn, over which sheep could not travel in the^ driest weather without risk of drowning. It was so deep that it would have required a ditch of great depth, and carried to great length, before reaching the level of its bottom. It was, therefore, surface-shaped for watered meadow, and the Longstruther bum turned over it ; and, from being worth next to nothing, yields 200 stones of hay per acre, and can carry carts. And here it may not be improper to state an experiment tried last year upon a small scale, and with such apparent success as has encouraged the repetition of it this season upon a larger. Il is to raise turnips by grass fresh cut from the watered meadow, and deposited in the drills in the same way as dung. The grass in this year's experiment underwent no other process than merely be- ing turned into the horse pond to get wetted that it might lie the more closely in the drill, to be the more easily covered by the plough. I inspected the field on the 4th September 1833, when the turnip from the grass and that from rape dust ap- peared equally vigorous in the shaw. Those on the same field from dung were rather fading in the shaw, but farther advanced in the bulb, owing, as I was told, from the earlier springing of the turnip from the dung. It might seemingly be of advantage to wet the grass, or, indeed, any kind of green stuff afforded by the farm, and to let it lie in heap for a few days till it gets heated, when turnip might spring from it as early as from dung. From the suc- cess of this experiment it would appear that manure might thus be obtained in every farm from any green stuff it produces. I in- spected the same day the meadow whence the grass had been taken for manure. It was cutting green for house-feeding, and was pro- NEWLANDS. 143 * bably as weighty as'what had been cut for hay ten days or a fort- night before. Might not that which was stunted in growth in the cold months of spring shoot out more vigorously in being cut over 80 early? But to return to the rest of the management. Mr Aitchison enlarged his tilth, and, by consequence, augmented his crop, and made a still farther enlargement of tilth by the conversion of its straw into manure, — in one instance by purchasing Edinburgh street dung, when it lay as a drug upon the hands of the magistrates, and subsequently by the foreign manures of rape and bone dust. And here it may be observed, that these two last-mentioned ma- nures afford a prospect of improving our pastures on hills where merely the plough can operate ; for as a ton weight per sicre suf- fices to raise turnip, and as this could easily be carried on horses' backs, if sheep were flaked upon the turnip, the land would come to be in best order to be sown off with grasses, even where the ex- pense of lime in addition might be inexpedient, although certainly to be desired. To procure suflSciency of manure, is the great foundation of pro- fitable farming. In the neighbourhood of great towns, it is advan- tageous to exchange the straw of the farm fyr the dung and fulzie of the town ; but at a distance, excepting the easily transportable manures of bone or rape dust, the great dependence must be on the dung of the cattle and their litter. Mr Aitchison's plan is to consume his whole straw in litter, carrying off the litter and re- newing it, so soon as it is merely so fouled by the dung as to make it ferment : to consume as much of the fodder in rearing young cattle, and to use the least possible for litter, which immediate pro- fit suggests, he considers as almost equivalent to burning the straw to obtain the ashes for dung. His dung manufacturers are, firsts from twenty to thirty black cattle, bought in at Hallow-fair, which are kept through winter in a well-littered court, having open shades, and into which water is introduced, to which they have access ad libitum^ upon turnip and meadow hay, and through the ensuing summer with cut grass from the water meadows or sown fields, and upon tares ; when they are sold to the butcher in the end of autumn. Perhaps a dozen of twine are also fed in the cattle court. The next engine for creating dung is a standing stock of breed- ing ewes, in number 105, of the new Leicester breed, remarkable for smallness of bone, weight of carcase, and heaviness of fleece. These are pastured in summer upon the parks on the ridge rising 144 PEEBLES-SHlRE. from Longstruther burn, and lying from that burn to Noblehouse road, which have been resigned to pasture for several years ; one of these parks in particular, formerly mostly covered with heath, was sown off for pasture, after having been for two successive sea*^ sons fallow green crops with dung, and the last turnip crop eaten on the field by the sheep ; and when I inspected it on the 4th Sep- tember 1833, it appeared equal to any Lothian park in closeness and fineness of sward. These ewes are fed through winter with turnip and hay, administered to them in open shades, with which every park is provided ; a small quantity of green watered meadow grass being also allowed in spring, when the turnip are getting dry, to make the ewes more abundant in milk. The sheds are sdways kept plentifully littered. The proportion of lambs from the ewes, upon an average of years, is 141 from the 100. None are sold as lambs, but kept on through winter and the following summer, and, excepting what are retained to replace the discarded of the breed- ing stock, are sold, at from eighteen to twenty months old, to the butchers, who have uniformly declared that they have found no twenty month old sheep, even from the best parts of the country, equal to those from Boreland in fat and tallow. This may be ac- counted for from the uniform full feeding, — the abundance of shel- ter from planting and sheds, — and the waving nature of the surface, admitting free circulation of air, and preventing the molestation of flies, and thus may be overbalanced the disadvantages of an elevated situation and cold climate, which probably render vegetables less nutritious. From his great command of manure, bred at home and abroad, Mr Aitchison can keep about 150 acres in constant tillage, in crops pretty much in the following assortment : From 12 to 20 acres in wheat ; from 30 to 35 acres in barley ; from 30 to 35 do. in oats ; 30 to 35 do. grass sown with the preceding crop ; 30 acres in turnips regularly ; and the rest (including 30 acres under wood) in pasture. In the best seasons, a return has been known, per acre, of 14 bolls of wheat, 10 do. of oats, 8 of barley, old measure. Bare fallow is generally the preparation for wheat, but this season, (the tillage land being perfectly clean,) he intends sowing 21 acres after peas and tares ; the tares, of about 8 acres, will be all cut and consumed in the court-yard, and dunged and sown with wheat this first week of September. The pease are being shorn just now, and the land will probably be dunged and sown the second week. The average weight and price of his sheep, all sold by January J 833, is as under: NEWLANDS. 145 Ewes, arerage weight 131 lb., - - L. 1 15 Ewe hogs sold at eighteen months, 119 lb., - 1180 Wether hogs, 135 lb., . . - - 1 19 The areragc of wool, its price variable, say 2s. 3d, Average of ewes* fleece, - 44 lb. Do. of hogs* do, - - 54 do. 1 large tup gave . . 7| do. which at 2s. 3d. per lb. was worth 168. for his wool. He estimates the average returns of his pasture at L. 1, 5s. per acre, his turnip at L. 6 per acre. From an accurate account of his liming, at first upon the fallow, and subsequently in top-dres- sing pastures with a compound of moss and lime, he has expended above 400 bolls of shells. V. — Parochial Economy. Ecclesiastical State. — The stipend consists partly of valued teind in money, and partly of meal and barley, averaging in whole about L. 250 a-year. The glebe is fourteen acres in extent. The number of families attending the Established church is 42 ; families belonging to the dissenters, 20. There is no record of the age of the church. The door-way at the west end in the front is arched semicircularly ; the two windows and door in front at the west end are square and lintelled, and seem modem, — these two doors and windows are in the front, — and there was a large Gothic window in the east end, which has now been converted into a door to a gallery. The present manse was built in 1740, and is still seemingly in good repair. Education. — There is one parochial school; its situation not central, l^e teacher has the maximum salary, with L. 7, 7s. as heritors' and session-clerk. His fees may amount to about L. 13 apyear. There is another school at the eastern extremity of the parish, the teacher of which has a salary from the heritors of L. 8. There are no persons in the parish upwards of eight years of age unable to read. Poor and Parochial Funds. — About 32 persons, regularly and occasionally, receive aid from these funds. The average annual amount of contributions for their reUef is L. 110 ; of which L. 90 may be raised by assessment, and the rest from church collections. Savings Banks. — There is one of these banks in this parish, in which the amount of deposits has hitherto varied from L. 800 to L.1100. Apnl 1834. PEEBLES. K PARISH OF EDDLESTONE. PRESBYTERY OF PEEBLES, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. THE REV. PATRICK ROBERTSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Extent and Boundaries. — The parish of Eddlestone is 10 miles in length from north to south, and 7 from east to west Its greatest breadth is at the southern extremity, and it graduaUy con- tracts as it approaches the north, where its breadth does not exceed two miles. It is bounded on the north and north-east by the pa-* rishes of Pennycuick and Temple, on the south-east by the parish of Innerleithen, on the south and south-west by the parishes of Peebles and Lyne, and on the west by Newlands. Topographical Appearances^ Sfc, — The hills in general are of a very tame description, being smooth, and for the most part green to their summits. The highest is Dundroich, or the Druid's hill, which is 2100 feet above the level of the sea, and from which in a clear day can be seen the Cheviot hills, with part of Teviotdale, Annandale, Clydesdale, Perthshire, Fifeshire; the Firth of Forth, the city of Edinburgh, and the counties of East, West, and Mid- Lothian. At the base of this hill, there is a lake two miles in circumfe- rence, abounding with pike, eels, and perch. This lake gives rise to the water of South Esk, which empties itself into the sea at Mus- selburgh. The climate is dr}' and bracing, — the easterly fogs seldom reach the southern extremity of the parish, and there are no distempers peculiar to the district. 11. — Civil History. Land'Oumers. — Mr Mackenzie of Portmore is the principal land- owner, being proprietor of more than half the parish. Lord Eli- bank is patron, and second heritor ; Lord Cringletie is third. Parochial Registers, — A parochial register of births and baptisms, marriages and deaths, has been regularly kept since 26th Decem- ber 1725. It is worthy of remark, that this register at first seems to have been kept solely for ecclesiastical purposes, the baptisms only being recorded, and not the births, from the year 1725 till EDDLKSTOXE. 147 1780. Since that time, both the births and baptisms have been regularly recorded, in so far as this was practicable. But there is reason to fear that several have been deterred from entering their children's names in the record, by the small registration fee of 6d. to the clerk. This fee has lately been abolished, and the good effects of it are already beginning to appear; in one instance a whole fa- mily having been registered at the same time, who, but for this trif- ling circumstance, in all probability, would never have been recorded. Antiquities. — There are no remains of antiquity in the parish except the ruins of three ancient camps. From their circular form it is probable they are Danish. One of them is still very entire upon the farm of Norshield; the late Colin Mackenzie, Esq. of Portmore,' with that good taste for which he was distinguished, hav- ing preserved it with great care in the centre of his plantations. The other two, upon the farms of Milkiestone and Wormiston, have of late years been much defaced, in consequence of the stones hav- ing been applied to the purpose of building march dikes. In the year 1794, a pot containing a great quantity of gold and silver coins was dug up in the court-yard of the farm of Kingside. The silver was in a state of great decay, and crumbled into powder on being removed. The gold was more entire. The exact quan- tity found could never be correctly ascertained, as various fingers had been in the pot before it was deUvered over to the Lord Chief Baron, the late Sir James Montgomery. After retaining posses- sion of it for a considerable time, and probably not thinking it worth while to report it to the Exchequer, he gave part of it to the finder and to the poor of the parish, and distributed a few pieces as cu- riosities among his friends. Several of these coinsj it is believed, are now in the possession of Sir James Montgomery, and Mr Mac- kenzie, the proprietor. The tenant of Kingside has two of them, one bearing the inscription Jacobus S. Scotorum Rex, but the date is effaced ; the other is apparently a foreign coin, but the inscrip- tion is altogether illegible. Towards the northern extremity of this farm, a barrow or tumu- lus, inclosed by three circular walls, was opened in the year 1828 by the farmer for the sake of the stones ; and in the centre of the inner circle was discovered a rude stone coffin, containing the ashes of human bones that had obviously been subjected to the action of fire. Combustion had not been so complete but that several of the processes remained entire; in particular those of the temporal bone. Beside the coffin were foundavariety of brazen weapons, somewhat resembling hatchets. An account of this discovery, with a drawing 148 PEEBLES-SHIRE. of the ground, and two of the weapons, was sent at the time by Mr Mackenzie to the Antiquarian Society in Edmburgh. He retained two of the weapons, and gave the remainder to the tenant who made the discovery. Whether these weapons were used in war or in the chase is for the antiquary to determine. It is worthy of remark, that the farm of Kingside, or more pro- perly the King's Seat, where these remains were founds was a hunt- ing station of King James the Sixth. 1 1 1. — Population. The ancient state of the population was very similar to what it is at present, viz. purely agricultural and pastoral. The manners no doubt were more simple and primitive. Most of the farms were occupied by two tenants, who cultivated the land in altemata ridges ; and it is said that disputes as to the one encroaching up- on the property of the other were very rare. Were such a mode of cultivation in existence now, it would lead to interminable feuds. Till after the middle of the last century the universal practice was for the farmer and his family to sit in the kitchen and mess at the same board with their servants. The moral influence of this prac^ tice, and the kindly feelings which it engendered, are now no more. The line of demarcation between master and servant is now more distinctly drawn, and it is believed that not one instance of th» practice now exists in the parish. A small landed proprietor, who was alive within these fifteen years, was among the last to give it up. Until the period of his second marriage, when he was far advanced in life, he rigidly adhered to the good old practice of his forefathers ; but at length he consented to take a cup of tea at breakfast with his wife in the parlour, upon condition that he should first have his pint bicker of porridge as usual with his servants in the kitchen ; and this practice he continued till within a few years of his death. In 181] the population was - 918 1821, - - 810 1831, - - 886 Of these 190 reside in the village. 1 . Number of families in the parish, - - « - 144 of families chiefly employed in agriculture, - • 80 chiefly employed in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 29 2. Number of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 14 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45» - 27 3. The average number of births yearly, for the last 7 years, • - 14 of deaths, .... .9 of marriages,* - - • • ?( • During the last seven years 5S couples have been proclaimed, but as it frequently happens that only one of the parties is resident in the parish, proclamation of banns is consequently made in two parishes. No accurate general conclusions, therefore^ can be drawn as to the number of marriages that take place in Scotland from an in- ipection of the parockuaV, re^sUxs* EDDLESTONE. 149 4. The number of p«nons at present under 15 ycftn of age, - - 311 upwards of 70, - . - 22 There are no nobility or persons of independent fortune resid- ing in the parish. There are 9 proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, all of whom are non-resident Number of inhabited houses, 144. Of houses now building, 3« Language^ Habits^ 8fc. of the People. — The language generally spoken is a corrupt Scotch, with a barbarous admixture of English. A few only of the oldest of the people speak the Scottish dialect in its purity. These, however, are rapidly disappearing, and in a few years more in all probability there will not be one person alive who could have held converse with his grandfather without the aid of a dictionary. Those who are in the prime of life, and in full employment, ge- nerally kill a sheep about Martinmas, and a pig of their own rear- ing. This is all the butcher-meat that is consumed in the family of a married ploughman, or respectable labourer, during the year ; and with this frugal fare they are contented and happy, and enjoy good health. In several families tea is substituted for porridge and milk at breakfast^ and it is to be regretted that this pernicious habit is gradually gaining ground. Wherever it is habitually in- dulged in a peasant's family, poverty and wretchedness are its in- variable attendants, and the necessaries of life cannot be procured in sufficient abundance to support the general health. It is a lux- ury above the means of a labouring man, and it is doubtful whe- ther it be not a more productive source of poverty, misery, and vice than the unrestrained use of ardent spirits. Our legislators would do well to consider this ; and as they cannot change the habits of the people, to lower the duty on tea and sugar, so as to bring them within the compass of every industrious peasant's means. Poaching in game and the salmon fisheries prevails to such an extent, that the game is in danger of being extirpated ; and of the salmon that come into the river to spawn few are permitted to re~ turn again to the sea. There has been no smuggling in the parish since the change in the distillery laws ; and pawnbroking was never known in it. During the last three years, there have been four illegitimate births in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. Number of acres, standard imperial measure « in the parish, - - 21,250 acres which are either cultivated, or occasionaUy in tillage, 4,370 which never have been cultivated, and which remain con- ttanUy in waste or in posture, - - - - 15,830 150 PEEBLES-SHIRE. Number of acres that might with a profitable application of capital be added to the cultivated land of the parish, whether that land were afterwards to be kept In occasional tillage, or in permanent pasture, . 1,190 under wood, the greater part of which has been planted within the last 90 years, .... IflSO Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land per acre in the parish is L. 1, 15s. for in-field, and 12s. 6d. for out-field land. The average rent of grazing is L. 5 for a milk cow ; L. 3 for a full-grown ox or heifer ; 5s. for a black-faced sheep ; and 6s. for a Cheviot sheep, pastured for the year. Bate of Wages. — Ploughmen fit for every kind of farm-work re- ceive L. 12 per annum, with victuals. If married, they have gene- rally, in addition to their wages, a free house, a milk cow, the usual allowance of meal, half a boll of potatoes planted, and their fuel driven gratis. These allowances, together with their wages, may be fairly estimated at L.25 per annum. Female-servants receive L. 6 a-year ; and masons and carpenters 15s. per week. Improvements, — Much has been done with respect to reclaiming waste land, draining, irrigation, and embanking upon all the farms that have been let within the last twenty vears. Almost every spot capable of irrigation has been irrigated, and wet land has been made dry. The general agriculture of the parish, however, has been greatly retarded, in consequence of one-half of the parish having been let by the late Earl of Portmore upon fifty-seven years leases. The farmers sitting at easy rents contented themselves with cultivating the dry and most productive spots, and left the rest in a state of nature. These leases expire at Whitsunday next, when great improvements may be expected to take place. There are no enclosures in this part of the parish, and the farm- buildings are in a state of great decay. The steadings in the other parts of the parish are most complete and comfortable. Most of the farms are enclosed with ring fences, and several of them are completely subdivided. This practice it is probable will soon become universal, as the opinion is becoming very general that our land has been so long under the plough that it cannot be much longer cultivated with advantage without being thrown into pasture for a few years. This, however, can only be done by means of enclosures. One large farm, the property of Lord Cringlet?e, is now managed in this way. It is completely subdivided. The te- nant pastures it with sheep for three years after every rotation, and the increase of produce is very great. The general duration of leases is nineteen years. Average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish : EDDLESTONE. 161 Produce of grain of all kinds, whether cultivated lor food of man or the domestic animals, ..... L.5,225 Of potatoes, turnips, beet, and other plants cuhivated ip the fields for food, - - - - - 1,252 Of hay, whether meadow or cultivated, - - - 965 Of land in pasture, rating it at L. 6 per milk cow, and L. 3, lOs. per full-grown ox or heifer grazed for the season, and at Ss. per ewe, or fiilUgrown sheep pastured for the year, - - ' 5,876 Of gardens and orchards, .... 900 Of the annual thinning and periodical felling of woods and plantations, 200 Of young horses reared for stock or sale, - - 275 Of miscellaneous produce, not enumerated under any of the foregoing heads, - - - .- -100 00 Total yearly value of raw produce raised, L. 13,693 Rental of the parish, - - - 6,364 Ztt?e-StocA.— Black-faced sheep 2960, Cheviot do. 2520, total, 5480. Milk cows 274, young cattle 440 ; horses for farm labour 110, do. for harness and saddle, 16; young horses reared for stock or sale, 55. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-town and Means of Communication. — Peebles is the nearest market-town, and is four miles from the village of Eddie- stone. There is a post-office in the village, and a daily post to and from Edinburgh and Peebles. The length of the turnpike roads in the parish is twenty-one miles, and a public coach from Peebles to Edinburgh passes through the parish daily. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is the only place of worship in the parish. It is situated two miles from the southern ^extremity of the parish, and eight from the northern. More than one-half of the population reside within a mile and a-half of it. The greater part of those at the northern extremity either go to the neighbouring church at Pennycuick, or to the dissenting meet- ing-houses at Howgate and Bridge-end. The church was rebuilt in 1829, and contains accommodation for 420 persons. Each heritor has a portion of the area allotted to him in proportion to his valued rent, which he subdivides among his tenants. The space occupied by the communion table is free to all, and affords accommodation for 36 persons. The manse was built about fifty years ago. The late incumbent received only L. 160 from the heritors, which was the estimated expense for repairing the old manse. Out of his own funds, with the addition of this sum, he built entirely the present manse and offices. A large addition was lately made to the manse by the pre- sent incumbent at his own expense, amounting to L. 380. The extent of the glebe is 28 imperial acres, and may be estimated at the yearly value of L.30 Sterling. The stipend awarded by the Court of Teinds in 1823 was 15 chalders of victual, half meal, half 152 t>EEBLE8-SttIBE. barley» exclusive of L. 8, 6s. dd. for furnishing communion elements. But as part of the teinds were surrendered, the stipend, as allocate ed, and now payable to the incumbent, stands thus : Surrendered money teind, - - - - L.9606 10 chalders, 5 bolLs Specks, I ^^ lip. of grain* at L. 13^ 12b. per chalder, 140 5 L.2S6 5 6 Deduct for communion elements, - 8 6 8 L.227 18 10 Number of persons attending the Established church 736 ; of those who attend chapels of Seceders and Dissenters, 100. Divine service at the Established church is well attended, those at a considerable distance being in general most regular. The average number of communicants at the Established church is 212, and the average amount of church collections yearly for the support of the poor of the parish is L. 22 ; for religious and other chari- table purposes, L. 5. It is a singular fact in the ecclesiastical history of the parish, that the present incumbent and his forefathers have been mini- sters of Eddlestone for 137 years. James Robertson, the present incumbent's great-grandfather, was ordained minister of Eddlestone in 1697, and served the cure for fifty years. He died in 1747, and was succeeded by his son, Alexander, who had been his or- dained assistant and successor for a number of years. After his death in 1772, he was succeeded by his son, Dr Patrick Robert- son, who perfonned all the clerical duties of the parish for the space of fifty years. He died in the month of May 1822, and was succeeded by his son, the present incumbent, who had been ordained his assistant and successor in 1819. There is reason to believe that this is the only instance in the history of the Church of Scotland, of four individuals of the same family, in uninterrupted succession from father to son, serving the cure of the same parish. Such a connection is of a more than ordinarily hallowed nature, and tends to unite more closely the pastor and his flock in the bonds of mutual love and afiection. And to a rightly constituted and virtuous mind, it must be a matter of pleasing and interesting reflection, to consider that many of those who now wait upon the ministry of the present incumbent, are the descendants of the very men who, 137 years ago, listened in the same place to the pas- toral admonitions of his great-grandfather. Education, — The parochial school is the only school in the parish. The branches. generally taught in it are English reading, writing, and arithmetic, Latin, Greek, French, and mathematics. The EDDLESTONE. 153 schoolmaster has the maximum salary, amounting to L.d4) 4s, 4^., and the school fees from the children of the parish amount to L.42 per annum. The actual emoluments of the schoolmaster, however, are very great, as there is a large boarding establishment attached to the parish school, and the number of boys attending it from va- rious parts of the kingdom average in general from 80 to 40.* The school fees are 2s. per quarter for English reading ; 3s. for heading and writing; and ds. 6d. when aritbiftetic is conjoined. The fees for the other branches are at the discretion of the teacher. The people in general are alive to the benefits of education ; and there is not one person in the parish between six and fifteen years of age who cannot read and write. The northern extrendity of the parish is too remote to admit of the children attending the parish school. A private school was kept there for several years, and was attended by about thirty children; but as there was no salary to the teacher, the emoluments from the school fees were so small, that it has lately been given up. An additional school might be established with great advantage near the northern extremity either of this or the adjoining parish of Newlands, which would afford all the additional accommodation that is required for both parishes, without materially diminishing the numbers attending the parochial schools. Charitahle and other Institutions. — There are none in the parish. Almost all the men, however, are members of some of the neigh- bouring friendly societies, from which much benefit and comfort are derived in sickness and old age, and a spirit of independence excited and maintained. There was a saving bank established at the time they were first introduced into Scotland. It was conti- nued for five or six years with very considerable success. The servant-girls drew from it, when about to be married, upon an ave- rage, L. 10. At length it was considered expedient to transfer the deposits to the neighbouring bank at Peebles. A considerable prejudice at first existed in the minds of the people against these banks. Many were of opinion that they were established from a desire on the part of their masters to ascertain how much they could save, and that ultimately there would be an attempt made to • The expediency of such an appendage to a parochial school is very doubtful. Be- fore the boarding system commenced, the number of children belonging to the parish attending the school amounted to 100 ; but as the number of boarders increased, the number of the parish children gradually diminished, till now they do not exceed 70, •khouffh the population of the parish is as great as formerly, llie people have an idea, although probably there is no just foundation for it, that their children must be neglected for that part of the establishment which is so much more productive. Tlie consequence of this impression, however erroneous, is, that the children are neither tent to young, nor continued so long at school as formerly. 