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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 ■ Si- ' THE NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND. VOL. IV. THE NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND. BY THE MINISTERS OF THE RESPECTIVE PARISHES, UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF A COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE CLERGY. VOL IV. DUMFRIES-KTBKCUBBIIIGHT-WIGTOK WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH AND LONDON. ^ MDCCCXLV, I • DUMFRIES. CONTENTS. '^ ANNAN, APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE, CABRLAYEROCK, CANONBIB, CLOSBBURN, CUMMERTRERS, DALTON, DORNOCK, DRYFESDALB, DUMFRIES, DUNSCORE, DDRISDEBR9 ESKDALBJIUIR, EWES, . GLBNCAIRN, . GRAITNET, UODDAM, HOLYWOOD, BUTTON AND ^ORRIE, . JOHNSTONE, KEIR, KIRKCONNELL, KIRKMAHOE, RIRKMICHAEL, KIRKPATRICK- FLEUINO, KIRKPATRICK-JUXTA, JLANGHOLM, LOCBUABBN, MIDDLEBIB, . MOFFAT, MORTON, MOUSWALD, PEN PONT, RUTH WELL, ST MUNOO, SANQUHAR, TINWALD AND TRAILFLAT, TORTHORWALD, TUNDEROARTH, TYNRON, WAMPHRAY, . WBSTERKIRKy PAGE 516 170 349 483 77 244 371 >J56 451 1 336 323 398 437 330 262 289 553 537 151 460 314 53 67 274 164 416 377 363 102 91 442 499 218 203 297 39 29 195 473 137 429 PARISH OF DUMFRIES. PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ROBERT WALLACE, Minister of St Michaels. THE REV. THOMAS T. DUNCAN, D. D. Minister of the New Church. * L Topography and Natural History. Name, Boundaries, Sfc. — Etymologists are somewhat at va- riance respecting the origin of the name which this town and parish bear. The supposition that appears to me the most pro- bable, is that which refers the name to the Gaelic words, ^^ c^un," a mount, and " phreas^^ brushwood or furze,--:implying a rising ground covered with furze. This derivation is supported by the fact, that the soil is of that light sandy nature, on which, in its uncultivated state, whins and brushwood generally abound. The parish is from six to seven miles in length, from two to three in breadth, and contains fourteen square miles and a-half. It is bounded on the north-west and north by the parishes of Kirkmahoe and Tinwald ; on the north-east by that of Torthor- wald ; and on the east and south by the parishes of Mousewald and Caerlaverock ; while the river Nith is the boundary on the west, separating it from Holywood, Terregles, and Troqueer. Topographical Appearances. — The surface of the parish may be considered as almost level, if we except the site of the burgh, and a low ridge of hills, which, rising near its southern extremity, stretches to Caerlaverock, in a direction nearly parallel to the river Nith. These hills slope gradually down towards the south-west, on the side next the river ; but on the north-east side, they are much more abrupt, presenting a bold front and picturesque outline. Rather more than a mile from the town, two precipitous ledges of rock form the face of the hill, rising perpendicularly to a consider- able height. Near the summit of one of these precipices is a sin- * This Account has been drawn up by Mr Joseph Duncan. DUMFRIES. A -tf^ CONTENTS. ANNAN, APPLEOARTR AND SIBBALDBiE, CABRLAYEKOCK, CANONBIE, CLOSEBURN, CUMHBRTRERS, DALTON, DORNOCK, DRYFESDALE, DUMFRIES, DUNSCORE, DURISDEER^ BSKDALEMUIR, EWES, . GLENCAIRN, . GRAITNEY, IIODDAM, HOLYWOOD, BUTTON AND ^ORRIE, . JOHNSTONE, KEIR, KIRKCONNELL, KIRKMAHOB, RIRKMICIIABL, KIRKPATRICK FLEMING, K IRKPATRICK- J UXTA, LANGHOLM, LOCBMABEN, MIDDLEBIB, MOFFAT, MORTON, MOUSWALD, PEN PONT, RUTH WELL, ST MUNOO, SANQUHAR, TINWALD AND TRAILFLAT, TORTHORWALD, TUNDEBOARTH, TYNRON, WAMPHRAY, . WESTERKIRKy PAGE 516 170 483 77 244 371 «56 451 1 336 323 398 437 330 262 289 553 537 151 460 314 53 67 274 164 416 377 363 102 91 442 499 218 203 297 39 29 195 473 137 429 PARISH OF DUMFRIES. PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ROBERT y^'KLLA^C^, Minister of St Michaels. THE REV. THOMAS T. DUNCAN, D. D. Minister of the New Chvrch. * L Topography and Natural History. Namcj Boundariesy Spc. — Etymologists are somewhat at va- riance respecting the origin of the name which this town and parish bear. The supposition that appears to me the most pro- bable> is that which refers the name to the Gaelic words, " dun" a mount, and " phreas^" brushwood or furze,— rimplying a rising ground covered with furze. This derivation is supported by the fact, that the soil is of that light sandy nature, on which, in its uncultivated state, whins and brushwood generally abound. The parish is from six to seven miles in length, from two to three in breadth, and contains fourteen square miles and a-half. It is bounded on the north-west and north by the parishes of Kirkmahoe and Tinwald ; on the north-east by that of Torthor- wald ; and on the east and south by the parishes of Mousewald and Caerlaverock ; while the river Nith is the boundary on the west, separating it from Holywood, Terregles, and Troqueer. Topographical Appearances. — The surface of the parish may be considered as almost level, if we except the site of the burgh, and a low ridge of hills, which, rising near its southern extremity, stretches to Caerlaverock, in a direction nearly parallel to the river Nith. These hills slope gradually down towards the south-west, on the side next the river ; but on the north-east side, they are much more abrupt, presenting a bold front and picturesque outline. Rather more than a mile from the town, two precipitous ledges of rock form the face of the hill, rising perpendicularly to a consider- able height. Near the summit of one of these precipices is a sin- * This Account has been drawn up by Mr Joseph Duncan. DUMFRIES. A 2 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. gular cavity, which seems to have been formed by the hl\ of a frag- ment of the rock from the upper part, leaving a canopy of stone stretching overhead, while a portion of the broken mass rests upon the brink of the ledge that forms the floor. This place is called the ^* Maiden Bower Craiffs,*^ and is reported to have been used by the Druids in the practice of some rites, employed as a test of virginity. Meteorology, — The aurora borealis, which is often observed here, assumed an uncommon appearance for many evenings in the beginning of the winter of 1830, and particularly on one occasion, when the zenith presented a- blood-red appearance, with rays of a pale colour playing across its surface. Suddenly, the fainter rays concentrated themselves into a focus, from which they quickly diverged in every direction, presenting a beautiful eradiation. In connection with the aurora, we must not omit to mention the ap- pearance of two luminous arches, which were that year observed in this parish, as well as in other parts of the kingdom, — the one be- tween eight and nine o'clock on the evening of Friday, the 17th of September, and the other about the same hour on Tuesday, the 5th of October. On the evening of the 17th of September, the polar rays gradually formed themselves into an arch, considerably broader than a rainbow, stretching over from the eastern to the western horizon, and broader towards the former than the latter quarter. The highest part of the arch then passed the zenith, and moved southwards, which gave it the appearance of falling, till it gradual- ly faded from the view. The phenomenon presented on the 5th of October was very similar to the above ; but it is remarkable, that, in this instance, the rays flickering for some time in the east, and darting upwards toward the zenith, did not succeed, till after several seemingly inefiectual attempts, in throwing an arch across the heavens. These two beautiful meteors were of the same pale' colour usually presented by the aurora borealis, in the form which it generally assumes, — stars being distinctly visible through them, even during the period of their greatest brightness. Several phe- nomena of a similar nature were observed in September 1833. The east and north-east winds prevail during spring, and are often very injurious to vegetation. The south-west wind, however, is the most prevalent throughout the year. A lurid appearance in the eastern horizon, called from its direction, a " Carlisle sky," the rolling of the clouds landwards, their gathering about the sum- DUMFRIES. ^ taiit of the mountam CriflTel, and the flight of sea-birds towards the interior, are severally regarded as sure indications of approaching foul weather. The climate is variable, and rather moist ; but the dryness of the soil, and the high winds which prevail, obviate in a great measure the evil effects which might otherwise be produced. Typhus fe- ver frequently appears in the autumn and spring. Sibbens, a dis- ease almost peculiar to Dumfries-shire, Galloway, and the west coast of Scotland, is of frequent occurrence here amongst the dis- sipated and squalid ; and one case resembling yatr^ occurred within the last few years. Hydrography, — There are in the parish a few mineral springs, of which we may here notice one called Crichton's Well, situate in the middle of Lochar Moss, and possessing a pretty strong impregnation of steel ; and another, which was discovered about twenty years ago on the farm of Fountainbleau. It is a strong chalybeate, situate like the former in a moss soil. It has been long resorted to, and held in great repute by invalids. The benevolent proprietor has enclosed it within a stone trough, and liberally per* mits free access to it through his grounds. There are several small lakes in this parish ; in particular the Black, and the Sand Lochs, which are favourite resorts of our curlers during the season of the " roaring play." The parish is watered by the rivers Nith and Lochar. The Nith rises in the parish of New Cunmock, in Ayrshire, and, after a south-east course of about fifty miles in a direct line, and about 100 including its windings, dischai^es itself into the Solway Firth, about nine miles below the town of Dumfries. It receives in its course the tributary waters of the Scaur, the Carron, the Cam- ple, and the Cluden. The Lochar rises in Tinwald parish, and falls into the Solway Firth a few miles east of the mouth of the Nith, — the distance from its source to its mouth being about thir- teen miles. Geology and Mineralogy. — The rocks in the parish are prin- cipally red freestone. The soil in the north and north-east, and partly in the south and south-west, consists of a light reddish sandy earth, upon a freestone bottom ; but the flat lands south-west of the town, and adjacent to the river, are, generally speaking, composed of clay, upon gravel ; the soil in the south-west is a pretty strong clay. 4 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. The eastern and south-eastern district of the parish consists of the extensive morass, called Lochar Moss, lying along the con- fines of Torthorwald and Mousewald. This moss is nearly a dead level of from two to three miles in breadth, and ten miles in length, stretching from the shore of the Solway Firth into the interior of the country. There is a tradition, that this barren waste was, at some remote period, covered with wood, and that afterwards, it was inundated by the sea, which, upon receding, left behind it the decayed vegetable matter in which the moss origi- nated. This tradition has been embodied by the peasantry in the following couplet : << First a wood, and then a sea, " Now a moss, and ever will be.** And its truth is corroborated by the fact, that the moss rests upon a deep stratum of sea-sand, out of which not only are shells and other marine deposits frequently dug, but fragments of ancient vessels of no very inconsiderable size have been repeatedly dis- covered, together with several iron grapples or anchors. Some ancient canoes or boats have also been found, and in particular, one formed out of the trunk of a large oak, hollowed apparently by fire. Between the surface of the moss and the sea-sand immense trunks of trees are found. These, which are principally fir, invariably lie with their tops towards the north-east ; from which it would ap« pear, that their roots having been previously loosened by the inunda- tion of the sea, they had been levelled by the fury of the south-western blast. It has been conceived by some, that the River Nith, at some early period, flowed through Lochar Moss, entering it from the north- east; but this, taking into account the nature of the ground between the head of the moss and the present course of the river, seems ex- ceedingly doubtful. In the dry summer of 1826, the moss having caught fire, burned with great rapidity, advancing in a direction contrary to that of the wind ; when several cottages fell a prey to the flames before these could be extinguished. II. — Civil History. Accounts of the Parish. — A manuscript copy of the Statistical account of this town and parish, drawn up by the late Reverend Dr Bumside for the former Statistical Account, (in which work it is very much abridged,) is preserved in the Society Library here. Historical events, — No historical documents exist, whereby we DUMFRIES. 5 can determine at what precise period the town of Dumfries was founded. From several remains of antiquity, however, we may conjecture that it must have been a place of considerable resort before the end of the eighth century. The earliest historical fact which we find authentically recorded, is the erection of a monastery for Franciscan friars previous to the middle of the thirteenth cen- tury, by Dervorgilla, daughter to Allan, Lord of Galloway, and mother of John Baliol, king of Scotland. The base of the mount upon which this religious house stood, is washed by the waters of the Nith on the north and west It was in the chapel and cloisters of this monastery that the Comyns were slain by Robert the Bruce, aided by Roger de Kirkpatrick and James Lindsay, on the 10th of February 1305. In 1307, the year afterthe Prince's coronation, Edward II. ad- vanced to Dumfries, and received the homage of several Scottish noblemen. The town was burnt by the English previously to the year 1 448, and again in 1 596. This latter injury was amply revenged by the Lord Maxwell, who crossed the border with a small body of retainers, entered the town of Penrith, and reduced it to ashes. About this period a magnificent castle was erected out of the ruins, and almost on the site of the Friary,* by the Maxwells, then a very powerful family. Previously to this, a strong castle had stood near the same spot. This is supposed to have been erected some time in the course of the twelfth century. In 1563, Queen Mary and her privy council were at Dumfries ratifying a peace with Eng- land ; and two years afterwards, the disaffected lords Argyle, Mur- ray, and Rothes, having assembled a force in the neighbourhood, Mary advanced upon the town with an army of 18,000 men. At her approach these nobles fled into England, and Maxwell of Ter- regles having incurred her royal displeasure, was glad to make his peace by surrendering the castle of Dumfries into the hands of his sovereign. The government of this fortress, however, was not with- drawn from the family. In 1570 the castle was taken and sacked, together with the town, by the English, under the Earl of Essex and Lord Scrope. In 1617, James the Sixth, on his return from a tour through his ancient kingdom of Scotland, after his accession to the English throne, passed through Dumfries, where he was re- * It ia said that the monastery of Greyfriars was deserted in consequence of its having been polluted by the slaughter of the Red Comyn before the high altar. Cer- tain it is, that soon after his death, the people resorted for worship to St Michael's chapel, upon the site of which the parish church of St Michael now stands, towards the south-east end of the town. 6 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. ceived with every demonstration of loyalty ; and in return, he pre^ sented the Incorporated Trades of the burgh with a small silver gun, to be awarded from time to time to the best marksman amongst their number. From this date, the annals of the town present nothing worthy of record till the year 1706, when the inhabitants displayed their opposition to the Union with England by burning the Articles, together with the names of the Commissioners, at the market-cross. Upon the breaking out of the rebellion, however, in 1715, they evinced the greatest loyalty towards the reigning family ; for hear- ing that Viscount Kenmore, at the head of a considerable body of insui^nts, purposed to march upon the town, they so completely fortified it by a rampart where it was unprotected by the river, and presented so determined and warlike an attitude, that the rebels judged it most expedient to alter their line of march. But in 1745, a party of Dumfrisians having annoyed the rebel army in its march southwards, the town was severely dealt with upon the return of those lawless intruders, who, not satisfied with levying the excise, im- posed upon the inhabitants a fine of L.2000 Sterling, and 1000 pairs of shoes. Before, however, more than L. 1 100 of the sum had been paid, a false alarm of the approach of the Duke of Cumber- land having been given. Prince Charles and his army hastily aban- doned the town, carrying with them Provost Corbet, and Mr Rid- dell of Glenriddell, as hostages, to ensure payment of the remain- der. Eminent Characters. — The Rev. William Veitch, who suffered much during the struggles betwixt Presbytery and Episcopacy, and of whose life an account has been published by Dr M'Crie, was, for some time after the Revolution, minister of Dumfries. His pulpit Bible is at present in the possession of a relation who resides here. The poet Burns spent the latter part ofhis life in Dumfries, and his ashes rest in the burying-ground attached to St Michael's Church. Cholera. — In 1832, Dumfries was visited with Indian or spas- modic cholera, and experienced its effects with more than ordinary severity ; on which account some notice may here be allowed of the progress of the disease in this place. The first case occurred on the 15th of September, and ter- minated fatally in a few hours. Two other similar cases occur- red next day, although no personal communication had taken place with the individual first attacked. In the course of the en- suing week, several others were seized^ but still the inhabitants DUMFRIES. 7 flattered themselves that the visitation would prove slight. On Sunday the 2dd, however, the malady broke out so generally in the already infected districts of the town, and in the neighbouring burgh of Maxwelltown,-on the opposite bank of the river, as to convince the most sanguine that his hopes were ill founded. From that day, the disorder spread with increasing rapidity, attacking and carrying off, not only the intemperate and the needy, but ulti- mately many of those whose regular habits and comfortable circumstances rendered them apparently less liable to be affected. From the limited nature of society, in a provincial town such as Dumfries, the danger appearing to be in the very midst of it, the alarm of the inhabitants was great A cholera hospital had been provided; and the accommodations were scarcely finished, when its appliances and means were put into requisition, under the able and efficient superintendence of Dr Grieve, and Mr Charles Bell suigeon. The patients were con- veyed thither in palanquins or litters, borne on men's shoulders. The hospital was crowded, but was not large enough to hold one- eighth part of the sick ; and during the few dreadful days in which the disease raged with such uncontrollable fury, our own medical practitioners, although very numerous, were not sufficient for the emergency ; so that the Board of Health was forced to call in as- sistance from Edinburgh and elsewhere. Almost every one of the medical men suffered more or less, either from the effects of ex- treme bodily and mental exhaustion, or from the attacks of the disease itself. Three of them, indeed, were cut off in the midst of their usefulness ; two belonging to this town, (much and deeply regretted,) and the third, one of those who had been called from a distance. * * To enable the reader more easily to judge of the progress of the disorder, we here subjoin aii extract from the official report of the Dumfries Board of Health, to the Central Board in London. From the commencement of the disease on the Idth, to the SMth of September, cases 17, deaths 9, recoveries 0. New Cases. Deaths. Recoveries. September 25» 14 9 26, 9 5 27, 87 5 2 28, 68 19 5 29, 52 13 8 30, 73 14 12 October 1, 56 23 13 2, 55 44 10 3, 62 27 1 8 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. The disease now prevailed in almost every part of the town, but raged with the greatest severity in English Street, St Michael Street, King Street, Queensberry Street, and the closes leading from the High Street The practitioner, as he went his rounds, was often beset by several poor distracted creatures at once, eager- ly seizing him by the clothes, and each imploring a preference in behalf of some suffering relative. Trade of every description was at a stand; and few shops remained open except those of apothecaries, and of some b^ers and grocers ;-— other men of business having, for the most part, retired from the scene of dan- ger. Partly from this cause, and partly from the want of a suffi- cient number of hands to prepare the materials, many who had lost their nearest relations were obliged to dispense with the wearing of mourning. As no inhabitant of the country would willingly brave the influence of the tainted air, the market-day was undistinguished from the other days of the week, overall of which a more than sabbatical stillness seemed to reign. Many families fled with the utmost pre- cipitation to the country, and the houses in the streets occupied by the higher ranks were, with few exceptions, shut up. Flight, however, did not always ensure safety. Many perished by the way, or on reaching their destination, far from medical aid and the com- forts of home. The gentlemen of the Faculty, worn out by incessant toil, were forced to ride even the shortest distances, and theirs were the only vehicles to be seen on the streets, with the exception of hearses, which, without the usual formality of a funeral, hurried the dead to the *^ ever yawning and never satisfied grave." As we have just hinted, the deceased, while the pestilence was at its height, were, for the most part, followed to the place of in- terment by none but their immediate relations, and were often conveyed thither without even a single attendant save the driver of the hearse. When, however, a funeral procession was to be form- ed, the mourners, instead of entering the house of the deceased, were in the habit of assembling in the middle of the street a few hours after the death was known to have taken place, and of pro- ceeding to the churchyard in front of the hearse, or on the weather side of it Such families as possessed burying-grounds of their own, made use of them ; but for the rest, two rows of large pits were dug in the more unoccupied part of the cemetery ; and in these the bo- dies were piled one upon another, — every coffin being surrounded by a layer of quick-lime. Each pit, when the coffins had reached to about two feet from the surface, was filled up with lime and DUMFRIES. 9 earth ; and, finally, when all the pits had been closed, a fresh stratum of about a foot thick was laid over the whole. Owing to the absence of some, and the actual sickness, or fear of others, public worship was for some time very scantily at- tended ; but weekly prayer meetings were held in the establish- ed churches, and in the different dissenting chapels, both for some time previous to the breaking out of the disease, and dur- ing its prevalence. Many private meetings for a similar purpose were likewise constituted at this time, and one or two are still con- tinued, — ^a proof, we trust, that the awful dispensation has produced at least same permanent good effect. From an early period of the disease, by order of the Board of Health, pots of pitch and tar were kept continually burning in the streets and closes, which were profusely strewed with lime, in the hope of purifying the atmosphere ; but all apparently without any good effect. It is worthy of remark, that, up to this date, Dum- fries, whether as viewed from within, or looked down upon from any of the surrounding heights, appeared enveloped in a thick and im- pervious cloud, altogether distinct and different from the smoke, and which retained its station in spite of wind and rain. The in- habitants experienced a raw damp mist, and an atmosphere of a peculiarly depressing nature. In this state matters continued till Thursday the 4th of Oc- tober, which had been appointed by the kirk-session to be kept as a day of humiliation and prayer. That night, a thunder-storm burst over the town, the peals being uncommonly long and loud, and the lightning vivid. The weather had previously been by no means such as to warrant the anticipation of a storm, yet awful and unexpected as it was, the most timorous hailed it with joy, as a means of dispelling the poison with which the atmosphere was con- taminated. From this date the number of cases continued to decrease, till, through the mercy of God, the disease entirely dis- appeared. The total number of cases officially reported, is 837 ; of deaths, 422; and of recoveries, 415. It is certain, however, that many cases were not reported. The last which occurred terminated fa- tally on the 27th of November. It is remarkable that the proportion of females who were seized much exceeded that of males ; and that the greater number, at the period of attack, were either menstruating, pregnant, or nursing. 10 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Children seemed equally susceptible of the disease with adults, but they sooner rallied ; and seemingly their constitutions received less detriment. Another circumstance we must not neglect to men- tion, is one which, so far as we know, has not been noticed as attending cholera in any other place. It is described by Dr Grieve, in his printed report, as ^^ a benumbing or tingling sensation, exactly similar to a slight galvanic shock, felt on applying the hand to the skin of a cho- lera patient, when in the collapsed state, (and more particularly when the body is bedewed with a cold and clanmiy sweat,) which extends from the extremities of the fingers to the elbow, and sometimes even to the shoulder. Occasionally the effect was so powerful, as to de- prive the arm for a few seconds of sensation and motion. Whether or not," continues Dr Grieve, ^ this peculiarity depends upon some extraordinary state of the nervous system, I cannot take upon myself to determine. It may not, however, be uninteresting to state, that not a single individual afflicted with paralysis, partial or confirmed, has been attacked with cholera. The same sensation was experi- enced by several of the practitioners of this town." Parochial Registers. — These consist of twenty-five volumes, including the proceedings of the kirk-session, the record of which commences on the 17th of September 1635. The record of bap- tisms conunences in 1605, of marriages in 1616, and of burials in 1617 ; in all of which the entries are regular. Antiquities, — The ancient castle belonging to the Comyns was romantically situated on a spot which still bears the name of Castledykes, overlooking a beautiful bend of the river, at a short dis- tance south from the town. It is not known at what period this for- tress was erected, and none of its walls are now standing; but notice of its existence is taken in the history of the reign of Edward I. * We have mentioned the erection of a monastery at Dumfries. For the convenience of the inmates of that religious house, its foundress caused a bridge to be constructed across the river Nith. This bridge is said at one time to have been considered, next to that of London, the best in the two kingdoms. It formerly consisted of thirteen arches ; but, having undergone various alterations, has now only seven left, and is used exclusively by foot-passengers. The narrow street which leads from the bridge to the spot where * In the BccouxiU of the comptroller of the wardrobe to King Edward I. there is a charge for a palisade, granted by Edward for this castle, from the forest of Ingle- wood in Cumberland. 3 DUMFRIES. H the friary formerly stood, is still called the Friars' Vermel The castle of the Maxwells has already been mentioned. In the year 1583, a strong building, called the New Wark, was erected, which served the double purpose of a fortress and a place of safety, where- in the effects of the inhabitants might be secured against the law- less attacks of the borderers. No vestiges, however, of this build- ing, or of either of the castles, or of the friary, now remain. • On a slight eminence at the entrance of the town by English Street, may still be traced the foundation of Saint Christopher's Chapel, which was built by King Robert Bruce as a place where mass might be said for the soul of his father4n-law. Sir Christo- pher Seton, who was hanged on the spot by order of Edward I. On the left bank of the river, just above the town, is another emi- nence, which is designated in the ancient records as the MocU Bracy and which still bears that name. This artificial mount, hke many of a similar description in Galloway, is supposed to have been formed and used by the Saxons as a place where their freeholders met for the administration of justice ; f but, owing partly to the encroach- ment of the river, and partly to the spot on which it stood having been laid out as pleasure ground, it has entirely lost the peculiar features which characterized it as a relic of antiquity. At no great distance, is another mound, seemingly of a similar nature, called the KirkUmd Moat* ^' In fact,'' says Chalmers, in his Caledonia, ^' there was a moat hill in every district of North Britain, during an age when justice was administered to a coarse people in the open air." Near Castledykes above-mentioned, is a field called the King^ holm ; which name may either have been given it by Bruce after * The ancient armorial bearings of the town were a cheveron, with three ./Erar* de lig ; but instead of these, St Michael, the tutelary saint of Dumfries, represented with wings, a pastoral staff in his hand, and clothed in a friar's dress, treading a serpent under his bare feet, has long been used. The motto is '' Aloreburn'* or ** Lore- bum,** — a word of which the precise import has never been ascertained. It is cer- tain, however, that it was the ancient slogan or war-cry of the inhabitants, and is be- lieved to be a corruption of the words hwer buntf having reference to a small rivu- let, the banks of which used to be the rendezvous of the inhabi^nts when they as- sembled in arms on the approach of a hostile force. Accordingly, a street in the im- mediate neighbourhood of the original course of the stream in question, bears the name of " Lorebum Street,'* f Moat or Mote signifies meeting. Thus, the Saxons termed their national coun- cil a Witienagemote (meeting of the wise), and a county court they named a Folkmoie, that is, a meeting of the people. The word mote was transferred from the assembly to the place where the assembly was held, as in the case of the word Church. 12 , DUMFRIES-SHIRE. his accession to the throne, or may be a corruption from ComjpCs holm^ a name which it once bore. Toward the south-east end of the parish, is an eminence called Trohaughton, which Pennant notices as a Roman station. A relic of antiquity, supposed to be a Roman sandal, was found many years ago towards the east end of the parish ; and in the river, nearly opposite to the town mills, was found a gold coin of about the cir- cumference of a sixpence, and the thickness of a half crown, bear- ing the inscription ^^ Augustus" round the impression of a Roman head. Several Roman and Scottish coins also have at different times been discovered in di^ng the foundations of houses in the town. It may be mentioned, that there is still to be seen a small part of a deep track of road which led through the castle garden to the river, where a causeway was formed, by means of which the family at the castle could cross over to their seat at Terregles with- out passing through the town. The buildings in Castle Street, however, have now almost entirely obliterated it A curious relic of antiquity was some time ago discovered by Mr Affleck, iron- founder, while employed in selecting some pieces of old metal to throw into the crucible. It is circular, fully two inches in dia- meter, and about the thickness of a penny. Upon being struck with a hammer a crust of verdigris came off, and on one side of it was discovered engraved a lion rampant in the midst of a shield bordered with fleur des lis, and surrounded, in reversed characters, by the legend " Jacobus Dei gra. Rex Scotorum;" after which is a figure nearly similar to the letter S, which we conclude must have been intended to represent the buckle of the belt on which the inscription is engraved. The seal, for such it appears to be, is formed of a compound of copper with some other metals, and is, with some plausibility, supposed to have been the privy seal of one of the kings of Scotland. It is evidently of con- siderable antiquity, and closely resembles, on the engraved side, a silver groat of the date of James the Fifth. The other side is per- fectly smooth, and no traces are discernable of a handle ever hav- ing been attached to it. The seal remains in possession of Mr Affleck. Modem Buildings^ 8^c. — The county town of Dumfries is beau- tifully situated on the left bank of the river Nith, in 55° 2' 45" north latitude, and 3"* 36' west longitude from Greenwich. It is nearly 4 DUMFRIES. 13 a mile in length, and a quarter of a mile in breadth. It has long possessed the character of being a clean, well built town, and has been improved and considerably enlarged within the last forty years. The streets, and most of the public buildings, are well lighted by gas, wltich was introduced about five years ago,* about which pe- riod also a great improvement took place in the appearance and fitting up of the shops, which are larger and much handsomer than those of most provincial towns. The houses are built of red free- stone; such as are of older date being generally white-washed, and many in the modem part of the town painted in imitation of Port- land stone. There are in Dumfries two parish churches. St Michael's, which is furnished with a tall and handsome spire, was built in 1745, and stands at the south-east end of the town on the site of a place of worship originally Popish, but converted into the Protestant parish church after the Reformation. The other church, which was not founded till 1724^ and is still called the New Church, terminates the High Street to the north-west, and occupies the site of the old castle of Dumfries, out of the ruins of which, materials for its 'erection were obtained. This church was first opened for public worship in 1727. St Michael's, or the Old Church, is surrounded by an extensive and crowded burying-ground, which contmns a vast number and variety of monuments, some of them very ancient We mentioned above that in this cemetery are deposited the remains of our na- tional poet Bums. They were originally interred in the north comer of the churchyard, upon which spot a simple table-stone was raised to his memory; but in 1815 his ashes were removed to a vault beneath an elegant mausoleum, which was erected by subscription as a tribute to his genius, at a cost of L. 1450. This monument contains a hand- some piece of marble sculpture, executed by Turaerelli, representing the genius of Scotland finding the poet at the plough, and throwing ^* her inspiring mantle" over him. This burying-ground also con- tains all that could die of three witnesses for the tmth, who seal- ed their testimony with their blood during the merciless persecu- tions by which the house of Stewart vainly endeavoured to con- taminate the purity of our Presbyterian faith and worship. The graves are marked by plain slabs of freestone, with rude inscrip- * Measures are now (1833) in progress for supplying the town, by means of pipes, with good spring water. IG DUMFRIES*SH1RE. Languagey Customs^ Sfc, — Tlie language Ainiversally spoken by the lower ranks is the lowland Scotch, which has, hbwever, with- in the last forty years, lost much of its national peculiarity, — ^inany words which were then used having now become obsolete. We have already mentioned the '^ siller gun." This royal gift is competed for at least once in seven years, and oftener if the trades think fit Upon such occasions, every member of the in- corporations is bound under a penalty to appear armed with a firelock, and to answer to his name. This done, the whole march in due form to some convenient open ground in the neighbourhood, and there contend for the prize by shooting in rotation at a target. The successful marksman returns to the town in front of the pro- cession, bearing attached to his hat, and adorned with ribbons, the piece of ordnance, of which he is the nominal custodier until the next trial of skill takes place. There are annual races on Tinwald Downs in the month of September, at which period assembUes are held in the town. The theatre is generally open for two or three months in the year. The people have of late made considerable advances in cleanli- ness; and the practice of going barefoot, formerly so common throughout Scotland, is here fast losing ground. The standard articles of food amongst the lower orders are potatoes, porridge, oat- cakes, and milk; salt herrings are also very much used. Al- though a great deal of poverty exists in the obscure parts of the town, the inhabitants in general seem to enjoy in a very considerable degree the comforts and advantages of society, and are. contented with their situation and circumstances. Charojcter of the people. — The people are generally intelligent, and although there are many amongst the labouring classes who can neither read nor write, yet these are, in but a very few in- stances, natives of Scotland. Living in a district where no manu- factures are carried on upon an extensive scale, the inhabitants have not amongst them those exciting motives to discontent and insubordination which exist more or less in all manufacturing towns. They possess the character of being decent in their exter- nal deportment, and respectful to their superiors. Poaching, how- ever, both in game and in the salmon fisheries, prevails to a con- siderable extent. DUMFRIES. 17 IV. — Industry. Agricvlture and Rural Economy, Number of acres cultiyatixi or occasionally in tillage, - > 7930 _^ which have never been cultivated, forming Lochar Moss, and several patches besides, About ----- 1850 -_— _ capable of being cultirated with a profit, probably, - 1900 «— -i— — — in undivided common, ..... under full grown or natural wood, (oak, ash, plane, &c. ) 74 planted, (oak, ash, larch, &c.) - . - 244 Total number of acres in the parish, - . . . 9280 Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land is from thirty to forty shillings per acre ; except in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, where it is from L. 4 to L. 6. The average rent of grazing for a cow is about L. 4. No sheep are put out to graze in that way. The total estimated rental of the burgh and burgh roods is L. 21,000, and that of the landward part of the parish is L, 8810, — making the rental of the whole parish about L. 29,810. Rate of Waffes, Sfc — The rate of labour, winter and summer, for farm labourers and country artisans, is Is. 6d. per day. The daily hire of a mason, carpenter, and other mechanical workmen in the country, is 2s. with victuals ; 2s. 6d. without In town the rate is from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per day. A joiner or cabinet-tnaker's weekly wages average about 15s. An iron plough costs from L. 3, to L. 3, 10s. A full mounted cart, L. 8. Breeds of Live Stock, — Very few sheep are bred in the parish. The only cattle bred and reared are of the pure Galloway kind ; which, owing to the attention of late bestowed upon the breeding of them, has very much improved. Almost as many Ayrshire as Galloway cows are kept for milk; but none of the former are rear- ed in the parish. Husbandry. — The principal part of the arable land is managed under what is technically termed a, Jive or six yearns shift, viz. in the first year oats ; in the second, turnips or potatoes ; in the third, wheat or barley; in the fourth, generally hay; and in the fifth and sixth, pasture. Within the last forty years, about 250 acres have been reclaimed from Lochar Moss, which have amply repaid the outlay, yielding abundant crops of oats, potatoes, and rye-grass hay. Much more might be brought into cultivation if sufficient encouragement were given by proprietors, such, for instance, as a general drainage of the river Lochar. We may here mention that it has been more than once proposed to carry a canal from the Lochar Bridge Quarry to the sea, a distance of about twelve miles, (in which there is a fall of thirty feet,) having a branch to conununi- DUMFRIES. B 18 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. cate with Dumfries. This, it is considered, would be- of immense local importance. The turnip husbandry is now carried on to the greatest pos- sible extent, and is found to be a valuable improvement [upon the dry sharp sandy soils, of which a large proportion of the arable land in this parish consists. Forty years ago it was a rare thing to see turnips sown ; but for the last five years, 150 acres have been about the average extent of land occupied by that article. Almost all the turnip crops are eaten on the ground by sheep. About one-half of the quantity of turnips is raised by the aid of bone manure, at an expense of from L. 3, 10s. to L. 4, 10s. per acre. The general duration of leases is from fifteen to nineteen years. These leases are decidedly favourable to the tenanti^ who generally prefer the latter period. The farm-buildings, upon the whole, are by no means so com- fortable as they should be, owing chiefly to a large proportion of .the landward part of the parish being entailed property. The fences are in a better condition. Quarries. — Four red sandstone quarries are worked in this parish r and at an annual expense of about L. 1000. Fisheries. — The only fisheries carried on are those of salmon and trout ; the rents of which amount to about L. 500 a-year. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce raised in the parish may be as follows : Produce of grain of all kinds^ whether cultivated for food of man, or the domestic animals, ..... L. 12,800 Of potatoes, turnips, cabbages, beet, and other plants, cultivated in the fields for food, .... Of hay, whether meadow or cultivated, 1 Of crops cultivated for the arts, as flax, ) ** ~ ~ Of land in pasture, - - Of fisheries, whether sea, river, or lake, ... Of quarries, ..... Total yearly value of raw produce raised, - L. 22,186 Manufactures. — The only manufactures carried on to any great extent in Dumfries are those of hats and stockings. The latter of these does not at present yield a very encouraging remunera- tion. No fewer than 279 frames are employed by the stock- ing-weavers in this place. There are three hat-manufactories; in which together, nearly 200 workmen are employed. Formerly checked cottons were fabricated, but this branch has fallen off; and most of the cotton-spinners who remain are in the employ of Carlisle or Glasgow manufacturers. The trade of tanning is also 4600 1760 1526 500 1000 DUMFRIES. 19 carried on to some extent ; and hides prepared here are disposed of in Glasgow, London, and other parts of the United Kingdom. There are also several breweries in Dumfries, and one very exten- sive basket-making establishment. The manufacture of clogs, or strong shoes with thick wooden soles, the use of which was till late- ly confined to the south of Scotland, affords no inconsiderable pro- fit to those engaged in it. Large quantities of shoes are also ex- ported, and in the manufacture of these articles upwards of 300 in- dividuals are employed. The manufactures carried on are not sufficiently extensive to produce much effect upon either the health, or the morals, of the general population. Trade. — Many thousand carcases of pork are sold here dur- ing the season, which lasts from the end of December to the begin- ning of April, and are sent off to the south to be cured More than 700 are sold weekly; and, in some instances, from L.4000 to L. 5000 worth of pork has been disposed of in one day. A butcher- market was many years ago prepared, and the stalls were oc- cupied ; but it is now entirely deserted, — the " fleshers" finding .it of greater advantage to disperse themselves over the town. In the meal-market, business is transacted under cover. It has been for some time in contemplation to build new markets, somewhat upon the plan of those in Edinburgh ; but nothing has as yet been done towsurds the accomplishment of this design. About eighty years ago, a considerable tobacco trade was car- ried on in Dumfries ; but, in consequence of the detection of some systematic and successful attempts at smuggUng, the traffic in this article came to be discouraged. The only foreign trade is with America, for timber, in which several pretty large vessels are employed. The other vessels are coasters, plying to Liverpool, Whitehaven, Maryport, and other parts. The imports are, principally coal, slate, iron, tallow, timber, hemp, and wine. The annual value of the timber imported can- not be less than from L. 8000 to L. tO,000 Sterling. The ex- ports are wool, freestone, oats, wheat, and barley.* Navigation. — The number of vessels of all burdens belonging to the port of Dumfries, (including the Creek of Annan,) amounts to 84, the total burden of which is 5783 tons. The number of foreign vessels usually trading to this port is from 12 to 18. The range of the Dumfries Custom-house extends from Sark-foot, * Farther particulars of the trade of this parish are given under the head of Pa- rochial Economy. 20 DUMFRIES'SIIIRK. at the head of the Solway Firth, to Glenluce, on the coast of Gal- loway. The gross amount of Customs collected at the port of Dumfries for the year ending 5th January 1832, was L. 5089. A steam-boat plies once a-week during the summer months be- tween Dumfries and Whitehaven, in connection with one from thence to Liverpool ; by which conveyance an immense quantity of goods and live stock, particularly sheep, are exported for the English market Societies for Encouragement of Industry, — The Dumfries and Gralloway Horticultural Society, instituted in 1812, and which meets periodically in Dumfries, has been of great use in stirring up to emulation, industry, and improvement, the gardeners in this district, prizes being awarded to those who produce the best and rarest articles. V. — Parochial Economy. Markets^ Sfc. — Dumfries has long been celebrated for its markets, which are held every Wednesday ; when a great deal of business is done among the cattle-dealers upon the ^^ Sands," an open space by the river side, set apart for the purpose ; but, be- sides these, there are four great annual fairs, viz. one at Whitsun- day and another at Martinmas, when an immense number of black- cattle are sold; and the other two for horses, in October and Fe- bruary. The greatest annual cattle-market held on Dumfries Sands, is that preceding and corresponding with Brough-hill Fair in Cumberland, and usually takes place in the last week of Sep- tember. On each of two occasions, during the last five years, viz. in 1829 and 1830, there have been about 6000 head of cattle exposed, — the majority being aged, or three-year old Galloways and Highlanders ; and on each of these occasions business has been done to an amount exceeding L. 30,000. The numbers usually exposed for sale on that day, however, during the last dozen years, amount to frdm 3500 to 4500 yearly ; and for six weeks about this period, an amount of cattle, varying from 1500 to 2000, are generally exposed on the Sands of Dumfries. Fully one-half of these are drove or heavy cattle. But the business done in the public market gives but an inadequate idea of the magnitude of the trade in general ; for an inunense variety of transactions are effected by the dealers privately throughout Dum- fries-shire and Galloway ; and in a period of ten days, during the droving season, more than 20,000 head of cattle have been known to DUMFRIES. 21 pay toll on the English road, and not one of which had been exposed in the market. Added to the business done in heavy cattle, a very important and bustling trade is carried on by the farmers, graziers, and jobbers,— disposing, on the one hand, of young cattle, which have been grazed or fed on fodder a certain period ; and, on the other, purchasing cattle a stage younger, which are grazed in their turn ; the difference between the original cost and that which is received at the sale constituting the profit, or sum intended for the expenses of keep. Of the horse-market, it is impossible to speak with any thing like accuracy. There, again, an immense part of the business is transacted privately ; and at the fairs of Candlemas and Roodsmass, the number of all kinds exposed may perhaps vary from 400 to 600. A portion of the best draught horses are retained for service in the district in which they have been reared ; and the surplus car- ried by the dealers to Edinburgh, Glasgow, — the west country ge- nerally, and to the north of England. At the fair in February, an incredible quantity of hare-skins is purchased. The average number cannot be under 30,000 ; and one year, no less a sum than L. 6000 is said to have been paid for that one article. Burgh, — Dumfries is a royal burgh, and is entitled to one of five votes for a member of Parliament. The tradesmen are divided into seven incorporations, from each of which a deacon is annually elected ; and of the seven deacons thus elected, one is chosen conve- ner, to assemble and preside over the whole craft, which is composed of, 1^^, the hammermen, consisting of blacksmiths, whitesmiths, tin- smiths, coppersmiths, and saddlers, making in all 100 freemen ; 2 290 ^— — ^_ that might be cultivated with a profitable application of capital (independently of the large tract of Lochar-Moss,) - - 200 — ^^— — — in undivided oonunon, . - . . ■ under wood, ------ 5 Rent ofLand^ 8^e. — The rent of arable land varies according to quality and situation, from L.2 to 7s. 6d. the imperial acre. Leases are commonly for fifteen or nineteen years. The yearly rent of labourers' and cottagers' houses, is from L,l to L. 5. Those at the lowest rent are miserable hovels ; and the rent of the best places them beyond the reach of labourers, or even common tradesmen. It is of great disadvantage that so many of the houses are covered with thatch. Prices of Provisions. — The prices of butter, eggs, and poultry, are regulated by the Dumfries market, of which Reports are published weekly in the Dumfries newspapers ; and the Dumfries markets again are very much affected by those of Edinburgh and Glasgow, there being carriers who make a business of transporting such articles to these more distant markets, whenever a profit can be made by them. Indeed, the very cheap and rapid communication which is now established, and continually improving, between the most distant markets, is fast bringing the prices of articles every where nearly to a level, and thus benefiting all classes ; raising the prices in re- mote parts of the country where the articles are produced ; and lowering them in cities and towns where they are principally con- sumed. Live Stock, — The number of horses kept in the parish, almost all farm work-horses of a middle siae, is 150. Young horses bred by the farmers, dS ; cows kept, 354 ; young black-cattle, 495 ; sheep kept through the year, 284 ; sheep fed on turnips in winter, 1800 ; swine bred and fattened yearly, 388. Bate of Waffes, 8fc. — The wages of day-labourers are at an ave- rage Is. 6d. in summer, and Is. 3d. in winter, without victuals. Most of the farm-servants here are unmarried, and are lodged and fed in the farmers' houses. The wages of men-servants vary from L. 9 to L. 14 a-year, aj)d of women-servants from L. 5 to L. 6 a- year. Doing work by the piece is very general ; such as mowing, DUMFRIES. c 34 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. ditching, and turnip-hoeing. This last costs from 4s. to 5s. the acre. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : Produce of grain of all kinds, whether cultiTated for food of nuui, or the domestic animals, (deducting teed,) .... L. 7201 > potatoes, turnips, cabbages, beet, and other plants culti- vated in the fields for food, .... 2B9B hay, 2100 land in pasture^ rating it at L. 2 per cow, or ftiU-grown oi, graied, or that may be graied for the season ; at 68. per ewe, or full-grown sheep, pastured, or that may be pastured, for the year, ..... . . |288 Total value of raw produce nused, - L. 13,487 Of the crop of oats, the greater part is used for feeding horsey and swine, and employed as meal for the fanners' famiUes. The po- tatoe crop is almost all used for the same purposes. More than one- half of the artificial hay is used in feeding the farmers' horses ; and almost the whole of the natural hay b used in feeding the farm stock. Manufactures* — In this parish there are no manufactures; but a considerable number of weavers who work in their own houses, some of them country work ; but more of them are employed in weaving cotton for the manufacturers of Carlisle and other places, the prices allowed for which vary exceedingly, and, when very low, are attended with great want and misery to the poor weavers. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication, — Dumfries is the post town of the district; and both a mail-coach, and another coach between it and England, pass t¥dce daily through the parish ; and a foot post also passes twice every day between Dumfries and Lochma- hen, by another turnpike road through this parish. The length of turnpike roads in the parish is about seven miles and a-half ; and they are kept in excellent order, as are also the parish roads, which are about twelve miles long, and are kept up by an assess- ment of L. 1 upon the 100 merks of valued rent, amounting to about L. 36 a-year. At present the assessment is reduced to 15s. per 100 merks, producing only about L. 27 a-year. The roads are now in so good a state that it is thought the annual expendi- ture of this small sum will keep them in proper repair. The sys- 3 TORTHORWALD. * 35 tem of making and repairing the roads with broken stones, as in- troduced by Mr Macadam, prevails universally here* Ecclesiastical State, — The parish church is a substantial commo- dious building, erected in 1782; it affords accommodation for 500 persons, and the sittings are all free. It is conveniently situated near the centre of the parish. The manse has been built at three different periods. The oldest part of it was built about 1730; an addition was made about 1791 ; and another addition in 1809. It is now a large and tolerably convenient house. The stipend is fifteen chal- ders, half barley, half meal, payable at the rate of the county fiars ; and L. 8, 6s. 8d. is given for communion elements. Converted to money at the average of the last seven years, the stipend amounts to L.248, Is. Id. The glebe contains eleven acres of good land, including the garden ground, steads of the manse and offices, and court-yard. There are lio chapels or dissenting meeting-houses of any kind here, though there are in the parish about twenty-eight families of Dissenters, and six poor Irish Roman Catholics. The church is upon the whole well frequented, and is attended by about 224 fa- milies. The average number of communicants is about 335. Education. — There are two schools in the parish. One of these is near the church, where English reading, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, geography, Latin, and Greek, are very well taught by an able, diligent, and successful instructor of youth. His yearly sa- lary is L.31, 6s. 6|d. and the interest of L. 160 of mortified money. The wages paid by the scholars are extremely moderate, — Is. 6d. per quarter for reading, writing, and the four common rules of arith- metic; 3s. per quarter for writing and the higher branches of arith- metic; 5s. per quarter for book-keeping, Latin and GreeL The fees for geography, mathematics, and navigation are generally settled by agreement between the master and scholars. The yearly amount of fees actually received by him may be L.30. There is a good school-house and schoolmaster's house, and small garden. The number of scholars attending the school is in winter about 120, and in summer about 72. The other school is about two miles to the south of this, at the village of Collin. In it are taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and book-keeping. The wages paid by the scholars for these branches are the same as in the other school. The yearly salary is L.20, and the amount of fees received may be L.20 per annum. There is a good school and schoolmaster's house, and about three-fourths of an acre of land, chiefly re- claimed from moss, which is now a considerable advantage to the 36 - DUMFRIES-SHIRE. master. This school is also well attended. The people of this parish are thus amply provided with opportunities of education, and scarcely any of them arrive at ten years of age without being able to read and write. Savings Banks^ Sfc. — There are no circulating libraries, norfriendly societies, nor savings banks in this parish ; but its contiguity to the town of Dumfries, where the inhabitants have an opportunity of joining in any or all of these, renders establishing them in this pa- rish unnecessary. Several of the inhabitants do avail themselves of the opportunity of depositing small sums either in the Dumfries savings bank, or in that of Ruthwell, which is only eight miles dis- tant, and for which it is natural to have a partiality, as being the parent institution established by the worthy and patriotic clergyman of that parish, Dr Henry Duncan. Poor. — The average number of poor persons receiving parochial aid is 2 1 . Of these only four are males, and seventeen females, and al- most all are old persons. Among these is divided by the kirk-session about L. 39 annually, arising from collections at the church, and L. 1 9^ 5s., being the interest at dj per cent, of a sum, amounting to L. 550, formed out of bequests made to the poor at different times. A general distribution is made four times in the year; but it is also found ne- cessary to make many partial intermediate disbursements. L. 39 divided among twenty-one persons makes an average of L. 1, 17s. l|d. to each person. But this gives no just idea of the actual state of the distribution, which varies very widely according to the cir- cumstances of the paupers; some getting L.5, 5s. while others not more than L. 1 yearly. The time is past when the poor were asham- ed, or thought it degrading, to apply for parochial aid. Though there is not a single proprietor residing in this parish, the poor have hitherto been maintained by voluntary charity, without recourse being had to assessments of any kind. In 1791, the number of per- sons on the poors' roll was only five ; at present, there are twenty- one. Thus the poor have quadrupled, while the number of inha- bitants has doubled. At the former period there was distributed among the five paupers only L. 5, 9s. yearly. But at that time a considerable quantity of lint was grown in this district, the spinning of which gave profitable employment to many persons, particularly to old women, and enabled them, in a great measure, to maintain themselves ; but the very low price of cotton cloth has now almost entirely supplanted the manufacture of home-made linen, and thus deprived old women of a useful and profitable branch of employ- TORTHORWALD. * 37 meat, for which tliey have no substitute; and they are thus made much more dependent upon the bounty of others. /«iM, ^c. — There are no fewer than five ale, or rather whisky houses, in this parish, while there is really no use for one in a place so near Dumfries ; and nothing is more pernicious to the industry and morals of the people. Fuel. — The parish is well supplied with fuel, consisting chiefly of peats, from Lochar Moss. But an abundant supply of coals also is brought by sea from the opposite English coast to Dumfries, and sold there for about 13s. or 14s. the ton. Miscellaneous Observations. Lochar Moss. — The most obvious and important improvements which are wanted in this parish are, 1^^, the draining and dressing the moss and meadows along Lochar, which, as before-mentioned, are very extensive. There is enough of declivity in this moss to admit of its being sufficiently drained for culture, if a straight wide course were cut for the water of Lochar, and a mill-dam re- moved, which is near the southern end of it in the parish of Car- laverock, and which at present stops up the water, and raises it to the height of six or seven feet This great interruption to the drainage is all for the sake of a small trifling mill, which yields very little rent to the proprietor, and is hardly of any consequence to the tenants. IS this mill-dam were removed, and a proper course cut for the main water all along the moss, with the necessary late- ral drains, — ^improvements which could be done at a very moderate expense, it is not easy to calculate the vast quantity of ground now useless that might be formed into valuable meadows. The prin- cipal proprietors of this great moss are the Marquis of Queensber- ry. Sir Robert Grierson, Bart., Mr Paterson, the Earl of Mans- field, Mr Maxwell of Nithsdale, Mr Douglas of Craigs, Mr Heron, and Mr Johnston of Camsalloch. Where so many proprietors are concerned, it is not easy to induce them to agree and co-operate heartily in any one plan. But the draining and improving of this vast moss, which lies in a low country, in a healthy warm climate, and on the edge of the sea, is evidently so much for the advantage of all concerned, is so plain and simple an operation, and might be completed at so small an expense, in comparison with the return it would make to the proprietors, that it is most wonderful, and much to be regretted, that it has been neglected so long, although it has been in contemplation for seventy or eighty years. About 38 * DUMFRIES-SHIRE. the beginning of that period, Charles Duke of Queensberry, who was then proprietor of a large portion of this moss, and whose memory, for his benevolence and public spirit, is still held in vene- ration by all the inhabitants of this part of the country, employ- ed Smeaton, the most eminent civil engineer of that time, to survey the moss and make a plan and estimate of the expense of draining and improving it The survey, plan, and estimate were made, and are published in Dr Singer's Agricultural Account of Dumfries- shire ; but unfortunately the plan has never been followed out* The work could not be properly carried on unless the whole proprietors were cordially to co-operate, and it is not easy to say when this may happen. The estimated expense when Mr Smeaton made his survey was only L. 2952.* 2^, Much benefit would arise to the parish from the building of more substantial and commodious farm-steadings, and if more at- tention were paid to the rearing and managing thorn hedges for in- closing and subdividing the farms. Sd, It would also be of great advantage, particularly on the higher grounds of this parish, if plantations were to be reared in different places. These would not only beautify the country, but, by the shelter they would afford, render the climate wanner, and contri- bute very much to the comfort and improvement of the cattle, which thrive but very poorly at present on the high grounds, exposed to every cold blast. 4th, The greatest improvement which has lately taken place in agriculture here is the introduction and general adoption of the culture of turnips. It is not more than seven or eight .years since this has become general ; it is of the greatest advantage to the ten- ants, and enables them to pay rents which would otherwise have been ruinous to them. The soil is very much adapted to turnips, the crops are in general good, and the following crops of barley and grass are wonderfully improved by the feeding of sheep on the turnip fields. December 1838. * The method which appears most likely for accomplishing an extensive work of this kind, in which so many proprietors are concerned, is for some skilful and enter- prising individual, with sufficient capital, to obtain a long lease of the whole from the proprietors for a rent very low at first, (but more than it yields at present,) and gra- dually rising, with full right to cut the main course straight, and such other lateral drains as he may find necessary. To enable the proprietors to grant such a lease, an act of Parliament would be required, as great part of the property is under entail. PARISH OF TINWALD AND TRAILFLAT. PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. GEORGE GREIG, MINISTER. THE REV. GEORGE GREIG, JUNIOR, ASSISTANT AND SUCCESSOR.* I. — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries. — In the Account formerly given of this parish, the name Tinwald is supposed to be derived from the Gaelic, and to signify the harbour ; or from the Saxon, and to signify the house in the wood. Whatever may be the import of the latter syllable of the word, which in the old presbytery records id spelt weld, the former, viz. Tin or Tinff, appears more probably to have been derived from the Tinffj or court of the ancient Saxons or Scandinavians, who at one time posses- sed a considerable portion of the country. Tings or courts are well known to have been held in the open air ; and immediately adjoining the church here, there is a mound (which a few years ago was perfectly entire, but is now much defaced ^^ Seges est ubi Troja fuit") evidently artificial, and said to bear a striking resem- blance to one bearing the same name in the Isle of Man, upon which local courts were held, until a very recent period. Tingwall in Shetland appears to have derived its name from the same circum- stance. — (See Peveril of the Peak, VoL L ch. v. Note 2d.) Trail- flat is probably from a Gaelic etymon, which signifies a sloping wet side. It was united to Tinwald in 1650. The united parish forms an irregular figure of about 6 miles by 4 in its extreme length and breadth, and contains about 15 square miles. It is bounded by the parish of Kirkmichael upon the north; by that of Lochmaben upon the east; by those of Torthorwald and Dumfries upon the south and south-west; and by that of Kirkmahoe upon the west and north-west. * This Account has been drawn up by the Assistant Minister. 40 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Topographical Appearances. — The only hills in the parish are the northern part of a range which extends to the S. E. through the parishes of Torthorwald and Mousewald, and sinks gradually as it approaches the Solway ; their acclivity is in most cases gentle, «nd with scarcely an exception they admt of cultivation to die tops. The elevation of the highest hill above the level of the sea, accord- ing to barometrical measurement, is 682 feet Hydrography. — There is one lake in the parish, called the Mur- der Loch. It is of small extent, and has been considerably dimi- nished lately by means of draining. It is now only about eighteen feet at its greatest depth. The only streams connected with the parish worth noticing are the Ae and the Lochar; the former of which forms the north- ern boundary of the parish. It has its source from the Queens- berry hill, whence it proceeds in a southern direction, sepa- rating the parish of Kirkmtchael from those of Closebum and Kirkmahoe; then turning to the east, it separates Kirkmichael from Tinwald, joins the Kinnel near its southern extremity, and with it falls into the Annan above Lochmaben. It is a rapid stream, very liable to floods^ which come down from the high grounds with great velocity, and often do considerable damage. Its bed being of a gravelly nature, this stream is conti- nually undermining its banks and changing its course. The Lochar commences near a small village upon the Edinburgh road, called Jericho, where two rivulets of nearly the same size (the one forming for a considerable space the western boundary of the parish) join together, and afterwards assume that name. It separates the parishes of Tinwald and Dumfries so far as they lie contiguous. Geology. — The rocks of which the hills in this parish are com- posed consist entirely of grey wacke and greywacke slate, all of which dip towards the south at almost every degree of inclination, some being nearly vertical, others nearly horizontal. There ^re a few trifling veins (scarcely worthy of the name perhaps) of crystallized felspar, to be met with amongst them. Peat-moss is pretty ex- tensive ; but there is none of any depth, except a small portion upon the eastern boundary of the parish, and that lying contiguous to the Lochar, most of which has been improved. Soil. — There is a considerable variety of soil in the parish. On the south-western boundary of the parish, there is the moss at the side of the Lochar, already mentioned, and extending to about TINWALD AND TRAILFLAT. 41 « oule in length, by a quarter of a mile in breadth, — which has been oooverted into meadow of very superior quality. Next to this, upon the east, and closing round it upon the north, is a range of fields from a quarter to half a mile in breadth, of a sandy gravel : The materials of which these fields are composed have evidently been transported by water. The range now referred to extends ( N. W.) through the parish of Kirkmahoe ; and there is every probabi- lity that the old tradition, of such having once been the course of the Nith, is correct. Above these fields, and farther from the Lochar, is a range of much greater length as well as breadth, extending to about two-thirds of the whole length of the parish, and consisting of a dry clay loam (very much mixed in some places with small stones) of great fertility, and well adapted to every variety of crop. This latter description of soil extends to the top, and (except at one place, where they form a sort of double range, with about a mile by three^fourths of moor and moss intervening,) quite over the hills, until it terminates in a moss upon the eastern side. That towards the east, however, is of a stiffer and more retentive clay, rather spongy, and from its less favourable exposure, not so well adapted for cultivation. The north and north-west portion of the parish, with a small exception immediately upon the banks of the Ae, con- sists of a cold moorish clay, covered in some places by a few inches of peat, and very unproductive. In the middle of Lochar meadow, there is a pretty high ridge, still called the hle^ upwards of half a mile in length) and containing about thirty Scotch acres ; which is entirely composed of sea sand, and evidently shows that at one time the tide must have flowed in this direction. In confirmation of this, it is said to have been found marked upon an old Dutch chart, '^ that the isles of Tinwald afforded the safest and most commodious harbour for shipping in Scotland." — Nearly opposite to the manse, too, at the bottom of what in former times must have been a deep narrow gut^ there is a place called Cottyveat, or Cully veat^ where there is the visible formation of a small bay. There was a ferry, it has been supposed, at this place ; and Cully veat is said to be a corruption of Collin's boat. A much more probable supposition, however, and one rendered doubly so by the circumstance of the Dutch having been acquainted with the Tinwald isles and harbours, is that the name in question signifies the^o^ of the ffully, voet being the low Dutch for foot. According to others it is of Gaelic extraction, and should be spelt cully vaf^ which signifies a liarhourfor boats. Zoology, — The Aphides^ a small green insect, sometimes ap- 42 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. pear, and do very considerable damage, especially to the Swed- ish turnips. They are most destructive in dry hot weather, when there is a deficiency of moisture in the atmosphere for the purposes of vegetation. The eggs are deposited upon the under side of the leaves of the most luxuriant plants, on the juice of which, after having been hatched, they live during the different stages of their progressive existence. Two years ago, I saw a small field of Swedes almost entirely destroyed by these little crea- tures ; the leaves were covered vdth hundreds upon every square inch, and in the course of about three weeks, except the back stem, and one or two of the larger veins, they were almost entirely withered away. In moist or genial weather they are seldom to be met with^ and then, when they do appear, vegetation is so vigorous, that the plants are able to sustain them, without receiving essential injury. Hot lime and salt are sometimes employed to destroy them, but ge- nerally without much effect. The turnip crops, however, are, at an earlier stage, and just as they begin to appear above ground, exposed to the depredations of another very destructive insect, usually, though perhaps improperly, called the turnip fly — the HdUica nemorum of entomologists : whole fields are sometimes so entirely destroyed by it, that it is found necessary to sow them a second time ; which seldom succeeds. Botany, — The rarer plants occurring in the parish are the fol- lowing: Briza medU Festuca Myunis Hippuris vulgaris Circaea Lutetiana Veronica Anagallis montana Utrictilaria vulgaris Lycopus europaeus Valeriana dioica Fedia dentata Phalaris canariensis Milidm eifusum Aira aquatica Mellca uniflora Poa decumbens gigantea elatior Bromus asper Echium vulgare Primula vulgaris* Campanula latifolia Jasione montana^-f' Solanum Dulcamara Rhamnus Frangula Slum verticillatum Cicuta virosa Paris quadrifi>lia Adoxa moschatellina Andromeda polifolia Stellaria nemorum -> 'glauca Arenaria trinervis Prunus Padus insititia Geum urbanum, Var. 0\ Aquilegia vulgaris Ranunculus auricomus § Trollius suropxeus Lepidium campestre * Var. ji Smith's English Flora, having some flower-stalks forming an umbel, and elevated on a common stalk, a few remaining single from the root, -f* Common in this neighbourhood, but not found upon the east coasts X Supposed by Smith to be a hybrid between G. urbanum and G. rivale* § The variety in which the petals are deficient is most prevalent. I am not aware of a single specimen having been found in the parish where more than two were pre- sent, and even of these generally one is imperfectly formed. TINWALD AND TRAILFLAT. 43 Comelina aativa * Eupatorium eannabinum Car«z cuita Cardamine amara Epipactus latifolia fulva Barbarea yulgaris Carex dioica recunra Nasturttum terrestre intennedia Aspidium lobatum Tragopogon prateiuis panicvJata Botrychium Lunaria A large portion of the parish was at one time covered with wood, the greater part of which was cut down by the last Duke of Queensberry ; and now, except a quantity upon the estate of Amis- field, very little remains. The soil seems most congenial to oak and ash. We have also a few small belts of Scotch and larch fir ; but these have all been planted. There is also here and there a tree of the more common descriptions, both of hard and of soft wood. The church and churchyard are surrounded by a thick row, at some places double, of large planes and ashes, upwards of a hundred years old. Of these, however, there are a greater number, and many of them of a greater age, upon the policy at Amisfield. And in the garden there, there is an old holly whose stem below the branches measures nine feet by seven and a-half as its mean girt. Its branches are rather peculiarly formed: for immediately upon the top of the trunk they diverge all around in such a manner as to form a large open space in the middle, where a number of people might conceal themselves. IL — Civil History. Eminent Men, — 1. The first person, in point of date, of any emi- nence connected with the parish appears to be Sir Thomas Charte- ris of Amisfield, who was appointed Lord High Chancellor of Scot- land by Alexander HI. in 1280. He seems to have been the first layman that ever held that office. — (Douglas* Baronage of Scotland, Vol.i.p. 160.) — 2. Sir Thomas Charteris, his great grandson, also connected vdth the parish, was appointed to the same office by King David in 1 134. He was killed at the battle of Durham, where his royal master was taken prisoner. — {Ibid.) 3. We find Sir John Charteris, also of Amisfield, holding, in the reign of James V., the of- fice of Warden of the West Marches, one of the most important un- der the crown : and there is a traditionary story of rather a singu- lar visit having been paid him by the king, which led to consequen- ces by which the family were in a great measure reduced. — fFor^ syth^s Beauties of Scotland, Vol. ii. p. 312.) This family was still farther reduced by the severities directed against it by the govern- * This, wiUi Phalaru canarktuiM, has been found only among young grass, with the seeds of which it may probably have been imported. 44 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. ment of the Protector, in consequence of the active aid lent by Sir John Charteris to Montrose towards the restoration of King Charles. 4. ^* The famous Paterson, too, who planned the Darien scheme, and the Bank of England, &c. was bom at Skipmire, in the old pa- rish of Trailflat, about the year 1660. The same house gave birth to his grand-nephew, Dr James Mounsey, first physician for many years to the Empress of Russia." 5. General Fead, also, was born at Fulton, in this parish, about the year 17t20. He enlisted a pri- vate in the British artillery, and rose from the ranks to be a gene- ral, and a very distinguished officer. Land^cwners* — The chief land-owners in the parish are the Mar- quis of Queensberry, Douglas of Craigs, Charteris of Amisfield, and Dalzell of Glenae. Parochial Register. — The only register in the parish regularly kept for any length of time is that of births ; the earliest entry in which is on April 4, 1762. Antiquities. — There are distinct traces of a camp of considerable size upon the top of Barshell hill, which, from its round form, is supposed to have been British. Hiere are also the visible remains of three smaller forts, one upon the farm of Shielhill, another at Highauchnane, and the third at Amisfield. The last, approaching to a square, may possibly have been a Roman station, where a cohort or two may occasionally have been placed. What renders this more probable is, that the old Roman road from Bumswark by Trailflat passed close by. At Amisfield, also, there is an old baronial tower, stiir perfectly entire, said to be the moSt perfect of the kind now existing in the kingdom. The old place of Tinwald, situated in what was formerly a part of Lochar Moss, and the seat of a branch of the Maxwell family, seems to have been well fitted for a place of defence. Till within a few years, part of the old building remained. It is now entirely demolished, and the materials have been removed. Modem Buildings. — There are three mansion-houses in the parish, — that of Glenae, belonging to Major Dalzell, — that of Tinwald, belonging to the Marquis of Queensberry; and Amis- field, the seat of the old family of Charteris. " The sirname Charteris" (-says Douglas in his Baronage of Scotland,) " is of great antiquity in Scotland. It is the opinion of some antiqua- ries that it is of French extraction, — that William, a son of the Earl of Charteris in France, came to England with William TINWALD AND TRAILTLAT. 45 the Conqueror, — that a sod or grandson of bis came to Scotland with King David the First, and was the progenitor of all of the simame of Charteris in this kingdom ; and certain it is they began to make a figure in the south of Scotland soon after that era." III. — Population. In 1801, the population was - 980 1811, . - - 1204 1821, - - - 1248 1831, - - - 1220 The decrease during the last twelve years has been occasioned by a great many cottages having been thrown down in the progress of improvement. There seems to be a general disposition among the proprietors to continue this practice, as the present cottars die out or remove. Amount of population residing in Tilljiges, ... S6l in the country part of parish, - 854 1. Number of families in the parish, ..... 238 of families chiefl j employed in agriculture^ ... 128 in trade, manufiwtures, or handicraftt 58 2l Number of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 17 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45, . - 74 8. The average number at births yearly for the last seven years, - - 28 ofdeaths, .... - 11 of marriages,* - ... 8 4. The number of persons at present under 15 years of age, - - 440 upwards of 70, - - - 40 5. The number of proprietors of land of the yearly vahie of L.50 and upwards, 7 The people, with few exceptions, are sober, cleanly, and indus- trious, strictly honest, and abundantly comfortable and contented with their situation and circumstances. Oatmeal pottage, with milk, is the general breakfast of the peasantry, and of the younger portion of every family in the parish. Potatoes among the work« ing-classes commonly occupy a principal place both at dinner and supper. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy, — There are (as nearly as I have been able to ascertain,) 9405 imperial acres in the parish, roads, fences, &c. included; and of these there are about 119 acres under wood, 350 in meadow, and 1647 which never have been cultivated, Of the last there may be a few acres, perhaps, * Returns respecting marriages can scarcely be relied on, as the parties Tcry fre- J quenUy belong to different parishes, and it is probable that in many cases their mar- ' riages may be returned for two parishes. 46 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. upon which the soil is so thin as not to admit of being pared and burnt ; and in this case, when lime and manure must both be driven from a distance, the profits arising from cultivation might not be great But in general the uncultivated land in the parish is either moss, or moor, of sufficient depth, and will eventually pay well for improvement, which is gradually, though slowly, advancing. Pro- bably 1500 acres might, with a profitable application of capital, be added to the cultivated land of the parish. Rent of Lcaid. — Arable land rents from 6s. to L. 2, 86. per acre, averaging about 16s. The average rate of grazing is, per cow, L. 3 ; per ox, K 2 ; and per ewe, or full-grown sheep, for the year, 10s. Rate of Wages. — Farm-servants are commonly hired by the half year; exclusive of board, men-servants receive from L. 5, 10s. to L. 6 ; women, L. 2, ds. to L. 2, 12s. Labourers engaged by the day are paid, in summer, with victuals, — men, from Is. to Is. 2d. ; women, 6d : without victuals during summer, men receive from 1 s. 6d. to Is. 8d.;«women, 9d., except during harvest, when men and women receive the same rates, which are frequently 2s., and sometimes 2s. 6d., according to the demand. In winter, without victuals, men are paid Is. dd. per day; women, 8d. Mason and carpenter-work is commonly done by the piece ; but when employed by the day, which occasionally happens, masons, with victuals, charge ds.; with- out victuals, ds. 6d. : carpenters, with victuals, 2s. ; without victuals, 2s. 6d. Tailors are paid, with victuals, at the rate of Is. 3d. per day. Breeds of Live Stock. — The common breed of cattle is the Gal- loway ; and very considerable attention has been for some time, and is still, paid to its improvement. Of late years, the Ayrshire breed has been introduced, and seems to be gaining ground. Of this latter description only the queys are reared ; and these when near- ly three years old, and in calf, are in great demand in the Eng- lish market. Htisbandry. — Farming is not in greater perfection in any part of Scotland than in this parish. Upon the best dry arable land, what is called the five-shift rotation, is followed, i. e. l«/year, oats ; 2d, potatoes or turnips fed off by sheep ; Sdj wheat or barley, sown down with clover and rye-grass ; 4^A, hay ; and 5/A, pasture. Upon cold land, not fit for wheat and barley, a seven years rota- tion is generally followed, viz. two crops of oats, one rape fed off by TINWALD AND TRAILFLAT. 47 sheep, another oats, sown down with grass seeds, and three years' pasture. Our best farmers plant but few potatoes, and cut only a small portion of their sown hay : even that, however, they never do upon their poor land, but allow it the advantage of an addi- tional year's pasturage. It is only about fifteen years since turnip husbandry a,pd good fanning were introduced into the parish. Previous to this period, the land was much over-cropped, and this seems still the prevailing error into which the less judicious of the tenantry are apt to fall. Most of the brushwood in the parish has been rooted ; and drain- ing, levelling of moss, paring and burning of moor, liming, &c. are carried on to a considerable extent every year. Irrigation is also practised where water can be had conveniently, but not to any great extent. The duration of leases is generally 19 years ; and for land adapt- ed to the Jive^hifi rotation none could be more favourable. 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. Thus a nineteen years' lease allows five seasons for cleaning and improving, the -whole of which time is required before the farm is got regularly over, and three full rota- tions afterwards, by which time it is sufficiently prepared for a new supply of lime, &c The state of farm-buildings, with three or four exceptions, is far from being good. The advantages of enclosing and subdividing are fully appreciated ; and nearly the whole arable part of the parish has been laid out in fields, sur- rounded by sufficient fences. The principal improvement recently made in the parish is the cultivation of the high grounds ; which the farmers have been able to effect by means of bone manure. These grounds are in general so difficult of access, that nothing bulky can be conveyed to them with- out a trouble and expense far exceeding the profit : and former- ly, when they became fogged, to which they have a tendency, they were commonly broken up ; and after carrying a crop or two, they were again laid out to improve themselves without any farther assist- ance. But now that bruised bones sufficient for a Scotch acre can be taken up in a single cart, (30 imperial bushels being the usual quantity,) we have the most luxuriant crops of turnip, and, con- sequently, of grain, upon the very tops of the hills. Rape dust is also used as a manure, in the proportion of about 10 and 12 cwts. to an acre. L.2147 3 9 1872 18 6 4062 4 2 1914 15 1125 640 1255 5 12d6 1314 534 10 630 260 270 420 10 490 20 20 48 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Produce. — The ayerage gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : Wheat, 6S71 imperial busheb at 6s. 3d. Baxley, 11329 imperial bushels at 38. 2d. Oats, 44,315 imperial bushels at Is. lOd. Poutoes, 30,636 cwts. at Is. 3d. Turnips, 375 acres Scotch at L. 3, Meadow hay, 51,200 stones of 24 lbs. at dd. Rye-grass hay, 50,210 stones of 24 lbs. at 6d. Cows grazed, 412 at L. 3, Cattle grazed, 657 at L. 2, Straw eonsumed by the above 1069 cattle at lOs. Pigs, while fed upon grass. 504 at L. 1^5$. Sheep wintered upon grass, 65 scores at L. 4, Sheep grazed during the year, 27 scores at L. 10, Additional cattle wintered upon straw, 841 at lOs. Young horses, 70 at L. 7, Orchards, L. 20, - Annual sales of wood, L. 20, ... Total, - JL. 18,212 6 5 There are 83 pairs of farm-horses constantly employed in agri- cultural labour within the parish ; and there are about 2000 Highland wedders fed off upon turnip annually. The produce or rent of cottages may be about L. 213 per annum. V. — Parochial Economy. Market'T&ums. — ^Dumfries, our principal market-town, lies up- on the S. W. of, and is distant about six miles from, the middle of the parish. There are also occasional markets at Lochmaben and Lockerby, which lie upon the east, — the latter about the same dis- tance as Dumfries, the former three miles nearer. Dumfries and Lochmaben are our post towns. About four miles of the turn- pike road between Dumfries and Edinbuifrh lie within the pa- rish; upon which a mail-coach passes and repasses daily. Our parish roads and bridges are in an excellent state of repair. . Ecclesiastical State. — The church is situated rather inconve- niently upon the western side of the parish, about a mile from the one extremity, and five from the other. It was built in 1763, is a long narrow rectangular house, without either aisle or gallery. It is in a state of good repair, and affords accommodation for about 400 sitters. The seats are all common, except the few which have been attached to the principal farms, and those which are ocQupied by resident proprietors. The manse was built in 1720, and un- derwent considerable repairs in 1790, and also in 1800. The glebe consists of about seventeen Scotch acres, fences, &c. TINWALD AND TRAFLFLAT. 