154 PEEBLES-SHIRE. reduce their wages by that amount. This illiberal suspicion has long since died away. The investments for the most part are made by farm-servants at the terms of Whitsunday and Martinmas. The most numerous class of contributors are the serv§mt-girls. Poor and Parochial Funds. — Average number of persons receiv- ing parochial aid, 15. Average sum allotted to each person per annum, L. 4. Annual amount of contributions for their relief, L. 64 : of this sum, L. 22 are procured from church collections ; L. 9 from interest of money ; and the remainder by assessment upon the heritors and tenants, in equal proportions. A poors' rate was established in the parish in 1752, and has continued ever since. The heritors and kirk^session meet Uvice a-year, and fix the aliment for each pauper for the ensuing half- vear. The clerk is instructed to draw the stent to the amount required, and the minister and kirk-session have a discretionary power to the extent of one-half of the weekly collections, to riieet any contingencies that may occur. There is still a strong aversion on the part of the poor to apply for parochial aid. During the last ten years, not one direct appli- cation for aid has been made by the party requiring relief. Many of them would rather die of want, than acknowledge their poverty and ask the benefit of the funds. Fairs. — There is a fair held annually in the village on the 25th September. It was formerly a great cattle-market. The only business now transacted is the hiring of farm-servants for the winter half-year. Inns^ Alehouses^ Sfc, — There is only one alehouse in the parish, the demoralizing effects of which are rapidly increasing. Twenty years ago, almost the only thing called for was a bottle of small- beer ; but since the late reduction in the duty on spirits, a great change has taken place in the habits of the people. Whisky, harsh and undiluted, is now the favourite, and almost the only, be- verage ; and drunkenness is rapidly extending among a class of men who formerly were habitually sober, viz. ftirm-servants and labour- ers. A marked improvement, however, has taken place in the habits of the tenantry and the better classes of society ; and the deep drinking that was so prevalent among them forty years ago, is now of very rare occurrence. Fuel. — The only fuel which the parish contains is peats, which the peasantry manufacture for themselves. Coals are procured at a moderate expense from the adjoining pits of Mid-Lothian. April 1834. 3 PARISH OF LINTON. PRESBYTERY OF PEEBLES, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. THE REV. ALEXANDER FORRESTER, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name and JB(?M?w/ane5.— Linton no doubt derives its name from Lyne, one of the tributary streams of Tweed, rising out of that high ground which separates the county from Mid- Lothian on the north, and is a continuation of the Pentland range. In former times, it ap- pears to have been written Lyneton and Lynton. There is a parish of the same name in the county of Roxburgh. There is also a con- siderable village so called, in the county of East- Lothian and pa- rish of Prestonkirk ; and there are several parishes in England of the name of Linton. It is bounded on the east by Pennycuik ; on the south by New- lands, and Kirkurd ; on the west by Dolphinton and Dunsyre ; and on the north by West-Calder, Mid-Calder, and Kirknewton. It is distant sixteen miles^rom Edinburgh, and is understood to con- tain about twenty -five square miles. Meteorology — Climate. — Situated 600 feet above the level of the sea, the climate may be considered moist, and more subject to boisterous weather than regions of less elevation. It is, however, healthy, and not subject to any particular distemper. In common with districts of the same elevation, it is subject to autumnal frosts. At the same time, it must be remarked, that of late years, this peculiarity of our atmosphere has been greatly corrected by the draining of our marshy low lying grounds, and it is hoped, as this improvement goes on, that in future this part of the country will be less subject to this evil. ^Mineralogy. — The rocks in this parish are chiefly those of the coal and porphyry formations. Coal and limestone have been long wrought at Carlops. At present there is also a regular sale of €oal both at Harlamuir and Coalyburn at lOd. per load, which is two cwt Lime is also sold at Whitfield; the price is Is. 6d. per boll, and 20,000 bolls have been disposed of in a season. At 'I>eepsykehead there is a good freestone quarry. In several other 156 PEEBLES-SHIRE. places freestone is also to be got in the parish, and at Badensgill, limestone of an excellent quality has lately been discovered. The hill of Leadlaw, in the immediate vicinity of the village of Linton, would indicate it to be possessed, or supposed to be pos- sessed, of the mineral after which it is named. Accordingly, at- tempts have been made, at different periods, in search of lead on this hill. The last attempt was made only a few years ago ; but on both occasions the attempts were unsuccessful It would also ap- pear, that, in the neighbourhood of the lead workings, search had been made for silver, and the ground in various places exhibfts the appearance of the operations of the workmen, which to this day are known by the name of " the siller holes." Amongst the mineralogical productions of the parish, pebbles should not be omitted to be mentioned, which are often to be found of great beauty, and vying with the celebrated Cairngorum. Soil. — The soil is various. Generally the sub-soil is sand or gra- vel with a mixture of moss, and is of more or less fertility. In the up- per part of the parish the land is interspersed with heath, and con- siderable tracks of moss of various depths and quality. In the lower district of the parish, there is much excellent land, producing good crops, and well adapted to the turnip husbandry, lliere the soil is generally a sandy loam, with an intermixture of clay and moss. Hydrography. — On the farm of south Slipperfield, there is a loch or sheet of water, of about a mile and a-half in circumference, and of considerable depth, frequented during summer, by flocks of water-fowl, abounding in pike and perch, and resorted to in winter by those who delight in curling. This sheet of water is nearly in the centre of an extensive track of ground, consisting of upwards of 2000 acres in a state of nature. It is almost entirely covered with heath, and presents every variety of moor and moss. On this moor various important improvements are carrying on. Besides the Lyne traversing the parish from north to south, there are the Esk and the Medwin, both arising out of the same range of hills to the north, — the former being the eastern, and the latter the western boundary of the parish ; as a proof of the height of that part of the country, whilst the main branch of the Medwin winds its course to Clyde, a stream goes off from it at Garvaldfoot, and finds its way to Tweed. The parish everywhere abounds in excellent springs of water. None of them are medicmal, except^ ing one at Rutherford, which goes by the name of " Heaven aqua." Who gave it that name, or first discovered its virtues, is not known. Situated formerly so as to be extremely difficult of access, the new LINTON. 157 turnpike road now passes in its immediate vicinity, and a coach travels daily between Edinburgh and Dumfries close by the well, where an elegant inn, with the best accommodation, may be got by those resorting to it. Scientific analysis ascribes to it the qua- lities of Tunbridge. Botany. — The botanist will find, on the track of 2000 acres be- fore-mentioned, a beautiful variety of the Primula farinosa^ which it is said is rarely to be found in this country. Although situated in the immediate vicinity of the Forest of Ettrick, there are no remains in the parish of the natural wood which at a remote period unquestionably covered it to a great extent, as appears from the remains of various kinds of timber which are still constantly dug up in the making of peats, — spe- cimens being found in a state almost approaching to petrifac- tion. The first attempt to supply the decay of the natural wood in this parish seems to have been made in compliance with the statutes of James IL, III., and IV., which enacted, *^ that trees should be planted ;" and there were lately, about the old farm-steadings, a few straggling ashes and elms, some of which are still to be seen, the result of these enactments. About a cen- tury ago, there still remained about Linton, according to tradition^ a considerable deal of valuable timber about the yards and stead- ings, which a person, who had acquired about that time extensive property there, cut down, and thereby greatly indemnified himself of the price which he had paid, but without putting in a single plant in' compensation of the desolation which he had wrought about the village. It was not till about the beginning of the present century, that any plantations were made in the parish deserving to be noticed under the head of modern improvements, excepting some wood at Garvaldfoot, which had been planted about fifty years before in hedge-rows, and also in clumps, a good deal of which was cut down several years ago. II. — Civil History. Antiquities, — In the vicinity of Carlops, immediately opposite to Newhall house, on the southern bank of the Esk, there is a place called Harbour Craig, which is a freestone projecting rock over a deep hollow glen, formed by the precipitous banks of two streams which here empty themselves in the Esk. On this dreary and secluded spot, tradition states that the Covenanters sat down after their defeat at the battle of Pentland, and there found a tem- porary refuge in the fastness of this sequestered valley, which, perhapsi afterwards received the name which it still bears, from 158 PEKBLKS-SniRE. the shelter which it gave to the fugitives on this occasion* On the rock there is still to be seen the initials of some of them, to- gether with the date of the period when they took up their abode in this solitude, and for some time, undisturbed by their enemiesy performed those religious services to which they were devoted, and cheerfully suffered " the loss of all things." In several places stone coffins have been found in the parish, and also cairns, about which tradition is silent. They have been dug up in a bank upon the Lyne in the Tempje lands near Lin- ton ; and a Roman urn is stated to have been found in a cairn still remaining in Gar\'aldfoot moor. A few years ago, on a rising ground called Castlelaw, immediately above Linton on West Third, there stood a cairn where there was found a stone coffin rudely put together, the contents evidently showing the remains of bones, and, from the height to which the stones had been carried, plainly m^ifesting that the body of a person of no small consideration had been buried on the spot * in. — Population. The population remained nearly stationary for some years after the publication of the last Statistical Account in 1790. Since that period, it has increased by additional hands being employed in cotton weaving, agricultural improvements, and the formation of roads. In 1801, the population was 1090 males 530 females 560 In 1811, . . 1100 565 565 In 1821, - - 1194 584 610 In 1831, - - 1577 1 867 710 In 1832, - - 1350 725 625 In the villages of Linton and Carlops, there are 572 inhabitants. The number of families in the parish in 1831 was ... 297 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 68 in trade, manufactures, and handicraft, 92 There are 22 heritors of this parish, having properties from L. 100 to L. 600 or L. 700 of land rent per annum, exclusive of lime, coal, and freestone. Two heritors reside in the parish. There are 32 tenants occupying the land, upon leases of nineteen years generally of endorance, and paying from L. 60 to L. 500 of rent, — besides some parks that are let to graziers for one year. The usual variety of tradesmen is to found in this parish. The collieries and quarries employ about fifty hands. At the time of the publication of the last Statistical Account, two or three looms are stated to have been employed in making cotton cloth for Edin- • Some notices of minor antiquities will l)e found in the original MS. t The increased population in 1831 arose from a new turnpike road beinff set agomg that year, and caUing for an additional supply of labour. LINTON. 159 burgh and Glasgow. There are at present in the parish 83 looms employed in that manufacture. Two dozen looms were also stated to be employed in customary or household manufacture. There are at present only two looms in Linton, and three in Carlops em- ployed in that trade. There are 5 tailors, 4 dress-makers, 2 but- chers, 5 carriers, 9 retailers of meal, groceries, and spirits, 2 sur- geons, 4 innkeepers, in the parish. Of illegitunate births there are generally about three yearly in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. The number of acres cultivated, or occasionally in tillage, is - 4,000 Uncultivated,* ..... 19,200 Capable of being cultivated with a profitable application of capital, 1,500 In undivided common, Linton Green, ... 2 Under wood, ..... 400 In the last Statistical Report, the number of sheep kept in the parish was stated to be, ^^ by a rough computation, about ten thou- sandJ* The number at present is 9640 ; the decrease being 360. In explanation of this, it is to be observed, that in 1790 there were no Cheviot sheep in the parish, whereas at present, in the number now stated, there are of the Gheviot breed 3660 ; and, wherever that sheep is introduced, a smaller number is kept There is, besides, a good deal of land that was formerly stocked with sheep now under the plough, or pastured with cattle ; and the importance of light stocking is now better understood. Husbandry. — The management of both the Cheviot and black- faced breeds is the same. The lambs are sold in the Edinburgh market, the best, however, being reser\'ed for keeping up the stock, in supplying those sold off in the end of the season, or to be kept on turnips. If retained and kept all winter, they are sold off as hogs at Linton June market The practice of feeding the old cast off ewes upon turnips had just commenced at the time of the last Report, and is now universally practised. Various mix- tures are now used as substitutes for tar in smearing, which is much disused. The chief ingredient employed at present is train-oil and cocoa-nut oil. Ewe- milk cheese is very little made in this parish, the attention of the farmer being at present directed mainly to the carcase, to which milking is unfavourable. There is nothing particular in the cattle and corn-farming to be remarked which is not in general practice. It may, however, just * Much of this uncultivated land is fine sheep pasture, which it would not be ad« •iviMble to break up from its elevated and inaccessible situation. 160 P££DL£S-SH1RE. be observed, that the parish is not surpassed by any in the county, either in regard to the mode of management adopted, or in the spirit with which it is conducted. All the modem improvements are here to be found ; and fewer of the old modes which the new school of husbandry has exploded are retained than in most parishes of the district. Threshing-machines have long been in very general use in every farm of any extent, and the in-field and out-field system has long been given up. Milk-cows are the cattle mostly kept, and their produce finds a ready market in Edinburgh. There are also kept on several of the farms Highland cattle bought at Falkirk and Hallow Fair, which are kept in winter, and either sold off in the spring, or put to pas- ture, to be fed for the Ibutcher on the farm. The milk-cows are nearer the Ayrshire breed than any other. The Teeswater are also kept, and crosses of these kinds are the general stock of the parish. Live-stock. — The number both of horses and cattle is consi- derably increased, from a circumstance already stated. The num* ber stated in the last Report was 460 cattle, and 130 horses. There are now 772 cattle, — ^which explains the smaller number of sheep kept at present than in 1790. The present number of horses is 176. Rate of Wages. — Of late, wages have rather declined from their former rates. This season wages have been from L. 10 to L. 13 for men, with victuals. Women-servants were hired at Lintoo spring market on March 29, 1833, from L. 3 to L. 4, and upwards, for the summer half-year. Last summer labourers received, with- out victuals, from 9s. to 10s. weekly. Cotton-weavers at one p^ riod gained as high as 14s. per week. At present they hardly earn above 5s. during that period. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, is 4000 quarters of oats, which at present prices may be estimated at in pounds Ster- Hng, . - - . - I..3,200 200 acres in turnipi which, being employed in rearing as well as fiit- tening sheep and cattle, is given to milk cows, the value cannot be estimated. 100 acres in potatoes, valued at L. 7 on an average per acre, - 700 93,000 stones of rye-grass hay at 5d. per stone, - - 1987 10 36,800 of meadow do. at dd per stone, - - - 400 10 Mines, minerals, &c. .... 2,000 330 milk cows at L. 5 per annum, in milk, &c. - - l»6d0 The other cattle, 130 sold off either reared, fattened, or sold off to fatten, gross average, L. 8, lOs. each, - - 1,105 3660 Cheviot sheep, 68. 6d. each, - - - 1,189 10 5980 black-faced, as. 6d. each, ... 1,64410 Average gross produee, L. l4/)00 LINTON. 161 V. — Parochial Economy. Markets. — From time immemorial sheep markets have been Iield at Linton, and of late one market is held om the last Tuesday of June. The sheep produced are principally one year old or hoffs, as they are called, and come from all the surrounding counties. * They were brought in former times to be sent to the Highlands ; but of late, for the most part, they are sent to Fife, Perth, Angus-shire, Lam- mermuir, and the English fairs. Earl Wemyss, as superior, draws a custom of Is. Id. per score at this market Of late years the store-masters have established a market here on the Friday before the first Monday of April and on the Friday before the 25th of September, chiefly for the disposal of stock and hiring servants,— which promises to be a great convenience to the district In the month of August a show of stock is held here^ and the breeds pro- duced are allowed to be creditable to the district In the winter months a ploughing match is held, and four prizes are given to the best workmen, which is found to be attended with good eflTects in exciting emulation, both in regard to their particular occupation, and in keeping their horses m good plight, as well as their various utensils and furniture. Villages. — Linton is situated nearly in the centre of the parish. It consists of 90 houses, and contains 395 inhabitants, — 160 males, and 235 females. It is irregularly built, and, from several of the houses having their gables to the street, has some appear- ance of antiquity. One of the houses of this description tradition states to have been contemporary with Droehil Castle 1576, or as It is written, Droich holes in ancient deeds. This house, now be- longing to Sir John Hay, it is understood, was built by the same tradesmen who were employed about the castle, and who, being allowed Saturday to themselves, occupied their time in building this house, which has been inhabited ever idnce ; whilst the massy stately fortress of Regent Morton was never either inhabited or finished. A medical gentleman of much experience^ and re- sident here for some years, authorizes me to state, ^ That he has found the village to be peculiarly healthy, not having observed for several years any thing almost in the shape of dis- ease^ excepting influenza and scarlatina. This healthy state * For some yean, one market has been held on the last Tuesday of June, where the whole business of the season is settled. The Highlands now beuig Iblly stocked, tha ahtep are seat as above-stated. To understand the statement in r^ard to our markets, it is necessary to observe, that formerly there were four markets : two in the last wedL of June and first week of July, and two in the saeond and third weeks of July in sueoassion. PEEBLES. L 162 PEEBLES-SHIRE. of the people he ascribes to the situation of the village upon the banks of the Lyne, whose course, through a glen-like conca- vity, keeps up an incessant current of air, keen, bracing, and invi- gorating, and thus counteracts the ordinary causes of pestilential distemper ; whilst, at the same time, a fine exposure to the south, and a double range of hills to the north, affords considerable shel- ter during the greatest inclemency of the season." Formerly six families occupied the site of the village of Carlops, now consisting of 36 houses, and containing 177 inhabitants. They are mostly cotton-weavers. Means of Communication. — The old road from Edinburgh being very ill directed, the approach to the village, both from the west and the east, was extremely difficult for a carriage of any descrip- tion ; but by a new line lately made and opened last year, various dangerous acclivities were avoided, and, bringing into view the vil- lage, which was formerly quite hid from the traveller, it has already been considerably improved in its appearance by new houses being erected, whilst two inns also have been built on this road, one at lin- ton, and another at Rutherford, with post-horses and every accom- modation which the public could wish. A new line of road from Carlops to Ingraston, to the south of the old road, was not long ago formed. The trustees of Lanarkshire and Mid-Lothian gave every encouragement to this undertaking, but the majority of those in the county of Peebles gave every opposition to it. At length, after much opposition and delay, an act of Parliament was obtained, au- thorizing the new line under the direction of Mr Jardine, civil-en- gineer, in which there is not a rise of more than one foot in thirt)- seven; and six heritors of Linton undertook at their own risk, upon getting an assignation of the tolls, to make this road, which has been made accordingly, and was opened more than twelve months ago, — traversing the parish for six miles, and giving universal satisfaction to the public. There is perhaps no trust in the county at present whose revenue affords a better prospect of providing a fund at once for reducing the debt, and for keeping the roads under it in the best state of repair. It may be added, that it would be of no small importance to the public that a road in continuation of that lately made to Badens- gill, towards the Caldstane slap, should be executed, so as to open a proper communication with the other side of the hill, and to the north by Falkirk, Stirling, and Queensferry. It is obvious that such a measure appears to be equally beneficial to the other side of the slap, the county of Mid and West-Lothian open- LINTON. 163 ing up to them a more ready and direct communication to the south. As nearly three miles of this road from Linton have already been made, it remains with the gentlemen to the north of the slap to show an equally favourable disposition to the undertaking, and they may be assured that they will be readily met by the heritors of Linton from the south. Ecdesiastical State. — The church and manse were built in 1781. To the manse are attached the ordinary offices and a garden, with fourteen acres of arable land. The stipend consists of fifteen chal- ders, half barley and half meal, payable at the rate of the fiars of the county. When grain gives L- 1 per boll, it may be calculated at L. 240 ; at present it is below that sum. There are two classes of dissenters in the parish. One of them, the United Secession church, has a meeting-house in Linton. The number of communicants belonging to it in this parish at present is 124, the rest of the congregation being made up from the six neigh- bouring parishes. The other sect of dissenters belong to the Re- lief, and have a meeting-house in the parish of Newlands, and fifty members belonging to Linton form part of that congregation. In this parish there are 300 communicants belonging to the Establish- ed church. Education. — Mr Thomas Brown, a preacher of the gospel, is schoolmaster, with the maximum salary of L. 34 Sterling, and a house and garden. His terms of teaching are 2s. per quarter for English reading; and including writing, arithmetic, and Latin, are respectively 2s. 6d., 3s., and 5s. per quarter. The number of scholars during the winter quarters is about 100, and nearly the same in spring and during the rest of the year. The ordinary branches of education, with geography, are taught. Classical li- terature here is rather on the decline at present. L. 10 a-year, exclusive of wages of teaching, may be the amount of his other emoluments. A considerable part of the population being situated about three miles and upwards from the parish school, many of the children attend two private schools in the eastern part of the pa- rish, and at Ninemilebum, in Penicuick ; also at Dolphinton, Kirkurd, and at Lamancha, in the parish of Newlands. Two Sab- bath evening schools are held at Linton and one at Carlops, where the Scriptures are read, and examinations of the children also are carried on. There are at present attending the Sabbath evening school of Linton about 70, and at Carlops, 40. Library. — A parish library was begun about forty years ago, and consists of upwards of 500 volumes on history, travels, essays, IG4 PEEBLES-SHIRE. &0. &c &c. U eiLQludes si\ books on theological and political con- troversy. Po0r.^*^ Certain it is that pauperism has been on the bcrease. No doubt this may be attributed to the late increase of the popula- tion, consisting chiefly as it does of the lower orders ; and also to the greater liberality of the times, which pays more attention than for- merly to the wants of the people^ and which, on every oceasioB of the rise of tl^e price of provisions, has led to measures which in other days would never have been looked upon as called fwr. Ac- cordingly, whilst for ten years previous to 1782 the parochial ex- pense did not exceed L. 20, and for the next ten years the annual sum amounted only to L« 25, it has since gradually risen to L» 100 and upwards annually, and last year it was L. 118^ from which frlk only to be deducted the allowances (L.8> 143.) made to the pie- center and session-clerk, together with the dues of the beadle, presbytery, and synod clerks. For a good many years no heritor had a permanent residence within the parish, — an amngement which may be presuutied to have been hurtful to the parish both m regard to matters of police and in regard to the poor, who eouU not fail to be benefited by the residence of the wealthy. In the circumstances of the parish adverted to, and when none of the rents are returned to it in the encouragement of the industry of the in- habitants, it could not be expected that the church collections, to- gether with the usual funds arising from the use of the mortcloth, the fee at the proclamation of banns, and the interest of £^229 of mortified money, should be adequate to supply the wants of the poor, more especially during periods of peculiar pressure and exi- gency. Accordingly, it was proposed to the heritors, that they should enter into a voluntary subscription, in supplement of the above ordinary funds, and in proportion to their respective interests in the parish. This measure was heartily gone into, and the sum of L. 60 has been raised annually for the above purpose^ and in times of peculiar distress this sum has been proportionally increased. In a parish like this, where there is a small proportion of resident he- ritors, whose duty and interest it is to give a helping hand to the poor, and a tenantry, all paying pretty tight rents^ much occupied about their own proper business, and often necessarily absent from homt> there seem to be insuperable dij£culties in carrying into eSecl any measures similar to those recommended and practised with success by Dr Chalmers in the differently constituted parish of St JohnV. Priendlj^ Society, Sfc. — There is a friendly society in the parish; and there has been \A\i a savings bank at N^twlanda for several LINTON. ' 165 )^ears, to which the people of this parish have access ; and both institutions have been observed to be attended with great benefit to those who have had the good sense to avail themselves of the privileges which they confer. Miscellaneous Observations. The great body of the people enjoy in a very considerable de- gree the conveniences and comforts of life. They are industrious and enterprising, as well as exemplary in the stations of life which they occupy. In former times the inhabitants who used animal food were inthe practice of laying up about Martinmas such salted pro- visions of that £urticle as would serve for the ensuing year. This mode is much discontinued, and beef, as well as lamb and mutton, being much more generally used than formerly^ are obtained of ex- cellent quality, at all times, from two butchers, carrying on their trade in Linton. Within the same period a considerable change has also taken place in regard to dress, as well as the mode of living. The reduced number of household or customer weavers in the parish, alluded to under a preceding article^ is a sufficient proof, if any other were wanting, that hodden-gray *tland9 it may be supposed that when the two kingdoms were governed by different sovereigns, its inhabitants would expo* rience the disturbance, and be distinguished by the diaracter and habits, which were then so prevalent among Ae bcMrderers. There are in it the remains of two old towers, which were probaUy de* signed for security and for defence against hostile aggressions, and also as watch towers, from which signals might be perceived and given when unexpected incursions were made. — At Henderlandthere are the vestiges of a chapel and burying-ground, and a toodMtont of Cockbum of Henderland, a noted freebooter, with an inscriptioD which is still legible. — About a quarter of a mile west from Lyne church is a Roman camp, whidi, notwithstanding the time that has elapsed since its fonooation, and the operations to which it has been exposed, still presents a very distinct appearance. Its situatioo indicates the military prudence which characterized the conqueron of the world. A road leading to it is still visible. Its interior has often been subjected to culture, and Roman coins are said to have frequently been discovered in it ; but what these were, or whither they were conveyed, it would now be difficult to ascertain. The church at Lyne is a solid and ancient edifice. It can scarcely be doubted that it had been built before the Reformation of reli- gion in Scotland. On an oaken seat the year 1644 is marked. The pulpit, which is of the same material, seems to be of a simi- lar age. About thirty years ago a chapel was built in M^get for public worship, with an apartment in it designed for a school-room. Liand-cumers. — The land-owners, none of whom reside in the parish, are, the Earl of Wemyss, Mr William Murray of Hender- land, and Mr William Purdie, proprietor of Lyne Town Head. Parochial Registers. — A register was begun in January 1649, in which were concisely stated the acts of the session, purposes of marriage, baptisms, weekly collections and disbursements fol* the poor. But there have been at times long blanks in the record, or large portions of it must have been lost In the course of time it seems to have been almost confined to receipts and expenditure in behalf of the indigent But for a number of years past this regis- ter has been more carefully and regularly kept There has hitherto been no register of deaths, and that of births is not quite complete, as some parents, especially dissenters, often neglect to record in it. LYNE AND MEGOET. 