49 included ; it is all arable, and if let might bring of yearly rent from L. 30 to L.35. The stipend is composed of L. 1 14, 4s. 5/jd. money ; 265 stones imperial of oatmeal; 77.676 imperial bushels of barley; and L. 8^ 128. lOd. of Government allowance, — communion elements included. The amount of the stipend in money is L. 150. The parish church is the only place of public worship in the parish ; though occasionally the dissenters make use of a bam as a sort of chapel. There are 22 families, consisting of 87 individuals, who do not attend the Established church. Of these, two families consisting of 9 individuals, are Roman Catholics, and one, con- sisting of 8 individuals, ranks among the Independents. The rest are dissenters and seceders. The Established church, however, has always been well attended : and the people in general have a proper sense of the importance of the public ordinances of religion. The Sacrament is dispensed once in the year, and usually to about 400 communicants. Collections in the church average about L. 30 yearly ; and once in the three years or thereabouts a collection, amounting to L. 12 or L. 15, is made for some religious or charitable purpose, in which the parish is not immediately interested. Education. — There are two schools in the parish, both parochial, at which all the ordinary branches of education are taught The principal schoolmaster has two chalders of oatmeal, and the in- terest of L. 114 of mortified money, for a salary, amounting in whole to Li. 37, 12s. 9d. The other has one chalder, and the in<* terest of L. 77, — in money, L. 19, 8s. 4Jd. Both have the legal accouHnodation ; — the former a great deal more. The wages paid in the parish school may be stated upon an average to amount to L. 30 per annum. Children are commonly sent to school about four and five years of age, and no persons above six years old are unable to read. The people are fully alive to the advantages of instruction, and would much rather deprive themselves of many of the comforts of life than withhold from their children the benefits of a liberal education. Savings Bank, — Some years ago there was a savings bank in the parish, which at first, while the thing was new, and the per centage high, succeeded pretty well. But as soon as the novelty was over, and the rate of interest reduced, it gradually went backwards, and was at last given up as no longer beneficial, — the people generally preferring to go to the larger banks, where they can deposit their DUMFRIES. D 50 DUMFBIES-SHIRE. money, without any one attending, either to what they have or what they have not. Poor and Parochial Funds. — We have 14 individuals upon our poors' roll, who regularly receive parochial relief; but of these there is only one entirely dependent upon the parish, and for his board L. 4 per annum is paid. The others receive from L. 1 to L. 2 yearly, according to their necessities. There are about 6 or 8 more who require a little occasional assistance. The annual amount of contributions for support of the poor are, our church collections, which average about L. 26 in the year, and the interest of L. 300, mortified by various charitable persons. Besides these, the Duke of Quensberry allows six free cottages to poor old women ; and the late Mr Douglas of Craigs was a regular benefactor of the poor, as well as a very generous landlord. The poor in general are at first very averse to seek parochial relief; and there are individuals in the parish who, I believe, would almost rather starve than have recourse to it. This noble spirit of independence I do all in my power to encourage. But when once individuals are fairly upon the roll, they sooiv lose all feeling ^ of delicacy, take their allowance as their right, and in some in- stances, instead of being thankful for the portion they receive, upbraid the members of the session with partiality in the distribu- tion. For the last four years, (the period during which I have had the management of the poors' funds,) not a single name has been ad- ded to the public list I find from experience that 8s. or 10s. given privately (when the people can rely upon the discretion of the donor) will excite more gratitude, and afibrd more true comfort, than a pound given otherwise. Alehouses. — There are at present two small dram-shops in the parish, which we have the prospect of soon getting rid of. They have the worst possible effect upon the morals of the people : and there is scarcely a crime brought before a court that has not origi- nated in, or been somehow connected with, one of these nests of ini- quity. All our toll-keepers have houses of this description, and our country roads are to a considerable extent maintained by the gains of intemperance. We are highly indebted to the Circuit Judges for the severe terms in which they occasionally reprobate the tole- rance of such places. Their reproofs ha^te had a good effect Fuel. — The common fuel used is peat, a great part of which is procured in Lochar Moss, in the parish of Dumfries. In cases TINWALD AND TRAILFLAT. 51 where the material has to be paid for, a single horse load costs from Is. 6d. to 2s.; and when moss is attached to the farm or house, the load costs from Is. to Is. 6d. according to the difficulty of cut^ ting. Coals are beginning to come into more general use. These are brought from the English coast to Dumfries by water, and are sold commonly about 8s. per cart load. They are also to be had at Sanquhar, at about de. per cart load. Miscellaneous Observations. The time of sowing oats and barley is about ten days earlier now, than that stated in the former Statistical Account of the parish; and wheat after turnips is very frequently sown about the end of Decem- ber, and sometimes even later. The average rent, especially of the best arable and meadow land, is fully double of what it seems to have been then. Dry hard land, which formerly was not worth one-third of the holm land per acre, is now (in consequence of the facility with which bone manure, &c. can be procured) fully equal to that in value. There are not now above five scores of stock sheep in the parish. The rental of the parish, which at the time the for- mer Statistical Account was written, is stated to have been L.2559, is now L.6208. The population has increased from 850 to 1215. The weekly church collections have advanced from L. 15 to L. 26 per annum ; and the mortified money from L. 140 to L. 300. The wages of day labourers have been raised from Is. to Is. 6d. ; car- penters from Is. lOd. to 2$. 6d. ; masons from Is. lOd. to ds. 6d. ; tailors from 8d. to Is. dd. And the minister's stipend has been advanced from Lb 77, 4s. to L. 150. Parish roads, then reported to have been bad, are now excellept : all Macadamized. The parish is very properly divided into small and large farms, varying from L. 40 to L. 600 of rental, thus afibrding for sdl classes a sufficient motive to industry. The servant, by frugality and care, raises himself to a small tenant, and the small tenant is, by the same means, raised to a greater. This system of progressive advance- ment, however, can never possibly come into salutary operation, so long as the law of hypothec is permitted to remain. A man who has little or nothing to lose is much less timorous, and much more ready to bind himself for the payment of a large rent, than one possessed of capital. And as the law now is, a proprietor has little interest in being scrupulous about a tenant, for, lose who may, it must be his own fault if he ever do ; while the tenant, if so dis- 52 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. posed, has it in his power to practice the grossest frauds upon his creditors. Nothing, however, would contribute more to promote the com- fort and happiness of the labouring classes in this quarter, than the good government and general improvement of Ireland. We are constantly infested with swarms of Irish vagrants, who, besides being in general superior workers with the spade, have commonly, while they remain, their wives engaged in begging, if not in stealing, and are thus enabled to undertake work at a lower rate than that by which our own countrymen can support themselves. January 1834. PARISH OF KIRKMAHOE. PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JOHN WIGHTM AN, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries. — The name of the parish is of doubtful origin, but perhaps it may signify the church in the valley, or in the plain, near or by the river. Indeed, the Nith is still not far from the church, and has left evident proofs of its having, at some former period, run close by the church walls, and passed through Lochar Moss in its way to the Solway Frith. The pa- rish is bounded by Dumfries on the S. and S. E. ; by Holywood on the W. ; by Dunscore on the N. W. ; by Closebum on the N. ; and by Kirkmichael and Tinwald on the N. E. and E. It is 7^ miles in length, and, at its greatest breadth, it is 5^ miles broad. It contains between 18 and 19 square miles. Topographical Appearances. — The hills range from N. to S., with peaks pointing eastward, and the exposure is W. and S. W., — the land rising gradually till it terminates in heights, some of which are 600, and -some 670, feet above the level of the sea. Wardlaw (Guard hill) and Auchengeith hill rise 770 feet above the sea level, and have a declivity southward. Our hill streams have in several places formed ** hermit^fancied caves" for their Naiads out of the living rock, in the most curious style ; and there is a cave at Crofthead of Dalswinton which deserves to be men- tioned. Kirkmahoe is entirely an inland parish, but there is a beautiful view of the sea, from the uplands and hills, especially the Watchman's hill, where in a clear day the Solway is seen in the distance. Meteorology. — The medium temperature is about 47° and the prevailing winds are the W. and the S. W. We, as well as others, have our prognostics of changes in * the weather. Not to men- tion the signs afforded by Criffel, a high hill which overlooks the estuary of the Nith, we may notice that if, during the day, the i 54 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. face of nature be remarkably bland and sweet, and, especially, if in the afternoon, a certain sunny softness seem to sleep on the land- scape, or if the hamlet's smoke rise in long straight |)illars, a very heavy fall of rain is likely to take place before the close of next day. So also at night, when the galaxy is vivid and strongly de- fined, and the stars are twinkling with a sickly lustre, a similar sequence may be expected. The splendid meteor, or Draco volans of 1783, was distinctly seen and carefully observed by the writer of this account, while it sailed in superb majesty over the town and neighbourhood of Dumfries, with a tremendous length of train, (longo tractu, a tergo albes- cente !) and while it moved equably in a S. E. direction, sinking at last from view towards the mouth of the river Annan, when a rumbling noise was heard as if some huge mass of red-hot iron had there fallen into the sea. Hydrography. — The river Nith, though it intersects a small cor- ner of the parish at Isle, may perhaps be said rather to form its west boundary than to be one of its streams. We have several stream- lets or bums, however, which are generally very romantic and pic- turesque in their scenery, and abound in trout* In the Duncow or Newlands burn there are three waterfalls, one of which, (the Whitehall or Glencarrick leap^) when the stream is swollen with heavy rains, presents a sight peculiarly striking. Geology. — On the rocky banks of some of our streams, beds or strata of stone are observable, generally dipping to the west There is a red freestone quarry (wrought with pick and wedges) at Quarrel (Quarry) wood, having its dip in the same direction; and there is at the same place a variety of sandstone impregnated with that variety of red iron ore used by the natives of Southern Africa in painting their bodies and powdering their hair, which has been noticed by geologists. Some white marl has been found in the southern parts of the parish. Near the middle of the parish, in sinking for water, 60 feet of loose watery gravel were found, and beneath the gravel, 12 or 14 feet of very fine sand of a red colour, and soft as brown sugar. The depth of this bed is not known. On the high grounds are often found mossy strata about six inches thick, then a bed of earthy gravel, after that, red tiU^ schist, and decomposed slaty rocks. A gravelly soil, inclining much to sand, intermixed with small round stones, is generally found on the hraes or sloping grounds, while there is on the low lying or hohn land an alluvial soil intimately mingled with clay, and apparently KIBKMAHOE. 55 resting on water. The banks of the Nith, at the fords, are covered with heaps of small stones of almost every shape and colour. Some of them are curiously marked with straight, some with curved lines, some with spots of various hues, and some are graced with red cir- cles. Many' are of a soft and snowy whiteness, and not a few of a creamy paleness. These two last kinds appear to be peculiar to the valley rivers, and are not to be found in our mountain streams, — at least of such fine grain and quality. The strath and the rising ground, also, from the river to the very tops of the dis- tant eminences, are Ml of pebbles and rolling-stones, evidently smoothed and rounded by attrition ; and here and there specimens of farcilite or pudding-stone may be observed, and small stones embodied with larger ones. The Nith, it would appear, at differ- ent periods, and by different tracts respectively, has run through all these undulating grounds before it sunk, in the lapse- of centu- ries, to its now lowly bed, or before they rose to their present va- rious heights. But by what instrumental agency was this depres- sion, or this elevation, effected ? The fresh water of our streams, and the briny surges of the Solway, may have been at work " in old dusky time," with the aid of some electric or elastic auxiliaries, (some subterranean fires, or submarine springs?) forming those high and hollow places which now exhibit the appearance of a swelling sea, converted into grass and corn-fields. Botany, — Under this head there is nothing peculiar to the pa- rish ; but it may be mentioned, that we have many plantations, less or more extensive ; and we have, in various places, a great number of beautiful trees, some of which stand in social clumps, and others in solitary state, on the lands of Dalswinton, Camsalloch, Miln- head, Carzield, Kemyshall, Whitehall, Netherhall, Auchencaim, Glenmaid ; and in other parts of the parish there are planta- tions of various sorts of timber; and new plantations are rising on every hand. The prospect is thus finely diversified, and the grounds exhibit a rich and sheltered appearance. At Dalswinton there are many stately Scots elms, some in graceful ranks, and some in no less agreeable confusion, while others stand majes- tically alone. There are also here fine beeches, some of which measure above, twelve feet in circumference at the height of four feet. A noble ash stands here also, measuring 21 feet in cir- cumference, and containing 300 feet of solid timber. In one of the parks there is a gigantic oak, under the protection of whose knotted arms, it has been said that 1000 armed men might 56 DUMFRIES-SHiRE. easily stand without jostling one another. There are also some large and stately trees on the estate of Carnsalloch. Two noble files of beeches, planted by the late Alexander Johnston, Esq. and which were among the first hedge-rows in this part of the country, form, when they are in leaf, a fine berceau-canopy over the head of the traveller on the public road, and afford him a plea- sant vista on his way to or from Dumfries. Near the mansion- house of Carnsalloch there is a Spanish or sweet chestnut, very remarkable for its size and beauty* At the head of the huge trunk, it branches out into four large arms nearly equal in size, one of which was broken in February 1827 by a high wind, but the other three are almost entire. In August 1826, this tree contained 528 cubic feet of timber. The trunk now (Jan. 8^ 1834,) is 28 feet, each of the three remaining branches 1 1 feet in cir- cumference, and the average diameter of the ground over-canopied by its grandly spreading boughs is 18 paces ! Not far from Carn- salloch gate, on the east side of the road, stands a venerable oak, which contains 282 cubic feet of wood. The trunk itself contains 117 feet of solid timber, and is 9 feet 7 inches high, and 25 paces are the average ground which this gnarled dignitary overhangs with his giant arms. It is not yet twenty years since this tree was seriously believed by some otherwise sensible persons to be haunted by a spirit. IL — Civil History. Historical Notices. — Four large estates, which in former times were much more extensive than they are now, constituted the principal part of this parish ; and a short notice of these will, in some degree, illustrate this head of its statistics. 1. Dalswinton, or the Dale of S win ton. We find this estate first in the possession of the Cumins, and afterwards in that of the Stewarts. " In 1250, Sir John Cumin possessed the manor of Dalswinton, and Duncol, or Duncow, and in that year he gave the monks of Melrose a free passage through the lands of these ma- nors to their granges in Nithsdale," (Dunscore?); but, on the ac- cession of Bruce, Dalswinton was granted to Walter Stewart, third son of Sir John Stewart of Jedworth, and it remained in the pos- session of the Galloway family till 1680, when, with some speci- fied exceptions, the barony of Dalswinton was disponed to the Duke of Queensberry. This estate became afterwards the pro- perty of the Maxwells, and about fifty years ago, it was sold by 4 KIRKMAHOE. 57 them to the late enterprising Patrick Miller, Esq. who made many expensive improvements on it. This fine estate, which contains 5132 imperial acres, and is about a third part of the parish, is now the property of James Macalpine Leny, Esq. whose excellent qua- lities of character have raised him high in public esteem, and se- cured him the affection of all who have the honour of being ac- quainted with him. He has tastefully improved upon some of Mr Miller's arrangements, — rendered the approach to the mansion- house much more convenient, — ^and adorned its precincts with some exquisitely rich and beautiful decorations. 2. Duncow or Duncol, so called from the round hill or doan at the village, and signifying the same thing with cow or colhilL This barony also belonged once to the Cumins. It was forfeited (as well as Dalswinton) on the accession of ^ruce, and was bestowed on Robert Boyd. In August 1550, Robert Lord Maxwell was re- turned to the 20 pound land of Dunkow, in right of his father, of the same name and title. From that time it remained in the possession of the Nithsdale family till about forty years ago, when it was sold to various purchasers, some of whom bought their own farms. So indulgent to their tenantry were the Maxwells of Niths- dale ! It was in this village that King James V. spent the night, and where he left his attendants before he paid his angry visit to Sir John Charteris of Amisfield, as related by Grose. Until about thirty years ago, a large stone marked the site of the cottage where the king slept, near the small doan called the Chapel-hill. 3. Milnhead or Mitthead. In May 1700, Bertha, spouse of Robert Brown of Bishopton, and heiress of Homer Maxwell of Kilbean, was returned as possessing certain lands, specified in the document, with the 4s. land of Milnhead. This estate was possessed by the family of Brown till, some twenty years ago, the late Miss Winefred Brown left it to Frederick Maxwell, Esq. and other heirs of entail. It contains 1061 acres, and is now in the possession of Henry MajLwell, Esq. one of thesa heirs, and third son of the late Marmaduke Constable Maxwell, Esq. of Nithsdale, who was one of the best of landlords, and whose soos, three of whom are extensive proprietors, inherit the liberal views of their father. 4. Camsallochithe ^^ cairn of the willows," as some have supposed, or rather " the cairn of 'the shallow." In 1550, as appears from a return, August 5th of that year, it was in the possession of Robert Lord Maxwell. He gave it to Homer Maxwell, a younger son, 58 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. with Durrisquhin, (now Dalscone,) and a Li 5 property within the liberties of Dumfries, and the estate was possessed by the Max- well family till it was sold to the late Alexander Johnston, Esq. about the year 1750. It is now in the possession of his son, the learned and accomplished Peter Johnston, Esq. who, at the very advanced age of about eighty years, enjoys entire the faculties of his vigorous and cultivated mind, and is the delight and the orna- ment of his social and domestic circle. The Earl of Galloway had formerly a large property in this pa- rish, and there is still a place distinguished by the name of ^^ Gar- lies ;" but the parish is now possessed by a great number of pro- prietors, of whose estates and families the limits prescribed to this survey preclude a particular description. The proprietors of Dals- winton, Carnsalloch, and Milnhead, possess nearly the half of the parish, the other part belongs to forty different land-owners. Eminent Men. — Under this head the late Patrick Miller, Esq. of Dalswinton well deserves to be noticed. His ingenuity and per- severance in applying the wonderful power of steam to the purposes of navigation will transmit his name with honour to posterity. Patrick Miller, Esq. his eldest son, has published an elaborate ** Narrative of Facts" on his claim to the invention and practice of steam navigation, to which the reader is referred for ample and satisfactory information upon this interesting subject The present archdeacon of Calcutta, Daniel Corrie, belongs also to this parish, and received his education at the parochial school. His grand- father was tenant of Duncow mill, and his father was curate at Colsterworth in Lincolnshire. The late Luke Frazer, Esq. of Glen- maid, who was so long an able and zealous instructor of youth in the High School of Edinburgh, was bom at Auchenrath. Mr Al- lan Cunningham, well known for his various literary publications, is a native of this parish. So also, I may add, is Mr Andrew Crichton, author of the Life of Blackadder, History of Arabia, &c. It may be noticed also, that Sir Andrew Halliday, physi- cian, was in early life a candidate for our parish school at Duncow. Parochial Register. — The earliest dake of our parish register, containing baptisms, marriages, discipline, and division of poors' money, is 1725 : it has been always kept with considerable care, except during the last incumbency. For a long time the dissen- ters declined to give their names to be inserted, though they had the offer of registration free of expense. Even now our registers arc not entirely full. KIRKMAHOE. 59 Antiquities. — There are several motes in this parish, but they are of a circular and British, not of a square and Roman form. In the appendix of Dr Singer's Survey of the county, No. 18, there is notice taken of a Roman road, which is described as having passed through the northern part of this parish, and the remains of forts, barrows, and tumuli, are still to be recognized in several parts of it — In a shoemaker's garden at Duncow an urn was lately dug up, with something in it like ashes, but it was broken by the spade. — In digging for a foundation to our new church, the workmen found a human skeleton lying in a different direction from that of other dead bodies in our burying-grounds, with its head towards the south, with an axe, very like a conmion one, and a lamina, apparently of iron or steel, like a sword-blade, deposited by its left side. The axe handle and the bones when touched crumbled into dust, being entirely rotten, and the axe's head, and the sword-like blade, were almost totally consumed with rust, — " exesa rubigine scabra !" Mr Allan Cunningham, who spent his boyish days near the spot where it stood, remembers to have seen the ruins of Cumin's castle at Dalswinton. He says, in a letter to the writer, ^' when Comyn was slain in Dumfries" (when Bruce had given him the '^ perilous gash," and Kirkpatrick *^ had makit sicker") ^' Bruce, it is said, burnt his castle ;" and adds, *' that a part of the walls was standing in 1792." They were, he says, 12, and, in one place, 14, feet thick, and *^ bits of burnt wood" were still cling- ing to them. He notices the old cow-house of Dalswinton as a great curiosity, and says, that he had seen it entire, with its " heavy stone vault," its " outer door of wrought iron," and ** its inner door traced with broad iron bars, fastened with iron rivets." — " Three distinct lines of entrenchment" were seen and carefully traced by Mr Cunningham and his intelligent father, en- compassing ** the summit of Moloch hill," above Dalswinton vil- lage, when they were measuring the land with a chain. These lines were *^ composed of earth and stone, forming room for an ar- my to encamp." He also says, that below, ^* on the south side of the same hill," there had been ^^ defences of the same sort on a much smaller scale." " The Nith," Mr Cunningham remarks, " instead of circling the Scaur of EUisland, and running nigh the Isle, directed its course by Bankfoot, and came close to the castle;" and he remembers *^ a pool near the old house of Dalswinton called Comyn's pool, which 60 DUMFRIE8-SHIRE. belonged to the old water course, and connected itself with the back water in the Willow isle, by the way of the Lady's meadow. Here Cumin is alleged to have sunk his treasure^chest before he went to Dumfries, leaving it in charge of the water sprite. A net, it is said, was fixed in this pool, to which a small bell in the castle was attached, which rang when a salmon was in the snare !" ^^ The golden pippius and honey pears" which were produced in the orchard, on or near the place once occupied by the notable pool, must not be entirely overlooked. The pippins grew on six remarkable trees : the pears on the same number of trees were no less remarkable, and the fruit, for flavour and sweetness, could not then be ^^ equalled in any other garden of the district." III. — Population. The number of parishioners, as far back as the writer can trace it, has never been less than 1000. In 1755, it was 1096 1821, - - - - 1608 1831, ... - ICOI The number of males by the last census was - 776 of females, ... 825 Upwards of forty persons, old and young, have emigrated to America within the last ten years. About 500 reside in villages, and about 1100 in the other parts of the parish. 1. Number of families in the parish, - - - 938 of families chiefly employed in agriculture, - 152 chiefly employed in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 102 2. The average number of births yearly is about - - - 50 of deaths, .... 30 of marriages, ... 20 3b The number of persons at present under 15 years of age, - - 600 upwards of 70, - - - 10 There are 4 families who have comparatively large estates; 10 or 12, or even more, who may be said to be " of independ- ent fortune." Twenty-eight landed proprietors receive each L. 50 and upwards of annual rent. Character and Habits of the People, — The people are generally disposed to cleanliness, with respect to dwelling, furniture, food, and clothing. They are neat in their dress, and especially in their Sunday attire. Their clean and comfortable appearance, as well as their devout and becoming deportment in the church on the Sabbath day, has often attracted the notice, and received the ap- plause, of strangers. The ordinary food of the people consists of . the different preparations of oatmeal, of potatoes, milk, and flesh KIRKMAHOE. 61 meat. Tradesmen, such as masons, joiners, black^niths, and tai- lors, when well employed, live and dress in a very comfortable way. Weavers of all kinds of home-made clothing, who were once a pretty numerous class here, but whose occupation is now almost gone, owing to the introduction of the power loom, have, at least many of them, been obliged to fall into the ranks of farm-labour- ers, thus diminishing the comforts of both classes. Our people are in general well-informed, smcerely religious, and morally cor- rect. Few of them are ever guilty of gross offences against jus- tice, charity, or temperance. IV. — Industry. Agricultwre and Rural Economy. — This is properly an agricul- tural parish, and perhaps produces more food for man, according to its extent, than any other parish in the county. The lower part of it has been called ** the trough of Nith" (which may hejreely translated com-chest or granary.) That river, as viewed from the heights above Dalswinton village, presents the form of an immense com sickle, with the back of its crescent, or curve, turned to Clow- hill, and with its handle stretching up towards Isle and EUisland, and may suggest to the imagination of the classical spectator the rich harvests which are yearly reaped on its fertile banks. A thousand acres of arable land lie along the river, and about 10,000 acres of the parish are occasionally under the plough. This was the case, at least, not above five or six years ago ; but some reckon that there are not many more than 8000 acres now of that description, the ground in some parts being considered as paying better in pasture than in tillage. About 500, or perhaps near 600,, acres are in wood, and 400 of these are on the estate of Dalswinton. There are 4000 acres which have never been cultivated; of these, 200 at least might, by the judicious '^ application of capital, be added to the cultivated land of the parish." On the remainder, nature seems to have pronounced her veto, and doomed it to continue under per- petual servitude in her own hand. A considerable portion of ground is occupied by single trees, and by trees standing together, to the number of two or three. Rent of Land. — The average rent is 19s. per acre ; the average rent of grazing is L. 3 per ox, if fed in winter with fodder ; L. 5 per cow; 12s. per sheep, if winter fed; but a sheep may be pas- tured for 6s. per annum. The gross rental of the parish is from L. 9000 to L. 10,000 a year. 62 DUMFRIES-SIIIRE. Rate of Wages* — A man-servant maintained in the family gets from Lb 5 to L. 7 in the half year, and a female from L. 2 to L. 3^ ds. The farm-servant, called a hen/tfit man, has a cottage and kitchen garden, a pint of skimmed milk per day, 30 cwt of po- tatoes, also his fuel led home, and about L. 20 in money. When he maintains himself and his family, he receives from L. 22 to L. 25. A labourer, per day, receives from 1st March to 1st No- vember. Is. Od., and for the remainder of the year. Is. dd., with- out victuals. Mowers, without victuals, receive per day from 2& to 2s. 6d. ; and with victuals, Is. 6d. Joiners get in summer from Is. 6d. to 2s. per day, and masons the same. Smiths generally contract with farmers at L. 2, 10s. per annum, to keep a plough and the iron work of a pair of horses in good order, finding the iron, as well as performing the work, but when there is no contract, each piece of work is charged separately. Breeds of Live Stock. — The common breed of sheep is the Che- viot breed, crossed by Leicester rams. About 70 or 80 scores of lambs are annually raised on the hill grounds ; and in most of the farms, the calves are sold to the fleshers of Dumfries when about six weeks old, at from dOs. to 40s. each, according to the quality of the veal. It is becoming a practice here to buy Highland draught ewes, and bring them to the lower grounds, — to take the lambs from the ewes, and send them to Liverpool, and to fatten the ewes for the same market Husbandry, — The alternate system of husbandry is prevalent with us ; viz. oats from lea ; fallows of potatoes and turnips, the lat- ter fed off by sheep ; wheat or barley, and sown down with grass seeds ; one or more years lying in grass, as the subdivisions of the farm will permit Some tenants prefer a crop of barley after wheat ; but this is generally considered as bad management, and the practice is fast falling into disuse. The following order of hus- bandry has also been obligingly communicated to the writer, and is approved by very competent judges in our parish. For holm land, fifst year, oats ; second year, part potatoes and part turnips, the turnips fed off by sheep; third year, wheat, sown down with grass seeds ; fourth year, grass to be cut for hay. For hard land, the two first years, the same order as for holm hmd; the third year, barley, sown down with grass seeds; the fourth year, grass, part for cutting, and part for pasture. Irrigation is used only to a small extent, but surface draining is much practised, and is found very useful ; but by sending off the water from the pastures, our rivulets are pro- 3 KIRKMAHOE. 63 portionally swelled. The Nith sometimes threatens to break into our fine corn-fields, but they are well defended against ^^ the horn- ed flood" by strong and expensive embankments and fences of va- rious forms and materials, constqjpted and executed with all the skill which science could furnish, and with every auxiliary of art. The general duration of leases is fifteen years, but some (arms are let for nineteen, and some for only seven years. Our proprie- tors appear to take delight in seeing the dwelling-houses on their respective properties neat and comfortable, and even elegantly com- modious, and all their office-houses suitable and substantial The principal improvements of a general nature are, the feeding of sheep with turnips, which is more practised now in this parish than it was in the whole county thirty years ago ; thrashing-machines, intro- duced by the late Mr Miller of DaJswinton, (who also made us ac- quainted with the ruta baga) ; iron ploughs; and the use of bone ma- nure. The most approved plans of husbandry have been eagerly adopted and ardently prosecuted by our agriculturists, who form a numerous and respectable body of the population. It would be dif- ficult to do any thing like justice to those individuals who have re- claimed waste lands, and made the wilderness a com or grass field, or a green wood ; who have thus graced our hills and moors with in- delible memorials of their industry and perseverance. The late Patrick Miller, Esq. of Dalswinton ; the late William Allan, Esq. of Newlands ; James Dinwiddle, Esq. of Whitehall ; Joseph Bell, Esq. of Netherhall ; Joseph Mitchell, Esq. of Whitestanes ; John Morin, Esq. of Carzield, deserve to be particularly noticed. Un- der the animating auspices of our landlords, the parks and fields in the lower grounds have of late assumed an improved appearance, and cultivation has ascended our heights as far as she could urge her way. The moor-cock, with his frighted covey, fled at the start- ling sound of fervent industry, and, from his rocky retreats, crowed defiance to the tyrants that would encroach on his wild domain, or, in moody melody, deplored the abridgement of his ancient bounds ! Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw* produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : — I Grain ©fall kinds, - . - . . L. 13,500 PotatoeSy turnips, &e. with the gross produce of green crop, hay pasture^ and the stock fed thereon, ... 6,.500 L. 20,000 64 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Tawju — Dumfries is the nearest market-town^ and is scarcely two miles distant from the south part of the parish. We have no post-offices ; but a rui^r, or penny-post, to carry letters to and from the town might be useful. A spacious public road runs, almost six miles, in a longitudinal way through the parish. The bridges and fences are kept in good repair. Ecclesiastical State. — It appears from ancient records, that " Da- vid IL granted to the monks of Arbroath the church of St Quin- tin of Kirkmaho, in the diocese of Glasgow." This grant, how- ever, seems never to have been effectual, at least tis to the pa- tronage, for that " continued to belong to the Stewarts," who suc- ceeded the Cumins in the barony ^^ of Dalswinton. In 1429, the rectory of Kirkmaho was constituted one of the prebends of the bishoprick of Glasgow, with the consent, however, of Marion Stew- wart, the heiress of Dalswinton, and of Sir John Forrester, her se- cond husband, and of William Stewart, her son and heir ; she and her heirs continued to be patrons of this rectorial prebend.* At the Reformation, the rectory of Kirkmaho was held by John Stewart, the second son of the patron. Sir Alexander Stewart of Grarlies. In the seventeenth century, the patronage of Kirkmaho passed, with tj^e barony of Dalswinton, from the Earl of Galloway to the Earl of Queensberry. It continued in the Queensberry family through- out the eighteenth century, and in 1810 passed to the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry." f The parish church was built twelve years ago, a little farther to the north than the old church, and stands exactly four miles distant from the cross of Dumfries. It is a comely Gothic structure, and, amidst the trees of the churchyard and vicinity, it makes a very graceful appearance. Its situation, however, is far from being con- venient for a part of the population. It has no seats peculiarly appropriated to the poor. The manse was built in 1799, and has had almost no repair hi- therto. The glebe contains about eight acres of good land. The stipend, by the last augmentation, commencing with crop and year 1825, is 16 chalders, half meal half barley, payable in money, according to the highest fiars prices of the county, yield- ing, upon an average of the last seven years, about L. 275 ; besides L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. * See the original deed in Crawfunrs Lives of the Officers of State, j- Caledonia, Vol. iii. pp. 161. 162. KIRKMAHOE. 65 At Quarrelwood there is a dissenting meeting-house belonging to the Cameronian Presbyterians ; but, for some years past, di- vine service has been seldom performed in^ as the hearers have a new chapel in Dumfries, where attendance is more convenient for them. There are 1600 parishioners in Kirkmahoe ; and of these perhaps 20 are Cameronians, — ^20 or 30 more, perhaps, attend different meeting-houses in Dumfries ; all the rest profess to at* tend the parish church, and are in that respect, on the whole, very exemplary. The writer records this circumstance with much and heartfelt satisfaction. The average number of communicants may be 600 ; and about 80 conmiunicate for the first time at the cele- bration of the Lord's Supper every summer, on the first Sunday of July. JSdtuuUioiL—sThere are three schools in this parish^ whose mas- ters receive each a part of the parochial salary, — one at the village of Duncow, the master of which school receives an yearly salary ot Lb 25, Ids. 3d.; another in Dalswinton village, whose salary is L. 17 ; and there is a third school in a remote comer of the parish, to which is appropriated the yearly sum of L. 8, Os. 6|d. Besides these there are two or three private schools. Two well-disposed females teach a few young girls to sew and to read. Latin and Greek, and the practical branches of mathematics, are occasionally taught in our schools. The total amount of school fees received at the three parochial schools is probably about K 120. The ac- conunodation of none of the public teachers is so comfortable as could be wished. Liirary.*^A parish library was opened in the school-house of Duncow, under the auspices of the present minister, on the 1st day of January 1800, and for some years the concern flourished ; but by degrees it languished, and at last expired. Books were so nume- rous in private houses, and so easily to be gotten from the pub- lic libraries of Dumfries, that we allowed this parish light to go out The average number of poor on the session-roll is 28. It was 22 fifty years ago. L. 2, on an average, are given yearly to each pauper from the church collections ; and L. 2, 10s. or more, when otber sources are taken into the account. No other methods have yet been employed to provide for the poor, besides the collections and the interest of our mortified money, amounting to L. 500. Within these last few years, some poor persons have been heard saying, in a bold tone, that ^^ the rich are obliged to maintain the DUMFRIES. E 66 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. poor." If absent heritors do not contribute their parts in aiding the parish funds, and if Toluntary contributions are not generally and liberally supported, some legal assessment, it is feared, must soon become more general. Alehouses, — We have four alehouses, where spirits are sold. The half of the number would be sufficient ; but it is right to ad- mit, that the houses are kept in an orderly manner. FueL-^^The fuel generally used is peat and coals ; the latter are brought from the collieries at Sanquhar, Kirkconnel, and Mans- field, and also more frequently from the coal-vessels at Dumfries, which import them in large quantities from the coast of Cumber- land. Miscellaneous Observations. A very general change has taken place in the condition and aspect of this parish within these last forty years. Property has been much divided, and the purchasers of the divisions have been emulously diligent in improving them. New and neat villas have arisen on every side ; polished farms and thriving plantations adorn the prospect ; and the eye is delighted with the most tasteful forms of sylvan decoration, and with all the signs of a highly improved style of rural economy. A survey was made by Mr Smeaton, as far back as 1754, for a canal to commence at the Frith of Solway, and to terminate at the lower end of this parish ; and a railway was projected by an able engineer, to stretch from Sanquhar to the middle, at least, of Kirk- mahoe. These and such like plans, if executed, no doubt would be attended with great advantage not only to this, but also to the neighbouring parishes. A distillery on a judicious and moderate scale has lately been erected at Glencafrick in this parish, above Duncow, and near Whitehall, on the banks of the romantic rivu- let, already noticed as remarkable for its rocky recesses and tiny Niagaras, and is in full and prosperous operation. It furnishes a convenient market for our farm produce and that of the neigh- bourhood, and also generates a very nutritive and agreeable kind of food for fattening cattle. January 1834. PARISH OF KIRKMICHAEL. PRESBYTERY OF LOCHMABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JAMES SMAIL, MINISTER. THE REV. H. DOBIE, ASSISTANT. • L — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries, — T|IE parish, known by the above title, consists of the original cure of Kirkmichael, and the greater part of the old parish of Garrel,f which were united about 1674. The derivation of the name Kirkipichael is evidently from St Michael, to whom the church was dedicated. Garrel is a vulgar, abbrevia- tion of Garvald or Garwald, signifying in the Scoto-Irish, the reygh rivulet ; an appellation which is very frequent in the North British topography, and which here applies to the rivulet that runs in a very stony channel past the old church. The imited parish is elliptical in form, and extends 9 miles in length, and 4 J in extreme breadth. It is bounded on the north by Kirkpatrick-Juxta; on the north-east and east by Johnstone; on the south by Lochmaben and Tinwald; and on the west by Kirk- mahoe and Closebum. Topographical Appearances. — There are two ranges of moun- tains in this parish, stretching nearly north and south, the one si- tuate between the small river Ae and Glenkiln-burn, and the other between Glenkiln-burn and the lower grounds. The hill of Hole- house, on the northern part of the first range, is about 1500 feet above the level of the sea; Woodhill, on the south, about 1250 ; Knock-craig, at the head of the second range, about 1400; and * This account has been drawn up by Mr Dobie, Assistant Minister. f The lands of Raehills, the elegant seat of J. J. Hope Johnstone, Esq. M. P., the two Minnjgaps, Mollins, Crunzie-town, and Hartfield, now annexed to the pa- riah of Johnstone, formerly belonged to Garrel See Act. Pari. yii. 644, a. d. 1669, entitled, << Ratification in favour of Sir John Dalziel of Glenae, and Robert, his son, of all and haill the lands of Raehills, and others therein mentioned, lyitii^ within Ox parocMn of Garrel.^ 68 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Kirkmichael-fell, at the other extremity, about 1100 feet. The southern part of the parish is, in general, level ; though there are several rising grounds interspersed, which descend, by a gradual declivity, towards the farm of Cumrue, at the southern extremity, about 190 feet above the level of the sea. Climate. — The quality of the soil of this parish, — the conti- guity of the mountains before-mentioned, — and the rivers and burns by which it is bounded and intersected, — render the air in ge- neral rather moist. But from the rapidity of the waters, in conse- quence of the very considerable declivity of the ground, the air is frequently changed, and not permitted to stagnate. The inhabit- ants are in general remarkably healthy. When a severe epidemic disease prevailed last season to a fearful extent in Dumfries, which is only eight miles distant, there was not a single instance of infec- tion in the whole of this parish. Hydrography. — There are several veins of ironstone and ochre in the parish, and consequently many springs of chalybeate water; but none of a strength so remaricable as to deserve particular no- tice. There are two lochs or lakes, the one on the summit of the first mountain range, called Crane Loch,— one acre in extent, and very deep; the other, called Cumrue Loch, on the farm of that name, — four acres in extent, and fourteen feet in depth. This loch formerly comprehended ten or twelve acres, but has been reduced by drain- ing to its present size. There are two or three small cascades in Garrel Water, the largest of which is eighteen feet in height. Geology and Mineralogy. — The general direction of the strata of the transition rocks, which compose the high ranges of this pa- rish, is from north-east to south-west ; and their angle of north- westerly dip with the horizon may be stated at from 45 to 60 de- grees. About half a mile from the manse is a rock of alum-slate» having interspersed through it iron pyrites. The lower part of this parish is of sandstone formation, incumbent on the cropping of the basaltic rocks, and ranging, near their junction, almost parallel. Its strata there dip towards the south-east, having a very consider- able inclination. Two ' miles south of this, at Ross, where it is wrought, this rock dips about one in three south-westward, the beds stretching from south-east towards north-west The colour is red. The several holms on the banks of the different streams appear to have been formed by deposits washed down, in the course of ages, from the higher grounds. KIRKMICHAEL. 69 11. — Civil History. LandHnoners. — The land-owners are his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch; John S. Lyon, Esq. of Kirkmichael; James S. Wight- man, Esq. of Courance ; Robert Kennedy, Esq. of Craigshiels ; John Swan, Esq. of Glenkiln ; William Robson, Esq. of Hazlie- brae; Patrick Campbell, Esq. of Lawers; and Henry Constable Maxwell, Esq. of MUnhead. The Duke of Buccleuch draws L. 150 per annum above the half of the present rentaL Mr Lyon's estate is next in extent and value. The others are stated above in the order which corresponds to the valued rent of their properties. Parochial Beffisters.'^^o parochial registers appear to have been kept prior to the year 1727 ; and those from 1727 to 1759 are very imperfect Since the latter period they have been better attended to, but are confined entirely to births. Antiquities^ — On a bank, which is washed by the rivulet of Gar- rel, may be seen the ruins of the church bearing that name, with its accompanying cemetery. Garvald was rebuilt in 1617 ; but, from the time of its annexation to Kirkmichael, has been allow- ed to fall into decay. The church-yard, however, is surrounded by a stone and lime wall, with a plantation of weeping-birches, and other trees suited to the place. The only Roman work in the parish is a branch of the great road, that led from Netherby, in Cumberland, to the chain of forts, built by LoUius Urbicus, between the Forth and the Clyde. This can still be traced through a moss, and seems to have terminated at a castellum, of which two sides still remain very- distinct, and which now forms the minister's garden. On the farm of Wood is the ruin of the old tower of Glenae, which, in 1666, gave the title of Baronet to a branch of the family of Dalzell, before its succession to the earldom of Carnwath. There are several indistinct remains of ancient fortifications; but DO traditions about any of them, except a small fort, commonly called Wallace's Tower, adjoining Tor-linn, a glen filled with na- tural oak, and stretching westward from Knockwood. This fort commands an extensive view to the south, occupying the summit of an angle formed by the junction of two branches of that steep ravine ; and being protected on its third side by a large fosse, it must have been in former times, before the general use of fire-arms, a strong place of defence. Sir William Wallace, while meditating the capture of the castle of Lochmaben in 1297, is said to have kept sixteen men there, v^ith whom he sallied forth to annoy the English 70 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. garrison under Greystock and Sir Hugh of M oreland. Having taken some of their horses, the Scottish hero was pursued to Tor-head, (a name descriptive of the situation, the Celtic Tor signifying mount,) by Moreland, who, in the encounter which ensued, was slain, with several of his followers. A large stone, named ^^ sax corses," t. e, six corpses, a short way distant, marks the burial place of the vanquished. Greystock, enraged at this defeat, and strengthened by fresh supplies from England, immediately proceeded to attack Wallace Yrith 300 men. Thus overpowered by numbers, he fell back among the hills ; and being joined by Sir John Graham of Dundaff with thirty men, and Kirkpatrick, his kinsman, with twen- ty of his retainers, was overtaken on the north border of the lands of Holehouse, near the bottom of Queensberry, where a general engagement took place. Greystock fell ; the victory was complete ; and the survivors seeking shelter in the wood from which they had pursued the Scots, Wallace reached Lochmaben before them, and took possession of the castle. A cairn, as was then usual, has been raised on the field of battle, where may be seen the long flat stones, set on edge in the form of graves, believed to surround the remains of the dead. A stream runs from the place, called " Dis- comfit Gutter." A moss brow, bearing the name of " Graham's hag," is at a short distance ; as is likewise " Bledy-gill," evi- dently a corruption of Bloody-gill. About the year 1785, there was found, in a small piece of peat- moss near the line of the old Roman road, a pretty large pot, of a sort of base copper, and a decanter of the same metal, of the shape and size of our white stone quart decanters, with 3 feet about \\ inch long. They were both sent by Dr Burgess, then minister of the parish, to the Society of Antiquarians at Edinburgh, and are in their museum. They were thought to be Roman. They might have been thrown into the place where they were found when the Romans left the castellum, perhaps pursued by the na- tives, and obliged to abandon their heavy luggage to expedite their flight. . Last summer, another antique of similar metal, capable of con- taining 13 imperial gills, with 3 feet 2^ inches in length, and al- together 10 inches in height, having a handle and spout, and somewhat resembling in shape a modem coffee-pot, was dug up in a place called Car's moss, near the mains of Ross. In that moss are the vestiges of a small British station, from which it pro- bably takes the ancient British or Celtic etymon of Car or Caer, 3 KIRKMTCHAEL. 71 meaning yor^. Not far from the same spot was found, several years ago, a large round leaden dish, which contained two pieces of iron, much corroded, resembling a mason's trowel and tool. This led to the supposition that it had been used for holding mor- tar. A hole was pierced on each side, to which a handle might have been fastened. A number of small silver coins of Alexander III. of Scotland, and Edward I. of England, were discovered upon the 10th No- vember 1821, in a piece of soft ground, about halfway between Nether-Garrel and Courance. A year or two afterwards, nearly a quarter of a mile from the same place, was found a small silver coin of James I. of Scotland. Several of these coins, and the brazen decanter found lately, as described above, are in possession of one of the heritors. Many of the ancient circular British encampments appear in the parish. Upon some of these being opened, ashes have been found ; likewise several broken querns, or hand-mills, formerly used for grinding com ; and in one of them, upon the farm of Gilrig, with a partition crossing it, and which seems to have been occupied during later times, there was dug out a sword having a basket-hilt, but so much covered with rust, that it was impossible to form any accurate opinion respecting its antiquity. There was also seen a number of pipes of burnt clay, with heads somewhat smaller than that of the tobacco-pipe How in use, swelled at the middle, and straiter at the top. Modem Buildings. — A very handsome and elegant mansion- house has been erected by Mr Lyon, on his estate of Kirkmichael, and is just finished. It is built in the old manorial style, after a plan made by Mr Bum of Edinburgh. It is surrounded by a very considerable extent of fine old timber, and the pleasure-grounds are embellished by beautiful flower-gardens, and two fine artificial pieces of water. Mr Lyon has also made a very excellent walled garden and hot-house. There are two mills in the parish ; one, upon the barony of Ross, for oats, wheat, and barley ; and another, upon the estate of Kirkmichael, adapted merely for oats and barley. I IL — POPULATI ON. The amount of the population of the parish cannot be traced any farther back than 1759. At that time, the number of inha- bitants was 730 : in 1791, it was 930. The increase was supposed 72 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. to be owing to the division and cultivation of a very large common, and the improvement of other lands. In 1801, the population was reduced to 904. The decrease was probably occasioned by a prac- tice, then becoming prevalent, of leading farms, as it was called ; that is, a fanner having one farm, possessed, at the same time, an- other, which was said to be led along with it. By this means, se- veral fSarms, formerly having numerous families residing on them, were, when thus M, along with others, left almost uninhabited. At each census,'since that period, there has been a gradual increase, which would perhaps have been much greater, had it not been for the change which has taken place by the enlargement of many of the farms. In 1831 the population was 1226. 1. Number of fiunilies in the parish, .... 218 of fiunilies chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 126 chiefly employed in trade, manu&ctures, or handicraft, 44 2. Number of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upwards of 50 yean of age, 12 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45> -* 31 S. The arerage number of births yearly, for the last 7 years, • - 96 ofdeaths, ..... 21 of marriages, .... $ 4. The number of persons at present under 15 years of age, - - 478 upwards of 70, - - - 40 Three of the proprietors already named are resident, as also two smaller ones, who possess Li. 10 tenements, without being liable for parochial burdens. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy — The whole of the parish has been surveyed, and plans made of the several farms, at different times, and by different land-measurers. The number of acres standard and imperial measure is as follows. Meadow and arable land, ..... 6700 Acres. Sheep pasture, - - • - ... 9190 Mossy pasture interspersed through the arable lands, partly convertible into meadow, and including the mosses firom which the inhabitants are supplied with peat, ..... 550 Sand-bed pasture, comprehending roads, lakes, and water-courses, - 280 Under wood, natural or planted, ... 850 17070 Probably 300 or 400 acres of this hill land might be advanta- geously broken up, fallowed, and thereafter sown down with grass seeds, to improve the pasture. KIBKMICHAEL. 73 The natural woods consist principally of oak, ash, birch, and elder. The young plantations are composed of Scotch, larch, and spruce firs, with a suflBciency of oak, ash, and elm, for standards. Rent of Land. — The average rent per acre of meadow and arable land is 14s. 6d. ; of sheep pasture, 3s. ; of mossy pasture inter- spersed through the arable lands, partly convertible into meadow, and including the mosses from which the inhabitants are supplied with peat, * 4s. ; of sand-bed pasture which, after deducting 130 acres for roads, lakes, and water-courses, will be reduced to 150 acres, L. 1. The average rent of grazing cattle is at the rate of 25s. for a one year old ; 35s. for a two years old ; and L. 4 for a cow or full- grown ox ; and at the rate of 4s. 9d. for a ewe, or full-grown sheep, pastured for the year. Breeds of Live Stock. — The cattle are all of the Galloway breed. Turnips are cultivated to such an extent, that 2200 Cheviot and Highland wedders, inclusive of several score of half-bred hogs, are annually fattened upon them. Husbandry. — The system of husbandry pursued is, in some cases, a six, and in others a four years' rotation. Smce 1822, when the old leases terminated, very great, judicious, and expensive improvements have been made by the Duke of Buccleuch, on his beautiful and valuable barony of Ross, in this parish, by building very excellent and even elegant farm-steadings, containing every accommodation of the most convenient and substantial kind that a farmer can desire ; planting both for shelter and ornament ; en- closing, partly with stone dikes, but principally with hedges ; mak- ing roads, and giving every encouragement to promote and ex- tend the cultivation of the land. There is no part of the country, through which a traveller can pass, where he will be more delighted with a view of the rapid progress of very spirited and substantial improvements. Such are the invaluable advantages which a dis- trict derives from being blessed with a liberal and patriotic land- lord. The duration of leases is, in some cases, 15, in others 19 years. The greater part of the farm-buildings on the other properties in the parish is new and of a superior description. The hedges that have lately been planted are very extensive ; and are all in a thriving state, being well attended to. * Much uumj land htt already been reckumcd, and now yields good crops of hay. 74 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Produce. — The average gross annual amount of raw produce, raised in the parish, may be thus estimated. Wheat, - 300 imp. acres at L. 6, Ss. per acre, ezclusive of seed, L. 1920 Barley, - 350 do. 4 10 do. do. 1575 Oats, . 1350 do. 3 4 do. do. 4320 Potatoes, - 400 do. 6 8 do. do. 2560 Turnips, - 600 do. 2 10 do. do. 1500 Rye-gMMB hay, 1000 do, 2 6 do. do. 2300 Meadow hay, 700 do. 1 14 do. do. 1190 Cattk Grazed. — Cows, (including the product by calves until weaned,) 460 at L. 4» - - - - L. 1840 One year old cattle or stirks, 460 at L. 1, 56. - 575 Two year old cattle, 580 at L. 1, 15s. - - 1015 L.d430 About 150 three years* old cattle are kept for wintering, but do not require to be taken into account in the consumption of grass, as they are sent south in spring, part of them in a lean state, and part fattened for the market. Sheep, 5720 at 7s. 2002 Gardens and orchards, - - - - - 10000 The greater proportion of woodland consists of plantations under ten years* growth ; but the periodical felling of the natural and full- grown wood taken yearly, is - - - - - 100 L 20997 Rate of Wages. — Men employed in husbandry labour receive Is. 6d. per day in summer and Is. 3d. in winter, and women 9d. per day, without victuals. Men-servants, who are fit for every kind of husbandry work, and are boarded in the house, receive, on an average L. 5 in the half year, and women-servants from L. 2, 10s. to L. 3. Masons and joiners generally charge 2s. 6d. per day. V. — Parochial Economy. Marhet'Towns^ Sfc. — There are no towns or villages in the pa- rish. Lockerby is distant from Cumrue five miles to the south- east ; but Dumfries, which is fully seven miles from the bridge of Ae southward, is the market-town most frequented. The length of turnpike road, crossing the parish, is nearly five miles. The mail-coach from Edinburgh to Dumfries travels along it twice daily. Ecclesiastical State. — The patronage of the old parish of Kirk- michael has belonged to the noble house of Queensberry since the Reformation, and is now held by the Duke of Buccleuch. There belonged to this church, during the reign of Catholicism, KIRRMICHAEL. 75 three merk lands of the old extent, now the property of Mr Lyon. Garvald was of old a mensal church of the bishops of Glasgow ; and Robert Blackadder, the first archbishop of that see, in 1506, assigned this rectory to the college of Glasgow. The patronage thereof at the Reformation belonged to the convent of Red Friars at Failfurd, in the county of Ayr ; was thereafter vested in the Crown ; and, so far as is known, remains so, although it has not for a long period been exercised by the king. The church lands of Garrel, extending to five pound lands of the ancient va- luation, in 1565, exclusive of the glebe united by excambion to that of Kirkmichael, passed from that convent into lay lands, and are now mostly comprehended within the barony of Ross. The present parish church is near the south-western boundary ; a situation not at all convenient for the greater part of the popu- lation, being fully five miles from the opposite side and southern extremity. If was built in 1815, and is in good repair. It con- tains sittings for upwards of 500. The manse was built in 1798, and has since that time undergone several repairs. The glebe is about 18 imperial acres in extent, and may be valued at L. 18 a- year. The stipend is 15 chalders, half meal, and half barley, and L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements, amounting, at the county fiars' price of the seven years preceding the augmentation 5th December 1821, to L.2d2, Os. |d. There being no place of worship in the parish but the Established church, it is attended by all the inhabitants, except about 30, who are dissenters. Divine service is generally well attended. The average number of com- municants is 330. Education. — There are two schools in the parish, the principal one being placed near the centre of the greatest population. The branches of instruction generally taught are English, writing, arith- metic, Latin, Greek, and geometry. The salary of this school is the maximum, viz. L.d4, 4s. 4^d., and the fees amount to about L. 16 per annunL The teacher has considerably more than the legal accommodations with respect to a dwelling-house and garden. No salary is attached to the side-school. The master of it is paid entirely by fees received from the scholars, which are the same as those of the parochial school. The people are in general alive to the benefits of education. There are none above fifteen years of age (idiots excepted) who cannot read. Two sheep-farms on the north-western side of the parish are about six miles distant from these schools. But the po- 76 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. pulation in that quarter is small, and there is access to a side-school in the neighbouring parish of Closeburn. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid is 20, and the average sum allotted to each per year is L. I, 4s. There are no legacies or mortifications. The annual amount of church collections, with small fines exacted from delinquents, and other dues, is about L. 35, ds. lO^d. Se- veral persons, not on the poors' roll, obtain occasional relief. It is still with reluctance that the necessitous are induced to apply for parochial assistance. But it is easy to perceive that the spirit of independence by which the lower classes in this country have been so long distinguished, is here, as in other places, exhibiting symp- toms of decay. It may be remarked, in concluding, that the rental of the parish, when the former Statistical Account was drawn up, was L. 2500, and that at present it amounts to L. 6475 per annum. January 1834. PARISH OF CLOSEBURN. PRESBTTEttY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ANDREW BENNET, MINISTER- L — Topography and Natural History. Namej Boundaries^ tfc. — Closeburn, to which the extensive pa- rish of Dalgarno was united in the end of the seventeenth century, was anciently called Kilosbern, from Cella Odmmu It is 10 miles in extreme length, and 7^ in extreme breadth. It is bound- ed on the north by Morton and Crawfurd, on the east by Kirk- michael and Kirkpatrick-Juxta, on the south by Kirkmahoe, and on the west by Keir, from which it is separated by the river Nith. From the great quantity of secondary sandstone strata, and water- worn gravel, to the depth in many parts of nearly 20 feet, the valley of Closeburn, comprehending, besides the western part of this parish, portions of other parishes, has in all probability been a lake, the water issuing from its lower level, or south extremity, having in the course of time worn away the restraining barrier. In confirmation of this opinion I may mention, that the rising grounds at the south end of the valley are separated from each other by the channel of the NitL What must have been the bottom of the lake is a fine alluvial or carse soil. The higher le- vel of the parish, before the ascent of the transition hills, is in ge- neral water-worn gravel upon freestone. Topographical Appearances. — The valley of Closeburn is one of the valleys situated in the mountain range, chiefly of transition rock, which runs across the island from the Grerman to the Atlan- tic Ocean. The highest hill in the parish is Queensberry, the summit of which is 2140 feet above the sea. It was called Queens- berry, not, as has been supposed, from a species of berry which grows upon it, but from the Anglo-Saxon, berg^ a hill, which is often formed into berry. It is most appropriately designated the queen of hills, being one of the highest in the south of Scotland. Climate. — It might be supposed that the proximity of this dis- 78 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. trict to the Atlantic Ocean, and the prevalence of the south and south-west winds, would render the climate rainy and variable. Although it be not so dry as some districts of Scotland, the co- pious exhalations from this vast reservoir of water are in some measure intercepted, and the violence of these winds moderated by the interposition of Galloway and the north of Ireland. For mildness of climate, its situation is peculiarly favourable. Besides having a southern aspect, the ranges of hills that environ it on the north and east afford shelter from those cold and piercing winds that predominate in spring, and annoy other parts of the kingdom. The salubrity of the climate may, to a cefrtain extent, be ascribed to the improved system of agriculture and draining introduced a considerable number of years ago. From that cause intermittent fevers have now entirely disappeared. As a proof of the salubrity of the climate I may mention, that of 28 individuals who died in 1831, 20 had attained to upwards of 70 years of age. Pulmonary complaints, however, are not uncommon in this district; and cases of inflammation occasionally occur. Hydrography. — The water is in general extremely pure, as it flows from springs running through freestone, limestone, and tran- sition rock. The only foreign ingredient some of the springs con- tain, is a little iron in solution by carbonic acid. In the imme- diate vicinity of Closebum Castle, a spring issuing from a peat- moss is impregnated with a small quantity of sulphuretted hydro- gen, and has been of signal advantage in cutaneous complaints. The river Nith forms the western boundary; and the Cample forms the northern boundary of the parish. There are several streams, the most remarkable of which is Crickup. By falling over a precipice 90 feet in height, it forms a cascade, known by the name of Grey*8 morels taxL After heavy rains, it has the appear- ance of an unbroken sheet of water, and is seen at the distance of many miles. This stream, possessing some romantic scenery, is visited by strangers. The place of the greatest interest is Crick- up Linn. The water in its passage over a hill of old red sandstone has in the course of ages cut a deep ravine, so narrow at the top, that in many places one may leap across it. The sides of this ravine, overhung by rich foliage, and presenting rocks of the most picturesque forms, the noise and agitation of the water underneath, produce a singularly imposing effect. To this spot covenanters in the times of persecution betook themselves for safety. The author of Waverley has given it additional interest, by describing it as a CL03EBURN. 79 similar scene to the retreat of Balfour of Burleigh, in Lanark- shire. Geology and Mineralogy. — The strata in the parish of Close- burn, forming a part of a considerable basin of strata ten miles in length, and nearly four in breadth, arise in a south-eastern direc- tion, and dip to the north-west and west The prevailing rocks are transition rock or greywacke, transition limestone, a coarse gray quartzy freestone and old red sandstone, of which the moun- tains, hills, and plains are composed. The red sandstone is the uppermost stratum in the low parts of the valley, and is nearly three miles in width from the river Nith, in an eastern direction. From under the red sandstone the gray freestone rises nearly a mile in width in the same direction ; in some places the transition limestone; and last of all, the transition rocks, upon which the foregoing strata are deposited, rise to the height of 1200 feet above the sea. The only genera and species of oi^ganic remains are in the transition limestone ; they consist of comua ammonis, belemnites, and orthoceratitesj and are the largest found in the island. The limestone quarry worked in the parish, chiefly for agricul- tural purposes, consists of two beds. The upper bed is 16 feet thick, and is composed of 40 parts of magnesian limestone, and 60 parts of carbonate of lime, and contains no organic remains. The lower bed is 18 feet thick, and contains 88 parts of carbonate of lime, 8 of clay and sand, and 4 of iron. It is therefore peculiarly well adapted for building, as it takes a strong band^ and hardens under water. This lower bed consists of a number of lamina^ divided by horizontal fissures, between several of which a kind of stone marl is interposed, having impressions of shells, apparently , dissolved. This stone-marl consists of about 10 parts of carbonate of lime, and has been successfully employed as a top dressing upon the light sandy soils in the neighbourhood. None of the upper bed or magnesian limestone is worked, as it is a long time before it loses its caustic qualities, by the absorption of carbonic acid. It is found to heave or loosen the soil when used for the growth of corn, and to produce an abundant crop of day nettle^ fLamium aOmnu) These two beds are separated from each other by about 18 feet of bastard or impure limestone, and indurated clay em- ployed for making bricks, after undergoing the operation of bruis" ^^j by passing between cast iron rollers. The alluvial deposits are sand from the debris of the old red sandstone, and quartzy free- stone and gravel, consisting of water-worn greywacke and basalt, 80 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. brought down from the upper part of the riyer Nith. Large blocks of granite have been found, although there are no granite moun- tains within twenty miles. The soil near the Nith, or lowest extremity of the parish, is sandy loam : upon a higher level it is a sandy gravel, to the depth of upwards of 20 feet, and is well suited for barley and turnip. Above the greywacke it is more tenacious and less sandy, but equally well suited for the same crops. On this soil, composed of the debris of the greywacke, the larch tree arrives at greater perfection than the Scotch fir, which prefers a more sandy soil ; but upon the red sandstone soil or sandy gravel the larch is liable to decay in the heart, and becomes covered with white moss after it is planted only a very few years. On the transition rock it is healthy and vigorous, and evinces no such symptoms of premature disease. The writer is assured by Mr Menteath of Closebum, that the larch tree is found to grow indigenously in Switzerland, but never upon the secondary strata. IL — Civil History. Of the early history of the parish little is known. Of itself the parish of Closeburn seems originally to have been of small extent, while that of Dalgamo comprehended a very considerable terri- tory. The former belonged to the abbey of Holyroodhouse, and the latter to the abbey of Kelso, and formed part of the patrimony and spirituality of these establishments. At the period of the Re- formation in Scotland, each parish was provided with a reader, and in 1576, we find from the register of assignation and modification of ministers' stipends, a minister for the first time established at Closeburn. * The patronage of both churches, as well as most of the territory of these parishes, belonged for a very considerable period to the family of Kirkpatrick of Closebum ; although by a ratification in Parliament 1594, King James VI. confirmed a charter granted by him under the great seal to Sir James Douglas of Drumlangrig, Knight, dated in January 1591, ^< of the advocation and donation * The following are the words of the register : — << Closbeme. — Mr James Ramsay minister, his stipend, L. 75, 2b. 5d. to be pay it out of the third of the iiersonage of Kirkmado, &c. ** John Thomsoune, reidare at Closbeme, hu stipend, L. 20, with the kirk land, to be payit out of the third of Kelso, &c. <( Dalgamo.— Barnes Williamsoun, reidar at Dalgamo, his stipend zyj lib. with the kirk land,** &c. CLOSEBURN. 81 of the paroch kirks and parocbins of Kirkbryd, Durisdeiry Glen- cairn, Penpont, Mortoun, and Dalgartwh ;" but the grant was thus qualified : ^^ Provyding.alwayes that the said Sir James sail re- signe and renunce the advocatioun and donatioun of the said paroch kirkof Dalgamok, to Thomas Kirkpatrikof Cloisbume, his arisand assignayes," * &c. In the year 1606, these churches were united by the General .Assembly held at Linlithgow. f They continued so till the year 1648, when the Presbytery of Penpont, after examining the ren- tals of both parishes, which were produced to them, and after hear- ing the *^ information anent the condition of the united kirkis of Dalgarno and Closebum, wher ther is two standing kirkis, with ther several manses and gleebs," :|: recommended them to be disjoined * Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, iv. 90. f On this subject we find in the register quoted above the following entries: — *' 1608. Dalgarno Cloisburne, Mr David Rodger, minister, his stipend, iiiy. > lib. money, to be payit out of the lordship of .Kelso, or onie part therof, be the Lord of Kelso, his airis and successouris, &c. and viij xz, xvij lib. xvys. for the service at the kirk of Dalgarno, be Sir Thomas Kirkpatrik of Cloisburne, Knicht, takisman of Dal- garno, with xxx\} lib. out of the prebendaries of Ivincluden, to be pajrit be the takisman and parocbinaris of Carlaverock.*^ \ From this it^formatUm the following is an extract : — ** Dalgarno is a pendicle of Halyroodhouse. The teinds whereof (the minister being payed) did belong to the Bishop of Edinburch; hot efterabolitioun of episoopacie wer disponed for mantainans of the Castle of Edinburgh. The worth of the lands of this parodiin, in stok and teind personage and vicarage, is about 9000 merkis." '< Closbume is a pendicle of Kelso, the teinds whereof wer a part of the rent of the Bishop of GaIloway% hot Episoopade being now abolished, b assigned to the Col- ledge of Glasgow. The worth of this parochin, stock and teind perK>nage and vicar- age, is about aOOO merkis.*' — " Inde 12000 merkis.** — ** The two parochins upon the supplication of the heritors to the Assemblie at Linlithgow, in anno 1606, wer judged fit to be one oongregatioun, and the union ratified by Parliament.** The following, airong other reasons, are given by the Presbytery for the division of these kirks : " 1 . That the said two kirks wer united in the dayes of corruption and Episcopacie, to the great detriment and hurt of the church. 2. That the two kirks being in rent of stock and teind seventeia thousand merks and upward, may verie convenientlie afibord maintainance to two ministers for serving the cure at the saids kirks. Sb Thenumber of communicants being seven hundreth or thereabout, may be two flocks, sufiicient for two ministers. 4 That the heritours being cited to compeir befor the Fresbytrie, most part of them compeired, and could not object any relevant reason, (in our judgment,) quherfor they might not be di^oyned. 5. That the fiUirickes of both churches are now iiv a gud frame, quhilk will not long continue if tbey should remaine in the present conditiep,** &c. DUMFRIES. F 82 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. forthwith. The parishes continued disunited until the year 1697, when Dalgarno was again annexed to Closeburn. AecomUs of the Parish. — There is a history in manuscript of each parish in the presbytery of Penpont, drawn up, above a cen- tury ago, by a Mr Rae, minister of Kirkconnel. He has unfor- tunately done little more than commence that of Closeburn. Eminent Men^ Sfc. — Among the literati to whom this parish has given birth is the venerable Dr Hunter of St Andrew's, unques-. tionably the first philologist of the age. Few parishes in proportion to their population have furnished a larger number of successful candidates for the ministry, there being at present no less than nine parochial clergymen of our na- tional church to whom this parish has given birth. Lajid-owners. — The chief land-owner is Mr Stuart Menteath, the male representative of the ancient Earls of Menteath. The estate of Closeburn after having been for several centuries in the possession of the family of Kirkpatrick, * well known in history, was purchased by the present family, at the termination of the American war, when agricultural improvements may be said to have commenced in this part of the country. Parochial Registers, — The date of the earliest entry of the pa- rochial registers is 1726. From 1754 to 1777, there appears to have been no register at all. This omission has been in some measure supplied by a register of baptisms, from 1765 to 1776, kept by an individual who was church officer, during that period, for his own use. This little volume is now in the possession of the kirk-session, and in some important cases has furnished the infor^ mation required. At present, the parochial registers are regular- ly kept. There is also an obituary, with a corresponding register of every disease that proves fatal. Antiquities. — Closeburn Castle is a vaulted quadrilateral tower about 50 feet high, 33 J long, and 45 J broad. There is a ground floor, the walls of which are 12 feet thick, and three series of apart- ments, all separated from each other by arched roofs. An arched roof crowns the whole. As it bears no date or inscription, its age cannot be correctly ascertained. From the plan of the building, and the style of the mouldings of the doors, it cannot be less than 800 years old. It is at present occupied by Mr Menteath's land- steward, and is a very comfortable residence. — A few years ago * For an account of this ancient family, sec parish of Kcir. CLOSEBURN. 83 were to be seen the ruins of a chapel, dedicated to St Patrick, which gives the name of Kirkpatrick to the farm on which it stood. — On another farm there are the remains of a vaulted building. — There are several large cairns, but no account of any of them is transmitted to the present times. — Six years ago an urn of coarse earthen-ware, about one foot in depth, and nine inches in width, filled with human bones, considerably decayed, was found in a piece of garden ground belonging to the free school. Beside this urn was a smaller one empty, . and capable of containing about a qXiart. It was raised nearly entire, but the other, in an attempt to raise it, fell to pieces. If they be of Roman manufacture, which is very probable, they must have been under ground above 1400 years. Both of these relicts were deposited in the museum of the antiquaries of Scotland. It may be added, that at a small distance from these urns, two other deposits of human bones were soon after found in a very decayed state. Modem Buildings, — The only modem building is Closeburn Hall, the seat of Mr Stuart Menteath. It is a large building of Grecian architecture, and situated in one of the most beautiful val- leys in the south of Scotland. IIL — Population. One of the reasons in the recommendation of the Presbytery of Penpont for the disjunction of the parishes of Closeburn and Dal- gamo was, that ^^ the number of communicants being 700 or there- about, may be two flocks sufficient for two ministers." I mention this circumstance,- as showing that the united parishes were at least as populous then as at present. In 1755, the population was 999 In 1791, - - 1490 InlSU, - - 1762 In 1821, - - 1682 In 1831, . - 1680 The progressive increase was occasioned partly by extensive lime-works which commenced in 1772, and partly by the improve- ments of the present proprietor : and the decrease, by these improve- ments having been in a great measure completed, which circum- stance rendered it necessary for many day-labourers to go else- where for employment. The number of the population residing in vilbiges is 628^ and in the country 1052, 84 DUMFKIKS-SHIUE. 1. Number of flkinilies in the parish, «. . . . 337 of families chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 69 chiefly employed in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 48 2. Number of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 20 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45^ - 43 S. The number of persons at present under 15 years of age, - - 681 « upwards of 70, ... 59 There are 5 landed proprietors of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards. The average number of children in each family is 4* There are 2 insane, and 3 fatuous persons. Character of the People. — The people in general are sober, cleanly, frugal, and industrious ; decent and exemplary in their at- tendance on religious ordinances ; peaceable and friendly. They enjoy in a reasonable degree the comforts and advantages of so- ciety, and are contented with their situation and circumstances. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Ecorwmy. — The number of acres in the parish under tillage is 5683, and in pasture 23,006, — 4428 of which are arable. Although the greater proportion of the ground between the river Nith, or western boundary, and the moun- tains on the eastern boundary, which fifty years ago was in a state of nature and covered with stunted heath, is brought nnto culti- vation, either for grass or corn, — ^a considerable extent, perhaps not less than 2000 acres, of the higher ground might yet be improved permanently for pasture, by means of lime, and would probably yield an additional rent of five per cent for the outlay. There arc about 1500 acres of natural woods and plantations. The natural woods consist of oak, ash, alder and birch ; and the plantations, of oak, ash, elm, beech, Scotch fir, spruce fir, and larch. As more attention is paid to thinning the plantations in the early stages of their growth than is usual in Scotland they are in a very thriving condition. About 1200 of these acres un- der wood belong to the chief land-owner. He lately finished cut- ting down a plantation of 90 acres of Scotch fir sixty years old, which he disposed of for L. 10,000. It grew on the poorest sandy soil, not worth sixpence per acre, when the trees were planted. Rent ofLand^ Sfc. — The average rent of arable land per acre is L. 1, 5s. and of grazing, is L. 4 per cow grazed, L. 2 per ox, and 4s. 6d per ewe, or full-grown sheep. Rate of Wages. — The wages of a farm male-servant, board in- cluded, are L. 20 ; and female-servant L. 13 for the year. When 4 CLOSEBURN. 85 there is no contract by piece-work the rate of mason, carpenter, and other mechanical work, is 2s. 6d. for the day. A day-labourer receives Is. 8d. in summer, and Is. 4d. in winter. The price of coarse black faced wool is 7s., and of Cheviot wool 15s. per stone of 24 lbs. BreedSf S^c, — The common breeds of cattle are the Galloway and Ayrshire, to the improvement of which great attention has been paid. Huthandry. — The approved course of agriculture followed in this parish is, the first year, oats upon newly broken up pasture ; second year, potatoes, or turnips, consumed by sheep where they grow ; third year, barley and grass seeds ; fourth, hay ; the two successive years, pasture. Bone-manure is now much used in the drill husbsmdry. It enables the farmer to raise turnips on ground, of which he could not otherwise avail himself. Till within these ten years, this highly beneficial crop was comparatively little cul- tivated in Nithsdale : and perhaps no part of Scotland is better adapted for it, and for its being consumed where it grows. The soil being porous soon becomes dry after the heaviest rains. Steam navigation has given a great stimulus to this branch of agriculture in this part of the country. Fat stock can now be conveyed in six- teen or eighteen hours to Liverpool, where there is always a ready market. Before this cheap and easy mode of conveyance was prac- tised, Edinburgh and Glasgow were the only markets of which the fanner could avail himself, and these were attended with many ob- vious disadvantages. The common method adopted in the im- provement of waste land is to spread 120 bushels of lime on each acre ; then, at the distance of two or three years, to plough it for a crop of oats; then to prepare it with manure for fallow or green crop. Sometimes two or three crops are taken from the moorish Foils. There being a considerable extent of poor moorish land on the estate of Closebum, the proprietor had recourse to the follow- ing method of improving it, which was attended with complete suc- cess : Unwilling to deprive the richer grounds of manure, he com- menced operations on a sterile district, by paring and burning tlie surface the first season ; he ploughed it in the autumn and winter, and spread on it lime at the rate of 200 bushels per acre in the foK lowing spring; in the month of July he sowed grass seeds (York- shire fog) at the rate of five bushels per acre. This land has re- mainM in pasture for twenty years, and is let annually at from 12s. to 15s. per acre. In its unimproved state it was not worth 28. 6d. The expense of this improvement was about L. 6 per acre. Top- 86 DUMPRIES-SHIRE. dressing with lime is found to nearly double the value of land in pasture, both in quality and quantity, and is much practised in this parish by Mr Menteath. The duration of leases is for 13, 15, or 19 yeau^s, according to the condition of the farm. Half a century ago the farm-houses of this parish were cottages built of rough stone and clay mortar, and containing generally two, sometimes three apartments, one of which was the kitchen. The floors were paved with mud, and the roofs destitute of ceiling. Such miserable buildings have been succeed- ed by comfortable and commodious dwelling-houses, generally of two stories, and in every way fitted for the convenience and accom- modation of the respectable tenantry that inhabit them. The cot- tages of the peasantry are, with scarcely an exception, superior to the dwelling-houses fifty years ago, on farms now let at L. 500 a- year. The chief land-owner, by draining, liming, and enclosing, with stone walls, the whole arable part of his estate, amounting to 6550 acres, has expended more than double the sum for which the estate was purchased in 1783^ In the very centre of the richest portions of it, a number of small peat mosses were deposited in ba« sins of 150 acres in extent. It was a very expensive operation to fill up the numerous holes made by the parishioners, who had been for a long course of time in the habit of digging their supply of fuel from them. The liming, draining, and levelling, sometimes cost L. 40 an acre. They are now rich irrigated meadows, and yield an ample return for the outlay. The average quantity of hay is from 300 to 400 stones on each Scotch acre. On these meadows hay harvest commences about the beginning of July. What is cut down in one day, if the weather continue favourable, is housed on the evening of the next. This method preserves the saccharine juices which, by exposure to the weather, are evaporated^ and the quality of the hay thereby deteriorated. ' These moss meadows being very unproductive in dry seasons, the proprietor has availed himself of the conmiand of water, which the more elevated parts of his property afforded. Several streams, many miles distant, have been diverted from their channels, and are employed most advantageously in irrigating these meadows in the months of April, May, and June. Quarries. — There are several quarries of freestone, chiefly of old red sandstone, and one of limestone. The former are worked by removing the cover, and afford an excellent material for building and flooring. The lamina or plates are capable of being separated CLOSEBURN. 87 SO thin as to become an economical substitute for blue slate. When brushed over with coal tar, they are impervious to water. Advan- tage has been taken of a riviilet in the immediate vicinity of one of these quarries, to put in motion pumps, by a water-wheel, to drain it Limestone is found in almost inexhaustible abundance. The cover being deep, it is extracted from the quarry by means of excavations. In proceeding with these operations, the miners leave pillars of six square yards in thickness, at the distance of 30 feet, to support the roof, which, together with the floor, is worked into a regular form. The rock being very compact, they avail them- selves of the aid of gunpowder. The mode of raising the limestone from this quarry is rather ingenious. From the centre of the ex- cavations an iron railway on an inclined plane, 200 yards long, ex- tends to the top of the kiln, up which loaded waggons ascend with the utmost facility, by means of a water-wheel put in motion by a stream of water brought six miles for the purpose. This stream is appropriated to other purposes. Descending to a lower level, it falls on another wheel, which puts in motion fanners to throw air into the bottom of lime-kilns, to facilitate the burning of limestone, and diminish the fuel necessary for driving off the carbonic acid ; to move pumps to drain the lime quarry, and also machinery for sawing timber. This stream is then conveyed away for irrigation. The kilns here mentioned are of the most improved construction for burning lime with the smallest quantity of fuel. Produce. — The gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : Produce of grain of all kinds, - ... L. 14,8U0 of potatoes and turnips, - . . . 