169 IIL — Population, The population of Jiyne and Megget appears to have been much greater in former times than at present. In the year 1755, it amounted to 265, and probably it was then considerably less than it had previously been. In 1792| it WM 1^ 71 maka. 81 females. 1801, le? .67 100 1811, 196 95 101 1821, 176 87 89 1881, 156 83 73 The decrease of the population appears to have been chiefly occasioned by the junction of farms, by the absence of several clas- ses of tradesmen who formerly were in the parish, and by the in- creasing number in Megget of non-resident tenants. The parish record shows that for a series of years two marriages, and three, often four, births, have annually occurred. The population is en- tirely rural. About the end of 1833 there were in the parish 159 persons, males 83^ females 76. Of these there were, Bdow 15 y«an, - 63 Between 15 and 30, - 53 Between 30 and fiO, - 27 Between 50 and 70, - 16 Numberoffiimilies in the parish, - - - • - 26 of fiunilies chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 23 in trade and manu&cturea, or handicraft, 5 Number of unmarried men, bachelors and widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 4 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45, - 3 There is no individual of independent fortune residing in the parish. There are three proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards. There is no person in this parish who is insane, or fatuous, or blind, or deaf, or dumb, or deformed. Character of the People. — The inhabitants of the parish certainly enjoy in a reasonable degree the advantages and comforts of social life, and no symptom of discontentment with their condition is per- ceptible. They are reflecting and intelligent. They have a taste for knowledge and for reading ; and, what is of much greater im- portance at a time when scepticism and a disposition to remove needful restraints are very prevalent, they show a becoming regard to religion and morality. IV.— Industry. Agrtcvlture and Rural Econmny. — All the males in the parish who have arrived at a suitable age, with the exception of five arti- sans, are engaged in rural affairs. It is calculated that above 700 Scotch acres are either under cul- tivation, or are occasionally ploughed, and that probably more than 11,000 acres are always kept in pasture for sheep. It is not easy 170 PEBBLES-SHIRE. to determine whether capital might be used with advantage for the extension of agriculture, especially in Megget, where the distance from lime and from any additional manure that might be required is so very great It is likely, however, that 50 or 60 acres might be added to the cultivated land with a reasonable expectation of profit. About 20 acres in separate places have been lately planted with the usual varieties of wood. These plantations exhibit proofis of the good taste and public spirit of the proprietors. Rent of Land. — The average rent of ai^ble laud is L. 1 per acre, or rather more. The rent of grazing is estimated at L.d for an ox or cow, and 5s. for a ewe or full-grown sheep ; but in some high situations, where storms in winter may be very injurious, it is a litde less, about 4s. 9d. Rate of Wages. — The wages of male farm-servants are from L. 10 to L. 13 per annum : of female from L. 6 to L. 7, with vic- tuals and lodging. Male-servants who are married, instead of food and accommodation in the house of their masters, have a free house for themselves and families, six and a-half bolls of oatmeal, pasture for a cow in summer, and fodder in winter, ground for planting half a boll of potatoes, and coal or peat brought for their use, all which, with the payment in money, may amount to L. 24 or L. 25 per annlim. Shepherds, as a remuneration for their labour, have pasture for 40 or 45 sheep, with food and lodging in the house of their masters. If married, they have, like those who are employed in agriculture, a separate habitation, the same quantity of oatmeal, six bolls and a-half, pasture and fodder for a cow, com- monly a piece of ground for potatoes, and the conveyance of fuel, which, with the produce of their sheep, may be estimated at above L. 30 Sterling per year. But the amount of their wages is very uncertain, varjing with the seasons and the state of the markets. Masons and carpenters have from 1 5s. to 18s. per week, with- out victuals; and slaters from I8s. to L. 1. Day- labourers re- ceive 2s. and upwards per day, in summer, and from Is. 8d. to Is. lOd. in winter. Breeds of Live-Stock, — The cattle are generally a mixture of the Ayrshire and short-horned breeds. One-half of the sheep are black-faced ; the other half are Cheviot, or a mixture of these. Husbandry. — The farmers are men of capital, intelligence, and enterprise. They are very attentive to their flocks and their herds, and skilful in the management of them. They readily use any expedient for melioration which experience has proved to be efli- cacious. They consider the nature of the land which they occu- LYNE AND MEGQET. 171 py, and select the breed, or intermixture of breeds, that seems to be best adapted to it They are connected with local Associations that are formed for the purpose of encouraging exertion, by con- ferring premiums on successful competitors. The husbandry which prevails in the parish is that which is most approved in the district Fallowing, liming, raising of turnips, and artificial grass engage a suitable degree of attention. Draining is practised wherever it is deemed requisite. Several pieces of waste land have been reclaimed. Embankments in various places have been con- structed along the sides of the rivulets to prevent the injury which might be occasioned by inundations. No hay or straw is disposed of by sale ; all is consumed in the parish. Indeed hay from artifi- cial grass is seldom produced. Fields sown with the seeds of clover and rye-grass are commonly pastured. And, on the whole, agri- cultural operations seem to be conducted in that judicious manner which renders the ground most productive to the farmer, and most valuable to the proprietor. The fences which form the enclosures appear to be in a sufii- cient state. The farm-houses are good and commodious, well- fitted for the accommodation of respectable tenants. The Earl of Wemyss has lately caused to be erected in Megget six substan- tial houses for shepherds, built of stone and lime, and neatly co- vered with excellent slates, which give an improved appearance to that part of the parish. Leases generally are for a period of 19 years. Previous to the death of the late Duke of Queensberry, and for some time subsequent to that event, the doubts which were entertained concerning the legality of leases which he had given had an unfavourable influence on agriculture. But when a deci- sion had been finally given in the House of Lords, which ended the litigation, and new leases had been obtained from the Earl of Wemyss and March, increased exertions were soon perceptible. No symptom of deficiency of capital can be discerned. The far- mers are active and enterprising, and withhold no expense which is needful in their operations. Tlie proprietors facilitate their ef- forts by affording every convenience and means of success which can reasonably be desired. — There are very few hedges in the pa- rish, but stone fences in a suitable state are numerous. These have been lately extended over most of the arable land, forming a range of convenient enclosures. Produce. — The produce of the parish is extremely fluctuating : and it is not easy to state an average amount The following calcula- tion relates to the present period, and cannot be far from the truth : L.180 a22 5Sb m 90 140 113 560 ^ 4550 L.654S "? "• 172 PEBBLE8-8U1RE. WkMM, 150 MIb, - - - Barley, 322 boUs, - -. " " Oats, 846 bolls, - - - - PteMe,50boU% . - - . - Potatoes, dao boUs, . - - - Turnips, 85 acres, - - • * - Natural hay, 9000 stones, .... 140 cattle, at L. 4 per head, - . - - 9000 shaap, the prodtiee of which, arisiiig from lamb and Attte^ mny be estimated at 10s. per head, * - - Yearly value of produca> V. — Parochial Economy. Mean$ of CanmnmioatwH. — There are four milei of tufDpike roads in the parish. Carriers pass weekly through Lyne, coovey- ing merchandise between Hawick and Glasgow. For some years during the summer a coach has passed daily between Glasgow and Kelso, but in the winter it has hitherto been discontinued. There are two bridges over the stream that separates Lyne from Slobo^ and one over the water of Megget, all of which are in good con- dition. Ecdestoitical State. — The situation of the parish church in Lyne is as eligible as any that could have been selected. It is scarcely more than a mile from any of the inhabited houses which are placed around it. The precise period when it was built is now unknown, but it exhibits evident proofs of antiquity, and probaUj several centuries have elapsed since its erection. About forty years ago, on the occasion of a repair, as the population had greatly decreased, its length in the inside was diminished by a partition wall which was constructed, and was designed to bound the space intended for seats. It still, however, affords accommodation for about 80 persons, and at ordinary times 20 more might avail them- selves of the communion table. In 1830 it underwent a repair, chiefly in the flooring and seats, and the windows also were neatly supplied with glass suited to their antique form. All the seats are free to those by whom they are occupied. In 1829 a new and commodious manse was built. It is obvious, therefore, that the heritors have manifested no disinclination to the cause of religion, and no repugnance to supply the means of support- ing it. The chapel in Megget, erected about thirty years ago for the convenience of public worship, with an apartment in it designed for a school, was built, not at the expense of the heritors, but with * The price of sheep, lambs, and wool rose greatly during 1833, and may have surpassed the estimate which has now been given, but it should be remeittbered that previously it must often have been below it, and, if there bo an excess, it is doubtful whether it would be more than sufficient to counterbalance the effects uf disease and casualties which yearly occur. LYNE AND MEQGET. 173 money otherwise obtained, combined with the aid of the resident &nners, who assisted in collecting materials for so useful an edifice. Mr Mitchelson, who was minister of Lyne above a century ago, bequeathed to the parish a sum of K 50 Sterling, the interest of which was designed for the promotion of literary and religious knowledge among the parishioners. This interest was given to the schoolmaster before the establishment of a legal salary, and has always been employed in accordance with the will of the be- nevolent donor. The stipend is Lb 149, 5s. 9d., with L. 4, Ss. 4d. for conmiunion elements. The glebe is about fifteen Scotch acres, but in a con- siderable part of it the soil is inferior, and it was augmented to its present extent in the time of the preceding incumbent, who re- eeived an increase of glebe in exchange for a servitude or right of pasturage on the lands of Lyne. There are 18familiesthatattend the Established church, andSthat are connected with dissenters. Of the latter, 2 are adherents of the Camaronians; 2of the Seceders; and 4 of the Relief body. Both the Viembers of the Established church, and those who belong to other denominations, show a becomii^ regard to public worship and reli- gious instruction. The dissenters have no place of meeting in the parish, and almost the half of them are so extremely distant from congregations with which they are connected, that they have very few opportunities of hearing preachers of their own persuasion. About 50 communicate in tbe parish, and some who are prevent- ed by requisite attention to flocks and houses, attend in the neigh- bouring parishes at their sacramental occasions. The people take an interest in the difliision of religious know- ledge, and in the removal or alleviation of human sulSTering ; but as die parish is extremely small, and as the one-half of it is at a considerable distance from the other, it is customary for individuals to co-operate with the societies which exist in the more populous parishes that are contiguous to them. EducatiotL — There are two schools in the parish, — ^ne at Lyne, and another at Megget. The parochial school is at Lyne. The salary is the niinimum,-^L. 25^ Ids. S^A. The school fees are, for English reading, 2s. ; for reading and writing, 2s. 6d. : and for reading, writing, and arithmetic, 8s. 6d. per quarter. They may amount to upwards of L. 12 annually ; and the teacher's other emo- luments may amount to L. 2, 10s. a«year. Reading and spelling, EngUsh grammar, writing, and arithmetic, are taught The Bible is used. The national catechism, psalms, and paraphrases, are 174 PEEBLES-SHLBE. committed to memory; and means are employed for giving the children a juster notion of the meaning of words, that the treasures contained in books may be more profitable to them. The teacher has the legal accommodations, excepting the garden, which is not of the required extent ; but this is compensated by an annual sum of L. 2, paid by the heritors. The school in Megget, on account of the state of the roads, — the numerous streams which intersect them, — and the usual severity of the weather, is not kept during the winter. A teacher is engaged, who begins his labours about Whitsunday, and continues them till Martinmas following. The heritors have allowed L. 7 yearly for the support of the school The- parents of the scholars furnish the teacher in succession with board and lodging. The instruction given is the same in every particular as that which is afforded in the school of Lyne. There is probably not an individual in the whole parish ten years of age, certainly none fifteen years old, who is unable to read, and few, if any, who are not able both to read and to write. There is neither circulating library, nor friendly society, nor saving bank, in the parish; but individuals avail themselves of those that exist in other places. Generally, the more permanent ser^ vants in the parish, remote from the dissipation of towns, and cha- racterized by frugality and diligence, amass sums, which they de- posit in the common banks of the country. Poor and Parochial Funds. — For a long period of time, there have been no poor who were permanently supported by the parish, but individuals and families in protracted affliction have often re- ceived temporarj' aid, and for such occasional assistance, the col- lections in the church have as yet been sufficient, though, as the parish is small and divided, and without any resident heritor, these are necessarily of small amount. The average yearly amount of church collections is L. 2, 6s. There is a general disposition to avoid, if possible, dependence on parochial aid : and for several years there have been no poor in the parish. Inns^ Sfc, — There is neither inn nor alehouse, nor place of any description where ardent spirits are sold. Fuel, — As the distance from other kinds of fuel is great, peat alone is used in Megget It is mostly obtained on the hills, and it requires a considerable expense of time and labour. Coal is solely employed in Lyne. It is brought from Mid-Lothian and the northern limits of the parish of Newlands. Its costs about 17s. per ton, with a little more or less, according to the difference of quality or distance. June 1&34. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE COUNTY OF PEEBLES, BY THE REV. JOHN ELLIOT, MINISTER OF PEEBLES. This county is sometimes termed the county of Peebles from its capital, and sometimes Tweeddale from the Tweed, which runs through the whole district It lies between 55° 24^ and 55° 5(y north latitude, and from 2® 45' to 3° 23^ longitude west from Lon- don. Its extreme length, from north to south, is about 30 miles, and its greatest breadth, from east to west, is about 22. It is bounded on the north by the county of Mid-Lothian ; on the south, by Selkirk and Dumfries ; on the east, by Selkirk and Mid- Lo- thian ; and on the west by Lanark. By some it is computed to contain 338 square miles, or 216,320 English acres. According to Armstrong, in his Ck)mpanion to the Map, who says that he made an actual survey with a chain, it contains 251,320 English acres* Mr Findlater allows a smaller number of acres to a square mile than Armstrong, and gives 229,779 acres. General Appearances. — Tweeddale may be considered the most elevated county in the south of Scotland, as only a very small part of it on the banks of the Tweed where it enters Selkirkshire is so low as between 400 and 500 feet above the level of the sea.* Tlie highest range of mountains is that which forms the southern boun- diury, commencing at the eastern extremity of Traquair parish, and extending to the borders of Lanarkshire. Along the summit of these mountains runs the boundary line, from each side of which descend streams which flow into seas on the opposite sides of the island. A great part of this mountain range presents a dismal and forbidding aspect, where a shepherd's cottage is almost the only habitation to be seen. Even the names of places graphically de- scribe their character and inhospitable appearance, such as Dead for cauld in Megget parish. A lofty ridge of mountains separates the parishes of Innerleithen and Eddlestone from Mid-Lothian on the east ; and on the north, the Water of Leith, the Med win, a tri- butary of the Clyde, and the Lyne, a tributary of the Tweed, all have their sources in the Pentland Hills, the boundary in that quarter. Like most mountainous counties, the boundaries are ill-defined, par- ticularly towards the south-east, where Selkirk makesxsevcral in- * It is almost every where bounded by lofty mountains or high grounds. 176 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS dentations, and where some land lies of which it is difficult to say whether it belongs to that county or to Peebles. A small part of the parishes of Innerleithen and of Peebles lies in Selkirkshire. * Rivers. — The only river is the Tweed which, witli three trifling exceptions, drains the whole county. None of its tributaries are dignified with the appellation of river, f but receive the name of waters^ the next in degree. The streams that rise in the county and do not fall into the Tweed, are the Medwin, already mention- ed, commencing in the parish of Linton, the North Esk, which rises in the same parish, and the South-Esk, which has its source in Ed- dlestone parish ; the last two streams afterwards unite and fall into the sea at Musselburgh. The course of the Tweed is north-east, till it reaches the parish of Peebles, when it takes an easterly di- rection. There is a circumstance well known to store-farmers and shepherds in this district, which I am not aware has ever been ac- counted for, but which is worthy of investigation. As long as the Tweed flows in a north-east direction, the hills on both sides of it are equally healthy for sheep pasture, and the disease called sick- ness is very little known. As soon as the river takes an easierfy direction, the sheep on the right bank become subject to that di»- ease, and also to what is termed the louping-'Ul^ to an extent ten times greater than what takes place among those on the left bank, which has a southern exposure. EccksicuHcal State. — All the parishes in this county belong to the Presbytery of Peebles, except Skirling and the united parishes of Broughton, Kilbucho and Glenholm, which belong to the Pires- bytery of Biggar. It is probably owing to this ecclesiastical ar- rangement that these last named parishes are often not recognized as belonging to the county of Peebles, but are transferred to Lanark. There is perhaps nothing more objectionable in our church economy than the division or union of parishes, in which it frequently happens that A-ery little attention has been paid to the comfort either of the minister or his people. Thus a considerable part of Drmnmelzier lies on the west side of the Tweed, which, when flooded, prevents the inhabitants of that district from attending the parish church. When the parish of Dawick was suppressed in 1742, and added to Stobo and Drummelzier, the difficulty of crossing the Tweed to attend the church of Stobo never seems to have been considered. * A great part of the parishes of Kirkurd, Linton and Newlands, may be coosfder- ed table land, vith an cdeTatioii between 600 and 850 feet. The pleasure groimAi of Whim are exactly the same height as Arthur's Seat. *f* The gradation in the names, is first a syhe, for which there is no Englisb then bum, ttater, river. ON THE COUNTY OF PEEBLES. 177 Why the parishes of Broughton, Kilbucho, and Glenholm were united it is difficult to conjecture. It was deemed expedient to continue a schoolmaster in each ; it would probably have been as adnsable to continue a minister in each of them also. If any union was to have talien place, it should have been the annexation of that part of Dnmunelzier which lies west of the Tweed to the parish of Glenholm. The parishes of Lyne and Megget are united ecclesiastically, though the whole of Manner lies between them. The distance from the manse of Lyne to the church of Megget is 14 or 15 miles, and when the Tweed is flooded, the minister must go round by Peebles, and he has thus upwards of 80 miles to travel. A great error was committed a few years ago by the Presbytery, which I the more readily point out, being then a mem- ber of that body. Instead of sanctioning the building of the manse at Lyne, they ought rather to have recommended that it should be placed at Megget^ to which part of Ettrick and of the extensive pa^ riah of Yarrow might have been added, quoad sacra. Lyne, which consists of only two farms, might quoad sacra have been united to Stobo or Peebles. The Earl of Wemyss and March is sole pro- prietor of both parishes, with the exception of the property of Henderland and Lyne Town Head, and, from his Lordship's well Imown anxiety on all occasions to meet the wishes and consult the comfort of all his ministers, no difficulty whatever on his part would have been thrown in the way to prevent the above arrange* ments from being carried into eflect Roads* Means of Commurdeatioii. — The county is very well intersected by roads, except the parishes on the right bank of the Tweed ; and though there is but a scanty population, and there never could be a great thoroughfare, it would be of great advantage to the inhabitants in that district to have a bridge across the river between the bridges of Peebles and Tweedsmuir, and a line of eommunication opened to the road from Selkiric to Moffat The nmil-coach from Edinburgh to Dumfries passes daily through the parishes of Newlands, Kirkurd, Broughton and Tweedsmuir, and a letter bag is forwarded from Leadbum Toll to Peebles and the adjoining districts. There is a daily coach between Peebles and Edinburgh, and during the summer season two coaches run, chief- ly on account of the visitors to Innerleithen. For some years past a xioach has run during the summer season between Glasgow and Kelso passing through Peebles. The tolls of the county are this year let for L. 2991, to which may be added L. 360 paid by the Post- Office for the mail-coach. * * Since the aocotint of the parish of Peebles was written, rery considerable ^¥a-> PEKBLES. M 178 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS Agriculture.— k pretty general impression prevails that the plough has encroached too much on the sides of the hills, and that much land that is now arable would have been far more advanta- geously continued as sheep-pasture. The high price of wool and the low price of all kinds of grain will probably induce many of the farmers to sow out their upper grounds, and lay them dovm in grass. The importation of grain from Ireland has tended of late years to keep down the Peebles grain-market. Formerly, very considerable quantities were sent from this county to the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, whereas that district is now supplied from Ireland. To counterbalance this depreciation of one kind of pro- duce, steam navigation promises to keep up the price of lambs and fat sheep, which find a better market in London than in Edinbui^h or Glasgow. The houses of almost all the farmers whose rental exceeds L. 50 are substantial buildings, affording comfortable resi- dences for their families. The farmers are an intelligent, respect- able class of men ; sober in their habits and industrious in their cal- ling. A bankruptcy among them is of very rare occurrence, and when it does take place it may be ascribed to some untoward cir- cumstances over which the bankrupt had probably very little control. Population. — From the annexed table it will be seen that be- tween the years 1801 and 1811, there was an increase of popula* tion of 15 per cent, and this is easily explained. The scarcity of 1799 and 1800 made the farmers bring more land into tillage than had been under the plough before; more men were employed, and as high wages were given, they were enabled to marry and bring up families. This impulse ceased during the next ten years, and hence there was an increase of only one per cent. The increase of five per cent, in the last ten years was owing to the influx of strangers to make some new lines of roads. From several of the preceding accounts it appears that there has been a considerable falling off in the population of certain pa- rishes, and a general impression prevails that the county is not nearly so populous as it was some centuries ago. By writers on political economy the plausible question is asked, how was this al- leged population supported, when agriculture was so imperfectly understood and practised? One very important consideration seems to have been forgotten when they maintain, that the population bears a proportion to the produce of the land, and it is this, — in gress has been made in widening the bridge across the Tweed from 8, or rather 74t feet to 22 feet. According to contract, the work will be completed in October next, at the expense of upwards of L. 1000. ON THE COUNTY OF PEEBLES. 179 former times the produce was consumed on the land, now the greater part is exported, Tweeddale at present contains about 102,000 sheep, a very small number of which is consumed in the county or even in Scotland ; almost the whole of the annual produce, such as lambs, cast ewes and wethers being sent to the south of England : whereas formerly neither sheep nor cattle ever crossed the English border, unless when a few were lifted in a marauding foray. It has been said, *^ we have nothing of the pastorico-poetical mania, which would lead to the erection of cottages for idlers, for whose labour there is no demand, for the mere pleasure of excit- ing poetic ideas." * It were much to be wished that this mania prevailed a little, not for the sake of poetry, but of humanity. Cot- tages, on the whole, are the nurseries of a sober industrious race of people ; and it is surely only reasonable and consistent with hu- nnanity that the labourer should be as near as possible to the scene of his daily toil, instead of being obliged to walk several miles before he can begin his day's work, and after bearing the toil and heat of the day to return the same distance in the even- ing. The hardship is still greater, if he be obliged to go to a re- mote part of the county, when he must leave his wife and family in some confined lane in the Burgh town, and, carrying his week's provision with him, must take such accommodation as he can find. The bad eJSfects of this cruel system of not affording the day la- bourer a cottage in the parish where he earns his subsistence, is se- verely felt in the county town, in which, as his domicile, he claims his parish settlement. Peculiarities of the People. — The inhabitants of this county are not distinguished from their neighbours by any peculiarity, if we except their almost total want of a taste for music A stranger would be inclined to suppose that a pastoral district must be the land of music and song, and yet this is not the case. Pennecuik says ** musick is so great a stranger to their temper that you shall hardly light upon one amongst six that can distinguish one tune from another;" and the editor of Pennecuik, who wrote a hundred years afterwards, says " in confirmation of this general want, it has been remarked, that from a band of Tweeddale shearers a song is scarcely ever to be heard ; that a ploughman seldom en- livens his horses by whistling a tune; and that, although the scenery is so purely pastoral, the sound of a pipe, or flute, or cow-horn, or stock in horn, or even of a Jew's harp, is a rare occurrence in tra- velling through it." • Agricultural Survey of Tweeddale, p. 47. 