7000 of hay, meadow and cultivated, ... 50OO of land in pasture, rating it at L. 2 per ox, and 4s. 6d. per cwc, - 8000 of the annual thinning and periodical felling of wood, plantations, and copse, and hark, - ... 2000 Lime quarry, - - . ... 3500 Total yearly value of raw produce, - - L. 40,300 V. — Parochial Economy. Marketsy %c. — The nearest market-town is Dumfries, 12 miles distant. There are four small villages in the parish. There are two turnpike roads ; the one connects Ahnandale with Nithsdale, and is about eight miles long ; the other is six miles long, and forms a part of the great road from Carlisle to Glasgow by Dum- fries. About four miles northward it sends off a branch to Edin^- 88 DUMFRIES' saiR£. burgh. On this road two coaches travel ; the one from Carliiyle to Glasgow daily, and the other from Dumfries to Edinbuigh thrice a-week. These and the district roads are well supplied with bridges, and in excellent condition. All the arable and pas- ture lands in the parish are inclosed with dry-stone fences. Eccksiastieal State. — The church is very conveniently situated for the greater part of the population. It was built in I74I9 and is distant about three miles from the western, and eight from the eastern, extremity of the parish. Having undergone lately a tho- rough repair, it is one of the handsomest in this part of the coun- try, and contains sittings for 650 people. Six of the seats are free^ and capable of accommodating 80 people. The free sittings are uniformly the first occupied, and the most crowded. The manse was built in 1760, and repaired in 1816, when a large addition was made to it, which has rendered it both comfortable and com- modious. The glebe is 10 acres in extent, and about L. 20 in value. The stipend is 16 chalders of meal and barley, in equal proportions, and L. 8^ 6s. 8d. for communion elements. The Established church is the only place of worship in the parish. The number of Presbyterian dissenters of all ages, including five Catholics, is 137. The remainder of the population adhere to the Establishment. When the weather is favourable, the church is remarkably well attended, and by people from every quarter of the parish. The average number of communicants is 500. EduccUion. — There are five schools; but no legal salary is at- tached to any of them. The principal one is a free school, which was amply endowed in 1723 by John Wallace, a native of the pa- rish, who had realized a considerable fortune in Glasgow by mer- cantile pursuits. The sum he bequeathed for carrying his bene- volent intentions into effect was L. 1600, the greater part of which, in terms of the deed of endowment, was to be invested in land ; the remainder to be appropriated to the erection of a school and dwelling-house for the rector, and the purchase of a contiguous field of five acres. The management of the fund was committed to the Presbytery of Penpont, who were authorized to watch over the interests of the seminary, and to judge of the qualifica- tions of the rector and the assistant teacher. In this seminary the children of the parish, but not those who attend from other parishes, are entitled to be taught English, writing, arith- metic, book-keeping, Greek, and Latin, free of expense. Other branches also are taught. Irregular attendance on the part of CLOSEBDRN. 89 the scholars generally, — a circumsttoce over which the rector has no control, — ^tends much to impede their progress. This defect might have been in a great measure remedied, had he been per- mitted to exact a small fee from each. It is, however, a great blessing to the parish, and has been the means of rescuing many from obscurity who have risen to eminence and adorned the situa- tions they occupied. The present rector has expended a conside- rable sum in building a lai^e and commodious dwelling-house, and otherwise improving the endowment. His annual income, after deducting public burdens, and the salary of the assistant, is L. 356. About a quarter of a mile from the free school, there is a female school, at which are taught needle-work, sewing, reading, writ- ing, arithmetic, and geography. Mr Menteath pays a handsome salary to the teacher. He has fitted up and furnished a commo- dious dwelling-house for her. The fees are very moderate, and suited to the circumstances of the parents. There are other three schools situated in districts too distant to reap advantage from the free school, at which the same branches are taught as in the free school, with the exception of the Greek and Latin. The school of Wallace-hall being in the centre of the parish, renders a legal one unnecessary. There being no parochial school, the heritors voluntarily assess themselves in the sum of L. 35 annually, which, with the addition of L. 5 paid by the rector of the free school in terms of the deed of endowment, affords to each of the teachers a salary of about L. 13 a-year. The general expense of education at these schools varies from 6s. to 12s. a-year, according to the attainments of the children. The annual amount of school fees does not exceed L. 24. There is not an individual in the parish, so far as I know, who has not received the elements of a common education. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid is 21, and the average sum allotted to each is L. 3 a-year. A few indigent famiUes get an occasional supply. The sum at the disposal of the kirk-session for behoof of the poor is L. 71 annually. This arises from the interest of L. 225, be- queathed at different times, and lent at four per cent, the weekly collections at the church door, amounting to L. 52, mortcloth and marriage dues. In general, none apply for parochial aid until for- ced to do so by necessity. Such is the feeling of independence on the part of the people generally, that, did their age and infir- 90 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. mities permit, they would much rather support themselves by their own exertions. FueU S^c, — The high grounds afford an inexhaustible supply of peat This substance requiring much time and labour, and like- wise a dry season to prepare it for domestic purposes, has in a great measure been superseded by coal. The nearest coal field is that of Sanquhar, at the distance of 14 miles. Excellent San- quhar coal can be purchased at lis. per ton, carriage included. Mansfield coal, in Ayrshire, at the distance of 25 miles, and not inferior in quality to any in Scotland, is also much used, and can be procured at Ids. per ton, carriage included. English coal, ship- borne, can be purchased at 21s. per ton. Th^ extensive woods furnish the poor with a pretty regular supply of fuel. It is now a prevalent opinion that peat is more expensive than coal. Miscellaneous Observations. When the former Statistical Account was written, the number of arable acres was about 2400, and the rental of the parish L. 3500. There were very few enclosures, and the farm-houses and offices were miserable hovels. At present the number of arable acres is 9000, all well enclosed ; the rental is above L. 12,000 ; and the farm-houses and offices substantially built, and neatly finished. Closebum, which half a century ago was one of the bleakest and most uncultivated, is now one of the most improved, beautiful, and richly wooded parishes in the south of Scotland. January 1834. PARISH OF MORTON. PRESBYTERY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES* THE REV. DAVID SMITH, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, Boundaries. — Morton, an ADglo-Saxon word, signi- fies the stronghold or dweUing on the moor. On the north-west extremity of an extensive moor, and at the bottom of a beau- tiful green hill, from which it is separated by a deep glen, stands the old castle or strongliold of Morton, from which the parish seems to have taken its name. The boundaries and figure of the parish are very irregular. On the north-west and west it is bounded by the parish of Durrisdeer, from which it is separated by the Shielhouse rivulet and the river Carron; on the south-west, by the river Nith, which divides it from the parish of Penpont, with the exception of about 120 acres called Morton-holm, lying on the south bank of that river ; on the south- east and east, by the united parishes of Closeburn and Dalgamo, from which it is separated by the Cample; and on the north and north-west, it is bounded by Crawford parish in Lanarkshire. The march runs from the north-eastward along the waterfall of a mountain called Glenleith. The extent of the parish from south to north is about seven imperial miles, and its mean breadth about four; and it contains about twenty-eight square miles. Topographical Appearances. — The external surface of this parish is varied, being diversified by ridge and valley. Along the banks of the rivers, especially the Nith and Cample, it is low and level, and the soil rich and productive. To the north of the Nith, there is a con- siderable ridge of rising ground, the soil of which is light, but kindly and fertile, and lies on a gravelly bottom. On the most elevated part of this ridge Thornhill is situated, a clean, healthy, and populous village; through which the high roads from Dumfries and from Gal- loway, by Minihive and Penpont, pass to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and separate again to each of these cities at Carron-bridge, the boun- 92 DUMFRIES-SHIKE. dary of Morton with Durrisdeer. A little farther to the northward from Thornhill, other two ridges run across the parish, rising gently the one above the other. Here the soil is damp and wettish, lying oh a clayey bottom. Of these, extensive tracts are still in a state of nature, though capable of cultivation ; and will, we trust, soon be improved, from the great encouragement given by the present Noble and spirited proprietor. Beyond this, again, the sur- face inclines with a gentle depression ; and, on the other side of this valley, the remainder of the parish rises into hills and moun- tains, some of which are of considerable height, especially one, which is about 2500 feet above the level of the sea. At the bottom of these hills and mountains, there is a considerable extent of arable and meadow land, of a rich alluvial soil, and very productive. The ranges of the ridges and rising grounds of the hills and mountains run across the parish from south-east to north-west The greater part of the arable land lies on a free red sandstone bottom, under the clay or gravel ; and the mountains rest on the primitive and whinstone rocks. Meteorology. — The soil in this parish and district being in ge- neral dry, without fens, bogs, or morasses, and the air pure, mild, and temperate, the climate is good, and the people healthy. The prevailing winds here are from the westward, perhaps nearly two- thirds of the year. Our heaviest rains are from the south-west, and settled dry weather chiefly from the north-west. In the spring months of March and April, indeed, we have often very high, cold, and stormy winds from the east. Sometimes also, at this season, there are very drenching and heavj- rains from the south-east Hydrography. — This parish is well supplied with water by the rivers Carron and Cample, as above stated, on its western and eastern boundaries; on the south, by the Nith, which, running south-east, flows into the Solway Firth about four miles south-west from Dumfries ; and the interior part is abundantly supplied by burns, rivulets, and perennial springs. There is also a strong chalybeate spring or spa, from which many are said to have de- rived great benefit in bilious and bowel complaints. Zoology. — The zoology of this parish is not at present distin- guished by any of the rarer species of animals. Under this head, however, the writer may take occasion to notice, that the Nith and all its tributary streams close on the 25th September, and open on the 10th March ; and that to these terms there are very strong and not unfounded objections. The general opinion and MORTON. 93 >visl] seem to be, that the rivers of this county, the Esk, the An- nan, and the Nith, should close and open at the same time as the Tweed, and in this respect be under the same reflations. The Nith and all its branches are poached without interruption during the whole of the close season, and to such extent that, in the general opinion, for every salmon taken in the open or legal season, more than thirty are destroyed in the close period, — a prac- tice which ruins the health, destroys the industry, corrupts the nM>rals, and, familiarizing the mind to habitual and open violations of law, seldom fails to terminate in atrocious and daring acts of wickedness ; while by the toleration of such irregular deeds, thou* sands of parent fishes are destroyed in the breeding season. The season when every other animal is not only spared, but pro* tected and watched with care, is to the finny tribe the season of insecurity, danger, and destruction. And the breeding fishes, impelled by an instinct or feeling common to all animated nature, the provident and wise inspiration of its Author, when in the very act of bringing forth or providing a place of security wherein to de- posit their fry, are barbarously destroyed with millions of their young, destined by Heaven, but for the improvident cruelty of man, to minister to his comforts, and feed the hungry in coming years. Nor is there any likelihood of the practice being put a stop to, until some regulation shall take place, respecting an embankment or barrier across the river Nith at Dumfries. By this embank- ment the course or run of the fishes is impeded, almost entirely prevented, and the fishing properties of the river and its branches are greatly deteriorated and rendered of very little value in the upper districts ; and hence the proprietors refuse to give their aid, or be at any expense, to suppress the practice, unless such a run shall be opened and protected as to render their fishing properties valuable. It is only when the river is large and swelled by the autumnal and winter rains, the very time when the river is closed, that any salmon can overleap the embankment and find their way up the streams. At other times, and when the river is small, as is the case during the greater part of the open season, hardly is there a salmon to be seen in the upper districts, and fishings which formerly were of great value are at present worth little or nothing. II. — Civil History. Historical Events, — About the centre nearly of the parish stand the ruins of the old castle or stronghold of Morton, erected, it is 94 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. believed, by a Norman chief of the name of De Moreville, whose family settled in Scotland in the tenth century, became connected with some of the chief families of the kingdom, and rose to great power, wealth, and eminence. He obtained extensive grants of territory in this and other parts of the country, and was appoint- ed hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland. His grandson, Hugo De Moreville, appears a witness to various royal charters granted in the reigns of Alexander and David L In the year 1 140, he founded the monastery of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, and in 1 144, the Abbey of Dryburgh in Teviotdale. A short time afterwards he gave a portion of land called the Park to the Abbey of Melrose, which, with the church of Morton, was afterwards bestowed on the monks of Kelso. When these monks formed an estimate of their property in the fourteenth century, they stated that they possessed the church of Morton in rectorial, which used to render by the year L. 10. He was succeeded by his son Richard De Moreville, who also appears as a witness to various royal charters in the reigns of David and Malcolm IV. Richard was succeeded by his son Wil- liam De Moreville, who died without issue ; and Rolland Lord of Galloway, who had married Emma, daughter of Richard, and the sister of William De Moreville, succeeded to the office of Lord High Constable of Scotland, the castle of Morton, and all the pos- sessions and wealth of the family. Allan, RoUand's son, married Mar- garet, the eldest daughter of David Earl of Huntington, by whom he had three daughters, the eldest of whom married John Baliol, the father of John Baliol, who for seven years was king of Scotland. After the Baliol and English party were overthrown, and Robert Bruce firmly seated on the Scottish throne, the lands and fortunes of the former and their adherents were bestowed as rewards of ser^ vice on the friends of Bruce; and of these Randolph, the king's ne- phew, obtained extensive grants of lands in Annandale, and the lands and castle of Morton, which he held when Regent, during the minority of David Bruce. By a secret article of the treaty for the restoration of David II. it is said, the Scots agreed to dismantle the castles of Dumfries, Dalswinton, Morton, and Durrisdeer. In the reign of Robert II. the king bestowed his daughter Egidia, the loveliest woman of the age, on William Douglas, natural son of Archibald Douglas Lord of Galloway, then the most distinguished of the Scottish youth for dignified and graceful appearance, for mo- desty, bravery, and every mental and corporeal endowment, — and with her, the castle of Morton and county of Nithsdale next to GaK MORTON. 95 \oway, as a dowry. In 1390, William Douglas of Nithsdale, his country being at peace, and he not willing to languish in indolence at home, set out to Prussia to the Holy war, and was assassinated at Dantzic, on the Vistula, by assassins hired by Clifford, an English-* man, formerly his rival, and now envious of his honour and pro- motion. Ever since this period, the castle and lands of Morton have been in the possession of one or other of the family of Douglas.* Antiquities. — Of these the old castle, with its appendages of for- tification and means of defence, is most worthy of notice. Though not more than one-half of the original structure now exists, it is, not- withstanding, the most perfect ruin of the kind in this part of the country. Situated on the brink of a deep glen, extending to a considerable distance south-east and north-west, and in which the water being stopt by large dams, and strong embankments at each extremity, must have collected to the depth of several fathoms, — the place must have been proof against assault or surprise on this side. The present remains extend to upwards of 100 feet in lengthy by nearly 30 in width ; but, to judge from the vestiges of the foun- dation, the Castle must have occupied, when entire, a much larger space. The wall of the south front is yet entire ; from the foun- dation, it is about 40 feet high; and on the top, at each comer, it has a large round tower about 12 feet in diameter. The walb at the foundation are about 8, in some places 10, feet thick. At a short distance north-west of the castle, and on the other side of the glen, are the remains of a strong fortification, with entrench- ments, which seem to have been a Roman fort or castellum, still called by the name of Deer Camp ; it is about two miles north of Tibbers, Tiberii Coitra, — the great Roman station in the parish of Penpont, a station well chosen to watch and guard against in- * This parish gives the title of Earl to ^ouglas Earl of Morton. Morton Castle, it is said, was at one time his place of residence. He was proprietor of the whole parish, with the exception of the Mains of Morton, lying north-west of the castle, which belonged to James Douglas, laird of Morton, whose son, Malcolm Douglas of Mains, was distinguished for bravery in the border history. The last of this fa« mily was Captain James Douglas, who died at Bratford, in the parish of Penpont, about the beginning of last century. The Earl of Morton, who possessed large estates and castles in different part of the country, sold his whole property and interest in this parish to Sir William Douglas Cashoggle, who erected a house a little south of Thornhill, called the Red-House, where he sometimes resided ; but the Earl of Queenafoerry having obtained from Cashoggle all his lands, as well as the lands of Morton Mains irom the other family, and being lord of the regality of Hawick, he obtained authority to translate that regality to Thornhill in 1610, and called it New Dalgamoch. 96 DUMFRIES-SUIRE. cursions from recesses of the mountains on the north and north'- east. At a small distance from this fort, stood a venerable tree, which, a considerable number of years ago, was overthrown and uprooted by a tremendous gust of wind, and which, according to the tradition of the country, was for generations known by the name of the Judgment Thorn ; and at about a mile south of this seat of Judgment, is a field still distinguished by the name of Gal* liflat, or Gallow's Flat, where it is said, judgment was carried into execution; and about 300 yards south from the old castle, and on a rising ground, is the vestige of a small station or camp, called Watchman Knowe. In the beginning of last century, there was a boat cut out of one solid piece of wood, in the form of an Indian canoe, dug out of the bottom of a moss not far from the old castle, — a proof that, at one time, it must have been a loch. A short time after this, there was dug out of the same moss a small copper camp«-kettle ; and in the year 1728, a fine copper cast tea-pot stroop, quite entire. It is said also, that not long ago a large massy piece of pure solid gold, in the form of a circle or ring, such as is used on the handle of a sword, for ornament or defence for the hand, was found by a man casting turf, who sold it for one guinea, and that it was sold again for upwards of twenty guineas. Near this same place, stood two lofty columns or pillars of hewn stone, and about a mile south of these, stood another of the same description, — ^both, probably, memorials of the brave who had fallen in battle. Another cross or column stood a little to the west of the church, — said to have been originally surrounded by a large circle of coarse blocks of stone, at equal and regular distances, and which were gradually removed in the progress of improvement. This column must have been British, — probably a Druidical fane. These columns, about fifty years ago, were very improperly allowed to be removed and carried off from the parish by a gentleman, who then sought to signalize himself as an antiquarian, though he seems not to have known or reflected, that monuments of antiquity lose all their value by removal from the place where they have long stood, and were originally erected. In this parish I have seen two or three tumuli, which, some years ago, were removed to make or repair roads, by persons who were incompetent either to examine the contents, or to give an ac- count of what was discovered. They could only report that in the centre, were found a few flag-stones set together, but nothing MORTON. 97 else worthy of notice. About thirty-six years ago, the writer was present at the opening of two tumuli in Annandale, in every re- spect similar to the two above mentioned, in external form and ap- peamnce. In the centre of the first, was found a red flag laid level on the earth, on which were placed two other flags of equal sise, parallel to each other ; and other two, one at each end ; another was laid on the top as a cover. In the interior of this, wa$ an uni containing ashes, with a few very thin plates of iron in the form of rings, so completely corroded with rust, that, when exposed to the air, they instantly crumbled into dust. The other likewise con- tained an um ; but, from want of care in forming the tumulus, or from some other cause, both the flags and um were crushed and broken in pieces, and no discovery could be made; but, from what was observed in the former, it seemed probable, that they were Bri* tisfa. Caesar informs us, when he invaded Britain, that the Bri- tish used iron for money,-*^^ Annulis ferreis pro nummis utuntur." III. — Population. 1. PopuktMm in 1801, - . - - 1255 in 1811, . - - - - 1570 in 1821, . - ... 1806 in 1881, - - - . - 2140 Number of nuUes, - .... 1059 offemalcs, ..... i^^ 2. Number in village of ThornhiU, .... 1378 of Carronbridge, - • . . 197 in the country, .... 570 5. ATcnge of children registered for 7 years, ... 40 ofmairiogea, ..... Ig of deaths, uncertain, not above ... 20 4. Persons under 15 years of age, .... 892 upwards of 70, • • • . . 87 5b Number of unmarried men, bachelors and widowera^ above 50 years of ag^ 48 of unmarried women, above 45, - - 58 of fiunilies, .... . 433 6. Number of inhabited houses, .... 959 of uninhabited houses, .... 4 7. The number of families in the parish is - - ^ 488 employed in agriculture, as occupiers or laboui:ers, is 41 employed in manufactures, retail trade, and handicraft, 1 70 The increase of the population lately has been very striking. Since the beginning of June, when the last census began to be taken, to the b^mnng of the following month of October, I Imptized 16 children, besides those that may have been baptized DUMFRIES. G 98 DUMFRIES-SHIUK. by dissenting clergymen ; and in the whole parish there have been altogether within these two periods only three deaths. The Duke of Buccleuch, who succeeded to the dukedom of Queensberry in 1810, is now sole proprietor of the parish of Mor- ton, with the exception of the farm of Ridings, which is the pro- perty of Robert Kennedy, Esq, of Dalwhat, who resides in this parish on his property. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — The parish contains about 9000 imperial acres ; and the gross rental is L. 8060, which, on an average, will be between 6s. and 7s. per acre. Of the above, as nearly as can be ascertained, 2600 acres have been cultivated, and are occasionally in tillage, or in meadow, and of which the rent, ac- cording to its situation, quality, or state of cultivation, does not exceed at present 8s. 10s. or 16s. per acre. About 3500 acres must remain waste or in pasture ; and I have no doubt that 1000 or 1200 acres more may, with a profitable application of capital, be added to the cultivated land, — either for meadow, occasional til- ■ lage, or permanent pasture. About 480 imperial acres are under wood, 90 acres of which is natural, and consists chiefly of British oak from 45 to 50 years old, with a few withered birches. 100 acres more are now in the course of being planted. There are no undivided lands or commons in this parish. Breeds^ Sfc. — Of the kinds of sheep, the black-faced are consi- dered the best suited for this parish, being a more hardy, sound, and healthy stock, and better suited to the climate and pasture ; yet, in an adjoining farm in the parish of Closeburn, the Cheviot breed has been introduced with success. Upon the farms adapted for cattle, especially where the young are reared, the stock select- ed is of the Galloway breed. By the farmers whose attention is directed to the dairy system, the Ayrshire cows are preferred, as giving milk in larger quantities ; yet there are some who prefer the Galloway cow; though the milk be less in quantity, it is sure to be richer, and of superior quality. And, with regard to horses, attention is here chiefly given to the breed of work-horses, which, of late years, has been much improved. Hushandrt/. — New leases of 19 years' endurance have been en- tered into, and commenced at Whitsunday 1832, on terms highly advantageous to the tenants ; the good eflects of which already ap- pear. Large tracts of wild uncultivated land, hitherto of little va- MORTON- 99 lue, have already been reclaimed, and will this year be under white crop ; and if the present spirit does not greatly relax, there is every reason to believe, that in the course of a few seasons, an addition of more than a third will be made to the improved arable, meadow, and pasture grounds. Inclosures and plantations are advancing with astonishing rapidity. New erections of houses and farming establishments for the accommodation of tenants are rising in every direction, as comfortable and convenient, substantial and useful, to the occupiers, as ornamental to the country, which al- ready begins to assume a new aspect. Nor is the change for the better less observable in the village of Thornhill, where the bene-* volent proprietor, the Duke of Buccleuch, with great judgment and propriety, is at present expending very considerable sums in levelling and paving the streets, in forming common sewers, remov* ing nuisances, providing a supply of good water, and making other improvements tending to promote the comfort, the cleanliness, the health, morality, and virtue of the inhabitants. Rate ofWages^ — The wages of farm-servants, labourers, artisan^ and others connected with husbandry, are various, but are nearly as follows, yearly. For a man-servant living in the family, L. 12, 12s.; qualified ploughman, L. 16, 16s.; farm female-servant, L. 6, 6s. ; dairy-maid or byre-woman, L. 7, 7s. Farm-labourers receive per day. Is. 6d. ; hay, turnip, and potatoe-labourers. Is. 2d. ; a mower to cut or mow hay, 3s. ; a carpenter or joiner, 2s* 6d ; a mason Ss. Id autumn the rates are higher, -and vary almost every day, being sometimes as high as 28» 6d. with maintenance in the farmer's fa- mily. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised yearly in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows: 120 acres poUtocs, . at JU 6 10 per acre, . L. 720 80 do. turnip, - - 300 do. - - 24000 280 do. oats, - - 4 10 do. . . 1260 170 do. barley, - - 6 6 do. 1071 100 do. meadow hay, - 8 10 do. - - 350 170 do. cultiTated hay, - 6 do. - - 1020 1680 do. arable pairture, . 10 do. - - 840 110 scores iheep, - 7 10 - - 825 00 250 cows, - -.640- - 1562 10 350 youog cattle, - 3 10 - - 1225 L. 9113 10 100 DIMFRIKS-SHIRE. V. — Parochial fk;oNOMY. Markets, Sfc. — The village of Thornhill was at first intended to be a market^town, and authority was obtained to hold a market in it every Tuesday. But though a weekly market estaUished in this village would be a great public benefit conferred upon this part of the country, as well as the village, it has never yet succeeded. It is supposed, however, that it could be easily made to succeed by the present Noble proprietor, who would thereby merit the public gratitude. Ecdesiastical State. — The church was built in 1781, and is not inconveniently situate for the parish in general. At present it is not in a good state of repair,— the repairs having been delayed in the prospect of its being soon removed to a situation more conve- nient for the inhabitants of the village. It affords accommodation for between 500 and 600 persons, and is too small for the present population ; but, by the erection of galleries, may be made to accom- modate 200 more, and be sufficiently large : the seats are all free. The manse was built about the middle of last century, was repair- ed lately, and though small, is comfortable. The glebe is about twenty acres in extent, and is worth about L. 25 yearly. The stipend is 16 chalders, half meal, half barley, with L. 10 for conununion elements ; it was augmented on the 27th January 1830. Since which time the stipend, converted to money, has averaged L. 247, 9s. 2|d. per annum. Divine service at the Established church is regularly attended by about 350 families, and the average number of communicants is about 500. There is a dissenting chapel in the village, former- ly of the Antiburgher persuasion, now of the United Associate Synod. There are besides, a few Cameronians, and several of the Relief persuasion attached to these two congregations, in the ad- joining parish of Penpont. The number of families belonging to the Secession Associate Synod, Relief, and Cameronians, is 133. Only 15 individuals are Cameronians. Of late many of the young in the families of Seceders have been returning to the Established church. Education, — There is only one established parochial teacher in this parish. The salary enjoyed by him amounts to L. 34, 4s. 4Jd. with a house and garden, and a park of land of about two acres or upwards, which he possesses rent free. The average amount of fees is about L.30 yearly. Besides the parochial, there are four schools unendowed in the parish. MORTON. 101 Library. — Though we have not yet readied the establishment of a public reading-room, there are several clubs or societies for the purchase of newspapers and other periodical publications, to be read and perused in their own dwellings. The desire for reading and information of every description has of late years much in- creased, and seems still increasing. A subscription library was established in Thornhill in 1814, which is doing well; and the sub- scribers are numerous. Charitable Institutions,, S^c. — There are three men's and one women's Society ; two of the men's are stock societies, and one what is called a penny society. One of the stock societies has ex- isted for upwards of 30 years ; one 22 years ; the penny society about 10 years ; and the women's society 25 years. It is impos- sible to speak too highly of their benevolent object ; and the good they have accomplished here is inexpressible. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of poor receiv- ing parish aid has of late been about 30, and is rapidly increasing, — the aversion to make application, and be put on the poors' roll, though still in some degree felt, gradually wearing away. Our only regular source of supply for their relief is from the weekly collections in the church, which amount to L.40 yearly, with the in- terest of L.60 ; and from occasional collections and contributions from the heritors and others, which may amount to as much. There are two general distributions in the year, at Whitsunday and Mar- tinmas, besides almost weekly private disbursements to those whose necessities require it. The yearly sum to those on the roll is va- rious, from ,L. 1, 4s. to Lb 6 ; but besides the above, I believe more is given by individuals in private alms, in clothing, in articles of food, and also in money. No regular assessment of poors' rate has yet been had recourse to in this parish. Innsj Sfc — There are two very respectable inns in the village, which are sufficient for the parish ; though there are eight or ten inferior lodging and dram-houses in the same place, besides three in Carronbridge. FueL — The fuel used here is peat and coal; of the former, there is still a moderate supply within the bounds of the parish, though now wearing fast away: and the nearest coal is at Sanquhar^ about twelve miles distant. January 1834, PARISH OF MOFFAT. PRESBYTERY OF LOCHMABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ALEXANDER JOHNSTONE, MINISTER. ♦ ,• • • • « • L — Topography and Natural. History. . Name^ Boundaries^ Sfc. — The name is ancient, and applies to the village, to the parish, and to the principal stream and vale. When the deep and romantic pastoral valley of MoflFat Water was densely wooded, it must have well suited the name it bore in the Gaelic language, ** Chm-vat^** which is said to signify *' a long deep mountain hollow." The greatest length of the parish is about 15 miles, and the greatest breadth from 8 to 9 miles. The contents, according to the county map, are 56 J square miles ; but including Hart- hope and Raecleugh in Lanarkshire, they must be 60 square miles, or 38,400 English acres. It is bounded on the north by Tweedsmuir parish with part of Lyne and Megget; by Esk- dale-muir and Hatton on the east ; by Wamphray and Kirkpa- trick-Juxta on the south ; and by the latter parish, and that of Crawford on the west. The figure is irregular, projecting con- siderably to the N. E., between the counties of Peebles and Sel- kirk, but is deeply indented on the east by a part of Selkirk- shire, and on the S. W. by the parish of Kirkpatrick-Juxta. In the line of the boundaries are the summits of Hartfell and Loch- craig, on the north ; Birkhill pass, and the tops of Bodisbeck and Lochfell on the N. E. ; the Bell Craig linn bum on the south ; on the west, the river Annan from Woodfoot to Bridgend, and thence by the Meiklfe holm side burn, the Blacklaw hill, — a small part of Middlegill bum, — and the grain of Garpel Water head; then on the N. W. are the hills whose water-shed is into the Daer and the Clyde. Topographical Appearances. — Parallel ranges of hills of moderate elevation form the waterfalls of Evan on the N. W., and of Annan * This Account was written, at the request of the minister when indisposed, by the Kev. Dr Singer, Minister of Kirkpatrick-Juxta. 3 MOFFAT. 103 in the northern central parts ; and steeper and higher lands range along Moffat Water ; the goi^ges of these three vales and the three rivers uniting below Moffat ; and the united streams afterwards pas- sing under the name of the river Annan. Although the village of Moffat is situated at an elevation of about 370 feet above the sea^ and the meeting of the three rivers below must be at an elevation of about d50 feet above sea level, to this point of junction they all descend briskly in their courses : Annan Water running southward about se^ ven miles : Moffat Water descending to the south-west about ten miles ; and only about four or five miles of the upper part of Evan Water being in this parish, moving to the south by east. The beds of Annan and Moffat Waters are mostly formed of gravel and sand with rounded stones; the course of Evan is over ahnost vertical rocks. The hills and mountains ranging along these rivers are generally steep, in some instances almost inaccessible ; but though the water- fall is brisk, it is distributed over long spaces, and excellent public roads have been long open in the direction of these rivers ; the well-known Evandale road, affording a safe and easy communica- tion as part of the mail-coach road from Carlisle to Glasgow, and the improved line in the direction of Annan Water being part of the mail-coach road from Dumfries to Edinburgh ; while up Mof- fat Water carriages pass without any difficulty or danger by the lakes and Yarrow to Selkirk, the access being good and safe in all these directions; and very easy to the burgh of Annan on the south, distant 27 miles. The vales formed along Annan and Moffat Waters are narrow, but of a dry and fertile soil; that of Evan W^ater is not only more confined, but less fertile, and more heathy. All these water-courses are well adapted for pasturage ; and in the vales of Annan and Moffat W^aters there is also a proportion of land in cultivation and planted with trees. It is believed that the passes at the upper parts of these rivers, when the greatest ascent along the road from Moffat has been gained, may rise generally to near a thousand feet in all, which, if distributed over a space of ten miles, would make an ascent as easy as necessary. But, of course, part of the roads are steeper. The group of mountains called after HartfeUj and forming the highest land in Scotland lying south of. the Forth, contains the fol- lowing, viz. Hartfeli^vfhose height above the sea at low water is 2635 feet ; fVkitecoom, looking down on the basin of Lochskeen, 2685 feet; Broadlaw in Peeblei»-shireand Tweedsmuir parish, 2741 feet; Ettrick Pen^ whose height is 2256 feet ; and Queensberry to the 104 DUMFIUES-SHIRE. S. W. whose elevation is 2259 feet ; and the summit whereof is in latitude 65^ 17' 2^ N. ; and longitude 8° 84' 47*' west The heights of Saddleback and Lochcraig have not yet been correctly ascertained. The position of Queensberry was correctly laid down, and the precise elevations, in so far as above stated, have been certified from the great Ordnance survey, and by the highest authority. * The Hartfell group of mountains includes LoehfelU nearly equal in height to the rest ; together with BodAeck and some others, whose elevation is not correctly known. The Fells in the south of Scotland and north of England are generally soft green hills of considerable elevation, and easy curved outline. If the word ** meaoV* or rea^/, as it is often pronounced, and which in Gaelic is said to signify a lump or Jlattish hill, be the true etymon of these fells, it seems not inappropriate to their description. The Hopes are nqt uncommon terms as parts of mountain scenery in the pastoral regions of the south of Scotland, and they occur most frequently where the bases of mountains meet each other without leaving any level, as a vale. It is this line of meeting and ascent from it that Is commonly called a hope^ and with the name of the hill or farm superadded. Hartfell may be ascended nearly all the way on horseback ; and from its green flat summit may be seen, in fine weather, the Che- viots in Northumberland, Skiddaw, and other mountains of Cum- berland ; Criffell in Galloway, Queensberry, and the other moun- tains on the west ; Corsoncone in Nithsdale, Blacklarg in Ayrshire, and, at sunset, also Benlomond in Stirlingshire. Meteorology, — The temperature of Moffat parish varies, of course, very considerably over the vales and mountains. But the aspect is to the southward, and the soil is commonly either natu- rally dry, or it has been drained where it was damp ; and the com- bined effect of these two causes has been felt to advantage in im- proving the climate throughout the parish. Snow is frequently attracted in showers to the mountains, and is seen lying there, white on the summits, when there is none below in the vales. * It may be interesting, for the purpose of comparison, to notice here the elevations of some higher mountains in England, on the south, and partly in sight of the above group. Skiddaw in Cumberland, above sea level, 3022 feet ; Helvellyn, in the same county, 8055 feet ; Cheviot, in Northumberland, 2665 feet. The elevations of some of the Scottish mountains in the north are as follows : Bennachie, in Aberdeenshire, above sea level, 2856 feet ; Lochnagarr in the same, 3777 feet ; BenmachdowU, in the same, 4305 feet ; CruccHan in Argyleshire, 3654 feet ; Benncvis, in Inverness shire, 4366 feet. MOFFAT. 105 The great elevation of the Hartfell group of mountains may account for occasionally deep falls of snow, attended by storms of wind and snow drift, of which very serious instances have occurred in this parish; but after all, the fact is not denied, that on these mountains the losses in sheep are not so great as in the less favourably situated hill pastures in the counties of Lanark, Peebles, and Selkirkshire, lying near them ; and in the greener and lower, but softer failk of Eskdalemuir in Dumfries-shire, with a less fa- vourable soil and aspect. The climate and temperature of the vil- lage of Moffat may be stated most intelligibly by comparison, being neither so cold as in Edinburgh, nor so wet as in Glasgow ; and not so warm as in Dumfries and Annan ; but all observation and experience concur in assigning to MoSbt a mild temperature, and a healthy climate. The town is built on, and surrounded by, lands of a dry and gravelly description, so that the streets and roads around the village are soon dried after falls of rain. It has a gentle declivity to the south, and a noble screen of lofty moun- tains protecting it from north and east, and frequently attract- ing showers which otherwise must have fallen in the vale. There is here no eastern fog or hoar (as it is called in Edinburgh) when there is an east wind, nor is Moffat exposed to the dense fogs that visit and hang over Dumfries and Annan from the Solway Firth, and from the vast mass of spongy peat still undrained in Lochar Moss. There is no furnace to cause a nuisance and con- taminate the pure air, as in the vicinity of many populous and ma- nu&cturing towns. The centre of Moffat has been cleared and widened to the dimensions of a moderate square. It may be added, as connected with salubrity at least, that a full supply of the very best and purest spring water has lately been introduced in lead pipes from the parish of Kirkpatrick-Juxta, and carried below the bed of the An- nan Water into Moffat; that in all directions the intercourse is easy and regular; that an elegant set of baths, and a long-room for the purposes of reading and assemblies, have been lately constructed on a superior plan ; and that the habits of early rising, in order to visit the well, to which also there is a good walking and car- riage road, have been thought materially to contribute to health. It may be added, that there is hardly any clay-bog undrained in the parish; that peat-bogs are not known to cause marsh fever; and that most of these are now drained for the benefit of the sheep, or for the purpose of being cut into peats, or im- proved and laid down in meadow grass ; and, accordingly, among 106 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. the residenters in Moffat, there are very few instances of ague. Typhus has often prevailed in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Carlisle, and other cities, when there was no such distemper in Moffat. Pro- vidence averted even the cholera, though severe in Glasgow, and especially in Dumfries, with which there was daily intercourse, — only two or three doubtful cases having occurred, and among strangers affected before they reached Moffat. If the climate be the cause of any local distempers, the writer has never heard of it, nor the medical friends he has consulted on the point. The prevailing winds are from the west, and these are also the most powerful. The north wind is dry, and so also, for the most part, is the east wind. The south wind is warm, and inclines to moisture. About 40 shepherds reside in the parish, all observant enough of the prognostics of weather from so many mountain summits, — store-masters and farmers being also generally provided with barome- ters. The dreadful snow fall and blast of the 24th January 1794 was indicated by an uncommon fall in the barometer. A wet season is not so much dreaded here, because the soil of the mountains and the vales is mostly dry, and the sheep are not liable to the distemper called tlie rot, so fatal in some of the most fertile parts of England. The dry summer of 1826 threatened famine to the flocks and folds, and suffering to the poor ; but the wheat crop of that year was very superior. One of the most alarming conse- quences of the droughts in 1826 and in 1832 was the failure of springs and of the smaller burns, which in some places occasioned a want of good water ; and, on the whole, in such a soil as the mountains and vales of Moffat consist of, the frequent recurrence of showers is beneficial. Hydrography — Moffat Well BXiA Hartfell Spa. — As to common springs, they are numerous and pure, arising out of the gravelly soil. But with respect to medicinal springs, there are two, which have long been well known, and have attained great celebrity; one of which is called Moffat Well, and is of a sulphureous character ; the other, a chalybeate, rising at the distance of four miles from the village, and known by the name of the Hartfell Spa. This chalybeate spring issues out of a deep ravine on the west side of the mountain, whose name it bears, about four miles N. W. from the village of Moffat. The ground all around having been deeply exposed, masses of con- glomerate appear, containing rotinded stones cemented by ferrugi- nous and aluminous earths, of the properties of both which the spring partakes. John Williamson, who discovered this water, MOFFAT. 107 had a monument erected to his memory in 1769. The water, as analyzed by Dr Garnet, contains 5 cubic inches azotic gas per wine gallon ; 84 grains of sulphate of iron in the same ; 12 grains of sulphate of alumina ; 15 grains oxide of iron. The taste is not unpleasant. The water is richest immediately after heavy falls of rain ; and it keeps long, and may be sent to distant places when the bottles are well-corked and sealed. A large wine-glassful is the common dose of the Hartfell Spa, taken twice or thrice a-day. The Well, as it is called, was discovered nearly 200 years ago, and continues to maintain its character as a slow but sure and safe re- medy in the complaints to which waters of this description are ap- plied* It sparkles like champagne when taken from the foun- tain, and becomes pleasant by habitual use ; some at last pre- ferring to drink it before the purest spring-water: and, being light, it is taken in very large quantities. Dr Garnet's analysis gives 4 cubic inches of nitrogen gas in the wine gallon ; 5 cubic inches of carbonic acid gas ; 10 cubic inches of sulphuretted hy- drogen gas; 36 grains of muriate of soda. This water is now conveyed in pipes to Mofiat, for the use of persons inclined to have it there for warm-baths ; but those who drink the water, of course, find it purest and most pleasant at the fountain, about a mile from Moffat, where a woman attends in an apartment for the use of visitants. Lochskeen. — The only lake of importance is Lochskeen, formed in an elevated mountain basin, rather mossy, 'and having one or two rocky islets within its waters. Lochskeen is about three-quarters of a mile in length, aiid one quarter in breadth. Its elevated situation is thought to be above 1000 feet above sea level, and yet it con- tains the finest trout in this part of Scotland* The outlet of its waters is by the lofty cascade, called the Gray Mare's Tail, falling over precipitous rocks, which have been computed in all at 400 feet elevation above the vale, — this waterfall being broken into parts. Geology and Mineraloffy. — The soil of the vales is alluvial^ and contains many rounded stones, with sand and gravel. The dry mountain soils are light, with grass and heath ; but the growth of peat-moss heath is interrupted by draining and burning. Grass mixed with heath grows to the summit of the mountains, the out- lines of which are curved and somewhat regular. The rivers and rivulets have opened scars in various places, exposing the mb- 108 DUMFRJES-SHIRE. strata; but these have not been at any time very particularly exa- mined. For the mineralogy of this parish, reference may be made to the survey of this county by Professor Jameson, and to the prac^ tical survey of the Bushbys coal-viewers, also to the sketch on the county map, inserted by the late General Dirom ; but this field seems to have been little explored, and probably may yet be found rich in future discoveries. Sandstone exists, biit is not worked ; and the same remark ap- plies to roqftng^late. Coal has not been found, nor lime, but neither of them has been duly sought for. A drift was put into Hartfell, in search of copper ore^ but without success. Gypsum occurs in thin veins, and also calcareous spar. The fine blue Moffat whinstone is one of the best for building, being rich in dif- fused quartz. No mne has been worked in this parish, and no adequate pains taken for the discovery of minerals, — the only trial for coal not having been well supported, nor made with judgment and perseverance. Zoohgy. — In former times, the hart and hind were found in this parish; the last hart was killed in 1754, having been long single. The roebuck and doe were also natives, but have long since disappeared. The eagle has become a rare bird, though still it may be seen occasionally floating over the summits of the high mountains. The blue hawk bred lately in the Bell Craig Linn. The fox continues to haunt in the hills and mountains, and to be destructive to lambs and poultry. It would be a wise mea- sure to employ all Jthe strength of the community here^ as for- merly in Dryfe, for destroying in season all sorts of birds and beasts of prey, and their broods, early in May, that being the proper time. Game appears liable to fluctuations, depending partly on the sea- sons, and partly, as is supposed, on the burning of the heath, and the care taken to destroy such creatures as are hurtful to the game; a task not easily performed, unless the shepherds take a part in it. Black and redgante, mthpartridgesy are found as usual in the pro- per situations. Ptarmigan are very rarely seen. The heron is often seen among the waters ; and wild ducks occasionally visit them. Wood pigeons are numerous; and there are common pigeons which have bred in remote parts or old towers, and have become wild. The domestic cattle are mostly of the Galloway breed, as reared for sale ; and of the Ayrshire kind, as kept for milk cows. A cow MOFFAT. 109 pasture at Moffat accommodates aboiit thirty of the resident families, enabling them to sell milk to Tisitants. The sheep stocks are large and excellent ; and are all, or nearly all, Qieviot^, only a few of the black-faced breed being now left in the most ex- posed pastures, and a few crosses of Cheviots and Leicester in the lower farms. A few goats^ for milk to strangers, have long been kept near the well. Pigs are not reared in this parish to any great extent. The fishings of all the rivers of Dumfries -shire have become of little value, since stake-nets were permitted in the Solway, on the plan most destructive of the fi^ as they enter these rivers; and it is not easy to understand why die old acts which were framed before the union of the kingdoms are still allowed to remain in force ; nor why, under these acts, new and more destruc- tive modes of taking the fish have been permitted. Strangers who think proper to ask permission, are seldom refused the liberty of trouting in any of the rivers near Moffat ; and every one should set his face against using nets to destroy the trouts, and still more against the mean and pernicious practice of killing the salmon in forbidden time, and in the season of spawning; a practice that led to the extinction of one poor family in Moffat long ago, that fa- mily having died out of putrid fever, occasioned by their living wholly on such unwholesome food. Botany. — The French or herb wiUotc, though a rare plant in many places, has become naturalized here. The scented woodruff appears in the rocky linns ; a few plants oi juniper exist ; the wild strawberry aiid raspberry appear in a few places ; cranberry in mossy bogs, and blaeberry and crowberry in the mountains. The knub^^^erry, otherwise called the Queens-berry, {Rubus chanuB^ morus^) would be far more plentiful if the sheep did not eat down the blossoms and leaves, and the fire occasionally bum the stems. The hag^rry has established itself, — and the white thorn, — ^tbeir seeds being carried and propagated by the birds, as manj^ other seeds are. Among those plants which grow naturally and sometimes luxu- riantly, though not cultivated, nor of much or any use, may be men- tioned the whin in stiff tilly bottomed soils ; the broom in light sand or gravel, both of which, though useful in former times, are now considered as weeds ; also the sweet gale or gall (Myrica) in wet turf bogs ; rfishes and carices in the same soils; and the ntarsh ma- 1 10 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. riffold{CaUiapalu8tris,)and queenofthe meadows {Spir . . - 62 ehiefly employed in trade, manufiMstures, or handicreft, - 151 reading in Mo£5u 920» in the country . . 1S8 Character and Habits of the Peapk.— The habits of the people are particularly decent and cleanly, and their language is among the best samples of English to be found in any Scottish village. The gray plaid, thrown round the body, or across one shoulder and under the opposite arm, is still common. Curling with heavy dressed stones on the ice is the favourite amusement in winter. There is a bowling green ; and a billiard table is prepared at the bath-rooms. A subscription and a circulating library furnish the people with books, exclusive of two daily newspapers and many others. There is hardly any smuggling or poaching; and low and gross acts of immorality are seldom heard of in Moffat IV. — Industry. The real rent of lands in this parish is about L. 8000; of which are paid from sheep L. 5750, and from corn and cattle, L. 2250. The sheep-walks comprehend, it is believed, about 34,200 acres ; the land in cultivation, about 3750 acres; natural woods, 200 acres, and plantations 250 acres. In all, 38,400 acres. This view of the proportion of the land in cultivation corresponds with what was reported in the Statistical Account of 1791, when it was considered as about 3000 Scotch acres, being nearly the same as 3750 acres English ; and in this respect there seems to be on the whole very little alteration. But though the extent of lands in culture is nearly the same, it is well known that the mode of cultivation is greatly improved. The noble author of a celebrated work on emigration was of opi- nion, that, for such lands as those of Moffat parish, it was only ne- cessary to have the shepherd and his dog. But a reasonable propor- tion of the lands in cultivation adds materially to the safety and value even of the sheep ; and they are indispensable to the com- forts and subsistence of that population, by whose labours shel- tering walls are erected for the use of the sheep stocks, and green crops and sown grasses raised for the support of stocks that re- quire it, — com and cattle entering into the system, with sheltering plantations equally beneficial to the owners and their flocks, and 1 16 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. advantageous to landholders and to the community. It is in conformity mth such an improved system of management that the agriculture of this parish is now conducted, and by a judi- cious and respectable tenantry. There are about 400 milch cows and 550 young cattle in the parish, besides the sheep, and from these and the crop lands must be made up the proportion of the rent. That part of the rent which is paid from sheep is very handsome, but the tenants are provided with suitable accommoda- tions; and by means of skill and capital, with lands of a sound qua- lity, and flocks of an established character, they are enabled to pay large rents, to employ many servants and artisans, and thus to divide, with their landholders and with the community, the be- nefits of their farming industry. Produce. — It is the common rule, that the gross returns from farms in general ought to rise to about three times the rents ; and this proportion holds in general as to arable and cattle farms; but the whole gross returns of this parish do not much exceed twice the rental, and this arises from the greater part being under sheep. 950 acres, supposed to be in oats, at 4 guineas the English acre, are L. 3990 220 English acres in potatoes are worth about L. 6, or L. 1320 110 do. turnips at L. 3, 880 ——880 acres of green crops in all, valued at 1650 250 do. of sown grass for hay (spring fed) at L. 2, L. 500 SSiO do. of meadow hay, do. do. 640 — — Making 570 acres in hay, valued in all at - 1 140 1850 acres in field culture and crops, estimated in all at L. 6780 400 milk cows grazed at L. 8 each come to - 1200 550 young beasts grazed at L. 1, 10s. average - 825 -950 black cattle grazed, the whole grazing, 2025 400 swine, the feeding crops valued above, surplus L. 1 each, - 400 50 young horses grazed at L. 8 each, - - - - 150 28,000 sheep grazed at 5s. each, average - - - 5750 Grazing of live stock, in all estimated at - « L. 8325 Woods 200 acres, plantations 250 acres, weedings and timber, of all L. 450 Gardens and enclosed pastures for stock, partly estimated, surplus, 600 And including bees, poultry, &c. computed above crops at 50 L. 1000 And the whole produce of 1850 acres in crops, being Ij. 6780 Woods and parks, gardens, &c. 1900 acres, a surplus of 1000 And that of hill pasture 84,700 acres of sheep-walk, 5750 With horses, &c. on a total of 88,450 acres, cattle, swine, &c. 2575 The total returns from lands in the parish arc about - L. 16,105 MOFFAT. 117 Manufactures, — There is a good corn-mill at Moffat ; also a sawing-mill for timber, and a fuUing-mill for cloth ; with various looms for making stockings ; and the necessary proportion of skilful tradesmen in the various branches required for the village and neighbourhood. The straw-plait for bonnets was recommended for trial at Mof- fat, and no situation appears more promising. The prices have fallen much, but still the manufacture would be of some use, both for sale and for wear. The material is cheap, and the labour is manual, so that it well deserves to be tried, and to meet encourage- ment. In the cleanly houses at MoSat, the young women might do something at bonnet-making, while the elder females worked at spinning and netting into stockings, of strong woollen yarn, or at any other work that can be furnished, so as to give them the credit and comfort of doing something for their own support, — an object of great importanoe and of growing necessity. Agricultural Society* — There is a farming association here, which, by stimulating attention to the improvement of stock, has been very useful, even at a time rather inauspicious. When the value of stock had sunk so far in proportion to that of money* as to render the payment of rents, without considerable abatement, hard* ly practicable ; even in these circumstances the intrinsic value of stock has been considerably improved, in consequence of the pub- lic notice excited by this Association. V. — Parochial Economy. Town^ Market, Sfc. — The police of the town was lately very inadequate ; but has been improved by the nomination of special constables and peace-officers. There are two residing magistrates in Moffat, and the court of Justices meets there once a-month* There is a weekly market ; but it were better if it were to be held only once a-month, when, of course, it would be more fully at- tended. Means of Communication. — The means of communication are excellent in the directions of Glasgow and Carlisle, and also towards Dumfries and Edinburgh. The road also to Selkirk by the lakes is good ; but though another line has been opened by Hut- ton, branching to Eskdalemuir, or to Dunnabie, the road to Loch- maben is still imperfect, and a direct line to Closeburn is wanting. An assorting Post^Office at Moffat is well kept and very useful, but a post conveyance by" Lochmaben to Annan is still wanted. The 1 18 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. mail-coach lines are only about 16 miles long within the parish ; all the roads and bridges are kept in safe order, and coaches cross one another daily in each of the lines to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Ecclesiastical State. — The church was rebuilt in 1790, and, by the liberality of James Earl of Hopetoun, it was put down on some ground of his own among aged and venerable trees, in a most appropriate site, and not in the church-yanL His Lordship also made the building laiger and handsomer at his own expense. It accommodates about a thousand sitters ; and contains two square seats allotted for strangers, and also a few pews for the poor. The manse was built in 1771, and an addition to it in 1810. The glebe is let at L. 25 rent ; and the stipend is now 17 chalders, or for the present year, L. 240 Sterling. In the continued indispo- sition of the Rev. Mr Johnston, he allows a sum for the regular services of the pulpit, which are performed by Mr Wilson, preach- er of the GospeL The parish church is attended by about 835 families ; and the number of communicants in the sacrament of the Lord's supper is seldom under and sometimes above 500. There is a Buigher meeting-house in Moffat ; but it cannot be very fully attended, or endowed, as only a small proportion of the parishioners are dissenters. Religious Societies, — There have been two religious or Bible associations in Moffat for many years ; one female and one male. These have contributed regularly for sacred purposes. A Sab- bath-school is taught in the afternoon, and well attended in the parish church. The collections at the parish church are respect- able, and are supported by liberal contributions from the .heritors ; there being many poor in Moffat, and a great want of employment for the industrious poor, especially in winter. Farmers are not made liable for one-half the siuns yearly assessed, most of the he- ritors paying the whole for their land. The collections at the meeting-house cannot be very great Education. — No situation appears more favourable than Mof- fat for the purposes of education. A boarding and day-school for girls would be very convenient, if all the branches they required could be well taught in the village. There are some arrangements in view as to the two principal schools, of which it were premature to mention particulars; only a conjoined seminary, out of both as an academy, would be very beneficial, and might also be expected soon to prosper. In the meantime, a subscription-school is well and MOFFAT. 1H> ably taught, though not very well attended ; and there are varioas other schools in the place. CharttabklnsHtutumSiSfc. — The Female Benevolent Society has done much good ; a friendly society did not succeed, nor a parish bank, chiefly from Ae low rate of interest One of these might now be tried again, with the aid and concurrence of David Jardine, Esq. agent for the Glasgow Union Bank, as he could transact without the former expense and risk of money-carriage, and that bank allows a half per cent, of interest more than some others. Poor. — The funds of the poor consist of about L. 50 per annum from church collections, from L. 50 to L. 60, which arise fromrlegal assessments, and of contributions over and above to the amount of about L. 20. The number of claimants is about 50. Hid. — The fuel mostly used is coal, from Douglas ; and the price per hundred weight in Moffat lOd. to Is. Miscellaneous Observations. A comparison of the present state of things with what it teas about forty years ago may be considered as one of the most interesting objects of this new series of statistical reports. Since the last Statistical Account was written, not only the po- pulation, as before shewn, has greatly increased, but the land rents have risen from Li.d300 to about L.8000; while in the country part of the parish most of the farm-houses and offices have been re- built, and a large extent of stone fences erected. Many of the cot- tages have been rebuilt also;, and most of these have been covered with slate roofs, as the farm-houses and offices have been. Around the village, important and attractive improvements have taken place. The lands have not only been improved, but villa buildings have been erected on a plan combining ornament ¥dth comfort; at the same time, many new houses have been erected ; one of which, now constructing by Mr Macmillan, merchant, is on a very superior plan. The church has been rebuilt, and the parish school. The new baths have been erected on a superior plan, with reading-room and bowUng^^reen. The meal-house and market have been opened up; a square in the centre of the village has also been opened with plenty of the finest spring water, in a cistern for public use. The streets are always kept in comfortable order; there is a regular market for beef and mutton; mail-coaches pass and repass daily, and post horses and carriages may be hired at the principal inn ; all the roads and bridges communicating with Moffat are now good, safe. 120 DUMFRIES-8HIRE. and easy ; and the lodgings for strangers are much improved, af- fording also far more extensive accommodation. Even the pub- lic roads and walks around the village have been considerably improved. Nuisances of all sorts are carefully interdicted, and measures taken generally for making such important and exten- sive improvements, as have raised the character of Moffat to be one of the most attractive watering villages, and one of the most comfortable places of residence ; and these improvements being under the eye as well as the patronage of the family of Annandale, who take pleasure, and have an interest, in the property of Moffat, there is no doubt of their being carried on as far as the public ought to expect In the cultivation of the arable soils a very great improvement has been made; and, by removing obstructions, duly manuring and working the lands, observing a proper improved rotation, and keep- ing down or destroying noxious weeds, — and farther, by cultivating the most valuable crops, it is not too much to say, that within forty years the returns of the arable soils have become far better, as well as more abundant. The single practice of feeding off sheep on turnip lands has been of incalculable benefit. As to stocks^ if the village cows be excepted, which are pastured, it is believed, in too great numbers, and if we also except some of the cottagers' cows, the quality of the cattle has been verj' much improved, and the sheep stocks perhaps even more so, within the last forty years ; and whatever the prices may now be, affected as these are by various causes, and among others by the^state of the currency, the improvement in quality has been certain and exten- sive. Let any one now look into the cottages, and he will find them nearly or fully as comfortable as the farm-houses were forty years ago; and let him compare the dress of the cottagers and their mode of living with that of the farmers at the above distance of time, he will find that at present they .are not greatly inferior. And yet it is certain there is a tendency to depression, chiefly arising out of want of employment and reduced rates of wages, both of which are partly to be ascribed to the influx of labourers from Ireland ; the remedy for which is neither very easy nor very obvious. The wandering poor are now sent to individual houses to be supplied with necessaries, and forwarded to the places to which they belong ; but they are not encouraged, as formerly, to wander across the country, and to haunt any where in it at their MOFFAT. 121 own diseretioiL Accordingly, the system otpubUe begffing haTing thus become less easy and less profitable, it is hoped that many of the wandering poor have returned to the places where they are known, and that some of them hare resumed habits of industry, for their numbers have been reduced in this neighbourhood; and this ought to enable the fanners and others, who formerly were sub- jected to such a burden, to give more tiberally into the coDections for the parish poor. The practice of irrigation has not been much tried in this pa- rish, perhaps on account of the sheep stocks, and the suspicion that rot among them would follow. But if lands are not watered in sum* mer, this does not happen ; and there is no danger at all if the water be not laid on before Michaelmas, nor continued past the first week of ApriL Anothermode of improving soft meadows, — by draining, levelling, and luning the soil, is of great importance ; and as it requires above Lb 5 per acre, landholders would act wisely in allowing the cost and carriage of lime, provided the meadows were not to be broken up, and were to be generally kept in pasturage, and not to be cut for hay above once in the three years. This plan would answer well with the new system of half-bred lambs, which has paid so abun- dantly hitherto ; and in order to carry it on to more advantage, a part of the hill grounds might farther be enclosed ofi^ and improv- ed in cultivation ; and by laying dovm well-limed into rich grass, to feed them to more advantage, and in quietness and seclusion from the other stocks. This would pay well, and furnish also useful em- ployment, and at least 500 acres mig^t thus be added to the lands in culture, perhaps even twice that extent. Of building materials at Moffat, the blue whinstone is particu- larly valuable ; it cuts better than granite, and lasts almost as long; it is so hard that the workmen strike fire with steel from it; they raL patched him with the huge key of the tower which she carried in her hand. "t* About seven years ago a considerable number of silver coins of various sizes, and one large gold one, (a double Jacobus,) were discovered by a person sowing grass-seeds in the cow-park of Good-hope. They consist chiefly of half-crowns, shillings, and sixpences, of the reign of Elizabeth, James, William, and Mary, and are now in possession of the proprietor at Raehills. A few other silver coins, chiefly half-crowns of James VI., and shillings of Elizabeth, were, much about the yame period, discovered in an earthen pot by a man who was clearing out the foun- dations of an old wall or dike near the fiirm-house of Kerse of KinneL JOHNSTONE. 159 apartments, is now erecting, which, when finished, will render it one of the most magnificent edifices in the south of Scotland. III. — Population. In 1755, the population was, by the return to Dr Webster, - 494 1791, - - - - - - 565 1601, by the Census, .... 740 1811, 904 1821. - 1179 1831, 1234 The increase of the population seems chiefly to have arisen from the establishment, about fifty years ago, of new small farms on the hitherto uncultivated moorlands of Mr Johnstone's estate ; from more recent grants of building leases to respectable trades- men and others ; and from the general prosperity of its agricul- ture. 1. Number of families ia the parish, - - - 202 of families chiefly employed in agriculture, - 109 chiefly employed in trade, manufi^tures, or banduaraft, 44 % Number of unmarried men* bachelors or widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 32 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45, - 44 Character and Habits of the People. — The prevailing popular games are curling in the winter, and quoits in summer ; for supe-» nor skill in both of which manly and exhilarating exercises, this parish has for some years past been confessedly distinguished. The people are cleanly in their habits, and seem never to foiget that a black and white home-made plaid (be it in the month of June or January, and the weather what it may,) is essential to complete their dress when they go abroad, to church or market. Oatmeal made into porridge or cakes, and potatoes used with milk, and occa- sionally a little mutton, or beef, or bacon, is the ordinary food of the peasantry, who are industrious in their callings, and in their circum- stances contented and happy. Though not much engrossed in lite- rary or intellectual pursuits, our inhabitants are yet an intelligent, mo- ral, and church-going population. Poaching of salmon in the river Annan, though not so common as it was thirty or forty years ago, is sometimes practised during the winter season, but chiefly by persons not resident in the parish ; and we fear that until the pro- prietors on the river in the upper district of Annandale, have a per- sonal interest in protecting the fisheries, by being allowed a chance of a share of the fish at the proper season, (which at present is 160 DUMFBIES-SHIRE. denied 4hem by the land-owners on the rirer's mouth,) all the united vigilance of all the water bailies whom they or their tacks- men may appoint, will never be able to check this demoralizing practice. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. * — Number of imperial acres in crops, or occasionally cultivated, between 5000 and 0000 acres uneultimted, or in pasture, &c about - - 5000 waste land which could be profitably cultivated, 50O to 1000 undivided common, ..... Extent of land under plantation and natural wood, nearly - - 1500 In the plantations made by the late James Earl of Hopetoun forty years ago, Scotch firs were chiefly used, with a small portion of larch and spruce. It is found, that, on moderately good soils, the comparative value of the larch to the Scotch fir is as three or four to one ; and when the soil is mossy, and the bottom not very retentive, that the spruce is double the value of the Scotch fir. It is now quite understood, also, that very great injury is commit- ted, and actual loss sustained, by not thinning the plantations in due time, and by neglecting to drain them properly. In the lat- ter plantations less Scotch fir is used, and more attention paid to draining and thinning. From the older plantations, by means of two saw-mills, kept in almost constant operation, the neighbouring parishes and districts are supplied with wood for farm-buildings, palings, and other agricultural purposes, and quantities of the large larch have for these three years past, been sent to Lanca- shire and Cheshire for erecting railways. On the whole, these plantations, although they might have been perhaps more judi- ciously managed, may be reckoned a most profitable application of capital, whether we consider the great saving they occasion to the proprietor in the erecting of farm-steadings, &c or the direct proceeds of their annual sales, or the vast advantages which they afford by way of shelter, to the neighbouring lands. Rent of Land. — The average rent of the arable land in the pa- rish may be from 10s. to 12s. per imperial acre. There are not above 2000 acres of land fit for regular rotation for green crop. * To Charles Stewart, Esq. factor upon the estates of Annandale, we are under many obligations for his able assistance in framing this Report, but particularly for his extensive information and very accurate calculations on this head. JOHNSTONE. 161 There are only two regular sheep^farms, and of these the rent may be about 5s.- per sheep. Black-cattle being kept on the mix- ed arable farms, it is difficult to state the proportion of rent paid for them ; but for the last two years the annual return to the farm- ers, taking the average of young and old, does not exceed L. 2, 10s* each. Rate of Wages. — The general rate of a day-labourer's wages, without victuals, is Is. 6d. in summer, and Is. 4d. in winter; and of that of a mason or carpenter, from Is. lOd. to 2s, 6d. Full- grown farm-servants, besides board, receive from L. 4 to L. 6 ; and women from L. 2 to Li. 3 per half-year. Breeds of Live Stock, — On the two sheep-farms, the stock con- sists partly of Cheviot, and partly of short, or black-faced sheep; and on all the other farms, cows of the Galloway breed are kept, and their produce usually sold at one and two years old, excepting one farm, where a dairy stock of the pure Ayrshire breed is kept. The great- est attention has been bestowed for these last fifty years by the pro- prietor and his tenants in improving the breed of black-cattle. Bulls have been brought from the best districts of Galloway, and occasion- ally young queys of remarkable symmetry and beauty have been in- troduced, and it is generally allowed, and, in fact proved, from the numerous premiums annually awarded to our tenantry from the district or upper Annandale Agricultural Society, that this parish now produces the purest breed of Galloway cattle that is to be found in Diunfries-shire. It may be remarked, however, that the dairy farm above alluded to, on which thirty cows are kept, is considered to pay the tenant better than any of those on which the Galloway stock is reared, and the usual mode of management in the south practised. Hiubandry. — The reclaiming of waste land has been here car- ried farther than it ought to have been with profit, either to the landlord or tenant, it being found very difficult and expensive to keep up the fertility of the poorer soils. Much, however, remains to be done in the way of draining and top-dressing. The rotation of crops is very regularly observed. The land being allowed to remain four years in grass, two white crops are taken, succeeded by a green crop sown out with grass seeds. Experience has taught us that this system of management is the most proper for the medium soils of the parish ; but in the extremes of good and bad land, this course ought in some cases to be deviated from. The species oT grain called bear or big, so common about half a nUMFRlRS. L 162 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. century ago, is altogether banished from the parish, and barley sub- stituted in its room. Wheat is regularly cultivated in three or four farms only. Nearly the whole parish is under leases of twenty-one years, which commenced in 1814, and great prices being then calculated upon for agricultural produce of every description, the farms were anxiously taken at too high a rent, to afford an adequate remune- ration to the tenants. Mr Hope Johnstone was early aware of this circumstance, and has kindly made, during almost the whole currency of the leases, abatements of rent from 25 to 40 per cent, and thus at once given a powerful stimulus to the industry of his numerous tenantry, and afforded an instance of liberality equalled by few, and surpassed, we believe, by none of the landlords in the south of Scotland. Very few tenants have consequently quitted their farms during this period ; and it is a remarkable fact in our parochial statistics, that two-thirds of the whole present tacksmen and their forefathers have been in the parish for fifty years and upwards. During the last fifteen years, the parish has been almost wholly inclosed and subdivided with fences of hedge and ditch, and on most of the farms, neat, commodious, and substantial steadings of stone and lime, with slate-roofs, have been built ; audit is sup- posed that the proprietor has laid out from three to four years' rent on these improvements. Mr Johnstone has been at unusual pains to stimulate the spirit of enterprise among the tenantry on this part of his estates, and the increase of produce and general improvement have been re- markably rapid within these last twenty years. The inferiority of the soil of a portion of the farms, and the recurrence of defective crops in bad seasons, make, however, the progress of these im- provements less steady than it would otherwise be in a kindlier climate, and more propitious soil. Quarry, — There is only one freestone quarry in the parish, on a small scale, for the supply of stones for farm-buildings. Produce. — Average gross amount of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : > Produce of grain of all kinds cultivated for the food of man or domestic animals, in- cluding fodder, and deducting seed, - - - L. 4600 Ditto of potatoes and turnips, and ditto, ... 1900 Produce of rye-grass and meadow hay, ... 1200 Carry forward, L. 7700 2500 5ao 100 300 1 1 eoo JOHNSTOXE. 163 Brought forward, L. 7700 Flax is now cuHlyated upon a very small scale, (and r^ularljr decreas- ng) and cannot be estimated abore - - . . 50 Pasture of 5pO cows and 700 young cattle, estimating 3 of the latter equal to 2 of the former, ..... Pasture of 1700 sheep, .... Pasture of horses bred for sale, exclusive of those kept for husbandry. Pasture of 50O pigs fed and sold for pork. The annual thinnings and periodical filings of wood may be reckoned to average ..... Total yearly value of raw produce, - L. 12,000 The gross quantity of pork sold, including the cottars' pigs, may amount yearly to L.^000. This, indeed, Js our staple commodi- ty, and by far the most important article of saleable farm produce in the parish. But, as the food of these pigs is included under the general heads of potatoes and grain, from the sum specified, we have deducted the value of those articles which they consume in feeding. The annual produce of gardens and orchards is extremely trifling, and the common vegetables in them are included in the head of green crop above stated. Manufactures. — There are a few of the various ordinary handi- craftsmen, such as 1 baker ; 7 blacksmiths ; 2 plasterers ; 1 slater ; 37 masons; 17 carpenters; 2 sawyers; 3 carters; 2 grooms; 1 cooper ; 1 corn-dealer ; 1 hosier ; 1 cow-keeper ; 1 miller ; 6 shoemakers ; 3 shop-keepers ; 4 tailors ; 9 weavers ; in all 99. Bacon is manufactured here to a very considerable extent At St Ann's Bridge not less than 516 carcases of pigs, weigh- ing 6000 stones, and averaging nearly twelve stones each, of fourteen pounds to the stone, have been this season manufac- tured into hams and flitches by Mr James Thorbum and Co. which has proved to be a very profitable investment of ca- pital. When sufiiciently dried and fit for use, it is usually car- ried to Longtown, where it commands a ready-money sale for the markets of Newcastle, Shields, and Sunderland, from whence part of it is shipped to London. It is said, indeed, that in the town of Newcastle alone, forty cart loads per week are, through the year, at an average, disposed of. The fluctuation in the price of this article is often rapid and unaccountable, even to the dealers themselves, and seems not to be so immediately affected by the rise or fall of other fat produce, as by the prosperous or declin- ing state of the manufactures, especially in the south. At Pan- 164 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. lands, too, carcases to the amount of 250, and weighing 2870 stones, were cured by Messrs Halliday last season, and the same manufacture has been carried on by them sometimes to, a less ex- tent, and sometimes to a greater, for upwards of thirty years past The breed of pigs has of late been so much improved in Annan- dale, and the mode of feeding and curing them so thoroughly un- derstood and practised, that its hams vie in flavour with the York- shire or Westphalia themselves, and far excel those lank ill-fed Irish which are imported in such abundance into the west of the island. Societies. — The only public association is a small farming society established in the year 1818, (and to which the principal proprietor makes a handsome annual contribution,) for giving premiums for improving the breed of Galloway cattle, draught horses, and pigs, and for other agricultural objects. To the spirit of emulation and of enterprise which this little society has evidently excited, is owing in a great measure that decided improvement both in the quality of the stock of various kinds annually exhibited, and in the general mode of parochial management. V. — Parochial Economy. Markets^ Sfc, — The nearest market-towns are Lockerby and Mof- fat, the former being situated at six miles distance from the south- ern, and the latter about the same distance from the northem ex- tremity of the parish. Means of Communication. — The nearest post towns are Moflat for the upper district of the parish, and Lochmaben and Lockerby for the lower. The great road from London to Glasgow, by Car- lisle, runs for five miles through the parish,— that from Dumfries to Edinburgh, via MofTat, runs five miles; and a turnpike road from Moffat to Lochmaben and Annan also runs about six miles from north to south nearly through its centre. The London and Glasgow, and Edinburgh and Dumfries mail-coaches, and an Edin- burgh and Dumfries stage-coach, travel on these roads. The Lon- don and Glasgow road is one of the finest and best kept in the kingdom, and has vastly improved our internal communication. The first bridge over the Kinnel at St Anns,* near Raehills, was built in the year 1782, rebuilt in 1795, and considerably widened • Both above and below St Anns, there are several very fanciful wooden bridges connecting the various beautiful walks which wind on each side, along the romantic banks of the Kinnel. 4 JOHNSTONE. 165 and improved in 1817. That over the Annaii at Johnstone Mills, consisting of one arch, in span above 80 feet, was built in the year 1818. Both of these bridges, with the others over the smaller streams, are kept in excellent repair. Ecclesiastical State. — The church is situated on the west side of the river Annan, and upon the eastmost verge of the parish, and is, like many other of our parish churches in Scotland, by no means centrical, or convenient for the greater part of the population. Its distance from the western extremity is seven miles, from the north- era, four, and from the southern, two miles and a-half. It was built in the year 1733, and rebuilt and considerably enlarged in 1818, and is now very comfortable and commodious. The only benefac- tion on record is that of L. 172 bequeathed by John Aitken, late fanner in Kirkbank, for behoof of the parochial schoolmaster, and placed, in terms of his will, under the uncontrolled management of the kirk-session. The money is, by a personal bond dated at Edin- burgh Idth March 1822, in the hands of the trustees upon the es- tate of Annandale, who have hitherto allowed for it five per cent, per annum. The church accommodates 500 persons, and there are at least fifty free sittings. The manse was built in the year 1 735, rebuilt about 1795, and enlarged and repaired at the expense of Lf.650 in 1809, when the present incumbent was inducted into u the living. The extent of glebe land may be about ten imperial acres, including garden and house steading, and may be valued at 20s. per acre. The amount of the stipend is L.165, Ids. l^d. per annum. The number of families attending the Established church may be 1 9 1 , and of persons of all ages at an average, 400. The number of persons attending the neighbouring dissenting meeting-houses may be 27. The average number of young communicants yearly at the parish church, from a private register kept by the minister for nearly twenty years past^^has been 25, and of ordinary commu- nicants of all ages, of whom a few are from other congregations, 400. An annual collection for religious purposes has been made for some years past upon the thanksgiving Sabbath, or that which im- mediately succeeds the dispensation of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and has been usually divided betw^een the Bible Society of Edinburgh and the Scottish Missionary Society. A moiety of it -^ was this year transmitted to the North American Colonial Society of Glasgow. The probable average amount of church collections 166 DUMFALES-SHiaE. yearly for charitable purposes, may be (exclusive of our collections and funds for the regular poor) from L.6 to L.8. Education, — There are three public schools in the parish, one (the parochial school) situated near the church, — another at Edge- moor, on the west side of the parish, and another on the northmost verge of the parish, at Cogriebum bridge. In the parochial school, besides the usual branches, Latin, Greek, and French are taught : in the other two, reading, writing, and accounts only. The salary of the parochial teacher was the maximum under the old act, but he being for some years in a state of insanity, and enjoying the whole salary, with the addition of L. 3 out of the Aitken mortifica- tion, in lieu of a house, in virtue of an agreement between his le- gal guardians and the heritors, and sanctioned by the presbytery of Lochmaben, it has hitherto been considered inexpedient to make any further arrangement. An interim teacher, appointed by the heritors, conducts, in his absence, the business of the school, and is remunerated by the fees and Candlemas offerings, with L.5, 12s. from the Aitken fund, which may, in all, amount to about L.27 per annum. The teacher at Edgemoor has a salary of L.14 a-year from Mr Hope Johnstone, which, with the school fees, may make his income about L. 24 yearly. The teacher at Cogriebum bridge receives no salary, but is dependent upon the fees of teach- ing and the Candlemas offerings alone. His income may be esti- mated at from L. 14 to 16 a-year. The parochial teacher posses- ses the legal accommodations in houses and land. The general expense of education per annum, for children under twelve years of age, may be 10s., for those above that age, )2s., and for those who are taught Latin, Greek, &c. 20s. There are no persons in the parish above six years of age who cannot both read and write.* Since the facilities of education have been increased, an evident improvement has taken place in the morals and general good con- duct of the parishioners, as is testified by our sessional records of discipline, &c. Literature, — A parochial library, consisting chiefly of books of divinity, biography, history, *&c. (and from which all novels are * We have also two Sabbath evening-schools. The one at St Ann's Bridge, and the other at the church, which meet during the summer months, and are open indis- criminately, and gratuitously, to children of all classes, who choose to attend. The average number of scholars at both has for some years past been 125, and there is reason to believe that these little religious seminaries have been eminently blessed to promote the spiritual interest of the rising generation amongst us. JOHNSTONE. 167 positively excluded,) was established by a general subscription in the year 1828. The funds were increased by a very handsome donation from the principal heritor, by means of which, with the quarterly subscription of the members, (chiefly heads of families,) it amounts to above 300 volumes. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving regular parochial aid is 16, and the annual sum allowed to each may average L. 2, 5s. They have all of them free houses, with plenty of peat fuel for the trouble of casting, and, through the kindness of the family at Raehills, who tsi^e a sort of hereditary and exclusive charge of the needy amongst us, our industrious females, who are able to do a little work, are provided with employment in the way of spinning, &c and, upon the whole, our poor are altogether well cared for. The whole amount of annual collections, &c. in* eluding the interest of L. 280, in the hands of the family of An* nandaie, for which 5 per cent is allowed, may be L. 65. Inns^ Sfc. — There are neither inns, nor alehouses kept here, nor do they seem to be required as a public acconmiodation. The proprietor, Mr Hope Johnstone, following out the views of his predecessors, has carefully prevented the establishment of dram- shops on his estates generally, and particularly in the parish of Johnstone ; and there is no doubt that, should this practice, so pa- triotic and enlightened, be generally adopted by influential persons throughout our land, much injury to the health and morals of the community would be prevented. Fvd. — The greater proportion of this article is dug from the extensive peat-n^osses in the parish ; the average labour and carriage of which may amount to about 30s. per annum for each householder. Coals are but little used, in consequence, chiefly of their great distance. Miscellaneous Observations. There are, we believe, few, if any instances of a parish uncon- nected with manufactures, and whose inhabitants depend exclu- sively for support upon the cultivation of the soil, increasing so rapidly in population as this has done within these last forty years. During this period the external aspect of the parish has been en- tirely changed, by its roads, its enclosures, and its improved sys- tem of husbandry, but more especially by the number of comfort- able dwellings erected for the accommodation of the labouring- classes. These houses have been built partly at their own expense, 1 68 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. with the assistance of timber, &c. from the proprietor, and are ge- nerally slated or flagged. * Labourers of industrious habits having possessed themselves of these tenements, with an adjacent piece of ground for keeping a cow, and growing potatoes for their families, at a moderate rent, are enabled to live in a degree of comfort and independence very superior, indeed, to what is enjoyed by the same rank who reside in villages, or who rent houses from year to year un- der the tenantry. And it is to be regretted that this system, so condu- cive to the happiness and morals of our peasantry, has not, at least on estates similarly situatedi been more extensively adopted. Nor has the want of employment, the frequent concomitant of increase of population, been hitherto materially felt among us. Great cau- tion, we allow, is at all times requisite so to limit the number of these possessions, as not to increase that population beyond the na- tural demand for labour, otherwise the evil which has been inflict- ed on our sister island, might soon pervade every parish of our land. Resident and enlightened proprietors, however, who have attended to this branch of political economy, will soon discover to what ex- tent this practice may be carried in their respective districts, with advantage both to themselves and to the conununity. While the population has increased so extensively, it is an extraordinary fact in our parish statistics, that its pauperism has been diminished. For, forty years ago, with a population of 565, the regular paupers upon the roll were ISjf whereas, in the year 1831, when the popu- lation has risen to 1234, the number upon our list at the half yearly distribution in November last, amounted only to 16. The nature of the soil and climate, and our distance from mar- kets and manure, have rendered it necessary for the proprietor to lay out the farms into moderate sizes. There is none, however, so small a$ not to afford ample employment for a couple of horses. Experiments are in progress by the proprietor, for ascertaining whether spade culture cannot be profitably introduced on particu- * Building leases are granted for 21 years at a nominal rent, the proprietor re- serving power to resume upon a year*s notice, on payment of a part of the sum ex- pended in building, in proportion to the period of lease at the time of resumption unexpired. Thus, supposing a house to cost originally L. 63, it could be resumed at the end of the first year on payment of L. 60, at the end of the second on payment of L. 57, and so on. And at the expiration of the lease the house becomes the property of the landlord. This arrangement has been adopted, first, to save original outlay on the part of the proprietor, and secondly, to operate as a check (which the system of teuing would not do,) to the introduction of disreputable persons into the parish ; and has been found satisfactory to both parties. f l^ide last Statistical Account, p. 222. JOHNSTONK. 169 lar soils ; but these are not yet so far advanced as to enable us to give the results. It is doubtful whether much improveroent can now be made on the general system of our husbandry, excepting, indeed, in so far as it may gradoally arise from the increasing skill and enterprise of the tenantry. The prevailing surnames in the parish are, JohnHane^ and Hal'' liday^ — of the former there are 109, and of the latter 46. The prevailing disease among us (if, indeed, any can be so call- ed,) is pleurisy, which sometimes shows itself, but generally in a mild form, in the months of September and October. But of those *^ putrid fevers" caught in olden times, partly by infection from our voracious ^ neighbours of the mountains,* who fed upon carrion^ and who, from habit, are said to have preferred it to sound and wholesome mutton, '^f we now happily know nothing. Finally, in this very populous, rural parish, we have neither /wA- Itc-kouse — nor meetinff-hause — nor resident fwrgeon — nor village — nor post-office — not prison — nor lawyer — nor beggary — specialties, we humbly conceive, not to be found united in any one parish of similar dimensions in Britain ; and of which, though some may be occasionally felt as parish privations, others are daily prized by us as distinguiBhed blessings. * Qmery, Who oould thew neigbboun be? or where, now, are die mountaiiw here re fe r led to? f Vide old Statistical Aceount, p. 217. Fdfmary 1834. THE UNITED PARISHES OF APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE, PRESBYTERY OF LOCHMABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. WILLIAM DUNBAR, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name and Boundaries, — Applegarth is a compound of the words Apple and Garthy the last of which denotes, both in the Celtic and Gothic languages, an inclosure. In the Yorkshire dia- lect, as Mr Chalmers remarks in his Caledonia, Applegarth is the common appellation for an orchard. To the parish of Applegarth was annexed in 1609, that of Sibbaldbie or Sibbaldbye, which is supposed by Chalmers to have obtained its name during Saxon times, from its having been the Bye, or dwelling-place of some person called Sibbald. To Applegarth was attached also the chapelry of Dinwiddie, which, it is said, belonged of old to the Knights Templars, who had large possessions in Annandale. The parish extends 5 J miles in a northerly direction, and its breadth eastward is of the same extent. The parish contains in whole 17 g square miles. It is of a triangular figure, and is bound- ed on the N. by Wamphray ; N. E. and E. by Hutton ; W. by Johnstonemnd Lochmaben ; and S. by Dryfesdale, and that part of Lochmaben parish which lies on the east side of the river Annan. Topographical Appearances. — The high grounds in the parish, — for they cannot be called mountains^ and scarcely Ai7&, — lie on either side of the river Dryfe ; the western range commencing nearly at the southernmost boundary, and extending in a northern direction till it joins the Wamphray range ; the eastern range is a continua- tion of that called QuhytwooUen in Dryfesdale, running north- wards, and joining the hilly ground of Hutton. The highest part of the former range is' Dinwiddie hill, by barometrical measure- ment 736 feet above the level of the sea. Of the latter range, Adder-law is the highest ground, measuring 638 feet. APPLEGARTH AND 8IBBALDBIE. 171 Meteorology. — The following table exhibits the average tem- perature of the atmosphere for the last seven years, as ascertained by a thermometer at Applegarth manse, 180 feet above the level of the sea, from which it is distant 10 miles; longitude, 3** 12' W. latitude, 55® 13' N. The observations were taken at nine o'clock, morning and evening. March, April, May, June, July, Aug.. Sept. §\Oct. Nov, Dec. Jan. 3 K a j5 1825. 1826. aaee 1827. 36.75 37.66 42.1645.40 49. 50.75 52.6663.18 5ai6 64.30 56. 60.86 54.25155.37 182& 1829. 6a97 1830. 1831. 31.753aM3ai2 «')3.7596.10 3a63|3ai6 41.06 38.36 4a 042.10 46.32 44.08 42. 12 46.50 46.70 51.8752.7556.50 52. 052.27 57.33 57.75 5a50 5a80 60.30 59.66158. 15l5a90 60.30 s An. Temp. 45.01 4a 12 47.91 41.6044.6035.50 34.25 3&2530. 48.51 45.70 Medium 7 yean. 60. 0157.66 55.90|55w20f60.70 , 57. 055.1650.3052.1054.80 47.85^4a88 51 .37 47.61 45.50 4a2p 52.50 34 55/38.4814]. J8l45.08J39.56J 42.25139.40 36.6642.33 34.52 ao.67 46.05 34.4039.90 32.5033. 36.28 39.90 44.75 52.16 37.93 60.49 59.47 54.12 4a84 47.18 39.27 3a31 Medium of Seasons. \ Spring 40.31 ? Summer ^ 56.86 48.571 Autumn 54.18 Winter 39.92 The following table exhibits the quantity, in inches, of rain fallen at Applegarth manse, for the last five years, ascertained by a rain- gage placed on a garden wall 10 feet higk Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May, June. July, Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1827. 182a 3.60 1.06 3.06 1.84 2.40 2.75 1.84 3.40 ai5 2.09 3.25 5.39 Totol.33.77 3.ai 2.20 1.12 2.60 1.40 2.01 7.50 5.75 2.75 aoo a2o 4.50 1829. 1830. 39.87 0.25 1.15 1.35 a50 1.25 4.00 2.60 4.50 a75 5.00 2.50 1.50 1831. Average 5 years. 0.20 1.80 1.80 3.90 2.60 1.20 4.40 2.70 6.50 1.50 5.70 1.70 1.75 2.25 aoo 1.20 0.12 2.90 2.60] 2.20 aoo 7.25 a70 4.25 31.33(34. 35.72 1.92 1.69 2.24 2L60 1.57» 2.53 a78 a 70 3.95t a94 a73 a45 General Average, 34.93 inches. Climate, S^c. — It may be remarked, that the temperature must be considerably influenced by the nakedness of the country, which from the N. W. round to N. E. is generally destitute of growing wood ; a deficiency, however, which is now in the way of being supplied. In the meantime, the cold winds from these quarters receive no check. * Driest month. I Wettest month. 172 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. and consequently, the temperature no increase from well-grown woods. The southern part of the parish, provincially called " the How of Applegarth," is on a low level, compared with the northern and eastern divisions, and interspersed with meadow grounds; yet the greater part of the adjoining lands being dry, and of a gravelly or sandy loam, this southern division is regarded as equally healthful with those of a superior elevation. There are no distempers pe- culiar to the parish, which may be justly regarded as very healthy. Hydrography. — The river Annan separates the parish from Lochmaben and Johnstone on the west ; and the water of Dryfe, in part of its course, from Dryfesdale, on the east. The Annan rises about 4 or 5 miles above Moffat, in that mountainous range which separates Dumfries-shire from Lanarkshire and Peebles- shire, and from the opposite side of which issue also the more famed waters of the Tweed and Clyde. The stream of the Annan runs a southerly course at a medium breadth of 90 or 100 feet, through 30 miles of fertile country, and falls into the Solway Firth about a mile below the town of Annan. The Dryfe rises in the northern extremity of the parish of Hutton, and runs in a south- erly and south-westerly direction, in a stream nowhere more than 30 feet in breadth, and generally very shallow, till it joins the Annan 1^ mile below •Applegarth church, at the distance of 15 miles from its source. Geology and Botany ."^ — The parish is intersected by the two hilly ranges already noticed, running nearly parallel, north and south ; and between them flows the Dryfe, which, running within the boundaries of the parish, is of more importance than the An- nan, when taken in connection with its geology. The Annan, though larger, and the origin of some fine tracts of alluvial land in the lower part of the district, is here but a bordering river, the banks of which present no very marked features. Looking at the Drj-fe, therefore, as the division between the two great ridges, we find the declivities of these ridges furrowed into deep channels, by which several streams descend rapidly to the river ; and the correspond- ing slopes on the opposite or outer sides of the ridges are also in- tersected by other streams, which make their way, those on the west side, to the Annan, the others to the Corrie Water, the east- • The whole of the facts stated under the heads " Geology, Botany, and Zoology,'* were kindly communicated to the writer of this account, by Sir William Jardlne, BarU of Applegarth. They are given at so great Icngtli a.s being common in a great measure to the surrounding district. APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 173 ern boundary of the parish. These rivers, though insignificant in themselves, are important as land-marks or marches ; and their banks being in many instances precipitous, and clothed partly with natural brushwood, and partly with planted timber, form the only localities where many of the native wild plants of the country are to be found. The two ridges present nearly the same geological formation. The old red sandstone appears on the borders of the western ridge, in the bed of the Annan, from Jardine-Hall down to the Milnhouse Bridge, a distance of 1^ mile ; below this, the river flows only through holm land. Between the two places above-mentioned, the banks rise often to the height of 20 or 80 feet, and are composed of gravel and broken red sandstone, in which are imbedded blocks of the latter of considerable size, and easily split into thin sections ox Jiags. Many of these banks are planted with larch, spruce, Scots fir, silver fir, oak, ash, elm, plane and beech. Of the firs, the first three, after growing thriv- ingly for twelve or fourteen years, make little more progress, and in fact soon begin to decay ; particularly the larch, which, though only from twenty to twenty-five years old, is almost dead, the wood having become of a cork-like consistence. The contact of the roots with the sandstone gravel appears to produce this effect in a shorter or longer period, according to its depth from the surface. The silver fir, oak, plane and beech, of the same age, thrive \i- gorously, the ash and elm, not so luxuriantly, unless their roots have reached the alluvial deposit. The alder may be considered almost a natural tree along these banks. The banks above described extend to a greater or lesser distance from the river, according to circumstances ; but the ground between them is always alluvial, interspersed with strata of river gravel, plainly indicating the various courses of the stream at former pe- riods. At the upper part of the parish these alluvial tracts are of considerable extent; and below the Milnhouse bridge, they form an extensive flat of rich soil, lying between the junction of the An- nan and Drj'fe. They are partly cropped, and partly in pasture and meadow. From the banks of the Annan, and the boundaries of the alluvial lands, the country north-eastward rises with gentle undulations, un- til it reaches the highest part of the great western ridge. A con- siderable part of the land on this declivity is sharp and good ; in many places, however, changing into a wet and tilly substratum, and on the higher portions of the ridge inclining to a black moory 1 74 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. earth. It is interspersed with nodules, — sometimes approaching to the size of boulders, — of white and greenish whin ; and, at a greater depth, with blocks of red sandstone. The sandstone appears again regularly in the beds of two streams which descend in a southerly direction from the ridge, and is there lost in the eastward division of the parish. The summits of the ridge consist of a kind of greywacke slate and greenstone, traversed by narrow veins of quartz, and as- suming on the eastern side a slaty structure. The intervening hol- lows in this acclivity are either low swampy meadows or peat mos- ses. The plants in this tract are varied, and in the lower hol- lows will be found all the more common moss and meadow plants. From the summit of this range to the Dryfe, the descent is sud- den and steep, and the land better wooded. The banks of the river are fringed with ash, elm, and oak, of which last a consider- able part is coppice about ten or twelve years old, and planted up with larch and Scots fir. The plants most worthy of notice in this descent occur in the ravines upon its sides, which are clothed with natural brushwood, and in the oak coppice. The Dryfe, nearly from its source, runs through a country com- posed of greenstone and greywacke-slate in different modifications, assuming in some places a softer texture, and the spotted appear- ance more peculiarly belonging to the Water-of-Ayr stone, for which it is sometimes used as a substitute. The rock then leaves the bed of the river, and may be traced along a small stream (the Mil- ton Bum,) north-westward to Ravencleugh, where it is frequently found veined with quartz, and becomes of a reddish colour, as if tinged with iron. In the opposite and eastern side of the river, it appears in two other small streams, (Hook and Rockhillflat burns,) and in the rounded hills which form the second or eastern ridge, rising between the Dryfe and the Corrie, presenting no marked features, and assuming nearly the same modifications of colour and texture. This eastern ridge rises from the Dryfe with neatly equal steep- ness with the western ridge, and reaches nearly an equal height. The ground towards the Corrie Water consists almost entirely of undulating round-backed hills of moor and sheep pasture, partially cultivated, and composed geologically, as stated in the preceding paragraph ; and as it approaches the river, it widens into a narrow plain of alluvial soil, and of rich productive meadows. This ridge is nearly without wood, except on the descent towards the Dryfe, where, as at Balgray and Hook, there are woods of considerable APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 175 age aiid extent. In these a marked difference is perceptible in re- gard to the growth of the firs on the greenstone, contrasted with those planted on the sandstone gravelly banks of the Annan. Larches thrive remarkably in Mary's Cleugh : spruces, silver firs, and Weymoutn pines, planted from twenty-five to thirty or forty years ago, still show every mark of vigorous and healthy growth ; and the splendid silver firs at Hook-bridge, and the gigantic larches in Mary's Cleugh, are fine specimens of their respective species at a more advanced age. The only remarkable trees in the parish are, — The silver firs, fourteen in number, growing at Hook-bridge, planted nearly seventy years ago, and measuring, the largest of them, 7 feet 4 inches in girth, and about 80 feet high ; Two larches in Mary's Cleugh, planted about seventy years ago, measuring in height at least 100 feet, and which grew three feet on an average annually for the first twenty years of their existence. An ash in Applegarth church- yard, the age of which is unknown, though tradition says it is be- tween two and three hundred years old ; it measures 14 feet in girth at a yard from the ground ; it is called the Gorget Tree, from the circumstance of its having, it is said, been used as a pil- lory in the days of yore. The iron staples which held the collar or gorget were visible not many years ago. Zoology. — The wild animals of the class Mammalia in Ap- plegarth, and which are common to the country in general, are about twenty. Among these, there are one or two that may be con- sidered as rarer species. In addition to Vespertilio emarginatus, the great bat {V. altivolans of White's Selbourne,) has been seen flying about the river with a rapid and powerful flight, and must rank as a very rare animal. Plecotus auritus is not uncommon. The water-shrew {Sorex fodiens) which is often accounted rare from its retired habits and difiiculty of capture, may always be found along the soft and sandy banks of the Annan. The otter is to be seen occasionally, and the fallow-deer sometimes stray from the woods of Raehills. The only animal certainly existing in this parish in former times, and which has now disappeared, is the badger. Thirty or forty years ago this animal was well known here; it was very fond of garden vegetables, particularly carrots ; and the last of the race were killed in the old gardens of Jardine-Hall. To the badger may perhaps be added the roebuck, the remains of which have been found in some of the mosses. Fishes. — An enumeration of the different species of fishes fre- DVMFRIES'SHIRE, iJie fi^'' AniUtD will include nearly aii those found in this ff\fi tributaiy streams contain only trout, pike, minnow^ gild a small propertion during autumn and winter of les- 1^ salmon. — The sea-lamprey (Petromyzon marinxu^) ^peHfU ascends the, river in the end of June and begin- ^ ly to spawn, and continues for a month and sometimes ijTie small river-lamprey wig. Nine-^e, is found early in the e^ ^^ sandy banks, and most frequently at the ^^016 small rivulet or ditch. This species is marked doubt- ^jac ^^ **® ^' ^^® lesser lampreys are yet confounded. ^tfcci^ of eels inhabit the river and ditches, and are gene- ^faOJoi^ as one. They are at once distinguished by the ^ fia h^ ^^^ snout, which in the one is broad and flatten- ifi tbe other narrow and sharp-pointed. Neither have yet ;terized properly, 'TgeO ^'^j^iAe is tolerably abundant, and is supplied from the lochs of ^ Heflj ^^^^^ hvLve communication with the Annan. They \/^\A0ti^ taken in the river of more than ten pounds weight, but ftf^ ^ fine and in good condition after a short residence. ^^u B^>^^ ^^ found in small numbers in the still parts and back- of ^^ "^ ®^' ^"* always of small size. They also are derived ^^* the Lochmaben lochs. ^^^he Chu^^ ®^ shellf/ is very abundant, swimming in large shoals in gashes or stiller parts of the river. They grow to a consider- * - si^fij *"^ spawn gregariously on the shallows in June and July. * The Common minnow, three-spined stickle-back, and loach, are ,11 abundant* Saltnff^^^^* — Tliis important family were formerly, it is well known, much more plentiful in the Annan than at present. About fifty years ago the fisheries in the parish were let, and the salmon were so abundant as to afford considerable emolument to the tacksman, and sport to the angler. At present, no part of the river within the parish would pay the expense of nets. Even at the mouth, where it -enters the Solway, the extensive fisheries long established there have fallen two-thirds in value. One cause of this diminution is to be found in the stake-nets erected at the river's mouth, which, by intercepting a great part of the fish, have almost annihilated the fishing in the upper parts of the river, and consequently de- stroyed the interest which the upper proprietors would otherwise have in preserving them from poachers during the breeding season. Another cAuse is the improper period fixed for close^fime^ which APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 177 commences too early, and opens again before the spawned fish, or at least the greater part of them, have reached the sea. The va- rieties in the Annan belonging to this family are common salmon in its various states ; the Sea Trout. — Two fish are confounded under this name, Salmo trutta and Sahno erioxj or gray. Both are easily distinguished from the gilse or young salmon by the size and length of the head, and the form of, the taiL They commence running from June to the middle of July, according to the season, and ge- nerally spawn in the lesser streams. The Herling {Salmo aBms) ascends the river during July and August, (though in wet seasons a few are got at the mouth in June,) and continues to run till September. They spawn early, chiefly in the smaller streams, and the kelted or spawned fish return to the sea before March, though they are sometimes met with so late as the middle of April. Experienced anglers are of opinion that in the early run of this fish many young salmon mix, and are killed indis- ' criminately with them in the Solway nets. It might be of advan- tage, therefore, that the herling-nets or houses of small mesh should not be permitted before the beginning of July, at which period all the gilses would have attained a size which would render a mistake nearly impossible. The herling weighs generally from 8 oz. to 1 lb. The Parr.-^This species, though often maintained to be the fry of salmon, is very distinct, and possesses characters much more de- cided than many of the others. It seldom exceeds six inches in length, and is oftener from three to five. It is gregarious. Some of them remain in the river during the ^ole year ; but the adult fish seem to remove to or near the salt water to spawn, thus per- forming a migration at variance with that of their congeners. At the end of February and in March, the males may be found on the confines of tide-way full of milt, and shedding it on the least handling. They are found in most Scottish rivers that have easy access to the sea ; a circumstance which seems essential to their health, and may perhaps account for their not being known above the Falls of Clyde, or any of its upper tributaries. The parr hsCs not yet been accurately described by naturalists ; and though it is almost every where abundant, its history is but imperfectly known. The Common Trout is abundant in all its river varieties. When in season it is a remarkably fine fish, sometimes weighing as much as 5 or 6 lbs., ordinary weight from 1 to 1 J lb. It spawns late. The only fish which now seems extinct in the parish is the perch. DUMFRIES. M 178 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. It was fonnerly found in Perch-hall Loch ; and the last got there was in 1814, when the loch was partially drained. Reptiles. — The reptiles found in the parish are, 1. Lacerta agilis^ common about Dinwiddie Hill and eastern moors. 2. Vipera com- munisy adder, occasionally seen on the eastern side of the Annan, occurring in dark and light-coloured varieties. * 3. Triton aquati- cus^ water-eft, common in ditches. 4. Triton vulgaris^ common eft, occasionally found in stone dikes. 5. Rana temporaria^ common frog. And 6. Bufo vulgaris^ common toad. Birds. — Besides the more common species, there are to be found in the parish the following Land Birds* — Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), an occa- sional visitant, passing to and from its eyries in the higher and wilder parts of the county. Merlin (F. (Bsahn) most frequently seen in winter. Moor-buzzard (Circus (eruginosus) ; one or two of these birds have occasionally frequented the Perch- Hall loch in the parish. They are rare in this county, and appear about the larger swamps and mosses at uncertain intervals. Hen-harrier, or ringtail, (C cganus), after the season of incu* bation leaves the hills, and, with its brood, visits the low country daily, roosting among whins and long heather. The four common owls are met with. The rarest is the short- eared {Otus brachyotos) ; it continues during the whole year, and breeds in the high grounds on the eastern border of the parish. The water-ousel (Cinclus aquaticus) is abundant on all the mountain streams, and migrates during winter in considerable num- bers to the banks of the Annan. Among the true thrushes, the missel thrush ( Turdus viscivo^ rolls) deserves notice, on account of its increase during the last few years. Fifteen years ago, they were rarely to be seen; but in consequence of the increased extent of plantations, they are now frequently met with in pairs, or in parties of five or six. A * Note by Sir William Jardine.-^AiiguisfragiH9 I have neyer found in the pa- rish, though there are several stations where it probably may be met with. It has been got in Raehills woods, and is particularly abundant in the woods of Craigieburn. The Nairix Dumfriiientis of Fleming, I have never been able to trace in this coun- ty, or indeed elsewhere. Rana esctUetUa I think I have seen, but cannot at present speak with certainty, it is not uncommon in Scotland. Ba^ rubeta or natter-jack is abundant at Southerness, in Galloway. I am not aware of another Scotch habitat of this species. 3 APPLEOARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 179 similar increase has been observed in several other parts of the south of Scotland, and north of England. All the stone-chats (SaxicolcE) are to be found. The most un- common is jS. ntbicola, of which a few pairs may be met with about waste brushwood, or whin-covers, during the whole year. The red-start (Phaenicura ruticiUa), is an occasional summer vi- sitant, preferring those parts of the country which abound most in copsewood. Of the warblers, the three ¥rillow-wrens are found. The wood- wren {Silvia sibilatrix) is chiefly confined to the woods on Dryfe. Lesser pettychaps (S. hippolais) very rare. Greater pettychaps (S. horteTisis) abundant, and, though seldom observed, is often betrayed by its melody. The black-cap {S, atricapitta) is oc- casionally seen ; and the sedge-warbler (Salicaria phragmites) in marshes where there is a little cover. The golden-crested-wren {Reffulus cristatus) breeds here in small numbers; but during winter, when the migratory flocks have arrived, is very abundant. Of the Titmice, five species are abundant; but the marsh- tit {Parus palustris), and cole-tit (P. aier), and long-tailed-tit (P. caudatus)^ are found chiefly in winter. A few pairs of the latter breed about Jardine-Hall ; but the greater part seek the more extensive woods about Raehills, and return during winter to the lower lands. The gray wagtail {Motacilla boartda) is found here for a few weeks in spring and autunm, when passing to and from their breeding-places among the hills. The yellow wagtail (M.Jlava) very common on the banks of the Annan, and is particularly noticed here as being a bird extremely local in its distribution. The conunon meadow and tree pipits are abundant The common bunting (Emberiza miliaria) is migratory, and is met with in autumn in small flocks, and breeds in the lower pasture-lands. It also is a bird of local distribution. The snow-bunting (Plectro- phones nivalis) appears in the higher grounds in immense flocks during winter, and in severe weather visits the edges of the Annan, feeding among the sand or gravel. The mountain finch (FringiUa montifringilla) is a winter visitant in large flocks, delighting to feed on beech-mast The siskin (Carduelis spinus) appears at uncertain intervals in very large flocks. • The common linnet (Linaria vulgaris) abundant Of the lesser red-pole (Z/. cannabina) a few pairs breed, but large flocks arrive 180 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. in spring and autumn, and smaller parties sometimes remain dur- ing winter. The mountain linnet {L. montium) is seen but seldom. The northern linnet {L, borealis) has been seen only once or twice. It is not conmionly known in Scotland. Common starling {Stumtis vulgaris) is found in flocks during autumn and spring, but few in number, having diminished much of late years. In 1819 and 1820, flocks of many hundreds fre- quented the holms on the Annan, but of late not more than from ten to twenty have been seen together. The raven (Corvus corax) passes over occasionally, betrayed by his croak. The hooded-crow ( C. comix) is a rare visitant, and gene- rally found with the common corbie. The jack-daw (C monedu" la) is sometimes seen varied with white. The jay {Gamdus glan- darius) is very rare. Swallows abound. But the numbers of the window-martin (Hi- rundo ur&fca), and swift (Cypselus murarius)^ have diminished much since the old mansion-house of Jardine-Hall was pulled down; previous to which numerous colonies of swifts built in the rents of the walls, and two or three pairs of martins tenanted every win- dow. Now (1832) a few pairs only of each are to be found; a striking instance of the change of locality, which is constantly tak- ing place. The martins are strictly gregarious, living in large co- lonies, like rooks and herons. The spotted fly-catcher (Muscicapa grisola) common. The common night-jar {Caprimulffus EuroptBus) is frequently seen, and is abundant in the opposite parishes of Lochmaben and Johnstone. The land-rail, corn-crake, (Crex vulgaris)^ very abundant The king-fisher {Alcedo ispida) occasionally seen on the Annan during winter. The common creeper (Certhiafamiliaris) abundant in winter. In the breeding season it retires to the more extensive woods. The turtle-dove {Columba turtur) was once shot in Jardine-Hall garden. The pheasant {Phasianus torquatus) was introduced here about ten years ago, and is now tolerably abundant. The black-cock ( Tetrao tetrix), and grouse {Lagopus Scotictts)^ abound in the higher parts of the parish ; the former has, within these few years, extended to the lower district. The quail {Cotumix vulgaris) is occasionally met with in Sep- APPLE6ARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 181 tember and October at the time of migration. In 1819 they bred here, and produced large bevies. Water Birds. — The common heron (Ardea) frequents the ri- ver from the heronry at Halleaths, a mile or two distant The bittern {Botaurus steUaris) once frequented this parish, but has not been observed of late years. It is still found, however, in Lochmaben and Johnstone. The water-rail {Rallus aquaticus) is met with in ditches and about Perch-hall Loch. The spotted gallinulo) or water-crake, (Crex porzana), is found around the same loch. The common coot (Fulica chiorapus) breeds there also, but leaves it on the ap- proach of winter. The common curlew {Numenius arquata) is very abundant in the upland pastures, where it breeds, retiring on the approach of winter. The green sandpiper ( Totanus ochropus) occasionally seen on its migratory passage. Common sandpiper ( T. kypokucos), dur- ing summer abundant both in Annan and Dryfe. Greenshank {T. glottis) is seen sometimes on the Annan. Conunon woodcock (Scolapax nisticola), and snipe {S. gallinago)^ and jack-snipe (5. gaUinula)^ all common, — the latter migratory. The lapwing (VaneUus cristatus) abundant Golden plover (Charadrius pluvudis) breeds in the parish, and is found in large flocks during winter. The common dotterel (C. morinetttts) was met with last spring in a flock of about twenty birds. A few pairs of the ring dotterel (C hiaticula) breed annually on the Annan. . Common cormorant {Pkalacrocarcue carbo) has been seen strag- gling up the Annan as far as Jardine-HalL Golden-eyed duck (Ckmgula vulgaris) ascends the river during winter in small flocks, most of them in the plumage of the first year ; they swim up the shallow streams, and destroy considerable quantities of spawn. The scaup (Fuligula marila) ; the tufted duck {F. cristata) ; pochard (F.ferina) ; pintail (Aruu acuta); and wigeon (Mareca penelope)^ are all found here. The first four are met with but seldom ; the last more abundant. The common wild-duck {A, bosckas)^ and teal {A. crecca)^ are abundant, but diminishing in numbers yearly. The wild swan (Cggnus Jerus) is sometimes seen in severe win. ters. The bean goose {Anser ferus) in flocks frequent the flat moors and holms in the same season. The white-fronted goose (A. erytkropus) is sometimes seen in small flocks. The goosander 182 DUMFRIES SHIRE. (Mergus merganser)^ male and female, ascend the Annan during winter in small flocks, in which, like the golden-eves, those of im- mature plumage, and females are most abundant. The little grebe (Podiceps minor) is common in the river dur- ing winter in pairs, or in small parties of five or six. The dusky grebe (P. comutus) has been met with once or twice. The red-throated diver {Colymbtu septentrionalis) has been once met with in immature plumage, or as the speckled diver of Bewick. The lesser black-backed gull (Larus marinus) is to be seen on the river during spring and summer almost every day. The common gull {L. cantis) in autumn and winter frequent the pasture and plowed fields in considerable flocks ; the greater part, in the plumage which gives them the name of winter-gull. The black-headed gull {L. ridibtmdus) breeds here, and comes occasionally during winter, frequenting the river, or following the plough. The common tern {Sterna hirundo) is sometimes seen fishing in the Annan in spring and autumn. II. — Civil History. Historical Events, — The only historical event worth noticing, connected with the parish, is stated in the following extract, from Chalmers* Caledonia, who gives as his authority, " the Royal Ward- robe Accounts :" " On the 7th of July 1300, Edward L who was then at Applegarth, on his way to the siege of Caerlaverock, made an oblation of seven shillings at St Nicholas' altar in the parish church at Applegarth, and another oblation of a like sum in the same church, at the altar of St Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, in honour of this martyr, whose translation was com- memorated on this day." Resident Proprietors^ ^c. — Sir William Jardine, Bart well known for his attainments in natural history, and particularly for his valu- able works on ornithology, resides constantly at his seat at Jardine- Hall in this parish. The land-owners are six, viz. Sir William Jardine, Bart., John Herries Maxwell, Esq. of Munshes and Din- widdie, John James Hope Johnstone, Esq. of Annandale, James Seton Wightman, Esq. of Courance and Lamonbie, Alexander Rod- gerson, Esq. of Sibbaldbie, and the Honourable David Williamson Robertson Ewart, one of the Senators of the College of Justice. Parochial Registers. — The earliest entry of baptisms is in Sep- tember 1694, — of marriages December 1694, and of deaths 1777. APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 18*^ From the first mentioned date to April 1715, the register is regular and complete ; from that time to 1749, none were kept; from 1749 to 1777, it was kept partially, and from the last date to 1832, it is regular and complete, in all the three branches. Antiquities. — Till within these few years, the traces were visible of the foundation of a large oblong building, on the moat of Ap- plegarth, now forming part of the minister's garden. Whether it had been, as it is supposed, the site of the church visited by Ed- ward ii> 1300, or of some humbler and more modern erection, can- not now be ascertained. . In trenching the moat for garden ground, a few rough squared blocks of red sandstone were dug up; and pro- bably it had undergone the operation of trenching at some former period, in order to procure building stones. A small portion of carved stone was found at the same time, and is now in the minis- ter's possession, in appearance part of one of those ornamental stone crosses which in former times, were the usual appendages of Romish churches, and many of which are to be seen still standing in front of ancient monasteries in the Highlands and Hebrides. Within 200 yards of the manse, and on a small eminence, stood till lately an arched vault, the remains of one of those border keeps so com- mon in the neighbourhood of the debateable land. It has now fal- len in. — About 500 yards farther to the eastward, there were found eighteen or twenty years ago, about four or five feet under the sur- face, the remains of a large chest, or rather its iron work, the wood having long since decayed, consisting of corner*bands, hinges, por- tions of the lock, &C. all of ihejleur-de'-lys pattern, besides a piece of ornamental work of iron, the purpose of which it is not easy to discover. It has been conjectured, in the absence of every thing like evidence, that this chest may have formed part of the equipage belonging to Edward, — as it is stated in the Caledonia, that the king waited some days at Applegarth the arrival of his baggage. These articles are now in the possession of Sir William Jardine. «— A venerable thorn called '^ the Albie Thorn," stands in a field within 500 yards of the church, which it is said was planted on the spot where Bell of Albie fell, while in pursuit of the Maxwells after the battle of Dryfe sands. — A similar memorial marks the spot, about half a-mile distant in Dryfesdale parish, where it is said Lord Maxwell himself, at that time warden of the Western Marches, was killed. — Part of the ruins still remain of the parish church of Sibbaldbie, now annexed to Applegarth. — Roman sta- tions are visible in several places. On Dinwiddie hill and on 184 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Gleugh-Heads hill, which is now planted, there are two of these stations still very distinct, and on White- Castle knowe, in the same range, there is one which has more the appearance of a beacon hill of British, than of Roman origin. A Roman road also tra- verses the parish in a northerly direction ; it may be traced in some places for several hundred yards above the level of the adjoining ground. It appears to have led from a strong station, in the farm of Dryfeholm, in the neighbouring parish of Dryfesdale, in the direction towards Moffat — Ten or twelve years ago, a goldcoin of James VL was found in the farm of Belcot Hill ; and a few months ago a French gold coin was dug up in the garden at Dinwiddie Mains, of Francis I. in a good state of preservation ; they are both in the hands of Sir William Jardine. Modem Buildings. — The only modem buildings worthy of note are the mansion house of Jardine- Hall, built in 1814; that of Hook built in 1806, a property formerly belonging to Edward Armstrong, Esq. now to John James Hope Johnston, Esq.; the parish church erected in 1761, and the manse in 1806. There are three corn-mills and one lint-mill. The materials employed in the erection of Jar- dine- Hall, and the manse and church, are red sandstone, taken from a quarry on Corncockle muir in Lochmaben parish. Hook house is built of greenstone, from the bed of the river Dryfe, with the ex- ception of the hewn work, which is of red sandstone. IIL— Population. From a minute statement in the handwriting of Mr Dugald Simpson, minister of Applegarth, in 1696, it appears that the exa- minable persons amounted at that period to 610. The whole po- pulation would therefore be somewhere about 830. In 1755 it amounted to 897 In 1777 to - - 943 But in 1792 it fell to . 741 In 1801 it rose again to - 795 In 1811 to - - 841 In 1821 to . . 94S and at last census in 1831, the population was 999. Tlie de* crease between the years 1777 and 1792 is attributed in the for- mer Statistical Account, and perhaps correctly, to the system adopted about that period by land-owners, of joining a number of small farms into one. The increase since that period may be as- cribed, partly to the improved system of husbandry creating a de- mand for labourers, and partly to the natural progress of popula- APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 18& tion, — ^the births in the parish nearly doubling the deaths, — a pro- gress kept in check, however, in a slight degree by emigration to Canada. It may be as well, perhaps, to remark here, in order to account for the small number of deaths compared with the births, that there are no towns, villages, or manufactories in the parish, and that all that portion of the population consisting of farm- servants is a shifting population, — most of them being at the health- iest period of life, and hardly any of them remaining in the pa- rish during life, — ^that is to say, long enough to add to the bills of mortality. 1. Number of fiunilies in the parity .... 161 of fiunilies chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 69 chiefly employed in trade, manufiu;tures, or handicraft, 87 2. Number of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upirards of 50 ycors of age, 5 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45, - 9 3. The average number of births yearly, for the last 7 years, • - 23 of deaths, - - . . . Hi. of marriages, .... 7 4. The number of persons at present under 15 years of age, - - 893 upwards of 70, • . . 18 There are four fatuous individuals, and one deaf and dumb. Character, 4-c. of the People, — The habits of the people are sober and industrious; and, in regard to cleanliness, they may justly claim their full share in the improvement in this respect, acknowledged to have taken place among the Scottish tenantry. From the high prices of agricultural produce during the late war, and the consequently high rents, the landholders of Applegarth and Sibbaldbie considered their tenants as justly entitled to im- proved accommodation. The farm-houses, accordingly, are near- ly all new, and in general very commodious ; and the occupiers, in their improved circumstances, encouraged by the liberality of their landlords, and willing to second them in matters so materially con- nected with their own comfort, furnished their houses in a style of neatness strikingly contrasted with their condition twenty or twenty- five years ago. Habits of cleanliness were almost, of course, natu- rally formed, and now happily influence both their in-door and out-door arrangements, their dress, and in general their whole style of Uving. At the same time, they are altogether free from the error of living above their means. Indeed, it has been alleged by some of the high-spirited fanners in some neighbouring parishes, that they go to the opposite extreme. It would be well, perhaps, if we could say of Scotch husbandmen in general, what may be 186 nUMFRIES-SHIRE. said with truth of the farmers of Applegarth, that they have not discarded the good old habits of simple and economical living. The ordinary fare of the tenantry is certainly changed so far, that none of them now breakfast but on tea and coffee, or dine without animal food on their tables. Yet it is in strict moderation, and suitable only to their means ; and their meals, under ordinary circumstances, are never followed by wine or ardent spirits. The common food of the tradesmen and day-labourers is, of course, a degree more economical. In truth, to the man whose days' wages do not exceed 2s. the meal-chest and [the potatoe-bing must al- ways be the great resource. Yet many of this class, while deep- ly sensible of the value of such a resource, and thankful to Provi- dence for its general abundance, are not without additional com- forts of a substantial kind. Some of them are able to purchase a sheep, or a portion of a fat cow, to be salted for their winter store ; and in a parish where almost every cottar keeps a pig, and some a milch cow, anything like severe destitution can hardly be supposed to exist. All classes of the people enjoy, there- fore, in a reasonable degree, the comforts and advantages of that kind of society to which they are inclined. The present depres- sed state of agriculture bears hard on the tenants of Applegarth as on others. They find, that, to make money by farming, is at present out of the question ; and the tenant who can pay his rent without encroaching on his capital, if he has any, considers him- self fortunate. In these circumstances, they can hardly be expect- ed to be contented; but they may be resigned to an evil which it is not in their power to remedy. The other classes, — tradesmen and labourers, — are too intimately connected with the tenantry, not to share with them in their feelings and deprivations. Poaching in game cannot be laid to the charge of the inhabit- ants of this parish ; and though the same cannot be said, with re- gard to poaching in the salmon fisheries, it is certain that even that is on the decline. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — Of the 11,500 imperial acres of which the pariah coiisistB, there are either cultivated or occasionally in tillage, ..... 7992 Of lands waste, or in permanent pasture, a portion of which has been at one time in crop, but not within the last 50 years, and including 60 or 70 acres of moss, there are, ... . . 8777 Of these 3777 acres, a few hundreds might, by a judicious application of c»- APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 187 pital, be rendered more productive, and, in fact, such improYement is now in partial operation. Acres incurably barren, or redaimable only at a coat disproportioned to the profit, included in the above, ... from 1^ to 200 In undivided common, - - - ... Underwood, 831 It may be observed here, that, on the Dryfe division of the parish, there was formerly a considerable extent of old wood, chiefly oak and ash, which was cut down about twenty years ago, and the ground replanted with larch, and other species of the fir tribe. On Bal- gray, the value of the timber annually cut and sold amounts to about L. 50. The management of the young woods throughout the parish is of the most approved kind. The land, previous to its being planted, is thoroughly drained and well-fenced, and thin- ning and pruning carefully attended to. As a natural conse- quence, the plantations are all in a very thriving state. Bent qfZjondy Wagesj Prices^ S^c. — TTie average rent of the arable land may be from 16s. to 186. per imperial acre. There is in the parish almost every variety of soil, and while some of it, consisting chiefly of alluvial tracts, is let as high as L. 2, there is much more at 12s., 10s., and even as low as 7s. and 6s. per acre. The gross rental of the whole parish is L. 6680. As to the ave- rage rent of grazing it is difficult to speak with perfect accuracy. But, perhaps, for the summer, it may be at the rate of L. 3» or L. 3, 10s. for a cow or full-grown ox ; from 5s. 6d to 5s. 9d. for hill-fed sheep; and from 10s. to 15s. for those grazed on richer pasture, during the whole year. The average rate of wages of good ploughmen, exclusive of board and lodging, is about L. 12 per annum; of women-servants, L. 5 ; of day-labourers, without victuals. Is. 6d. per day during summer, and Is. 4d. in winter. In hay and com harvest, the wages rise to 2s., and occasionally a little more. To masons, carpenters, and other trades requiring apprenticeship, from 2s. 6d. to 3s. is given. The wages of day-labourers generally, in this parish, are kept low by the competition they encounter from the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages, and especially from Irish labourers domiciled there. The rate of mason, carpenter, and other mechanical work, is as follows : Building ruble wall, including materials and carriage, per rood of 86 yards, - - . - . . - UdOO Hewing, including cost of stone, per foot, - - - 7 Plastering, per square yard, . - - - 8 1^0 3 7 2 3 1 6 1 9 2 3 6 2 10 1 1 10 8 2 ]2 6 I 11 6 1 5 1 188 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Flagging, per yard* ..... Diking with dry stone, per rcMxi of 19 feet, from 58. to Slating with Welsh slate, per yard, ... With Lancashire do. per yard, . ... Carpenter work ; roofing, with Soots fir large couples, per yard. With small do. ..... With American timber. Is 9d. to . - . Flooring and joisting per yard, ~ ... Windows, per foot, - - ... Doors, full mounted, from 128. 6d. each to . * . Farm cart, with iron aile^tree, .... With wood do. - - . . - Lothian plough, complete, .... Scotch plough, . . - - Pkiir of harrows, complete, . . . . Wheelbarrows, ....... Breeds of Live Stock, — Except on one dairy farm, where the stock is Ayrshire, the cattle kept here are of the Galloway breed. They are well suited for this country, being hardy, good feeders, capable of attaining to a large size, and much in request for the markets in Norfolk, Suffolk, &c. where they are fattened for Smith- field. Much attention has of late years been paid to the improve- ment of these animals in this parish as in the rest of the district, and we now rival Galloway itself in the purity of our breed and the symmetry of our bullocks. This improvement has been effected by the introduction of the most approved stock from their indige- nous pastures by the allurement of high prices for their bulls and cows. Of sheep, the Cheviot breed constitutes the stock on the hill pasture in the parish, while on the lower and arable lands there are some small stocks of the Leicester breed. But the chief ptir- pose for which any species of this kind of stock is kept here being to eat off the turnip crop, and for which Highland wedders are ge- nerally purchased, equal attention in breeding sheep to that be- stowed on black cattle is not paid. Husbandry. — The course of husbandry pursued is the system in more or less perfection, of alternate white and green crops, though in many instances with a considerable portion of the farm in pas- ture This is rendered necessary by the pretty extensive rearing of cattle. Turnips have been, for the last few years, cultivated largely, and consumed on the ground by sheep,— a valuable inno- vation on the old.system, and one which has increased materially the produce of com crops. If any ^^ specialty" distinguishes the agri- culture of the parish,' it is the quantity of pork produced. Through- out all Annandale this is an important article of commerce, and by APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 189 no Other parish is it supplied more abundantly or of better qua- lity than by Applegarth. No fewer than 620 carcases are here fed and sold annually ; and averaging them at fourteen imperial stones each) and assuming the average price to be 5s. per stone, there is thus for this one commodity brought into the parish every winter L.2170, a sum amounting to nearly one-third of the rent of the arable land belonging to it. The animals are reared chiefly on po- tatoes, — they are grazed during summer, and fattened on boiled potatoes and oatmeal. The following may be considered as the most prominent defects in the husbandry of this parish, as well as of the country in general. Sufficient attention is not, generally speaking, bestowed on the drain- ing of the land, nor on cleaning it when under naked fallow or green crop, nor on rearing and preserving the fences, of which proprie- tors would do well to take the chief charge on themselves ; whiles at the same time, the course of cropping is rather severe on many of the farms. Neither is sufficient care taken to increase the dung- bill, that *^ mother of the meal chest." Too many cattle are kept during winter, and consequently they are on short allowance. Lime, also, is, owing perhaps to the great distance of the limekilns, in general bestowed in too stinted measure ; and though the dose is more frequently repeated than in districts where the mode of ap- plication is better understood, the effect is by no means so benefi- cial as when a sufficient quantity is administered at once. It is not doubted, however, that most, if not all of these defects, would soon be remedied, if agriculture were once more in a prosperous state. Already, in fact, in some of our farms these defects are hardly dis- cernible. At an early period, and until the middle of the last century, several of the lai^st farms in the north-eastern quarter of the parish were occupied by a number of small tenants, who ploughed exclu- sively onlhe hill grounds, to the extent of some hundreds of acres more' than Ls now even occasionally cultivated. A change of sys- tem about 1760 and 1770, threw these farms entirely into sheep- walks, occupied each by one tenant ; and they continued in a state of pasturage, becoming gradually coarser and more unproductive, till within the last ten or twelve years, when the occupiers have found it advantageous to lime and break up extensively, generally laying out the land immediately in grass for sheep pasturage. And these tracts of land being in most cases possessed by able tenants, the cultivation will probably extend to all the dry ground in simi- lar circumstances. 190 pUMFRIES^SHIRE. Ewbanking, — In the way of embanking, much permanent bene- fit has been secured by the extensive operations of the late Sir Alexander Jardine, who protected from the floods in the river An- nan a very considerable breadth of the richest lands in the parish, thereby fitting them for the growth of wheat, their natural and most profitable produce. The embankments are carefully kept up, and nothing farther remains to be done in that way. The ordinary duration of leases is for fifteen years ; and for nine- teen or twenty-one years where the lands let are unproductive, or require great outlay by the tenant The general management and productiveness of the land have in- creased much of late years. Soon after the commencement of this century, farmers, stimulated by high prices, began to give attention to the accounts of better and more liberal systems of agriculture, which were emanating from more improved districts ; Roxburgh- shire and the Lothians particularly. The example was followed, and, conjoined with favourable markets, created capital which was in many cases freely employed in farther ameliorations. Rents, as leases expired, kept pace, or nearly so, with the rise of prices and increased produce. But when these flourishing times began to change in 1815, and continued to decline in subsequent years, the rents did not by any means fall in equal proportion. Since that period, many of the seasons have proved unfavourable, as in 1816, 1823, and 1830. Many of the tenants have been stripped of their former gains, and an effectual bar placed in the way of any thing like very extensive improvement One great obstacle to improvement on the part of the tenants is the diminution of their capital in consequence of the fall of prices, unproductive seasons, and disproportioned high rents. These over-stretched rents are not attributable to the landlords, who them- selves, heavily burdened, naturally take what they can obtain in the market from good tenants. The fact seems to be, that there are too many engaged in agriculture, or, in other words, the competi- tion for farms is so eager, that land has not been allowed to fall to its fair value. Profits, therefore, are nothing, and, in too many instances, less than nothing; so that tenants find it difficult to car- ry into effect plans which appear and would prove beneficial. In these circumstances, the aid of the landlord seems indispensable, at least where extensive improvements are contemplated. But the fluctuating nature of the times during the last fifteen years, in respect to agriculture, and the fall of rents, — for fallen they APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 191 are to a considerable extent in this parish, even to the amount of 30 per cent — operated injuriously here. At the same time, however, landlords hold out every other encouragement, by pre- ferring judicious and liberal tenants, assisting such to some ex- tent, admitting no unfair restrictions in leases, and, in short, by every indulgence and accommodation that can be devised, short of heavy outlay. The late Sir Alexander Jardine expended, with great judgment, more money than any other proprietor of the day, in building farm-steadings, and inclosing and subdividing his estate. When he succeeded to this fine property in 1806, the farm-houses were comfortless, ill-thatched huts, and the inclosures few, and of the most useless description. He instantly applied himself to re- medy these deficiences, and in a very few years produced in the property the most marked and beneficial change. About thirty farms, constituting nearly the whole of his estate in this parish, re- ceived new steadings of the most convenient and substantial kind. And though the increase of produce may, in a few instances, have rendered additional offices necessary, the commodious and liberal scale of the farm-buQdings in general, mark him the foremost man of his day and district as an enlightened improver of landed property; and his character as the kindest of landlords is stamped on the hearts of the Applegarth tenantry by the memory of countless acts of beneficence. Produce. — Average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows : PfXNluGe of gndn of all kinds, whether cultivated for the food of man or domes- tic animals, including straw, ... L. 11931 13 10 Of potatoes, turnips, cabbages, beet, and other plants cultivated in the fields for food, - .... Of hay, whether meadow or cultivated, ... Of flax, .... Of land in pasture, rating it at L. 3 per cow, or full-grown ox, graz- ed for the season,— at I&u per ewe, or fiiU-grown sheep, pastured liir the year, - - - - - Of gardens and orchards, .... Of the annual thinning and periodical felling of woods, plantations, and copse, ..... Total yearly value of raw produce raised, - L. 21291 7 Societies. — There are two associations in Annandale for the im- provement of husbandry, particularly of the breed of cattle, one in the upper, and the other in the lower district. Of this last district 3818 8 9 2170 5 55 4305 13 30 80 192 DUMFRIES-SUIRE. Applegarth Cprms a portion, isuid many of its premiums have been gained by tenants in the parish. V. — Parochial Economy. Markets and Means of Communication, — There is no market- town or other town in the parish; but the towns of Lockerbie and Lochmaben are in the immediate neighbourhood. The great road from Glasgow to London by Carlisle runs through the parish to the extent of five miles ; and on this road the Glasgow and London mail-coach travels daily. An additional light-mail has been recently established, drawn by two horses, and travelling at the rate of eleven miles per hour. There is also almost every year an opposition coach on the same line of road. Two bridges cross the Annan; one on the Glasgow line, at the 6dd mile-stone from that city and dlst from Carlisle, built in 1818; the other on the road leading from Dumfries, across Annandale into Eskdale, re- built in 1827, both in excellent condition. There are also two good stone bridges, and a wooden one for foot passengers, over the Dryfe, in the Sibbaldbie part of the parish. Ecclesiastical State, — The church is situated at the lower ex- tremity of the parish, almost within a stone's cast of Lochmaben parish on the west, and of Dryfesdale on the south; — of course very inconveniently for the greater part of the population ; many of the people having to travel four, five, and some even six miles, to attend the public duties of the Sabbath. The church was built in 1760 ; the seating was renewed in 1808, and a private gal- lery built, by Sir Alexander Jardine. The walls were stoothed, or done with lath and plaster, in 1822 ; and it is now in a very to- lerable state of repair, and can accommodate 380 sitters. There are no free sittings. The manse was built in 1805. The glebe consists of six and a-half acres of good land, and would let for a guinea and a-half per Scots acre. The stipend consists of seventeen chalders of victual, half in meal and half in barley, payable accord- ing to the fiars of the county. Converted into money, the stipend, at an average of the last seven years, is L. 280 per annum. There is no place of public worship besides the parish church. There are 129 families, comprehending 892 individuals of all ages, be- longing to the Established church ; and 23 families, comprehend- ing 107 individuals, belonging to the Secession. The average number of communicants is above 200. Collections have been made for the Highland Schools and India APPLEGARTH AND SIBBALDBIE. 193 MissioDy and will probably be repeated; the amount of each wasabout L. 8. Occasional collections have been made for other pubUc charities ; and a yearly subscription of one guinea is given to the Dumfries Royal Infirmary, Edxtcation. — There are three schools in the parish ; two of them parochial, and the third a boarding-school for females. In the first school, the branches taught, besides the ordinary ones, are Greek, Latin, French, geometry, geography. In the second the learned languages are not taught In the ladies' school, the branches taught are English, writing, arithmetic, French, geo- graphy, drawing, and needle-work. The parochial teachers have salaries, — the one the maximum of L.34, 5s., the other L. 17, 2s. 6d« The fees of the larger school may amount to nearly Li. 30, of the smaller to L.I5. Both teachers have substantial dwelling-houses and gardens. Hie lowest amount of expense of educating a child in these schools, as respects the mere ele- ments, is 8s. per annum; and the highest, including all the ad- vanced branches, L. 1, 10s. All the children in the parish up- wards of six years of age can read, or are attending school for that purpose. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid regularly is 10. Among these the sum ex- pended is JL 30, 10s., making the average annual allowance toeach individual L. 3, Is. It may be proper to notice, that three of these paupers are in such circumstances of age, disease, and destitution, as to require among them L. 15, 9s. thus reducing the average al- lowance of the other seven to L. 2, 3s. each. There are also se- veral indigent persons who receive occasional aid, to the amount of L. 7, 68. 2Jd. Total sum expended annually, L. 37, 16s. 2Jd. The average annual amount of church collections for the last se* ven years, is L. 26, 2s. 4Jd. ; of interest of capital, L.3, 12s. 9Jd. ; of donations, L. 9, 7s. ; and from other sources not permanent, Lfc 1, 13s. lOJd. Li addition to these funds, there is a sum mor- tified to the poor on the estate of Applegarth, by Sir John Jardine in 1 745, of Lb 3, 6s. 8d. per annum. Total funds, L. 44, 2s. 8|d. Generally speaking, there is an unwillingness to seek parochial re- lief. But it must be acknowledged that this independent feeling is not so strong as it was thirty or forty years ago ; nor is there so ready a disposition, as ought to prevail among the substantial classes, to prevent their poorer relatives from coming on the poors* rolL Fairs^ Inns, Sfc. — In 1685, Sir Alexander Jardine, then pro- DUMFRIES. N 194 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. prietor of Applegarth, obtained a Parliamentary grant of the right to hold four annual fairs and a weekly market at the village of Applegarth. These fairs have long since ceased to be held ; but what is said to be the site of the market cross is still visible, and has witnessed within these thirty years the legal process of poinding cattle. There is but one inn, or public-house, in the parish; and it is frequented chiefly by travellers on the Glasgow road. The reprehensible practice of allowing toll-keepers to take out the spirit licence prevailed here for a year or two ; but now malt-li- quor only is allowed to be there sold. But even this privilege, af- fording as it does an opportunity of dealing clandestinely in ardent spirits, ought not, and it is hoped will not, be continued. Fuel. — The ordinary fuel is peat Every tenant having a right to fuel by his lease, the expense consists solely in working and leading it, — perhaps at the rate of 8d. or lOd. per cart-load. Coals, of which not a great deal is used, are brought from Annan, a distance of eleven miles from the south boundary of the parish. To that town they are sea-borne from the collieries of Cumber- land. Miscellaneous Observations. The difference between the present state of the parish and that which existed at the time of the last Statistical Account, is, as may naturally be expected, very great, though, from the want of mi- nuteness in that account, it is not easy to point out in many par- ticulars the precise degree of improvement The mode of living is more comfortable ; while the good old habits of domestic eco- nomy have not been impaired. The management of the land is more judicious, and of course it is greatly more productive. In one particular, the improvement is striking ; at that period there was little or no wheat raised in the parish, and but a small quan- tity of artificial hay. Now the yearly value of the former article grown in Applegarth will amount to between L. 5000 and I^ 6000, and of the latter to L. 1000 at least. The rental at the same pe- riod was between L. 2000 and L. 3000 ; it is now nearly L. 7000, and was a few years ago L. 8000. March 1834. PARISH OF TUNDERX5ARTH. PRESBYTERY OF LOCHMABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. THOMAS LITTLE, A. M. MINISTER, I. — Topography and Natural History. Name^ Boundaries^ 4-c. — The name of this parish has been com- monly rendered '^ Castle of the Garden f* but more probably it is nothing more than the British and Irish Ton-der-garth^ which literally means ** the inclosure at the oak-hill.'' The form of the parish is very inconvenient ; its extreme length being about 12 or 13 miles, and its breadth varying from about 1} to 2 miles. It lies on the left bank of Milk- Water, the windings of which form two triangles, both obtuse. It is bounded on the west by the parishes of St Mungo and Dryfesdale, and the united parishes of Hutton and Corrie ; on the north-east by Westerkirk ; and on the south by Middlebie and Hoddam. Tapoffrapkical Appearances, — Its surface is undulating, and pre- cipitous throughout There are no hills of any altitude deserving particular notice, with the exception of Grange Fell and Grieve, which are about 900 feet above the level of the sea. The valleys are so deep by attrition and other causes, as to form very strikingly marked features in its varied landscape. In its whole length it is beau- tifully picturesque along the banks of the Milk, affording many very fine subjects for the pencil, especially in the neighbourhood of the nianse, and some places farther down. The climate partakes gene- rally of the character of the district, which is proverbially moist. Geoloffy and Mineralogy. — There are no indications of coal in this parish, nor is there any trace of sandstone. The formations are composed of transition rock, alternating with transition-slate and clay-slate, occasionally passing into greenstone ; subordinate to all which is greywacke in very thick beds. These are the ge- neral characters of the rocks where they appear, from the south- west end of the parish for about eight miles. There is no iron- stone, or limestone, or basalt. The amygdaloidal range passes to the south on the borders of the parish from Torbeckhill by Burns- wark, Newfield, &c. overlying coarse-grained sandstone, colours 196 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. varying from bright-red to gray and streaked, and sometimes pear- ly white, as at Bumswark. In this last are nodules of a dark- brown colour, from the presence of oxide of iron. This range, however, though bordering on Tundeigarth, is in the parishes of Middlebie and Hoddam. Peat abounds in the upper district of the parish ; but in the lower district it has of late years been very scarce. The soil is various ; but where cultivated is generally fertile, though in some places rather hard, thin, and rocky. There is very little holm or table-land. Towards the hills, the soil is cold, with a till or gravelly subsoil, and indurated clay. The greater part of the lands are much exposed to west-north-west and easter- ly winds; and, rising abruptly from the Milk, have very little shelter. More than one-half of the surface consists of fertile sheep-walks. A trial was made for lead some years ago on the farm of Hazzle- berry, and a level was^riven some distance into the hill. There were indications of the ore in a vein of iron mica ; but the search was not successful, and was finally abandoned. A search was also made for lead many years ago in Grange Fell, with similar suc- cess. Another trial was made in the bottom of a very deep glen on the estate of Crawthwaite, the property of George Graham, Esq. by a level which remains still open, or was so lately. Anti- mony was actually found. Some fine specimens of the ore were for many years in the possession of the late Thomas Johnstone, Esq. of Grange. It is probable the ore was not found in sufficient quantity to warrant the expense of farther search. The strata of the whole glen and hills on each side are transition-slate and clay- slate, the latter greatly abounding : the debris of it covers the slopes of the mountains. It is to be regretted that so few trials have been made in this part of the country, especially for coals, which are believed by all to exist in abundance. Were coals found in the neighbourhood of the many lime quarries, the price of lime would be much reduced. They are at present brought from the north of England by sea, and are very dear. The man who dis- covers coal in this part of the country will be entitled to be ranked among the benefactors of his countrymen. II. — Civil History. Accounts of the Parish. — There is a document in the possession of the family of Grange, containing an account very illustrative of border manners, at the period to which it refers.* • From this document it appears, that at the funeral of Thomas Johnstone of Purbsiehall, which Was some time prior to 1629, a fight took place between the TUNDERGARTH. 197 Historical Notices. — The church and parish of Tundergarth appear to be of ancient establishment^ seeing the advowsons never belonged to the Bishops of Glasgow. The manor of Tunder- garth seems to have belonged to the family of Johnstone^ where they had a castle, of which, however, no part now remains. The prevailing name was formerly Johnstone. The lands and patronage of the church belonged in the reign of James IV. to Lord Her- ries, in whose family they remained till the union of the crowns. From Lord Herries they passed to Murray of Cockpool, whose successors, the Viscounts of Stormont, held them in the reign of Charles IL The patronage at present belongs to Lord Mans- field. . Land'Cwners. — The property in this pariah is very much divided. The chief landed proprietors are Thomas Beattie, Esq. of Grieve, John Swan, Esq. of Whitstonehill, and William Johnstone, Esq. of Grange. Parochial Blisters, — The parochial regbters have been very irregularly kept hitherto ; but measures have now been taken to have them regularly kept in future. Antiquities. — In regard to antiquities, the oldest seemingly of which this parish can boast is a Roman road, discovered a few years ago on the north side, and passing from the Roman camp on Bumswark Hill, in a direction north-west. Traces of it have been found from thence to Closebum ; that being the tract by which the Romans under Agricola forced their way into Strath Cluid. The road was covered with about nine inches of earth. It is formed of broad flat stones, well packed together with water- sand in the interstices. It is about eight feet wide. There are still to be seen in many places small entrenched camps or Birrensy as they are called. They are all on elevated situations; generally of a round form, very prominent, and in good preservation ; and they consist of a strong vallum and fosse, with- out any outworks* The area seldom exceeds an acre, and is often less. It is conjectured that they were constructed during the long feuds and border wars by the Septs or lairds, to protect them- selves and cattle from the English, and from oHe another. It is. probable, however, that some of these may be of an earlier date, Johmtones of Tundergarth and those of Lockerbie, m which three of the latter family and two of the former were killed. A feud, it is said* existed at the time between the two fiunilies^ and to prevent any quarrelling, the fiunily of Tundergarth were not innted to the ftineral. Howerer, some of them came to the borying-ground, and a quarrel, as had been dreaded, taking place, the consequences were as we have stated. 198 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. and may be what are called British Fortifications ; many of them still retain the name of Castle. In breaking up some of these in the lower part of the parish, especially at Castlehill and Cairn- hill, opposite the manse, urns have been found containing human bones and ashes. Some of these urns were in a good state of preservation. There appear to be some Druidical remains on the farm of Whitehplm, the property of Mr Swan. They consist of seven erect stones, forming a semicircle, and are by the common people called the Seven Brethren. Among these remains, bones have been found ; but whether human or not, has not been ascertained. About a mile distant from these remains, on the property be- longing to the same gentleman, there existed until lately two cairns of pretty large dimensions ; and there was one of similar form and size also on the estate of Grange. When the stones were car- ried away for building fences and other purposes, there were found in the heart of them human skeletons, contained in something re- sembling stone coffins. In the neighbourhood of that on the property of Mr Swan, there are several tumuli resembling graves. III. — Population. The population, as ascertained by Census of 1801, was 484 of 1811, . 522 of 1821, - 518 of 1831, . 530 • 1. Number of fiunilies in the parish, .... 97 of ftmilies chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 47 chiefly employed in trade, manufiM^tures, or handicraft, 23 2. Number of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 13 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45, - 7 There were lately 9 persons above eighty years of age, 3 of whom were in their eighty-fifth year, and 1, a female, in her eighty-sixth year, all in the upper district of the parish. Several individuals have been known, within the memory of the present generation, to have reached their ninetieth year and upwards. The number of proprietors of land of L. 50 a-year in value, and upwards, is 19 or 20. The total number of proprietors in the parish is 27, of whom 13 are resident Charajcter of the People. — The people in general are sober and industrious ; seem satisfied with their condition and circumstances ; * The difference betwixt the population as here stated, and the account of it as given in when the census was last taken, may be owing to the season of the year when Use two accounts were taken. TUNDERGARTH. 199 and, as there are no great landed proprietors or farmers among them, they seem all pretty much on a footing of equaUty. Poaching in game has certainly prevailed to a considerable extent ; and though strong measures have been of late taken for its suppression, it will always prevail, to a certain extent, where property is so much di- vided. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Ecanamy. — Land cultivated, .... 2829 Imp. Acres. Never cultivated, . - - - 7643 Capable of b^g cultivated, ... 230 In undivided common. ... Under wood, ... - Planted. Larch, Scots fir, epruoe fir, interspersed with some little oak, ash, and other aerts of Aanrf wood, 97^ Indigenous. Birch, thorn, mountainous ash, hazel, &c 62 1504 The average amount and value of gross produce yearly raised in the parish, as far as can be ascertained, is as follows :— Of grain of all kinds cultivated for the food of man and of the do- mestic animals, .... L.2425 Of potatoes and turnips (no fields of cabbage, &c.) cultivated in the fields for food, .... 1675 5 Of bay, meadow and cukivated* ... 1055 16 8 Of flax, &C. cultivated for the arts, none. Of land in pasture, rating it at L. 2, lOs. and L. 3 per cow, grazed for the season ; (with a small exception, at 258. for cattle fed on coarse ground ;) at 58. per ewe, or fidl-grown sheep pastured for the year, ..... 2648 No revenue firom woods worth mentioning ; no gardens ; no or- chards ; no mines ; no fisheries, or sources of other profit than has been mentioned. L.7804 1 8 At an average, 167 swine may be fed annually, which, at L. 3 each, will amount to L. 501. The rental of the parish is about h. 3000. L/ive Stock. — The sheep kept in this district are all Cheviot ; and the cattle are generally of the Galloway breed. A good deal of attention has been paid to the improvement of sheep for these last twenty years, by procuring the best Cheviot rams from the east border. It has been found of late to answer a good purpose, on some particular farms, to cross a part of the ewes with Leicester rams. Though their lambs do not answer to be kept here as store- sheep, they conunand very high prices for the English market. 200 DUMFRIES-SHIBE. Much attention has also been paid to the breeding of black-cattle, by selecting the best Galloway bulls that can be got in the district B4Jiie ofLaibouT^ — The rate of labour is for men during summer, Is. 8d. per day, and for women, 1&, — ^sometimes less ; and during winter for men, Is., and for women, 6d. Artisans are paid from Is. 8d. to 2s. 6d. per day. V. — Parochial Economy. MarkeUTown^ Sfc. — Lockerby, in the adjoining parish of Dry- fesdale, is the nearest market-town, and is distant about a mile and a-half from the nearest part of the parish. Means of Commvnicatioru — The locality of the parish does not require many roads. The principal one runs about two-thirds of its whole length. It is generally kept in .very good repair, but the line of it is the worst that could have been chosen. Our fore- fathers seem always to have preferred carrying their roads over the tops of hills. Such is the road here. But a new one following the line of the Milk is projected, which, if made, will be the most picturesque and beautiful in the country. Ecclesiastical State. — Considering the length of the parish, the situation of the church is perhaps as good and convenient as any that could be chosen. The church was built upwards of sixty years ago, and is at present in a very good state of repair. It was late- ly stoothed and seated of new, and is at present one of the neatest and most comfortable in the district. It is to be regretted that, when the heritors repaired the church, they did not at the same time repair the wall round the burying ground, which is at present in a very ruinous state. The church affords accommodation for the legal number of sitters and no more. The manse was built, it is said, about a hundred years ago* Several additions were made to it during the life of the late incum- bent ; but every thing seems to have been done in a very injudi- cious and insufficient manner. It is at present in great need of repairs. There are about eight acres of glebe land, including the garden and the ground on which the manse and offices stand. Of these nearly six acres are very good arable land; the remainder consists of pas- ture ground, and the precipices on the side of the Milk, which are covered with natural wood. The average value of the arable and pasture land may be about L. 2 per acre. The stipend, according to the decreet of the court, is only six chalders of victual, half meal and half barley, and L.70 in TUNDEBGARTH. 201 money, with L. 8, ^. 8d* for communion elements. But as the money stipend was converted into grain at the average fiars' price for seven years, and part of the heritors surrendered the teinds, it con^sts of about Lb 56 in money, and somewhat more than fifty-six double bolls of victual, barley, and meal. There are very few dissenters of any description in the pa- rish, and these few do not originally belong to it, but have come from other parts of thia country. The people in general seem at- tached to the Establishment. Hiey have perhaps kept as close to it since the revolution, and have had as few grounds for being dis- satisfied, as any other in the district. The churdi is in general very well attended. The number of communicants may be about 150 or upwards. Education* — There is one established school in the parish, where the usual branches are tau^t The salary is the maximum. There is also the interest of JL 100 for behoof of the free school of the parish. The interest of this sum is usually employed in paying for some of the poorer children. The parochial school- master is provided with the usual accommodations, as directed by law. The school fees are for reading and writing, 2s. ; for arith- metic, 3s. 6d. ; and for Latin, 58 ; and the amount actually received is about L. 20 per annum. The charges for other branches are regulated by those of the adjoining parishes. The people can all read and write; they are in general very sensible of the benefits of education, and desirous of having their children instructed in the ordinary branches. The two extremities of the parish lie at rather too great a distance from the school. This is an evil that cannot easily be remedied, as the funds of the parish and population are not adequate to the support of two re- spectable established schools. Piwr cmd Parochial Funds* — The poor are supported by the col- lections in the church, which may average about Lb 13, the interest of L. 100, and a voluntary contribution by the heritors of 10s. on every 100 merks valuation. How the L. 100 was acquired is not very certain. Whether it has accumulated, or part of it was originally mortified, cannot be ascertained. The number of poor at present on the roll is 4. They receive 6s. 8d., 3s. 6d., and ds. 4d. per month, according to circumstances. Besides these there is a fatuous person, for whom the parish pays L. 10 per annum. Occasional demands in addition to what is now stated are made upon the funds. There does not appear to be any growing dispo- sition to apply for parish relief. 202 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Inns^ 8fc. — There is no house licensed to retail ale, or any kind of ardent spirits in this parish. There was one licensed for this purpose some years ago. But so many complaints were made against it, that measures were taken by those concerned to prevent a renewal of the license. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the last Statistical Account was written a great improve- ment, though not to the extent that might be wished, has taken place in the parish. The mode of husbandry has been altered and im- proved much since that time, and many of the farms have been bet- ter inclosed and subdivided with hedges and other fences ; and where capital has been liberally applied, some of the farms, con- sidering the nature of the soil, are in a high state of cultivation. It is to be regretted that this parish is so bare of wood, as it would be much benefited by additional shelter. A good deal has been done in several places of late ; but of these we can only par- ticularize a few. There are, for example, some fine old trees on the estate of Whitstonehill, principally ash, which seems to be particularly well suited to the banks of the Milk. Some young plantations have lately been put down on the same estate, which are thriving well, but their extent is rather limited. Considerable plantations have also been made of late on the estate of Pierceby Hall, the property of G. Rogerson, Esq. There is also a consi- derable quantity of fine old timber and young wood on the estate of Gibsontown. The late proprietor, John Johnstone, Esq. ex- pended a considerable sum of money, and with great taste and judgment, in improving and beautifying his property. It is now one of the most pleasant and desirable places of residence in the neighbourhood. The improvements, however, on the estate of Grange, the property of William Johnstone, Esq. are chiefly re- markable. About eighteen years ago, that gentleman planted ex- tensively ; and the plantations, which consist of timber of all sorts, are thriving uncommonly well. If the same spirit and taste had been displayed by all the other proprietors as by those above men- tioned, Tundergarth, from the nature of its surface and localities, would have been one of the most beautiful parishes in the whole district February 1834. PARISH OF SAINT MUNGO. PRESBYTERY OF LOCHMABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ANDREW JAMESON, M. W. S. MINISTER, L — Topography and Natural History, Name and Boundaries. — The ancient name of this parish was Abermilk ; the British designation Aber^ signifying the confluence of waters, agrees with the situation of the parish, which is a kind of peninsula formed by the junction of the rivers Milk and An- nan. The inquisitio of Earl David found, in the year 1116, that the lands of Abermilk belonged of old to the episcopate of Glas- gow. The Bruces having built a castle on the Water of Milk in the twelfth century, the name of the parish was changed to that of Castlemilk. The parish under this new name is mentioned in the year 1170 by Pope Alexander; and in 1290, William de Gos- ford, the parson of Castlemilk, swore fealty at Berwick to King Ed- ward I. The church of the parish was dedicated to God under the invocation of St Mungo, the canonized founder of the see of Glasgow ; and most probably the people gave the name of their favourite patron to the parish, as being more in unison with their religious feelings than a designation which brought to their remem- brance only the haughty baron or his feudal requisitions. Since the alteration of the religion of Scotland, the nsune of St Mungo has always designated the parish, except, perhaps, during that pe- riod of intolerance when the appellations Saint and Devil were es- teemed synonymous terms. The parish, situated in the upper ward of the ancient stewartry of Annandale, extends from north to south about 4 mile?, and from east to west about 2 J miles, containing 7| square miles ; is bounded on the south by the parish of Dalton ; on the east by Hoddam ; on the north by Tundergarth ; and by Dryfesdale on the west Topographical Appearances. — The surface of this parish is uneven, being elevated into two hill ridges, and depressed by their accompany- ing vales. On the south of the parish, the high wooded grounds of 204 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Kirkwood in Dalton, and Nutholmhill in this parish, form a beau- tiful vale a mile lon^, through which the river Annan flows in a ser- pentine course. In the centre of this enchanting vale, and on the bank of the river Annan, the manse and church, embowered in wood, are situated. The manse stands 90 feet above the high water- mark at Annan by the barometer. Nutholmhill, elevated 200 feet above the sea, sinks gradually into a plain eastward at the.junction of the Annan and Milk, and westward near the village of Lockerby. Directly east, and nearly parallel with the ridge of Nutholmhill, rise the eminences named Barrhill and Breckenhill. Barrhill sinks into the level of the holms of Hoddam on the east ; whilst Breckenhill, stretching westerly, sinks into the bed of the Milk on the confines of the parish of Tundergarth. This ridge extends about two mOes, and is in its highest parts elevated 250 feet above the sea. Through the highly cultivated and richly wooded valley formed by these hills, the Water of Milk takes a serpentine course of three miles, on the bank of which is built the modem mansion of Castlemilk. In the north of the high land of Breckenhill, after a slight depression, the ground suddenly rising up again, forms the classical table-shaped hill of Bumswark in the parish of Hoddam. Mfiff^Vy* — '^^ climate is rather moist, from the parish being only si^ miles from the Solway Firth, and the quantity of high I^i0IIjk1 contained in and surrounding the parish. The most pre- valent winds are from the south-west. Although the climate is mild ffota the sudden alternations of temperature to which the parish is expo^9 inflammatory complaints are not uncommon ; the very flimsy nianufacture, which has supplanted the coarse fabric of our forefathers, gives rise to many glandular diseases, consumptions, and complaints of the liver and stomach. The great improvement which has taken place within these thirty years in the construction of houses, their comparative cleanliness and capability of ventila- tion, have greatly tended to diminish disease among the aged ; whilst vaccination (now very generally adopted) has no less dimi- nished death in early life. A somewhat singular atmospherical phenomenon passed over this parish some years since. Avery smart shower of rain from the south-west, originating in the maritime parish of Caeriaverock, crossed this parish in the same direction, and spent itself on the confines of the parish of Tundergarth. The rain was salt water ; aikd from the heat of a clear sun immediately after the shower, in a short time evaporation left slight incrustations of on grass and tree. A whirlwind over the Solway, then at high 3 ST. MUNGO. 205 ;i¥ater, had doubtless elevated the water which thus fell so far in- land. An account of the phenomena was published in one of the earlier volumes of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. Hydrography* — The River Annan takes its course through this parish in a south-eastern direction, separating it from the parishes of Dalton and CummerUrees for three miles. Many fine springsof water are found here, flowing generally from under secondary trap rock or sandstone, on which the trap rocks rest The Saint's Well, close by the church, is a powerful spring flowing from the amygdaloid of Nutholmhill at a great depth; for its temperature (48^) is nearly the same in summer as in winter. The Water of Milk divides the parish nearly in the middle, running in a south-eastern direction for nearly three miles. Geology and Mineralogy, — The geognostic appearance of this parish being of the most interesting nature, will apologize for the length of the following remarks. The valley of Annan or Annandale conmiences above the village of MoffsBit, in the tremendous hollow of Errickstane, and terminates near the manse of this parish, — a distance of fully twenty-three miles. Several lateral vales termi- nate in this vale. The lateral vale of the Milk terminates with- out it, a little way above the confluence- of the Milk and the Annan on the north-east part of this parish. The sides of these vales are generally smooth and covered with vegetation. The bottom, though sometimes rocky, is generally covered with alluvial soil, forming the best land in the county. The valley of the Annan was probably at some former period a hollow in the transition rocks, in which a great river (vastly greater than that which now exists) flowed; but by the formation of the floetz or secondary trap rocks across its commu- nication with the ocean, it appears to have been converted into a lake. The water of the lake, after the retiring of the ocean, ap- pears to have worn a passage through the opposing rocks, and at length has passed from the state of a lake to that of a river. This river has gradually deepened its channel, and left its original out- let by the house of Dormont, and flows out by the deeper and more circuitous channel, through which it now reaches the sea. The great height of the original banks of the Annan, and the great dis- tance at which they are situated, prove the former magnitude of the stream ; whilst the- banks and masses of water-borne gravel, form- ing the lands of Edge and Hard^ve in Dalton, and Newfield in Ruthwell parishes, declares the magnitude of the body of water from which they derived their origin. 206 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. In this as in Canoby parish, we have distinctly laid open the great connecting links of the various formations which compose the mineral history of this county. The transition rocks which compose the mountains of Mofiat, and stretch southwards, inclose the vale of Annan ; and, after being hid by the soil, are discovered again in the bed of the Annan at Williamwath ford, and near the Kettleholm bridge in the bed of the Milk. The transition rocks can be traced from Williamwath ford to the Almagil liills in Dal- ton parish ; whilst the same rocks on the Milk, after being covered for some miles by soil and the secondary rocks, are again discovered forming the base of Burnswark in the parish of Hoddam. The transition rocks in this parish are greywacke, which occurs mas- sive in the Annan ; whilst in the bed of the Milk the greywacke alternates with greywacke-slate. This rock in its slaty form has not yet been found so thin and solid as to be applied to economi- cal purposes. The independent coal formation makes its appearance in the bed of the Annan, at the head of the St Mungo glebe. Slate-clay and sandstone are traced lying over the transition rocks. This junction is beautifully laid open by a small quarry on the glebe. At Dalton Hook, a quarter of a mile up the river Annan from this ford, there occurs a large mass of conglomerate limestone, which evidently belongs to this series of rocks. This limestone is com- posed of fragments of compact grayish-coloured limestone, quartz, and greywacke, cemented by a clayey basis. The sandstone of this formation is here white; and the same coloured sandstone oc- curs at Cone, in the parish of Kirkpatrick, and at Cowdens, in this parish, though in the latter situation its colour is rather grayish- white. This formation again appears at Rotchell to the south- east of the manse, continues from that point to the shores of the Solway Firth, and extends through the lower part of Annandale and Eskdale. At Whitehill, on the north border of this parish, the independent coal formation may be traced in beds of clay ironstone, slate-clay containing impressions of shells, and ash gray-coloured limestone, containing petrifactions, principally mytuhtes. Secondary trap formation. — In this parish, and, indeed, through the whole county, only individual rocks which compose this forma- tion are found ; but no where is the series complete. Nutholm hill is composed of porphyritic amygdaloid. This rock can be traced on both sides of the river Annan, to the little hill of Whiny- rigg, where it terminates, and is succeeded by the coal formation. 4 ST. MUNGO. 207 To the west and south of Nutholm hill, the amygdaloid is traced to the bed of the Annan, at the head of the glebe, where it can. be distinctly seen, lying on the white-coloured sandstone already mentioned, and the slate-clay of the coal formation; from this point it can be traced to the manse of Dalton, where the greywacke again appears forming the mountain-arm which stretches along the bot- tom of the vale of the Annan. On descending Nutholm hill to- wards the Milk, the amygdaloid can again be traced, extending to the bed of the Milk, lying over a very coarse sandstone, and clay ironstone, which are deposited immediately above the greywacke, a gunshot above the Kettleholm bridge. The amygdaloid here dis. appears, and is not met with again, till we reach Barhill, on the opposite bank of the Milk ; there it lies over a sandstone similar to that observed on the banks of the Annan on the glebe, which sandstone rests on greywacke. From Barhill, the amygdaloid con- tinues to stretch along the high ground to Bumswark, resting in many places on very coarse-grained conglomerate sandstone, which again rests on much inclined strata of small-grained greywacke. The amygdaloid of Nutholm hill has its cavities filled with green earth, whereas much of the same rock forming Barhill has its ca- vities filled with calcedony. In the year 1825, the plough turned up some pieces of rich galena, on a farm belonging to the estate of William Camithers of Nutholm, Esq. and the tenant on making a search collected about I cwt. of beautiful ore. The ground where this valuable dis- covery was made, Ues on the north bank of the Annan, and about fifty feet above the bed of the river ; the soil in which it was depo- sited is loose gravel, over a till (ferruginous clay) subsoil, and this is laid over the sandstone which has been mentioned as lying im- mediately under the amygdaloid and resting on the transition rocks. From the probability that a vein of lead ore might be found, a pro- fessional examination of this spot was made by J. Wyatt, Esq. of Foolow, Derbyshire, and specimens of the ore submitted to the exa- mination of Professor Jameson of Edinburgh. The result of this in- vestigation was a resolution to form a joint-stock company, in small shares, in order to undertake a thorough examination of the land where the ore was found. Mr Wyatt procured a mining-tack for the pro- jected company. The greater number of shares were subscribed for ; and nothing was awanting but the acquiescence of the conti- guous proprietors, to justify the company commencing their mining operations. The ground being surrounded by the property of no 200 DUMFRIES-SHIBE. Much attention hafi also been paid to the breeding of black«cattle, by selecting the best Galloway bulls that can be got in the district. Baie ofLabotar^ — The rate of labour is for men during summer, Is. 8d. per day, and for women, Is., — ^sometimes less ; and during winter for men, Is., and for women, 6d. Artisans are paid from Is. 8d. to 2s. 6d. per day. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Town^ ^rc, — Lockerby, in the adjoining parish of Dry- fesdale, is the nearest market-town, and is distant about a mile and a-half from the nearest part of the parish. Means of Communication. — The locality of the parish does not require many roads. The principal one runs about two-thirds of its whole length. It is generally kept in .very good repair, but the line of it is the worst that could have been chosen. Our fore- fathers seem always to have preferred carrying their roads over the tops of hills. Such is the road here. But a new one following the line of the Milk is projected, which, if made, will be the most picturesque and beautiful in the country. Ecclesiastical State. — Considering the length of the parish, the situation of the church is perhaps as good and convenient as any that could be chosen. The church was built upwards of sixty years ago, and is at present in a very good state of repair. It was late- ly stoothed and seated of new, and is at present one of the neatest and most comfortable in the district. It is to be regretted that, when the heritors repaired the church, they did not at the same time repair the wall round the burying ground, which is at present in a very ruinous state. The church afibrds accommodation for the legal number of sitters and no more. The manse was built, it is said, about a hundred years ago. Several additions were made to it during the life of the late incum- bent ; but every thing seems to have been done in a very injudi- cious and insufficient manner. It is at present in great need of repairs. There are about eight acres of glebe land, including the garden and the ground on which the manse and offices stand. Of these nearly six acres are very good arable land; the remainder consists of pas- ture ground, and the precipices on the side of the Milk, which are covered with natural wood. The average value of the arable and pasture land may be about L. 2 per acre. The stipend, according to the decreet of the court, is only six chalders of victual, half meal and half barley, and L. 70 in TUNDERGARTH. 201 money, with L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. But as the money stipend was converted into grain at the average fiars' price for seven years, and part of the heritors surrendered the teinds, it consists of about L. 56 in money, and somewhat more than fifty-six double bolls of victual, bisurley, and meal. There are very few dissenters of any description in the pa- rish, and these few do not originally belong to it, but have come from other parts of thiB country. The people in general seem at- tached to the Establishment. Tliey have perhaps kepi as dose to it since the revolution, and have had as few grounds for being dis- satisfied, as any other in die district The church is in general very well attended. The number of communicants may be about 150 or upwards. EduGoHon. — There is one established school in the parish, where the usual branches are taught The salary is the maximum. There is also the interest of L. 100 for behoof of the free school of the pari^. The interest of this sum is usually employed in paying for some of the poorer children. The parochial school- master is provided with the usual accommodations, as directed by law. The school fees are for reading and writing, 2s. ; for arith- metic, 3s. 6d. ; and for Latin, 58 ; and the amount actually received is about L. 20 per annum. The charges for other branches are r^ulated by those of the adjoining parishes. The people can all read and write ; they are in general very sensible of the benefits of education, and desirous of having their children instru<^d in the ordinary branches. The two extremities of the parish lie at rather too great a distance from the school. This is an evil that cannot easily be remedied, as the funds of the parish and population are not adequate to the support of two re- spectable established schools. Poor and Parochial JV^iub.-— The poor are supported by the col- lections in the church, ^diich may average about K 13, the interest of Lb 100, and a voluntary contribution by the heritors of 10s. on every 100 merks valuation. How the L. 100 was acquired is not very certain. Whether it has accumulated, or part of it was originally mortified, cannot be ascertained. The number of poor at present oh the roll is 4. They receive 6s. 8d., 3s. 6d., and 3s. 4d. per month, according to circumstances. Besides these there is a fatuous person, for whom the parish pays lu. 10 per annum. Occasional demands in addition to what is now stated are made upon the funds. There does not appear to be any growing dispo- lution to apply for parish relief. 216 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. the sessional funds, except to the diseased and aged, has always been avoided. The trustees on the parish roads, by an agreement with the session, have engaged to repair the parish roads only during the winter and early spring months ; and to employ only such indivi- duals to labour on the roads as, but for this work, would require aid from the session ; also, to apply the conversion money in the payment of horse and cart labour on the roads. The heritors and fanners also agree to furnish horse and cart labour for the public use under certain regulations, and free of all expense, to the trus- tees. The labourers employed on these roads are paid 2d. per day below the ordinary rate of wages, to make the scanty fund last longer, and to prevent all who can get work elsewhere and better wages, from burdening the fund. Poor women are also by the trus- tees employed in gathering stones and filling carts on the roads, at a fixed rate. In order to give efiicacy to this parochial ma- chinery, the minister was empowered by the whole of the heritors many years since, to object to any individual or family acquiring a residence in the parish whom he might judge likely to become a burden upon it; and, in case any heritor should refuse to re- move the individual or families, against whose residence in the parish the minister objected, the heritor so refusing was bound by a solemn deed, jointly executed by the whole heritors, to free the session and other heritors of all expense, in the event of such a person ever at any future time requiring to be supported. Act- ing under these few and simple regulations, this session during the incumbency of the present iftinister has not only comfortably sup- ported the poor without any aid from the heritors, but laid up a sum, which, under judicious management, will render any assess- ment for the poor unnecesssiry. The poor, it is to be regretted, are not now so shy in asking sessional aid as they used to be. Alehouses, — There is but one public-house in the parish; and though kept with as great regularity as possible, still it is a source of much evil. Miscellaneous Observations. The annual rent of this parish by a valuation made under the authority of the late Lord Minto in the year 1746, wis L.d7d, Is. 5 j\d. ; in the year 1794, when the last report was drawn up, it amounted to L. 1800 ; and now it is estimated at L. 4000. The population at last report was 640, and then there were 8 paupers and 22 dissenters; now the population is 791, and there are 12 ST. MUNGO. 217 paupers and 38 dissenters. The last report stated, that rents were from L. 20 to L. 80 per annum, now they are from L.50 to L. 390. At the time of last report the want of a bridge over the Milk to open a communication with the Solway Firth was complained of; the parish roads were also said to be bad ; and coal was 20 miles distant. Now there is a bridge over the Milk, the parish roads are excellent, and English coal at Annan (only 8 miles distant) are abundant At the time of the last report, there were only nine houses slated ; the greater number were built of mud and stones : only three houses had a parlour and carpet : and hardly an eight- day clock or silver spoon was seen in the parish. Now there are only a few old cottages unslated : all the houses built of stone and lime : ten houses have carpets on the sitting-room : hardly even a cottage wants an eight-day clock: and every tenant and many cot- tagers have silver tea-spoons. At last report, the church \vas a ruin, without bell, pews. Bibles, or utensils for administering the sacraments, and the minister officiated occasionally in a shepherd's plaid ; there was no school-house, master, or provision for one ; now everything necessary is provided for the church ; there is an endowed school, and well-educated schoolmaster ; and the minister is attired in that popish rag^ a gown. Formerly the Seceders would not be present when any Established minister was celebrating any divine ordinance, and the Episcopal clergy, in terror of the people, performed the rites of btirial in private ; the present incumbent has been sent for, to attend on the sick and dying Seceders, and the funeral rites of the Episcopal church are performed openly in our churches and burial grounds. February 1834. PARISH OF RUTHWELL. PRESBYTERY OF ANNAK, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. HENRY DUNCAN, D.D. MINISTER. L^- Topography and Natural History. Name^ Boundaries^ S^c. — " The parish of Ruthwell,'* says Chal- mers,* "derived its name from the Anglo-Saxon Rith, a rivulet, and fVeald^ a woody place, as we learn from Somner. The Kirkton,t which was a baronial burgh, stands on a rivulet which falls into the Solway Frith about a mile below. The remains of the ancient woods, whence a part of the name is derived, still exist. In vul- gar speech, and even in the chartularies, the name of Rithwald, or Ruthwell, has been abbreviated into Ryval or Rival" Other derivations of the name have been conjectured ; but whatever may be thought of the etymology of the first syllable, that of the second seems to be confirmed by the nearly corre- sponding terminations of the adjoining parishes of Mousewald, Torthorwald, and Tinwald, all extending along the morass of Lochar, — a morass which runs into each of these parishes as well as into Ruthwell, and which the numerous remains of imbedded trees amply prove to have been at some distant period a continuous forest. The parish is bounded on the south by the Solway Frith, and by the river Lochar, which stream divides it from Caerlaverock both in this direction and on the west; on the north-west by Mousewald ; on the north by Dalton ; and on the east by Cum- mertrees. It is about five miles and a-half long, by two miles and a-half broad, containing somewhat less than fourteen square miles. Topographical Appearaticesj Sfc, — In its surface the parish is * Caledonia, Vol. iii. p. 191. f There is, properly speaking, no Kirkton, The village in question stands half a mile nearer the Solway than the church, but the rivulet passes them both. Chal- mers speaks erroneously of the woods as << still existing along the bank of the rivu- let/* They are, in fact, a mile distant from it ; but they may have been at one time contiguous. RUTHWELL. 219 generally flat and uninteresting, the elevations that occur not ris* ing in any instance more than 80 or 90 feet above the level of the sea. The sea^beach is low, and consists of a clayey sand, known in this quarter by the provincial name of sketch. This substance extends for several miles into the Frith, with so slight a declina- tion, that the tide at low water recedes entirely out of sight, and leaves to the eye a barren and cheerless waste. The climate, on account of its vicinity to the sea and to the Lochar Moss, may be considered as somewhat moist ; but certain- ly it is not unhealthy. There are no prevailing distempers pecu- liar to the parish. Many of the inhabitants live to an advanced age : and not long ago an old soldier died at the age of 103, if calculated from the statement contained in the certificate of his discharge, or of 110, if we rely on his own constant averment as to the date of his birth. Of the winds, the south-west is the most violent ajid the most pernicious to vegetation, as is distinctly indi- cated by the inclination of the trees. Springs. — There is a mineral spring at Brow, near the shore, where the Lochar falls into the Solway Frith. It is chalybeate, and of no great strength; but was formerly a well of some celebri- ty, and, notwithstanding the miserable accommodation for lodgers, of some resort. Here, is a stone table, at which it is said that Lord Stormont, the father of the celebrated Earl of Mansfield, sat with his son and drank to his health when he took leave of that future ornament of his country, on quitting his native land to push his fortune at the English Bar. On that occasion, the old noble- man is reported to have jocularly told his son, that he did not wish to see his face in Scotland again till it should be surrounded with the chief justice's wig, — ^a jest to which the event has given almost a prophetical character. Here also is the humble cottage in which the ill-fated poet Bums spent some of the latest days of his life, in the vain hope of restoring a broken constitution, by imbibing the salutary water, and breathing the pure sea air. Geology. — The geological and mineral condition of the parish is marked by no peculiarity worthy of extended notice. The prin- cipal rock is a coarse limestone, which about forty or fifty years ago was worked to a considerable extent, but which has of late been entirely disused, having been justly superseded by the far purer lime of Kelhead, lying within four miles. About the period above-mentioned, some attempt was made to discover a workable vein of coal on the farm of Belridding, in the 220 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. parish, but without success, although strong indications appeared of the presence of that useful mineral, at least to a small extent. The existence of such large^. coal-fields on the opposite coast of Cumberland, where geological indications are in many respects si- milar, has induced a very sanguine belief that a spirited search would in all probability not be made in vain. Soil — The soil is various, consisting, however, generally of a strong gravel, intermixed with vegetable mould. Towards the west, on the low ground near the sea, and on the banks of the Lochar, a sluggish stream, there is a considerable tract of clayey soil, mingled with sand, which has in remote ages obviously been under the action of the sea, being originally of the same quality with the sketch at present washed by the tide. On soil otthis na- ture, the extensive morass of the Lochar Moss, already-mentioned, is known generally to rest. In one place, shell marl is to be fowid, and attempts have been made to convert it to purposes of agricul- ture, but the expense of obtaining it has been thought to exceed its profit. Zoology, — Of the zoology of the parish little can be said that is not contained in the former Statistical Account It is there stat- ed with truth, that the woodlark and bullfinch, as well as the other common birds of the district, are to be found in the woods of Comlongon. To this we shall only add, that various kinds of pheasants have within a very few years been introduced to these woods, where they were increasing rapidly so long as they were protected, but during the last year their numbers have been great- ly diminished by poachers. The fish on this coast are salmon, which are caught in small quantities at the confluence of the Lochar with the sea, by means of stake-nets ; flounders of a large size and good quality, of which there is an abundant supply ; and occasionally herrings, as well as a few cod and skate. The ordinary kinds of game, such as hares and partridges, are plentiful. Some grouse are to be met with on Lochar Moss ; and woodcock and black-cock are in their season by no means uncom- mon ; nor is the fox a stranger to Comlongon woods. II. — Civil History. » Land-o\oners. — The principal land-owner is the Earl of Mans- field, who derives his origin from the Murrays of Cockpool, an an- cient family, the chief of which was in the reign of James IV. RUTH WELL. 221 created Earl of Annandale. This latter branch, however, became extinct, along with the title, in the second generation, when Vis- count Stormont, the direct ancestor of the present proprietor, suc- ceeded to the estate in this parish as heir of line. Lord-Justice Mansfield was a younger son of this family; but by his talents and virtues justly earned for himself an earldom along with a large for- tune, both of which descended to his nephew, the present earl's father. Antiquities — Runic Monument. — The most remarkable antiquity in the parish is a Runic monument, which stands in the garden belonging to the manse of Ruthwell. This curious relic of former times is accurately represented in the accompanying engraving, which is taken from a drawing made by the writer of this article. It con- sists of a column inscribed partly with Runic, and partly with Roman characters, which is believed to be almost the only unequivocal vestige of Anglo-Saxon sculpture in Britain. * It has been no- ticed by various authors, such as Hickes, Gordon, Pennant, and Chalmers; but all of them have given inaccurate and deficient de- scriptions of it, and the plates which have been engraved to repre- sent it, are very defective. Chalmers, without assigning any reason for the conjecture, sup- poses the pillar to have been probably erected by some of the fol- lowers of Halfden, the Dane, a chief who made predatory incur- sions into Scotland in the years 875 and 876. It appears, however, from the form of the characters that ^he Runes on this monument are not Danish, but Anglo-Saxon, — ^a discovery which seems first to have been made by Wilhelm Carl Grimm, a learned German grammarian, and which necessarily overturns every theory of its Danish origin, and establishes that its date must be sought for during the period of the Heptarchy, or at least before the language or the learning of the Anglo-Saxons had, by foreign conquest and admixture, undergone any violent change. Of the early history of the column, however, little or nothing is known, but what may be gathered from internal evidence. On in- spection, the first thing that strikes an inquirer is the remarkable fact already mentioned, of the union on the same stone of two dif- ferent alphabets, the Runic and the Roman ; and this naturally suggests the question, whether or not any essential change may have * Gordon in his Itincrarium, calls it a Danish monument, and says, he has heard of another such pillar in Scotland, but he does not say where it is situated ; and ChaU mors speaks of thb as the only genuine one. 222 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. taken place in the form and character of the monument since its first erection ; but such an investigation can only be superficially made in a work of this kind.* On referring to the plate, it will be seen that the pillar has four faces, two of which contain on the margins Runic ; and the other two, Roman characters ; and that on the sides inscribed with the latter, there are Christian figures and emblems, of which the Runic sides are destitute. This singular combination must strike the an- tiquarian as affording ^ prima facie evidence that the sculpture has been executed at two different periods. But there are other cir- cumstances which, combined with this, will leave little doubt on the mind of an unprejudiced inquirer, as to the remodelling of the mo- nument at a period subsequent to its first erection. These circum- stances are, Is/, That the monument consists of two separate blocks of sandstone, and that the upper stone containing the cross is of a redder hue than the lower stone, and has evidently been taken from another quarry, which could scarcely have happened, had both been formed at the same time. 2^^, That there is a bar or border at the top of the lower stone, running horizontally round all the four sides, and containing inscriptions, which divides the vine work on the Runic sides into two compartments, and awkwardly interrupts its elegant convolutions, — an intrusion which can only be satisfactorily accounted for on the supposition that, when first erected, the pillar was at this point to terminate, dcf, That the sculpture on the Runic sides, both in elegance of design and skill of execution, greatly exceeds that on the Roman sides, and indicates a high- er state of the art. From all these circumstances, there ap- pears to be satisfactory evidence that the pillar has, since its first erection, undergone a great change ; that it consisted at first only of one block, terminating with the bar already mentioned, the up- per stone containing the cross, having been added at a later period ; and further, that, making allowance for the waste of time and vio- lence, the sculpture on the Runic sides is in its original form, but that the Christian figures, along with the Latin inscriptions on the Roman sides, were probably cut at the time of its change of shape, having perhaps originally contained carved work of a different kind. The writer was at first inclined to think that the original design * The antiquarian reader who wishes for Airther information tlian b here given, is referred to the Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland for the year 1892, where he wiU find an article, of which the present is an abridgement, drawn up by the writer of this account. RUTHWELL. 223 of the column might not have been of a religious nature, and might even have preceded the establishment of Christianity in this part of the country ; and also, that the Runic inscription, which has hitherto baflled all attempts of the learned to interpret it, had pro- bably been mutilated, and rendered illegible by narrowing the sides of the column in the process of alteration. But the very ingenious and apparently successful efforts of Mr Repp,* which are after- wards noticed, and which reflect so much credit on his learning and antiquarian talent, lead to an opposite conclusion in both these respects. The later history of this remarkable column is not much more indebted to tradition than that of a more early date. In the for- mer Statistical Account of this parish, mention is made of a report which still prevails, of its having been set up in remote times at a place called Priestwoodside, (now Priestside,) near the sea, from whence it is said to have been drawn by a teain of oxen. What- ever truth there may be in this, it is at least certain, that at a very early period it was erected in the chui'ch of Ruthwell, where it remained, and was held in the highest veneration, till the Reformation ; and where, even after that period, it was preserved from demolition till the middle of the seventeenth century, pro- bably by the influence of the Murrays of Cockpool, the ances- tors of the Earl of Mansfield, who had espoused the cause of the Stuarts and of the Episcopal party, in opposition to that of the Presbyterian. In 1642, however, when the latter were triumphant over the court and its satellites, by whom they had been at once cajolled and oppressed ; and when the progress of the dispute be- tween Charles I. and the country party, which was rapidly coming to a crisis in both kingdoms, had greatly inflamed men's minds, — an order was passed by the General Assembly of the church f for the destruction of this ancient monument, as idolatrous. This order must have been but partially and reluctantly obeyed by the local authorities. The column was, indeed, thrown down and broken in several places, probably by its fall, and some of the emblems, which were peculiarly obnoxious, because objects of Popish idolatry, such as the crucifixion, were at the same time perhaps nearly ob- literated; but, after this act of obedience was performed, it was al- • Mr Thorleif Gudmandson Rei>p, A. M., F. S. A., Scotland, a Danish gentleman, and one of the librarians of the Advocates' library, f This order is dated 27th July 1642, at St Andrews, where the General Assembly then sitting. 3 224 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. lowed to lie on the spot, where it fell, and probably served for more than a century as seats to part of the congregation, who weekly assembled to worship God under more simple forms, and with a purer faith, than those which had rendered it an object of adora- tion. In 1772, when inspected by Mr Pennant, it was still lying within the church; but soon after this, it was removed to the church- yard, — the increasing population, and the improved taste of the times, having rendered necessary better accommodation to the wor- shippers. In its new situation, it became more exposed to injury, and when the present incumbent acquired the living, he found it undergoing such rapid demolition, that he resolved to preserve it by transferring it to a place of greater security. This resolution was carried into effect in the summer of 1802, when it was erected in a garden which he had begun to form in the immediate neigh- bourhood of the church-yard. Previous to this, however, a discovery had been somewhat smgu- larly made of a part of the column which was amissing, both when visited by Gordon and by Pennant. A poor man and his wife hav- ing died within a day or two of each other, it was resolved that they should both be buried in the same grave, which, on that account, required to be made unusually deep. The grave-digger, in the course of his labour, came to a fragment of sandstone of consider- able bulk, which was found, on one of its sides, to contain the up- per part of the image of the Supreme Being, with the Agnus Dei in his bosom; and on the reverse, a representation of the up- per part of two human figures in the act of embracing. On com- paring this fragment with the monument, it was discovered to coin- cide with that portion of it which Pennant mistook for the top of a cross, the limbs and flowing robes of the image of the Deity being that which he describes as '^ the lower part of a human figure in long vestments, with his feet on a pair of small globes." It had probably been surreptitiously buried along with the body of some Popish votary, from an idolatrous belief in its supernatural virtues. The only large fragment of the column which seems to be irre- trievably lost, is what contained the transverse arms of the cross, which may probably have been much shattered by the fall, when the whole was thrown down, or entirely destroyed by the zeal of the agents of the General Assembly. It was, however, quite evi- dent at what part these arms must have originally projected ; and the writer of this article flattered himself that he could restore them in nearly their former shape, which, in the year 1823, by the aid RUTHWELL. 225 of a country mason, he attempted to do. In this he was guided by the fonn of the capital, which is nearly entire, and which, be- sides, being in all probability a counterpart of the arms, contains on two opposite sides segments of a circle corresponding with simi- lar segments in the stone immediately below, — evidently indicating that the circle was originally completed, and formed the centre of the cross. The engraving precludes the necessity of a detailed account of the sculpture, but'it may be proper to take some notice of its prin« cipal features, as well as to give an explanation of the iiiscriptions as far as they are intelligible. By referring to the plate it will be observed, that the two faces of the column which contain Ronic characters are in many re- spects very similar to each other. Not only do we find on either side a vine winding up the centre in graceful serpentine undula* tions, with branches enriched with fruit, starting from it at every turn, in regular and flowing curves, mi animals of difierent kinds curiously and artfully sculptured, in the act of feeding ; but what is particularly worthy of remark, because evidently done with some design, the animals on the two sides, though in different attitudes, are of similar kinds, and succeed each other in the same order. First, there is an imaginary animal with the head, body, and wings of a bird, and a long flexible tail like that of a quadruped ; then comes a four-footed animal, next a pair of birds, and above these two reptiles, of the lizard species, the latter devouring the stem, while aU the rest are feeding on the grapes. With regard to the Runic inscriptions, a new light, as has already been noticed, has been thrown on the subject, by the learned and ingenious Mr Repp, who has published a Latin letter on the sub- ject in the Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, to which the reader is referred. A very brief outhne of that paper must at present suffice. It appears that only one specimen of Anglo-Saxon Runes has hitherto been generally admitted as authentic This is the Exeter manuscript, noticed by the learned Hickes in his Thesaurus. Mr Repp has discovered that in the Runic inscription, on the Ruth- well monument, an alphabet is used, differing only in a few minute particulars from that of the Exeter manuscript, — but widely dif- ferent from the Norse or Islandic Runes employed by the Danes. « He has been enabled, by employing this Anglo-Saxon alphabet,, to translate parts of sentences, and several detached words, such DUMFRIES. P 226 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. as Cristpason mitk seretum^ xi. punda nude, t. e, the vessel of Christ [or baptismal font] of eleven pounds weight, with orna- ments. Radih pedra Therfusa aqrran^ i. e. by authority of the Therfusian Fathers, for the devastation of the fields. Kua xiiu i. e. 13 cows. AshlafardkaU i* e. the vale of Ashlafr. Menboat^ the expiation for an injury. In confirmation of the interpretation of that part of the inscription rendered by Mr Repp " the vessel of Christ, &c." it may be pro- per to observe, that there is preserved along with the column an orna- mented circular stone, which, according to a probable tradition, was originally used as the pedestal of a baptismal font, or font for holy water. The writer's conjecture is, that this vessel stood before the pillar on the circular stone ; and this is the more probable, from the well known fact, that in Roman Catholic countries, a similar arrangement is in the present day exceedingly common. The Roman side contains inscriptions in Latin, chiefly taken from the vulgate version of the New Testament, and all of them bearing reference to the figures on the compartments which they surround. Turning to the face of the column represented on the right hand of the plate, we find in the lowest compartment a very mutilated representation of the crucifixion, with the margin which contained the inscription, entirely destroyed. Immediately above this, are the figures of the Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary. Of the legend, nothing remains but two complete words, and a few imperfect letters ; yet these seem sufficient to enable us to ascer- tain the whole which appears to have been a quotation from the vul- gate translation of Luke, 1st Chapter, 28th verse. It runs thus,* ^^ Et iNGREssvs *ANG£Lvis ad eam dixit, ave, gratia plena! Domi- nus tecum: BEnedicta tu in mulieribus." In the next compartment, Christ is represented in the act of curing a blind man. The legend appears to have been partly taken from the vulgate of John, 9th Chapter, 1st verse, and to have stood as follows : " et praeteriens vioit hominem caecum a na- TiBiTATE (nativitate) et Sanavit aB iNFiRMiTate. The mistake of substituting a b for a v in " nativitate," may perhaps suggest some conjectures as to the language, or at least the dialect spoken when the sculpture was made. The next representation is that of the woman wiping the feet of « Jesus with her hair. The inscription is from the vulgate of Luke, 9th Chapter, 37 and 38 verses, attvlit AlabASTRVM vngventi et * In tbb and the other inscriptions, the legible letters are printed in Roman capitals. RUTH WELL, 227 STANS RETRO SECTS PEDES EIVS LACRIMIS COEPIT RI6ARE PEDES EIVS ET CAPILLIS CAPITIS SVI TER6EBAT. The rest of the inscriptions on this side are altogether illegible, and the sculpture does not seem to require any particular explana- tion. The figure with the bow and arrow may, however, be ad- verted to as particularly remarkable. Commencing now at the bottom of the other Saxon face, we find both the sculpture and inscription of the first compartment entire- ly destroyed. The next contains a figure, supposed to be that of the Virgin riding on an ass, and carrying the infant Jesus in her arms, with a shapeless mass in the upper comer on the left, which may have been the representation of an angel or of Joseph. An inscription of which the commencement (maria et io) only re- mains, gives credibility to the conjecture that the figures were in- tended to represent the flight of the holy family into Egypt. Next come the figures breaking a loaf of bread with the inscrip- tion SES PAVLVS ETAf******** FREGERUnT PANEM IN DE- SERTO. It is not easy to conjecture to what scriptural or tradi- tionary event this refers. The allusion in the next compartment, however, is sufficiently evident. It contains a figure of bur Saviour trampling on the heads of two swine, with the Greek letters IHZXPZ on the transverse border, while on the right hand margin we find IVDEX AEQVITATIS SERTO SALYATOREM MVNDI and OU the left, BES- TiAE ET DRACONES coGNOVERVNT iNDE. If " scrto" be a mis- spelling for certo^ as is probable, the translation will be ^^ Jesus Christ the Judge of Righteousness. Him assuredly to be the Sa- viour of the world, beasts and dragons knew from thence," allud- ing to the miracle of the devils (dracones) sent into the herd of swine (bestice.) Immediately above this on the upper stone, is the image of the Father^ with the Agnus Dei in his bosom, and his feet on two globes, indicating probably his power over the world which now is and that which is to come. The only letters of the legend which can be deciphered, are doramvs, doubtless adaramtis. The in- scription round the eagle at the top of the cross is altogether effaced. • Besides the Runic monument, of which so lengthened a de- scription has now been given, there are in the same garden, two ■f Pennant read ** et an,"* and conjectured it to have been originally angehrunh erroneously supposing it to have been a continuation of the inscription on the same side immediately above it. 228 DUMFBIES-SHIRE. sculptured stones about the size and shape of common grave-stones, but without any inscriptions, each containing the figure of an or- namented cross, rising in the centre on a pedestal, and on the right side a sword of ancient form ; while on the left side, there appears on the one the coulter and sock of a plough, and on the other a bugle-horn attached to a baldrick or belt, by a ring. The figures are very rudely carved. These remains are said to have been originally placed in a church-yard of a small chapel or preceptory, belonging to the Knights of St John, which we are informed by ancient records was erected at a place still tilled from that circumstance the Kirkstile, about a mile distant from the parish church, though no traces of it are now to be found. These memorials of the dead were found '' by the present incumbent lying in the parish burying-ground, whence he removed them, and they now form part of the wall of a summer-house attached to the fruit-wall, which separates the garden from the church-yard. In the wall of the above-mentioned summer-house are also in- serted some very remarkable specimens of a phenomenon which has excited considerable interest and speculation among geologists, — that of distinct tracks of animals of various sizes in sandstone. These specimens are three in number ; and one of them, where the foot-marks are particularly distinct, has been pronounced by * Dr Buckland to be the track of a large tortoise. They were taken from the quarry of Corncockle Muir, in the parish of Loch- maben, where many other appearances of a similar kind have been discovered in the act of quarrying ; some of them so deep below the surface of the quarry as forty-five feet Most of these have un- fortunately been destroyed by the workmen, who were altogether ignorant of their geological importance. * Before leaving the head of antiquities, it may be proper to men- tion the ancient residences of the predecessors of the Earl of Mansfield ; and this we shall do in the words of the late John Mur- ray, Esq. of Murraythwaite, himself a cadet of that old family, who drew up the report of this parish for Sir John Sinclair : ** The only ancient building in the parish is the castle of Comlongon, the seat of the Viscount of Stormont, f which, although erected some centuries ago, is still entire. It was a considerable place of * See account of these impressions, by the writer of the present article) in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh for 1828. t Now Earl of Mansfield. 3 BUTHWELL. 229 strength before the union of the crowns ; is 60 feet square, and 90 feet high, with battlements and port-holes in the walls. The walls are of sufficient thickness to admit of small apartments within them, and the hall and larger rooms are still occupied, as the roof is standing.* The castle of Comlongon was for many ages the residence of the Murrays of Cockpool, — ^a family of great eminence in Annandale, as some of them were wardens of the western border; and Cuthbert Murray of Cockpool was one of the commanders of the Scottish army that defeated the Duke of Albany and the Earl of Douglas when they invaded Scotland. The remains of an old castle are also to be seen at Cockpool, within half a mile of Comlongon, which was likewise a seat of the family.** ParochicU Registers. — In the parish register of births, the firstentry was made in the year 1723. This public document does not appear to have been very regularly kept at any time, and the irregularity was increased at one period by the very impolitic tax which was imposed on the r^istration, and at another, by the irritation among the lower orders consequent on the extension of the militia service to Scot- land, — ^the register having become unpopular by being employed for the purpose of ascertaining the ages of the young men subject to the ballot The yearly average of the births may be 23 or 24^ though the parish raster does not exhibit so high an average, it being necessary to make some allowance for the negligence of parents in obtaining registration for their children. 26 births were registered in 1829, and 21 in 1830. No accurate account can be given of deaths and marriages, from the want of parish registers of these events. III. — Population. By return to Dr Webster in the year 1755, the population was 599 By the census of 1801 > .... 996 1811, .... 1184 1821, .... 1285 1881, .... 1216 No cause of a local nature can be assigned for the increase up to 1821 ; and it must be attributed almost solely to the general improvement of agriculture, which has so materially added to the amount of the common necessaries of life, and at the same time im- proved their quality. It is true, indeed, that, since Dr Webster's * The inside of the castle is now quite ruinous. 230 DUMFBIES-SHIRE. census, a small village has arisen, which took its origin in an at- tempt to work the lime quarry already alluded to, but, at the high- est calculation, this has not added more than 100 to the number of the inhabitants. The following returns are copied from a census of the parish taken by the present incumbent in the years 1824-5, since which period the population has been nearly stationary. It shows a po- pulation somewhat under that of the Government census; but as it was taken with great care, and each family was separately enrolled, the writer is inclined to rely on its correctness. A common source of error in the returns to Government arises from the circumstance, that the inhabitants frequently state to the schoolmaster the whole number of children belonging to their respective families, whether residing^ in the parish at the time or not, — a mistake which must swell the amount, by causing many individuals to be counted more than once. The difference in the present instance probably arises from that source. The minister's census only includes the num- ber actually residing in the parish at the time it was taken. . Number of the population residing in towns, - none. in Tillages, - 280 in the country, 867 1147 Males. Females. Number of ofl&pring under 10 years of age. 131 135 Ditto of servants ditto, 2 2 Ditto of other inmates, ditto. 14 12 In all under 10, 147 149 Number of population above 10 years, viz. Heads of fiuniUes, . . . . 163 211 Offspring, - . . . 144 176 Servants, .... 50 44 Other inmates, ... 25 35 382 469 Add under 10 as above, 147 149 529 618 Making the whole population in 1824-5, - 1147 Of the heads of families, there were 143 married couples, 41 widows, 1 1 widowers, 9 bachelors, and 27 spinsters, being in all 231 families, which latter number differs only by one from the statement in the census of 1831. The same private census exhibits the trades and occupations of the inhabitants as follow : RUTHWELL. 5 S3 1 Proprietors of land. 1 Weavers, 11 MiDister» 1 Tailors, 4 Preacher, 1 Shopkeepers, 2 Tutor in a fiunily. 1 Miller, ... 1 Schoolmasters, 3 Hinds, or lann.senrants, who live Farmers, 44 with their fiunilies, 9 Lahourers, 58 Gardeners, 2 Smiths, 4 Cottagers, bttng day-labourers, &c. 66 Shoemakers, 5 Carriers, 2 Carpenters, 6 Skters, ... 2 Innkeepers, 2 Toll-bar keeper. 1 Nailer, 1 Servants residing in the families. 98 Masons, 5 On comparing the Government census of 1821 with that of 1831, it will appear as if the population of the parish had retrograded during that period. There is reason to beUeve, however, that there is a mistake here, independent of that already noticed, occa- sioned in the census 1821 by counting the volunteers first sepa- rately and then over again, according to their respective occupations. On rectifying this mistake, it will be found that the number of in- habitants has been, during the last ten years, very nearly stationary. The following is the average number of persons of diifTerent ages. Under 15 years of age. - 466 Between 15 and 90, - 282 Between 30 and 50, - 242 Between 50 and 70, - 117 Upwards of 70, - - 40 n47 There is but one resident proprietor of land in the parish, and his estate, which he holds in his own possession, may amount to about Lf. 200 a-year. There are four other heritors, and the pro- perty of each exceeds the yearly sum of L. 50. The number of unmarried men, (bachelors and widowers,) up- wards of 50 years of age, amounts to 7; and of unmarried women upwards of 45, to 49. Estimating by the private census of the writer, there were in 182^24, 143 married couples in the parish, whose offspring, male and female, amounted to 586, which makes an average of some- what more than four children residing in married families. If we include the unmarried heads of families, the average number of children will not amount to more than two and a-half. Were we to take into account the children still alive who have left the pa- ternal roof, the average would of course be greater. Character of the People, Sfc. — The intellectual, moral, and reli- A 232 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. gious character of the people is such as generally prevails over the agricultural districts of Scotland, and honourably distinguishes the peasantry of this country from the same class of inhabitants in any other country of the world. The day-labourers, especially those who have faunilies, suffer numerous privations with exemplary pa- tience. They are in general sober, active, and industrious ; but the want of constant employment prevents them from acquiring many of the comforts and conveniences of life, and not unfrequently reduces them to severe distress. About half a century ago, when the Isle of Man was a separate principality, many temptations were held out for smu^ling, which some of the inhabitants of this parish, as well as of the neighbour- ing district, had not sufficient virtue to resist ; but this irregularity has long ceased. Poaching in game, however, still continues to be a source of animosity between the lower and higher ranks of society.* There is no insane person in the parish, nor any who, in the strict sense of the word, can be called fatuous, though there are two or three individuals obviously deficient in their intellectual powers. One of these was till lately exceedingly remarkable for the extent of his memory, and his powers of mental calculation, — faculties which have been much impaired by frequent epileptic at- tacks, to which he is subject. There is one poor woman blind, and another who was born deaf and dumb, besides whom there is one man who lost his hearing by disease. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Ecorwtny. The number of acres standard imperial measure in the parish which are either culti. Tated or occasionally in tillage, is - - - SSOOf The number of acres of mosa which never have been cultivated, and which re- main constantly waste, or in pasture, or are used for peats, - 1400 The number of acres at present subject to be overflowed by the tide which might be made good arable land by embanking - - 1000 The number of acres in a state of undivided common, - - none The number of acres under wood, - - • - SQQX Acres in the parish, - - 8420 Of the above 1400 acres of moss, perhaps one-half mi^t be profitably improv- ed, amounting to 700, .... 700 * When the present incumbent was setUed in the parish upwards of thirtjr years ago, cock-fighting was a favourite amusement among the less respectable class of the people. He used every efibrt to put an end to this demoralizing practice, and hap- pily succeeded. t 174 of these acres have been brought into cultivation since 1825. X 203 acres of these have been planted since 1Q12. BTTTHWELL. 233 The kinds of trees generally planted or indigenous in the parish are oak, * ash, larch, Scotch fir, birch, alder, &c. The Earl of Mansfield keeps a forester, under whose judicious management he receives from his woods by periodical felling, by thinning, and by preparing bark, an income of from L. 500 to L. 600 a-*year. Htubandry^ Sfc. — With regard to the state of husbandry, the common breeds of sheep and cattle, rate of labour, and the price of different articles of raw produce, this parish differs little from the parishes in the yicinity, and, to avoid .inconvenient repetition, the reader is referred to the Accounts of these parishes for infor- mation on such subjects. The farm-buildings and inclosures are far from being in a satisfactery state, which circumstance certain- ly operates in various ways as an obstacle to improvement The duration of the leases, however, which is usually fifteen years, is thought to be equitable at once to the landlord and to the tenant The following is an account of the land in lease, the rental, the farm produce, and the Uve stock of the parish, as contained in the private census already-mentioned, taken by the writer in 1823-24. Land on lease (exclusive of moos) - . 5500 8cres.f Rental, .... L 4527 15 White crop (of which 179 acres are in wheat) - 12d5 acres. Green crop, .... 269 acres. Number of horws, - . - * 174 cattle, . . - 815 sheep, ... 978 pigs, ... 868 The average gross amount and value of raw produce raised yearly in the parish may be as follows : Produce ofgraln of all kinds, &c ... L. 5500 of potatoes, turnips, &c - - - - 2220 ofhay, &c. - - . - . - 500 offlax, ..... . 000 oflaod in pasture, &c at L. 2 per cow, and 68, per ewe, 1830 of gardens and orchards, - - - • 50 ofannual thinning of woods, &c. ... 500 The rest nit Total yearly value, &c. - L. 10,100 * It may not be improper to record here^ that some boys transplanted a young oak on the day of the first anniversary of the battle of Waterloo to a spot a few paces in front of the manse door, under the roots of which a bottle was afterwards deposited, eontaining an inaeription, which some antiquary of a future age may delight to find ■nd to decipher. This tree bears the name of the Waterloo Oak. •f* This is independent of the minister's glebe, which consists of thirty«six acres, nearly five of which are occupied with a garden, pleasure-ground, and plantation round the manse, the rest being all arable, and sulqected to a rotation of five years. 234 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Considerable improvements have been made by various fanners on portions of the moss lands within their respective farms; and it may be proper to mention one tenant in particular, who, by wedge-drain- ing and judicious cultivation, has reclaimed many acres from a state of waste and unproductive morass, and converted them into good arable ground. Some valuable land has also been reclaimed along the shore of the Solway Frith ; but this has hitherto been done on a very small scale, though there can be no doubt that Lord Mansfield might, with much profit to himself, as well as advantage to the parish, gain from the tide by that operation a tract of fertile soil little short of a thousand acres. This extensive improvement was spoken of so far back as the time when Sir John Sinclair's Account was drawn up, and has of late been again under consideration, but with- out any prospect of being soon carried into effect ; and yet it ap- pears to the writer that there could scarcely be a more beneficial investment of capital. * V. — Parochial Economy. Villages. — This is entirely a country parish, lying between the towns of Dumfries and Annan, from the former of which the church is distant about ten miles ; and from the latter, seven. There are two small villages in the parish. The one, called the village of Ruthwell, containing nearly 180 inhabitants, and the other, called Clarencefield, containing about 100. The village of Ruthwell was made a burgh of barony by charter of James VL to Sir John Murray of Cockpool in 1509, with the privilege of holding fairs and markets, which has long been disused. It is a place without trade or manufacture. * The practice of making salt by filtrating the sea sand or tleetchy described with sufficient accuracy in Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account, and detailed by the writer of this more at large in Dr Singer^ Agricultural Survey of Dumfiries-shire, has altogether ceased along this coast since the removal of the salt duty, as it has, by this means, become much cheaper to purchase salt than to manufiwture it after the method pursued here. The act of the Scottish Parliament, on which the Annandale saltmakers founded this right to exemption from duty, is dated I2th July 1671, and proceeds on a supplication by Adam Newall, ** in behalf of some people and tenants in Annandale, who, by their industry and wholesome labour, doy from sand, draw salt, and who, in r^ard to the painfulness and singularity of the work, have been free of public imposition or exaction; until the year 1656, or thereby that the late usurper, contrary to all reason, equity, or former practice, forced from tbem an exac- tion, to their overthrow and ruin, and thereby dispossessed them, so that they are in a starving condition.** Several attempts were at different times made, to subject the Annandale salt to the payment of the usual duty, but without success. RUTHWELL. 235 Means of Commvnication. — The access to the parish is easy, as it is traversed by one of the great toll roads leading from Dum- fries to Annan and Carlisle, which is kept in excellent repair. A heavy coach passes and repasses daily along this road through the towns already-mentioned, which affords a ready means of convey- ance to all parts of the kingdom. There is also a runner who re- sides in the parish, and who goes regularly with letters and parcels to Dumfries and Annan on alternate days. Sabbath excepted, as well as a carrier, who drives his cart to the former town twice, and to the latter once, a-week. Besides these modes of communica- tion by land, there is a creek at the debouche of the Lochar, where small vessels find access, and by means of which the inhabitants are usually supplied with coal from the opposite coast of Cumber- land. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is situated within the precincts of the glebe, about a mile and a-half from the eastern extremity of the parish, and between five and six miles from its western extremity. As the two viUages, however, lie towards the east, each about half a-mile distant from the church, its situation could not be considered as inconvenient, were it not that on the west the Locharwoods quarter stretches to a considerable distance in a long stripe, bounded on the one side by the stream of the Lochar, and on the other side by the morass of that name, and rendered difficult of intercourse by the badness of the roads. This place of worship was about a century ago a miserable building thatched with heath. When the present incumbent came into possession of the living (in 1799) it was scarcely in a better con- dition ; for, though slated, it still remained without a ceiling, and was of most inconvenient dimensions, being within the walls 96 feet long, and only 14 broad. Soon after this period, it under- went a thorough change, 30 feet having been taken off its length, and ten feet added to its breadth. It was even then, however, fi- nished in a very slovenly manner, and has since undergone, at dif- ferent times, considerable repairs, which have at last rendered it comparatively comfortable, though still, in point both of acconuno- dationand of architecture, much inferior to some of the neighbour- ing churches, and to the average state of these public buildings throughout the country. It affords easy accommodation for about 420 sitters. There are only ten or twelve sittings unappro- priated ; but the acconunodation of the villagers and cottagers has 236 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. been liberally attended to, so far as the contracted room would admit The manse was built a little more than a century ago, and soon after the accession of the present incumbent, received considerable repairs, with the addition of two rooms. The glebe contains somewhat more than thirty-six acres, but the land is only of moderate quality, though it has been much im- proved within the last thirty years by enclosing, draining, and cultivation. It might let at present on lease for dOs. or d5s. an acre. The whole teinds of the parish were granted to the living, by decreet of the Court of Session in 1821, — amounting to L.262, 18s. lOg^od. Except five or six individuals, the whole inhabitants of the parish belong to the Established church, and their attendance is in gene- ral constant and exemplary. There are in the parish between 300 and 400 regular communicants. Education. — There are two parochial schools in the parish, be- sides one or two schools taught occasionally by private individuals, on a very small scale. The chief parochial school is in a very thriving condition, and, when most numerously attended, contains about 200 scholars. The average number may be about 150. Be- sides the ordinary branches, the classics and French, as well as geography, mensuration, &c are successfully taught in this aca- demy. The other parochial school, which is established in the more remote and almost detached district of Locharwoods, has for some time been in a languishing condition, owing to the precarious health of the teacher. He has, however, of late procured an as- sistant, whose instructions between 20 and 30 scholars at present attend. The salary of the principal schoolmaster was fixed by the heri- tors and minister (when convened under the statute, after the strik- ing of the average) at the value of two chalders, being L.d4) 4s. 5d« and that of the other schoolmaster, at the value of half a chalder, being L. 8, 1 Is. 1 ^d. ; but, as the legality of this latter decision has been justly disputed, the question as to the power of altering it is at present under consideration. The school fees were, in the year 1803, settled by the presby- tery of Annan, for all the schools within its bounds, as follows, viz. For English reading, per quarter, 2s.; for reading and writing, 2s. 6d. ; for reading, writing, and arithmetic, 3s. 6d. ; for the classics, RUTHWELL. 237 5s. The amount of fees actually received by the parochial school- master may be L. 45 a-year. The writer believes that there is not a single native parishioner upwards of six or seven years of age who cannot read; nor does he know of any individuals who have settled in the parish from a dis* tance by whom this advantage is not enjoyed. There are several females of the lowest class who cannot write, but, so far as he knows, not a single male above the age of ten or twelve. Besides the weekly schools, there are three Sabbath schools re- gularly taught in the parish, one in the manse dpring winter, and in the church during summer; another in the village of Ruthwell; and a third in the school-house of Locharwoods; at which, collec- tively, about 120 scholars are instrucjed in the first principles of religion. These schools have been attended with the happiest effects, forming, as they do^ a more intimate and salutary connec- tion between the minister and his youthful parishioners, and serv- ing to impress upon the minds both of parents and children the paramount value of a Christian education. Such institutions have, indeed, been objected to, from a fear lest they should take reli- gious instruction out of the hands of parents, or at least render these natural guardians less alive to the duty of personally incul- cating on their offspring the truths and obligations of our holy faith. But the experience of the writer has led him to form a di- rectly contrary opinion ; and he can confidently affirm, that since the introduction of Sabbath schools into the parish, his people have been visibly more attentive than formerly to the pious instruction of their children at home, — a fact which he considers of unspeakable importance, and which he believes to be consistent with the expe- rience of all who have heartily adopted the system. Literature. — A parochial library was established in the parish about thirteen or fourteen years ago, when a number of appropriate books were procured by subscription ; but there were only a few individuals, beside the minister and principal schoolmaster, who took a warm interest in the scheme ; and the subscribers having gradually dropt off, it is at present entirely disused. An attempt, however, is now making to revive this useful institution, which pro- mises to be much more successfuL * Meanwhile, a library connect- ed with the Sabbath schools is in active operation, which furnishes • Since writing the abore the library has been revived with every prospect of success. 238 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. the means of improving reading not only to the children connected with them, but also to their parents, of which they eagerly avail themselves. Charitable and other Institutions. — There are two friendly socie- ties in the parish, the one for males, and the other for females, — the former of which has been in existence about thirty-six years, and the latter upwards of thirty. They are both in a flourishing condition in point of numbers;* notwithstanding the members have been so imprudent as to make a division of part of their funds on two several occasions during years of scarcity, — a measure which the minister, who has always taken a leading interest in both in- stitutions, did every thing in his power to prevent. Where the ne- cessity of relieving the pressure of immediate want was so strong, it was scarcely to be expected that his remonstrances should have been effectual, especially as the example was set by almost all the neighbouring societies. It is, however, to be hoped that the wise provisions of the Friendly Society Act passed in 1829, will operate as an effectual check on such improvident conduct for the future. How far such institutions serve to promote industry, it may be dif- ficult to say, — but that they are productive of other advantages of great importance, cannot be doubted. In this parish, they have been a powerful means of preserving in the minds of the people a spirit of independence, and of restraining the evils of pauperism, which in other places the circumstances of the times have contri- buted so largely to extend. Savings Bank, — A parish or savings hanky has been established in this parish since the year )810.f The funds of the institution * There are about 130 members in the male society, and about 90 in the female. "f The circumstances which led to the formation of this institution are thus detail- ed in as essay on parish banks, published by the author in 1815 : '* About the be- ginning of the year 1810> the founder of that establishment had been anxiously em- ployed in examining the different plans which had from time to time been suggested for ameliorating the condition of the lower orders ; and in the course of his inquiries, he happened to meet with a pamphlet giving an account of a scheme called by the inventor, (John Bone, Esq. of London), ** Tranquillity,** of a nature perhaps too com- plicated for general adoption. One of the proposed provisions of this plan, however, was an economical bank for the reception of the small savings of the industrious. The benefit which might result from carrying a plan of this latter kind into effect imme- diately appeared to the writer in a very strong light, and he determined, as the best means of ultimately introducing it to general notice, to try, in the first place, the effisct of its operation in the very contracted sphere of his own parish. In this attempt there were discouragements of a peculiar kind, which it will not be improper to state, that the success of the experiment may appear in its true light. In point of local circum- stances, mdeed, there are perhaps few parishes in Scotland where the scheme might 4 RUTHWE LL. 239 have been gradually progressive, and at last settlement in May 1833, amounted to the sum of L. 3143, 2s. 2d. giving an average yearly increase since the commencement of somewhat more than L. 146. The average amount invested yearly is L. 600 ; with- drawn yearly, L. 400. Banks for savings have now got so firm a footing in the united kingdom, and have extended themselves so rapidly to other coun- tries, that it seems superfluous in this place to detail their advan- tages. But it is to be feared that these institutions have in many instances operated to the injury of Friendly societies — ^kindred establishments which every person acquainted with the circum- stances and wants of the lower orders must regard as useful aux- iliaries,^ and not as rivals. The latter are in truth the only protection to individuals belonging to the labouring class of the community, in the event of their being overtaken by sudden illness, or disability, before they could have made any considerable accumulation in a sarings bank. Associations^ Sfc, — Two societies for religious purposes, one male and the other female, have, for a number of years, subsisted in the pa- rish ; but the unhappy disputes which originated from the miscon- duct of the managers of the British and Foreign Bible Society have cooled the ardour of many, and reduced both societies to little more than a mere nominal existence. The annual average amount of their joint contributions may perhaps have been from L.8 to L.10. not have been tried to greater advantage than in the parish of Ruthwell. One of these dis- couragements arose from want of resident heritors, who might countenance the under- taking with their approbation, and support it with their purse and influence. But there was a still more formidable difSculty to encounter. Notwithstanding by far the greater part of the inhabitants are poor yillagers, or cottagers, without manu&ctures, or any other means of subsistence, than such as are usually to be found in a remote country parish, there were a great majority of the adults (no fewer than 900 individuals, out of a population of 1 100) already connected with friendly societies, within the bounds of the parish. It was well known that by far the greater part of these individuals were obliged to strain every nerve for a bare subsistence, and, so far from being able to lay up any additional savings, found at times extreme difficulty in fulfilling their engage- ments to the established societies. As these institutions were under the immediate superintendence of the author, he was not ignorant of the facts stated ; but they did not seem to him to constitute an objection sufficiently strong to deter him from mak- ing a trial of the projected scheme. He knew from experience that he had to deal with a scaler, virtuous, and well-informed population, and, on this single favourable drcumstance, he founded the conviction, that his attempt would not prove altogether abortive. He was not disappointed, the scheme was drawn up and put into execu- tion, with the advice and oo-operation of some of the most respectable inhabitants of the parish ; and in the period of four years and a-half, the funds of the institution have risen to upwards of L. 1160." / 240 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. The Annandale Society for the Conversion of the Jews also holds its meetings in this parish. Its annual contribution to that object is about L. 10 or L. 12. To these societies may be added one instituted for the purpose of purchasing school-books for the use of poor scholars. These books are not given, but lent to the children, who are required to return them when no longer needed in the school. Much good has been effected by this association at a trifling expense. Besides the sums thus raised, about L. 6 or L. 7 may be an- nually obtained in church by extraordinary collections for religious and charitable objects. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The following tabular view of the state of the poor in this parish drawn up in 1827, for the infor- mation of the heritors, will afford a more distinct account of the situation and circumstances of those who receive parochial aid than could easily be done by any other mode of representation. The only alteration made on it worth mentioning, is the substitution of numbers in place of the names of the individuals. Poor roll of the parish of Ruthwell for the year ending in Oc- tober 1827 : Tk- . ' ^ j^^rft^i Annual Olher meant of tupport. No. Age. Ground of Clakn. allowance. F. * 1 86 Old, feeble, and no children. L. 1 5 Lodges vagruits. F. 2 85 Ditto, a son who resides at a distance, and gives her very little, - - - 1 2 Of No other means except the charity ofher neighbours. F. 3 54 Blind, - - - 1 19 A married daughter. M. 4 78 His wife bedrid, - - 15 His own labour. F. 5 74 Old and feeble, - - I 9 A daughter deaf and dumb. M. 6 74 Feeble, and in bad health, - 12 His wife works a litde. F. 7 74 Old and feeble, - -10 Works a little. F. 8 64 Incapable of much exertion, - 10 Works a little. F. 9 59 In bad health, - - -13 Teaches a few children. F. 10 82 Old and feeble, - - 1 5 A daughter married, but deserted by her husband, and left with children. F. 11 64 Feeble, and without relations, i 5 Works a little, M. 12 61 In bad health, - - - 1 1 Begs. F. 13 70 Two feeble old women, . - 15 Spin a little. F. 14 47 In very delicate health, and without relations, - - 14 Spins a little. F. 15 70 Old and feeble, - - - 1 5 Her son a labourer, with a Carry forward, L. 18 large family. * F. marks the females, and M, the males. i* The sum advanced for this pauper was afterwards recovered, by legal steps, from her son. RUTHVVELL • 24 Brought forward. L. 18 F. 16 81 Old and feeble, o A widowed daughter. F. 17 71 Old and feebly - - . 5 A daughter. F. 18 61 Paralytic and helpless, 9 Her children work a little. M. 19 80 Feeble^ but industrious, - 8 Works a little. F. 20 78 Old and feeble. 5 A daughter. F. 21 77 Old and feeble. 17 A daughter. F. 22 89 Old, feeble, and blind, Pauperg pariUUiy tupported 1 5 A son with a large femily. hy the setsion. L. 26 14 F. 28 61 Deranged, and requires con- * ttant attendance, - L. 7 16 No other means except cha- rity, F. 24 84 Bedrid for many years, - 5 4 Relations and other charity. F. 25 89 Bedrid, - - 3 18 Her son a labourer with a femily. M. 26 81 Btind and puvlytie, - 3 18 CMfJly supported by the sion, - - L. 20 16 Partially supported as aboTc, 26 14 Total for enrolled poor, L. 47 10 Besides the enrolled poor, it is frequently necessary to extend the assistance of the session to indigent individuals, 'vrho, from sickness or other causes, fall into temporary want; but the whole snm year- ly expended by the session (exclusive of extraordinary demands in 3^rs of scarcity) does not amount to more than L. 54 or L. 55 a- year. To meet this expenditure, the church collections amount to about L. 25 yearly, — ^a sum by no means small, when the nature of the population is considered, which is entirely agricultural. The heritors supply the remainder on the private application of the mi- nister, by an annual contribution, altogether voluntary, without any stated meetings, or any nice adjustment of their subscriptions, to the relative value of their property in the parish. Indeed, of the five heritors by whom the whole land of the parish is possessed, two contribute very little to the support of the poor; the kirk- session choosing rather to throw themselves on the generosity and good sense of those who are willing to give, than, by calling legal meetings, to bring a permanent and necessarily increasing poor rate on the parish interior consisted usually of often a ground floor, which contributed to the safety of their cattle, and of two or more upper apartments, with narrow apertures ex- ternally for windows, but rapidly enlarging towards the inside, that the inmates, perhaps, might be the better able to annoy the enemy. The most remarkable stood near Stonehouse, on the banks of the Kirtle, at Old Graitney, at Westhill, and at Hirst ; but the names and the deeds of the chieftains whom they sheltered are forgotten and unknown. From an inscription in the church-yard, it appears that a near relation of Sir William Wallace is buried there ; and the ashes of many of the Johnstones of Annandale are said to repose within the precincts of the ancient church. The form of some, and the sculpture on others, of the tombstones, appear to indicate their great antiquity ; while many epitaphs, and particularly one, of two brothers, who died at the advanced ages of 110 and 111, point out the longevity of the parishioners. At Redkirk Point, near the farm of that name, once stood the church of Redpatrick or Redkirk, which, like most others in this vicinity, anciently belonged to the see of Glasgow. Of that church or church-yard not a vestige now remains. The tide and river whirl- ing violently round that headland have swept them entirely away ; but some old people yet remember the unwelcome sight of bones and coffins protruding from the banks, or collected (torn the beach in- to a trough, which had been used as a font in the days of popery.* A camp of a round shape is still distinctly visible near Barrasgate. A square camp of large dimensions may also be easily traced on the farm of Raebumfoot Camp-house, on the Glasgow road, which is supposed to pursue the track of the old Roman one leading to Middlebie and Birrenswark, in all likelihood indicates the site of one of a strong chain of fortifications erected by that ambitious and enterprising people. On the farm of Old Graitney, and at no great distance from * The two parishes were united in 1609, and there is still a Bible in the old Eng- lish character in the possession of John Graham, Springfield, which bears on its roar- gin that it was presented to the church of Graitney in 161 1« only two years subse- quent to the union, by Viscount Stormont, the ancestor of the Earl of Mansfield. Tlie print is beautiful, but the leaves are much mutilated, and many books, both of the Old and New Testaments, have been lost. GBAITNEY. 267 the confluence of the Kirtle and the Solway, was seen not many years ago a number of white stones placed upright, and inclosing half an acre of ground, in an oval form. One of them, the larg- est, is all that now remains, as some suppose, of a Druidical tem- ple, the rest having been removed for the cultivation of the soiL This has obtained the name of the Lochmaben Stone ; it measures 8 feet in height and 21 in circumference, and must have been brought from a considerable distance. Its appearance resembles granite, but, with the exception of a very hard incrustation where it is exposed to the external air, it is of a much softer and gravel- ly composition. Alliances between the two kingdoms are said to have been formed in ancient days within the limits of this temple. Eminent Men. — Mr Gait, who was ^minister of Graitney for sixty years, seems to have been a man of primitive piety and sim- plicity of manners, and his memory is still delightfully cherished by the aged inhabitants. He was also a man of superior classical attainments, as certain manuscripts, particularly the book of Job in Latin verse, and a diary, minutely kept, in prose, now in the hands of the Misses Gibson, Edinburgh, amply testify. Parochial Registers* — lihe parochial registers of baptisms, mar- riages, and transactions of the kirk-session, among which last are interspersed many remarkable occurrences, such as the advance and retreat of a division of the rebels in 1745, stories, and tales of wonder, are extremely accurately written by Mr Gait, and are pretty voluminous. They commence in 1 730, and continue for sixty years, after which there is an almost entire deficiency in the minutes of session. III. — Population. Since the year 1755^ when Dr Webster made a census, the popu- lation has been nearly doubled ; and since the period of last Statis- tical Account it has exactly 99 of an increase. It now amounts to 1909. The increase is chiefly to be attributed to the encourage- ment given to manufacturers during the late war, and the facility afforded to the building of cottages by landholders, particularly by Sir John Heron Maxwell in the village of Springfield, which, though commenced only in 1791, contains now about 500 inhabitants, al- most entirely cotton-weavers. Number of people in the country, villages, Average of births for the last seven years, 1009 900 60 J 268 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Number of families in the parish, ... 960 of families chiefly employed in agriculture, - 141 chiefly employed in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 1 12 other families, - - - - - - 107 There are no resident' nobility in the parish, but several very ex- tensive farmers. Of these one pays L. 1000 per annum, and many about L. 500. A curious mode of killing salmon once was practised by the in- habitants of this parish. Bands of horsemen, armed with long spears, assailed the finny race. One man in particular, called Graham, arrived at such an amazing degree of dexterity in the sport, as to be able at full gallop to transfix the prey, and call forth the wonder of his associates. Sir Walter Scott in his tale of Red- gauntlet has recorded such a scene. IV. — Industry. Land cultivated or occasionally in tillage, - - 10,000 imp. acres. Never cultivated, about ..... SCO Capable of being cultivated with profit, - - - 1 00 Under wood, whether natural or planted with fir, ash, or oak trees, 60 Rent of Land, — Average rent per acre 21s. The real rent of the parish is L. 9000. The usual rate of grazing is L. 3^ lOs. per ox or cow, and 15s. per ewe for the year. RateoffVoffes. — Men-servants' wages half-yearly, L.6, 6s.; maid do. L.2, 15s. ; day labourers, Is. 6d. ; masons, ds. ; joiners, 2s. 6d. Prices. — Wheat sells at the average rate of 7s. 6d. per imperial bushel; barley, 4s.; oats, ds.; meal. Is. lOd. per imperial stone; beef, 5d. per lb.; mutton, 5d.; pork,4^d.; butter,10d.; cheese, 5d. Husbandry and Produce. — A rotation of five years, viz. oats, green crop or fallow, wheat or barley, grass and pasture, is the com- monly adopted method of husbandry. The general duration of leases is fifteen years, — a term which seems very favourable both for tenants and proprietors. During the late war very considerable alterations took place in regard to the size of the farms and the state of enclosures. Wliere 100 farmers occupied land, not more, now, than half the number fill their places ; by which means certainly, the general aspect and fertility of the district have been much improved ; but the system has had the necessary effects of forcing many families into cot- tages, to seek employment in Manufactures, or to find their usual occupations in a foreign land. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce, raised yearly in the parish, is nearly as follows : GRAITNEY. Wheat, 350 acres. L.d600 Barley, 600 - 4200 Oats aooo . 15000 Potatoes and tamips. 600 - 4000 Hay, aoo . 1800 Flax, &c. 10 . 