180 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS Character of the People* — Pennecuik has also said wken speak* ing of the inhabitants, ^^ pity it is to see a clear complexion and lovely countenance appear with so much disadvantage through the foul disguise of smoke and dirt." So far from this being the case now, they are distinguished by neatness and cleanliness both in their houses and persons, lliey may also be considered a well-fed and well-clad people. They have not» indeed, the high wages which in a prosperous state of commerce are earned in ma- nufactures, but we nowhere See the squalid wretchedness and ab- ject poverty which are found in manufacturing districts. With the exception of a few individuals in the burgh, and in perhaps one of the villages, no man would appear in public on the Sabbath in his every-day clothes. Throughout the whole county there is a very becoming regard to decency in dress on solemn occasions ; some may call it extravagance, but no one who has carefully stu- died the character of the working-classes, and can feel an interest in their respectability and outward deportment, will ever censure this part of their expenditure. It will generally be found that the best clad, particularly among the young men, are the most sober and industrious, and least given to extravagance in any shape. I make these observations with the greater confidence, as my own parish contains considerably more than the fourth part of the po- pulation of the whole county ; and when I see men who are earn- ing their subsistence by the labour of six days of the week appear- ing on the seventh clad in good broad cloth, so far from blaming them I consider them entitled to commendation. But there are higher qualities to which most of my brethren have borne testimony. The people may be considered a religious people, who are regular in attending Divine ordinances, and, with some exceptions, act up to their profession. Liberalism and in- fidelity have as yet made very little progress among us, and if se- ditious emissaries from other places do not come to poison the minds, and sap the better principles of the people, every one who wishes their happiness both in this world and the world to come, will rejoice to see them continue in the same course of life which they now lead. Since the last Statistical Account was drawn up, the inhabitants, like their fellow countrymen, have shared in the prosperity and in the reverses of the country ; have rejoiced in the former, and been submissive and resigned in the latter. To suggest any improve- ments by which they would be greatly benefited, I should consider ON THE CUITNTY UF PBEBLES. 181 presumptuouK ; as an intelligent race of people, who fully under- ■tand their own interests, they might say laiattz ntnajatre, when any wild and visionary schemes are proposed to innovate on their accustomed occupations and their peaceful habits. The writer of these ohserrations has drawn up the following tables, which contain chiefly a suomiary of the foregoing accounts) and holds himself responsible for their accuracy, — prembing, lit. That where Scots acres are given in the text, they have here been converted into imperial. 2d, Th^ in stating the amount of raw produce, when the quantity of any article has been given, but not the value in money, a calculation has been made according to the market prices. Sd, That such particulars stated in the tables as are not found in text have been ascertained from the writers of the respective Accounts. Table I. Ft.KUiat%. iHrTkiii. A^r i! 1 •s 11 Z ll it J- h 1 1 J t U ^ P.d.1™, 8000 I37I0 00 1500 L.a09ff7' Liiae 8000 2400 25700 1,500 530 14G53 5537 16040 rr*iuur, 3000 14000 000 11250 5192 6900 SJ.'i 413^ 31 32311 3962 16000 Broughlon, 1 Kilbucbu, andj- 720 132001 411 4414 3133 6600 5000 U(X)0 MOO 250 21231 5407 6000 Glcnbulm, ) Skirling, 2290 717 405 34 5614 1510 Tery Ttw Msoner, 1690 14800 200 400 7422 3301 7400 SU.1K., liW 10000 711 587 594H 2874 5000 Kirkurd, •i^UG 2207 1620 600 5120 1108 2000 3341 7659 337 13890 4239 4000 4370 I5M0 1190 1050 1309,1 3928 54B0 Linton, 4000 19500 1500 400 14000 3616 0640 fc".'" 1 875 13750 03 25 6542 3146 9000 * A miMake hu been niBde at p. 15. Tbe >heep in the (ceouni of Ibe paHib of Peebla arc all of ibt Cbcviol breed, and not parti; of the blaek-EueJ kiad, a> I ther* Mated. The Eillowing ihould have been the return : SATMoneofimeared wbitc-bcedvool, ■t22s. per rtone, L. 392 6871 none <^ unameared do. at SSb. per stone, 1100 L. 1492 Aa the annual lalueoftfaeepandvool is given, the mzfa^, amounting to L.9D00, . ought Dot to have been iiuorted. It is now deJueted Irom the anHnint of raw pro- duce in the atxxe column. t In tbia lum, L. 2400, are given at the price of wool, but Ihera ii no return for ■beep or lamba »ld. Tbe number of iheep ia Tweedsmuir ii nearly the Mine aa in Innerleithen ; and the amount of the rav produce for tbem in that pariah ia L. 6S15u { Thia number ia not given in the text ; but, aatwoacrciare thereallowed forona 182 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS * Table II. Pakisiies. Taxation. POPULATIOK IN THB YcAAS | Income in 1815. Cess, &c. 1832-3 1801. 1811. 1821. 1831. Peebles, Burgh of do. Innerleithen, Traquair, Fwecdsmuir, Drummelzier, Broughton, ^ Kilbucho, and > Glenholm, ) Skirling, Manner, Stobo, Kirkurd, Newlands, Eddlestone, Linton, I^yne, and Megget L.68J6 2399 6022 5646 3840 4668 1599 2040 2083 2199 3403 2557 1993 5.339 5645 5649 2244 L.126 19 3 249 18 4 127 15 6 218 17 3 34 4 6 26 2 6 16 ^ 6 43 ^ 3 53 6 9 15 6 62 8 3 68 11 11 60 17 5 172 8 133 6 4 99 4 17 17 3 2088 542 613 277 278 214 242 242 308 308 338 327 050 677 1064 167 2485 635 621 254 292 231 322 213 310 302 422 387 1163 918 1186 194 2701 662 643 265 293 260 328 239 345 324 413 352 1041 810 1194 176 2750 746 643 288 223 299 353 259 358 254 440 318 1078 836 1577 156 1.64182 1521 1 1 8735 9935 10046 10600 The amount of cess is Add compounded taxes. Game licenses, L. 1521 270 119 1 1 L. 1910 I 1 N, B. — The above table is taken^ so far as relates to the popula- tion and income^ from the valuable work printed lately by order of the House of Commons. The return for the cessy §*c. was obligingly furnished by the Collector for Peebles-shire^ who is also Sheriff^lerk. Table III. Commitments to the County Gaol in the years 1832 and 1833. 1832. By whom No. com. committed. Crimes charged. Punishment, or how disposed of. 1. Sheriff-sub. Contempt of Sher-sub. order. Three weeks imprisonment. 1. Do. Suspected of theft. 1. Do. Robbery or thefl. Tried at Jedburgh. 7 yrs. transport. 3. Do. Stealing fences. Ten days imprisonment. 1. Magistrate. Contemptuous l)ehaviour. Ten days imprisonment. 1. Do. Stealing fruit. Dismissed the town. 2. Shuriff-sub. Assault. Fine L. 5 each, or sixty days imp. 3. Justices. Stealing a pair of boots. Not proven. 1. Sheriff-sub. Disorderly behaviour. To keep the peace six months. 1. Magistrate. Do. Dismissed the town. 1. Sheriff-sub. Assault. Tried at Jedburgh. 6 months imp I. Do. Theft. Thirty days imprisonment. 2. Magistrate. Rioting. Fine 15s. each. 2. Do. Do. Tliirty days imprisonment ea»:h. 1. Sheriff-sub. Vending forged notes. Admitted to bail. I83;i. 1. Sheriff-sub. Child murder. Tried at Jedburgh. 9 months imp. 1. Do. Debt. 1. Do. Assault. Forty days imprisonment. 1. Do. Debt. I. Do. Meditatio fuga;. o Do. Stealing nails. Sixty days imprisonment. ON THE COUNTY OF V££BLES« 183 Sheriff-sub. Do. Magistrate. Sheriff-sub. Do. Do. Magistrate. Justices. Sheriff-sub. Do. •}: Magistrate. Sheriff-sub. Justices. Sheriff-sub. Do. Stealing nails. Debt. Disorderly behaviour. Theft* • . Cutting down young trees. Stealing clothes. Breaking down young trees. Poaching. Assault. Child murder. Contempt of court. Child murder. Poaching. Theft. Do. Not proven. Two days imprisonment. Thirty days imprisonment. Twenty days imprisonment. Four days imprisonment each. Fine ds. and 2 days imprisonment. Fine L. d, Ss. or two months imp. Fine L.], 10s. and L.l, 18s. expen. No proof. Two days imprisonment. Admitted to bail. Fine L. 3, Ss. Forty days imprisonment. Not proven. A' fuller detail might have been given of the commitments to prison, but on referring to the gaoler's book, I found so much uni- formity, that a return for two years appeared quite sufficient The commitments of vagrants for one night have been omitted, as they are frequently lodged in prison rather from humanity than from any desire to punish them. The more aggravated crimes are little known, and there has been only one execution for very many years, and I am not aware that the criminal was a native of Tweeddale. To the credit of the inhabitants of the four pastoral and agricul- tural counties of Peebles, Selkirk, Berwick, and Roxburgh, which form the southern circuit, it may be stated that no circuit furnishes a smaller criminal calendar. Table IV. — Ecclesiastical Estate. I Stipend. G i u < lebc. Families at- tending £s- tab. church' Communi- cants. Dissenters. Chalders oat-meal & barley* 1 i Families. Individu- als. Peebles, 17| 40 L.24 232 674 681 1 Innerleithen, 15 12 20 264 few few Traquair, 17 12 20 81 200 22 127t Tweedsmuir, 11 60 lU 15 49 120 2 Drummelzier, Hi o§ I2i 10 42 100 Broughton, ^ l4 21 42 124 300 4 20 Glenholm, > 6 18 Kilbuchoi ) 6 Skirling, 14 24 72 53 160 11 44 Manner, 3 113 30 37 30 65 3811 Stobo, 01 150 21 31 76 154 9 34* • Kirkurd, Oft 150 19 30 50 160 7 27» Newlands, 15 14 42 250 20 Eddlestone, 10| 96 28 30 212 100 Linton, 15 14 20 174 Lyne & Megget, 149 18i 25 18 50 8 * In equal quantities, calculated at hiffhest fiar prices. + 5 Roman Catholics, and 7 Episcop^ians. $ And 30 Ronum Catholics. $ 10 bolls of oat-meal are allowed to the ministers of Drummelzier and Stobo as the rent of the glebe of a suppressed parish. II And2 Rom. Catholics, 7 Episcop. \ Of this L. 12, 13s. are paid by Exchequer. ** AUow 4 Individ, to a fiunily, the number of Dissent, families in Stobo will be 9. "W Of this sum L. 80 are also paid by the Exchequer. Xi Allow 4 Individ, to a family, the No. of dissent, fiunilies in Kirkurd will be 7. 184 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. Table V. — Education — Poor. So, of SchooU Peebles, . 8 Innerleitheiii 1 Traquair, . 1 Twe«dsinuir, 1 Drummelaer, 1 Broughton, Glenholni: KUbucho, Skirling, . Manner, . Stobo, . Kirkurd, NewUnds, Eddlestone, Linton» inert i i, f 1 . )1 Lyne and > Meggct, { o.Si Parochial schoolma*:. ter's emolu- ments. Poor. 491 100 78 83 28 60 80 50 60 30 46 40 170 70 100 27 t U 38 L.d5* 84 841 82 82 32 82 82 84 SOJ 82 84 94 84 34 25 7 S<2 I 40 25 12 10 20 12 15 26 14 11 12 13 42 85 12 48 18 18 1 1 8 5 4 10 6 82t 15 25t none; -I M II L.272 L.02 101 109 17 42 20 40 65 40 119 64 118 2 5s. 21 18 10 10 24 11 8 12 5i L.I80 14 20 22 24 a 2 68. 80 77 i 1-^ . 60 00 88 L.700IL.25 0jL.]« .8 186 2 11 164 645 229 9 Q\ • These are the emoluments only of the teacher of the English aehool ; the grmmmar ■efaool- nuister's are not here noticed. ■{' These two numbers include occasional as well as regular paupers* J No returns. N, B, — Under the head of parochial expenditure is included not only the support of the poor^ hut also the salaries of the sessionjpres^ hytery^ and synod clerks^ — the beadle^ and frequently the precentor. When the expenditure seems to exceed the annual income^ it may he necessary to mention that the deficiency is made up^ as in the parishes of Stobo J Kirkurdf and some others^ by the liberality of the principal heritors^ though no formal record is entered. In the parish of Man- ner^ the deficiency is made up by drawing from the kirk^sessionfmds lodged in the banhy — a very questionable mode of supporting the poor. INDEX. Agrirulture and rural economy, 15, 31, 47, 60, 74, 90, 118, 124, 130, 138, ' 149, 159, 169, 178, 181 Alexander III. residence of, at Peebles, 4 AnHquiHea, 9, 30, 62, 73, 87, 114, 123, 129, 137, 147, 157, 168 Badlieu, ruins of, 62 Bede*s well, 82 Dennet, Rev. John, member of the As- sembly of 1638, 133 BenvalU biU 121 Biggar water, 79 Binliga bUl, 121 Black Dwarf, prototype of the, 114 Boreland farm, important improvements at, 141 Botany, 40, 61, 72, 84, 98, 157 Braxfield, Lord, 85 Bridges, various, over the Tweed at Peebles, 17 — atBroughton, 93 — over the Manner, 119— the Megget, 172 Broadlaw hill, 56 Broughton bum, 79 — place, 88 — village, 89 Broughton, Glenholm, and Kilbucho, united parishes of, 78 Caimmuir house, 1*29 Camps, ancient, at Ladyurd, 129 — Bri- tish, at Cademuir, 115— Danish, at Norsbield, 147 — Roman, at L}nie, 168— at Cheaters hill, 1 15 Cardon hUI, 79 Cardrone house, 44 — remains of camp at, 44 Cariops, village of, 158, 162 — collieries, 155 Carlow's Linn, 59 Castlecraig house, 129 — sulfureous spring at, 127 Cattle, see Live- Stock Character and habits of the population,3 1 , 46,74,89, 103, 117, 124, 129, 149, 169 Churches, see Ecclesiastical Statistics Climate, see Meteorology Cockbum, Sir James, of Skirling, 102 Coffins, stone, found at Eddlestone, 147 —at Linton, 158— at Mounthill, 129 — at Rachan, 87 Coins, ancient, found at Kingside. 147 — Roman, found at Greatlaws, 101 Compression of peat, proposed machine for, 53 Core water, the, 59 Cross church at Peebles, ruins of, 8 Culterfell, 79 Dairy husbandry, 139 Dawick house, pUntations at, 121 — pa- rish, suppression of, 121 Dissenters and Dissenting rliapels, 18, 34, 49, 120, 126. 145, 152, 163, 173 PEEBLES. Dollar law, 110 Douglas, General, death of, 110 Drochill Castle, remains of, 137, ICl Dniidical remains at Harestanas, 128 — at Menzion house, 63 — at Sherriff- muir, 123 Drummelzier, parish of, 71— place, ruins of, 73 Dundroich hill, 146 Ecclesiastical statistics, 17, 34, 49, 68, 76, 94, 105, 119, 125, 132, 145, 151, 163, 172, 183 Eddlestone, parish of, 146 — >vater, 2 Education, statistics of, 19, 34, 50, G9, 76, 96, 106, 120, 126, 133, 145, 152, 163, 173, 184 Esk river, 156 — its source, 146 Fairs and markets, 23, 97, 107, 154 Fan bum, the, 39 Fingland burn, the, 39 Flemington burn, the, 135 Flinthill, 121 Frazer of Tweeddale, family of, 7 — and residence of, 64 Frazer, Sir Simon, defeat of the English by, 64 Freestone, see Quarries Fruid water, the, 59 Gameshope bum, 59— >loch, 60 Gcddes, James, birth-place of, 128— well, 60 Geology and mineralogy, 3, 27, 39, 72, 80, 111, 122, 128, 136, 155 Gillies, Peter, apprehension and death of, 102 Glen house, 44 Glendean*s banks, ravine of, 37 Granite, stratified, at l^estliope, 27 Gumsdeuch hill, 38 Hagan-hope bum, 135 Hallmyre bog, drainage and improve- ment of, 135 HartfeU hill, 24, 56 Haystonft bum, 2 — plantations on, 13 HeU*s Cleuch bill, 127 Henderland, old churchyard at, 168 Hollows bum, 82 Hollylee houfe, 30 Holms water, 79 Howe, the animal painter, birth-place of, 102 Husbandry, systems of, 13, 91, 125, 131 Inns and alehouses, and their effects, 22, 34, 52, 70, 97, 103, 154 Inneileithen, parish of, 24 — mineral springs, 26— tillage, 31 Irrigated meadows at Kirkurd, 131 at Boreland, 142 James IV. tradition regarding, 86 Kailzie house, 44 N 2 SELKIRKSHIRE. Topographical appearance^ Climate^ Sfc, — The parish is com- pletely of a hilly character ; but, from being all very elevated, the different peaks have not that marked appearance they otherwise would have. The most remarkable lie between the Ettrick and Tweed. Of these the Three Brethren Cairn is 1978 feet, and the Peat Law 1964, above the level of the sea* The mean tem- perature of the atmosphere, as given in the former account, is ^ of Fahrenheit ; the medium height of the barometer 29 ^^^ ; and the mean quantity of rain 31 J inches. The rivers are the Ettrick, Yarrow, and Tweed. Their course through the parish is east- ward. They are of the most romantic character, and their banks beautifully wooded. Selkirk parish presents few features worthy the attention of the geologist The rocks belong to the transition series, and are chief- ly greywacke, greywacke-slate, clay-slate, &c. which are disposed in strata in general pretty highly inclined, and ranging from N. W. to N. E. None of the more rare or useful minerals are to be met with. * The soil is light and dry, and in consequence the crops are early. The whole parish, and all the surrounding district, as already noticed, was in early times one vast forest, of which the only traces now left are a few bare and stunted trees, overhanging the Ettrick and Yarrow; and for a long time there was scarcely the semblance of a wood to be met with. But of late, proprie- tors more alive to their true interests, have manifested considerable care in planting those parts of their estates unfit for pasture or agri- culture ; and there are now, particularly about the Haining and Bowhill, large forests, which in a few years must prove verj' pro-, ductive, and even at present furnish a quantity of annual thinnings. The trees best adapted to the soil seem to be the common pine, birch, and oak. There is no natural wood ; but it is affirmed, that, were the hills left to the free and unfettered operations of nature, forests of spontaneous growth would immediately spring up and cover the face of the country. IT. — Civil History. Historical Events, — The parish, from its contiguity to the borders of the kingdom, was frequently the scene of prcdatorj- incursions, and its inhabitants furnished their quota in many of the most celebrated wars of the Scottish kings. So early as the twelfth centur)', we find • For other particulars relative to the Natural History of this district, sec the Ac- count of Yarrow, p. 90, ci $cq. SELKIRK. 6 SELKIRKSHIRE. ther, and with the utmost audacity set defiance to keepers. It were a benefit to society could some scheme be found efficacious enough to put an end to their depredations, as the present game laws oppose but a feeble check. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. Acres, Land in the parish cultivated, or occasionally in tillage, about - d(XX) Uncultivated, ---- -- -230<) Capable of being cultivated with a profitable application of capital, - In undivided common, - - - - - - Under-wood, all of wliich is planted, about .... 100<1 The average rent of the best arable land is L. 8 per acre Scots, or L.2, 8s. per acre imperial, and of inferior arable land about L.1, 10s. per acre Scots, or L. 1, 4s. per acre imperial. The rental of the pa- rish is L. 8041, exclusive of that of the mill and mill-lands, which is L. 296. Rate of Wages. — For male farm-servants in winter, L. 4 ; for do. in summer, L. 6; for female farm-servants in winter, L.2; for do. in summer, L. 4. General average for country artisans through- out the year, 12s. per week. Breeds of Live Stocky Farm-Buildings^ 8fc. — The sheep are of the white-faced breed, and have lately been much improved by the attention now bestowed on them by farmers. Formerly, the ewes were milked for making cheese, but this is nearly* done away with, they being found more productive when they only suckle their lambs. The farm-buildings are good, with handsome dwelling- houses and offices in excellent repair, and the fields are well en- closed either with stone walls or hedges. Produce. — The gross yearly amount and value of raw produce rais- ed in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, are as follows : — 800 acres of oats, at 30 bushels per acre, at 2s. Od. per bushel, 267 barley, at '24 bushels per acre, at 3s. 9d. per l)u.shel, 13ij wheiit, at 18 bushels per acre, at 7s. per bushel, 5^^(0 turnijjs, at 15 tons, or L. 3, - . - CO potatoes, L. C, IDs. GOO — — in grass, 1st year, at L. 3, 600 . do. 2d do. at L. 1, 10s. ... 2300 — for sheep pasture^ &c. at os. 6d. per acre, L. ]0,G81 15 Few cattle are reared in the parish, and little of the land is used for natural or meadow-hay. The annual thinnings of wood, as yet scarce pay the wages of tlio people employed to cut it down. L. 3:)00 1-201 10 837 1.3 1G20 390 1800 900 632 10 SELKIRK. 7 A pastoral society was some years ago formed, chiefly through the exertions of Lord Napier, for the improvement of the breed of sheep and cattle in the district, and, from the emulation excited amongst farmers, has been of the utmost benefit V. — Parochial Economy. Market — Selkirk is itself a market-town, and the capital of the county. Formerly it was famed for the making of shoes, in which it drove an extensive trade; but this has gradually declined until it has fallen to a level with all others, — there being little encouragement given to trade or enterprise from the severe burgh restrictions in force. Little business is transacted on the market-dav. The standard of bread is regulated by Haddington and Kelso. The an- nual revenue of the town of Selkirk is about L. 1000. Means of Communication. — The means of conmiunication are excellent, and in no part of Scotland can better roads be found. This has been the result of improvements within the last twenty years. The mail-road from Edinburgh to Carlisle passes through the town, in which there is a post-oflice, and a regular delivery of letters twice a-day, except on Sundays, and then only once. There is a stage-coach also daily to and from Edinburgh. The mail-road at present runs along the north bank of the Ettrick, which it crosses about half a mile from the town ; but a new one is now making, which, leading round by Galashiels, will cross the Ettrick a little above its junction with the Tweed, and sweep along the south side of the river. There are four bridges in the parish, one over the Ettrick, and three others over the Yarrow, all in good repair. Ecclesiastical State. — TTie parish church is situate in the town of Selkirk, rather inconveniently for the country part of the population, being within a mile from the eastern, and between five or six from the other extremities of the parish, making it impossible for the peasantry to be 90 regular in attendance on public worship as they otherwise would be. It was built in 1748, and has since been repaired more than once. The last time of its being repaired was in 1829, when it was newly roofed and painted ; and, among other improvements, stoves were introduced, adding much to the comfort of the congrega- tion in winter. It is calculated to contain about 1200 persons. The manse is very good, and was erected in 1806. TTie extent of the glebe is seven acres, and its annual value L.21. The amount of the stipend is 19 chalders, or 221 quarters, 2 bushels, 3 pecks, J Ill • ^ .% -t -^ "^ ^ ¥, PARISH OF SELKIRK. PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOTDALE. THE REV. JOHN CAMPBELL, MINISTER. I. — Topo(;raphy and Natural History. Name^ Boundaries^ §'c. — The name Selkirk, according to Sir James Dalrymple, is derived from two CeMvcyforA^ schelch and ffrech^ signifying the kirk in the wood or forest. Tliis derivation receives considemble support from the fact, that this part of the country was fonnerly covered with wood, and formed a royal chase ; and it has been adopted in the former Statistical Account of this, pa- rish. It is elsewhere asserted that the name is written in old char- ters Seleschirchey* Selechyre^ or Selchire^ menmng i\\e great or good church. From the great irregularities, and the capricious windings of its boimdaries, in which no regard is paid to the natural features of the coimtrj', it is impossible to convey in words any idea of the figure of this parish. It is not even all contiguous, for there are two portions of it in the shire of Roxburgh, — the one on the north, and the other on the south, of the neighbouring parish of Ashkirk. The exent of the principal division, from Cadonlee on the north, to the source of Wollburn on the south, is about seven miles Jind a-half ; and from Easter Kershope on the west, to Whitmoor Loch on the east, about eight miles. Including the two detached parts, and deducting considerably for numerous indentations, the area may be computed in round numbers to be about ten square miles. Tlie princij^l division is bounded on the north by tlie parishes of Gala- shiels and Stow, or rather by the river Tweed, which separates it from them ; on the south, by those of Yarrow and Ashkirk ; on the east, by those of Galashiels, Lillieslcaf, and Ashkirk ; and on the west, by that of Yarrow. • In a charter of William the Lion it is written Selcschirke.— Reglstruni Mo- nartcrii dc Pasficlet, p. 89. Printeil by the Earl of Glasgow for the Maitland Club.— T. SELKIRK. A CONTENTS. KTTRICK, PAGE 59 GALASHIELS, 11 SKLKtRK, ... 1 YAKROW, 29 4- J I 14 SELKiaKSHIRE. the water smoothly glides, and presses it against the bank ; and thus the loose gravel, instead of being hurried away, is upheld by the force of the stream. This expedient is now uniformly adopted as soon as any encroachment is threatened; and by the employment of a few trees that may be worth sixpence a-piece, and the labour of a few minutes, highly improved fields and costly embankments have been saved from incalculable damage. In this country of mountain and flood, circumstances must frequently, and in many places, be similar to those now described : and this will be deemed an apology for the above notice. There are two lakes in this parish ; one of which may be a mile and a-lialf in circumference, deep, full of marl, and well-stocked with perch and pike. It is ornamented on one side with plantations by Sir Walter Scott ; but on the other it is lamentably bare, con- sidering its high and exposed situation, as the name Cauldshiels implies. The other lake, covering about ten or twelve acres, was once partially drained in expectation of marl ; but as none was found, the drains have been suffered to close, and the marshy, reedy surface is again changed to a smooth sheet of water. It is peopled with eels, which always find their way into any pool, whether natu- ral or artificial. This lake is not worthy of notice, were it not for the beauty it is capable of affording, and the great price at which such an ornament must be bought where nature does not supply, it. Tliougli low in its situation, and surrounded with soil highly favourable to the growth of timber, it is yet without a tree for a companion. Zoology. — The rivers here abound in salmon, common trout some- times found in Tweed of the extraordinary weight of 12 lbs., whitling or sea-trout, bull-trout, a coarser variety of the salmon tribe. A stray pike may be met with in the deep pools ; eels everywhere ; minnow, — important to anglers ; and the par, of dubious origin, (certainly never found except where salmon have access), is so abundant, that the least skilful anglers have seldom the mortifica- tion of coming home with an empty basket. The new act for regulating the period of close time in TVeed promises to be advantageous, as its principle is accommodated to the natural history of the salmon. The river was formerly open so early as the 10th of January, when the fishes were slaughtered in great numbers by spearing with torch light; and when they were so little recovered from the effects? of spawning, that the fishermen of this place, having killed a hundred in one night, GALASHIELS* 15 would have been glad to get, for the whole lot, the average price of one shilling a head ; — a prodigious waste of a valuable article of food. The river is not open now till the 15th of February, when the condition of the salmon is generally improved. It is not easy to say at what time the varieties of this tribe come into the rivers, or when they return to the sea. In no month of the year is the river Tweed without some of them. They do not leave the sea only for the purpose of spawning, but to get rid of an in- sect with which they become infested in salt water. This insect quits its hold in the course of two days* exposure to the fresh stream; and hence, as salmon are sometimes taken in this place with the insect adhering to them, their rate of travelling cannot be less than twenty miles per day, — a rapidity that is surprising, considering the force of the current with which they have all the way to con- tend ; for this journey can only be performed when there is a con- siderable flood in the river. Squirrels have appeared, but do not seem to have gained a residence ; which, for the sake of game and singing birds, is Uttle desirable. The otter preys upon salmon and large trout in the rivers. The swan, the eagle, the raven, the starling, the butcher-bird, the ring dottrel, and Bohemian chatterer, are the more rare of the fea- thered tribe which occasionally make their appearance. It is worthy of remark that wood-pigeons, which have increased in number in pro- portion to the increase of plantation, prove destructive to the turnip crop; and that crows have lately learned to relieve the famine of win- ter by feeding on that root. The moor blackbird, too, has of late years become a most troublesome spoiler of the garden. It is nearly of the same size as the singing blackbird, but dingy and tuneless, — a daring thief that comes before the windows and carries oflF a plum nearly as large as itself, shewing by its chatter more of anger than fear when it is disturbed in the work of depre- dation. Currants, gooseberries, cherries, plums, and the finest wall-fruits, are its prey. Finger-and-toe, a disease of the turnip root, and now spreading to an alarming degree, is in all probabiUty to be ascribed to an in- sect; but the subject, so far as I have learned, is not yet investi- gated. There is also a fly which preys upon the leaf of that crop to its great damage, but whose natural history has not yet been ascertained. * The carrot worm is so prevalent in this place that • The insect alluded to is a species of tlic genus Ilaltka^ Stephens,— perhaps the //. nemoTHm, A writer in the Entomological Magazine for July, has related some experi* k 16 SELKIRKSHIRE. little success attends the cultivation of that excellent root. Neither trenching, nor lime, nor salt, nor soot, proves efficacious. The green fly is very destructive to peach trees; and mildew hurts the leaf of the Ribston, and that of several of the finer sorts of apples. Botany. — Woad fisatis tinctoria)^ used as a dye, and teazles, or clothier's brush (DipsacusfuUonum)^ for raising the nap of cloth, have been cultivated here both in gardens and in the fields ; but little is done in that way, as the climate in ordinary seasons is un- favourable. The latter plant occupies the ground for two years ; and if it fails of abundant sunshine in autumn to harden and turn down the spiculae of the seed-pod, which gives it the property of a combing instrument, the crop is in a great measure lost. Almost all the varieties of fir and hard-wood thrive well. The soil is of various qualities ; and planting is now so well understood that there is scarcely an instance of failure. In every case of re- cent plantation there is a mixture of fir and hard-wood ; the latter consisting of ash, elm, oak, beech, sycamore, &c. and as thinning is regularly observed, the most thriving trees are left ; and this ex- perimental process proves infallible, as to the accommodation of trees to the soil. Want of depth is the cause why no very re- markable oaks appear ; there are many fine elms, but the ash and the plane attain to the largest size, and of both very superb speci- mens are to be seen in the finely wooded park of Gala, and also in the estate of Fairnilee. 11. — Civil History. Accounts of the Parish^ Sfc. — In Pennant's Tour, printed in 1772, are many curious and interesting particulars relative to the anti- quities and civil history of this parish. Surveys of all the estates, with plans and measurements, were taken from 1790 to 1800, and are now in the hands of the proprietors. Galashiels was erected into a barony in 1599, according to the precept from Chancery bearing that date, and must have been ments which he was induced to make for the purpose of ascertaining the source from whence this bane of the turnip crops arose, and his investigations led him to the conclu- sion, that the ova of the insect were deposited on the seed, and were attached to it when sown. This conclusion is in consonance with what is known of the unerring instinct of many tribes of insects, which leads them to deposit their ova where the young when hatched may find their appropriate food ; and in the instance of the turnip crops, the same temperature and situation which promotes the germination of the seed, also calls into life the parasitic destroyer of the plant. — Vide Entomol. Mag. i. 364. GALASHIELS. 17 adbout that time a place of some note, as appears from the report by the Lords of Commission for the Plantation of Kirks, dated 1622. The report bears, " that there lived above 400 people in Galashiels ; and so meikle the more as we (the ministers of the adjoining parishes) find ane house already there, well built, comely apparelled, and with small help, as is provided, may easily be made sufficient for the whole people in their most frequent assemblages." The kirk was accordingly transplanted from Lindean to Gala- shiels for this farther reason, as given in the report, that the old vicar's church of Lindean had been abandoned for thirty-six years preceding.* Land-owiiers. — The chief of these are, Jo. Scott, Esq. of Gala; Robert Pringle, Esq. of Clifton, proprietor of Fairnilee, in this pa- rish ; Miss Plummer of Middlestead, liferenter of Lindean, which belongs to this parish ; and Nicol Milne, Esq. of Faldonside. Parochial Registers. — That of births from 1672 to 1690 is ex- tant. But from this latter date till 1714, there is a blank in all the parish records. From 1714 till the present time, the register of births has been kept regularly ; but none of burials or marriages has been kept since 1776, before which time, during a period of thirty years, these were recorded but imperfectly. Antiquities. — Traces of two ancient camps, one on the pro- perty of Nicol Milne, Esq. the other at Rink, on the estate of Fairnilee, and also of a considerable portion of Roman road, are distinctly visible. Modem Buildings. — These are. Gala House, embowered among fine old trees, and the house of Nicol Milne, Esq. of Faldon- side. There are also ten large machinery houses, or cloth fac- tories, of various standing ; — one recently rebuilt, and one entire- ly new. The greatest improvement in buildings is to be found * Perhaps the most ancient notice of the town of Galashiels is to be found in Lord Hailes* Annals, where it is mentioned that the Scots, after the battle of Crichton- dean (Krlthtown) in the reign of David II. 1337, quartered at Galashiels, and that the English crossed the Tweed near to this place ; and the statement is confirmed by tradition. At the distance of a mile from the town, on the way to the most likely place for crossing the Tweed, near to Abbotsford, was a marsli, now cultivated, and long known as the spot where some of the English fell in a skixmish, and which still goes by the name of the Englishmen's Syke ; here also were dug up certain imple- ments of war in the process of draining the ground. And tradition farther says, that the English were taken by surprise in the act of gathering the wild plums with which the environs of the town, till of late years, greatly abounded. Hence the proverbial expression " sour plums," (as they proved to the English), and which was adopted as the sarcastic and triumphant motto to the arms of the baronial burgh. SELKIRK. 11 18 SELKIRKSHIRE. in two new bridges,— one crossing the Tweed, and the other the Ettrick, on the road from Galashiels to Selkirk. The distance from Galashiels to Selkirk is thus reduced from eight and a-half miles to six ; and this saving of the distance will be attended with the saving of men's lives, as many travellers from time to time perished in fording the waters ; and the dreadful loss of life, a century ago, by the sinking of the ferry-boat overladen with pas- sengers, on occasion of a Selkirk fair, is yet so well remembered as to enhance the value of the bridges. Amongst the modem improvements in this parish, ought to be noticed a chain or sus- pension bridge, which was the first bridge of that kind erected in Britain ; and also a wooden bridge, so far as I know, of original construction, having the suspension principle, by which width of span is made compatible with lightness and firmness. This last erection appears to be an ingenious and successful piece of work- manship, the timbers being all so arranged as to act by their ab- solute, and not relative strength. Both of these bridges are de- signed for foot-passengers only, and are of great convenience, being within the precincts of the town, and serving to unite those parts which are disjoined by the Gala. III. — Population. Amount of population in 1622, . 400 in 1791, • 914 in 1811, • 1162 in 1821, . 1546 in 1831, • 1534 The number of persons residing in the town of Gralashiels is 1 130 ; in the country, 404. The number of families in the parish, 301. The number of persons employed in agriculture as occupiers or labourers is 86 ; in manufactures, retail trade, or handicraft, 223; of professional and other educated men, 14 ; of labourers not agri- cultural, 28. There are only five proprietors of land amounting to more than L. 50 of yearly value. Some explanation is requisite upon the fact, that while there has been a large increase of the manufactures of this place, the number of individuals in the parish has of late years continued nearly the same as before. The town of Galashiels contains in whole 2209 inhabitants; but of these 1079 belong to the parish of Melrose : And it is in the Melrose part of the town that the increase of population has kept pace with the progress of manu- GALASHIELS. 19 • factures. In that district, on account of its proximity to the river, and to the machinery houses situated on its banks, the number of inhabitants has risen, within the last ten years, from 651 to 1079; and in both districts it is worthy of remark, that the houses are generally new, being all built or rebuilt, with the exception of not more than two or three, within the remembrance of many of the older inhabitants. The language of the labouring classes is the native Scottish, with a good deal of the accent peculiar to the border districts. But it is gradually improving, from the intercourse of the manufacturers with other places.* IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy, Acres. I.«and in the parish cultivated, or occasionally in tillage, . . 8000 UncultiTated, .... . . 6000 Capable of being cultirated with a profitable application of capital, . In undivided common, ..... Under-wood, natural and planted, . ... 500 ■ There are no considerable plantations without a proper mixture of hard-wood, consisting of oak, ash, elm, beech, sycamore, &c. and the management is regularly attended to, and every where well understood, except that branches are allowed to get too thick be- fore they are amputated. No destruction is suffered from the crowd- ing of trees, and nothing of that barbarous practice, common in some districts, is to be seen, viz. the lopping off of all the branches save one, with the vain intention of giving magnificence to the bole. The rent of arable land runs from L.3 to 10s., and the average Is about L. 1 per acre. The rent of grazing on the average, and for the whole year, is, for an ox or cow, L. 5, for sheep full grown, 6s. 6d. a-head. Rate of Labour. — The rate of labour, summer and winter, is, * Among the usual games of the country, that of curling has lately afforded con- siderable amusement as a summer exercise, being practised with wooden blocks, shaped like a curling stone, on a rink of the ordinary lengtli made of deal, smoothed, and rendered slippery with soap. To diminish the friction, the block is made to slide, not oa its entire base, but on three nobs, equidistant, projecting a few lines, and well rounded. Judging by the hard hits, the glee of the players, with their vociferations of censure or applause, as remarkable in this as in winter curling, it would seem that the artificial method is nowise inferior, except in the fitness of scenery, and the eflTect of wonted associations. The inventor, for such I believe he may be termed, is a Mr Kemp, an ingenious mechanic of this place, and the con- triver of the wooden bridge formerly noticed. 20 SELKIRKSHIRE. for farm-labourers. Is. 6(1., carpenters, 2s. 6d., and masons, 3s. per day, not including victuals. Breeds of Cattle. — As to the breed of cattle, the Tees-water is almost the only one that is encouraged. The sheep are the Cheviot and Leicester, and half-bred. There are none of the black-faced in the parish, except a few on some lawns, where they are kept, owing to a fancy that the mutton is higher flavoured. From the effect of annual competition in the district, every attention is paid to the improvement of the breeds. Husbandry and Produce. — The five-shift husbandry is generally observed ; but near the town, where the rents are high and manure can be bought, the four-shift has been too long practised. Hence the disease called finger-and-toe gets worse in the turnip crops, and red clover proves often an utter failure. On clay lands wheat is sown after fallow ; and on dry lands frequently with success after potatoes ; or it is sown in spring after turnips eaten off* with sheep. Pease, being found a bad substitute for those green crops which require manure and ad- mit of cleaning, are now little cultivated. Bone dust, as yet but par- tially introduced, is found to raise excellent turnips, and promises to be of great service, by eking out the resources of the farm, so as to afford annually, to one-fifth of the ploughed land, an effectual manure ; and hence the poor and lazy pea-crop may be altogether abandoned. The land is in general well-drained : stones are plentiful, and the cuts are three feet, filled nearly to the top. Though there is little to do in the reclaiming of waste lands, a con- tinual expense is incurred in securing, by puts and embankments, what is already in the highest state of culture, along the many and furious-running streams already named. Leases of nineteen years have generally prevailed ; but of late, some farms, where no great improvements are required, have been let for eight or twelve years. The farm-buildings are all respectable, — the fields are generally well-enclosed with hedges, dry-stone dikes, which are not approved of, being as much as possible avoided, — and it cannot be said that any obstruction to agricultural improvement arises either from the want of encouragement on the part of the landlords, or from want of capital and skill on the part of the tenants. The average gross amount and value of raw produce raised year- ly in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows: Two>fifths of land in tillage, viz. 726 acres at L. 6 per acre, . L.4d56 One-fiflh, or 363 acres, turnips and potatoes, at L. 3, 1 5s. - 1361 5 One-iiflh hay at sevenpcnce per stone of 22 lb. and 150 stone to the acre, 1588 2 6 GALASHIELS. 21 One-fifth in gross at 25s. per acre, - . - - L. 453 15 Add for a large portion near the town kept in the four-shift, owing to the abundance of manure, .... 450 Wood of all ages, 503 acres at L. 1 per acre, annual produce, - 503 Gardens and ordiards, ...... 200 Fisheries, (Salmon in Tweed,) being tlic remotest from the sea that are let, - * - - . . . 2000 llie value of cattle being included in the turnip and grass valuation, it remains to value the sheep. 6458 acres for sheep pasture, allowing one and a-holf acre to a sheep without turnips, and the average value of the difTercnt breeds to be at 9s. per head, - . ] 037 8 Total yearly value of raw produce, . - L. 10,869 10 6 Manufactures. — The several branches of these are woollen cloth, stocking and stocking-yarn, white and shoe-leather, and the various articles of machinery used in the woollen factories. But that which chiefly claims notice is the woollen manufacture ; and, in giving a view of this,'it will be quite impossible to limit the ob- servations to what is strictly parochial, jis the line of separation be- tween the Melrose and Galashiels parts of the town being once, no doubt, the channel of the river, is now so obliterated, that part of a house is in one parish, and part in another ; and the factory also may be on one side, and the dwelling-houses of the workers on the other side, of the ideal boundary. Tlie annual consumption of wool amounts to 21,500 stones at 24 lbs. imperial to the stone, of which 21,000 are home-grown, and 500 are foreign, chiefly from Van Diemen's Land. From one- half to two-thirds of the home-grown wool is smeared, whicli, if not done with too nuich tar, is not found objectionable for the manufacture of cloth. Nearly a half of the raw material is manu- factured into yarns, flannels, blankets, shawls, and plaids ; tlie other half, or nearly, is used for narrow cloths, which bring in the market from 20d. to 6s. 6d. per yard ; together with crumb-cloth or carpeting, of grey or mixed colours. By the use of foreign wool, the flannels of this place have risen to a degree of fineness surpas- sing, it has been said by the Board of Trustees, any made in Scot- land, if not even the finest of the Welsh manufacture. Blankets, partly of the Scotch, and partly of the English mode of manufac- ture, are extensively produced from the white or unlaid wool of this country ; and blanket-shawls of many colours, and so full of com- fort as to make a bad day desirable, have of late been in great de- mand ; and the gleam of fashion, like a May sun, has given a new stir to the working l)ees of this town. The shawls are accommo- 22 SELKIRKSHIRE. dated to all dimensions of person or of purse, being from 3s. to 30s. a-piece. A new manufacture called Indiana for ladies' gowns, price 8s. or 9s. a yard, has lately been tried ; but time is wanting to prove its success. There can be no want of success from ina- bility to spin a fine thread, as I have seen a specimen of yam so delicately drawn, that the eye would doubt whether the substance were still in the state of carded wool ; and being told the less in- telligible amount of spindles and slips, I thought it more convenient to reduce the quantities to lineal measure ; the result of which was, that a pound of wool yielded a thread of more than thirty- seven miles in length. Attempts have not been wanting to pro- duce broad cloths of the finest quality ; but these have hitherto been but scantily supplied. The structure of the machinery, and the education of the operatives, must undergo a gradual change before the finer cloths can become the staple conunodity of this place ; but neither is there ground for the apprehension that the industrious may want employment, should the consumer want a more costly apparel, there being here no want of enterprise, or of success in the adaptation of machinery to the production of such articles as suit the wants or the taste of the public The progress which this branch of manufacture has made, and is still making, may be known by comparing the quantities of raw material consumed at different periods. According to the fonner Statistical Account, there were used in the year 1774 only 722 stones of wool by the clothiers, and scarcely as much more, it is added, could be manufactured by private persons ; while in the year 1790, 243 packs of wool (each pack containing 12 st of 24 lb. English) were purchased by the manufacturers ; besides which, they received from different quarters wool, yarn, and weaved cloth, to a consider- able amount, to be dyed and dressed for private use or for sale. Thus, in 1790, the quantity used by the clothiers was 2916 stones ; whereas the consumption during the current year 1832, as above stated, amounts to 21,500. At the time of the former Statistical Account, 241 women were constantly employed in spinning wool ; there were besides occasional spinsters ; and three machines, hav- ing each thirty or thirty-six spindles, were employed two or three days in the week. At present there are no females engaged in spinning wool, and no such thing as a human hand occupied in drawing only a single thread. Some of the machines spin up- wards of 200 threads at once ; the total spindles are 5336, of which 4352 are driven by water, and the remaining 984 by the GALASHIELS. 23 hand. In the former statement the looms were 43^ now they amoimt to 132; but considering the number that are not employed in blanketing, or other cloth of greater breadth than that woven at the former period, the looms now in use are equal to 187 of the old. The following is an average list of the operatives now employed ; their hours of working ; and the remuneration of their labours. 16 men (slubbers) and 80 children engaged by the yev> and working 11 hours per day, receive per annum, - - L. 1387 4 The children receive 6d. a-day. lliey are from 8 to 14 years of age. 20 to 36 spinners paid by the piece ;— time in their own hands, 1092 8 100 weavers paid as above, and time their own, - - 2600 60 dyers and dressers, 10 hours a-day, ... 1560 46 women sorting wool and yam, ... 520 It is probable that with the improvements of machinery, this branch of manufacture, which owes so much to that' cause already, will be farther extended. The Honourable Board of Trustees, by oflFering annual premiums for the best cloths at a given price, and by encouraging the judicious outlay of capital on the enlarge- ment and improvement of machinery, contribute greatly to that extension. It may be remarked, that children earning 3s. a-week, instead of proving a burden, are a help to their parents ; and that in general, though employed at the early age of from eight to fourteen years, their education is not neglected. It is the practice of parents, whilst some of their children are employed in the machinery houses, to have others at school ; and so to arrange, that periods of labour alternate with those of learning ; and thus, as funds are provided by the children themselves, they are much better educated than those of many other places where the poor have fewer resources. By the habits of industry, too, which they early acquire, they are much more qualified for future service, or the duties of active life, than such as spend their early years in idleness. It is evident from their appearance that they enjoy excellent health, and that they are happy at their light though constant work. There can be no training of the volatile minds of youth equal to that which is maintained at the factories : and it may be observed, that the profits arising from a water-wheel are not to be estimated by the quantity of human labour, for which the wheel is a substitute, but by the steadiness of application which it exacts of all the hands co-operating with its own movements. No time may be lost ; a moment's inattention is detected ; the diligence acquired 24 SELKIRKSHIRE. early becomes a habit ; and the same exactness is requisite in all departments occupied by old or young. The effect is not con- fined to the factories, but goes with the same persons into all their other avocations ; and hence, in no small degree, the industry, sobriety, and consequent advantages, which distinguish the popu* lation of this place. V. — Parochial Economy. Markets^ Src, — The town of Galashiels is a burgh of barony, governed by a residing magistrate or bailie. Its markets have fallen into disuse, and its annual fairs are but thinly attended. The nearest markets are those of Melrose, five miles distant, and of Selkirk, six. The means of communication, in all direc- tions, are highly favourable. There is but one post-ofiice, and the letters are distributed daily through the town by the post- master, free of charges. The new line of road for the Carlisle mail passing through Galashiels is now opened, and several coaches to and from Edinburgh pass daily. Tliere are numerous carriers to all the towns and country places around, and the roads are every where excellent. A ton and a-half of coal are sometimes brought by a single cart; and twenty-five or twenty-six cwt, are no uncommon load. There is no want of bridges in any part of the parish. Of turnpike road there are five miles ; of statute labour, fourteen. A rail-road has been surveyed, designed to communicate with that of Dalkeith, and subscriptions were obtained to nearly the requisite amount ; but the scheme is abandoned for the pre- sent. Ecclesiastical State, — The church, built in 1813 in the semigothic style, terminated with a square tower, is in the best state of repair. It is central as to the population, but not as to the breadth of the parish, being about 200 yards from one extremity, and six miles from the other. It was built to hold between 800 and 900 ; but by the help of benches along the areas, it accommodates about 1000 hearers. It may be explained that this inconvenient seating, and the want of room that is still to be regretted, arise from this, that the church was built answerable to the population of the parish, but that half of the town of Galashiels belongs to the parish of Mel- rose, of which the church is distant upwards of four miles. The manse, built twenty-three years ago, is an excellent house. Tlie stipend consists of 15 chalders of the old Linhthgow measure, or 174 quarters, 6 bushels, | gallon imperial, one-half meal, the GALASHIELS. 25 Other lialf barley, according to the highest fiars of the county, and amounts on the average of the last seven years to L.242, lis. 9|d. But by a strange inconsistency as to this and some other counties, only one average is taken in striking the fiars ; and nodnisters have not the means of ascertaining, and, consequently, are prevented from drawing, the amount of stipend as decreed by the court of teinds. The allowance for communion elements is L. 8, 6s. 8d. The glebe consists of somewhat less than 6 acres of good land, contiguous to the manse; and there "are paid by the proprietor of Lindean aiid Bridgeheuch, 9 bolls, 3 firlots of barley, Linlithgow measure, or 7 Quarters, 3 pecks, I gallon im- perial, as annual rent of glebe lands lying within that property. The number of families in the parish that attend the EstabUshed Church is 184 ; but there are twenty-nine families attached to no place of worship, and the remainder are Dissenters. The number of communicants at the Established Church is now upwards of 600. There are three Dissenting chapels, attended by, 88 fami- lies ; one belonging to the United Associate Synod, one Baptist, and one Independent. The stipulated salary of the first is L. 100 per annum, paid by seat rents, and the contributions of the hearers ; but, so far as I know, the ministers of the other two receive no re- muneration for their labour. A Bible and Missionary Society has for some years been established, and it is supported by the contributions of Seceders, as well as of persons belonging to the Establishment Its pro- ceeds may be taken at L. 12 or L. 15 per annum. When Cha- rity sermons are preached, not annually, but occasionally, and for a specific object, the amount of collection is from L. 15 to L. 20. Education. — There are five schools in the parish; whereof one is parochial, with a salary of L. 30, and fees to the amount of about L. 60 per annum, besides the legal accommodations ; one subscription, with no other benefit than that of school fees and a free school-room; one private, and depending solely on fees ; two in the country parts of the parish, of which the one has a salary of L. 8, and the other of L. 2. Of the one salary of L. 8, L. 6 are said to be part of the old parish salary of Lindean, and the L.2 to each were granted by the heritors when the pa- rochial salary came to be augmented by the present act. In the parochial school, long celebrated as an academy, every branch taught in the best seminaries is conducted in the most approved 26 SELKIRKSHIRE. manner. School fees run from 2s. 6iL to 5s. per quarter. It may be added, that there is no want of schools in the parish. Libraries^ §*c. — There are two subscription libraries ; one of con- siderable extent, instituted in 1797, and containing 1600 volumes; the other, as yet small, but well selected, and of excellent use, be- longing to the Sabbath school, which has long been conducted by the Secession minister of this place. There is one public read- ing-room in the town ; and a small printing-office, for no larger publications than hand-bills and advertisements. Savings Banky 8fc. — One of these was established in 1815, but as it belongs to the district including part of several surrounding parishes, no notice strictly parochial can be given. As the main thing, however, is to trace the fluctuations or the progress of such institutions, the following tabular statement may not be uninte- resting. Balance due to Uie depoaton at ihe end of the same years. 1815, - - L.150 1818, - - 279 1820, - - d25 1823, - - 560 1826, - - 776 1829, - - 715 1831, - - 707 A friendly society was established in 1802. The greatest num- ber of members at any period was 270 ; at present they are redu- ced to 200. The quarterly payment in support of the funds is Is., and the relief afforded has varied from 3s. to 5s. per week. At this time 3s. are allowed to the sick, and only 2s. to such as receive a permanent supply. The society is for the district Only seventy of the members are of this parish. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving aid as enrolled poor is 19 ; the number receiving in- terim supply, 6. Both of these receive from assessments. The average allowance to each of the enrolled poor is 6s. 6d. per month ; but of those receiving interim supply the average allowance can- not be stated. There are church collections besides, which, with occasional donations, may amount to L. 25 per annum. Of this fund weekly distributions are made for the relief of those who suffer from sickness or other distress, and are not on the list of the enrolled poor. There can be no doubt that the assessments have had the effect, both of diminishing the voluntary contributions, and of overcoming the natural reluctance on the part of the poor 3 In 1815 the deposits were L.192 1818, . - 77 1820, - - 148 1823, - - 278 1826, - - 355 1829, - - 228 1831, . • 299 GALASHIELS. 27 to apply for parochial relief. Yet there are still some examples of a virtuous struggle with want ; and these it is the business of charity to encourage and sustain ; as it is always found that the spirit of independence dies the moment that legal assessment comes to its aid. Inns. — Of inns and alehouses there are no less than nine in the parish, exclusive of the like proportion in the Melrose half of the town, as well as of spirit shops abounding in both districts ; and the evil has recently been aggravated, by granting to toll-keepers the license of retailing spirits, — a practice which, the more it is vindicated by the increase of toll revenue, the more it ought to be reprobated for the demoralization which it creates. FueL — Of fuel, coal is almost the only sort in use. Wood is sold in the neighbouring plantations from 2s. to 6s. a cart ; but, with the additional expence of carriage and chopping, it is found to be dearer than coal. The turnip husbandry has put an end to the preparing of peat in sununer. Coal is brought from Mid- dleton, a distance of twenty-four miles on an average, to the parish; and sells from 9d. to Is. per cwt A large depot has lately been established, which, it is hoped, will have the effect of equalizing the cost throughout the year, and of supplying the poor with small quantities at the common price; whereas they have hitherto been paying twenty-five per cent, above the rate of the market. VI. — Miscellaneous Observations. Besides the differences before noticed, betwixt the present state of the parish, and that when the former Statistical Account was written, it may be here observed, that the American slubbing-ma- chine recently introduced into this parish, and the first, I believe, in this country, gives everj promise of success. Made only from drawings and partial models, it already works well ; and the in- genious constructors have sanguine, and not unreasonable expec- tation, that the same principle will soon be applied to the spinning department. It may be added, that, besides the greater use of water power, there are now four steam-engines at work, — one for grinding tanners' bark, and the others for the manufacture of ma- chinery ; and that this power has been rendered available in con- sequence of the improved state of the roads, which has lowered the price of coal. At the former period, the distance of the nearest post-ofiice (five miles,) was the subject of great complaint; 28 SELKIRKSHIRE. now the mail, to and from London, passes through the town every day. The want of capital obliged the clothiers at the former pe- riod to sell their goods, at whatever price, as soon as manufactured ; now they are wont to lay in a stock of the raw material at the fittest season ; and to make half-yearly or quarterly visits to all parts of the country, when they take in fresh orders, and receive payment of cloths deUvered at former periods. Though roads are in the highest state of perfection, so far as a good line and the Macadam mode of construction are concerned, yet there is no doubt that a great benefit would arise to this place from the adoption of rail, instead of conmion roads. For the greatest barrier to the industry and fertility of the district is its great distance from coal and lime, and the principal market ; all of which would be brought nearer by a rail-road. The value of land would then quickly be doubled ; and all the branches of in- dustry, receiving a new stimulus from this improvement, the most economical in the end, would commence a rapid growth. September 1830. PARISH OF YARROW. PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOTDALE. THE REV. ROBERT RUSSELL, D. D. MINISTER.