100 Pasture, aooo - 9000 Gardens, &c. ao - aoo Plantations, 60 - 5250 Fisheries, ■• 250 Acres, 7d40 L. 38500 Horses, 400 _ 4800 Cows, 400 • 2800 Young cattle, 600 - 1800 Sheep, 100 - 100 Swine, 1000 Total, f " 2000 L. 50000 269 Manufactures. — The manufacturers in this parish are chiefly cotton weavers employed by Messrs Dickson and Fergusson of Car- lisle. The yarn is brought regularly every fortnight, and distri- buted to about 120 families, or 600 persons, men, women, and child- ren, who all work at the looms, six days a-week and twelve or fourteen hours each day ; by which they usually are able to earn 7s. or 8s. per week, instead of their former high wages of L. 1, 10s. By diligent labour, and punctual payments, they are thus barely able to support their families by a mode of subsistence which ap- pears to have a tendency to weaken the body, to depress the mental powers, and engender a spirit of improvidence and disaffection. NavigatioTu — Vessels of 100 tons burden arrive at various places along the coast from the pits in Cumberland, and discharge coals to the yearly amount of 600 tons, together with an equal quantity of slate ; and grain and potatoes are exported to a very large amount, chiefly to Liverpool and the other places on the coast of Lancashire. V. — Parochial Economt. In the village of Gretna, which was a burgh of barony, there for- merly was a cattle-market, and it is not many years since the market- cross was thrown down. Annan is the nearest of the Scotch towns to this parish. Carlisle, nine miles distant, is an excellent market for grain, and for produce of all kinds, and much resorted to week- ly by the inhabitants, especially of the eastern part. There are 270 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. four villages in the parish of considerable magnitude} Springfield, Gretna, Rigg and Browhouses. Means of Communication. — The highways between Glasgow and Carlisle, and between the latter place and Portpatrick, run through the parish, the latter intersecting its whole length. The old road to Carlisle, which is still the nearest to Longtown, Brampton, and Newcastle, crosses the Glasgow road at the village of Gretna, where there is a post-oflSrce, which, however, is connected only with Carlisle. This renders correspondence from Scotland more ex- pensive and tedious than it ought to be. The roads, both public and parochial, are kept in the best order. There are three brid- ges, one over the Kirtle, and two over the Sark, which were recently and very substantially built. There are no regular harbours, though vessels of 120 tons arrive occasionally at Sarkfoot, Port-Stormont, Redkirk point, and Browhouses, for the purposes of exporting grain and potatoes to the coast of Lancashire, and of importing slate and coals from the coast of Cumberland. Ecclesiastical State, — The church having been continued at Graitney when the parish of Red- Kirk was united to it, is thus rather inconveniently situated for the parishioners in the west, ^ho are five miles distant. It was built in 1790, has excellent walls, roof, seats, and galleries, but still requires flooring of wood or stone and an enclosure. It afibrds accommodation for 1 000 sitters, and, as in other country parishes, the accommodation is free. The manse was built 126 years ago, and underwent some repairs when the church was built. It has lately undergone a thorough repair, and been enlarged by an addition of two excellent rooms. The glebe con- sists of 13 Scotch acres; amounting in value to nearly L. 18 per annum. The stipend is 16 chalders, one-half barley, the other meal, payable at the rate of the county fiars, and varies from L. 200 to L. 300 a-year. There is one meeting-house erected at Rigg by members of the Associate Synod. The people are not very remarkable for their regular attendance at church; on an average there are 400 communicants. The church collections amount to L. 30 a-year, and L. 15 more may be received for other religious and charitable objects. Education, — There are two schools with equal salaries of L. 25 attached to them, — ^both commodiously situated. A new school and dwelling-house for the schoolmaster has been lately erected at Gretna village, and may be regarded as a pledge of the future li- GBAITNEY. 271 berality of the heritors. There is much need of the extension of a similar favour to the western district of the parish. There are also three private seminaries, the teachers of which are solely de- pendent upon the number of their scholars ; altogether, 250 child- ren may be taught in these schools. There is also a Sabbath school, attended by about 140 scholars, which is maintained chief- ly by donations from the heritors. The Earl of Mansfield, the pa- tron of the parish, contributes L. 5 a-year, and the other heritors an equal sum to this institution, which is generally allowed to have been productive of the happiest effects, in the moral and re- ligious improvement of the rising generation. Charitable Inititutions^ §*c. — There is a friendly society in this parish, the object of which is to provide for the support of those who, by sickness or old age, are rendered incapable of earning a livelihood. It was instituted nearly fifty years ago, and is chiefly composed of labourers and mechanics, though others encourage it by their contributions. Each member contributes a small sum quarterly, which has gradually accumulated to a very large amount. Poor. — The poor are maintained by church collections and the voluntary contributions of the heritors, who meet with the minister every half year to inspect the rolL The average number of those who receive parochial relief is 30. They are of two classes, which contain nearly equal numbers ; the occasional poor, who are sup- plied from the church funds quarterly ; and the regular paupers, main- tained chiefly by the contributions of the heritors, which are strictly regulated according to the respective valuations of their estates. The average sum of L. 80 per annum is thus conferred, but it varies according to the number and necessities of the applicants for re- lief. The generality of the people regard such means of support as no degradation, and feel much inclined to force the heritors to a legal assessment, which can only be prevented by the firmness of the kirk-session, the unity of the heritors, and by their regula- rity in meeting and contributing according to the real wants of the poor. These feelings on the part of the people are mainly to be at- tributed to the practice of our English neighbours, whose stand- ard of independence has been sadly lowered by the operation, or rather by the abuse, of poor rates. Inns. — Four of the inns in this parish may justly be regarded as useful for the refreshment of travellers passing through the pa- rish ; in particular, that of Gretna^iall, which is the largest and most commodious, and where post horses, chaises, and every other 272 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. accommodation may be had. But there are twelve or thirteen other houses licensed to sell ale and spirits, which have a manifest tendency to demoralize the people. Fuel — Peat from the Solway moss, or the borders of Kirkpatrick- Fleming, is commonly used as fuel ; though coal is also obtained in considerable abundance from the coast of Cumberland, and from the neighbourhood of Brampton suid Canobie. Peat costs Is. 6d. per cart load ; coal, when brought from a distance by sea, costs ds. per cart load, and when conveyed by land about 2s. less. A rail- road between Annan and Brampton, or between the former town and Carlisle, would be of great service to the whole neighbour- hood, and a more level tract for that purpose cannot perhaps be found in the kingdom. Miscellaneous Observations. The most remarkable variations between the present state of this parish and that which existed at the date of the late Statistical Ac- count are, an increase of population to the number of 99 ; an im- mense enlargement of the farms, whose value has been more than doubled ; a great increase in manufactures ; a diminution of houses in country places, and a rapid extension of villages; a departure from a pretty general spirit of resistance to the revenue laws, and the signs of a growing amelioration in religion and morality. Till- within these last four years cock-fights were very common, with all their vile accompaniments, and more particularly at the village of Rigg. Thirty years ago, the contraband trade with the Isle of Man, with all its terrific results, prevailed. But if smuggling now exists at all, it is chiefly to be attributed to the wretched system which establishes an inequality of excise duties betwixt the differ- ent parts of the same kingdom. Instead of one school with a salary of L. 20, there are two hav- ing each a salary of L. 25 a year, besides the usual wages, which may amount to an equal sum, payable by the scholars. Prices of labour and raw produce of every description have undergone a pro- portionable alteration. For the improvement of the parish in a commercial and agricul- tural point of view, the formation of a rail- road to join that between Carlisle and Newcastle, and the award of prizes to the best ma- nagers of farms, and to those who pay greatest attention to the breed of cattle, may be suggested. For the general welfare of its inhabitants in a moral and religious state, the diminution of licensed tippling-houses, and the abolition of irregular marriages, may be GRAITNEY. 273 strongly urged. The far-famed marriages of Gretna Green are celebrated) it is said, to the number of three or four hundred an* nually. The parties are chiefly from the sister kingdom, and from the lowest ranks of her population. The existence of the law by which the practice has been generated is certainly a reproach to our country, whether marriage be viewed as a civil or as a sacred contract. It dispenses with that solemnity which is required for the ordinance in Scripture ; and it presents opportunities for bigamy and abduction. Parties have been known to betake themselves hither, from the north of Scotland itself, to celebrate a marriage which, a few lines written by a magistrate, a lawyer, a shoemaker, or a sexton, and signed by two witnesses at home, might have effected equally well, according to the present law of Scotland. Scarcely one instance in two years occurs of a couple belonging to the pa- rish being thus unlawfully united; and, when cases of the kind did occur a few years ago, the parties generally went to a neighbouring justice of the peace. Great numbers resort to these altars of Baal, whose priests are numerous in this district and others, more parti- cularly about Annan and Coldstream. Their number, indeed, has sadly injured the trade, for the fees are now only half-a-crown a-pair. One of these functionaries, who breaks stones daily on the verge of England, has the best chance of succeeding, for he accosts every party as they pass, and tries to strike the best bargain, Tippling-houses have each their rival priest, some of whom satisfy the parties by merely giving lines signed by witnesses, and others by jabbering over a portion of the service of the church of England, Wherever such irregularities are practised, they are calculated to bring all law and aS religion into contempt and ridicule. The evil can only be remedied by an amendment of the law ; making proclamation of banns necessary to a valid marriage throughout the united kingdom; and surely, were the General Assembly of our church to send up a petition to Parliament on this subject, such pernicious practices would be prohibited by legislative enact* ment Revised March 1834. DUMFRIES. PARISH OF KIRKPATRICK-FLEMING. PRESBYTERY OF ANNAN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ALEXANDER MONILAWS, MINISTER.* I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, Boundaries, Sfc, — The parish of Kirkpatrick-Fleming includes the old parishes of Kirkpatrick and Kirkconnel, which were united after the Reformation. It evidently derives its name from St Patrick, who was claimed by Scotchmen as their country- man, but honoured by Irishmen as their tutelary saint. The name of the lord of the manor, Fleming, during the fourteenth and fif- teenth centuries, was added to the name of the present parish, to distinguish it from others of the same name. It extends from north to south about six miles, by a general breadth of three miles, and therefore contains eighteen square miles. Its figure, which is ex- tremely irregular, especially towards the west and south comers, may be said to resemble a parallelogram, or a rhomboid. The pa- rish is bounded on the east and north-east by Halfmorton, on the south-east and south by Graitney, on the west and south-west by Annan and Dornock, and on the north and north-west by Middlebie. Topographical Appearances. — Its surface, which rises gradually from south to north to a moderate height above the level of the Solway, is diversified with a pleasing variety of waving elevations and fertile vales ; and adorned by many a well cultivated field, sur- rounded and sheltered either by fine hedge-rows or thriring plan- tations. Three divisions, running from the north-west and south- west in an easterly direction, are distinctly marked. The south division is separated from the middle one by the romantic vale of the Kirtle; and the middle division is separated from the northern one by a vale, which commences at Burnfoot, near Springkell, and runs along the banks of Logan-bum. In these divisions, there are some points of view looking west, south, and east, which afford most extensive and beautiful prospects. This Account has lieen drawn up by the Rev. Thomas Landells. KIRKPATRICK-FLEMING. 275 Meteorology. — The temperature of the atmosphere in general, and in some particular seasons, is remarkably mild. The thermo- meter ranges from about 28° in winter to TG"" in summer on Fahren- heit's scale. In different seasons, it has been found to stand above 80^ The rains which prevail most, are towards the beginning of August and the end of September; they are well known by the names of the T^tnmflja and equinoctial rains. Frequent and strong gusts of wind, accompanied with heavy rains from the west and south, are often experienced. In the winter months, too, continued and heavy rains frequently fall. But the rain which falls in this quarter is vastly different from the cold rains and hoar-fogs to which the eastern coasts are exposed. The vnnds that prevail in summer and harvest are from the west and south, and in winter and spring from the east and north. It has long been observed here, that when the heavy and extensive clouds, which sometimes rest upon the summit of Skiddaw, to the south of this parish, are borne on the wind, and carried northwards; and when the clouds, which often encircle the top of Cnffel, which lies westward in East Galloway, are driven towards the land, rain soon follows. Hence the old rhyme, When the mist takes the sea Fair weather it will be; But when the mist takes the land We expect rain off the sand. Snow, of which there are seldom heavy falls, does not lie long. Though the climate is variable and uncertain, yet it cannot justly be said to be unpropitious either to plants or animals. Many per- sons are grievously afflicted with rheumatism in the spring, and to- wards the end of autumn. But as the country around this is level and open, and rarely infested with fogs, the air, upon the whole, is pure ; and as it lies at a short distance from the Solway Frith, a considerable portion of it is low and warm. The farmers generally begin to sow about the middle of March, and to reap towards the middle of August. Epidemic diseases and malignant fevers seldom make their appearance. Hydrography. — This parish is abundantly supplied with peren- nial springs of the purest water, which is generally of a soft quality. These springs flow from sandstone, in some places of a dark red, in other places of a gray colour, and occasionally from limestone ; or they issue from gravel-beds or fissured rocks. About a quarter of a mile from the mansion-house of Springkelli there is a very re- 270 DUMFRIES-SIURE, markable spring, which Mr Pennant, in 1772, said was the largest that he had ever seen, except the famous spring at Holywell, in Flintshire. Near the Gair farmstead, which is built on a ridge considerably elevated above the level of Springkell House, and near to limestone rock, several streams which issue from springs are ob- served to sink into the ground, and entirely disappear from the view. It is generally believed that these streams, during their pas- sage through subterraneous fissures, become united, and burst vio- lently out in one large stream in the present garden of Springkell. There are four mineral springs in this parish, of which three are nearly of the same nature and qualities. The first, distinguished by the name of the Branteth Well, is situated in the north-east part of the parish, in a moss of considerable extent. Its waters having at different times been subjected to a chemical analysis, were found to be strongly impregnated with sulphur. Its smell is most offensive, and its taste disagreeable. It is used with great success in scrofulous and scorbutic cases. The late Sir Humphry Davy stated some years ago that it was very similar to the Moffat Well. The other three mineral springs are all of the chalybeate kind, and do not differ materially from each other. The Highmoor Well, in all probability impregnated with a sub- stance not possessed by the others, has often been used with advan- tage in bilious and other stomachic complaints. The second of this kind, distinguished by the name of Charley's Well, upon the farm of Goukhall; and the third by that of Wyesbie-hill Well, — ^are ex- actly of the same nature and qualities, and are said to possess all the power and medicinal virtues of the famous Hartfell Spa near Moffat ♦ Kirtle is the only river in this parish. It has its source in a val- ley, which is formed by Winterhope-hill on the one side, and the farm of Kirtlehead on the other, in the parish of Middlebie ; and running towards the north corner of Kirpatrick- Fleming, divid^ the two parishes for a space of more than four miles, and, then crossing the parish in a south-east direction, falls into the Solway to the east of Redkirk, in Graitney. Its length is about 18 miles ; . its breadth at a medium, where it divides this parish from Middle- bie, above 23, and after that 30 feet In it there are trouts, eels, and perch. In the south of Scotland it would be difficult to find another river of equal size to the Kirtle, which has its banks more richly • See Account of Moffat. KJRKPATRICK-FLEMING. 277 covered with natural wood, or more highly ornamented with plan- tations, gentlemen's family seats, and ancient towers. Geology and Mineralogy. — This part of the country is of second- ary formation. " It consists of dark-red, brown, yellow, and, in some places, of gray or white sandstone, in some parts dipping to the south, and in other parts to the west, disposed in thick strata, and frequently containing vegetable impressions. A great quan- tity of limestone, dipping to the west, ranges through this district from east to west. It is covered by, and alternates with, sand- stone, and contains a variety of shells." In the limestone quar- ries of Caldronlee, casts of bivalve shells and other organic re- mains of various forms are often found. Some of these strongly resemble the shape of a ram's horn. The cover of the rocks is almost always of the old alluvial kind, composed of clay, sand, and small water-worn stones, with angular pieces of the red sand- stone, upon which it generally rests. Its common colour is red, or inclining to red. In this parish there are some flow-mosses of considerable depth and extent. Out of thes^ mosses many large trunks of trees, chiefly oaks, have repeatedly been dug. The soil in the under part of the parish being underlaid with rock, with gravel, or with sand, is generally light and kindly. In many parts it consists of a strong red earth, with a large mixture of sand, to a considerable depth. When this lies upon a gravelly bottom, as is generally the case along the side of the river, it is reckoned land of the first quality. A soil nearly the same, but more shal- low, is frequently to be met with upon a bottom inclining to clay and gravel. The same kind of earth, with a very small mixture of sand, frequently makes its appearance upon a strong brick-clay bottom, exceedingly cold, and almost impenetrable by water. Nearly two-thirds of the land of this parish consist of moss, varying in depth from six to eighteen inches, resting upon a bed of clay. As a subsoil, clay is found below the green sward of ridges, and under peat-mosses, and soft bogs, and is generally either white, blue, or red. There is also found a small portion of whitestone land, which is well-known in this district as a soil naturally barren, though ca- pable of improvement in various degrees. Many trials have been made near Springkell to discover coal, but they have hitherto proved unsuccessful. Mr Robert Bald, min- ing-engineer, Edinburgh, in a report which he gave in 1829, re- garding the minerals on the estate of Springkell, observes towards 27B DUMFRIES-SHIRE. the end of it, *^ I cannot take upon me to say that no workable coal will be found on the Springkell estate, next to Chapel-hill, but, from my experience, and comparing the strata at Springkell with those of the coal districts of Scotland, I have little or no hope of a workable coal being found there." Trees. — The soil, particularly along the banks of the river, is con- genial to oak, ash, plane, beech, elm, alder, birch, to Scots fir, larches, and various species of ornamental trees. Near the mansion-house of Springkell, there are different trees above 150 years of age, which measure from 9 to 1 1 feet in circumference, taken at 3 feet from the ground. At Wyesbie-house, there are three aged and wide-spreading oaks, which measure about 10 feet in circumfe- rence. In a holm, too, near Mossknow-house, there are two or- namental ashes, and an aged beech, which are 10 or 11 feet in circumference. II. — Civil History. Land-otoners, — Sir Patrick Maxwell, Bart., and Colonel Graham are the chief land-owners ; who, along with the other heritors, give, by their example and countenance, great encouragement to their tenants to persevere in improving their farms. Parochial Registers* — The parochial register of marriages com- mences in 1709; and that of baptisms in 1713. These registers, though not voluminous, appear to have been regularly kept. Historical Events and Antiquities. — In former times this parish, rich in feudal associations, was undoubtedly the scene of bloody contests and cruel rapine. In feudal times, various causes of jea- lousy and discord subsisted among the chiefs of clans, and gave rise to as many wars. During these endless contests, the country seems to have been filled with castles and places of strength, erect- ed for the security of the inhabitants, not, in general, against fo- reign forces, but against internal hostilities. The square towers, which were built near the frontier of England, were chiefly used by their possessors, in all probability, as places of security against the formidable inroads, and fierce attacks of the English. In this neighbourhood the towers were generally of a square form, and three stories high. The roof was covered with square flags ; with a gentle tapering towards the top, and surrounded by battlements and parapets. The old tower of Woodhouse, having been unroof- ed and greatly rent for many a year, is now in a most ruinous con- dition. About three years ago, its south side fell down, during a KIRKPATRICK-FLEMING. 279 Stormy night, with a dreadful crash. * Within a space of four miles round this tower, there are no fewer than seven of the same kind. The family of Flemings, who appear to have been more distinguish- ed for their gallant defence of their native country, and nobly re- pelling a foreign foe, than for that predatory manner of life, which, in these times, was styled the ^^ spirit and joy of the borders," in the thirteenth and beginning of the fourteenth centuries, posses- sed certain lands in this parish, by the tenure of defending them at all times against their southern neighbours. At a place called Bedhall, on the left bank of the Kirtle, stood the baronial man- sion of the ^^ bold Flemings." Towards the conclusion of BalioVs reign, in one. of Edward's incursions into Scotland, the tower of Redhall was attacked by an English army. It was at that time occupied by no more than thirty Flemings, who, in spite of every at- tempt, held out against a close siege of three days. Having nobly defended it to the last extremity, they all chose, rather than sub- mit, to expire in the flames which had been kindled by their foes. Not the smallest trace of this tower, which was entirely demolished in the beginning of the last century, now remains, "f Within the burial ground of Kirkconnel a part of the old church, which is said to have derived its name from Connell, a Scotch saint, who flourished about the commencement of the seventh century, is still standing. The church-yard is situated in a rich holm of very considerable extent. Here is the scene of the impassioned and pathetic tale of ^< fair Helen of Kirkconnel-Lee," which has been so often told both in prose and verse. X About seventy years ago, a man who was citing peats near Cove, found a piece of gold, about eighteen inches under ground, worth about L. 12. On one end of it was plainly seen the word Helenus, in raised Roman capitals, evidently efiected by a stamp, and on the other end, in pricked or dotted characters, were ob- served the letters M. B. Some gave it as their opinion, that it * This is reported to have been the first house in Scotland to which Robert Bruce repaired, when he was flying from Longsbanks. Bruce, at his departure thence, having taken along with hixn one of the sons of Irving, the gentleman by whom the house was then possessed, first made the youth his secretary, next created him a knight, and lastly, made him a present of the lands of the forest of Drum, as a reward for his fidelity and services, f For a fiuther account of the antiquities of this parish, particularly the cross of Merkland, and Dunskellie grotto, see MS. preserved among the Archives of the Churchi I See Account of Middlebie. 280 DUMFHIES-SHIRE. had been used as an ornament for the wrist, while others thought that it had beed used as a fibula for fastening a garment. Modem Buildings, — In the north-west part of the parish stands the mansion-house of Springkell, which was erected in 1734, in the Grecian style of architecture, about 200 or 300 yards to the eastward of the place where the old family residence and village of Kirkconnel stood. The present mansion-house, the seat of Sir Patrick Maxwell, Bart was greatly enlai^ged about sixteen years ago, by the addition of a handsome wing to the east, and a corre- sponding one to the west end. The building is remarkably elegant, and the surrounding grounds are tastefully laid out. — A mile dis- tant from Springkell, on the right bank of the Kirtle, is the tower of Blackethouse in Middlebie, formerly possessed by a family of the name of Bell. — About half a mile below this, on the left bank, is situated the house of Alderbeck, which now belongs to the proprietor of Springkell, and is occupied by a most respectable and enterprising tenant Langshaw, the seat of John -Barker, Esq. is situated about a mile from this, on the same side of the river, and is a neat and commodious house. — About half a mile from Lang- shaw, Wyesbie, the residence of Mrs Mair, is delightfully situated on the same side of the river. — At a short distance from Wyesbie stands the ancient family seat of the Irvings of Bonshaw, on the right side of the river in the parish of Annan. The old mansion- house is built near the edge of a steep rock, which rises to a con- siderable height above the bed of the Kirtle. — On the same side of the river, Robgill-tower, belonging to James Smail, Esq., and Formerly possesseH by the late Sir Emilius Irving, Bart., is situated about half a mile from Bonshaw, on the northern confine of the parish of Dornock. The scenery around Robgillhouse, of which the old tower forms a part, is most picturesque and beautiful. — Cove, the romantic seat of Francis Irving, Esq., built in 1724^ Broatshouse, the residence of William Batty, Esq. lying about two miles south-west of Cove ; and Newtonhouse, the residence of Matthew Rea, Esq. standing about a quarter of a mile eastward of Cove, — are substantial and comfortable buildings. At a short distance from the church is Mossknow, the mansion-house of Colonel Graham. The situation of the house, which is a hand- some modern building, is enriched by fine plantations, and an ex- cellent garden. An extensive and fertile holm, intersected by the Kirtle, and beautified by straggling trees of considerable size, opens to the south. 3 KIRKPATRICK-FLEMING. 281 For many years past, the houses here have regularly been built of stone and lime, and covered with slate ; and the clay-houses, once numerous, have almost all been pulled down, except towards the east and south ends of the parish ; and more modem and com- modious dwellings erected in their place. IIL — Population. Aocording to Uie census by Dr Webster in 17d5, the population last Statistical Account, 1792, census of 1821, 1147 1542 1696 1831, - - 1666 From 1821 there has been a decrease of thirty. Since the cen- sus was taken in 1821, a number of families in the north part of the parish left their farms, which were afterwards let annually as pasture ; and emigrated to other parishes or to America. This, in a great measure, may be assigned as the cause of the decrease. 1. Number of fiimilxes in the parish, ..... dl>4 of families chiefly employed in agriculture, - . 149 chiefly employed in trade, manufiM;tures, or handicraft, 78 2. Number of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upwards of ^ years of age, 17 of unmarried women, including widows, upwards of 45^ • 55 a. The average number of births yearly, for the last 7 years, - - 45 ofdeaths, ..... 30 ofmarriages, ... - ]5 4. The number of persons at present under 15 years of age. - - 666 upwards of 70, - •- • 71 The number of proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, is 12. Habits and Character of the People. — The habits of the people are in general cleanly, and their dress is of late years greatly im- proved. Gray plaids are frequently worn instead of greatcoats. The ordinary food of the farm-servants at their meals is oatmeal porridge for breakfast, butcher-meat, with potatoes and bread, for dinner, and porridge for supper. The food of mechanics is nearly the same. The cottagers commonly make use of tea or coffee for breakfast and supper, but seldom have it in their power to purchase butcher-meat for dinner. Though farmers and mechanics, manu- facturers, and agricultural labourers have various difficulties with which to struggle, yet they appear, upon the whole, to be tolerably contented with their situation and circumstances in life. The in- habitants of this parish are, with few exceptions, possessed of a good deal of penetration, and a great fund of common sense, and are well acquainted with the principles of that religion which they profess. The farmers are a respectable class of men, — industrious 282 DUMFRIES^SHIRE. in their calling, — just in their dealings, — and obliging in their manners. The people in general are sober, pious, and regular in their attendance upon public worship. They are kind and hospi- table to strangers, and ever ready to relieve the distressed. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — llie total number of imperial acres in the parish is - - 11 ^73 Acres in the parish cultivated, or occasionally in tillage, - - 8.061 In rough pasture, ....... 2,009 Flow-moss, -.-..-.- 900 About 400 acres of that moss, by proper drainage and surfiswe-culture, might be converted into meadow or pasture-ground. Capable of being cultivated with a profitable application of capital, - 1,400 Under wood, .. . .-- .. 605 The trees which are planted or indigenous are chiefly Scots firs, larches, beeches, birch, alder, oak, and ash. The general management of the wood is such as reflects very great credit on the judgment and taste of the several proprietors. Rejit of Ijand.-^The average rent of the arable land per acre is 18s. dd. ; of grazing, for cow or ox, at the rate of L.d; full- grown sheep, 10s. Rate of Wages. — Labourers have commonly Is. a-day in sum- mer, and 9d. in winter, vrith victuals; or Is. 6d. and Is. dd. with- out victuals. -Masons receive Ss. and carpenters 2s. 6d. per day without victuals. Husbandry, — The common mode of rotation is six years. But it is neither rigidly enforced by the land-owner, nor strictly adher- ed to by the tenant. The manures which are principally used for meliorating the soil and raising crops are lime and dung collected upon the different farms. Lime can be conveniently carted from Donkins and Blacketrigg, in Middlebie, and from Caldronlee, near Springkell, in this parish, at Is. 2d. per Carlisle bushel, which contains a little less than three Winchester bushels. The crops to which most attention is paid in the greater part of this parish, and which, indeed, most liberally reward the labours of the hus- bandman, are barley, oats, and potatoes. Bariey may be consider- ed, in a great measure, as an article for the market Wheat, of which there is not much sown, generally answers well, as it is ne- ver sown but when the land is in high cultivation. Turnips are here a precarious crop, except on the best land. A crop of po- tatoes, even in common years, is the most valuable that is raised. An immense number of swine is annually fed in this quarter. KIRKPATRICK-FLEMING. 283 ^^ By means of draining, many acres of unproductive morass and wet land have been brought into a state of luxuriant fertility. By its proper application, land, which before the art was intro- duced was considered valuable, has been rendered doubly so ; and by draining alone our climate has been greatly ameliorated." Though a great deal has been done in this neighbourhood by pro- prietors and tenants for the improvement of land, by removing sur£sice and under water by means of open, covered, and tile drains, yet much still remains to be done. Leases of fifteen years are ge- nerally given on improved farms ; but when a farm has to be en- closed and drained, a lease of twenty-one years is considered suf- ficiently short. The rents of a small number of farms here are from L. 440 to L. 200 ; of a great number from L, 200 to L. 50 ; and of some from L. 50 downwards. The farmers are in general acconmaodated with comfortable houses and convenient offices. The improvement of moss by a covering of clay was introduced into this quarter, and tried with excellent efiect about twenty-eight years ago, by William Blacklock, who was then farmer of How- gillside, upon the estate of Springkell. '^ After the land has been ploughed into ridges of 14 or 18 feet wide, labourers with spades widen and deepen the furrows from 15 to 18 inches, and throw the substratum of clay upon the ridges. The moss is thus press- ed down, and its depth diminished. This is repeated next season, and gives new soil for a second crop, equal to, if not better than the first Lime is applied in different quantities, according to the nature of the soil. On clay lands, from 50 to 60 Carlisle bushels of shells (nearly 3 Winchester each) ^re floured and spread ; and for moss, from 20 to 80 are found to be sufficient as one dose, which must be repeated every rotation of seven or eight years. Where moss is from 18 inches to 2 feet deep, it is first ploughed very thin, and laid over quite flat. It is allowed to lie in that po- sition till the plants rot a good deal, and limed upon the face. It is again ploughed a little deeper in the same furrows, and sown with oats. After the crop is removed, it is ploughed a third time, and clayed as above for the second crop, and the same operation is repeated for a third crop, amongst which grass seeds are sown* The expenses of each claying are found to be about L. I, 5s. per acre, by which, and the ploughings, the moss loses fully one-third of its depth, and the surface becomes firm for the feet of cattle."^ Quarries. — In the immediate vicinity of Springkell there is a * Letter from Mr Easton, who was some time ago factor at Springkell^ to J)r Singer. 284 DUMFRIES*SHIRE. great quantity of excellent lime-rock. Caldronlee-quarry is trough - shaped, and its line of bearing is westerly, u e. the longitudinal Une of trough, — ^and the strata rise very suddenly both to the north and south. It is in beds; and its thickness is about 30 feet. It rests upon slate-clay of a grayish colour, and the upfil- ling of the trough is of the same kind of slate-clay, conforming with the dip and rise, or trough of the Ume-rock. The terrage or cover is thick, particularly in the centre of the trough. Here are four good draw-kilns. The coals for burning the Jime are brought either from Canobie, nine miles distant, or by sea from the colUeries of Cumberland to Annan, whence they are carted eight miles to the kilns. The price of a Winchester bushel of shells is about 4Jd. Near Blacketrigg, which is on the border of Middlebie parish, and about one mile distant from Springkell, is a marble quarry, from which large blocks have been raised for marble works. In Sprmgkell House there are several mantel-pieces and tables of this marble. The colour is gray, tinged and clouded with red. As it is susceptible of a high polish, it is pleasing to the eye, and very suitable for mantel-pieces and pavement for saloons. This marble rock is overlaid by the common sandstone, as it appears at the farm-stead of Blacketrigg. In this parish there is a great abundance of freestone, very dif- ferent both in quality and colour. In the north part of the parish, near to the farm-building of Blackcleugh, the rock is quartzy sand- stone, with beds of soft red marly rock, both of a deep red colour. The dip is westerly, with a declination of at least one in two. The rock of Snabb-quarry, situated near the north boundary of the estate of Springkell, is a good quartzy sandstone of a whitish colour, and has very little cover of earth. The dip is to the eastward of north. The quarry of Craigshaws consists of sandstone of a white colour, occasionally mixed with yellow. Its dip is moderate, about one in five westerly. There are only about four feet of peat-earth above it. The quarry of Branteth consists of rock of nearly the same colour, having a westerly dip. At Sarkshields there is a quarry of . the hard chocolate-coloured sandstone, which is wrought for the roads in that neighbourhood. The dip is to the north. Along the banks of the Kirtle, there is in general nothing to be seen but the red coloured sandstone; dipping westerly, with subordinate beds of soft red-coloured marly rock, which gives a deep red colour to the alluvial cover. The best freestone quarries here are to be found upon the estate of Cove. In one of these quarries the rock is red KIRKPATRICK-FLEMING. 285 sandstone, with a subordinate bed of very white sandstone. In another the rock is of a fine gray colour, occasionally mixed with yellow. It dips to the S. S. W., and has a cover of considerable depth. It admits of a fine polish, and is very durable. Within the last twenty years, the principal stones which were used in building the splendid bridge of Carlisle, and also the magnificent mansion of Kinmont, in the parish of Cunmiertrees, were carted from these quarries. Many ship-loads, too, have at different times been sent to Ireland. Produce^ — The average gross amount and value of produce year- ly raised in the parish, as far as can be ascertained, is as follows : 2687 imperial acres of grain of all kintU, at T^. 4 per acre} 1152 acres of potatoes aad turnips^ &c. at L. 4» \5S5 acres of bay, whether meadow or ctiltivatedy at L. d, lOs. Pasture land, at L. I, lOs. per acre, - - Rough pasture, at ^s. 74d. .... Four gentlemen's gardens, - - - Twenty kitchen gardens, ... Woods, &C. 605 acres at 1 Is. per acre. Lime quarries, ..... Freestone quarries, - - - « L. 10748 4608 5372 10 2687 2009 150 60 382 15 150 100 Number of draug|it horses, 220 Cows, - - 782 Toung cattle from 1 to 2 year old, - 1167 Mares and foals, - 50 Sheep, - - 600 14.26217 5 Average price of each. L. 16 7 Acres impcriaL 2346 at 3 acres each, 1750} at li acre, - 3 10 300 at 6acrea each, for a mare & foal, 9 300 at 4 an acre each, - 16 4696total acres of pasture. 900 3 Of swine^ The real rent of the parish is L. 7369. Manufactures. — About 150 cotton-weavers, who are employed by Messrs Ferguson and Dickson, Carlisle, are here the only ma- nufacturers. They work six days a-week, and twelve hours per day. Each of them earns about 7s. per week. These individuals, not being crowded together in great numbers, suffer no very mate- rial injury either in their health or morals from the line of life which they follow. V. — Parochial Economy* liLxrket'Tawns, 4-c. — Those to which the people of this parish resort are Ecclefechan, in the parish of Hoddam, and Annan, about five miles distant from the centre of this parish; also Carlisle, dis- tant thirteen miles, to which many of the inhabitants go weekly. The post-towns are Ecclefechan and Annan. 286 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Means of Communication. — The road from Carlisle to Glasgow, and to Edinburgh by Moffat, runs through the middle division of the parish, five miles in length ; and in the western comer, near Langshaw, crosses the road, which runs from Annan to Edinbuigh by Langholm and Selkirk, in a northerly direction, four miles in length. A road which was opened up some years ago from Annan to Langholm, by Stapleton, Beltenmont, and Chapelknow, runs from the south-west in an easterly direction, nearly four miles in ' length. The Glasgow mail passes this every morning from Car- lisle to Glasgow, and every afternoon from Glasgow to Carlisle. Four bridges have been thrown across the Kirtle, and connect this parish with Middlebie on the north-west There is one also over the Kirtle at Beltenmont, and another over a rivulet at Cleugh- side, which joins this parish, to Domock on the south-west, with two on the Glasgow road. All these bridges are in excellent con- dition. Ecclesiastical State, — The situation of the church, though sur- rounded by the most densely peopled part of the parish, is not con- venient for the inhabitants of the northern division, which is distant from it about five miles. It was partly rebuilt fifty-six years ago, and then put into a state of complete repair. But at present its interior part is in such a miserable condition as again to require a thorough repair. By a decided majority of the heritors, it is thought that a new church should immediately be built The sittings are all free, and can accommodate about 600 individuals. The manse and offices have been greatly improved within the last twenty years; and the glebe, which consists of 6| imperial acres of superior, and 17^ of inferior land, is worth L.20 a-year. As the teinds are ex- hausted, the present incumbent agreed some years ago to receive from the heritors a fixed sum of L. 210 yearly. There is no chapel of any kind here. The number of families attending the Establish- ed church is 290, and of persons of all ages, 1595. Thirteen fami- lies, or 71 persons of all ages, attend dissenting chapels. Of that number, those who are of the Relief persuasion attend a chapel at Waterbeck, in Middlebie; and those who belong to the United Se- cession church attend either a chapel at Ecclefechan, in Hoddam, or one which was lately erected at Rigg, in Graitney. Divine ser- vice at the Established church is well attended by both the higher and lower orders. The average number of communicants is 300. The average amount of yearly contributions for religious and cha- ritable purposes is L. 14; of church collections yearly, L. 30. KIRKPATRICK-FLEMINO. 287 Educ€Liian. — There are two parochial schools and two Sabbath schools. Kirkpatrick school-house was built fifty-eight years ago, and is kept in good repair. The late Dr Graham, of Mossknow, grand- uncle of its present proprietor, mortified L.5 a-year to the teacher of this school, for which sum he is bound to educate eight poor children. The branches of instruction generally taught in each of the schools are English, writing, book-keeping, arithmetic, geo- graphy, moithematics, Latin, Greek, and French. The salary of the teacher of Kirkpatrick shool is L. 25, 13s. 3Jd. ; amount of school fees L.36 ; amount of other emoluments, L. 12. The salary of the teacher of Gair school, which was built in the north part of the parish about thirty years ago, is L.25, 13s. 3Jd.; amount of school fees L.2d; amount of other emoluments L. 2, 10s. Both the teachers have the legal accommodations. The expense of education per quarter is, for reading, 2s. ; for reading and writing, 2s. 6d.; for arithmetic, English grammar, geo- graphy, and writing, ds. 6d. ; higher branches, 5s. The Sabbath school taught in Kirkpatrick church is attended by 170; and that which is taught in the school-house of Gair is attended by 80 scholars. These schools are supported chiefly by donations from the heritors. A greater number of professional men, and others holding respctctable situations of life, has received the elements of a liberal education at Kirkpatrick school, than at almost any other grammar school throughout the whole of thi^ dis- trict. Libraries, — A parochial library, and two libraries for the use of those children who attend the Sabbath schools, were here insti- tuted at the commencement of this year. Savings Bank, — A savings bank was established in 1827. The average increase of this bank yearly is X>.45. The amount yearly invested is L. 80 ; — yearly withdrawn L. 35 ; and the investments are generally made by farm-servants. Poor. — The poor are maintained by church collections and le- gal assessments. Of persons who receive parochial aid, the ave- rage number is 30, and the average sum allotted to each per year is L. 4, 13s. 4d. Of contribudoiu srising from church collections, the annual amount is L. 30 From legal assessments, - - - - 110 00 L. 140 The assessment, of which the proprietor pays one-half, and the tenant the other half, tends to increase. The poor being al- most always compelled by necessity to seek relief from the heri- 288 DUMFRIES'SHIRE. tors and kirk-session, are not apt, therefore, to consider it as de- grading to do so. Inns. — In this parish there are four small inns or public-houses, which evidently have a pernicious effect upon the morals of a small portion of the people. FueL — Peat is commonly used as fuel; |>ut a considerable quantity of coal, which is carted either from Canobie or Annan, is also here consumed. The price of a cart-load of coals is 10s. 6d. ; and of a cart-load of peats. Is. 4d. Twenty-seven cart^-loads of peats are considered sufficient for a cottager's family, which has only one constant fire. Miscellaneous Observations. That unprofitable mode of cultivation which prevailed in this parish forty years ago has, in a great measure, been abandoned, and a more extensive and liberal system of agriculture has been adopted in its stead. Many acres of moor-ground have been turn- ed over with the plough, and rendered tolerably productive, and a considerable portion of flow-moss has been converted into ver- dant meadow or pasture by drainage and surface-culture. The improvement, which has been made upon the south-west part of the parish, and also upon that whic;^ lies to the north of the Glas- gow road, and is bounded by the Langholm road on the north- west, is most striking. In 1792, the real rent of the parish was L. 2870, and now it is L. 7369. The houses of proprietors and farmers, of mechanics and cottagers, have been vasdy improved within the last thirty years. A great change for the better has also taken place in the language, the dress, and the manner of living, of the inhabitants. As the soil still admits of extensive amelioration, much might be done in accomplishing that end by men possessed of capital, skill, and enterprise. A line of commu- nication from Sarkshields, near Springkell, to Kirkpatrick church, by Gilshaw's flow, is greatly wanted. In all probability that line of road will be formed ere long. Farms here above L. 150 a-year are the bane of the comfort, happiness, and independence of the lower classes. Proprietors and fanners, by supplying la- bourers with constant employment at all seasons, by giving them a fair remuneration for their industry, and by discountenancing vice wherever it appears, and encouraging piety and virtue, will, unquestionably, promote both the welfare of the lower orders, and the general good. . February 1834. PARISH OF HODDAM. PRESBYTERY OF ANNAN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JAMES YORSTOUN, MINISTER.* L — Topography and Natural History. Name, Boundaries, Sfc. — The present parish of Hoddam com- prehends the parishes of Hoddam, Luce, and Ecclefechan, which were thrown into one in the year 1609. In the charters of the twelfth century, we find the name spelt Hodholm and Hodolmj the Anglo-Saxon word for the head of the holm. This is very character- istic of the situation of the old parish of Hoddam, which lay along the east bank of the river Annan, at a point where the land is flat and rich, and in every respect a holm. Luce was situated below this, on the opposite side of the river Mein. It is supposed to have de- rived its name from the luxuriance of its herbage, the British word Uys, and the Scoto-Irish word Itis signifying herbs, weeds, &c. Ecclefechan is supposed to have derived its name from the Latin word ecclesia, and an Irish abbot called Fechan, ^ho is said to have lived in this quarter somewhere about the seventh century. For- merly it used to be spelt Eglisfechan ; and in a manuscript account of Dumfries-shire (in the Advocates' Library) it is called Ecclesia Fechanis, Each of these parishes in former times was furnished with a church, but scarcely any thing but the respective cemeteries now remains. When the three parishes were united, an entirely new church was erected in a central situation. That, However, was taken down about sixteen years ago, and a more substantial struc- ture substituted in its place. The present parish is bounded on the north by Tundergarth and St. Mungo, on the east by Middlebie, on the south by Annan, and on the west by Cummertrees. Its form is somewhat quadrangular, and its extent is in length about five miles, in breadth about three and a-half, and in square miles eleven and a quarter. • This Account has been drawn up by the Rev. W. Walhicc Duncan, Assistant MinUter. DUMFRIES. 1' 290 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Topographical Appearances. — In point of scenery, it far surpasses most of the neighbouring parishes. Surrounded by gently swel- ling hills on all sides, it forms an extensive plain, for the most part in the highest state of cultivation, intersected by numerous thriving hedges, and interspersed with clumps of trees. In the parish itself, there are no hills worthy of mention but that which is called Bumswark, in the north of the plain. Hiis remark- able eminence, 740 feet above the level of the sea, being consider- ably higher than any other within many miles, commands one of the most beautiful, and, at the same time, one of the most extensive, views in Britain. From its summit, on a clear day, may be seen the Isle of Man, the whole of the northern coast of Cumberland, ¥rith its noble range of mountains, part of Westmoreland, of North- umberland, and even sometimes the mountainous part of Yorkshire. The greater portion of this parish is exceedingly well sheltered by the hills of Woodcockair and Repentance, Brownmuir, Clinthill, Bumswark, and some others. The parish may be regarded on the whole as remarkably healthy. Hydrography. — The rivers connected with this parish are the Annan, the Milk, and the Mein. The first of these, in its course along the western boundary of Hoddam, is in general about 100 feet broad, and abounds in pools, some of which are 15 or 16 feet deep. The Milk, which is one of the tributaries of the An«>^ nan, washes only a small corner on the north-west of the parish. Its direction is ffom the north-east, and the extent of its course is about fourteen miles. The Mein, which is scarcely lai^ge enough to deserve the name of a river, runs directly from the east, and, after a course of five or six miles, joins the Annan nearly at right angles. This stream sometimes changes its channel, and frequent- ly overflows its banks, thus causing considerable annoyance to those through whose farms it directs its course. Embankments are found to be very precarious, owing to the gravelly nature of the soil. Geology arid Mineralogy, — The minerals in which this parish chiefly abounds are slate-clay, clay-ironstone, sandstone, limestone, amygdaloid. Of the first of these there occur in the neighbourhood of £cclefechan several varieties, containing numerous impressions of shells, and sometimes also of ferns. Its general colour is grayish- black and ash-gray, and it is in some instances so compact that the slaty texture is with difficulty to be discerned. Some beds of clay-ironstone, which occur along a stream a little above Eccle- fechan, «ilternate with greenish-gray and reddish-brown coloured HODDAM. 291 sandstone, and are from three inches to a foot in thickness. Im- mediately above this, we come to thin beds of clay-ironstone, pearl gray-coloured slate-clay, and grayish-white and reddish-brown sand- stone, lying on beds of slate-clay, which alternate with beds of limestone containing nmnerous petrifactions, but chiefly mytulites chamites, and corallites. Still higher up the stream, we come to beds of limestone from one to two feet thick, alternating with beds of grayish-black coloured slate-clay and of grayish-white coloured sandstone. It may be mentioned particularly that the coal for- mation is to be distinctly observed in various parts of the parish, but especially towards the north. Several attempts hai^e already been made to obtain coal (a great desideratum here,) but hitherto without success, owing, doubtless, to the want of funds sufficient for carrying on the work. At present some of the speculators are employed in sinking a pit, on one of the banks of the stream al- ready aUuded to, about three quarters of a mile above Ecclefechan. They had not gone far down, when they pierced one vein of coal (about an eighth of an inch thick,) and though they have since descended about seventy or eighty feet, without meeting with any more, they are still in great hopes of ultimately arriving at an abundant store of an article, for the supply of which at present the inhabitants of this part of the country * are so depenc^nt on their English neighbours. At Barhill (north-west comer of the parish) porphyritic amyg- daloid appears reposing on sandstone, which again reposes on greywacke. It continues along the whole of the ridge which runs between this hill and Burnswark, and is to be observed in several places lying on coarse conglom^ate and sandstone, which reposes on very much inclined strata of very compact small-grained greywacke. On the west side of Burnswark, at a considerable height, a grayish- coloured sandstone appears, mariced with reddish-brown spots, and covered by slate-day, and on the due north side (higher up the hill) there are to be seen fragments of grayish-white coloured sandstone, but the highest part of this hill is composed entirely of amygdaloid, f The soil may be classed under three kinds. Firsts the holm land, which lies along the banks of the Annan and Mein, and * The great, alxnost Uie only, drawback which this parish nistains is the want of coab. The cheapest and best are generally to be procured at Annan, (Etc miles dis- tant,) but a horse draught of them can rardy be obtained for less than lOs. or 1 Is, f See Jameson's Mineralogical Survey of Dumfries-shire. 292 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. which consists of a deep rich loam collected by those rivers, and is exceedingly fertile ; Secondly^ the large plain in the body of the parish, which is composed of a light and gravelly soil, and produces very rich 312 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 71 trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 108 2. Number of unmarried men, bachelors or widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 42 women, including widows, upwards of 45, 58 S. The average number of births yearly, for the last 7 years, - - 36 marriages, ... .7 4» The number of persons at present under 15 years of age, • 653 upwards of 70, - - 43 5. The ntmiber of villagersy ... . 750 of those who hVe in the country, . . - 832 Habits and Character of the People. — The people, on the whole, are sober and well-disposed. They .enjoy in a more than ordi- nary degree the comforts and advantages of society, fearing God and honouring the king. The immoral part of the community is wonderfully small, considering the populousness of the village, and the temptations to which they are consequently exposed. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — The soil of this parish (as has been already remarked) is generally very productive, even by nature. It has been well called the garden of Annandale ; but besides this it has more of the advantages which good farming bestows than most of the parishes in this county. The larger proprietors have lately adopted the systefn of throwing several small farms into one of great extent and high rental, thus se- curing men of considerable capital for their tenants, and conse- quently conducing to the ultimate improvement and increased value of the land. The following table will give a pretty correct view of the agricultural concerns of this parish : Total number of Scotch acres in the parish, - - - 5727 The number of acres cultivated, - - - - - 5143 uncultivated,* - - - - 584 under wood, - - * - 50 • Of the uncultivated land, the hill of Burnswark constitutes the greater part, and it is almost entirely used for grazing sheep. 294 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Average produce of gniia of ell kinds, in imperial bushels ^ . 42990 Number of acres in poutoes and turnips, - • - . 60O in hay, (meadow and cultivated,) - . 750 of land in pasture, - . . . 2947 used for grazing black cattle, at the rate of two acres per cow, or fiill-grown oi, - . 2497 used for grazing sheep, at the rate of one acre per shee}), (with lambs,) . 4jO The yearly rental of the parish, in houses as well as land, is about L. 7000. V. — Parochial Economy. Markets, 4*^. — Once at least every month a market is held in the village of Ecclefechan. But these' markets or fairs have not been nearly so well attended ever since the establishment of a weekly market in Annan, which took place about fifteen or twenty years ago. A pork market, which has just been commenced here, and which is to be held every week throughout the winter, promises to thrive exceedingly well. The village is advantageously situated for such a market, as almost every cottager in the neighbourhood keeps a hog or two, which he fattens sometimes to a great size. There is only one regular butcher in Ecclefechan, but he generally ma« nages to afford a sufficient supply to the place. There are 3 join- ers, 3-blacksmiths, 4 cobblers, 1 baker, 2 haberdashers, 2grocers9 and 4 innkeepers. But the manufacture of ginghams constitutes the principal means of subsistence to the inhabitants of this village. Means of Communication* — In this respect the parish enjoys many advantages. There are carriers from Ecclefechan to almost every place of any importance within a circuit of at least fifty or sixty miles. Ope goes to Edinburgh regularly once a-fortnight, besides whom there are others who occasionally go. The con- stant passing and repassing of the Glasgow and London mail-coach affords great regularity and facility to communication. There is a reading-room in the village, to which every one may resort for the trifling sum of one penny per visit There is one large beautiful stone bridge over the Annan, two of smaller dimensions over the Mein, besides a considerable number, though of very ins^nificaqt dimensions, which span the stream at Ecclefechan, and give a pe- culiar appearance to the village. Besides the highway, (which, between the point where it enters the parish, and that at which it leaves it, is about three miles long,) there are five cross roads, all of which are almost equal to turnpike. The hedges and fences, too, are well kept in general. HODDAM. 205 EedesiasHcal State.-s^The site of the parish church, though ori- ginally ^well chosen, is now considered inconvenient for the greater part of the population, being upwards of a mile from the village, with very few houses in its neighbourhood. It was built in the year 1817, is furnished with complete stoves, three galleries, and a ves- try, above which General Sharpe has a small room for himself and family. It is seated for the comfortable accommodation of about 500 individuals ; the seats, however, having been apportioned ac- cording to the valuatioti of the respective properties, none who do not belong to the families of heritors or tenants, (the minister and schoolmaster, with their families, excepted,) have any rightful ac- commodation in the church, so that not a few are driven to the al- ternative either of betaking themselves to the dissenting chapel, or staying at home. The manse, which was repaired in 1795, has since received se- veral important additions made by the minister himself, afid is at present, with the offices belonging to it, in excellent condition. The stipend is about L. 250, paid in money, and the value of the three glebes amounts to about L. 30 per annum. The number of families attending the Established church is 272. The average number of communicants about 200. There is one dissenting chapel in the parish, whose congregation is connected with the Burgher associa- tion. The minister is paid by seat rents and collections. The sti- pend of the present incumbent is understood to be L. llO, exclu- sive of an excellent house, garden, and offices, to which is attached a field of nearly an acre in extent. This is one of the oldest dis- senting congregations in the south of Scotland, and some of its members are very respectable in their station, and easy in their circumstances; but most of them belong to the surrounding parishes, the number of families attending the chapel from this parish being only about 40. There are two Sabbath schools in Hoddam. One of them is conducted by the members of the Establishment ; the other by dissenters. Each of them contains nearly 100 scholars. The probable average amount of collections at the church for religious imd charitable objects cannot, independent of ordinary church collections, hitherto have been much more thai^^L. 8 per an- nuHL There are only two objects in behalf of which stated yearly collections are made in this way. The one is the Sabbath school just mentioned ; the other is a female Society for the relief of the aged and infirm. 29ri DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Education, — The parochial school, we regret to say, is not well attended. This, however, cannot be said of the unendowed semi- naries, whiclr-are three in number, and at which most of the u^ual branches of education are taught The salary of the (>arochial schoolmaster is L. 35 ; and the yearly amount of fees which he actually receives cannot, it is believed, exceed L. 12. The parish school-house is large and most commodious m every respect, and yet those parents who can afford it almost universally prefer sending their children to the other schools, where the fees are larger. Poor, — There are two separate mortifications belonging to the poor of this parish. The one, consisting of L. 1 1 19, 19s. 4d. Scots money, given by the Rev. J. Alexander in the year 1701 ; the other, consisting of }000 merks, given by John Sharpe, Esq. of Hoddam in the year 1715. Of these two sums the accumulated interest has amounted to a capital of L. 468. This sum at pre- sent yields (at dg per cent.) L. 16, 18s. 6d. Besides this, the in- terest of the two mortified sums already-mentioned (which are lying on the estate of Hoddam) amounts to L. 6, 2s. 6d. The weekly collections at the church produce about L. 35, and the oc- casional loan of the hearse brings upwards of L. 3 more per an- num. It will be seen that about L. 60 is obtained every year in these different ways. Yet this is not sufficient to meet the wants of the paupers (regular and irregular) with which this pari$h abounds. The fact is, pauperism is not here considered at all so degrading now as formerly ; and this (taken in connection vrith the enlargement of the farms, and the extraordinary number of old {)eople in the parish,) may, in some measure, account for the alarming fact, that, within the last seven years^ the voluntary (for as yet there is no legal *) assessment has increased from L. 18 to L. 140 per annum, and this although the population has been all the time on the decrease. The annual average number of persons receiving parochial aid is 24, and the annual average sum allotted to each individual is L.7, 10s. — L. 5 of which is taken from the as- sessed sum, and L. 2, 10s. from the session funds. * The aboTe-menttoned sum of L. 468 has now fallen into the hands of the heri- tors) whose olject is, by its immediate distril;mtion, to obtain the power of exacting a legal assessment. Marchj 1834. PARISH OF SANQUHAR. PRESBYTERY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. THOMAS MONTGOMERY, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The name Sanquhar is compounded of Caer^ signifying a fort, and Sean^ old, — ^both terms having reference to a fort which existed here in the ancient British times. This etymology seems more probable than any other that has been assigned. The original Sean-caer or ckaery was in the thirteenth century spelt Sene^char or Sanchery as appears by the charters of Robert I. and David II. Afterwards it was changed to Sanquhar. ExterUj Boundaries. — The parish is about 18 miles in length and 5 in breadth. By exact measurement, it contains 61:^ square miles. It is bounded on the east by the parishes of Crawfurd and Craw- fiirdjohn ; on the north by Kirkconnel : on the west by Kirkcon- nel, New Cumnock and Dairy; on the south by Penpont and Durisdeer. Topographical Appearances. — Its figure is verj* irregular. At the east comer, is the Lowther or Lodder Hill, 3180 feet above the level of the sea, and connected by a chain of high hills with Hart- fell, near Moffat. At the west comer, is Biack-larg Hill, 2890 feet above the sea, and united to a range of high land at the junction of the counties of Galloway and Ayr. The parish is generally hilly. It is formed into two divisions, nearly equal, by the river Nith. Each side of this river is bounded by a range of hills, ris- ing generally with a gradual declivity. Some of them are covered mth grass and others with heath. The hollow between these two ranges of hills forms a vale of very considerable beauty, extending in length about five miles. The prevailing winds are from the west and south ; and with these the greatest quantity of rain falls. The climate is cold but healthy.^ Rivers. — The Nith is the principal river in the parish. The tributary streams which flow into it in this parish are the Crawick and Menock on the north and east ; the Killoe and Seuchan on the west and south. PUMFBIES. u 298 DUxMFUIES-SHIRE. Mineralogy — Coal Mines. — In the valley of the NIth, in the pa- rishes of Sanquhar and Kirkconnel, coal is found in great abund- ance, extending about seven miles in length and two miles and a- half in breadth. Sandstone of a reddish shade, about six feet thick, generally overlaps the coal; but sandstone and blaes of different shades are found in many places. The coal appears to be a con- tinuation of that which is found in Ayrshire. It cannot be supposed to have any connection with the coal in Canobie or Cumberland ; for in proceeding down the Nith the valley contracts, and the tran- sition rocks commence about a mile and a-half below the town of San- quhar, near Eliock, and where the whole of the secondary strata of the valley of Sanquhar terminate. Three seams of workable coal have been discovered, averaging severally in thickness 3 feet 8 inches 4 feet, and 4 feet 6 inches, and varying from 4 to 32 fathoms in depth. The greater part of the coal field is the property of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. In this part the workings are at present carried on in three pits, and about sixty men are em- ployed. The water is carried off by levels. No steam or other engines are found necessary. Tlie range of the coal seams is in the direction of the river Nith, north-west by south-east, and is bounded on each side by transition rocks. It dips to the north-east by north about one foot in twelve. It is frequently found intersected by whin- stone dikes, one of which, from 12 to 36 feet thick, and ranging S.£. and N. W., may be traced on the surface about a mile in length. A small dike, a few falls above the old bridge over Crawick stream, maybe also mentioned. It runs nearly north and south, and changes the former bearing of the metals separating the strata, which dip nearly east on both sides of it. The breach of the strata which constitutes the dike depresses the metals on the east side so much that they are considerably separated from those on the west side. On the east side it is called a down-dike, and on the west side an up-dike. Such, indeed, is the general effect which all dikes and slips of a similar nature produce on the metals in coal fields, where they frequently occur. The third seam of coal mentioned above has been wrought to the greatest extent by the side of the Cra- wick stream, in the moor of Sanquhar, which till lately was a com- monty.* It is remarkable that, in this seam under the bed of the river, and to some distance on each side, tfTere were found thou- sands of bodies resembling fishes of different kinds, and varying in * Professor Jameson, at page 89 of his Mineralogy of Dumfrics-shire, says that, a little above Crawick Bridge, there are examples of columnar glance coal, which in some places is seen passing into graphite or black-lead. SANQUHAR. 299 size, having heads, tails, fins and scales, lying in all different ways. When broken they were discovered to be, in substance, sandstone. They lay at the chstance of about eleven or twelve fathoms below the bed of the river, which consists of regularly stratified sandstone. Impressions of shells and of several vegetable substances continue to be met with, both in the coal and in the metals lying above it. Coal continues to be wrought near this place, but has been found to be much intersected with whin dikes. It is the public proper- ty of the buigh of Sanquhar. A steam-engine has been found ne- cessary to clear the workings of water. About twenty men are em- ployed in them. Coal has been discovered also in several small properties near the town of Sanquhar, but at present is not wrought in any of them. In the whole of the basin of Sanquhar, the coal is generally of a good quality, but improves as it lies farther from the surface. At all the pits now mentioned it is sold at 5s. per ton. It may be stated also that C. G. Stuart Menteath, Esq. of Close- bum, has in the town of Sanquhar a depot for coal, which he brings ID considerable quantity from his pits at Mansfield, in the parish of New Cumnock, a distance of about eleven miles. Including this, about 16000 tons may be considered the average of the quantity sold yearly at Sanquhar. Zjead Mines of fVanlackhead. — At the east end of the parish, about nine miles from the town of Sanquhar, are situated the lead mines of Wanlockhead, the property of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. They join the mines of Leadhills, belonging to the Earl of Hopetoun, in the parish of Crawfurd and county of Lanark. The workings of both include a circle of about two and a-half miles. The surface is bleak and mountainous, and about 1500 feet above the level of the sea. The rocks which generally prevail are greywacke and greywacke slate, often of a yellowish colour at the surface, but black toward the centre. They are some- times so hard as to strike fire with steel, but easily exfoliate when exposed to the weather. When exposure is continued for a few years they fall to powder. Wanlockhead has long been famous for its lead mines. They are said to have been discovered by Cornelius Hardskins, a Ger- man, in the minority of James VL, when the Germans were em- ployed in searching for gold in that place. Sir Bevis Bulmer, mas- ter of the mint under Queen Elizabeth, with concurrence of the Scottish monarch, is said to have employed 300 men in that work in the neighbourhood of Wanlockhead and Leadhills several years dOO DUMFRIES-SHIRE* during summer, and to have collected of that metal to the amount of L. 100,000 Sterling. Many heaps of sand and gravel cast up then, are still to be seen on the banks of several streams, near the places now mentioned. The search, it is said, became unprofitable when the wages of a workman exceeded fourpence per day. A mine has been cut a considerable way into one of the mountains, close by the Wanlock stream; which is supposed to have been cut in search of gold. For such as wish to procure a little in a state of pu- rity, or for the purpose of being formed into a ring, &c. it is still collected by the miners, though not in any great quantity. It is generally found at the bottom of the glens, ofagranular form, dis- seminated among rocks, and mixed with sand and gravel. During the last four years, two specimens have been found which weighed respectively ninety and sixty grains. The lead-mines at Wanlockhead were opened up by Sir James Stampfield, about the year 1680, and were wrought by him with some success, but not to any great extent, till the Revolution. In 1691, he was succeeded by Matthew Wilson, who procured a lease for nineteen years, and wrought the vein called Margaret's in the Dodhill. He carried his workings quite through that hill, from Whitecleuch to Wanlock stream, and was very successful in his discoveries. He was again succeeded in 1710, by a Company for smelting lead ore with pit coal. They had a lease for thirty-one years, and wrought to a considerable extent in the veins of Old Glen- crieff and Belton-grain, but were not very successful in their ope- rations. At length, after much discouragement, they had the good fortune to find out the veins of New GlencriefiT, where in a very short time they raised a great quantity of lead-ore. In 1721, a numerous Company was formed, of persons residing in different parts of the kingdom, under the name of the Friendly Min- ing Society. They entered into partnership with the smelting Com- pany, for working the mines upon a farther lease of fifteen years, in addition to the one already obtained by the latter company of thirty- one years. The two companies thus united, carried on their ope- rations in all the four principal veins then known, and to conside- rable extent, till 1727. They then separated from each other, and prosecuted their works in different grounds. The smelting company entered on the east side of the Wanlock stream, and \i- gorously continued their operations till 1734, when, having suffer- ed great loss, though they had raised much lead, they resigned their lease. An individual partner in the company, however, Mr SANQUHAR. 301 Wightman, retained liberty to work in the southern part of their boundary. He confined his operations to the south end of Mar- garet's vein. But they were very unprofitable, and terminated with his death in 1747. The mining liberty which had been possessed by him was unoccupied till 1755, when it was entered on by the firm which still continues, Messrs Ronald Crawford, Meason and Company, by whom it was wrought extensively, and with much success. They continued their operations in Margaret's vein forty- three years. For carrying off the water they erected three steam- engines. The first was in 1778,-and supposed to be the second erected by Mr Watt in Scotland. The Friendly Mining Society, having resigned their lease in 1734, were succeeded in the boun- dary which they had possessed, by Alexander and William Telfer, who obtained a lease of the northern part of their grounds for twenty-one years. They succeeded in raising great quantities of ore, which sold at a high price. At the expiration of their lease in 1755, Messrs Ronald Crawford, Meason and Company, were also their successors, who now possessed the whole of the mining liberties at Wanlockhead. This enterprising and eminently suc- cessful company continued the works which had been left by Messrs Telfer till 1775. About this period they discovered good ore in Belton-grain vein above water level, and continued working there till 1800. Then finding the ore above water level to be mostly wrought out, they were under the necessity of erecting one steam- engine, a second in 1812, and a third in 1817. The expense of erecting these engines, and supplying them with coal, which was brought from the parish of Kirkconnel or the west end of the parish of Sanquhar, a distance of about ten or twelve miles, must evidently have been very great But still, the works were profitable till about five years ago, when the free trade system was introduced by legislative enactment, and foreign lead was allowed to be imported to Britain, without being subject to the payment of duty. From that period, the price of lead being much lower than formerly, the company must have suffered great loss. The veins have also presented great poverty. Cove vein, which is the present scene of labour, has never been rich. During the period which clasped from 1823 to 1827, the company sunk forty fathoms under level, and erected two steam-engines under ground, but the quantity of ore found did not answer their expectations, and was not commensurate with the ex- pense incurred in raising it. The five engines last mentioned possessed collectively 268 horses power. Previous to the erection 302 DUMFRIES-SHfllE. of these and of those on Margaret's vein, the water was raised from the mines by hand-pumps and water-wheels. The steam-engines have now all been removed, and a water pressure engine has been erected, which is succeeding remarkably well. It carries away all the water which was formerly removed by the two steam-engides under ground, — it works with little attention, requiring merely that the water be kept regularly upon it, and thus greatly lessens the expense which was formerly incurred. The Company at their com- mencement in 1755 had a lease Qply of nineteen years; but an Act of Parliament was obtained afterwards, authorizing the extension of it till 1812, which was subsequently extended thirty years farther. Accordingly, about seven years only of the present lease have now to run. The present lessees are, the Marquis of Bute, who has three shares, and Mr M^Leod, who has one share, — in all four shares. The great advantage of these works to the surround- ing country must be evident, when it is mentioned, that the com- pany during the last fifty years have expended at Wanlockhead, exclusive of their expenditure for materials in other places, the sum of L. 500,000. By the terms of their lease, they delivered a sixth part of the lead raised to the proprietor as rent or lordship. But by a new agreement, on account of the unfavourable circumstances which have been mentioned above, they deliver a much less quan- tity. During the last fifty years, 47,420 tons of lead have been raised ; and to show how various the success of the Company has been, it may be mentioned, that in the year 1809 there were rais- ed nearly 1037 tons of lead, which sold at L, 32 per ton. In 181 1 its price was L. 24 per ton. In 1829 and 1830 respectively, there were raised 596 and 461 tons, when its price was only L. 13 per ton. The number of persons employed in the works at present is as follows: 4 overseers and clerks, 154 miners, 12 washers, 8 smel- ters, 10 smiths, carpenters, and engineers, 20 boys who assist in washing ; amounting in all to 208. The work is let by bargains, generally for three months ; that Is, the workmen receive a cer- tain stipulated sum for the quantity of ore per ton, which they raise, or for the fathom of dead work which they perform in that time. They relieve each other by courses every six hours, and in twenty- four hours the same course does not go to work more than once. Each miner, on an average, may be supposed to earn at present about L. 20 during the year. Agreeably to the contract of lease, some spare pickmen are always at work, for making new discove- ries of lead. SANQUHAR. 303 The veins or mineral depositories hitherto wrought, as has been mentioned, are five in number, viz. Old Glencrieff, New Glen- crieff, Bel ton-grain, Margaret's^ and Cove. They lie parallel, and distant from each other about 120 fathoms. Belton-grain, which lies nearest the east, is about 300 fathoms from Cove. They have been wrought to the depth of 60, 75, 93, and 136 fathoms from the surface. The tops of the veins lie generally to the west, and they slope or hade eastward at an angle from thirty to forty-five de- grees from the horizon. According to the language of the miners they hade one falhom in three or sometimes in two ; by which is meant that they make one fathom in horizontal length, to three or two in height They do not generally run straight forward, but in a winding direction. From this cause, none of the drifts are straight lines, but vary in working southward, from five to fifteen de- grees east to south of fifteen degrees west of south. In all the workings the medium point is found to be almost south and north, so that the veins cannot be said to vary much in their course. The rocks which they traverse lie in beds at the same angle with them- selves. These are the indurated argillaceous mountain rock, or what miners call the gray and blue whinstone. The veins are from a few inches to 4 feet in width. The bearing and the barren parts are very various in their length. The former are found from one or two to 70 or 80 fathoms, as in Belton-grain. The latter are sometimes more and sometimes less extensive, and when they do occur are called checks by the miners. The length and depth of the bearing parts always maintain a proportion to each other. The length, however, is generally something more considerable than the depth. None of the veins have been found to contain much ore beyond the depth of 100 or 120 fathoms. They generally contract in their extremities, and diminish in their course toward the bottom. Clay beds are found occasionally to interrupt them. The course of Belton-grain vein may be tvaced on the surface, by the ground being somewhat slackened or hollowed. Nothing similar or peculiar in any way is perceivable on the surface of the ground over any of the other veins. The structure of the veins is very various. The ore frequently lies in a regular form, but sometimes it is irregular, and mixed with what are called vein stones, as lamellar heavy spar, calcspar, rock- cork, &C. The ores are, lead glance, blende, manganese ochre, cop- per pyrites,' green lead-ore, white lead-ore, lead-vitriol and brown hematite, all in small quantities except the lead-ore. The ton- i 304 DUMFRIBS-SHIRE. tents of a bearing vein are often found as follows : On the under or lying side, is lead glance or common galena, then a layer of ochre of manganese several inches thick, above it a layer of quartz interspersed with iron pyrites, then another layer of manganese mixed with quartz, pieces of lead glance and carbonate of lime fol- lowed by grey wacke, which constitutes the walls of the noine. Be- sides lead glance or common galena, the following minerals are also found, viz. sulphate, phosphate, carbonate, and arseniate of lead. The vanadiate of lead has been found in the refuse of the old workings, where it was for a time taken for arseniate of lead. These different specimens are now and then found occupying the same drusy cavity, and when seen before being injured or remov- ed from their relative position, exhibit a fine lustre and beautiful crystallization. The druses or laengh holes, as they are termed by the miners, are also frequently studded with quartz, carbo- nate of zinc, &c Sulphuret of zinc or zinc-blende is found incon- siderable quantity in some of the veins, particularly in Margaret's. Specimens of iron also occur, as ochry red iron-ore, but iron is al- ways reckoned by the miners as unfavourable to their prospects in procuring lead. The lead glance at Wanlockhead was found by analysis to contain a small quantity of arsenic, antimony, and silver. The last mentioned was from eight to ten ounces in the ton of lead- ore. Lime^ Sfc. — Limestone rock has been discovered between the town of Sanquhar and Wanlockhead, on the farm of Castle Gil- mour. It is presented in a stratum about 4 feet thick ; above it, is one of freestone 2^ feet thick ; and under it, is one of blaes. It has been attempted to be wrought, but not with much advantage, nor to great extent. In that neighbourhood are also found ma- rine marl, a stratum of marine shell about 4 feet thick, containing nodules of limestone, and a seam of coal about 40 inches thick, regularly stratified, but of inferior quality, being combined with a large proportion of pyrites. The extremities of the parish are oc- cupied by mountains of transition rocks. The valley of. the Nith contains only secondary strata. The sandstone is generally white, but in some places is strongly tinged with red. It is rather coarse in the grain, but for the most part is well adapted for the pur- poses of building. Soil, — The soil in the valley of the Nith is of good quality. It is generally dry and gravelly, and in some places is loamy. A great part of the land farther distant from the river mentioned, on SANQUHAR. 305 both sides, partakes much of clay and moss, and is in a great pro- portion wet and boggy. It is generaUy of a deep soil, and well adapted for grazing. ^ fTood. — A great part of the parish is destitute of plantations and uninclosed. Of the lands belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, 282 acres are covered with natural wood, which are chiefly the banks of the streams. The trees are but small ; they are merely shoots from the roots of large trees, cut down about forty years ago, and are chiefly oak, birch and hazel. Of the estate of Eliock, belonging to Henry Veitch, Esq. about 450 acres are planted. A large proportion of the trees are full-grown, and many of them very old oak. This proprietor, by careful and judicious management, has greatly improved his plantations, and made many additions to them. They lie on the west side ot the Nith below the town of Sanquhar, and extend to a distance of several miles. The trees of which they consist are very various, as Scotch larch, silver, spruce, and balm of Gilead fir, oak, elm, ash, mountain-ash, birch, beech, Swedish mapple, hazel, &c IL — Civil History.* Burgh of Sanquhar. — Sanquhar was a burgh of Barony, accord- ing to one account, from time immemorial, and according to others from 1484. In 1596, at the request of Robert Crichton, Lord of Sanquhar, it was erected into a royal burgh, and is governed by a provost, three bailies, a dean of guild, a treasurer and eleven coun- cillors. In its political capacity it is joined to Dumfries, Annan, Lochmaben, and Kirkcudbright Castle. — The old castle of Sanquhar claims particular notice. It is situated on a steep bank, in the immediate vicinity of the town of Sanquhar ; toward the south it is a very picturesque ruin, and ap- pears to have been a strong square building with towers at the corners. Close to it, was a large deer park ; on the north, was a deep fosse and drawbridge ; on the west, were the gardens, in which is still visible the fish pond with an island in the middle. At a short dis- tance south from the castle, is the moat or ancient court-hall where the barons met to distribute justice. Tradition bears, that the castle was for some time in the possession of the English in the reign of Edward L, and was recaptured by Sir William Douglas of Douglasdale by stratagem, who put the garrison to the sword. * An account of all the paruhes in the Presbytery of Penpont was written about tbti beginning of the last century, by the Rev. Mr Viae, author of the History of the Rebellion in Scotland in 1715. His account of this parish, however, is now unfor- tunately lost. 306 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Historical notices* — The first Lords of Sanquhar were of the Ross or Roose ^£1111117, cadets of the Earls of Boss, Lords of the Isles of Scotland. Robert de Ross was the last of the line at San- quhar who bore that name; William, second son of Thomas Lord of Creighton, who flourished in the reign of Robert Brus, mar- ried his daughter, Isobel, by whom he had a son. The father hav- ing come to the possession of the title of Lord of Creighton died in 1360, and his son by this lady became Lord of Sanquhar. Sir Robert Creighton, great grandson of Isobel de Ross, was appointed by James III. in 1464, heritable sheriff of Dumfries-shire. In 1630, the barony of Sanquhar was purchased by Sir William Dou- glas of Drumlanrig, on which he had a mortgage. The Queens- berry family for some time resided in the castle of Sanquhar be- fore that of Drumlanrig was built.* Eminent Men, — Mr Robert Crichton of Eliock, connected with this parish, was an eminent lawyer and advocate to Queen Mary and King James VI., and a Lord of Session. His eldest son, James, went abroad when young, and was intimately and exten- sively acquainted with literature and science, and so eminently ac- complished in all kinds of bodily exercises, that he was the wonder of the age, and generally known by the appellation of the Admi- rable Crichton. The apartment in Eliock House in which he was born has been carefully preserved in its original state by the suc- cessive'proprietors.f Parochial Registers. — A register of births in the parish has been kept from 1757, but it is very defective, particularly near the pe- riod of its commencement Many are not recorded. III. — Population. The population of the parish was in 1755, • 1998 1786, - 2500 1800, . 2350 1811, - 2709 1821, . 8026 183J, - 3268 Of the population in 1831, 1536 were males, and 1732 were females. Among the chief causes of the increase of population may be mentioned, the greater numbers which have been employed * Near Sanquhar Castle there was found about fifty years ago a stone with the following striking inscriptions : " Here lies the good Sir John Ross of Ryehill ; Here lies the good good Sir John Ross ; Here lies the good good good Sir John Ross.*' f Mr Robert Crichton, immediately after the birth of this his illustrious son, hav- ing sold Eliock to the fiimily of Dalziell, afterwards Earb of Carnwath, removed to Cluny, an estate which he had acquired in Perthshire. From this circumstance it has been erroneously supposed by some that the Admirable Crichton was born at Cluny. 1 SANQUHAR. 307 in the lead and coal mines, in the more extended cultivation of the land) and in the operations of a carpet-manufactory, — the success attending the inoculation of children with the cow-pox, — and the improYements in cleanliness and the manner of living, among the people. In 1831 the number of the population residing in the burgh part of the parish was 1527, in the landward part, 1741. Of this last mentioned number, 675 resided in the village of Wanlockhead. The number of unmarried men, bachelors, and widowers upwards of 50 years of age, •>«.••• 36 of unmarried women upwards of 45, . . . 