* I. — Topography and Natural History. Name^ Boundaries^ 8fc. — The ancient name of the parish was St Mary's. In some old records, it is called the Kirk of St Mary of the Lowes, (de lacubus,) the expletive being derived from its vicinity to two considerable lakes. There was formerly a chapel at Deuchar, (Du-choire, t. e. a small valley, — characteristic of its site,) and ano- ther at Kirkhope, to which the N. E. and S. E. districts of the present parish were attached. They appear, however, instead of being separate establishments, to have been subordinate to the mother church of St Mary. In the year 1640, the place of wor- ship was changed to the banks of the Yarrow, which henceforth imparted its name to the parish. This appellation has a common etymology with that of several other streams in the kingdom — Garw, in the British, Garhh in the Gaelic, and Garow in the Cornish, signifying what is rough ; and being highly descriptive of the river, whether of its rocky bed, or rapid flow. In the foundation charter of Selkirk Abbey, by King Da\'id in the twelfth centurj-, the original term is translated Gania, which was afterwards soften- ed into Zarof Yharrow, and Yara, before assuming its present form. This parish is perhaps the most extended in the south of Scot- land. Its greatest length is eighteen, and breadth sixteen miles, with an area of 111 square miles. The figure is very irregular, and some parts of it are almost isolated, for which no other reason can be assigned, than that they formerly belonged to the royal forest. It is bounded on the N. by Traquair, Inverleithen, and • This account has been drawn up by Mr James Russell, A. M. Preacher of the Gospel. 30 SELKIRK8HIBB. Stow ; on the E. by Selkirk and Ashkirk ; on the S. by Roberton and Ettrick ; and on the W. by Me^at, Manor, and Peebles. Topographical apptaranceg. — This high tract, approximating the great central range, embraces in part three principal mountain chains. Their general direction is from W. S. W. to E. N. E. As the Ettrick and Yarrow run nearly parallel in their course, the se- condary valleys are small ; but where the Yarrow and Tweed diverge, the country is drained by longer and larger streams. Excepting a considerable table-land to the south, the hills are generally ridge- shaped and rounded on the tops, having acclivities of from 1 0° to 30°. There are two features characteristic of the whole. The valleys are so formed, that a projecting ridge on one side finds a corresponding recess in the other. In these lateral branches, too, the W, and S. W. sides are always steeper and barer than the opposite, insomuch that the fundamental strata of rocks are often prominent, or the surface is covered with stones, from which the soil is entirely wash- ed away. Our forefathers easily accounted for this general ap- pearance, by supposing that the sweep of the deluge came from the S. W., a point of the compass whence the greater part of our wind and rain was still seen to proceed. We subjoin from Ains- lie's map a table of different elevations above sea level, but the accuracy of his estimates has been doubted. Blackhouse Heights, 2370 feet ; Minchmoor, 2280 ; Hangingshaw Law, 1980 : Shaws Hill, 1212 ; Yarrow Lochs, 560 ; Deuchar Bridge, 458 ; and Ettrick Bridge, 440. Tlie scenerj', which is chiefly of a pastoral character, is not unfrequently picturesque. Meteorologif. — As the welfare of the flocks, and the successful labours of the field depend much on the condition of the atmo- sphere, we shall now state such facts regarding it in this district as have come to our knowledge. The following is an average of six years, from 1826 to 1831, according to a diary of the weather kept by Mr Ballantyne at Tinnis, about 470 feet above the sea. Ba- rometer and thermometer at 8 a. m. and 10 p. M. No-n fa.n h« it.,. .Id ihin- • fmi Q9d> K>lnT .r.r.' 154 Sllu» sr Mean H«. o! | Spring, 30° 5TI3 50=81 36°89 ce ^6 t. *-■=■ '■ '■'• 2;} 30 40 - •ii 0-2 173 30 29.57 Win'J^"' Mc^it. A register has also been kept by Mr Alexander Laidlaw, at Bowerhope, on the south side of St Mary's Loch, elevation 560 YARROW. 31 feet It gives the yearly average from 1821 to 1831 inclusive, as follows : — No. of days the wind blows from each point. Fall days. 154 Rain. Snow Mean of Barum. W. 71 N.W. d5 N. 15 N. E £. 22 40 Sa tf S« 101 16 28 169 42 29.44 On the 26th February 1808, the barometer stood as high as 30.80, and on 25th December 1821, it fell to 27.80, indicating a range of three inches ; but in general the annual variation is only two inches. It appears that the prevailing winds are S. W. and W., and that our greatest rains are in August, September, and October. There has also been kept at Bowerhope a register of the first appearance of flowering of several of the deepest rooted plants, which makes the frequent difference of seasons, reckoned by this rule, to be eight days, and the greatest a fortnight. Tlie Luminous Arch and the Lunar Ralnboto have been witnessed but two or three times within the last thirty years. The Polar Lights are still often visible. At present, they very seldom pass or even reach the zenith ; but about half a century ago they seem to have been more common, and to have stretched in fantastic groups and sweeping undulations quite to the southern horizon. Prognostics from Atmospheric Phenomena** — For an account of the various prognostics of the weather applicable to this district, and no doubt to many others, we are indebted to one on whose intelli- gence and accuracy we can implicitly rely. First, as to prognostics from atmospheric phenomena. — When there is a copious deposit of dew, and it remains long on the grass; when the fog in the valleys is slowly dissipated by the sun's heat, and lingers on the hills ; when the clouds apparently take a higher station ; and especially when a few cirro-strati appear loose or slightly connected, lying at rest or gently floating along, serene weather may be confidently expected. A change of this settled state is presaged by the wind suddenly rising, by close continuous cirro-strati gathering into an unbroken gloom, and by that variety known as the goat's hair or grey mare's tail. Sometimes a few light fleecy clouds skim rapidly between the superincumbent vapour and the earth's surface, and are the forerunners of snow or rain. Should the cirri not pass away with the immediate fall, but extend towards the horizon, and present their troubled edges towards the zenith, there will be stormy weather for some time. When a modification of the cirro-stratus * It will be observed that the prognostics here enumerated have an extensive ap- plication throughout Scotlandi^-J. 3*^ SELKIRKSHIRE. is formed to leeward, thick in the middle, and wasting at both ends, with its side to the wind like a ship lyiry^to^ it indicates con- tinued wind. After a clear frost, we sometimes see long whitish- coloured streaks of cirrus, whose two extremities seemingly ap- proach each other as they recede from the zenith. This appear- ance is vulgarly called Noah's ark ; and if it point from S. W. to N. E., we expect a thaw from S. W. Small blackish boat-shaped clouds rising in the west, and moving sideways, indicate a gentle thaw, with little or no rain. A short glare of red in the east about sunrising portends a rainy and windy day. When the sky shines from the watery exhalations around the mid-day sun, rain or snow will soon follow ; when it has a green appearance to the E. or N. E., frost and snow. A crimson red in the west after sunset in- dicates fair weather ; a purple red indicates sleet. Atmospheric changes are more likely to happen a few days after new or full moon than in the quarters. The point where she changes, seems to have little influence ; if in the N. W., or N. W. by W., it is often succeeded by boisterous weather. When her horns are sharp and well-defined, we look for frost ; when she is whitish and not very clear, for rain or snow. If the new moon seem to embrace the old, very stormy weather is likely to follow. This has long been a re- ceived opinion amongst our countrymen, as we learn from the old ballad of Sir Patrick Spens, supposed to refer to an early period of Scottish historj. *^ I saw the new moon late yestreen, wi' the auld moon in her arm, And ever alack, my master dear, I fear we suffer harm.** Haloes are seen only when the cirro-strati are slightly but equally diffused over the skv : the sun or moon seems to " wander through the storm," which is at no great distance. One side of the halo is often open or imperfectly formed, owing to the denseness of the vaj>our, and points to the quarter from which the storm is approach- ing. When Parhelia or mock-suns appear, the cloud is more stratified ; hence, though, like haloes, they forebode a change, it is not so immediate. From the rainbow also, we draw prognostics of the weather. Sea-faring men say, " A rainbow in the morn ing<— bailors take warning ; A rainbow at night is the sailors* delight." And shepherds and husbandmen assent to the truth of this old adage. In the former case, (as the arch must be opposite the sun,) it appears in the west, whence our rains generally come; in the latter it irradiates the oast, and indicates that the rain is pas- i>ing from us. Avirora V^oxeaUs is most likely to appear in changc- 4 YAKROW. 33 able weather, and is often followed by a S. W. wind. From the appearance of falling stars, it may be inferred that the equilibrium of the atmosphere, held probably by the agency of electricity, is destroyed. They generally forebode wind; and when many of them are seen, they are faithful, though silent monitors, warning us to prepare, with the earliest dawn, for the coming storm. There is often much lightning in the night both with and without clouds, which announces unsettled weather, especially if it be whitish in colour. If the thunder clouds are low, we may expect heavy showers or continuous rains. A thunder storm from the south is followed by a genial warmth ; from the north by cold and hail. When the wind shifts to the west after rain from S. or S. W., it generally fairs up, or there are but a few showers. Frost and snow from S. W. are the forenmners of bad weather. If the wind turn suddenly from S. W. or S. to N. N. E., while this is ac- companied with a smell resembling that of coal smoke, a severe storm will follow. Sometimes in the month of May, often in June, &C. an undulatory motion may be observed in the air, near the earth's surface. This is the land-tide, called by the peasantry Startling Jack^ which generally takes place when the weather is a little sultry; the weather afterwards becomes colder. A haze or ou- der^ as it is often named, indicates a mild state of the atmosphere, and prognosticates a long continuance of heat and drought. The summer of 1 783 was remarkable for this appearance. It is generally accompanied with a moderate S. W. wind, and sometimes a calm, but it never remains long with a north or east wind. When eva- poration is perceptibly carried on by the sun's heat, we expect cold to succeed. Prognostics from Animals. — The troubles that befal our spe- cies are not without their use in this respect; headach, tooth- ach, rheumatism, pain in corns, and old sprains and sores, being frequent signs of the approaching storm. Before thunder, many have a feeling of listlessness, oppression, and uneasiness. The lower afiimals, but such especially as are still in a state of nature, or exposed in the open fields, are very susceptible of atmospheric changes. Sheep eat greedily before a storm, and sparingly before a thaw. When they leave the high parts of their range, — when they bleat much in the evening, or during the night, we may ex- pect severe weather. Goats seek a place of shelter, while swine carry litter and cover themselves better than ordinary, before a storm. Wind is foretold by the cat scratching a post or wall, — and a thaw, when she washes her face, or when frogs come {xq>\!cv SELKIRK. c 34 SELKIRKSHIRE. their winter concealment. The gathering of grouse into large flocks, the diving of sparrows in dry dust, the fluttering of wild ducks as they flap their wings, the dismal lengthened howl of sea- gulls in an inland place, or around lakes, the mournful note of the curlew, the shrill whew of the plover, the whet-wliet-tchet of the chafiinch perched upon a tree, the crowing of the cock* at unusual times, — all prognosticate rain or snow. When the fieldfare, red- wing, starling, swan, snowfleck, and other birds of passage, arrive soon from the north, it indicates an early and severe winter. WTien gnats bite very keenly, when flies keep near the ground, (shown by swallows that feed upon the wing flying low,) we look for wind and rain. But the most wonderful influence of atmospheric changes is upon those creatures that burrow in the ground. The earth-worm appearing in abundance indicates rain. In like man- ner, the mole seems to feel its approach, as a day or two before he raises more hillocks than usual ; and when after a long severe frost he begins again to work, it will soon become fresh. The effects of electricity are well known both on the atmosphere and on animals ; and the deposition of the aqueous vapours with the relaxing damp near the surface of the earth, which in certain states takes place, may give rise to this increased activity. Additional Prognostics. — Before rain, many plants close their petals and hang down their heads, as the trefoil, mountain-daisy, and chickweed ; a paved floor of clay-slate and cellars become damp ; in lakes and springs the water rises higher, and the efflux is greater. But the barometer excels all these prognostics ; and by combining the observations of both, one may predict the wea- ther with considerable certainty. If it fall a day or two previous- ly, the storm is likely to last ; if shortly, it will neither be so severe nor protracted. A similar rule is applicable to the rise of the barometer. But allowance must be made for the influence of certain winds. With the same quantity of rain or snow, the mer- cury stands highest with a N. E. and E. wind ; then N. and W. and S. W., and S. in order. It stands lowest of all when the wind is N. W. and S. E. The extremes both of heat and cold depress, while a moderate temperature raises it. Thus, after long frost and snow, it generally rises before a thaw. Sometimes it is very low with little rain, or in fair weather. But in this case the equilibrium of the atmosphere is destroyed, and nothing is awant- ing but a sufficiency of aqueous vapour, which may be falling at no very great distance. For example: on January 30th 1814, barometer 28.70, it was mo§\\^* d^vw: \u this district ; but in Inver- YARROW. 35 ness-shire there fell a great quantity of snow. In like manner, when the wind is variable, it often blows hard from opposite points, even in this northern part of our island. Thus, 1st April 1813, was a stormy day in Inverness-shire, and the wind N. E. ; whereas in Selkirkshire, a very severe blast of snow came from S. W. In both places the wind went to N. W. by W. at night. We men- tion these things, to show that there are often secondary causes in operation, and at the time to us unknown, which tend to render our calculations incorrect. The Climate of the parish is damp and cold. This must be ascribed to the mists that rise from the marshy grounds, the vici- nity of the central mountain range, which serves as a nucleus to embody the hovering exhalations, the prevalence of the W. and S. W. winds, and the peculiar exposure of the vallies to those from the E. and N. E. The vicissitudes of the weather are extremely frequent. Of late years, however, the climate has been much ameliorated by draining, and might be still farther improved by plantation. The diseases in some measure connected with it, are catarrh, rheumatism, consumption, and fevers. These are more prevalent in the vale of Ettrick than of Yarrow, owing to the greater extent of marshy and meadow-ground ; but the district is far from being unfavourable to health or longevity. One indivi- dual within the memory of man reached the very advanced period of 106 years; and a number have nearly seen the course of a cen- tury. There is a woman still alive (1833) who remembers the forty-Jive^ when she assisted in putting some cattle and household articles beyond the reach of the Highlanders. Hydrography, Springs. — The greater part of the springs are perennial. Their temperature is in general about 45®. Calcareous springs are found in fifteen different places ; sometimes near each other, and rising in lines. The accumulation of calcareous deposit from one of them, amounting to about forty cart-loads, was once col- lected for agricultural purposes, but, owing to the steepness of the hill, could not easily be removed. There is a sulphureous spring on Craig farm, and another on Catslacknow, which probably flow from a bed of alum-slate. The latter is sometimes resorted to by the peasantry ; but the strength is considerably diluted from its situation in the midst of a marsh, the water of which oozes through. It is called St Philip's Well ; and its dedication to a patron saint, as was usual in Roman Catholic times, would seem to intimate that it had been famed for its medicinal virtues. There are two 30 SELKIRKSHIRE. chalybeates on Bowerbope. Tlie oxide of iron is found in many of the mosses, and seen in the water that flows from them. Lakes. — The principal lake in the parish, or indeed in the south of Scotland, is St Mary's, connected by a stream with a smaller one, which has the pleonastic appellation, Loch of the Lowes (lochs.) The former is seven and a-half miles in circumference, and in some places thirty fathoms deep ; the latter one mile and a-half, and eleven fathoms. Both, to high-water mark, are exclusively the property of the Right Honourable Lord Napier, who has beautified some parts of them by plantation. It is evident that they have originally formed one lake, whose margin extended a considerable way to the N. E. The difference of level is only fifteen inches ; and the narrow neck of land which now separates them has been raised by the opposite currents of the Corsecleugh and Oxcleugh Bums. In the introduction to the Second Canto of " Marmion," there is a graphic description of the surrounding scenery. It partakes not of the rich or romantic, but has a cha- racter of soft repose, — derived from the unbroken sloj)e of the hills, the winding of the water as it washes their base, and the stilly solitude on every side. The margin of the lake is skirted with a few old trees, that serve but to remind us of the ancient forest. At a short distance, too, are the relics of Catholic and feudal times, which harmonize with such a scene, as we trace the vestiges of St Mary's Chapel, with its lone church-yard, — " then gaze on Dryhope's ruined tower, and think on Yarrow's fadecrcep- tibly and materially improved. — £nt. Mag. i. 200. 42 SELKIRKSHIRE. turnip-fly which is now destructive, is a beetle, HaUica ntmortun ; but from its being generally bred on the manure, to bum a little straw over the surface is found an effectual way of killing it. The large and beautiful green caterpillar, dotted with pencils of black spines, of the Emperor-moth, or Satumia spini, ( Phalosed to regard it as a relic of the Romans. Such an intro- d'Jction, however, as hic mcmoricc Is foreign to the Latin idiom ; and hicjaccnt are words, which, if they do occur in a genuine prose antique, {Dim Mavibus Sacrum or D, M, S. being almost universal,) are at least so rare as to justify a suspicion that the stone where they are found is of Christian inscription. Neither does the material, which is unhewn greyxeackc, seem to smack of classical antiquity. The altars, mile- stones, &c. excavated along the line of Adrian's wall, are uniformly of Mondiiotic, and in places where it must have been far transported. For farther details of the antiquities of this parish, see the MS. of this account, preserved among the Archives of the Church. 48 SELKIRKSHIRE. 111. — Population. Ill 11 oH, the amount of population was, according to Dr Webster, 1180 1792, By lost Statistical Account, - - - - 1290 1801, By Census under direction of Parliament, - - 1216 1811, Do. - - 1225 1821, Do. . - 1249 1831, Do. - - 1221 It would appear from the very large average of births registered for the ten years previous to 1700, that the number of inhabitants was then much greater than at present According to well au- thenticated testimony, corroborated by the numerous remains of old houses, a similar statement is applicable to the middle of last centurj', so that in all probability Dr Webster's report was far too low. The depopulation which afterwards began to take place, must doubtless be attributed to the monopoly of farms, the num- ber of cottagers being limited by the necessary purposes of hus- bandry, and the removal of the inhabitants to towns or manufac- turing districts. Of late there has also been a considerable emi- gration to America. But^ notwithstanding, the population has remained nearly stationary for the last forty years, which has been ■ owing chiefly to the compensation arising from two farms having been parcelled out among many small feuars. The yearly average of births * for the last seven years was 33 ; of deaths, 23 ; of marriages, 1 1. Number of inhabitants in villages, 138; in the country, lOSS. Number of resident families of inde- pendent fortune, 1 ; of proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, 1 1 ; of unmarried men (bachelors and widowers) upwards of fifty years of age, 3^3 ; of unmarried women upwards of forty-five, 72 ; of families, 227 ; of children at an average in each family, 5 ; of persons insane, 1 ; slightly fatuous, 3 ; blind, 2. The number of persons employed in agriculture as occupiers or labourers is 169 ; in manufactures, retail trade, and handicraft, 52 ; of professional and other educated men, 5 ; of labourers not agricultural, 71. It may be remarked that the shepherd's plaid is a standing article of dress; but the wide blue bonnets and coarse homespun coats of former times are no lontjer to be seen. • Tlic number of births as stated alwve, is somewhat greater than the average in the parochial registers, as a few annually are not recorded. The number of deaths is the result of the most accurate estimate that can l)c made. YARROW. -19 IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. Acres. Land cultivated or occasionally in tillage, .... 2740 Uncultivated, .... . _ 67800 Capable of cultivation with a profitable application of capital, - 260 Under-wood— natural, 260 ; planted, 3a0, - - - 610 The Scots fir being formerly supposed peculiarly suited to this climate, small clumps of it were planted on many of the farms, but now with their branchless stems and tufted tops, only add to the barenness of the scene. Oak, ash, elm, beech, and plane, are the kinds planted at present where the ground is dry; with alder, birch, larch, spnice, and Scots fir, as nurses. The management, though in some places not very systematic, is allowed to be good. The indigenous wood consists of oak, (cut down periodically for the sale of the bark,) ash, elder, birch, elm, hazel, hawthorn, hag- berry, mountain-ash, &c. The average rent of arable land in the parish is 15s. per acre; of grazing, L.5 per cow; of pasturing, from 4s. 6d. to 5s. per sheep. The rental of the parish may be about L. 12,000. Farm servants with families have, in lieu of maintenance, three loads of meal, the produce of a cow, and a quantity of potatoes ; be- sides which, ploughmen receive on an average L. 9, and shep- herds the keeping of 45 sheep, equivalent generally to L. 18. The yearly wages of female servants vary from L. 5 to L. 7, exclu- sive of their board. Country artisans, as masons, carpenters, and smiths, make per day from 2s. to 2s. 4d. ; common labourers, as roadmen. Is. 8d. From the records of a society, it appears that the average price of wool and sheep in Selkirk county, from 1826 to 1831 inclusive, has been as follows: — Cheviot wool per stone of 24 lb. English, smeared with tar, 10s. 7d. ; do. smeared with turpentine, 14s. 2d.; do. white or unsmeared, 17s. Id.; stock wether hogs unclipt, 12s. 9d. ; stock ewe hogs unclipt, 14s. 2d. ; ewe hogs sold at market, lis. 3d.; top wether lambs, 6s. 6d. ; second ewe and wether lambs, 5s. 3d. ; draft ewes, 12s. 8d. ; wethers un- clipt, 19s. 9d. ; wethers for turnip feeding, 20s. 6d. Breeds of Live Stocky 8^c. — About the end of last century, the black-faced breed of sheep was gradually supplanted by the Cheviot. The experiment commenced on the lower farms, but from attachment to established practice, and an idea that the lambs could not sustain the cold or storms of spring, it was slowly extended, till the rising value and demand for fine wool at length made it general. Of late SELKIRK. D 50 SELKIRKSHIRE. years, however, when former prices were no longer reahzed, the original race has been partially replaced. They are found to thrive best of any on exposed mossy lands, and in stormy seasons are by far the surest stock. There are now 1300 black-faced in the up- land parts of the parish, which are generally crossed with the Che- viot or Leicester breed. On some grassy farms, the Cheviot is in like manner crossed with the Leicester, which suppUes the most valuable lamb for the butcher market. But in this case, when the stock is a stationary one, it is apt to degenerate, as second ewe lambs are bought in annually in place of the draft ewes, so that this sys- tem succeeds best when ^fiying stock (i. e. one changed every year,) is kept, and this can be done only on enclosed farms. Some store- mitsters let their flocks go unsmeared, others use turpentine and different salves, while many retain the old Scottish preference for tarry wool. The lambs are now generally three weeks later in being sold than they were thirty years since. It has been said that they are later in being fit for sale, owing to the less nutritious grasses pro- duced by over-draining and mole-catching. But the circumstance, it would appear, arises chiefly from the market being first supplied with park lambs of finer breed and faster growth, and from the dis- continuance of ewe-milking, which made an early sale matter of necessity. Great attention has lately been paid to the improvement of stock, as far as breeding, pasture, shelter, and shifting are con- ' cerned. The cattle kept for domestic purposes were formerly a coarse kind of the Dutch breed. The Ayrshire breed was afterwards partially introduced, and latterly the principal attention has been directed to the short-horned breed, — a mongrel kind of which is now the prevaihng stock. They are more readily purchased for feeding, and a considerable number is annually reared. The dairy, indeed, has not been better replenished, but this is an object of minor importance. A number of Highland cattle also is grazed on the hills. Where the pastures are coarse, since the complete draining of the bogs, they consume what the sheep would not eat, and must be left to lodge ; and besides, as a new sward soon springs up, provision is at the same time made for keeping more sheep than before. Husbandry and Produce. — The extent of land that had once been cultivated is very great. Many spots, on which are gathered heaps of stones, seem to have been tilled with mattocks, and formed oases in the midst of the forest. The traces of the plough are also vi- sible far up the hill sides, which have returned to their natural state. YARROW. 51 Some waste land has lately been reclaimed, but little more could be done in this way with any profitable application of capital^ owing to the dampness of the climate, and distance from lime. Indeed, in the higher district, much at present under crop might be better laid out in permanent pasture, were it not that the farmer must keep a pair of horses to drive his fuel and hay. The turnip husbandry is pur- sued ; the rotation being the four or five shift. Though in late sea- sons there is a greater luxuriance of straw than grain, the crops in general are sufficiently ripened ; and winter wheat, which is occa- sionally sown, seldom fails to be productive, and of excellent quality. The turnips are often nearly destroyed by the disease cvi^eAfinger^ arid-toe, against which bone dust seems to be the best preventive. Draining has been much practised in our bogs, and perhaps car- ried too far, especially on clay soils. At first, no doubt, it has a considerable effect in improving them, but if the drains are kept open, the ground will, in eight or ten years, be ovemm with Aira ccBspitosa and Agrostidce. It is a common observation, that during the last twenty years the pastures have become much coarser. Va- rious remedies have been resorted to; — in some cases the drains being stopped altogether, and in others allowed to fill up a little before a second, but particularly before a third or fourth cleaning. For real improvement, it accords with the experience of practical farmers to drain closely on mossy bogs, more sparingly on stiff clay, and merely to take off the surface water on thin ground covered wth bent or coarse grass. Irrigation, so much in vogue about the begin- ning of this century, has, like all experiments begim without attend- ing to local circumstances, been nearly laid aside. The Yarrow is too pure for this purpose, leaving the richer particles in the loch whence it flows. The water, when first applied to a meadow, tends greatly to eradicate the^o^, and decompose the half-decayed roots and leaves, and will, therefore, for some time, act as a stimulus with seeming advantage. But when the meadow is annually mowed without an occasional top-dressing, or where there is no extraneous matter in the irrigating stream, the system will in the end pro- duce, as it has done here, comparative or complete exhaustion. Substantial farm-houses with suitable offices are built almost every- where, and the farm-servants accommodated with comfortable cot- tages. Pretty good slate may be obtained in various parts, but no quarries have been regularly wrought. All the arable land, and some of the sheep walks, are enclosed. The duration of the leases on the Duke of Buccleuch*s estate is 52 SELKIRKSHIRK. only nine years. His farms are never advertised, and the occupiers rarely removed ; so that this cannot be considered any great draw- back in a district chiefly pastoral. Some of the other land-owners grant leases of nineteen years. On Lord Napier's property, the rents are paid according to the price of the three leading articles, — wool, top wether lambs, and dnift ewes, — ^having a reference to the sales of a particular fann. There are restrictions, however, in many of the leases, which more than their shortness form an obstacle to improvement. Such is the clause that prohibits moor^iming^ with a view of protecting the game. It is only in its young state that heath is loaded with a profusion of palatable shoots, suited for the feeding of sheep. This is the kind, too, which grouse uniformly prefer in the morning and evening twilight, when they eat with the greatest avidity, requiring the strong bushy parts merely for cover and breeding. Let the old heath then be burnt in successive patches, and the common interest of landlord and tenant would be enhanced by a provision both for the feathered and woolly tribes. In many leases also, there is an obligation to catch the moles. Se- veral of the store-masters and most of the shepherds are opposed to the practice, especially on strong grassy land. Since the long proscription thus instituted, the ground, it is said, has been over- grown with harsher grasses or insipid y»^, and the pining in con- sequence introduced. But the mole, by raising its hillocks, which arc spread either by the sheep or manual labour, and thus supply- ing an annual top-dressing, imparts a richness and variety to the pasture. As the practice of extermination is, to say the least of it, of doubtful utility, the farmer should be left to the exercise of his own self-interest and discretion. Agriculture suffers in some measure from the want of well-timed embanking. More march fences between different farms are requir- ed ; and in some upland places, a few enclosures, with better pas- ture than the rest for such of the stock as are not thriving, would be a decided advantage. So would enclosed clumps of plantation generally, upon the hills ; they would beautify the countrj^ ame- liorate the climate, furnish fuel from their thinnings, and give ad- ditional shelter and value to the sheep-walks. The greatest ob- stacle to improvement is the distance from coal, lime, some kinds of manure, and markets. While too little encouragement has been given by proprietors, the influence of a local institution has been considerable and ex- tensive. The Pastoral Societv of Selkirkshire was established in Y ARROW. 