177 of persons employed in agriculture as occupiers or labourers, 106 manufactures, retail trade and handicraft, 246 of professional and other educated men, - - - 24 of labourers not agricultural, - - ... S80 of proprietors of land of the yearly yalue of L. 50, • 5 llie yearly average of births for the last seven years, • • 100 of deaths for the same period, . - . 60 of marriages^ also for the same period, - - 23 No nobility reside in the parish, and very few individuals or fa- milies of independent fortune. The number of inhabited houses is 575. One only is build- ding. There are two persons insane or fatuous ; three blind. During the last three years there have been nine illegitimate births in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture, — Imp. acres. There are in the parish, either cultivated or occasionally in tillage, - 5563 never cultivated, and constantly waste or in pasture, 31530 capable of being cultivated with a profitable applica- tion of capital, ... . . 1500 in a state of undivided common, • . . 181 under wood, either natural or planted, - - 735 The general kinds of trees planted are Scotch and larch fir. X)f those which are indigenous, oak, birch, and hazel are the most common. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land per acre in the parish may be estimated at Ids. The average rent of grazing may be considered at the rate of L. 3 per ox or cow grazed, and at the rate of 4s. per ewe or full-grown sheep pastured for the year. The rate of labour, winter and summer, for different kinds of farm labourers is about 7s. 6d. per week. Stock. — The number of horses in the parish is computed to be 190, and of cattle 960, including in both all ages. There are 21,000 sheep. Of these 100 e^re of the Leicester; 2000 are of 308 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. the Cheviot ; and the remainder are of the black-faced, short woolled breed, which are commonly kept in this part of the country. They are all generally in good condition and well managed. Of late, several of the farmers, instead of smearing them with tar mixed with butter or palm oil, have poured on them the juice of broom and tobacco. By this new process, the wool is found to be greatly improved, nor has the health of the sheep suffered in so far as trial has yet been made. Draining^ ^c. — The extensive draining of the high and low lands which has now been effected has been found most beneficial for improving the grass and other crops in quantity and quality. The sheep and cattle are found also to thrive much better in conse- quence of this method. Leases — Mode of Husbandry. — The leases in general extend to nineteen years, and include in their articles the most approved methods of husbandry. They require, among other things, a re- gular rotation of different kinds of crop, wherever the soil admits of them. Farm-Buildinffs and Fences. — Many of the farm-buildings are not in the most desirable state, in respect of extent and conve- nience. In three years, however, about five-sevenths of the leases expire, when there is the prospect of the houses being rebuilt on the most approved plans, and put into the best condition. The enclosures and fences are generally in good order. One great obstacle to the cultivation of the land is the long distance which lime has to be carried, — a distance of eight, nine, or sixteen miles. Notwithstanding of t^is, however, a considerable quantity of lime is brought, and great improvements have been made in the cultiva- tion of the land, both in the manner of conducting it and the extent to which it has been carried. The management of stock also is now much better understood than formerly. Quarries. — Freestone quarries are opened up in many parts of the parish, but none to any great extent. The coal pits present nothing peculiar, in respect to the manner in which they are wrought. It may be mentioned that in smelting the lead-ore at Wanlock- head, a small quantity of lime in powder is mixed with it. Peat, coal, and charcoal are used as fuel. The operation of smelting, on account of the great heat of the furnace, is not found to be very favourable to the health of the persons immediately employed in it. The smoke which arises from the furnace is most destructive of animal life, and is carried off by a long flue. SANQUHAR^ 309 Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as can be ascertained, is estimated as follows : Produce of o«ts and barley » whether cultivated for food of man or the domestio anuDBlS) • • • • • Lto 4231 Of potatoes and tumipSy • • • . . 1200 Of hay, whether cultivated or meadow, . . . 1902 Of land in pasture, rating it at L. 3 per cow or full-grown ox, and at 48. per ewe, or full-grown sheep pastured for the year, . 6000 Produce of the annual thinning and periodical felling of woods, 400 Produce of mines, including coals, quarries, and lead, . . II, 015 Total yearly value of raw produce, L. 25,406 Carpet Manufactory. — A very extensive manufactory of carpets is carried on at the village of Crawick-mill. There are at work 30 looms of the newest and most approved construction, with all the other machinery required for preparing the yam, as dyeing, carding, spinning, warping, &c. The number of persons employ- ed in the work is as follows, — 62 men, 39 women, 12 boys, and 10 girls, in all 123. They work generally about ten hours per day, earn on an average 12s. per week, and appear to be in a comfort- able condition. They manufacture annually about 4000 stones Tron weight of wool, and 10,000 pounds of English worsted yams. Upwards of L. 2000 are paid to them yearly as wages. About 60,000 yards of carpeting are wrought by them during the same period, — which, sold at 2s. 3d. or 2s. lOd. per yard, according to quality, bring, at the medium between the two prices, L. 7625. Also, about 20,000 yards of tartan cloth are wrought annually in the town of Sanquhar by the Crawick-mill Carpet Company, which, sold, at an average, at Is. 4d. per yard, bring L. 1333. A few of the carpets are sold in the neighbourhood; some are sent for sale to London; but the greater part to North and South America, to Hamburgh and St Petersburgh. The Company who carry on this work are entitled to the gratitude of the community in general, but especially of the neighbourhood, for their enterprise and industry, the regularity with which all their business is managed, and the correctness of conduct which they require and encourage in their workmen. Cotton Weavers. — In the town of Sanquhar, there are about 100 cotton-weavers. The yarn is forwarded to them by manufacturers in Glasgow. The sewing and embroidering of muslin with cotton, by females, is carried on in the parish to a considerable extent About 300 are engaged in the employment. Their webs are sent also from Glasgow. The knitting of stockings and mittens was formerly a branch of manufacture of considerable extent in the parish, but is now al- 310 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. most entirely discontinued. The stockings were wrought in a pe- culiar manner on wires, — were mostly party-coloured, and of great variety in the pattern. V. — Parochial Economy. Totm, Villages^ Sfc* — The population of the town of Sanquhar amounts to 1400. The trade carried on in it is chiefly the weaving and sewing of muslin ; other articles made and sold are mostly for the use of the inhabitants there and in the neighbourhood, and consequently the trade in them is very limited. The public re- venue of the burgh amounts at present to about L. 40 yearly, and arises from imposts paid on different articles of merchandize and live stock brought within its boundaries, and from an uncultivat- ^ ed commonty of 181 acres. The coal mines in this commonty, and in the part which has been allotted to proprietors, though let and wrought, have yielded little or no revenue to the burgh for several years. The village of Crawick-mill is situated in the burgh part of the parish, about half a mile north-west from the town of Sanquhar, on the banks of the Crawick stream. It con- tains 124 inhabitants, and is in a thriving and prosperous state. The only other village in the parish is Wanlockhead, and is in the landward part. The number of the population there is 675. These are all either engaged in the lead mines, or in some way dependent upon them. It can scarcely be supposed that any would volunta- rily choose to reside there at so high an elevation. Means of Commtmicatian^ Sfc. — In the town of Sanquhar, are kept two post-chaises and one car for hire. There is also esta- blished in that place a post-office. Letters are dispatched and arrive to and from Thomhill on the south, and to and from old Cumnock on the west daily. The revenue annually is about L. 160. There are two turnpikes in the parish, and the length of the roads on which they are placed is 12 miles. About 9 miles of parish roads are also in a state of good repair. On the turn- pike road, there pass daily one coach from Glasgow to Carlisle, and another from Carlisle to Glasgow. There are eight bridges in the parish, or over streams at its boundaries, which are of consi- derable extent and in good repair. With the exception of two which are old, they have all been built within the last twelve years. One of them, which is over the Nith, is made of wood, and of a very ingenious construction, — on which horses with loaded carts pass with ease and safety. There are in the parish two carding, two corn and barley-mills. The sort of fence most common is the SANQUHAR. 311 Galloway stone dike, which is built wholly of dry stones, and generally from 4^ to 5J feet high. There are a few thorn hed- ges, but they are found not to suit well where sheep are graz- ed. Paling and wooden bars are also often used as fences. The bars are generally 6 feet long, 4 feet in height, when fastened in the ground, and being moveable are found highly useful where only a temporary fence is required. The parish is particularly fa- voured with the means of building stone dikes, as either sand or whinstone of good quality is found in every part of it in great abundance. The fences are generally in good repair. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is situated at the west end of the town of Sanquhar. It is not very centrically placed for the greater part of the population. It is of elegant architecture, and was built about eight years ago, on an elevated situation, which over- looks the valley between Sanquhar and KirkconneL The interior is highly convenient, and affords accommodation for 1000 sitters. The free sittings are about 60. The manse and o£Sces were built nearly at the same time with the church, are very commodious, and in good repair. The glebe extends to 19 acres, which may be valued at L. 2 per acre. The stipend is 18 chalders, one-half meal, and the other half barley. At Wanlockhead there is a chapel which accommodates 250 sitters. An ordained clergyman in connection with the Established Church preaches and dispenses the ordinances of religion there. It has no constitution as a chapel of ease, — but is properly a preaching station for the accommoda- tion of the miners. The stipend of the clergyman amounts on an average to L. 65 a year. Of this sum about one-third is paid by the proprietor of the mines, — and the remainder by the men who are employed in them. Every one engaged in the mines, who earns at least Is. per day, is bound to pay 4s. yearly, to the minister sta- tioned there. He is also provided with a dwelling-house, and a small piece of land. In the town of Sanquhar, there are two chapels in connection with the United Associate Secession church; and also one in which a few Anabaptists meet for divine worship. These three places of worship are supposed to contain about 900 sittings, A great proportion of those who sit there, probably the one-half, reside in this parish, and the other half in the surrounding parishes. The average number of communicants at the Established Church, including those who reside at Wanlockhead, is nearly 750, and of those who attend there, 1700. Divine service is generally well attended at the parish church, and in all the chapels. 312 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. The number of families in the parish attending the Established Church is 551; attending the Secession chapels and the chapel of the Anabaptists, 164. Societies. — A society is established in Sanquhar for Bible, Mis- sionary, and other religious purposes. Its annual income is about L. 30, — one-half of which is collected at church on a day previous- ly intimated, and the other half is contributed by the members of the society. Education. — The total number of schools in the parish is eight: of these, one is parochial, one is endowed, and the other six are unendowed. They are attended by about d20 scholars. Gram- mar, geography, book-keeping, Latin, Greek, and French are taught in several of them. The wages per quarter for each scho- lar vary from 2s. to 4s., according to the number of branches which are taught. The parochial teacher, by the liberality of the heritors, has much more than the legal accommodation, in regard to house-room, — having six apartments with cellars. He has also two spacious school-rooms, airy and well-lighted. His salary is the maximum, being fully L. 34; and the fees actually paid to him may amount to L. 15 per annum. He has, besides, the interest of L. 100, mortified by the late Rev David Martin, who was a native of this parish, and a clergyman in the church of England. The number of persons above fifteen who cannot read is 2. The num- ber under fifteen who cannot write is 396, and above fifteen 350. In some parts of the parish, the children are so distant from any of the public schools, that they are prevented from attending. In these circumstances, a teacher is generally engaged by one or a few families residing near each other, and not unfrequently one or other of the parents assumes this office, when unable to make any better provision for their children. Libraries, — In the town of Sanquhar, there is a subscription library, consisting of books, for the most part, of useful knowledge. It was commenced in 1800, and contains 1460 volumes. The number of members is 178. The annual payment of each is 4s. and the sum paid on admission 10s. 6d. So many have given in- timation of baring demitted to read for the present, probably on account of the pressure of the times — that not more than L. 26 may be considered as the amount of the whole sum paid during the year. At Wanlockhead there is also a subscription library. It was commenced in 1756. The number of members is 105, who can now number 1300 volumes, which in general are well chosen. SANQUHAR. 313 It was begun, and is supported almost entirely by, the miners and other inhabitants in that village, and has contributed much to pro- mote the intelligence for which they have long been distinguished. Each member pays on admission, 5s. and annually 2s. The annual amount of the sums received is L.10, 18s. In both of these libraries, some of the most esteemed periodical publications are regularly re- ceived. The opportunities for reading thus so abundantly afforded in both divisions of the parish, have been of great service for the religious, moral, and intellectual improvement of the inhabitants. Savings Bank. — A savings bank was established in the town of Saiiquhar in 1819. The amount invested yearly on an average of the kst three years is L. 1175, 10s. 6d. The average amount yearly withdrawn for the same time is L. 1158, 9s. The total amount now lodged is nearly L. 5000. Investments are generally made by servants, labourers and tradesmen. Poor. — The number of persons receiving parochial aid is about 50, and the average sum allotted to each is about L. 1, except when under sickness. The annual amount of contributions for their relief, under the management of the kirk-session, is L. 70, of which sum about one-half arises from church collections, and the other half from voluntary contributions, interest of money, and dues col- lected by the kirk-session. The heritors have not yet been called upon to make any legal provision for the poor. Few solicit paro- chial relief, except from necessity. The more wealthy parishioners generally manifest a charitable disposition, which produces a reci- procal good feeling in the poor, and excites them to make exertions for supporting themselves by their own industry. Jailf 4rc. — The jail in Sanquhar has three apartments for pri- soners, and is far from being in a secure state. Debtors are some- times confined in it for a few weeks, but such as are lodged for cri- minal offences are sent off as soon as convenient to the jail at Dum- fries. Four fairs are held annually at the town of Sanquhar, at regular intervals. These have been continued for ^ long period, but they are now merely nominal ; for few persons attend, and little business is done. There are also yearly a shew of sheep, and three cattle markets, which are tolerably well attended. They have been but recently established, and promise to be of considerable utility. Inns, %c. — There are in the parish twenty-one houses in which spirituous or malt liquors are sold by license, the effects of which on the morals of the people are far from being salutary. Coal DUMFRIES. X 314 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. is almost the only sort of fuel which is used in the parish, except in the remote parts, where peat is easily procured, and the carriage of coal is long and difficult. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the period when the last Statistical Account was written, very considerable and important changes have taken place. Stock of all kinds, but especially sheep and cattle, have been improved. A much greater extent of land is in cultivation, and that too cul- tivated in a more judicious manner. Such a quantity of grain and other kinds of produce is now raised in this district of coun- try, as to be sufficient for the supply of the inhabitants. The great distance from lime, it must however be acknowledged, is a great bar to the farther breaking up of waste land, or the successful cul- tivation of what has already been broken up. Manufactures have also been considerably increased during the last forty years; but are far from being yet carried to the extent to which they might be carried with advantage. The banks of the streams afford many eligible situations for impelling machinery by water. Coal and stone for building are cheap and abundant It must be allowed, however, that the possession of the land by few proprietors is not fa- vourable to the calling forth of a spirit of enterprise, however great may be the natural advantages. The distance from water carriage, and the thinly peopled state of the country, are also obstacles to the extensive establishment of manufactures in this parish, which do not exist in many other districts of the country. October 1835. PARISH OF KIRKCONNEL. PRESBYTERY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JAMES RICHARDSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — Chalmers, in his Caledonia, derives the name of this parish from the saint to whom the church was dedicated ; and the name Conel he considers as an abbreviation or corruption of Con- gel. RIRKCONNEL. 315 Extent^ BouTidaries. — The parish is bounded on the W. and N. W. by the parishes of New Cumnock and Auchinleck, in the county of Ayr ; on the N. and N. E. by the parish of Crawford- john, in the county of Lanark ; on the S. S. E. and S. W. by the parish of Sanquhar. From east to west, the parish extends about 8 miles, and from north to south, not less than 15 miles. Topographical Appearances, — On the right and left banks of the river Nith, there is a continued range of hills, irregularly formed, and of considerable height, distant from the river on each side about two or three miles, and affording excellent sheep pasture ; many of them capable of cultivation almost to the top. Upon crossing the ridge of these hills to the north and south, the soil becomes cold and swampy, or consists of a peat-moss covered with grass and heath, intersected by narrow valleys, deep ravines and winding rivu- lets. From the base of these hills towards the river, on both sides, there is a gentle slope. From the elevated situation of this parish, and the number and height of its hills, one might expect a moist and cold air, with late harvests and early frosts. The extensive draining, however, of the hill pasture, and the agricultural improvements which for a long time past have been going on, have completely prevented these ef- fects. The soil under cultivation is much diversified. It consists partly of a light gravelly mould, loam, clay, or mixture of moss and clay, and deep rich soil, especially on the holm lands upon the banks of the rivers. Minerals. — This parish abounds with coal of the very best de- scription, which some years ago was wrought to a considerable ex- tent ; but, with the exception of one coal pit for smith work, the present tacksman has removed his coal operations to the parish of Sanquhar, which is nearer the seat of general demand. Several beds of lime and ironstone have been found in the parish ; but no attempt of any consequence has been made to ascertain how far it would be profitable to proceed. Mineral Waters, — There are two mineral wells in this parish upon a farm called Rigg- The one is said to be of the same quality as the Kirkland spaw in Galloway ; and the other, called Riggburn, resembles Hartfield spaw near Moffat : but, in both instances, tKe water of this parish is the stronger. These wells are little re- sorted to, because they have been much neglected : but the water is often sent to very distant parts of the country. 316 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. 11. — Civil History. Eminent Men. — The late venerable and highly esteemed George Jardine, Esq. Professor of Logic in the University of Glasgow, was for a short time, in early life, parochial schoolmaster of Kirkcon- nel. The session minutes under his hand bear date 1759. A few years previous to his death, he visited this scene of his early la- bours, and such of his old friends as were then alive. He be- queathed for the behoof of the schoolmaster of Kirkconnel, in all time coming, the sum of L. 50, the interest of which was to be paid to him, and the capital laid out on the most advantageous terms.* Antiquities^ S^c. — Of antiquities or natural curiosities, this parish cannot boast much, — except baptismal font stones, which are found in diflferent parts. It is said that St Connel, who built the kirks of Kirkbride and Kirkconnel, was buried on the top of that range of hills called Glenwhurry ; but the writer never could discover the smallest vestige of the saint's grave. In the parish, there are se- veral cairns of stone, — some of which have been removed^for the purpose of building stone dikes, to save the expense of quarrying, and were found to contain a quantity of human bones f. III. — Population. In 1 755, the population amounted to - - . 899 At the time of the last Statistical Account, - 1000 In 1811, 1099 1821, 1100 1831, 1111 The small increase of population during the periods above stated has in a great measure arisen from the recent division of the parish into more extensive farms, than formerly,— one farmer now occupy- ing the land which perhaps had been held by eight or ten farm- ers. The whole village holds of the Duke of Buccleuch ; but, no building feus having been granted, every householder is a tenant at will : he pays a small annual rent, and remains in undisturbed possession. * Archibald Macnab, Esq. merchant, laid out a considerable sum in improring and beautifying a small property in this pari^ which had belonged to his ancestors. During the greatest part of his life he was much engaged in mercantile transactions in Germany. While in the execution of his plans, he was overtaken by a storm, and perill- ed in the Elbe during the late war. In this part of the country, he was much and deservedly respected, and the small property of Holm, which belonged to him was sold and purchased by His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch. ■f A few years ago, when a road-maker was levelling down the sides of a gravel pit upon a very small knoll, about 200 yards west from the bridge which is thrown over the river Nith at Kirkconnel village, he came upon an earthen urn of Roman fabric, filled with human bones, which, upon being exposed to the air, were reduced to powder. The urn was broken to several pieces before he was aware. KIRKCONNEU 317 R. P. 6,091 1 10 542 14 18,511 25 104 2 19 178 3 22 12 3 22 48 37 25,489 39 Character of the People, — The people of this parish, in general, are sober and industrious. Their character cannot be more ac- curately described than in the words of my late respected prede- cessor in his Statistical Account. ^^ They are acute, deliberate, cool, steady, serious, and well acquainted with the principles of Christianity." In no case have they ever, even in turbulent times, manifested a turbulent spirit ; they have always shewn a loyal dis- position, and a readiness to submit to the laws of their country. IV. — Industry. By a late measurement, the number of acres belonging to His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry in this parish is as under, viz. A. Arable, • Low pasture, • IliJl pasture, • Meadow, Under wood. In roads, Occupied by bouses. The property of the other heritors in this parish does not ex- ceed 1000 acres in extent ; of which, from 300 to 400 are arable. Husbandry. — Aregular rotation of crop is observed by the tenants, in terms of their leases. An iron plough upon an improved plan is generally^used. For seed, the red and early Angus oat is em- ployed ; and sometimes the potato oat is sown where the soil is considered suitable. Barley and wheat are seldom sown, on account of the great distance from a regular market. Sowing generally commences in the month of March, or as soon after as the weather permits. Harvest is generally finished by the middle of Septem- ber, and sometimes by the end of August. Upon each acre of green crop, the farmer generally lays down from thirty-five to sixty bolls of lime, with a proportional quantity of manure, such as the land requii*es ; and frequently, before breaking up pasture land, it is limed at the same vate ; and for every Scotch acre, eight bushels of seed oats are allowed. The expense of ploughing, sowing and harrowing an acre of land, amounts to about 15?. ; of weeding, reaping, carting home, thrashing, cleaning and carrying the produce to market, L.1, i4s.6d.; and for tear and wear of farming utensils for do. annually, 6s. The average produce of an acre of land is about thirty-eight bushels. Cattle, — The cows which are kept for dairy purposes are all of 318 DUMFRIES-'SHIRE. the Ayrshire or Cunningham breed, and amount to about 560. Up- on good pasture, each cow is expected to produce from sixteen to eighteen stones of what is usually called Dunlop cheese; but, as the pasture varies, the average may be fixed at twelve stones per cow. During the last eight years, cheese of the above description has varied in price from 7s. 6d. to 9s. 6d. per stone. The num- ber of followers or young cows is about 160, of which 113 are usu- ally reserved for keeping up the stock, and the remainder sold to dealers from the south, when rising three years old. About 1 13 cows are either stall fed for the butcher, or sold as early calvers to cowfeeders ; or such as answer the purpose are kept through win- ter, and fed on grass the following summer for the butcher. Every milk cow, in many parts of this parish, requires from two to three acres of pasture, where the land has not been properly laid down, — also house feeding, which consists of clover and tares in the season, and turnips in autumn and at the end of the year. Dur- ing winter, each cow requires not less than 160 stones of hay, ge- nerally meadow. From the extensive agricultural improvements which have been made and are still going on in this parish, few or none of the west Highlanders or Galloway breed of cattle are grazed or fed in this parish for the English market as formerly. Sheep. — Most of the farms in this parish have a great quantity of hill pasture as well as arable land. The hills are stocked with sheep of the black-faced breed, — these being found more suitable for the climate than any other. Upon an average, the number of sheep kept in this parish, on the different farms, amounts to from 11,000 to 12,000. The number of lambs reared annually is about 7000, — of which 2000 are reserved for keeping up the stock, and the remainder carried to market, the average price of which, for seven years immediately preceding 1834, amounted to about L.5 per score; and the price of sheep for the above period, about L. 1 1 per score. Every score of sheep generally produces fpur stones of wool, which was sold, during the years stated, at 7s. per stone; but, in 1834, wool was greatly in demand, and prices exceedingly high and much beyond the real value. Every 600 sheep require a shepherd, who is generally allowed a certain number of sheep as part of his wages ; and such shepherds as are married, and do not live in the houses of their employers, are allowed, besides a number of sheep, pasture fot one or two cows, a house, and a certain quantity of meal, — which in all may amount RIRKCONNEL. 319 to nearly L. 30 per annum. The expense of smearing a score of sheep may be about 5s, and pasturage L. 4 per annum. Rental — Heritors, 8fc. — The rental of the property in this parish of the Duke of Buccleuch (who is nearly the sole proprietor) amounts to L. 4 160, 7s. 6^d ; that of the other heritors, (who are only four in number,) does not exceed L. 450.* The total valuation of the parish is 6964 merks Scots. Employments — Wages, — With a very few exceptions, the working classes of the community are mostly employed in agricultural pur- suits or as day labourers. A few families are employed in working coals in the adjoining parish, and may earn from Is. 8d. to 2s. per day. The latter are sober, industrious, well-behaved, and well-in- formed, and by no means of that description of character which is generally ascribed to their craft. As the time employed in their mining operations is not above six hours, they generally spend their spare hours either in reading, or in working where they can find employment, in order to add a little more to their gains for the sup- port of their families. There are the following trades in the parish: masons, 2; tailors, 6; shoemakers, 4; weavers, 15; stone-dikers, 6; blacksmiths, 10 ; house-carpenters, 4 ; corn-miller, 1 ; innkeepers, 5 ; flesher, 1 ; merchant, 1 ; cooper, 1. There are no public works of any description within the parish, except an iron-plating forge, upon a very small scale, and employ- ing about eight or ten men in its various departments. Produce, — The average gross amount of raw produce yearly raised in the parish, as nearly as that can be ascertained, is as follows : Produce of grain of all kinds, including fodder, deducting seed, Of potatoes, turnips, 6cc. .... Ofhay, .... Dairy produce, . . . Sheepy wool, and 1 tixibs, young cattle. Gardens and orchards, . ... Total yearly value of produce, L. 17,562 V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communicatiofi. — The roads are in a good state of repair ; but bridges are much wanted on the great public road in the upper district of this parish. A public coach runs daily through this parish from Glasgow to Carlisle, and from Carlisle to Glas- * A small portion of land, not amounting to more than three-fourths of an acre, was held under charter so far back as the year 1444; the reddendum of which " unus solidus monetae rcgni Scotis," is to be paid " ministro ministranti ad altare beatse Yirginis;" and afterwards by clare constat from Lord William Cricbton of Sanquhar to the mi- nister of the parish and hb successor in office. L.7830 1880 1292 2800 «i2&0 480 320 DUMFRIKS-SUIRE. gow, which both enlivens the country, and affords great accommoda- tion to the inhabitants of this district engaged in business, — ^as, by means of it, they can have daily access to any part of the kingdom. There is also a regular post daily from the south in the morning, and from the west in the afternoon. The letter-car- rier goes from Sanquhar, the post-town, to old Cunmock, every morning; and leaves the letter-bag at Kirkconnel in passing; and upon returning from Cumnock to Sanquhar he delivers his letter-bag here, and takes the post-bag for |he departure of the post from Sanquhar to Dumfries. The present arrangement is good ; but, were a mail-coach to start from Dumfries via Thorn- hill, Sanquhar, Kirkconnel, New and Old Cumnocks, Ochiltree, Ayr, and Kilmarnock, there is every reason to believe the contrac- tors would be indemnified for their expense, and that district of country would receive much benefit Ecclesiastical State. — Of this parish His Grace the Duke of Buc- cleuch and Queensberry is patron.* The stipend amounts to 15 chalders, at the county fiars' conversion, one-half meal and one-half barley, together with L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. The glebe is of considerable extent, but of very inferior soil in many places ; and part of it is liable to be flooded in winter, by the melt- ing of snow from the overflowing of the Nith. There is abun- dance of free teinds. f The only Dissenters in the parish from our national church are Presbyterians under the different demoninations of Cameronians and United Secession; — of the former, there are only two families, and * Chalmers, in his Caledonia, states, that the church of Kirkconnel at one time be- longed to the abbot and monks of Holywood, who held the rectorial revenues to their own use, and a vicarage was established for the service of the church. In Bagimont*s Roll, as it stood in the reign of James, the vicarage of Kirkconnel, in the deanery of Nith, was taxed with L. 5, 6s. 8d. At the epoch of the Rcfbmation, the rectorial re- venues of the church of Kirkconnel were held by Lord Crichton of Sanquhar for the payment of the small sum h. 20 (Scots) yearly, to the abbots and monks of Ho- lywood. Small, however, as this sum was, his Lordship withheld it for many years, and they were unable to enforce payment. After the Reformation the patronage and tithes of the church of Kirkconnel, with the other property of Holywood Abbey, were vested in the King, by the general annexation act, and granted to John Murray of LochmabeOf Act Pari. iv. 575 ��� 665. In the reign of Charles II. the patronage of Kirkconnel was transferred to the Duke of Queensberry, and, upon the death of the last Duke William, came with a very princely property and title into the Noble &mily of Buccleuch. i* It appears that Mr John Carmichael was ejected from his charge of this parish in 1662, when Episcopacy was violently obtruded upon this kingdom. In the year 1681, Mr Samuel Moat, the Episcopal incumbent, was also oblig«i to leave his charge^ because he could not take the oath required by the Test Act. From that period, the vacancy was protracted until the year 1732. llie present church was built in the year 1729, and removed nearly two miles south from the site of the old church, being more centrical and convenient for the parish. Mr Peter Rae, then minister of Kirkbride^ within the presbytery of Pont, was admitted minister of Kirkconnel, and the parish of Kirkbridc suppressed> and divided betwixt the parishes of Sanquhar and Durisdeer. KIRKCONNEL. 321 of the latter, six or seven. The inhabitants are much attached to the Established Church, and are a church-going people. A few years after the induction of the present inciunbent, which took place in I8O39 the present church was considerably enlarged for the accommodation of the villagers. Since that time, the church, manse, and offices have undergone complete repair, and at present, perhaps, there is not a more comfortable place of worship within the county. The offices were rebuilt, and are in good condition. Education. — Besides the parochial, there are at present several private schools in the parish ; and the number of scholars who at- tend these different seminaries, and were present at the annual examination, amounted to 159 : but the average number during the year may amount to 170. The branches of education taught are only English, writing, and arithmetic The Scriptures are regular- ly read, and the children daily repeat the Shorter and other Ca- techisms usually taught in schools ; and weekly, they recite portions of Scripture. The salary of the parochial schoolmaster is the minimum, with a good house and garden ; he has, besides, the in- terest of different small sums of money, for which he is to teach one or two orphan children when any are in the parish, or such whose parents are so indigent as not to be able to pay the school fees, which are extremely moderate. The fees which he actually receives may amount to L. 30 per annum. Poor. — The most necessitous of the poor receive some supply in aid of their own industry, from the weekly collections made in the church, which annually amount to from L. 16 to L. 20. This, together with a small sum laid out at interest, is all that can be calculated upon for their relief. There is no assesment for paro- chial relief, nor is there any occasion for it The farmers are ex- tremely attentive to the poor, by occasionally sending meal and potatoes to be distributed by the session among them ; and the heritors occasionally send donations for the same purpose.* The * In the year ]817f when markets were very high and provisions scarce — and when many of the hibouring class, from the rate of wages, were unable to procure support for Uiemselves and fiimilies, a parochial subscription was voluntarily entered into, aided by the reudent and non-resident heritors; by means of which, a fund was rais- ed to a considerable amount, with which provisions were purchased, at a considerable distance, by fisumers in the parish, and brought by them free of expense. Such of them as had any stock of meal or potatoes for sale, reserved the same for the behoof of the parish. By this means, a store of provisions was formed; and a committee of management was appointed, who met weekly to consider the cases of the applicants; and from the representations laid before them, instructed their store-keeper to give out a certain quantity of provisions gratis, to the most necessitous ; to others at re- duced prices, according to their circumstances ; and such as could afford to pay re- ceived the article at prime cost, llie quantity of meal served out and sold, as above stated, amounted to 1950 stones, (besides potatoes and pot-barley,) within the space of 322 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. average number of persons receiving parochial aid is 10; and the average yearly allowance to each L. 1, 4s, Miscellaneous Observations. In the former Statistical Account of this parish, it is stated, that there were then not 700 acres under the plough ; and now there are no less than 6391 acres, 1 rood, 10 poles, fit for every purpose of husbandry. Still, however, there is a great want of shelter and enclosures with belts of planting judiciously laid down. In the measurement of his Grace's property in this parish, it is stated that there are upwards of 178 acres under wood; but that wood consists chiefly of brush and sproutings of trees formerly cut down, and is confined to the sides of deep ravines and the banks of the different rivers. The valuable part of the wood, many years ago, was set up to public sale by order of the late William Duke of Queensberry; and the purchasers were not required, by the arti- cles of sale, to enclose the wood, so as to preserve the young shoots from being destroyed by the sheep or black cattle. No doubt, in some places, these young shoots have got the superiority over their enemies ; yet there is not a single tree of any considerable value within that portion of this parish which originally belonged to his Grace. The present Noble proprietor, however, has done much, and is still going on improving his princely property in Nithsdale, by planting, draining, and enclosing, and by erecting commodious farm-houses and offices to his numerous tenants. These improve- ments first commenced near his own residence atDrumlanrig Castle; but, from the great progress which has been made, there is every reason to hope that his Grace will soon carry them into this upper district; and, when these are once completed, it may be safely asserted, that there will be few more pleasant country districts, or more delightful tours than from Dumfries by the bank of the Nith to New Cumnock in Ayrshire. More than twenty miles of that road, without intersection, passes through his Grace's property. When these improvements shall have been completed, many of the disadvantages arising from an unfriendly climate will be removed. For the advancement of agriculture, every facility is afforded by good roads, and a constant supply of lime from Ayrshire, about six miles distant from the centre of this parish. In the north-east district, there is a regular supply of lime during summer from the farm of six months, the time required. In consequence of this plan, the needy were well supplied with wholesome food, and, upon closing the whole concern, the sum neces- sary for reducing the price of provisions was found to be not much to every individual contributor. 3 DURISDEER. 323 Whitecleuch, parish of Crawfordjohn, which adjoins the parish of Kirkconnel. The road to that limework, at present, is not in good repair ; but in the course of a few years, it is expected that that district of the parish will be completely opened up with excellent roads, sufficient to convey the mail-coach and carriages of every description from Portpatrick to Edinburgh and Glasgow, by con- necting it with a new line of road already made in Galloway. From the survey and measurement taken, it is said, that the above line will shorten the distance about thirty miles. October 1835. • PARISH OF DURISDEER. PRESBYTERY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY. THE REV. GEORGE WALLACE, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name^ Sfc. — Durisdeer probably derives its name from Duris, which signifies a door, and deer, a forest, — so that Durisdeer may mean the door of the forest, or the opening to and from the forest. It is well known that this district was in former times entirely co- vered with wood. Extent — Boundaries, ��� The parish is fully 8 miles in length ; about 6 in breadth ; and contains 28^ square miles. It is bound- ed on the N. W. by the parish of Sanquhar ; on the S. W. and W. by the parish of Penpont ; on the N. N. E. and E. by the parish of Crawford ; and on the S. and S. E. by the parish of Morton. Topographical Appearances. — On the east side of the parish, next the march of Clydesdale, there is one range of mountains which nms from the N. E. towards the S. by the S. W. The highesti point of the range is the Lowthers, which is 3130 feet above the level of the sea. The temperature of the atmosphere is rather cold. The climate is generally dry, and consequently healthy. Besides the Nith, which runs through this parish, there arc five considerable burns or waters in the parish, viz. the Enterkin, the Carron, the Hapland, the Maarburn, and the burn at Crarie Knoll. The rocks of which the hills are composed, are commonly called whiny the greywacke of geologists ; and the plain or low land is of 324 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. sandstone of a red colour, and very soft The soil in general is deep and fertile, in many places inclining to a reddish colour. There is some wet heavy land, but in general it is dry, and in some places gravelly and sandy ; the greatest part is of a loamy nature. 11. — Civil History. Ancient Families. — Mr Crawford, in his History of the Family of Stuart, tells us, that James, High Steward of Scotland, was mar- ried to Dunbar, daughter to the Earl of March, then one of the most potent families in Scotland, by whom he had Walter, his son and heir, and James, who obtained from King Robert Bruce the barony of Durisdeer. It was afterwards possessed by one of that name, who is designed Sir Robert Stuart of Durisdeer ; but what relation he bore to the said James, whether he was lineally de- scended from him, or was only a singular successor, is uncertain. Indeed, Sir James Dalrymple, in his Collection, says, I think this ^' Sir Robert hath been the son of James Stuart, formerly men- tioned, for I find a charter by King Robert II. to Robert Stuart of Inermath of the barony of Durisdeer." The family of Rosyth was lineally descended from the said James Stuart Their mansion- house was the Castlehill, which appears to have been a very strong place, especially before the use of fire-arms. It was situated at the bottom of a steep hill, on the north-east, and had a deep fosse on the south-west side, and could easily have been surrounded with water ; and therefore most probably it was built by the government for public service, in defence of the country against its enemies, especially against the English *. Immediately before the place went into the family of Queensberry, it belonged to Meuzies of Castlehill. Family of Queensberry, — The first charter of the family of Queensberry was granted by James Earl of Douglas, 'Lord of Lid- desdale and Drumlanrig, to William Douglas, his son, in which he gives him the hail lands and barony of Drumlanrig, to be holden ^blench of his Lordship, for serving as a knight in his army. This charter is sealed but not dated; — wherefore, after the said Earl's de- cease, John Swinton Lord of Mar, and Margaret Countess of Dou- glas and Mar, his'spouse, by their letter on parchment, dated the 5th of December 1389, with one consent and assent, promise never to * Hector Boetius, in his History of Scotland, mentions, that when King David Bruce, who had been taken at the battle of Durham, and kept nearly eleven years prisoner in England, was ransomed and restored, this castle of Durisdeer, as also the castles of Dumfries, Dalswinton, and Morton were, upon a paction betwixt the Eng- lish and Scots, demolished, because they were found troublesome to the Englisli. 4 OURISOEER. 325 quarrel nor trouble the said William Douglas, son to the said um- qulill Earl, in his possession of the lands and barony of Drumlan- rig. There is also a charter or letter of confirmation, dated Croy- don, the last day of November 1412, written by King James the First, under his seal or signet, confirming to Sir William Douglas of Drumlanrig, Knight, all the lands he was possessed and charter- ed of. The privy-council of Scotland confirmed this charter in favour of William Earl of Queensberry and his heirs, by their act, dated at Edinburgh the 2d day of February 1639. The first of this family who arrived at the degree of nobility or'peer- age was William, the eldest son of Sir James Douglas of Drum- lanrig, Knight. Upon the 20th of July fOOd, he married Lady Isobel, daughter of Mark Lord Newbattle, by whom he had three sons and a daughter. This William, upon a commission from the Chancery in the year 1615, was served heir to three of his predecessors, who were knights. Sir James Douglas his father, Sir William his grandfather, and Sir James his great-grandfather. By a patent, dated 1st April 1628, he was created Viscount of Drumlanrig, and Lord Douglas of Hawick and Tibbers. And by another patent, 13th June 1633, he was created Earl of Queensberry, Viscount of Drumlanrig, Lord Douglas of Hawick and Tibbers. And by a charter under the Great Seal of Scotland, dated 7th July 1636, in the twelfth year of King Charles the First, in favour of William Earl of Queens- berry in liferent, and James Lord Drumlanrig, his son and his heirs in fee, of the earldom and estates of Queensberry, the same are of new erected into one whole and free earldom, lordship, barony, regality, &c to be called then and in all time thereafter the Earl- dom of Queensberry and Lordship of Drumlanrig. James, the Second Earl of Queensberry, upon the 3d June 1630, married Lady Mary Hamilton, who, shortly after, died with- out issue. He was married again on the 26th March 1635, to Lady Margaret Stuart, daughter of John the great Earl of Tra- quair, by whom he had two sons and five daughters. William, the third Earl of Queensberry, upon the 8th of October 1657, married Lady Isobel Douglas, daughter of William Marquis of Douglas, by whom he had three sons and a daughter. By a patent, dated the 11th of February 1682, he was created Marquis of Queensberry, Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar, Vis- count of Nith, Torthorwald, and Ross, Lord Douglas of Kinmount, Middlebie, and Domock ; and by another patent, 3d November J 326 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. 1684, he was created Duke of Queensberry, Marquis of Dum- fries-shire, Earl of Druralanrig and Sanquhar, Viscount of Nith, Torthorwald, and Ross, Lord Douglas of Kinmount, Middlebie, and Dornock. Duke William died at Edinburgh 1695. James, the Second Duke of Queensberry, married lady Mary Boyle, daughter of the Earl of Burlington, by whom he had three sons. He was honoured by Queen Anne to be her Majesty's High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland, which agreed upon the articles of Union with England, anno 1707; and by her he was afterwards created Duke of Dover, Marquis of Beverly, and Baron of Rippon. He died at London the 6th of July 171 L Charles, the third Duke of Queensberry and second of Dover, (born at Edinburgh 1700,) married Lady Catherine Hyde, daughter of Henry Earl of Rochester, by whom he had two sons and a daugh- ter. Duke Charles died on the 22d October 1778, without any issue surviving him, and was succeeded by William Earl of March, who enjoyed his property and titles till his death in 1810, when the Duke of Buccleuch succeeded as heir of line and entail. Family ofMenzies of Enoch. — Among the ancient families in the parish of Durisdeer, that of Menzies of Enock is considerable* The barony of Enock lies on the east of Drumlanrig, betwixt Nith and Carron ; and the mansion-house stood on a point of the ground betwixt a deep ravine and Carron. On the lintel of the gateway was carved the year 1281. James Menzies of Enock was married to Catherine Douglas, daughter of Colonel William Douglas, second son of William Douglas, the first Earl of Queensberry. He dis- poned to his eldest son James, who had then got a captain's com- mission, the barony of Enock, with the reservation of his own and his lady's liferent of some part of it ; and his son Captain James sold it to James Duke of Queensberry anno 1703^ and bought the estate of Stenhouse. Family of Hunter of Balagan. — Another ancient family in this parish was that of Hunter of Balagan, (who was also proprietor of Drumcroul, and some say of Auchensel.) The house stood two miles north-west from Drumlanrig, on the west side of the Maar- burn. As to the antiquity of this family, it is reported, with what truth I know not, that, when King Robert Bruce was lying with the Scottish army near Glenwharne, and the English army at the moat in Balagan Holm, a man named Hunter, carrying a trumpet, and another, named M^Gachen, bearing a pair of colours, came from the Scotch army to the head of the glen called Balagan ; DURISOEER. 327 and that the one blew his trumpet, and the other flourished his co- lours in sight of the English army, who, apprehending that the Scottish force were immediately upon them, were so much affright- ed, that they fled out of the country. For which achievement, King Robert gave Hunter the lands of Balagan, and to M^Gachen the lands of Dalwhat. If this tradition be true, the family of Bala- gan would appear to be a very old one. The last of them, it is said, usually contended with James Menzies of Enock for prece- dency. But the family is now extinct It terminated with three daughters, one of whom was married to Hunter, of Polmood, in Tweeddale ; another to James Graham, of Shaw, in the parish of Hutton, in Annandale ; and the third to William Charteris, of Brigmoor, Commissary of Dumfries. Families of Douglas ofDalveen and Douglas ofCa^shogle, — Two other ancient families who bad their estates and residences in the parish of Durisdeer, were Douglas of Dalveen and Douglas of Cash- ogle. They were both cadets of the house of Drumlanrig. All these lands are now in the possession of the noble family of Queens- berry. There are only three other land-owners in the parish ; and their properties are small. Parochial Register, — The date of the earliest entry in the parish register is 20th July 1758. It was formerly kept very irregularly. Antiquities. — About a mile above the church, in the wall path, there are the vestiges of a Roman camp, which appears to have been a summer station connected with the great one at Tibbers, to guard the pass from Lanarkshire. A Roman road passed along the wall path referred to into Crawford moor to Biggar. The castle of Drumlanrig, built about the end of the seventeenth century, is the only mansion-house, if so it may be called, in the parish. III. — Population. Population in 180] , . 1 148 1811, . 1429 1821, . 1601 1831, • 1488 The population residing in the village \b, . . • 126 And in the country, ... . • 1362 The yearly average of births is, . • . • 34 of deaths, . • • • • 12 of marriages, . • . • ^ • 10 Number of individuals of independent fortune residing in the parish, . 3 proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards, . 2 unmarried men upvrards of 50 years of age, • • 10 women upwards of 46, . • • 37 328 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Numberof families in the parish, . . . .291 persons employed in agriculture, as occupiers or labourers, 164 manufijctures, retail trade, or handicraft, 60 other educated men, . t • • 10 There is one insane person, two fatuous, one blind, and one deaf and dumb. There have been three illegitimate births in the parish during the last three years. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy, — Number of acres in the parish, cultivated or occasionally in tillage, - 7^96 never cultivated, being hill pasture, - d554 under wood, 500 of vhich are natural, - 2000 All kinds of trees are planted, but principally hard wood, and they are so arranged that in the thinning they shall finally consist of oak only. Rent of Land, ^c. — L. 1 is the average rent of arable land. The rent of grazing an ox or cow is L. 4 ; and a ewe or full-grown sheep 4s. for the year. Stock, 4*^. — The conmion breeds of sheep are the black-faced; and of cattle, the Galloway. The duration of leases is nineteen years. The farm-buildings are good, having been built within the last two years ; and the enclosures are now in the course of being rebuilt There are no quarries but such as have been opened for the material to build farm-steadings : the stone is in general red sand- stone, very soft ; in one or two instances it is white and much harder. Produce. — The gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish is as follows : Grain, - - - - L 6895 Potatoes and turnips, - 1921 Hay, meadow and cultivated, - 3373 In pasture, ... 2865 Annual thinning of plantations, 200 Total yearly value of produce, - L. 15254 V. — Parochial Economy. Marhet'-Toums, ^c.*- There are no market or other towns in the parish. The nearest is Dumfries, which is twenty miles distant There is only one village. No post-office. The length of turnpike roads in the parish is six miles. One stage-coach travels through the parish to Glasgow every lawful day, and one to Edinburgh three times a-week. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is very inconveniently situated, being on the very east side of the parish. It was built in 1720, and is not at present in a good state of repair. It affords DURISDEER. 329 accommodation for 350 persons, and all the sittings are free. The manse was built in 1763^ and repaired partially in 1826. The extent of the glebe is 22 acres, and, with the manse and garden, may be L. 30 per annum in value. The stipend is 15 chalders of victual, one-half meal, the other barley, with L. 100 Scots for communion elements. The average amount of the stipend yearly is L. 240. The number of families attending the Established Church is 206, and divine service is in general well attended. The average number of communicants is 260. The number of fami- lies attending the chapel of Dissenters and Seceders is 85. Education, — There are two parochial schools and two private : branches taught are, Latin and Greek, English, writing, arith- metic, and book-keeping. The salaries of the parochial teachers are, L. 30, Is. 6d and L. 24, 12s. and the yearly amount of fees paid to each may be Li 10. One of the parochial schoolmasters has the legal accommodations ; the other has neither a dwelling- house nor school-house. Poor. — There are, at present, 17 persons receiving parochial aid. The highest sum allowed per annum is L. 4, and the lowest L. 1. The annual amount for the support of the poor is L. 40 ; of which sum L. 24 arise from church collections, and the remainder from mortifications for the behoof of the poor. A disposition to refrain from seeking parochial relief certainly prevails. Jftfu, Sfc* — There are five houses licensed to sell spirits. Fuel, — Coal is principally used for fue^kthough some occasion- ally use peat The coal is procured at Sanquhar, at 7s. or Ss. per cart load — about ten hundred weight Miscellaneous Observations. The improved mode of agriculture, the new farm-steadings, the enclosures, and the increased facilities of internal communication by roads and bridges, are the most striking differences betwixt the present state of the parish and that which existed at the time of the former Statistical Account October 1835. DUMFRIES. PARISH OF GLENCAIRN. PRESBYTERY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JOHN BROWN, MINISTER. 1. — Topography and Natural History. Namey Boundaries^ S^c. — Glencairn, whose ancient orthogra- phy was Glencame, seems to be compounded of GZen, which in the Erse signifies a valley, and Catm, a collection of stones ; the name corresponds exactly with the appearance of the parish, and seems to refer to the great hollow along which the river flows. The parish is about 15 miles long, and about 3^ miles broad, and consequently extends to 52^ square miles. It is bounded on the south by the parish of Dunscore ; by Balmaclellan and Dairy on the west ; by Tynron on the north ; and Keir on the east ; and is of a rectan- gular figure. Topographical Appearances^ ^c. — There are many ranges of hills in the parish, most of which run nearly from west to east. The upper ranges are mostly covered with heath, but the greater proportion afford excellent green pasture. The valleys are in a high state of cultivation, and produce luxuriant crops of all the sorts of grain cultivated in this country. The height of the highest hills varies from 1000 to 1500 feet above the level of the sea. There are three valleys in the upper district of the parish, each ex- tending to about six miles in length, which meet at the village of Minnyhive; and a fourth of greater breadth, which extends seven miles towards the lower end of the parish. The hills are chiefly of the transition class of rocks, and their appearance is charac- teristic of that series. The parish, from its proximity to high hills on the west, is fre- quently visited with such copious rains as sometimes to inundate the low grounds, and occasion considerable damage in the harvest months : and in general the atmosphere is moist The climate, however, is mild and salubrious, and the people in general healthy. Hydrography. — On the farm of Lochurr, there is a lake which d GLENCAIRN. 331 is the source of the river of that name. Its greatest depth is about ^ or 5 fathoms, aud its circumference about 3 miles ; it abounds ^th pike and a large species of trout The water has a black appearance, as the neighbouring ground abounds with moss. The scenery has a bleak aspect, all the hills around being covered with heath. In this parish, there are the following waters, all taking their rise from the high hills on the west, viz. Castlefaim, Craigdarroch, and Dalwhat, which all meet a little below the village of Minnyhive. When united, they assume the name of Cairn* The Cairn flows in a south-east direction, till it unites with the Nith, about a mile above Dumfries, seven miles distant from the Solway Frith. The length of each of the three waters above-mentioned, till they form the Cairn, may be 6 or 7 miles ; and the Cairn runs about 16 miles till it joins the Nitb. IL — Civil History. Ijond'-owners. — Sir jflobert Lawrie, Bart, of Maxwellton ; Ro- bert Cutlar Ferguson, Esq. of Craigdarroch, now M. P. for the stewartry of Kirkcudbright ; John Walker, Esq. of Crawfordton ; and Gilbert CoUow, Esq. of Auchenchain, are the chief heritors ; and there are upwards of 30 smaller proprietors whose rentals may be stated at from L. 600 to L. 50. Parochial Registers. — The earliest register is one of births and marriages, and commences in 1693; with a variety of deficiences, it has been continued to the present time. Antiquities. — There isatumulus commonly called the moat, about half a mile from the church, which, in Grose's Antiquities of Scot-* land, is called the Bow Butts, and, as is generally supposed, was em- ployed as a place for the exercise of archery. There is a cross in the centre of therillage of Minnyhive, made of freestone, about 14 feet high, consisting of a pillar about 9 feet high, rising from a circular pedestal about five feet high, — ^which, from its date, appears to have been erected in 1638. A charter was granted about the same time, constituting the village of Minnyhive a burgh of barony, with power to hold a weekly market. Modem BuUdings. — A monument was erected in 1828 to the memory of the Rev. James Renwick, the last of the martyrs, who was executed at Edinburgh in 1688. This monument is situated within a quarter of a mile of the rillage of Minnyhive, upon rising ground, about 100 yards from the place where he is supposed to have been bom. It is about 25 feet high, and built of hewn stot^e ; it cost nearly h. 100, which were raised by subscription. 332 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Mansion'Hous€s.-^The chief seats in the parish are, Maxurell- ton House, belonging to Sir Robert Lawrie, Bart*, and Craigdar- roch House, belonging to Robert Cutlar Ferguson, Esq. M. P. ni. — Population. In 1755» the population was 1794 In 181 1, . 1666 1791, . 1600 1821, 1881 1801, 1403 1881, . 2068 The increase since 1801 may be ascribed to the iofiprovements which have been made upon the land, and the influx of strangers into the villages of Minnyhive and Dunreggan, — who have become feuars. There are residing in the villages of Minnyhive, Dunreggan, and Kirkland, 951 The number of fiunilies in the parish is . • • . 441 of independent fortune, . • . • 6 chiefly employed in agriculture, . . . 173 in trade, manu&ctures, or handicraft, 113 Yearly average of births for last 7 years,* .... 40 marriages for same period, . . • .13 Number of bachelors and widowers above 50, ... 49 of unmarried women upwards of 45, . . .137 Average number of children in a family, . • . 4| Number of insane, fatuous, blind, deaf or dumb, . . 7 During the last three years there have been thirteen illegiti- mate births in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — Number of acres cultivated or occasionally under tillage, - 7000 which have never been cultivated, - - 266U0 improvable, « ..... IQOO in undivided common, ..... 1 under wood, - .... gQO Rent of Land. — Of the 7000 acres of arable land, 2000 may be estimated at L. 1, 10s. per acre ; 2000 acres at L. 1 per acre; and 3000 acres at 15s. per acre : total amount L. 7250. Average rent of grazing per ox, L. 2 per annum ; per cow, L. 5 ; per ewe, 4s. Husbandry. — The mode of husbandry generally pursued is that of the sixth and seventh rotations. The first crop is always oats ; second, potatoes or other green crop; third, generally barley; fourth, rye-grass, to be cut for hay, then pastured from one to three years. The improvement of which this appears susceptible, would be — to cultivate fewer potatoes and more turnips, the same to be eaten down with sheep, and also what rye^grass could be spared from the horses, — the ground being generally of a light gravelly soil, and consequently well adapted for that system of management The only land in the parish that can be reclaimed with advan- tage, is generally high and covered with heath, bent, or brechans; The registering of births is sometimes neglected by the poorer classes. 4 GLENCAIRr^. 333 and the general course of improvement pursued, is to lime it for one or two years before, at the rate of fifty mea led " Culton*s nook." It is in the vicinity of the fiirm of Chapel, but within the borders of Glencairn parish. DUNSCORE. 341 red in the old church-yard of DuDscore, the ancient burying-place of the family. Friar^ Corse. — Friars' Carse, which was anciently dependent on the rich Abbey of Melrose, also demands a brief notice. In Catholic times it was a cell or monkish residence, of which, although there are no remains, there are still a number of antique stone figures, such as adorned Catholic chapels and churches, placed in the ayenue leading to the preseat dwelling-house. There is a small loch on the property, with an artificial island in it ; and Grose says, that the loch was the fish-pond of the friary, and that the monks concealed their valuables in the island when the English invaded Stranith. After the Reformation, the estate of Friars' Carse was acquired by the laird of AUisland or EUisland, an ad- joining farm. So far back as 1465, Cardinal Antonias confirmed a charter by the monastery of Melrose to John Kirkpatrick of Allisland of the thirty-six pound land of Dalgoner, including Kil- lilago and Dempsterton. But whether Friars' Carse itself was included in this conveyance, or was so early alienated from the monks, we have not been able to learn. From the Kirkpatricks the whole property afterwards passed to the Maxwells of Tinwald, to whom it belonged in 1634. In the time of the poet Burns, who resided some years in this parish, and was tenant of EUisland, the estate of Friars' Carse belonged to the Riddels of Glenriddel. Burns was a frequent visitor of the late James Riddel, Esq., and the original copy of his poem of the " Whistle," in the poet's own handwriting, is still at Friars' Carse, where it was composed, and is now in the possession of Mrs Crichton. The husband of this lady, the late Dr Crichton of Friars' Carse, left an immense sum, (about L. 100,000) at the disposal of his widow and other trustees, to be applied to charitable purposes. The trustees at first con- templated the endowment of a College at Dumfries, but various difficulties having presented themselves against the execution of this scheme, the erection of a Lunatic Asylum for the county, with several other minor objects, is now imderstood to be resolved upon. Such an institution will be of inunense benefit to the south of Scotland, and be well worthy the benevolent intentions, while it will be eminently calculated to perpetuate the name, of the donor. Bogrie and SundayweVL — There are two old square towers still standing in the upper part of Gleneslin, and on opposite sides of the glen, at a point where it contracts to a narrow pass. The names of these towers are Bogrie and Sundaywell, and both 342 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. of them anciently belonged to distinct families of the name of Kirk or Kirko, and sometimes also spelt Kirkhoe. That of Sundaywell is still inhabited as a farm-house. Hiere is a stone over the door bearing the initials L K., and opposite S. W.^ meaning John Kirk of Sundaywell. Under these initials, and at the bottom of the stone, which is in the shape of a heart, is the date 1651. In the troublous times of persecution, this house was a favourite resort of the Covenanters, to whom the proprietor at that period, the same John Kirk who erected the tower, seems to have been particularly friendly. Mr Blackadder, and others of the ejected ministers, were in the habit of visiting Kirk, and preaching at Sundaywell. And Kirk himself, in all likelihood, was present at the celebrated communion dispensed in the bosom of the hills of the neighbouring parish of Irongray, at which John Welch, who had been driven from the cure of that parish, presid- ed, — of which communion an interesting, though rude, memorial re- mains to this day, consisting of rows of stones placed in the form of sacramental tables. For Blackadder was residing at the time with Kirk at Sundaywell, and preached the preparation sermon on the preceding Saturday in " Meiklewood mooi^* — a district partly within this parish, and in which the ruins of an old house, bearing the name of the " Preaching Walls," still remain. Eminent Men. — It may here also be noticed, that the famous John Welch, grandfather of the minister of Irongray above-men- tioned, and son-in-law to John Knox, was a native of this parish* His father was laird of Collieston, a small property belonging to the family of Welch for several generations, and situated in Glenes- lin of Dunscore, and not in the parish of Irongray, as erroneously stated in the ** Scots Worthies." It now belongs to William Copland, Esq. Chtcrch Lands. — A very considerable portion of this parish an- ciently belonged to the Catholic church. Mr Chalmers, in his Caledonia, (Vol. iii. p. 51, note,) has the following statement: '^ At Dunscore there was formerly a lake where none appears at present. In 1236, Alexander 11. granted to the Monks of Melros ^ lacum de Dunscor in valle de Nyth, et quicquid continetur, infra eundem lacum.' " And he refers to the Chartulary of Melrose, 1639, as his authority. This seems to define the extent of the church lands, and it may also help to determine the site of the quondam lake. For as it included beneath it the whole church lands in the parish, it seems DUNSCORE. 343 not improbable that it formed the upper boundary of the estate of Dalgoner, which actually lies in a sort of natural basin or low ground, in which there is a peat-moss. And a tradition also ob- tains, that there was a loch in this very neighbourhood in ancient times. In point of fact, Dalgoner and Killilago form the extreme upper boundary of the church lands of Dunscore — ^which, accord- ing to a decree of valuation of the parish, dated 21st March 1634, are designed " the thirty pound land of the Monkland of Melrose,'' and comprehend the following, ^^ Dalgoner, Killilago, Bessiewalla, Laggan, Edgarton, M^Cheynston, M^Cubbingtoo, Milliganton, Kilroy, Fardingwell, Dempsterton, Newton, Poundland, Sweir, Portrack, Friars' Carse, and AUisland." These lands, as Chalmers farther informs us, were gifted to the monks of Melrose by Affrica, daughter of Edgar, son of Dunevald, and grandson of Dunegal of Stranith (the strath or valley of Nith.) And, according to the same author, this Edgarpossessed the lands of Dunscore under Wil- liam the Lion, and was succeeded in them by hissaid daughter, Af- frica, who gifted so large a portion of them to the church. It ap- pears, however, that the church itself, ur benefice of Dunscore, be- longed to the monks of Holywood, betwixt whom and the monks of Melrose a dispute arose concerning the right to it. But this controversy was settled in 1257 at Kirkmahoe by William, Bishop of Glasgow, who decided that the Church belonged to the monks of Holywood, but that the Abbot of Melrose had a right to the tithes of their own lands which they had acquired from Affrica. In Catholic times, the cure was served by a vicar, and in Bagimont's roll the vicarage of Dunscore, in the deanery of Nith, was taxed at L. 4» The vicar enjoyed a manse and glebe. On 12th August 1566, the church lands of Dunscore were dis- poned by John Welch, (the last) vicar of Dunscore, with consent of the commendator of the monastery of Holywood, to Cuthbert Grierson of Laytb, and this conveyance was confirmed by a char- ter of James VI., of date 12th November 1574. Heritors. — There are no fewer than 47 proprietors of land in this parish at present ; but many of the properties, of course, are small. III. — Population. It is stated in the former Statistical Account, that in 1791 the population of this parish was 1033; and that, by Dr Webster's re- port, about forty years prior to that date, it amounted to 651. But in 1730 it amounted to 750, so that if Dr Webster's report be cor-' 344 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. rect, the population must have decreased 99 betwixt the years 1730 and 1750. The present number of inhabitants, according to last census, is 1488. Of these the greater part reside in the country, and follow agricultural occupations, — for there is only one village deserving the name, situated at the church, and containing 211 in* habitants, so that the remaining 1277 dwell wholly in the country. Annual average of births for the last seven years, . 90f marriages, - - . 12^ deaths, - - . 17f Number of persons under 1 5 years of age, according to last census ( 1831 ,) - 559 upwards of 70, - - . - . 33 There are many substantial families in this parish, and the num- ber of proprietors whose estates yield a rental of upwards of L. 50 a year amounts to no less than 40, of whom 18 are non-resident Number of families in the pari&h, - ... 291 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 168 in trade, manuBictures, and handicraft, * 5S During the last three years, there have been 5 illegitimate births in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The number of acres in the parish, either cul- tivated or occasionally in tillage, exceeds 5300 ; the number which have never been cultivated may be about 5900, of which only a small proportion could be added to the cultivated land. But a considerable part might be improved by drainage and levelling, and rendered productive as meadow. The number of acres under wood is about 440, of which 60 are of natural wood, and the rest plant- ed chiefly with larch and Scotch fir. The plantations are well managed, and annually thinned. The greater part of the wood has been planted within the last thirty years. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land in this parish does not exceed L. 1, 4s. per acre. The average rent of grazing is at the rate of L. 3 per bullock or cow, and 4s. per ewe or full* grown sheep. Produce. — The average amount and value of raw produce year- ly raised in the parish may be as follows : — Grain of all kinds, - . . L. 7894 1 8 Potatoes, turnips, and cabbages, . 3907 10 Hay, meadow and sown grass, - > ^161215 Pasture, 3075 9 Gardens and orchards, (very trifling.) Annual thinning of plantations, say . 100 L. 15,989 15 8 Husbandry. — Husbandry has made great advances of late years in reclaiming waste land, draining, fencing, and manuring. The DTJNSCORE. 345 duration ofle&ses is generally fifteen years, and sometimes nineteen. A gradual improvement has taken place in reference to farm-build~ ings. The old thatched houses have in a great measure disap* peared. All the new houses are either slated or covered with thin flags or slabs of the red freestone peculiar to the county. The dwelling-houses are also enlarged in regard to accommodation, al- though for the most part confined to one story, and the farm of- fices are more extensive and commodious. The dry stone dike is the most prevailing enclosure, and the farms in general are well subdivided. Manufactures. — With the exception of country weaving, there is no manufacture carried on in this parish. About five years ago, a distillery was erected on a pretty extensive scale, and actively car- ried on for two years, when the proprietor died and the concern was given up, without any prospect of being renewed. It consumed for the time a large quantity of grain, and in so far as it afforded a ready and convenient market, would have proved a benefit to the farmer, had it been continued. But being far removed from fuel, and labouring under other disadvantages, it is doubtful whether it might ultimately have proved a profitable concern. There was once an agricultural society in the parish, but it broke up some years ago, and no attempt has been made to revive it. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-toum^ Sfc. — The nearest market-town to this parish is Dumfries, which is about six miles from the lower end, and nine from the village of Cottack, in the centre of the parish before-mention- ed, in which is situated the church. The post-town of Minnyhive indeed, is only seven miles distant from this village, but the usual communication is through Dumfries, as being most ponvenient. Means of Communication. — The turnpike betwixt Dumfries and Glasgow passes through the eastern part of Dunscore for three miles, and sends off a branch from the lodge of Friars' Carse, which goes right up through the whole extent of the parish, and nearly bisects it lengthways, passing the church, and leading out on the west through the parish of Balmaclellan to New Galloway. There is also another good road, which passes through four miles of this parish, leading from Dumfries to Ayr by Minnyhive, along which a stage-coach has lately commenced running, going to Ayr the one day, and returning the next to Dumfries. All the roads are kept in a good state of repair, and there are no tolls within the parish of Dunscore, except one side bar as a check to the toll of Newbridge, DUMFRIES. Z 34G DUMFRIES-SHIRE. in the parish of Holywood. Coaches travel daily along the turn- pike road both to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Dalgoner Bridge, with a span of 80 feet, as already mentioned, is the only bridge within the parish of any extent Ecclesioitical State. — The parish church fs conveniently situated in the village of Cottack, at nearly equal distances from the two extremes of the parish. It was built in the year 1823, and is in good repair. It accommodates 850, but there are not above 10 free sittings. The manse was built in 1814, and is also in good condition. The glebe consists of about fifty-one acres, and may be worth L. 60 per annum. The stipend is the minimum, with L. 12, 128. in addition, being a voluntary augmentation given by the heri- tors in 1793. The parish church formerly stood at the eastern or lower end of the parish, five miles from Dumfries. But in 1649 it was removed to its present situation, nearly in the centre of the pa- rish, and nine miles from Dumfries ; but the original edifice was taken down, and a new one erected in 1823, which is of a Gothic style, with an elegant square tower in the western end. In Popish times, there was a chapel in Gleneslin, at the distance of seven miles from the site, which the church then occupied, and there was a church-yard attached to both church and chapel. That which attached to the chapel has now entirely disappeared, and has not been used in the memory of man, but there is a farm in the vici- nity which bears the name of Chapel to this day. The burying- ground, however, which surrounded the old church at the lower end of the parish, is still in use. In this burying-ground Grierson of Lag, as already mentioned, and the ancestors of other ancient families, lie interred : so that there are two church-yards in the parish. There is one Dissenting chapel in the parish, in connection with the Relief synod, the minister of which is paid by the collections and seat rents. The number of families adhering to the Established Chnreh, . 5250 belonging to various Dissenting bodies. Relief, Seoes- . sion, and Reformed Presbytery, including 1 of Roman Catholics, . 41 Divine service is uniformly well attended in the Established Church, and the average number of communicants is about 450. The average amount of money raised yearly for religious and charitable purposes, both by subscriptions and church collections. DUNSCORE. 347 exclusively of the ordinary collections for the parish poor, may be about L. 15. Education. — There are three parochial schools in this parish, in which all the ordinary branches of instruction, including Latin and Greek, are well taught. Prior to the year 1828, there was no assessed salary paid by the heritors, but the maximum is now given, and is divided into nearly three equal portions. But besides the assessed salary, L. 300 was mortified about a century ago by a Mr Grierson of Edinburgh, of which the interest is equally divided among the three parochial teachers. In 1807, a farther sum of L. 50 was bequeathed to the centre school at the church by Mrs Janet Dobie. And in 1829, Robert M^Kinnel, Esq. of M^Mur- doston, left L. 200 for behoof of the school in the lower district of the parish, and L. 50 for that at the church also. The interest of Mr Grierson's L. 300 was all the salary which the teachers enjoy- ed previous to 1828^ except Janet Dobie's legacy after the year 1607. The teachers have no dwelling-houses; but two good school-rooms were lately erected by subscription, and the third was at the same time thoroughly repaired. All the schools, therefore, are at present in good condition. There are few, if any, children above six years of age, who have not been entered at school ; and none above fifteen are known to be without the elements of com- mon education, to the value of which the people are fully alive. The school in the upper district is nearly four miles from the west- ern extremity of the parish, at which several families reside. These families, however, are nearer to one of the parish schools of Bal- maclellan, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright Literature. — There is no general library in the parish, but ju- venile libraries for the children attending the Sabbath schools have existed for some years, and have been productive of benefit among the youth, many of whom have acquired a taste for reading. Nor does the habit of reading prevail among this class only, for the pa- rishioners generally are substantially educated, and fond of books. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid is about 25. The sums each receive vary from L. 1 to L. 3 a-year, or from 5s. to lOs. every second month. But, besides these allowances in money, there are always some distributions of meal, fuel, and clothing in the winter season, both from the ordinary funds, and from the benefactions of one or more leading heritors. The annual rec^pts for the relief of the poor are from L. 60 to 348 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. L. 70 ; of which about L. 44 are raised by the ordinary church col- lections, and the remainder chiefly consists of the interest of l^a- cies or mortified money, but partly also of the fees levied for pro- clamation of the banns of marriage, &c But out of this fund the salaries of the session-clerk and treasurer, the precentor and church officer are all paid, — besides support to the poor. Of late years, the number of poor has rather been on the increase — ^yet a disposition to refrain from seeking parochial relief still pervades many among the poorer classes. And the great majority of those who receive aid are the aged, infirm, and sick. Occasionally, however, hea- vier burdens than usual, such as the support of natural children, fall upon the funds ; but there has never been occasion for any kind of assessment. Inns, — At present there are two inns in this parish, both at the village of Cottack, one of which is necessary for the accommodation of travellers, but one of them might also be well dispensed with ; yet, with a few exceptions, sobriety and industry prevail among the peasantry. The fuel most generally used is peat, which is got within the pa- rish, as already observed. Sea-borne coal is procured at Dumfries, and Scotch coal is driven from Sanquhar, a distanceof twenty miles, but it is always to be had at Mr Whigham's depot at Allanton, within the parish. This gentleman rents the Duke of Buccleuch's collieries at Sanquhar ; and, to the great convenience of the neigh- bourhood, keeps a constant supply on hand, by means of his coal waggons, which are constantly plying on the road ; and he always distributes a quantity to the poor in winter. The better sort of families use a great deal of coal in addition to peat. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the last Statistical account was drawn up, the population has increased by 575, being more than one-third of the whole num- ber of souls. The inhabited houses have increased by thirty-six, while the greater part of the former houses have also been renewed and much enlarged and otherwise improved. There is also a new manse, a new church, and two new school-houses built. The teach- ers have received an addition of L. 17 of salary each, and are much superior to their predecessors in respect of qualifications, — at least generally speaking; for it must be allowed, that, under all the disadvantages of the old system, the schools were occasionally filled with able teachers. — The old Scottish plough has been almost uni- versally supplanted by the improved iron one, and the number of { CAERLAYEROCK. 349 ploughs employed in agriculture has been increased by at least one- third. The annual funds for supporting the poor have advanced from L. 23 to L. 70, although still arising from the same voluntary sources. And the number of poor persons receiving parochial re- lief is doubled. Both the face of the countrv* and the intellectual state of the people, have been greatly improved. October 1835. PARISH OF CAERLAVEROCK. PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ROBERT GILLIES, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Namej Boundaries, Sfc. — Antiquaries differ as to the import of the name of this parish. Chalmers considers it to mean ^* the castle with the rotundity or buttress jutting out," while, according to Baxter, it signifies ** the castle close upon the sea." It was an- ciently spelled Caerlaverock, and this appears the more correct or- thography, — although at present it is as frequently written Carlave- rock. The situation is entirely peninsular. Connected with Dum- fries on the north-west, it stretches toward the English coast From this, it is separated by the Solway, which is here about twelve miles in breadth. The Nith on the west, and Lochar on the east, are the other boundaries. The Nith is generally fordable at low vater, and, in very low tides, people may wade across to the adja- cent parish of New Abbey. But on the other side of the parish, the extensive moss through which the Lochar flows, forms an in- superable barrier to all communication, except during the driest months of summer, and even then only to pedestrians. The parish of Caerlaverock is about 6 miles in length, and nowhere more than 2 in breadth. It is in the form of an elongated hill, de- scending gradually to the Nith on the one side, and the Lochar on the other, and terminating in the Blackshaw flat towards the Solway. About six miles are washed by the tide, which flows up the Nith as far as Dumfries. The shore is a sandy mud, which used formerly to be laid on t&e land as a substitute for lime. The 350 DUMFBIKS-SHIRE. climate is moist, — which may be partly occasioned by the extensive Lochar morass, and partly by the neighbourhood of the towering Criffel Geology, — Almost the whole parish lies upon a bed of red sand- stone. This stone is easily wrought, and at the same time durable. According to tradition, and, I may add, probability, New Abbey was built of Caerlaverock stones. A quarry on the glebe has long been famed for producing very superior grindstones ; it is only oc- casionally wrought, and that to a trifling extent. Neither coal nor limestone has hitherto been found in this parish. There are some faint indications of the latter mineral, and many believe that the former might also be found. This is, indeed, not improbable, when we survey the geological map of the kingdom. The same coal- field in all probability extends from the English side to Sanquhar. This, I am informed, was the opinion of an eminent engineer; but it is right to add, that he also conceived, from the nature of the dip, that the mineral was so deeply buried in the centre of the bed, that it would be in vain to hope that it could be worked to advan- tage. A good deal of land has been reclaimed from the Lochar moss, and the operations of the husbandman have disinterred many massy roots of oak, which for centuries had been buried under a stratum of peat twelve feet deep. Below the mossy stratum, sea sand mixed with clay and shells may, in many places, be recognized. Canoes, similar to those used by the North American savages, when first visited by Europeans, have been found in this vicinity. Coins of different dates, some as old as the time of Edward L, have been found in the neighbourhood of the church, and in other places. The soil is in general a light loam, and what is rather un- common, the worst soil is generally in the valleys. There is a con- siderable portion of peaty soil ; but where the situation admits of draining at a moderate expense, by a liberal application of lime, it is rendered tolerably productive. II. — Civil History. Eminent Men. — Dr John Hutton, first Physician to Queen Anne, was a native of this parish. He was originally ^' a herd-boy" to the Episcopalian minister of Caerlaverock. The clergyman, per- ceiving his superior talents, generously promoted his education, and fanned his youthful ambition. Hutton directed his attention to the science of medicine. He was fortunately the nearest sur- geon at hand when the Princess of Orange met with a fall from her horse in Holland. His services were put in requisition, and CAE R LAVE ROCK. 351 • exerted successfully both for himself and the royal princess. His fortune was now secured, but he did not forget the scene of Iiis boyish days, and first humble avocation. At his own expense, he built a manse for the minister, bequeathed for charitable purposes L. 1000 Sterling to this parish, and also left a valuable library to the presbytery of Dumfries. This library originally contained the identical prayer-book which was used by the unfortunate King Charles when on the scaffold. It is much to be regretted that this interesting volume is now amissing. Land-ewners. — There are only four landed proprietors, viz. the Rev. Alexander Houston Douglas, Esq. of Bawds ; Robert Thor- bum, Esq. of Kelton ; James Connel, Esq. of Conheath ; and William Constable Maxwell, Esq. of Nithsdale, to whom the whole parish, with the exception of about 600 acres, belongs. Unfor- tunately for us, this gentleman has a much finer property in Eng- land, where he resides. He enjoys at present the honour of being High Sheriff of Yorkshire. Our only resident heritor is Mr Con- nel of Conheath. This gentleman does not disdain the ordinary duties of the eldership. Happy would it be for Scotland, as well as for themselves, did her gentry more generally show such at- tachment to the venerable institutions of our church. Parochial Registers. — These seem to have been kept, sometimes with more, sometimes with less accuracy. Antiquities. — The castle of Caerlaverock forms to the antiquary the most prominent object of interest. This venerable pile, one of the most magnificent of its kind, was formerly, before the inven- tion of gunpowder, a place of immense strength, though destitute of natural bulwarks. It lies near the shores of the Solway. Its foundation is not many feet above high water-mark, and it has neither rapid river nor lofty rock to aid the resources of art Its form is unconunon, being triangular. It is surrounded by a double moat, and when this difficulty had been vanquished by the prowess of the assailants, portcullis after portcullis, to the number at least of three, presented a barrier to their farther progress. Connected with this, we may notice the still visible remains of a plan for dis- charging a torrent of molten lead on the heads of the besiegers. From this, we may form some idea of the mode of warfare, and the consequent methods of defence adopted and practised among our fathers. Their object was to render their abodes inaccessible, ex- cept under peril of life, to all but the formally invited guest* In this respect, there is now a most important and salutary change. 