53 1819, under the patronage and through the patriotic exertions of the Right Honourable Lord Napier. It meets yearly ; but in this parish the meetings are only triennial. Besides occasional grants of money from the Highland Society, it has expended considerable sums for bettering the breeds of Cheviot and black-faced sheep, horses, and cattle. Nor have the humble followers of the flock been forgotten, as premiums are also given for dexterity in sheep - shearing. The average gross amount and value of raw produce raised yearly in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : Oats, 7j0 ficres under crop ; 27 imp. bushels per acre ; at 2s. 9d. l>cr bushel, - - . L.2784 7 C Barley, 2j0 acres under ciop; 27 imp. bushels per acre; at 3s. (Kl. per bushel, - _ . . 12U 12 G Cultivated Hay, 500 acres under crop; 1^ stones of 22 lb. each per acre, at 8d. per stone, - -• . 2500 Turnips, 375 acres under crop; at L. 4 per acre, - 1500 Potatoes, 125 acres under crop ; at L. 7 per acre, - 875 Pasture Land, 43,000 sheep at 8s. per head, L. 17,200 205 cows L. 7 do. 1435 176 young cattle, L. 3, 10s. do. G16 125 Highland cattle, L.2 do. 250 19,501 Gardens, - - - - - 8000 Annual thinning and periodical feUing of woods and copse, 100 Total yearly amount of raw produce raised, L. 28>G0(> V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication^ Sfc, — There is no market town in the parish ; and the nearest is Selkirk, nine miles distant from the church. The only villages are Yarrow-Ford and Ettrick-Bridge, which are but small. The roads are excellent, being made and kept in repair by a contribution on the part of the landlords and tenants, levied in lieu of statute-labour. Along each of the rivers Ettrick and Yarrow runs a line of road — two cross roads between them, another leading to Tweedside, besides a small portion in detached corners; which in all extend to a length of thirty-seven miles. There is also a rough tract over Minchmoor, which was long the mail road from the south; it was the route that Montrose took after his defeat at Philiphaugh, and is still the line of march for troops. We have three bridges across the rivers ; one of which being old and ill-constmcted, another is about to be built in its vicinity. Ecclesiastical State. — This parish formerly embraced the pa- 54 SELKIRKSHIRE. rish of Buccleuch, which was annexed to Ettrick, and some farms north of the Tweed, annexed to Innerleithen in 1650 ; the great extent of Yarrow being the principal reason of their disjunction from it. The church is ten miles distant from the extremities of the parish ; but the situation is centrical. It appears to have been built in the year 1640. It was put into a state of very complete repair in 1826, and affords accommodation for 500 persons. The sittings are divided among the heritors according to their valua- tions, and by them among their tenantry. The manse was erected in 1811. It is singular that the glebe lies eight miles to the west; it is on the side of the loch, and is the same that was attached to St Mary's Chapel, no excamb having ever taken place. The original boundaries are forgotten ; but it is altogether hill pasture, and will support sixteen soomes of (i. e. 160) sheep. The an- nual value of the glebe is L. 32, 16s. ; allowance for grass glebe, L. 20 Scots, or L. 1, Ids. 4d. ; communion element money, L. 8^ 6s. 8d. ; and the stipend in victual, sixteen chalders, equal to 186 quarters, 3 bushels, and 1 1 gallon imperial ; or in money, on an average of prices for the last seven years, L.259, 6s. 5jd. The old valued rental of the parish amounts to L. 31,377, 9s. 8d. Scots. The deans of the Chapel Royal are titulars of the teinds, and generally take a grassum for nineteen years. His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch is tacksman, paying a small annual rent. The numbers belonging to the Established Church are, of families 210, and individuals 1161 ; to the Dissenters, families 17, and indivi- duals 60. The average number of communicant^ at the Esta- blished Church is 330, and divine service is generally well attended. Two societies for religious purposes are established. " The Yarrow Parish Bible, Missionary, and Jewish Society," has an annual collection at the church doors, averaging L. 12. There is also a Missionary Society at Redfordgreen ; the members belong to the parishes of Yarrow, Ettrick, and Roberton, and the yearly contributions vary from L. 6 to L. 10. Edttcation and Literature. — The total number of schools is four ; of which two are parochial, and the other two supported by subscription of individuals. Beside the usual branches of instruction, Latin and geometry are occasionally taught. A large and hand- some new school-house was built at Yarrow in 1830. It is now in excellent order. The schoolmaster's house has been long a great re- sort for boarders, to the number frequently of twenty-five ; the board being moderate, and the situation particularly healthy. The paro- YARROW. 55 chial teachers have the legal accommodations, with the maximum of salary between them ; of which h. 31, 6s. 6|d. is allotted to the school at Yarrow, and L. 20 to that at Ettrickbridge ; the fees at the former amounting to about L. 10 per annum ; and to L. 12 at the latter. The general expence of education per annum, may be rated at from 8s. to 12s., exclusive of books and stationary. One of the private schools is particularly necessary to accommodate the families in the uplands of Yarrow, and were well worthy of aid from those proprietors whose estates are contiguous. There are still two points in the parish, Ashiesteel and Redfordgreen, so remote from the existing schools, as to prevent attendance on any of them, — being five miles across the hills from the nearest. The popula- tion around each of these points does not, however, exceed seventy individuals. There is also a Sabbath school at Ettrickbridge. Z»i&rarte«.— A circulating library is established in the parish ; while many of the farmers and others are connected with those in Selkirk. A few years ago, the shepherds had a Debating Society among themselves, which, owing to their distance from one another, has been discontinued. Savings Bank. — A savings bank was established at Selkirk in 1815, of which a branch exists in Yarrow. At present the amount of money belonging to the parish in the treasurer's hands is L. 120 ; and on an average of the last seven years, L. 29 has been annually lodged, and L. 37 withdrawn. The investments are usually made by servants, of whom the greater part are females. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The poor are supported chiefly by legal assessment, that method having been introduced in 1751. Some parts of its progress may be noticed. No. of Paupers. Ann. Assess. 1751, 28 L. 56 1757, 51 90 1800, 60 360 1801, 60 290 Aver, of last seven years, 30 160 The cases of the poor who are maintained at their own houses, are considered twice in the year. The usual allowance for each child is Is. and each aged pauper 2s. 6d. per week. The average of church collections expended in gratuities, education, &c. is L. 10; donations and legacies, L. 4. It appears that, .shortly after the introduction of the poor's rate, the numbers on the list had attained A nn. Allow, to > each. L.2 1 15 6 4 17 5 7 56 SELKIRKSHIRE. their maximum, till the scarce and dear years at the beginning of this century. It appears, too, that pauperism has not made much progress, there being nearly as many persons on the roll, and as much allotted to each (allowing for the difiFerence of the value of money) at first as at present The tendency of the system, however, has been partially felt in relaxing industry, and encouraging improvi- dence, — in loosening the ties of the nearest kindred, and lowering the tone of independence, — and leading to insolence or ingratitude. It is not therefore, from the principle of the system, that no great evil has arisen but from the countervailing checks, — the aversion of farmers to have more cottagers than what are necessary for their hus- bandry, together with the strict economy and surveillance exercised by the managers of the poors* funds. Those on the list are chiefly old women, widows with young helpless famihes, and persons weak in body or intellect. There were several individuals on it lately at the age of 93. Inns. — Three alehouses are kept in the parish, which are abso- lutely necessary for the accommodation of travellers, but somewhat demoralizing within a certain sphere. Fuel — Heath, turf, and wood, are burnt by the peasantry, but in small quantities, for coal and peat are the fuel principally used. Coal is brought from the pits in Mid-Lothian, a distance, on an average, of thirty miles, so that on arriving here, it can- not be rated lower than Is. 3d. a hundredweight. A mode of im- proving peat as fuel, by compression, has lately been introduced bv an ingenious gentleman of this parish, Mr Walter Tod, Langhope. From his experiments it appeared, that, by taking an equal weight of each, this preparation, compared with the best coal, burnt as loner, and gave six degrees more of heat. Compared with the original peat^ it lasted double the time, and raised the thermometer fourteen de- grees higher. By this means, also, fuel can be secured in rainv seasons, and at any leisure time before frost sets in, so that it is to be hoped the improvement will soon become general.* VI. — Miscellaneous Observations. A very considerable change has taken i)lace in ihe husbandry, habits, and household economy of the people in this parish, since " Its importance, however, will be still greater in the arts, especially the melting of metals. The various specimens we have seen arc beautifully black and com- pact, and the ex|>ence of preparation is trifling; but for a description of the process Itself J we must refer to Mr Tod's Prize Essay in Trans, of Highland Society for 1832. YARROW. 57 the date of the last Statistical Account. The Cheviot have super- seded the black-faced sheep ; and, with the breed, the manage- ment has been materially altered. There is no ewe-milking as formerly, and no hog hirsel kept, but the different parts of the stock roam promiscuously and at large. In very severe snow-storms the flocks on the higher grounds used to be removed to the low country of Annandale in quest of food, but now a store of hay is cut from the bogs, and forms ample winter provision for the sheep during any storm ; while stells^ or enclosures for sheep, at the same time, are more numerous and accessible. Within the last forty years, too, the country has been thoroughly drained. Equally great have been the improvements in the agriculture of the parish. The system of having outfleld and infleld was long practised ; the milk ewes and cattle being folded at night, and the ground thus manured for cultivation. Cropping, too, went on till the particular spot was exhausted. But now a better system prevails, the arable and meadow land being enclosed and subdivided, — the two-horse plough used, — turnip husbandry introduced,^ — a regular rotation of cropping followed, — and wheat, so long deemed unsuited to our soil and climate, frequently raised with success. During the same period, however, the principle of non-residence has been largely acted on ; and out of forty-five farms in the parish, twenty are led farms. On many of these were formerly large families, with ser- vants and cottagers, and there are five such lying adjacent, — a state of things the more to be regretted, when its only advantage is a trifling addition of rent, and the saving of outlay on farm buildings. The new houses of the tenants have for the most part been built in better style and situations than the old, which were small thatched cottages, placed generally on some sloping bank, or up some secluded burn, where security was sought in marauding times. The roads also have been greatly improved, and are far more frequented. Besides, all classes are better fed and clad. The dress is no longer of home produce or manufacture. What used to be the luxuries have become the necessaries of life, so that, instead of a single carrier on foot as formerly, a number of carts supply the Yarrow vale with wheaten bread. A solitary newspaper formerly made its passage up the water by slow stages and through many hands, contrasting forcibly with the regular and rapid circulation of periodicals at present. Withal, there has been a striking change in the habits of the peasantry. Local attachments have given way to general knowledge. The 58 SELKIRKSHIRE. legends of superstition are in a great measure forgotten, and its rites forsaken. There is no longer " heard a lilting at the ewes' milking," or " The tales at the farmer's ingle." The minstrel's strains, however, had lingered long after the deeds which they com- memorated were over. In this pastoral district it was that Sir Walter Scott found many of the old ballads whieh had been handed down for ages as a patrimony from sire to son« But, on the pub- lication of his ^' Minstrelsy," the spell that bound them was broken ; and these relics of Border song, thus laid bare to the light of day, have, like the friendly and familiar spirits of Border superstition, on being noticed with pecuUar kindness, entirely disappeared, and that, too, in consequence of the very effort made to preserve them. In this district, too, there existed almost a feudal relation between master and servant; there being instances in which the domestic has grown up and grown grey beneath the same roof ; but now the half- yearly term is too often one of change, and the stipulated service performed with mechanical unconcern. The capabilities of improvement in this parish have been for the most part suggested in the course of the preceding account It may only now be noticed, that there is still room for one or two more bridges and for additional roads, communicating with Tweed-side and along the south bank of the rivers, or at least leading to the farm- houses placed there. And farther, were the parish of Meggat dis- joined from Lyne, the adjacent parts of Ettrick and Yarrow an- nexed to it, and a clergyman regularly to reside, this would prove higlily beneficial to the people of tliat sequestered district, jmd ex- tend the ministrations of an establishment by which, pre-eminently, " the gospel is preachjed to the poor." September 1883. PARISH OF ETTRICK. PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK, SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOTDALE. THE REV. JAMES SMITH, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Namej Sfc. — In a charter of Alexander II. to the monks of Kelso, the Ettrick of Selkirkshire is repeatedly mentioned by the various names of " Ettric and Ethyric." The name is] of doubtful origin. " Eitrigh in Gaelic signifies a furrow or trench. Eithrach in the same language means a wilderness." Again, the Ed of the language of the British Aborigenes signifies a current, and Terig^ mud ; both names being characteristic of this river when its waters are raised * and agitated by the mountain-torrents. In the last Statistical Account, the parish has been described as being at an average ten miles long by ten broad ; but in a late sur- vey published by Oliver and Boyd {1829) its area in square miles has been stated at 68.69 miles or 43,968 imperial acres. It is bounded on the north by the parish of Yarrow, and touched by Meggat in Peebles-shire ; south and west by the Parishes of Moffat and Eskdalemuir in Dumfries-shire ; and on the east, by a part of Yarrow and Roberton* Its surface is hilly and mountainous. The hills are beautifully rounded, and are almost all covered with rich green grass from top to bottom : Two or three indeed are spotted with heath, which only adds by its variety to the beauty of the scenerj. * Mr James Hogg» in his Statistics of Selkirkshire, published in the 18th number of the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, sa^rs, " In old deeds and charters it is first found written Alterick, then Atterick and finally Etterick. Atterick is really as good Gaelic as a borderer could spell. Alterick signifies the rising stream, or stream of the rapid ascent." 60 SELKIRKSHIRE. Ettrick-pen, the highest of these, has been stated (above the level of the sea) at - - - - 2200 feet. Wardlaw, 1986 Old Ettrick hill,* - - - - 1860 Meteorology. — The following is a table of the mean temperature of the atmosphere, as observed at Thirlestane, the seat of Lord Napier, for the four following years, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824. Winter. Spring. Summer. Autumn. Mean. 1821, 36° 42°.3 54<'.3 47<'.3 44<'.9 1822, 36.3 43 56.9 44.9 45.4 1823, 35.3 41 .9 52 46.5 43.7 1824, 35.7 39 52 42.3 42.2 The following is a table of the prevailing winds for the same four years, as observed by Mr Alexander Laidlaw, Bowerhope, on tlie borders of the parish. Directions of the Wijid. W. N. W. N. N. E. E. S. E. S. S. W. 1821, 68 27 7 20 38 17 21 127 1822, 88 20 11 19 40 13 36 112 1823, 81 33 18 11 39 24 31 92 1824, 64 51 14 34 40 9 17 101 The following is also a table of the weather, as kept by the same observing individual for the same four years. Fair. Raiu. Snow. 1821, 160 147 58 1822, 168 163 34 1823, 155 153 57 1824, 168 153 45 Hj/drography. — The Loch of the Lowes spreads itself at the northern boundary of the parish, through which the drain-like stream which forms the Yarrow makes its wav. This lake is far inferior to St Mary's, which is only separated from it by a very narrow neck of land ; St Mary's being about three miles long, half a mile broad, and from twenty-eight to thirty fathoms deep, while the Lowes is only one mile long, a quarter of a mile broad, and about twelve fathoms in depth. The Ettrick, on the south side of a range of hills, called, " the back-bone of the country," rises from among a few rushes between Loch-fell and Capel-fell, two miles above Potburn, said to be the highest farm-house above the level • It is supposed that these elevations of the hills, as taken from the county map, arc .somewhat less than their actual height above the level of the sea. ETTRICK. Gl of the sea in the south of Scotland. It is fed by many a httle rag- ing mountain-torrent. When it is small, and viewed from the top of the hills in a fine sunny day, it is like a thread of silver; but when raised by the storms and the rain, it bids defiance to all its banks, and sweeps over the adjoining haughs with the raging fury of a " mountain sea." After a course of about thirty miles N. E., the Ettrick loses itself in the Tweed, between Sunderland Hall and Abbotsford. Timah^ a small rivulet, rises on the heights between the parishes of Eskdalcmuir and Ettrick, which, after a course of about six miles in nearly a northern direction, falls into the Ettrick at llamsay-cleugh, about a mile below the kirk. Rankle-burn^ another stream, rises also between the parishes of Ettrick and Eskdalemuir. It is celebrated by the song of the maid of Rankle- burn, and by tradition, for being the place where the ancient pro- genitors of the family of Buccleuch first took up their residence : (Satchelh.) After passing in a direction similar to the Timah, it falls into the Ettrick, opposite to the old grey dingy ruins of the tower of Tushielaw. Geology. — The stratification of the range of hills in this dis- trict runs in general from S. W. to N. E. with a variety of dips. The rocks are of the transition series. It is wholly schistose, consisting of greywacke and clay-slate. The hills are therefore of a rounded form, and indicate the formation to which they belong. There are no interesting fossils or minerals found in the country. A piece of antimony glance was picked up in the channel of a little bum near the source of the Ettrick, some time ago, but though considerable search has been made since, no more has yet been found. Iron pyrites has also been collected in the romantic linns of the Ettrick. At Meucra, near the Lochs, a black rock has been sometimes visited by the admirers of nature, which some have pronounced to be glossy alum slate; it has the appearance of bone. Almost every kind of soil is to be met with here. But there is in general a deep moss on the top of the hills. This becomes by mixture of sand or gravel, mossy gravelly soil. There is often again a cold stiff clay on the sides, or near to the bot- tom of the hills ; this again by mixture of sand or gravel, forms a new and difierent kind of bed for the plants and grasses. But the haughs on the sides of the river are in general of a fine a/Zut'/a/ soil, washed from the hills and formed on the banks. The soil, indeed, of whatever kind, is in general good, and would bear crops of wheat. 62 SELKIRKSHIRE. but the climate being cold, damp, and late, we could not expect it to ripen ; therefore no such crop is ever attempted to be raised. Zoology, — It may be noticed under this head, that till of late we have been but little visited by small birds of the singing kind. Now, among the young plantations, we hear the blackbird and the thrush, and a nameless train vieing with their notes to outdo the laverock, the ancient songster of the forest. And we may add that the words of Wordsworth are sometimes no fiction. « The swans on sweet St Mary*8 lake, Float double, swan and shadow.'* Sea-trout and salmon, when the rivers are flooded in the winter season, make an excursion up the Ettrick, the Timah, and Rankle- burn, and they often even find their way into some of the smaller tributaries. But trout, perch, and pike, are the only natural and permanent inhabitants of all our waters. Botany. — Though the country be alpine, we have not discover- ed any rare alpine plants in it Among the long grass interspersed with spretts may be seen the orchis in many of its beautifiil varie- ties ; the meadow cardamine (Cardaminepratensis)j with its lovely lilac petals ; and among marshes, the white Parnassian grass (Par- nassiapalustrisj, and butter plant (Pinguicula vulgaris J. The plants of Eriophorum (Eriophorum vaginatum) or cotton-grass, in the mos- ses or among the black bent, or heath, are like so many little tufts of cotton waving in the breeze, or sparkling in the sun. The luck- en-gowan, (TrolUus EuropcBusJ^ is met with also verj' frequently among the meadow grounds, or the low sloping sides of the hills. And the cloud-berry, (Riibiis chamcemorus)^ is gathered on some of the mountain tops. Tliese are samples of the Flowers of the Forest. The grasses found here, as connected with soil, and with the feeding of the flocks, are more interesting, as they are more useful. Deer-hair, (Scirpus ca^spitosusj, is generally found on a thin mossy soil, mixed with heath ; it is only of service for summer pasture. Stool bent, (Juncus squnrrosus)^ rises where there is a consider- able mixture of sand with the soil ; this is an evergreen, and is preferable to the deer-hair. It has been called " an excellent bait," being a hardy perenniid. White bent, (Nardus stricfaj^ and flying bent, (Aira ccBrnlea)^ are also less valuable, being less durable, living and dying in autumn with the deer-hair, and leav- ing a whiteness on the hills like the decay of winter, and straw- 4 ETTRICK. G3 like rustling leaves, ever borne and wafted by the wind in gusts among the hills. But of the three following, we believe, the shep- herd would say, we could scarcely speak too highly. 1. Eriophorum voffinatum, which in its youngest state is called moss-crops, is greedily pulled up by the sheep ; in a farther advanced state it is called linff or lainff. This, to speak in the words of one who has long observed its advantages, is a very valuable spring pasture ; it is a hardy perennial, and affords a grateful and nourishing food. 2. Sesleria aerulea^ blue moor-grass, or pry, is also a hardy perennial. It resists the severity of the winter. It remains green through the spring months, and is one of the most valuable of all our mountain grasses. 3. Juncus acutiflorusy sprett, is very abundant among the hills. It grows most luxuriantly on a wettish soil. While it serves for pasture, it is chiefly cut for hay, during the autumnal months ; and, while it is very serviceable for the black cattle during the winter, a portion of it is usually kept for the sheep, in case of a " lying storm." * Tlie name Forest, implies that the district was once " the land of trees." But the freebooters and moss-troopers in the time of James IV. cut and destroyed many of them, and even John Mur- ray, the Sheriff of Selkirkshire, who should have protected the rights of his royal master, has his name enrolled among the num- ber of the delinquents. At last, James V. we are told, " showed a disposition to change the forest into what it now is, — a sheep-walk, by stocking a part of it with extensive flocks." There are now but few remains of the ancient forest. An old tree may be seen here and there, and sometimes a few together, to mark both the antiquity, and the natural features of the wood of the country. The kinds of the natural wood must have been very numerous. We have counted between twelve and fourteen in one wide cleugh alone. The prevailing, however, are the ash, the mountain-ash, the birch, the alder, the willow, the thorn, &c. But while the natural wood is dwindling, decaying, and dying, several young plantations are rising, flourishing, and waving among our hills, and all seem to indicate that the forest can yet support and nourish them. IL — Civil History. Eminent Men. — Alexander Cunningham, the historian, was a native of this parish ; and his father, Alexander Cunningham, was * For a list of the different grasses, see the article " Sci.kircsiiirb/' in the Edin- burgh Encyclopa^ia. 64 SELKIRKSHIRE. minister of the parish. He was educated at Selkirk school, and originally destined for the church. During the reign of George I. he was appointed Minister to the State of Venice, and retained his functions from 1715 to 1720. Long after his death his Latin his- tory came into the possession of Dr Hollingberry, Archdeacon of Chichester. The original has not been published, but a spirited translation, executed by William Thomsom, LL,D. made its ap- pearance under the title of " The History of Great Britain from the Revolution in 1688 to the Accession of George the First" Lond. 1787. 2 vols. 4to.* In an old house at Ettrick Hall, about a quarter of a mile from the church, with its gable standing to the road, and a broken win- dow, through which a traveller may peep into the dark damp in- terior, was born and nursed " the Ettrick Shepherd." ** Here first I saw the rising mom ; Here first my infant mind unfurPd, To judge this spot where I was bom The very centre of the world." In this parish the truly patriotic and benevolent Lord Napier has his usual residence. " This nobleman, the descendant of the great Napier," to use the words of a popular writer, " has, for some years past, employed his time and talents, together with much money, in improving the stock on the hills, and introducing into a district, hi- therto bound up in its own natural wildness, all the attributes and amenities proper to the most civilized regions." — " His enthusiasm has been one of benevolence, and from the full half of the beautiful cottiiges he has planted in this wilderness, the prayers of the widow and the orphan nightly ascend to Heaven in his behalf." In this parish rest the remains of the Reverend Thomas Boston, sometime its minister. On his monument, on a white marble ta- blet, is the following inscription : — " As a testimony of esteem for the Reverend Thomas Boston Senior, whose private character was highly respectable ; whose public labours were blessed to many ; and whose valuable writings have contributed much to promote the advancement of vital Christianity, this monument (by the permis- sion of relatives) is erected by a religious and grateful public, A. D. 1806. He was born at Dunse March 17, 1676. Ordained to the pastoral charge of Simprim September 21, 1699; removed • Of this history Dr Thomson s«iys» " Wc shall find reason to pronounce it a jusi and legitimate composition, and perhaps to rank its author in the first class of our his- torians." ETTRICK. 65 from thence to Ettrick, May 1, 1707; and died May 20, 1732, leaving a widow and four children." Land-owners. — The following noblemen and gentlemen are the chief proprietors and land-owners at present. His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, proprietor of Buccleuch Easter and Wester, Anelshope, Crosslee, Deephope, Gair, and Roplaw Shiel. The right Honourable Lord Napier of Thirlstane, Gamescleugh, Scabcleugh, and Craighill. The Reverend T. G. Torry Anderson of Tushielaw and Cacrabank, &c. Parochial Register. — The parish register of Ettrick commences in 1693. The Reverend James M^Mihan stands on the first page surrounded with his twelve elders. Each of these elders had his proper district assigned him, and the religious duties pointed out which he was to perform. One part of the duty was, that " two should watch in their turn on the Sabbath, to see that none with- drew from pubUc worship, and that there might be no disorder about the doors, &c." The records during the ten years of Mr M' Mihan's incumbency are interesting.* Four years after his translation to Hownam, Mr Boston was called to the parish. He has* ranged the births and baptisms by themselves, — has kept a separate portion for proclamations and marriages, — and we have his thickly written quarto — " the book of discipline." The records show he was a dis- ciplinarian indeed, -f- AntiquitieSiSfc. — This parish has been sometimes called the unit- ed parishes of Ettrick and Buccleuch. If we were to take the ex- tent of territory, indeed, belonging to the Buccleuch portion as a reason for entitling it to the name of parish, these lands are together as extensive as the lands of ancient Ettrick ; but, in ^^ a decreet of disjunction of certain lands (viz. the lands of Deepup, Mount com- mon, Gemmelscleuch, Ettrick-side, Anelshope, Buccleuches Easter and Wester, Tushielaw, Cacrabank and the CorsUes,) from the * SomeUiing of the history of the people and the times may be gleaned from the records. At one time we find him with the greatest difficulty obtaining heather, thack^ and divoti, to keep the kirk and manse in repair ; at another he is seen << scraping** for the poor ; and anon making collections for the Bursars,— for the captives of Barbary,— for the harbour of CuUen,— -for the bridges of Lanark and Melrose, — ^fbr the Church of Holland, &c We read also that Tushielaw should buy a mort-cloth with the collec* tion made at the 8acramcnt,^-and " speak for a bcU if it be cheap.'* -f The registration of baptisms is regularly kept, as far we have been able to learn, from 1 693 to 1 711 . But there is a blank between 1711 and 1 725, which we cannot ac- count for ; the baptisms of 1725 being immediately after the baptisms of 171 1 in the same volume. This may be one reason why there has been in a certain quarter, and still is, and may yet be, much fruitless litigation ! ! SELKIRK. £ 6G SELKIRKSHIRE. parish of Yara and annexation of the same to the parish of Ettrick, dated 28th May 1650, we find the following reasons for their dis- union from the one, and for their anneiation to the other; these lands were ^' lyantfar distant from their auin paroch kirk,^ they were therefore annexed to Ettrick " quharunto they ly mair etDestJ* . Buccleuch. — In the lonely vale of Rankle-bum, surrounded by a dense mass of hills, are the two forlorn farm-steadings of the Buccleuchs. A deep ravine, near the road leading from them to Hawick, is pointed out as the place where the buck was slain, and which gave, according to tradition, their name and title to the family of Buccleuch. Let the limping lines of old Satchels carry us thitlier. " Good Lancelot Scot, I think his book be true, Old Rankle-bum is designed Bnccleuch now ; Yet in his book no balls read he. It was buck's cleuch, he read to me ; He told me the name, the place, the spot, Came all by the hunting of the buck. In Scotland no Buccleuch was then. Before the buck in the cleuch was slain.** A small crook, in the steepest part of the cleuch, about half-way between the east-house and the mill-dam-ford, (which is a pool or ford on the Hawick road,) is pointed out as the place where the buck was taken ; but, if Satchels be correct, it was not here the buck was slain, for he says, ** The very place where the buck was slain, He built a stone house, and there he did remain.*' Now the foundations of such a house, as we might conceive it should be, were dug up between three and four years ago, and up- on the spot has been built, within these twelve months past^ the farm-house of Easter Buccleuch. * In the buck's cleuch are the marks of the site of an old mill. " For they built a mill on that same burn. To grind dog's bran, tho' there grew no-corn." Fifty years ago, the walls of this mill were " knee high ;" now they * *^ There are no vestiges of any building at Buccleuch, except the site of a cha- pel, &c." says Sir Walter Scott in his notes to the Lay of the Last Minstrel ; and all the writers we have seen giving a description of this ancient and famed spot, use near- ly the same language. But we arc inclined to think that the family of Buccleuch had once a baronial residence here,** Sec in the Notes to the Lay of the ImsI Min^ strel) an account of this spot written by the person who dug up the foundations. ETTRICK. 67 are only a rude outline, being a very little above the ground, over- grown with moss. About a Scotch mile above the farm-steading, and close on the Rankle-bum, is to be seen the lonely spot on which once stood the noted kirk or chapel of Buccleuch. There is still here to be seen the feeble outline of the old wall, with the kirk-yard dike ; and around the whole is the crumbling form of a stell or fauldj for the sheep on the farm at certain seasons. The marks where houses seem to have stood, are still visible on the bum side. Ttishielaw, — Passing from Buccleuch, we come upon the gray ruins of the tower of Tushielaw, on the side of a hill near the road on the Ettrick, which seem to request a moment's inspection. It is not easy to say whether it is more famous in song, in tradition, or in the realities connected with its history. A powerful family of the name of Scott were once its inhabitants ; and they were not more powerful than famous, as freebooters and moss-troopers. In 1502, " Patrick Turnbull, in Walchope, produced a remission for resetting, supplying, and intercommuning with Archibald and Ninian Armstrangis, and William Scott, son of David Scott of Tushielaw, in their stouthreifs, slaughters, burnings, and other crimes committed by them." And there is a famous tradition that Adam Scott, (probably brother of the said William,) commonly called the King of Thieves, on being taken by King James V. one morning before breakfast, was hung on an ash tree over his own gate ; along the principal branches of which it is said there are still to be seen the nicks and hollows formed by the ropes on which many an unhappy wight had been suspended by the rigorous and power- ful baron.* It is to this noted chief of the border we find granted a " Remission for treasonably breaking prison, and his warde within the castle of Edinburge, apud Edinburge," November 28, 1505. Nearly twenty years after this, (March 25, 1525,) we stumble on * The tradition is undoubtedly incorrect. Adam Scot, called the King of Thieves, was tried, convicted* and beheaded, at Edinburgh, on the 18th May 1530. Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, yol. i. p. 145. The words of the record are as follows • << l5dQ, Mail 18. Adam Scot of Tuschelaw, convicted of art and part of theflously taking black mail from the time of his entry within the castle of Edinburgh, in ward, from John Brown in Hoprow ; and of art and part of theflously taking black mail from Andrew Thorbrand, and William his brother ; and for art and part of thcftously tak- ing of black mail from the poor tenants of Hopecailzow ; and of art and part of thefl- ously taking black mail from the tenants of Eschescheill. Beheaded. Quhaerfor the king caused hang the 18th May WUliam Cockburn of Hcnderlande, and A dame Scott of Tuschelaw, thieves apprehcndlt in Edinburgh, to terrific otheris ; — and they were heidit, and their heidis fixit upon the Tolbuith of Edinburg.** 68 SELKIRKSHIRE. his name among a list of border barons who agreed to assist the Earle of Angus to stanch thift, reiff, slaughter, &c. &c. Thirlstane. — About two miles above Tushielaw stands the old tower of Thirlstane surrounded by a few venerable ash trees. The young springing wood serves as a guard both for the old baronial castle and the lately erected seat of the family of Thirlstane. Gamesclewch. — On the opposite side of the Ettrick is to be seen a pretty distinct outline of the tower of Gamescleuch. In the genea- logy of Scott, &C. in the possession of Lord Napier, it is said : ** John Scott of Thirlestane married a daughter of Scott of Allan- haugh, by whom he had four sons, Robert, his heir, and Simon, called Long-spear, who was tutor of Thirlstane, and built the tower of Gamescleugh. Old Chapels^ 8fc. — Near the farm-house of Kirkhope, (on the Ettrick,) the place of an old kirk steading is still visited ; its site is so covered with grass and moss, however, that its dimensions are barely discernible. Near the farm-house of Chapelhope (on the side of the lakes,) is the place of the steading of another chapel. It is now grown over with moss, but the enclosure and form of the foundations of the chapel are still perfectly distinct. There is yet something like the appearance of the rows of graves ; and not many years back, some " muggers^^ deposited in these romantic and sequestered grounds the remains of one of their dead. There have no coins been dug up in the parish in so far as we know. An old tripod or urn, and two axiform stones, small toward the middle, probably used for the skinning of the red deer, were found some years ago, and are now in the possession of Lord Na- pier. Tlie cane, and what is said to have been the small sword, of Boston, are still preserved in the parish. III. — Population. It appears from tradition, — from the amount of church collec- tions, — from the number of paupers on the roll on the sessional re- cords, — and from the number of small farms, with the farmers and their families residing on them, that the population 140 years ago must have been much greater than at present. The following is the state of the population subsequently. In the year 1755, . . 397 1790, . 470 1801, 445 1811, 440 ETTRICK. 69 In the year 1821, . . 475 1881, . . 580 The average of baptisms for these last four years, viz. from 1829 to 1832, both inclusive, is 18; of marriages, 3; of deaths, 7. The number of families in the parish is 89. The number of persons employed in agriculture is 75 ; in ma- nufactures, retail trade, or handicraft, 24 ; of professional or other educated men, 4 ; of labourers not agricultural, 37. The only re- sident proprietor is Lord Napier. The people speak the dialect of the forest, which is simple and soft in its tones, and, we should think, rather agreeable to the ear of a stranger. They are a reading people, and well-informed on almost every subject We can still trace amongst them the seeds of the gospel as sown here by the venerable Boston. They are quiet and inoffensive, and seem to cultivate all the dispositions which tend to peace and good agreement, to religion and morality. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy — The number of acres in the parish has been stated at 43,968. Of these about 217 are under the plough, and about 163 acres more might be profitably cultiva- ted. Above 270 are planted and beautified with thriving young wood. About 43,086 acres are constantly waste, or in permanent pasture, whereof 120 are meadow. Hard and soft wood alike rejoice in the soil ; and were the lands only protected indeed from the flocks, we could almost believe " that every foot of ground would again spring up in natural wood." There are besides about 2700 acres now enclosed. Of these there are one or more fields of greater or less extent on every farm. The parish consists of twenty-nine farms, there being no com- mon lands now. Of these, nine are only occupied by resident te- nants, the remaining twenty being led farms. Those tenants who do reside amongst us are mostly bachelors, — respectable in the world, — and as wealthy and well-doing as the pressure of these hard past times will admit But the day seems coming when every farm must have its own tenant, with his growing and flourishing young family around him, like the shepherds and shepherdesses of our border legends. Rent ofLand^ 8fc. — The hills and low lands taken together, though in general fertile and productive, as far as the climate will admit, and rich as pasture, yet, owing to the distance from mar- 70 SELKIRKSHIRE. kets, and to the nature and quality of the food required for the flocks, &c. let at an average of from 2s. 6d. to 15s. an acre. A cow can be grazed for 40s. ; an ox for about 45s. ; and a sheep for 5s. through summer and winter ; the grazing of an ox being about nine times the annual grazing of one sheep. Breeds of Live Stocky 8fc. — " From the time of King James," says Mr Hogg in his Statistics of Selkirkshire, " down to the year 1785, the black-faced, or forest breed, had continued to be the sole breed of sheep reared in the district, and happy had it been for the inhabitants had no other been introduced to this day. However, about that period, the fanners in the eastern division of the county began to introduce the Cheviot breed, which, for the space of ten years, continued to creep westward, by slow degrees, till the year 1796, when the demand for Cheviots began to in- crease so rapidly, and still to go on progressively, till it absolutely grew little better than the tulipo-mania that once seized on the Dutch." . Ettrick had soon her complement of this new breed. They first appeared on the farm of Crosslee. Shortly after they were to be seen spreading and feeding on all our pastures ; and in spite of the indignation of the old shepherd at the rash conduct of his young master, the black-faced " ewie wi' the crooket horn" was banished entirely from her native hills. On two or three farms, a few years back, the " old black-faced" had again made their appearance ; but they begin again to de- crease ; for they find they are only welcome where the " white- faced gentry" will not thrive. Notwithstanding the regrets of the " shepherd," therefore, we rather think the Cheviots will continue to be our permanent friends and favourites. The number of sheep, as near as we can guess, may be about 26,000. The cattle here are of inferior concern. The cows are generally short- horned, or of the Ayrshire breed. Highland kyloes are begin- ning to be introduced on two or three farms, to pasture among the flocks on the hills. The practice is most commendable. They feed on the leavings of the sheep. They bring the rough pasture to a hearing for producing a more plentiful crop of pas- ture-grass ; and a double advantage is gained, for a double crop is maintained and obtained, while the whole pasturage on which they feed is enriched, bettered, increased, and prepared for a plentiful revival on the following spring. The whole number of black cattle at Whitsunday (1832,) was 389, and of horses 5a 4 ETTRICK. 71 Produce, — The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish may be as follows : 108 acres oats and barley, at L. 4 per acre, - - L. 432 54 ^— — potatoe and turnip, - - . . . 951 54 — grass, at L. 3 per acre, - - - 1 02 120 meadow, at L. 2, lOs. per acre, ... 300 42966 pasture, - - . - . 1150O L. 12745 PcLstorcd Society. — " To facilitate the improvement of live stock," says Mr Alexander Laidlaw, an observing and intelligent farmer, " the first pastoral society was instituted in 1818, by the enterprizmg exertions, and under the immediate patronage, of Lord Napier. It can now reckon amongst its members the greater part of the landed proprietors of the county, besides a good many patriotic gentlemen of the country. And it has not only been uni- formly supported by every respectable farmer in Selkirkshire, but also by many of that valuable class of men in Peebles, Roxburgh, and Dumfries-shires. This society not only stirs up a spirit of emulation among farmers in general, but serves also as a school where the young farmer will see the real and apparent properties of live stock pointed out by the judges, but also hear the relative advantages and disadvantages of almost every breed fearlessly dis- cussed at the annual general meeting." The society meets an- nually, and generally on the 18th June. The meetings are held at the three following places, viz. one year at Newark, near Sel- kirk ; another at Tinnies, in Yarrow ; and the third at Thirlstune fair grounds, in Ettrick. * V. — Parochial Economy. Markets^ Roads^ Sfc. — The nearest market-town is Moffat, at the distance of sixteen miles. But Selkirk, the county town, about eighteen (miles) from Ettrick Kirk, and Hawick, about the same distance, are the chief marketing places. The post town is Sel- kirk. Letters and newspapers, &c are conveyed twice a week by a regular carrier belonging to the parish ; and there are, be- sides, two from Selkirk, two from Hawick, two from Edinburgh, and one from Galashiels weekly during the summer months. There are about thirty miles of road in the parish on which any car- ♦ As to improvements in this parish, we refer the reader to a volume on this sub- ject by Lord Napier, published in 1822, and entiUed, " A Treatise on Practical Store Farming, as applicable to the mountainous region of Ettrick Forest, and the Pastoral District of Scotland in general." 72 SELKIRKSHIRE. riage may travel. And the trustees, under the unremitting super- intendance of Lord Napier, are still making and mending. " The roads and bridges," says Mr Hogg in his Statistical account of Selkirkshire, " were never put into a complete state of repair till the present Lord Napier settled in the country; and to his perse- verance Ettrick forest is indebted for the excellence of her roads, now laid out and finished in every practicable direction. With an indomitable spirit of perseverance, he has persisted against much obloquy and vituperation, and from none more than the writer of this article. But honour to whom honour is due. Lord Napier has effected wonders; and the late impervious Ettrick forest may com- pare, in the beauty and efficiency of her roads, with any mountain district in the united kingdom." EcclesicLstical State. — The church is in nearly the centre of the parish. Two or three families are distant from it more than six miles, yet some of them are almost as regular in their at- tendance, as the day returns, for public worship. It was re- built (and enlarged) on the same site nine years ago. It is very neatly fitted up within; chaste in its style; commodious and com« fortable. It is seated to contain 450 free sitters. The manse was built within these last twenty years. It is also in good repair, and comfortable. How different from the time when the incumbent could with difficulty obtain divots and heather to thack it and make it habitable ! The glebe contains about twenty-three English acres ; ten of which were lately allowed as pasturage or grass glebe. The whole may be reckoned at about L.20 a-year. The stipend, in 1755, converted to money, was L. 65, 2s. 2d. Immediately prior to the 30th of June 1808, it consisted of L. 105, lis. IJd. in monev, with two chalders of oat-meal and two of barley, together \\ith L. 8, 6s. 8d. as allowance for communion elements fsee Survey of Selkirkshire^ 1829). The present stipend is fifteen chalders, or 174 quarters, 6 bushels, and \ gallon imperial measure, half meal and half barley, with L. 100 Scots, or L.8j 6s. for communion ele- ments. The average yearly amount of stipend converted to mo- ney may be L. 230. The locality (interim) of the parish of Ettrick and Buccleuch commenced with crop and year 1821, and was mo- dified in February 1822. There are no chapels or dissenting meeting-houses amongst us, but there are several Dissenters. There is a family of four of the Relief persuasion. There are above thirty-two united to the Re- formed Presbyterian Synod, the old liyht of which Boston speaks. ETTRICK. 73 who form a part of the congregation of Ettrick and Eskdale. They have sometimes sermon here, though they have no stated minister, house, or place of meeting. There are two score and ten belong- ing to the flock of the United Associate Synod. In all, there may be 15 families of Dissenters. Their general place of worship is in Selkirk; but as the distance is so great, many of them attend the parish church as regularly as the most of our most regular attenders. The parish church, it would appear, from the old records of the parish, has been generally well frequented^ though we do not know if we might say well attended. After the admission of Mr Bos- ton (in 1707), there is a complaint by him on record, of the " indecent carriage of the people at the kirk, going out and t/i, and up and dawn the kirk-yard the time of divine service. The clerk was therefore appointed to go out after the first psalm in the fore- noon and afternoon, to see if any be found about the church-yard, &c." Afterwards, the elders were enjoined to " prevent or correct the abuse." But what was to be expected of a people shut up from the whole world. The road to their county town was little better than the channel of the river. They had long been destitute, too, of all the means of improvement " There had been little know- ledge of religion among them," says Boston, " till the time of con- fusion and persecution ; so that John Anderson in Gamescleuch told me of a time when there was not a Bible in the church, ex- cept the minister's, his father's, and another." There was be- sides this, a vacancy of four years from the time Mr M'Mihan left the parish till Mr Boston was settled among this people as their pastor, though every tenant had applied to his laird again and again, to endeavour to have them supplied with a Gos- pel minister. The kirk of Ettrick is, however, now well attend- ed. When Mr Boston dispensed the sacrament for the first time (July 16), in 1710, he says * he had only about fifty-seven com- municants belonging to the parish.' When he dispensed the same ordinance for the last time, (June 13) in 1731, the number of com- municants was 777.* * Boston gives the following interesting account of the solemnity. << The tokens distri- buted to communicants were about 777 ; the collection on the three days L. 77» Ids. 4d. Scots. There were about nine score strangers in Midghope ; four score of them William Black, husband of Isbel Biggar, entertained, having baken for them half a boll of meal for bread, bought 4s. lOd. worth of wheat bread, and killed three lambs, and made thirty beds. And I believe their neighbour Isbcl's brother would be much the same, lliis I record once for all, for a swatch of the hospitality of the parish ; for God hath given this people a largeness of heart, to communicate of their substance on these and other 74 SELKIRKSHIRE. As before the times of the Bostons, so after their days, the people of Ettrick had not for any length of time any regularly stated pastor. One was translated to another parish, a second died in early life, and a third soon acquired evil habits, and lived to an advanced age, leaving a "bare subsistence," to a helper, who resign- ed his charge always just as soon as he could find another open door. He has now been dead between twenty and thirty years, yet the writer of this article is the twelfth incumbent from the elder Bos- ton, in the period of very little more than a century. The people of Ettrick, therefore, have had many changes by no means favour- able to spiritual or mental improvement ; yet we can say, that our congregation, considering our population, is by no means incon- siderable, and that our conununicants have increased, and are in- creasing in numbers every year. When we first dispensed the sa- crament in this place, eight years ago, the number of communi- cants belonging to the parish might be about 118. Last year (August 26, 1832), they had advanced to the number of 147. Bible Society. — A Bible and missionary society was instituted here in 1819, "having for its object the dissemination of the scrip- tures, without note or comment." The present Lord Napier is president of that society, and a great proportion of the heads of families, both churchmen and dissenters, have enrolled themselves as members. There is an annual sermon preached in behalf of its funds. The average of the collection and subscriptions for the last four years, is L. 11, 12s. 4d. and these have been generally equally divided between the Edinburgh Bible and Missionary Societies. Education. — There is one parochial school. Mr John Beattie, a teacher of this school, died about seven years ago, his father and he together having been schoolmasters in the parisli for the space of 101 years. There are no other stated schools in the parish. A woman may be seen sometimes giving lessons to a few small children. In the house of a shepherd may be found some- times also, a boy or girl teaching the children of two or three fami- lies united. Our scattered population, indeed, is unfavourable to the education of the young ; yet we believe, there is not one above six years old who has not been taught the first lessons of reading, and been instructed in the principles of religion. The present occasions also. And my heart has long been on that occasion particularly conccme 1048 90 to 100, 7 so to 40, - 753 100 and upwards, 40 to 50, - 597 6637 Miscellaneous Observations. — The arable land of the county lies on an elevation of from 280 to 800 feet. None of it, therefore, is the best as to climate. Yet it is a remarkable fact, that the agriculture of this county is equal to any in Great Britain. Wheat abounds in the lower districts, and has been raised at the height of 700 feet, to what would be called a good crop in the Lothians ; add considerably higher, near to the head of Ettrick, oats, tur- nips, barley, and clover hay thrive in regular rotation. We could wish much that the dwelling-houses and farm-buildings in this county were as worthy of commendation as the agricultural skill which is every where displayed in it. * In this enumeration are included those small parts of the parishes of Ashkirk, Inverleithen, Peebles, Roberton, and Stow, which belong to the county of Selkirk. • The ratios, however, may be held to apply to the four parishes before described, as forming the county of Selkirk. SELKIUK. INDEX. Agriaihure and rural economy, 6, 19, 69 Antiquities, 3, 17, 46, 65 Ashiesteel house, 45 Blackhouse hill, 30 Blackhouse, ruins of, 46 Binram's cross, and relics found at, 46 Boston, last dispensation of the s&cra- ment by, 78 — tomb of, 64 Botany, 16, 38, 42, 62 Bowhill, plantations at, 2 Buck*s deuch, site of the, 66 Camps, andent, at Rink, 17 Cauldshiels lake, 14 Cbapelhope, remains of old church at, 68 Character and habits of the population, 5,49,69,80 Churches, see Ecclesiastical Statistics. Climate, see Meteorology Coal, attempts to work, at Galashiels, 12 Compression of peat, Tod*s machine for, 56 Cunningham, Alexander, the historian, 63 Curling in summer on artificial rinks, 19 Deuchar chapel, ruins of, 29 Dissenters and Dissenting chapels, 4, 8,25 Douglas, Sir James, recovery of Ettrick from the English by, 44 Douglas tragedy, scene of the, 46 Draining, 41 Dryhope castle, ruins of, 46 Education, statistics of, 8, 25, 54, 74 Elibank castle, 46 Elibank, first Lord, 45 Ettrick, parish of, 59 — hiUs, 60 — forest, 42 — ^its history, 44 — ^improvements in, 76— river, 2, 11, 60,79 Ettrick bridge, village of, 53 Fairs and markets, 9, 74 Falderside house, 17 Fisheries, salmon, 14 Floods, the great of 1829, 13 Gala house 17--water, 11, 12, 79 Galashiels, parish of. Uptown of, 18, 24 Garoesdeuch, ruins of, 68 General observations on the county, 79 SELKIRK. Geology and mineralogy, 37, 61 Haining, plantations at the, 2 Hanginshaw law, 30— woods of, 43 Hart's leap, the, 44 Herton's hill, cairns on, 47 Hogg, James, 46, 64 Inns and alehouses, 9, 27, 56, 74 Kirkhope, old chapd at, 29 Libraries and literature, 8, 9, 26, 55, 7 Live-stock, breeds of, 6, 20, 49, 70 Longevity, instances of, 35 Lowes, loch of the, 60 Manufitictures, 4— the woollen of Gala- shiels, 21 Marl, instance of its preservative ef- fects, 38 Marl quarries at Lindean, 12 Meggat water, the, 37 Meiglehill, 11 Meteorology and climate, 2, 11, 31, 35, 60 Meteorological tables, 30, 31 Michael Scott, his residence, 3 Minchmoor hill, 31 Mineralogy, see Geology. Monastery of Selkirk, founded by Da- vid L, 3 Montrose, defeat of, at Philiphaugh, 3 Mountains and hills, the Three Brethren cairn, 2— Meigle, 11, 31— Peat Law, 2~Ettrick Pen, 60 Napier, Lord, 64 Newark castle, ruins of, 3 Oakwood castle, ruins of, 3 Park, Mungo, birth-place of, 4 Peat Law, 2 Philiphaugh, defeat of Montrose at, 3 Plantations and planting, 2, 16, 43 Poor, management of the, 9, 26, 55, 74 Population returns, 5, 18, 48, 68 Population, character of, 5, 49, 69, 80 Prmgle, Lord Alemoor, birth-place of, 4 Prisons of Selkirk, 9— in Ettrick, 74 Prognostics of weather, 34 — fix>m ani- mals, 33— from atmospheric pheno- mena, 31 Quarries, marl, 12 Railioad, projected, from Galashiels to Dalkeith, 24 Rankle bum, the, 61 f 84 INDEX. Roman coins found at S<«lkirk,4 — ^road, 1 7 Russell, Colonel, of Ashiesteel, 45 Rutherford, Dr John, 4j St Mary's Loch, SG — cliupel, ruins of, 46 St PhUlp*8 Well, So Salmon tisheries, 14 Savings banks, 9, ^6, oo Schools, see Education. Scott, Mary, the Hower of Yarrow, 45 —Michael, residence of, 3 — of T i- —shiclaw, execution of, 67 — Sir Wal- ter, sheriff of Selkirk, 4 — residence at Ashiesteel, 45 Selkirk, county of, general observations on, 79 — parish of, 1 — town of, 57 — burnt by the English, 3 Slain man's Lee, massacre at, 8 JBodeties, friendly, 8, 26 — pastoral of Selkirk, 7, 53— religious and chari- table, 25, 54, 74 Springs, mineral, St Philip's, 35 Stones, monumental, at Yarrow, 46 Timah burn, the, 61 Thirlstane tower, ruins of, 68 Three Brethren's caini, the, 2 Traditions, local, 46 Tushielaw tower, ruins of, 67 Tweed river, 2, 11, 12,79 Urus, skull of, dug from the marl, SS Wardlaw liill, 60 Weather, prognostics of, 34 — from ani- mals, 33 — from atmospheric pheno mena, 31 Woods, see Plantations. Woollen manufactures of Galashirl.«. 2J Yarrow, parish of, 29 — improvements of, 57— river. 2, 37, 80 Yarrow-ford, village of, 53 Zoology, 14» 38, 62 PaiNTED BY JOHN STARK, 01.1) ASSEMBLY CLOSE, EDINBURGH. ■iii J