352 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. 9 Our object, now, is not, to fortify our gates, but to render them ac- cessible to all. Caerlaverock Castle will be found amply and faith- fully described in many works. A pretty full account of it has been lately given in the Picture of Dumfries by Mr M^Diarmid, and formerly by Grose, Pennant, and others, to which the reader is referred. This castle has stood several sieges ; but to take notice of all these would be inconsistent with the object of this work. We find, according to Grose, that after the siege by Cromwell, the castle contained eighty-six beds, forty carpets, and a library worth L. 200, which enables us to form some idea of its ancient splendour. The Jkurs-de-lis^ conspicuous on the windows of the banqueting hallj are a proof of the intimacy which formerly existed between France and Scotland. In the reign of Edward L, Caerlaverock sustained its most formidable siege. The whole army of that dis- tinguished warrior was drawn out for two days against it before it surrendered. The length of time was not remarkable ; but it is worthy of being recorded, that the defendants were only sixty in number. The discovery of this circumstance, it is said, occasion- ed no small surprise among the troops of Edward. III. — Population. In 1755 the population of the parish was - - 784 ] 777 there were 440 males and 553 females, in aU - 902 1791 there were 454 males and 501 females, in all - 955 18J1, 1170 1821, 1206 1881; 1271 The present population is about 1300. The increase is in a great measure owing to the establishment of Glencaple quay, for the accommodation of such vessels as cannot ascend higher up the Nith. From this quay also, for several years, a steamer has run to Liverpool : — the " Nithsdale," a splendid vessel, which com- menced plying this season, accomplishes her voyage in one tide. On sailing days, Glencaple is visited by upwards of thirty vehicles filled with intending passengers and friends. There is also another cause which probably has produced some increase in the popula- tion. The extensive provision which is made for the poor, renders it a desirable object for the labouring-classes from other parishes, to acquire a residence in this. The number of families in the parish, • . . • • 272 chiefly employed in agriculture, • • 90 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 76 The number of births from 12th August 1833 to 12th August 1834 is 33. The number of deaths for the same period is 14, CAERLAVEROCK. 353 but they are only registered when the interment takes place in the parish churchyard. No distinction in the register having been made as to marriages, where the parties settled in the parish, and tbose where one of the parties left the place and took up a residence in another, — no satisfactory return as to marriages can be made. Character of the People. — The moral character of the people is decidedly good, partly owing to our abundant supply of schools, by which the benefits of education are extended to all, the children of the poor being taught gratis ; and partly to the want of alehouses, of which there is not one in the parish except at the shore, where, on account of the shipping, it seems indispensable. Poach- ing was, at one time, extensively practised in the parish, though not much by the inhabitants. Now that game is all but absolutely extirpated, poaching of course has ceased. Smuggling also existed to a very great extent about fifty years ago, — now it is unknown. IV. — Industry. AffrictUture. — The following information has been kindly com- municated by the factor of the principal proprietor and three of the most intelligent farmers. The total number of acres, Scotch measure, is 4640. Mr Maxwell's property consists of 3972 acres, which is let at L. 3930, lOs. so that L.41, lOs. are wanting to make the rent L. 1 per acre. Judging of the rest of the parish by this estimate, the rent may be stated at Ji. 1 per acre to a fraction. imperial acres. A. R, F. Of the whole parish there are in wood, 126 18 moss and nux>r, 75 2 27 meadowy • 37 3 Id marshy • . . 252 37 Number of acres arabib, . , 5323 13 A considerable quantity of ground was some years ago planted on Conheath, by J. Connel, Esq. and the plantations are now thriving and remunerative ; but it does not appear that trees ge- nerally attain to a great size in this parish, unless in extensive plantations, or on spots peculiarly sheltered. Rent ofLaTuL^The average rent of land in the parish may be stated at L. 1 per acre. Live-stock. — The Galloway breed of cattle is the favourite one, and only a few Ayrshire cows are kept The Leicester breed of sheep is the one chiefly attended to, the enclosures not being suffi- ciently strong for the wild black-faced or Highland variety. 354 DUMFRIES'SHIRE. Htubandry. — The rotation of crops generally pursued is, \st^ oats; 2^^, potatoes or turnip ; 3^ oats, barley, or wheat, according to the nature of the soil; 4^A, hay; 5M, pasture, then oats again. Fal- low is seldom resorted to except in the low flats, where the wetness of the soil renders this process necessary for the extirpation of weeds. All the leases on Mr Maxwell's estate are for fifteen years. A term of nineteen or twenty-one years would be more advantageous both for landlord and tenant A great number of the farm-buildings has of late been substantially rebuilt ; if there be any defect in these, the out^houses perhaps are not sufficiently extensive. The greatest im- provement in agriculture in this parish is the introduction of bone manure, and the consequent extended and extending culture of tur- nips. Another stimulus is given by steam navigation, which enables the farmer to transport his sheep, fattened on the turnip crop, to Liverpool, at the rate of Is. a head. A great obstacle to the im- provement of the meadow land on the banks of the Lochar, not only in this but also in neighbouring parishes, consists in the keep- ing up of a paltry mill, which yields only a rent of about L. 20 per annum. The ^* weir" of this mill raises the water in the Lochar for miles in its serpentine course. Were this obstruction removed, and the course of the Lochar straightened and widened, many acres which at present lie waste, would be submitted to the plough, whilst, with regard to such places as are occasionally under cultivation, the farmer would not run the risk of having the produce of the year washed away or rotted on the ground by the autumnal floods.* Quarry, — There are no mines of any description in the parish, and only one freestone quarry, which is wrought The rent of the quarry is L. 8 ; the value of the produce L. 100. Fisheries^ Sfc. — Pike, eel, and roaches, abound in the Lochar. Ex« cellent flounders are caught in the Nith; but the only fishery of any importance is that of salmon. These continue to be taken in small quantities by the " liester" Stake-nets yere erected many years ago, but the right to do so was lately disputed, and an interdict pas- sed by the Court of Session. Upon an appeal, however, the in- terdict has been lately removed, and it is to be hoped, that, both for the interests of the parish and the public at large, the decision of the Court will be finally reversed. The rent of the salmon fishing is about L. 30 ; the produce above L« 100 in value when * This view is also adopted by other writers in this work ; as will be seen by refer- ring to the accounts of Tortborwald and other neighbouring parishes. 4 1087 10 306 5 945 87 10 7 10 dOO CAERLAVEROCK. 355 sold* About L. 40 yearly may be received from the sale of white fishy of which flounders are the chief. Produce. — It is not easy to give an accurate account of farm pro-* duce. The produce of the land in corn and cattle may be esti- mated as being upon the whole equal at least to that of arable land in Scotland on an average. The rearing of pigs in this and the neighbouring parishes is carried to a greater extent than common; — almost every cottar keeps a pig, which enables him to pay his rent, and also furnishes him with manure for potatoes. 1450 Soots acres, white crop, at an average of wheat, barley, and oats, in the proportions raised in the parish, at L. 4, 4b. per acre, L. 6090 870 da green crop, at L. 4, 5s, per acre,^on an average of potatoes and turnip, and allowance made for the small quantity of bare fallow, 8697 10 435 do. sown with grass-seeds, and cut for hay, 120 stones at 5d. per stone to the acre, or at L. % 10s. 4S5 do. sown out and depastured, 1st year at 15s. per acre, 1260 do. d^Mstured for 2 or more years at Ids. over head (including 100 acres of marsh land,) 80 do. meadow, at L. 1, ds. per acre, 00 do. moss and moor, at 2b. 6d. per acre, 100 do. wood, at L. 3 per acre, * Total produce in grain, &c . L. 12,491 5 The real rent is L. 4650, lOs. and assuming that for every L. 100 of rent 6 calves are reared and sold when one year old, the number will be 279 one year olds, which at L. 3 a.hea4 will yield • • • L.837 8 pigs for every L. 100 of rent,— in all, 372 at L. 2 a-head, will give 744 Amount of Hve stock raised, • Bring forward grain, &c. . • Amount of agricultural produce properly so called. Amount of white fish, chiefly flounders, salmon, • • ■ * Quarry, • • . . • Total produce, • Manufactures. — There are no manufactures in this parish. Ship-building, however, is carried on to a small extent ; and two Tessels of about sixty tons burden maj be annually launched. Navigation, — For an account of the navigation the reader is re- ferred to the statistics of Dumfries, — as Glencaple quay can only be considered a subsidiary port to that of Dumfries. Vessels bound for Dumfries, but unable from their burden to reach the place of their destination, here unload, — which furnishes employ- ment for a number of carriers. * This is not the return of the periodical thinnings, but is caleuUUed from what the plantations may be supposed to yield in the course of thirty years. L.1581 12491 5 L.40 100 100 L. 14,072 940 5 • L. 14,312 5 356 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. V. — Parochial Economy. The nearest market-town is Dumfries, to which the inhabitants repair every Wednesday, — perhaps in greater numbers than is ab- solutely requisite. There are in Caerlaverock seven villages, viz. Greenmill, Bankend, Glenhowan, Shearington, Blackshaw, Glen- caple, and Kelton. Most of these, however, are going to decay. Bankend, from its central situation in the parish, may probably continue; and Glencaple, from steam navigation, will likely increase There are no turnpike, rail-roads, or canals in this parish.* Ecclesiastical State. — The situation of the church, although nearly at one extremity of the parish, cannot be greatly complained of, — no person having to travel much above three miles to it. It is almost exactly five and a-half miles from Dumfries, and within three minutes walk of the manse. It was built in 1781. The walls are very substantial, and the form is in good proportion. It has one gallery in front, and it would admit of two additional side galleries, which, if erected, would amply accommodate all the po- pulation that will likely accumulate for years to come. The walls are liable to damp, the floor is not laid, and the passages are also very narrow ; and altogether the interior of the church would re- quire to be remodelled. It affords accommodation for about 470, and no rents are charged for any of the sittings. The manse was built a. d. 1708, not by the heritors, but by Dr Hutton. Since the date of its erection, it has been repaired more than once, partly at the expense of the Hutton Bequest, partly at that of the late incumbent, and partly at that of the he- ritors. When the last Statistical Account was compiled, my pre- decessor writes, ^* it is yet in decent condition ;" and as houses do not improve by age, the writer regrets to state that he cannot say much in its praise. A little was done in repairs by the heritors three years ago ; but it continues excessively damp, and, though not very deficient as to the number of apartments, it is very inconvenient as * During spring-tides, and particularly when impelled by a strong south.wester, the Solway rises with prodigious rapidity. A loud booming noise indicates its ap- proach, and is distinguishable at the distance of several miles. At Caerlaverock and Glencaple, where it enters the Nith, the scene is singularly grand and imposing ; and it is beautiful to see a mighty volume of water advancing foam-crested, and with a degree of rapidity which, were the race a long one, would outmatch the speed of the swiftest horses. The tide-head, as it is called, is often from four to six feet higli, chaf(fid into spray, with a mighty trough of bluer water behind, swelling in some places into little hills, and in others scooped into tiny valleys, which, when sun-lit, form a brilliant picture of themselves. From the tide head proceed two huge jets of water, which run, roaring along, searching the banks on either side, the antennae, as it were, which the ocean puts forth, and by which it feels its way when confined within narrow limits."— 3fZ>Kir»ii the present pa- rochial teacher; and two assistants are kept in his school Under his auspices, this establishment has acquired considerable celebrity as a commercial academy. The other two schools are situated at the extreme ends of the parish — the parochial one being centrical. They are supported out of the Hutton bequest and other mortifica- tions, of which some account will afterwards be given. The pre- sent teachers, Messrs M^William and Beattie, are both very re- spectable men, and deserving of much better situations. Each re- ceives L. 20 per annum, but the school fees are low, and not well paid in any of the three schools. The ordinary branches are taught, with the addition of French, Greek, Latin, and the higher branches of mathematics in the parish school. The people are fully alive to the advantages of education, and none are ignorant of the arts of reading, writing, and common arithmetic No addi- tional schools seem to be required, although it has been found necessary to enlarge the dimensions of the parochial school. This operation is now in progress. Library. — Tliere is a parochial library, which was instituted two years ago by the present incumbent It has been supported hitherto by two grants of L. 10 each from the Hutton bequest ; one collection in the church; and the annual payment of Is. from each reader. The number of volumes exceeds 200 *. Poor. — The number of persons receiving parochial aid is about 70. These receive from L. 1, 10s. to L. 7 yearly. The division is made twice a-year ; but some are of opinion, that a monthly division would be more beneficial to the poor themselves. A few pounds appear a great sum to a very poor person ; hence, * Dr Hutton*8 deed of mortification provides that part of the surplus revenue shall he devoted to " the buying of Bibles, with other pious and religious books, for the use of buch poor as are not able to purchase the same.** It occurred to the writer that this might be fairly construed into authority for instituting and sup- porting a parikh library. A query to this effect was therefore distinctly put to coun- sel, and the writer felt ranch pleasure in finding the following remark in die Opinion of the Solicitor- General, Mr Cockburn, with which Mr Cuninghame, the present So- licitor-General, agrees. " In the first place, they,** via. the trustees * o C g ^ "T; O B 13 rt © be G 2 « a ^ a* c -13 •C " «S o S g-g^" ^ B * oT •s o B 0) O "XS <4-i bl)5 G.2 2 i 2 £ _ o o >^ © ^ G ^ O -tid © ® -a P 4^ Co OOOOOOOOOO^O ooo^oooooooo ©©©-«©©©©e©f-^ -^^OOO'^©C0O — ©© ^^P«©9l91©'*OGlO© •-hO«-^0©0©©0'-i©© 00©C4Q4O©©OO-^OO 0^©©0©©'-^0000 G0^©©©^000«-^0© ©©©©©'"^OO'^OO© C>|f-4©00000^000 gHO'^O©©©"^©©©"^ Of-«0'^0©©0©©©-« ©e — c4©©C4©^oeci ©©©©^^O*^©"^©^-© ©l©^©©©*©!*^© — «© C0'^C<©©C^^C^©©O-« •38*5 i I I ^ i g ° ^-s I"- 12 I 00 >* e ^^ & o ^ - -3*0 ^ 8 •c^ « c !«* S a-5 iS I 00 S v & ^ 3 101 -2 -o I »2 h 1^ r »^ fc. w »— ** fl* 5 I 12 E 8 «S O 5 S 1^ 3 o • S e (^t^(0-^C4aoco'*4*^eooQQO I go »^ C ^ B I = 58 8 I 8^ I eo -? n S a» c i± ce eo If 00 »^ l> cS I 00 00 <^eo^oo©oooo©© ©©o>r«r« I ga6 ^4 i^i AJSl s 522 2 2S222222 2223 g § CS • Nil cient time for making any great improvement, and these, if nmde, are scarcely finished, and the farmer has hardly begun to en- joy the fruits of them, when, by their being brought again in* to the market, they become a temptation to a new bidder. On the Duke's farms, this is indeed corrected ; for there, there is no exposure to public roup, nor private offers made. A certain per centage, in proportion to the sales of the former lease, is either added to or taken from it, as the rent of the lease ensuing : this is offered for the acceptance of the tenant, and if he has a son to succeed him, behaves well, and can pay his rent, he is never re* moved. In this way, let the leases be of what length they may, im- provements are constantly carrying on : farms become a kind of liferent property to the possessors, who improve them for their children's children, and yet it is understood that the Duke's farms are not, on the whole, cheaper than others. But the security of the system is all the charm. In the building of houses, the Duke gives wood, slate, and lime ; but the carriage of these from the places where they are usually sold, and all the other expenses of building and finishing, are the work of the tenant. On farms differently constituted, every permanent improvement ought to be made by the landlord. In general, the farm buildings on the Duke's estates in Eskdale are commodious and in good repair ; and I add with pleasure, that the paternal interest which the fami- ly of Buccleuch has ever taken in the welfare of its tenantry, is gratefully felt by the latter, and has a powerful effect on their ge- neral character. Few are more honourable in their dealings or better informed. Draining. — The most general improvement on sheep farms here is surface draining. The drains are generally made from 16 inches to 2 feet wide, and 1 foot deep at an average. The expense of mak- ing them is from 6s. to 7s. 6d. per 100 roods of 18 feet each ; and when the soil, after some years, has become compressed, and the sides of the drains have beguu to meet, they are commonly widened and cleaned out for from 4s. to^ds. per 100 roods. A considerable degree of skill is requisite in laying them on. If they run too slow, they cannot clear themselves of flying bent and other impurities; and if too rapid, they run into gullies. The best rate of motion is a medium between these two. Experience has taught that they ESKDALEMUIR. 409 should be of considerable length, to collect a sufficient quantity of water for keeping them clear; and, where the ground will allow it, they are commonly made to run up the water rather than down ; that is to say, when draining the wet side of a hill, facing the east, for instance, with a bum running south at the bottom, — in place of beginning the drains at the north end, in a parallel direction from north to south, as the burn runs, — it is better to begin them at the south end of the hill, and make them run north into some ravine or syke on that side, communicating with the bum. You can thus make the draining more level, by having gained the difference of level on the north end, above that on the south. The advantages of these drains, on sheep farms containing much bog, are incalcu- lable. The grounds which retained the wet after rain, or were locked up by every frost, by having their surface moisture quickly carried off, afford a dry bed for the sheep, and better grasses for their support, and have banished that most destructive of all diseases, the rot. In this parish, there are on some of the farms between 30,000 and 40,000 roods of these drains ; and in the whole parish, there are nearly 400,000 roods of drains. Embanking. — But, besides surface drains on hill lands, the straighting and embanking of the Black and White Esks, with se- veral of their tributary streams, have been of material advantage. There is a long embankment of the Black Esk on the farm of Kil^ bum, and one of shorter dimensions, of the Grarwald water, below Thickside ; but the principal one is that of the White Esk on the farms of Nether Cassock, Davington, and Buracleugh, extending to nearly two miles, and done at great expense. By it, an exten- sive holm or haugh, of more than 100 acres, which, in many places, was a sour swamp and much overflowed every flood by the river, — has been dried and rendered productive both for crops and hay. Mole-catchinff, — Mole-catehing, which, in my former Account, was merely mentioned as a thing proposed, was in the summer of 1797 carried into effect, on the whole of the Duke of Buc« clench's farms hi the south country. Messrs Fleming and Thom- son from Lancashire undertook to catch, for fourteen years from that date, on the following conditions : For every 100 acres of arable land, 10s. annually for each of the first three years ; and 5s. annually for each of the remaining eleven ; and for every 100 acres of sheep pasture, Ss. 4d. annually for each of the first three years, and 4s. 2d. for each of the remaining eleven. The plan is continued still, but at a lower rate ; for, the first fourteen years re- DUMFRIES. D d 410 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. quired four times the number of hands that are needed now. As everything on the Duke's estate is done systematically, the pro- portion due by each farmer i& paid at the rent day to the cham- berlain, after deducting the board of the mole-catcher, and handed over to Mr Fleming, who regularly attends. Several other pro- prietors and tenants have agreed with Mr Fleming, at the Duke's rates. One advantage is obvious to the most superficial observer. Before the moles were caught, their usual run was along the back of the drains, where the ground was driest, and often into the drains, — the consequence of which was, that every flood sending out water through these holes spread the mole hills over the ground beneath, causing that rich soft grass to arise, which, in spring, might do no injury, but was dangerous in autumn for the introduction of rot. In 1798, His Grace Henry of Buccleuch knowing the advan- tages of flat flooding on meadows, and catch-work, as it is techni- cally called, on sloping grounds in several of the counties in Eng- land, — engaged Mr Stephens to assist any of his farmers who were so inclined, in laying down land regularly for water meadow. A considerable number profited by his Grace's offer ; and the whole of the meadows so operated on have been accurately reported by Dr Singer, at the request of the Highland Society, and the re- port published by them in the third volume of their Transactions. There was no water meadow in this parish, except two acres of catch-work on the glebe ; which, although supplied by a mountain rivulet of very inferior quality, were visibly enriched, — the poor barren soil being converted into rich black mould. In general, the objections against the system were, — the small quantity of ground that could be spared from the sheep or the plough, — the abundance of hay either from meadow or bog, — and the poverty of the water when compared with that which passes through the rich manufacturing districts of England. The hay, too, was thought good for cattle but not for horses ; and of fodder for the latter they stood most in need. Till the beginning of the present century, it was the practice of farmers, during snow storms of any great continuance^ to fly with their sheep to Annandale. To those living under different cir- cumbtances, it is scarcely possible to conceive the extent to which this was carried. I select one instance of many from a memoran- dum taken at the time. '^ On the 15th January 1802, the thaw came which relieved so many thousands of sheep. For a great number of years, such a general flying for pasture had not been ex- ESKDALEMUIR. 411 perienoed, although lesser ones have been far from unfrequent £very part of Nithsdale, Annandale, and the lower part of Esk- dale, that could take in sheep was filled with them from Crawfurd- muir, Tweedsmuir, Ettrick, and Yarrow, the head of Tiviotdale, Ewes, and Eskdalemuir; and had the frost continued eight days longer, there is no saying what the farmers would hare done. Nor was all this owing to the great depth of snow, for it was by no means considerable. The whole of the evil was occasioned by the snow falling wet, or becoming so, and then freezing, which lock- ed up the pastures from the sheep. The common rate per score, for twenty-four hours, even for this imperfect kind of support, was from lOd. to Is. 6d." No such thing 9& flying in this parish is DOW ever thought of, — the pastures in Annandale, to which they usually fled, having in many places been subdivided and enclosed. Hay parks were begun at home. The dung which lay useless formerly, was employed to enrich them. This gave a considerable quantity of led hay for the sheep ; and in addition to this, it was found that the better kind of bog hay when well got, could subsist sbeep very well, till the thaw came. In place» therefore, of their being hungered before they went to Annandale, half starved while there, and half-drowned in the burns on their way home when the thaw came, they continue at home, thrive better, and much money is saved to the farmer. An additional fund of support for young cattle and sheep has lately been introduced into this parish from Liddesdale by Mr James ElUot, tenant of Yetbyre, — in mowing the flying bent and converting it into hay. Before he began the practice, it was al- lowed to wither, to be carried about by the winds, and stop the cur- rent of the drains. But since that time, several have followed his example, and found their account in it. It is not so nutritive as bog hay, but if cut early when full of sap, it is far from being des- picable ; — and what adds to its value is, that it is found on &rms where hog hay is not abundant. V. — Parochial Economy, Means of Communicatian^ — Our roads are not turnpike, but made and kept in repair by an yearly assessment, laid on by those heritors of the parish who are Commissioners of Supply, always be- fore the 30th April; on which day the Commissioners of Supply for the county meet at Dumfries, to receive and sanction the assess- ment of the county. The rate is paid one-half by the heritors, and one-half by the tenants. There are about twenty-one miles of this I 412 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. description of road in the parish. We have a bridge of two arches I over the White Esk, near the kirk, and a bridge of one arch over the Black Esk. On the road to Lockerbie, Lochmaben, Dumfries, and Mo£fat, a third is to be erected over the Black Esk, immedi* ately above its junction with the White Esk. This will open a communication with the lime-works in the parish of Middlebie, and be of great use to this parish. Should the line surveyed lately b; Mr Welsh, under the superintendance of Mr Telford, of a coach- road from Carlisle by Gariston Bridge, Middlebie, Eskdalemuir, Ettrick, Yarrow, Innerleithen, and Middleton to Edinbuigh, be carried into effect, it will be shorter than the present road by Lang- holm, Hawick, Selkirk, &c. by about twelve miles. It is in ge- neral level, and has throughout a southern exposure, which is of consequence, in times of snow. The ring fences around the enclosed lands of farms are com- monly of stone; the subdivisions, of thorn; and the march dikes be- tween farms, always of stone. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is nearly in the centre of the parish, on the banks of the White Esk. It was built in 1826, and is not only commodious but elegant. It is seated for the accommodation of 393 persons, allowing 18 inches to each sitter. The manse was built in 1783, and has not only been se- veral times repaired, but considerably enlarged. The extent of the glebe is 24 English acres, including manse, offices, and gar- den ; the latter of which, when the present incumbent entered, vas quite open to the sheep and cattle of the neighbouring fanner. It is now surrounded and subdivided, partly with stone and partly with hedge-rows ; and a number of trees have been planted round the manse. The stipend is 15 chalders, half meal half barley, with L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. There is in the parish no Dissenting place of worship, properly so called. The only Dissenters are Cameronians, 17 in number, who are occasionally visited by preachers ; and annually, or every two years, have the sacrament dispensed to them at Upper Dumfedling, when all those of the same denomination from neighbouringparishes usually attend. They are a moral and religious people, with whom I have always lived on the most friendly habits. Although staunch to their principles, their children generally attend the Established church. The distance from the pfirish church Is great to many; but it is in general well attended. In good weather, they come to ESKDALEMUIR. 413 church from a distance of four, five, or six miles. The average number of communicants for the last ten years is 159. Societies. — The only society for religious purposes in the parish, is the Eskdalemuir Bible and Missionary Association. It has exist- ed sixteen years, and in that time subscriptions and collections at the annual sermon have been made to the amount of L. 294, 7s. lOd., or L. 18, 7s. lOd. yearly. The contributions were sent to the Bri- tish and Foreign Bible Society, till 1823, when the contributors, being dissatisfied with their conduct respecting the Apocrypha, and in employing infidel agents, resolved to send them to the Edin- burgh Bible and Scottish Missionary Societies. Education, — There are two schools in the parish, — the parochial and a private one. The parochial schoolmaster's salary is the maximum, L. 34, 4s. 5d., and the school fees and Candlemas pre* sent about L. 10. Besides the ordinary branches, Latin, Greek, and French are taught It is but justice to say, that the merits of a teacher far exceed his emoluments. He has even more than the legal accommodation, as to house and garden. The private school is entirely supported by school wages ; and the teacher goes from house to house with his scholars. In general, the parents are anxious to have their children educated; but the distance from the school not unfrequently induces several families to unite in hiring a teacher for the winter half year, — dividing the salary according to the number of scholars ; and it is pleasing for me to remark, that, at the usual diets for parochial examination, which are uncommonly well attended, there appears no deficiency as to reading, and an acquaintance with' the principles of religion, — the parents making up by private tuition what they cannot procure by public instruction. I state this from accurate knowledge ; for, at each diet, the children bring their Bibles to read a portion, on which they are examined after Gall's method, repeat their cate- chisms, psalms, and paraphrases, commonly with great accuracy ; and at two diets held where the schools are situated, after the older people have been examined, the teachers go through the dif- ferent English branches taught in their schools in the hearing of the parents. Libraries, — Till lately, those fond of reading were subscribers to the Westerkirk parish library. But we have now one of our own which is increasing fast, and the term^ of admission are very mo- derate* Poor, — The number of persons at present on the poors' list is 414 DUMFBIE8-8HIRE. 15. They are supported by quarterly assessments, increased or diminished according to the state of the case; and these assessments are paid, one-half by the heritors, and one-half by the tenants. The assessment at present is L. 25 per quarter ; but this is unusually large, in order to meet some extraordinary cases. The average sum collected for poor's rates annually, during the last ten years, is ImM^ 3s. OJd. and the average number of paupers on the list during that time has been 12. The evil effects of assessments are apparent io this parish as elsewhere. The collections at the church forthelastten years amounted to L. 204| 2s. 7|d. or L. 20, 8s. 3d. yearly. They are commonly appropriated to the following uses : to pay the sala- ries of the ordinary office-bearers, to educate the poor scholars, to aid the Dumfries and Galloway Infirmary, and thereby give us the power of sending patients to that useful institution ; and to give tem- porary aid to poor people, either to keep them from the poorf rates, or support them till the first quarterly meeting. The ses- sion, besides these collections, has L. 80 of mortified money and accumulated collections, the interest of which goes, by agreement, in aid of the poor rates, and is accepted by the committee in Ueu of the half of the session funds to which by law they are entitled. Mrs William Curll, formerly a residenter in this parish, but latter- ly in Kelso, left to the care of the Eskdalemuir session L. 25,-- the interest of which is to go to aged persons not on the poore lists; and Mrs Moffat, late at Garwald, left L.20 to the session, the interest to be employed in buying school Bibles for poor scholarSi This last is a most useful legacy. Fuel — The usual fuel is peat, of which there is fortunately great abundance ; so that, in dry years, a sufficient store can be laid up; but in wet seasons, our situation is uncomfortable. Miscellaneous Observations. - The great storm in 1794 should not pass unnoticed, in a work of this kind. It happened the year after I wrote my former Account, anjl from a memorandum taken at the time, I am enabled to describe » with accuracy. " During the harvest of 1793 the weather was good, and never was there a milder and more favourable winter for stocks than this was, till the fatal 25th January 1 794. That storm was the most dreadful ever known in this place. The snow began to tai in the evening of Thursday the 23d, and covered the ground to the depth of about four inches. Friday the 24th, the forenoon was pretty good, and in the evening it began to rain ; and there was every appearance of thaw, the wind being south-west. Th® ESKDALEMUIR. 415 shepherds, therefore, steUed their sheep, in that expectation, — sheltering them from the south-west wind. The rain became al- ways heavier, till betwixt one and two o'clock in the morning of Sa- turday the 25th. This filled the sykes with melted snow. At four o'clock, the air was perfectly calm, and the sky starry. But in half an hour, the wind changed to the north-north-east, and then the snow and drift began ; it freezing at the same time very hard, when the drift became very great, which it did about five o'clock ; it drove the sheep into the sykes, and the intensity of the frost confined them there till they were drowned. Those which escaped the sykes were driven into hollow places and covered with snow. Many were struck dead on the dry ground, and found afterwards lying on their backs. The drift was excessive till about eight o'clock, when it slack- ed a little, and continued so till three in the afternoon, when it be- came as dreadful as ever, and contuiued till past midnight. Next morning, Sabbath the 26th, was perfectly calm and clear, and the whole day pleasant, but very frosty. It was painful to see cart loads of half-dead sheep carrying to the farm-houses to be taken care of. This kind of frosty weather continued till Wednesday 29th, when a heavy fall of snow began about one o'clock, and continued till late. Thursday dOth, was clear. On Friday 3 1st at mid-day a thaw came, and in twenty-four hours almost all the snow disappeared. Every shepherd in the parish was in jeopardy on the 25th, but fortunate- ly no lives were lost The total number of sheep destroyed in Eskdalemuir on the 25th January was 4006, and 7 black cattle. This was the loss as taken immediately after the storm ; but there 18 every reason to think that it was considerably greater, as many went down the bums when the thaw came."* * See MS. for farther particulars of the effects of this storm, also for a narrative of the story of Gilpin Homer, which occupies a prominent part in Sir Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel PARISH OF LANGHOLM. PRESBYTERY OF LANGHOLM, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. WILLIAM B. SHAW MINISTER..* I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — Langholm no doubt derives its name from the holm or flat land which stretches along the banks of the river Esk upon which it is situated. It may be observed that, generally, the farms on both sides of the river take the name of holm, — such as Broom* holm, Murtholm, Stubholm, Meikleholm, Millholm, and Potholm. Extent and Boundaries. — This parish extends 1 1 miles in lengtb, and 6 in breadth, and contains 41 ^square miles. Itis boundedonthe north by Westerkirk and Ewes; on the east by Ewes and Canobie; on the south by Canobie ; and qu the west by Middlebie and Tud- dergarth. Exclusive of Half- Morton, the parish contains Dea^ ly 14,320 acres, 12,800 of which belong to his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch ; 1500 to George Maxwell, of Broomholm, Esq.; aod the remainder to Mr Matthew Little of Arkinholm, proprietor of half of one of the ten merk lands of Langholm. SoiL — The soil varies very much, as the greater part of the pa- rish is hilly and pastoral. 'The hills are smooth and verdant to the very summits, — affording a bountiful supply of food to the nume- rous flocks of sheep which graze upon them. The ground along the banks of the rivers Esk and Ewes is flat, and consists of Ugh^ loam, and in some places rather inclines to be gravelly. These grounds are highly cultivated, and well sheltered by woods, belts of planting and thriving hedge-rows, and are capable of producing c^' cellent crops of every description. On the south and west side oi the town, there are a few orchards which, in favourable seasons, are very productive. Meteorology. — The annual mean temperature of the atmosphere, according to Fahrenheit's thermometer, may be stated about 44^ j* In the whole range of Eskdale, it has been accurately ascertained, that more rain falls by a third than either at Hawick or Selkirk. * Drawn up by a Probationer of the Church of Scotland. LANGHOLM. 417 This has been attributed to the communication with the Atlantic by the Solway Frith, from which, as being a much larger body of water than the German sea, there naturally arises a much greater degree of exhalation, — which the attraction of the surrounding hills more readily condenses and dischai^es in rain. The most prevail- ing winds and heaviest falls of rain are from the south-west, which is exposed to the Solway Frith. Snow lies only for a short period in the low lands. Hydrography. — In the western division, called Wauchopedale, there are three medicinal springs, one sulphureous, and two chaly- beate. Unfortunately, no analysis has been made of any of these springs. Persons afflicted with scrofula and eruptions of the skin are said to derive great benefit from drinking the waters of the sul- phureous spring. The river Esk, which gives name to this pastoral district, rises iu the high country of Esk water, and has its course among moun- tains to Broomholm, and passes through the parish of Langholm in a south direction. It is joined by the streams of Black Esk, Megget, Ewes, and Wauchope. Its length is 30 miles in the coun- ty of Dumfries, and 38 to the Solway Frith, into which it flows. Geology and Mineralogy, — Greenstone occurs in beds of grey- wacke and greywacke slate, according to Professor Jameson, in the whole extensive range from Langholm to Wamphray, in the upper* district of Annandale. Floetz-trap extends from the bridge of Lang- holm to Denbie, in the parish of Dalton. In the upper part of the county, between Wamphray and Langholm, it is found on the summit of transition mountains, and generally in the shape of moun- tain caps. Greywacke slate is worked in the vicinity of Langholm, and in the high parts of the valley of the Esk. Lead ore has been found on the farm of Westwater, the pro- perty of the Duke of Buccleuch,> and also on the estate of Broom* holm, belonging to George Maxwell, Esq. This vein consists of a considerable quantity of heavy spar, which often attends metallic veins. It stretches across the Esk into the Duke's lands from north-west, in a south-east direction. At Langholm low bridge are several small spar veins running in the transition rock. Some- time ago, a trial was made for lead there, and some of that ore was found blended in the spar; and a quarter of a mile below this, the primitive and secondary strata join. At Langholm bridge, the coal formation begins, and continues through the whole of the lower part of the district to the Solway Frith. Between 418 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Langholm bridge and Byreburn^ the sandstone is of a grayish white and yellowish gray colour, and contains many vegetable iDould& The limestone, which lies upon the transition rocks and below the coal formation, is bluish gray, and contains petrifactions. The slate-clay is grayish black, and contains beds of globular clay iron- stone. Below Byreburn, the brownish red-coloured sandstone continues without any alternation to the Solway Frith. Amygda- loid is also found. Zoology. — Among the more rare birds, it may be noticed that the bittern (Ardea ttettarisj) the butcher-bird {Lanius coBurioj) and the king-fisher (Akedo ispidoy) have been seen in this parbh. All the species of our singing birds are to be met with. Of Destructive Insects, — The most common are the Aphis hray sic(Bf or cabbage plant-louse, which commences its ravages about the end of May, and the Aphis pomi^ the apple-leaf plant-louse, which is found on the young leaves and shoots of apple trees, from the lime they bud till the middle of June. The bean plant-louse, the Aphis fob(Bj is in some seasons very hurtful to the bean crop. It is found on the tops of all the varieties of beans. The glow- worm (Lampyris splendidtda) is common in this parish, and is ge- nerally seen at the roots of hedges and on road sides. Botany. — There are no rare plants in this parish ; but all the common kinds are found. There is a species of willow known by the name of the gray saugh, which grows to a great size, and is much sought after by cabinetmakers, on account of its beautiful red colour, and the polish it takes when applied for making house- hold furniture. Much valuable wood is in this parish, — such as large oaks, ash, beech, plane tree, and forest trees of every kind. 11. — Civil History. Historical Notices. — Langholm was erected into a burgh of ba- rony in the year 1610, and designed in the charter Arkinholm. The grant was given by the head of the Nithsdale family (Douglas), who at the time was Lord of the Regality of Eskdale. The same lord, in 162i2, granted a new charter of erection to ten cadets of the family, upon condition that each of them should build a bouse in the town, — in which charter, for the first time, it is designed Langholm ; and along with the houses, four of which were only built, he granted to each of them a merk land. Five and a half of these merk lands are still. in the possession of Mr Maxwell of Broomholm. The town of Langholm is built in the bosom of a beautiful wood- LANGHOLM. 419 land scene on the banks of the Esk, along the Edinburgh and Car- lisle road, and consists of one principal street, which contains some excellent houses, roofed with blue slate got in the neighbourhood. At the market-place stand, the Town-Hall and Jail, ornament- ed with a spire and clock. These buildings were erected on an elegant plan in 1811. The village of New Liangholm, halfa-mile from the town, is delightfully situated on the opposite side of the river, at the confluence of the Esk and Wauchope, and connected with the former by a stone bridge of three arches. This village consists of about 140 houses built upon a regular plan, of a trian- gular form, on feus held from the Duke of Buccleuch, and was begun in the year 1778. If the house consists of one story, the feuar gets two acres of land ; if of two stories, four acres, at a rent varying according to the quality of the soil and situation, from ds. to 14s. per acre on leases of fourteen years. They have also a cow pastured on a common at 18s. per annum, solely appropriated for this purpose. Tlie Duke of Buccleuch is superior, and no- minates the Baron Bailie. Eminent Men, — Among the eminent men bom in this parish, we may mention the following : Mr Maxwell, the ingenious author of an Essay upon Tune; John Pasley, Esq. an enterprising and suc- cessful London merchant; Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, his brother, who distinguished himself under Earl Howe, in the defeat of the French fleet, on the 1st of June 1794; William Julius Meikle, the translator of Camoens' Lusiad; Colonels Matthew Murray and John Little, who distinguished themselves under the Marquis Comwallis, in the wars against Tippoo Saib; Captain Geoi^e Maxwell, R. N. who signalized himself in an engagement with the Dutch, off the Dogger-Bank in 1781 ; Ralph Irvine, M. D. who died in India, 1795, a young man of great promise in his profes- sion ; Colonel C. Pasley of the Royal Engineers, well known for bis attainments in literature and sdence, who has now withdrawn from the active duties of life, and is enjoying his well-earned fame among the scenes of his infancy ; and Darid Irring, LL. D. au- thor of the Life of George Buchanan, &c. and librarian to the Fa- culty of Advocates. Chief Land''0umer8, — The principal proprietors are, His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch ; George Maxwell, Esq. of Broomholm ; and Mr Matthew Little of Arkinholm. Sir Patrick Maxwell, Bart, of Springkell, is the sole proprietor of Half Morton, with exception of two farms. 420 DUMFRIES-SHrRE. Parochial Registers. — The earliest register of baptisms commen- ces in 1706; of marriages, in 1719; and of deaths, in 1704. From which period till the present, the register of baptisms and mar- riages has been kept with tolerable accuracy ; but the register of deaths is wholly awanting for one year. Antiquities. — The Castle of Langholm is merely a square tower or border-house, which was formerly the property of the Armstrongs, a powerful body of freebooters in this district ; and is now in ruin& The Castle of Bamtalloch, near Staplegorton, built of stone and lime, stood on a rocky precipice above the Esk. Under this fortifica- tion, rose a burgh of barony, where an annual fair of great resort was held, which, many years ago, was transferred to Langholm. There is a tract of ground which contains somewhat more than twenty-six Scotch acres that still bear the name of the " Borough roods of Staplegorton." At the junction of the Esk and Ewes, a small frag- ment of a castle is visible, formerly the property of the Nithsdale family* Wauchope Castle, where the old manse stood, was the first residence of the Lindsays in Scotland. This family came into this country from the manor of Lindsai, in Essex, along with Mal- colm Canmore in the beginning of the twelfth century, who con- ferred upon them the lands of Wauchopedale. This castle is built upon a steep precipice near the river Wauchope, which renders it very romantic, — the opposite banks being covered with a variety of beautiful trees. In former times, it must have been a place oi great strength. The fosse and other out-works can readily be traced, even at this distance of time. Mr Pennant, in examining the site of the old Castle of Broomholm, which was taken down about ninety years ago, was of opinion, that the mansion-house of Broomholm stands in a situation which was the heart of an old British townj answering to Caesar's description, " Oppidum sylvis paludi- busque munitum." — The Roman road of communication between the encampments of Netherbie and Castle O'er, or Overbie, in Eskdalemuir, can still be traced. This road enters Langholm parish at the south-east comer, crosses the Esk a short way above Broomholm, and runs north-west till it enters the parish of Wester- kirk. Coins. — On the farm of Broomholm, about fifty years ago, some of Mr Maxwell's servants found six denarii aurei, three of whicn were of Nero, two of Vespasian, and one of Domitian, — all in bigii preservation. A few years later, on the same line of road, one Otno, and two denarii aurei, were found near Wauchope bridge. TneV LANGHOLM. 421 are in the possession of the family of the late Mr Little, Baron Bailie of Langholm. Witches. — Near the old Castle of Langholm, a place is pointed out where several reputed witches were burnt in the last century. It is told of the Eskdale witches, some of whom acted as mid- wives, that they had the power of transferring the labour of child- birth from the mother to the father. Branks. — This was an instrument of punishment kept by the chief magistrate, for restraining the tongue. The branks was in the form of a head-piece, that opens and incloses the head of the culprit, — ^while an iron, sharp as a chisel, enters the mouth and subdues the more dreadful weapon within. Dr Plot, the learned historian of Staffordshire, has given a minute description and figure of this instrument ; and adds, that he looks upon it '^ as much to be preferred to the ducking-stool, which not only endangers the health of the party, but also gives the tongue liberty 'twixt every dip, to neither of which this is at all liable." When husbands un- fortunately happened to have scolding wives, they subjected the heads of the offenders to this instrument, and led them through the town exposed to the ridicule of the people. It may be mentioned, that it was on Langholm Holm, ^' that Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, and his gallant companie of thirty-six men, when going to meet King James Y., ran their horse and brak their spears, when the ladies lookit frae their lofty win- dows, — saying, God send our men well back again." At Carlenrig, near Moss Paul, on the road betwixt Langholm and Hawick, where John and his gallant followers were executed, their graves are point- ed out in the solitary churchyard of that place. Modem Buildings. — The principal mansion-houses are, Lang- holm Lodge, belonging to His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, and Broomholm House, the residence of George Maxwell, Esq. Both of these residences are delightfully situated on the banks of the Esk, in the immediate neighbourhood of Langholm. Near to Lang- holm Lodge, there is a handsome bridge of 100 feet span, which highly improves the prospect, and is an object of great attraction to travellers as they enter the town by the north. IIL — Population. The population in 1755 amounted to 1833 1791, 2540 1801, 2536 1811, 2636 1821, 2957 And in 1831, males 1269, females 1407, 2676 422 DUMFRIE8-SHIBE. Of that number 1127 reside in the Old Town, 1137 in the New Town, and 413 in the country. Average of births for the last 7 years, - 45 marriages, - - 15 deaths, - - - 40 Number of fimiilies, - - 576 inhabited bouses, ... 407 uninhabitedt ... g building, - ... 2 families chiefly employed in agriculture, 36 trade, 260 all other families, - - 280 There are two blind persons, and two fatuous in the parish. The numbers employed in the different kinds of retail trade and handicraft are as follows: — brewers, 1; bakers, 6; blacksmiths, 6; coopers, 2 ; candlemaker, 1 ; distiller, 1 ; dyer and thread-maker, 1; clockmakers, 4; fleshers, 4; shoemakers, 6; tinsmiths, 1; joiners, carpenters, and glaziers, 10; house-painters, 2; tailors, 8; shop-keepers, 15; sawyers, 4; saddlers, 2; barbers and hair- dressers, 2 ; masons, 6 ; doggers, 5 ; tanners, 1 ; skinners, 1 ; mil- lers, 2; weavers, 260; stockingmakers, 50; stationer and prin- ter, 1. Number of professional persons : clergymen, 3"; bankers, 2 ; surgeons, 2 ; writers, 3 ; teachers, 5 male, and 4 female. IV, — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy* — The number of acres arable in the parish may be computed at 1894 Under plantations of various kinds, • . 420 Not in tillage, but affording excellent pasture, • 12006 Rent of Land. — In this large parish, where there is so much low and high ground, the rent per acre must vary accordingly. The land in the immediate neighbourhood of the town lets so high as L. 2, 10s. and L. 1, 5s. per acre. No sheep-farmer is much in- clined to inform strangers either of the extent of their farms, the numbers of their flocks, or the rent they pay. The grazing of a milk cow for the season costs L. 1, 10s., and the half of that for a calf or stirk. A full-grown sheep, 5s. Rate of Wages. — The rate of labour for country artisans is as follows: In summer, jomer, without victuals, per day. Is. 9d. to 2s. ; masons, ditto, 2s. to 2s. 6d. ; tailors, with victuals, as it is common for them to go to the houses of their employers, Is. 6d.; day-labourers, viz. dikers, ditchers, &c. Is. 6d. ; ploughmen, with board for the half year, and other full-grown male farm-servants, from L.7 to L.8; female servants for agricultural purposes, with board, from L. 3, 3s. to L. 4. In harvest, for the space of five weeks, a man receives L.2, 5s.; a woman, for the same period, from L.2 LANGHOLM. 423 to L. 1, lOs.; females, for hoeing turnips, potatoes, or making hay, 9d. per day. Shepherds are generally allowed the grazing of fifty head of stock, a free house, and a certain quantity of meal, with the pasture of a cow. RemtaL — The valued rent of this parish, exclusive of Half Mor- ton, as stated in the county cess-book, is 9321 merks Scots, equal to L. 2000 Sterling : Half Morton is valued at 1650 merks, or L. 972 Sterling, — making in whole nearly L. 3000 Sterling. Live stodu — The common breed of sheep is the Cheviot. This breed is found to be well adapted both to the soil and climate, and is very profitable, for the fine quality of the wool. The greatest possible attention has been paid to the improvement of this breed, and the general mode is by purchasing tups from the Cheviots, and from improvers of the stock, at the tup fair of HawicL It cannot be very accurately ascertained how many thousands of sheep are pastured in this parish ; but the number may be about 9000. The stock of the whole of this district is generally sold at the following places, viz. lambs, at St Bothwells, Langholm, and Lockerbie ; hogs, at Applebie and Stagshaw ; wedders, at Stagshaw and Ask- rigg; and draught ewes, at Brough Hill, Kettlewell, and York. The average prices obtained this year for Cheviot stock per head were, for wedders, L. 1, Is. 6d., ewes, 17s. fid. and lambs, 9s. fid. The common ingredients for smearing are tar and butter, with sometimes a mixture of palm oil. When tar and butter are used, the proportions are one stone of butter (16 English pounds,) to a gallon of tar (8 Scots pints.) By the common rule of smearing, a stone of butter to a gallon of tar should smear 30 hogs, and from 40 to 45 older sheep. The wool of young sheep takes five fleeces to the stone of 24 lb. English, and older sheep from six to seven. Thus the average of a whole clip may be 6^. The wool-dealers from Halifax, Huddersfield, and Leeds, are the chief buyers. The wool-market is so changeable, that the average of the price per stone is not easily fixed. The common breed of cattle in Eskdale is the Galloway kind, to the rearing of which great attention is paid. In a letter of the late Rev. Dr Brown of Eskdalemuir, he says, ^^ the stirks, which are a very considerable source of emolument, are generally sought after by dealers between Michaelmas and Martinmas, car- ried to the Dumfries market, and sold to the Galloway farmers, who are fond of them, as being large and fat from our grassy pas- tures; so that after they are kept in Galloway for a year, they can 424 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. be sorted with ihose bred in Galloway that are a year and some* times two years older than themselves, and passed off as such in Carlisle and other market towns on the English borders. Hence the reason, that our stirks are higher priced than many others, and the reason why very good ones fetch so high a price/' The num- bers reared in the parish have not been correctly ascertained. The average prices for stock of this kind may be stated as nearly as pos- sible as follows : Two year old stots from L.d to L.5; three year old do. from L. 3 to L. 7, 10s. and L.8, 10s.; four year old do. from L. 6, 6s. to L. 10 and L. 12. Cows vary in price according to size, age, and condition, from L.6 to L. 10. Farm-horses able for their work, and from three to six years of age, or even eight, can be purchased at present from L. 18 to L.SO; some fine ani- mals of the Clydesdale breed brought, at the last Dumfries Rood fair, the high prices of L. 35 and L. 40. A very considerable num- ber of swine is fed in this parish, which, when cured, find a ready market at Newcastle, Longtown, and Carlisle. Husbandry. — In the lowlands all the modem improvements in agriculture, so far as the soil will admit, have been introduced most successfully by the enterprising tenants of the district. On the high pastoral grounds, every thing has been done that draining and enclosing can effect. Leases on the Duke of Buccleuch's farms are generally for the space of nine years. Leases of this length are supposed to be equally favourable to the landlord and tenant, as affording both the same opportunities either of a rise or deduction of rent. The number of acres in some of these farms is 4464 ; and the rent about L. 670. The state of farm-buildings and enclosures in this parish cannot be surpassed, as the Duke affords every facility for improvements and for the comfort of his tenantry. Manufactures. — About forty-seven years ago, a cotton manufac- tory was established in New Langholm, the machinery of which contains 3552 mule spindles, with other suitable apparatus. The original cost was L.2600; and it employs at present from 90 to 100 persons. Woollen yarns, stockings, stuffs, serges, black and white plaids, which are worn by both rich and poor, are also manufac- tured here, but to no great extent. There is a distillery for whis- ky on a small scale ; and a brewery. Langholm enjoys great local advantages for manufactories, having abundance of coal and peat in the neighbourhood, besides a copious supply of water fit to turn very powerful machinery. LANGHOLM. 425 V. — Parochial Economy. Fairs. — A weekly market is held at Langholm for purchasing the ordinary necessaries of life ; and there are four annual fairs, one of which is the greatest in the south of Scotland, for lambs, and is held generally on the 26th of July, the other three for hiring farm-servants, and the sale of stock which is not required to be kept over winter. Means of Communication. — In this district, the roads and bridges are all kept in the best order. The great road from Edinburgh to Carlisle passes through the town of Langholm, affording a ready communication from the capitals of both kingdoms, as the mail runs by this road daily. There is also an excellent road which leads west to Annan. There are two country roads, one of which crosses the Esk at Langholm, and leads up into Eskdale north-west, and the other south-east by 9 good bridge over the Tarras into Canobie. These roads are kept in repair from the assessment which is le- vied in lieu of Statute Labour. Another road is made up Wauch- opedale, which opens a ready communication from Langholm to Lockerbie, Lochmaben, and Dumfries. A coach now runs upon this road, alternately, from Dumfries to Langholm. There was a bridge built across the Esk, in 1780, by subscription, consisting of three arches ; it connects the old and new towns of Langholm. A little farther to the north, there is another bridge of two arches, upon the post road, over the Ewes. These bridges stand nearly parallel, and are situated within sixty yards of each other. About half a-mile south of Langholm, there is another of three arches,^ besides three others, which claim no particular notice. Ecclesiastical State. — Langholm parish comprehends the ancient parishes of Staplegorton, Wauchope, and the half of Morton. Wil- liam de Cunigburc, who possessed the manor of Staplegorton in the twelfth century, granted to the monks of Kelso, the church of Staplegorton with all the lands belonging to it. This grant was confirmed by William the Lion, and also by Walter, the Bishop of Glasgow, in 1232. In the fourteenth century, when the monks of Kelso made an estimate of their property, they held the rectory of this churchj which was valued at L. 13, 6s. 8d. They had also, with- in this manor, a carrucate of land at Duglyn, which brought them yearly five merks. The monks held this rectory till the Reforma- tion, when not only Staplegorton, but several other of the churches of the monks of Kelso, were transferred to the Earl of Roxburghe. Some time after this, the King bought the advowson and the tithes DUMFRIES. £ e 426 DUMFRIBS-SHtBE. of this parish from the Earl, and transferred them in 1637 to tbe Bishop of Glasgow. Langholm was erected into a parish in the year 1703, and be- came the seat of a presbytery in 1743^ by disjoining the five pa- rishes of Eskdale from Middlebie, and adding to them the pansh of Castleton, which was formerly in the presbytery of Jedburgh. The church was originally built in 1703, and since that time has been rebuilt twice, viz. in 1747 and 1779. The present church is convenient enough for the greater part of the parish, with tbe exception of Half Morton. It is not, however, in good repair, being both damp and uncomfortable. It is situated upon a rising ground on the north of the town, which renders it extremely cold in vnnter; and when frost sets in, it is by no means easy of access to the infirm. It may contain about 800 sitters. The manse was rebuilt in 1793, and at present is in good re- pair. The glebe consists of- fifty acres, twenty of which are arable. The amount of stipend is 16 chalders, half meal, hal/ barley, payable in money, according to the highest fiar prices of the county, with L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. Two augmentations have been granted,. since 1792. There are two Dissenting meeting-houses in the parish, — one belonging to the United Associate Synod, and the other to the Relief. ITie chapel of the United Associate congregation was originally built in 1788, and rebuilt in. 1822, and may contain about 600 sitters. The preacher has an allowance of L, 120, and finds a house for himself. The Relief meeting-house, a small buildmgj was founded in 1807. The congregation allows the preacher L. 60, out of which he provides himself with a dwelling-house. The number of Dissenters in the parish who attend these meeting-houses may amount to 400, but their congregations are considerably en- larged from the neighbouring parishes. There are only one Roman Catholic, and two Episcopalians in the parish. The number of communicants at the last celebration of tbe Lord's Supper in the Established Church amounted to 400. Tlierearetwo Sabbath schools, one of which, taught by the Burgher clergyman, with assistants, is attended by more than 300 children, the other is conducted by the Relief clergyman. They are sup- ported by collections made in the chapels. Education. — There are two endowed schools in this parish,^-^'^^ situated in New Langholm, having the maximum salary, and tne legal accommodations ; the other at Broomholm, endowed hy * 3 LANGHOLM. 427 mortification of L. 600 left by the late Captain MasLwell, for teach- iog twenty poor scholars. There are seven other schools, — four of vhich are taught by females, where children of both sexes are in- structed in the elements of reading. In the parochial school, con • ducted by Mr Hannah, a most eflScient teacher, six of his scholars are learning Latin at 6s. per quarter ; one Greek at 78. 6d. do. ; three, French at 10s. 6d. ; English reading at 2s. 6d. do., with writing, ds. 6d., and with arithmetic, 4s. 6d. ; pure and mixed ma- thematics, 7s. 6d. ; book-keeping (complete system) one guinea. The average number of scholars attending the parochial school for the last two years is 75 ; the average numbers that attend the whole of the others, 200. It is supposed that there are some few who can neither read nor write above six years of age, but the number can- not be correctly ascertained. The people in general are strongly alive to the benefits of education; and if there should chance to be a melancholy example of one or two individuals who cannot read or write, they must have come into the parish in that state of ig- norance from another country. There is no part of the parish so distant from some of the schools as to prevent attendance. There are no additional schools required. The facilities of education have made a wonderful and visible change upon the conduct and morals of the people. Literature. — There are two proprietary or subscription libraries, —one instituted in 1800, commonly called the Langholm Library, and the other, first established in 1815, known by the name of the Tradesmen's Library, or New Langholm Library. The first of these libraries has 36 members, who contribute 10s. annually. The late Mr Telford, civil-engineer, a native of the district, left the handsone donation of L. 1000 Sterling to the Langholm Li- brary. Most of the standard works in English literature, and the popular periodicals of the present day, are found in this library. Friendly Society. — A friendly society was instituted in Langholm in the year 1782. The entry money is 10s., with a quarterly pay- ment of Is. Sick members, upon the certificate of a surgeon that they are unable to work and confined to bed, receive 4s. 6d. per week; if able to walk about, though not able to work, ds. 6d. per week. If their illness continue one year and a-half, they are then put upon the superannuated list at 2s. per week for life. When a member dies, L.2 are allowed to defray funeral expenses ; and Is. from each member is given to the widow or children of the deceas- ed. This Society has been of great advantage to the labouring classes. 428 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. There is also a Farming Society, which meets at Langholm once a-month. Each member pays an annual subscription of L. 1, 5s. from which a fund is raised for premiums, — which are given at the annual competition to the best breeders of stock within the dis- trict. — There is a Savings bank in this parish. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of poor, including children, who are upon the poors' roll, is 62, — ^besides a very consi- derable number (between 30 and 40) who receive occasional relief. The sum distributed last year, including all kinds of charity, was nearly L. 400 Sterling. Of this sum, L. 8 per annum are allowed to some ; to others not more than L. 2. Two fatuous persons re- ceive each annually Lw 6, 14s. The average, as nearly as possible, may be L.4 per annum to each poor person. Poor rates were in- stituted in this parish in the year 1773^ and the assessment for last year was L. 320, The rate is 8d. per pound, or nearly 3i p«r cent. The average weekly collection at the church door amounts to 15s. The dues of proclamation of marriage are, for three times lo one day, L. 1, Is.; two days, Ss. 8d.; and for three days, 5s. 6i Fines for immoral conduct, irregular marriages, &c. all go to the poor funds, — except the session clerk's fees for proclamation. About L. 90 have at different times been bequeathed to the poor of this parish for the education of poor children, and other religious pur- poses, which sum the session has placed out at interest upon good security. No public begging is allowed in this parish, or even within the bounds of the presbytery. It is the general beh'ef, that over Scotland the independent spirit of abstaining from seeking parochial relief is fast dying away ; but whether it is so in the pa- rish of Langholm it would be hazardous to risk an opinion. Inn^. — In this parish, which contains a population of 2676 souiSj there are no less than eight respectable inns and twelve inferior alehouses, — a number much more than sufficient to supply the wants both of travellers and of the inhabitants. No doubt, these houses must tend to the deterioration of the morals of the people 5 still the general character of the people is decidedly sober and re- ligious. FtieL — Peat is abundantly supplied, from inexhaustible mosses, within two miles of the town, at Is. 6d. and 2s. per cart load; ^ coal, from Canobie, is purchased at the pit from 2s. 6d. to 3s. p^^ cart load of 24 Carlisle pecks, and is laid down at Langholm frooi 4s. 6d. to 5s. the load. November 1835. 4 PARISH OF WESTERKIRK. PRESBYTERY OF LANGHOLM, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JAMES GREEN, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — This parish has been supposed to take its name from the manor of Westerker, which, by modem appellation, is now called Westerkirk. This name is derived from the British Caer^ or fort- let, which stood near the hamlet of Westerker, upon the Megget water, a little above its confluence with the Esk. In Scoto- Saxon times, " this strength" was named Wester Caer or Ker, to distin- guish it from the eastern Caer which is still visible on the farm of Elfgill. There is another supposition that Westerkirk derived its name from being the most westerly of the five kirks of Eskdale. The present parish of Eskdalemuir formed part of Westerkirk, till 1703, wlien it was erected into a separate parish. Bofundaries. — The parish is bounded, on the west, by Eskdale- muir; on the east, by Ewes; and on the south by Langholm and Tundergarth. In length, it extends nearly 10 miles, and in breadth from 5 to 6. It contains 27,307 Scotch acres, or 38^ square miles. The valuation of the parish is 10,808 merks Scotch, or L.2570, 17s. Topoffraphical Appearances. — The appearance is hilly, with the exception of the narrow vale along the Esk, which runs through the parish. Some of the hills are covered with heath ; but in gene- ral they are green and dry, and«affbrd excellent pasture for sheep. Sail — The soil is various ; the low grounds along the banks of the Esk consist of a light loam, and produce abundant crops both of wheat, barley, and oats. The soil on the rising ground is a deep strong loam, with an intermixture of stones. A considerable quan- tity of moss is found upon the top of many of the hills. The climate, though somewhat keen and moist, is by no means unhealthy, and the people live to a good old age. The prevalent complaints are consumption and rheumatism, the latter brought on hy the sudden alternations from heat to cold. 430 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Hydrography^ — The Black Esk, which divides this parish on the south from that of Eskdalemuir on the north, for nearly one mile, falls into the White Esk, at a place called the King Pool,* not bi from the farm-house of Bailiehill. The junction of these tvo rivers forms the Esk, that runs through the parish, by many pic- turesque meanderings towards the south-east, for the space of seven miles till it reaches Dowglen-Cleugh ; then it runs along the north-side of the parish almost in the same direction till Cra%- Cleugh, a small stream, which divides this parish from Langholm on the south, as Dowglen does on the north side of the EsL Within the bounds of this parish, thirteen bums or rivulets, firom the hills on the south side of the river, and nine from those on the north side, besides the Megget and Stennis water, fall into the EsL The Megget and Stennis have their sources on the south side of a ridge of mountains which divide the county of Dumfries from Rox- burgh and Teviotdale. These rivers are separated by a ridge of hills, and after running southward for six miles, they join at a place called Crooks, and about half a-mile from this place fall into the Esk, in the neighbourhood of Waukmill. Mineralogy. — The prevailing rocks in this parish are, greywacke and greywacke slate. Secondary trap is found on the summit of the transition mountains, and generally in the shape of mountain caps Shell marl is abundant in the farm of Megdale, the property of his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch. The pit is not of easy access, being situated on the declivity of a hill. On that account, the marl is not much used as a manure. An antimony mine, the only one in Britain, though not at present in operation, was discovered in greywacke, at Glendinning, the pro^ perty of Sir Frederick Johnston, Bart, of Westerhall, in the year 1760, but was not regularly worked till 1793, from which time to 1798^ it produced 100 tons of regulus of antimony, valued at L.84 per ton, or L. 8400 Sterling. The ore, which was in a state of sul- phuret, yielded about fifty per cent. The vein, which seldom ex- ceeded twenty inches in thickness, contained blende, calcareous spar, and quartz. While in operation, forty people were employ- ed, who received from L. 23 to L. 26 annually, besides the grazing of a cow at L. 1, and hay for fodder during the winter at 10s. Botany. — There are no particular plants found in this parish, of an interesting kind. Around the pleasure-grounds of Westerhall, * It is said that in former times a Pictish King was drowned in this pooly— .hence the name. WESTERKIKK. 431 there are a great many trees of a large size. Some of the ashes Sire from 11 feet to 12 in circumference* The oak, the elm, the plane, the horse chestnut, and every other kind of forest trees seem to grow with great vigour. There is a considerable quantity of Btttaral wood along the banks of the Esk ; besides the thriving plantations of CraigB and WesterhalL We cannot omit to men- tion a row of thirteen beautiful trees along the west side of the churchyard, which are highly ornamental. Fishes. — Salmon, sea-trout, herling, and the common burn-trout, are very plentiful in the different streams* Salmon, in former times, were very abundant in the Esk ; but are now considerably dimi- nished by means of a caff made across the river at Netherbie, to sup- ply water for the mills which Sir James Graham has erected at JLongtown. Unless there is a great flood, the salmon cannot get over this barrier. The Esk, the Megget, and the Stennis water afford excellent sport to the angler. Game of all kinds is most abundant* The black-cock, grouse, partridge, and pheasant are found in great numbers. The wood- cock and other migratory birds are seen in their seasons. Indeed, all the species of common birds are found in the woods around Westerhall; and the curlew, lapwing, plover, and snipe on the hills* The bittern, though rarely, is sometimes seen* II. — Civil History. Parochial Megisters. — The earliest date of baptisms and mar- riages is 1693; and of deaths, 1804. From the above dates to the present time, these registers have been regularly kept* Land-awnerB, — The valuations of the principal land-owners, as stated in the stent roll, are, in merks Scotch, as follows : — His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, 5863; Sir Frederick G.Johnston, Bart of Westerhall, 2425 ; Mrs Dirom, of Craigs, 700 ; Sir Pulteney Mal- colm, of Dowglen, 225. The only resident heritor is Sir Pulteney Malcolm. Sir Frederick Johnston occasionally resides during the shooting season. Modem Buildings. — Westerhall, the ancient seat of the John- stones, is delightfully situated, being enclosed with wood, and sur- rounded with precipitous hills. The other buildings are Bumfoot and Hopesrigg, the residence of Mr Borthwick, one of the most enterprising tenants of the Duke of Buccleuch. We cannot omit mentioning, also, the mausoleum or family vault of the Johnstones, in the churchyard, which is a piece of excellent architecture. It is built in a circular form, and finished with a handsome dome, sup- 432 DUMFK1£S*SHIR£. ported by fluted columns of the Doric order, and highly ornament- ed with a richly carved frieze. Eminent Men. — This parish is very remarkable as being the birth- place of men who have signalized themselves in every departmeot of literature and science. — Mr Pulteney, who married the Couo- tess of Bath, and the keen opposer of the administration of Sir Ro- bert Walpole ; Governor Johnston, who was celebrated as an offi- cer and a senator; Sir James Johnstone, who represented in maDj Parliaments, the Dumfries-shire burghs ; Sir John Malcolm, well known as an officer, a statesman, and an author, to whose memory a monument is now erecting on Langholm hill, the foundation-stone of which was laid with masonic honours in September last by Sir James Graham, Bart, of Netherbie ; and Thomas Telford, Esq.au eminent civil-engineer, and the constructor of many public works, the unperishable monuments of his genius, who was born of hum- ble parentage in this parish, in the year 1755. The last named individual began life as a common mason in his native parish, and for years had no professional fame except the neatness with which he lettered tombstones. In the churchyard, there is a sim- ple stone, erected to his father's memory, the inscription upon which was amongst the first of his attempts in this line. It would occupy too much space in a work of this kind, to give a lengthened sketch of his rising merit. We may state, however, that in Lon- don, his first employer was Sir William Chambers, while building Somerset House, — who soon discovered his talents, and brought him into notice. The Menai and Conway bridges, the Caledonian Canal, the St Katharine Docks, will ever remain monuments of bis architectural genius. He died at his house in Abingdon Street, Westminster, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. Antiquities, — On a neck of land between the Esk and the Meg- get, and part of the farm of Westerker, there are several whin- stones placed erect in the ground, which have every appearance of the remains of a Druidical temple. There are many vestiges of Roman encampments on the tops of the hills in the north-west end of the parish, which seem to have been out-stations of the Ro* man camp of Castle O'er in the south end of Eskdalemuir. Seve- ral others can be traced along the banks of the Esk, which in bA probability formed the chain of communication between the camp of Castle O'er and the one at Netherbie, near Longtown. — A great number of burians are in this parish, of a circular form, and mea* WESTERKIRK. 433 suring from 36 to 50 yards in diameter. ■ These are supposed by some antiquaries to be remains of Pictish encampments ; while others are of opinion that they were merely places of strength into ^wliich the people collected their cattle at night for security from tbe English borderers. There is also a third conjecture, that they livere for the purpose of protecting the cattle during the night from the ravages of the wild beasts, when the country was covered with wood. This last supposition is perhaps the most correct On the farm of Enzieholm, there are vestiges of an old fortification of a triangular form. It has the appearance of a place of great anti- quity, and of considerable strength. No conjecture at this dis- tance of time can be formed, either as to the time when it was buUt, or by whom it was possessed. There are remains of an old castle at Glendinning, and of another at Westerhall. IIL — Population. Amount of population in 1755y . 549 1791, 655 1801, . 6.38 1811, 607 1821, 672 1831, . 642 vis. 297 males, and 845 females. Number of families in the parish, . . . 125 chiefly engaged in agriculture, . . 68 trade, manu£u;tures, &c . 28 all other fiunilies, . ... 84 inhabited houses, . .117 uninhabited, . . . . 4 building, . . . . 1 The yeaily average of births for the last 7 years is • .20 marriages, ... 6 deaths, . . • 13 There is one blind person in the parish, and five fatuous; but none of them receive aid from the parochial funds. Character of the People. — The tenantry of this parish bear an ex- cellent character for integrity and honour. As farmers, they are skil- ful and industrious, and spare no expense either in the improvement of their stock or of their farms. The lower classes are sober and in- telligent. The generality of them are fond of reading ; and, as they have an ample supply of books, the shepherds in particular have ac« quired a degree of knowledge and information beyond what might have been expected from their situation in life. In their dress they have nothing peculiar ; the black and white plaid worn round the shoul- ders is universally used. No class of people are more contented with their situation. Indeed, the superior comfort of the lower classes in this parish, and in all the extensive pastond and agricultural dis- tricts of the numerous parishes of which the Duke of Buccleuch is the sole or principal proprietor, obviously arises from the wise 434 DUMFRIES-SUIRE. and liberal policy which has characterized the management of the Buccleuch property for ages. That family have inyariably let their extensive possessions to tenants on such terms as secure their comfort and independence. IV. — Industry. AgricuUuTe and Rural Economy. — The number of aerea arable* and of meadow landt nnay be computed at • 1500 not in tillage, but affording excellent pasture, • 25j47 under wood and planutiona, . . . 200 Rent of Land. — As the arable land in this parish is uniformly let with the hill pasture, the rent per acre cannot be accurately ascertained. There are fifteen stock-farmers in the parish whose farms would average nearly 1800 acres each, and who employ, as shepherds and labourers in agriculture, 59 individuals. The graz- ing of an ox or cow costs from L. 8^ 10s. to L. 4 ; and that of a full-grown sheep, 5s. Live Stock. — The only breed of cattle in this parish is the Gal- loway. It is found well adapted for the pasturage, rises to a good size, finds a ready market, and brings high prices. The num- ber of sheep grazed may be estimated at nearly 18,000, which are all of the Cheviot breed, — to the improvement of which every at- tention is paid. Raw Produce. — The whole of the grain, &c. raised in this pa- rish is consumed by the growers in maintaining their families and servants. Wool and sheep are the staple commodities: The re- claiming of waste land by draining and building ston^ dikes, is carried to its utmost extent. Farm buildings are all good. No obstacle to improvements arises, in this parish, either from want of capital or of encouragement by the proprietors. V. — Parochial Economy. Langholm is the nearest market-town, distant about five miles. It is also the post-town. The public roads are all good, and kept in excellent repair, and afford ready communication in every direction. No mail or stage- coach passes through the parish. Ecclesiastical State. — The manor of Westerker, with the ad- vowson of the church, belonged to the family of Soulis, during tba twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Upon the forfeiture of John de Soulis, Robert I. granted, in 1321, to the monks of Melrose the half of the barony of Westerker, to be held in free forest, and also the patronage. The monks retained the possession, till the R^ formation. Before the Reformation, there was an established chapel, dedicated to St Martin, at Bogkin, in this parish, under WESTERKIRK. 435 the mother church. Adam de Glendonyng mortified, in 1391, some lands in the barony of Hawick for the support of this chap- lainry, for the safety of the souls of James, late Earl of Douglas, and Sir James Simon of Glendonyng, his brother-in-law; also, for liis own soul, Margaret his wife, and their children. Bartholomew de Glendonyng, grandson of the grantor, took orders in the church, and was presented to the chapel ; but Andrew, the Bishop of Glasgow, deprived him of his charge, in 1459, on account of non- residence. The church was built in 1788; it is in excellent repair, and may contain nearly 700 sitters. It is very centrically placed, — the farthest distance being five miles. The number of communicants is 170. The manse was built in 1783, and substantially repaired, along with the ofiice houses, in 1821. The glebe contains twenty acres of good arable ground, and is well enclosed. The stipend, as augmented in 1820, is 14 chalders, half meal, half barley, at the highest fiar prices of the county, — with the pasturage of 44 sheep on the neighbouring farm of Hertonhill. There is not a Dissenting meeting-house in this parish ; and the number of Dissenters is, 14 Burghers, who attend a chapel at Langholm, and 2 Cameronians, who occasionally hear sermon at EttricL Education. — There is only one parochial school, — with the maxi- mum salary, and the legal accommodations. The branches of in- struction taught are, English, writing, arithmetic, geography, Latin, and Greek. The average number attending the school in summer is from 40 to 45, and in winter 70. The school is centrically pla- ced, and there is no need of an additional one. The probable amount of school fees received may vary from L.21 to L. 22. There is also, a small school kept by a woman, who teaches En- glish and sewing. At the village of Jamestown, where the miners and their families formerly resided, sometimes a school is opened for the winter months. The people are alive to the benefits of education; and there is a visible change in their conduct and morals since the facilities of education were increased. There is not an individual betwixt six and fifteen years of age who cannot read and write. Literature. — In the year 1795, a library was instituted in this parish, which contains many valuable works, several of which were presented by the late Mr Telford, civil-engineer. So much was he impressed with the advantages arising from select libraries, that he bequeathed to this library the handsome sum of L. 1000, the 436 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. interest of which is annually to be laid out in the purchase of books. The sole management of this bequest is vested in the minister and kirk-session. Charitable Institutions, — A friendly society was instituted in the year 1789, which has all along been in a flourishing condition, and is of great benefit to sick members. At this time, it has a capital of L. 300. The terms of admission are regulated according to the age of the applicants. The quarterly contribution from each mem- ber is Is. 7d. The sick receive weekly for three months 4s., and after that period 2s. 6d. The allowance for funeral expenses is L. 1, 10s., and each member gives the widow, or nearest relation. Is. There is no saving bank ; and the nearest is at Langholm. Poor and Parochial Funds. — Poor rates were instituted in this parish in 1773. The assessment for the last year amounted to Lb 80, or about 4s. 6d. per cent upon the valued rental The weekly collections average 5s.; — ^from which sum L. 1, 10s. is paid quarterly to the assessment. There is also a sum of L.230 at interest in the bank, with another of L. 100, the interest of which is given to the schoolmaster for registering all the children baptized in the church. The dues of proclamation, fines exacted for irregular conduct, and fees for the use of the mortcloth, go all to the session funds,— except one shilling, which is given to the session-clerk for every marriage. The number of poor on the roll is 18» besides a few who occasionally receive relief. Perhaps there is no parish in Scotland where the wants of the poor are so well supplied, or their comfort better looked after. No public begging is allowed. None, except real objects of charity, or those upon whom misfortune has suddenly fallen, seek relief from the poors' funds. Inns, — There is only one inn in the parish. Fuel, — Peat is very much used, and costs per cart load 2s. Many families use coal, which is brought from the pits at Cano- bie, a distance of twelve miles, by a very good road. Miscellaneous Observations. Great improvements have taken place, in this parish, since 1 793. Every new improvement in agriculture has been introduced that promised to be advantageous. In the improvement of pas- ture ground by draining and building of dikes, great advantages have resulted both in drying the sheep walks and in affording shel- ter, — so that the diseases, poke and rot, formerly common, are now almost unknown. The facilities to markets, by good roads in all directions, have been greatly increased. November 1835. PARISH OF EWES. PRESBYTERY OF LANGHOLM, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ROBERT SHAW, MINISTER.* I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — This parish was anciently called Ewesdale, which has DOW been contracted into Ewes, the name of the river, from the Celtic Uisge, signifying water. ExteTtt^ Boundaries. — This pastoral and mountainous parish is situated in the north-east comer of the county, and is bounded on the south by Langholm. It extends 8 miles in length, and about 5^ in breadth, and contains 24469 Scotch acres, or 34^ square miles. SoiU Sfc. — The appearance of the country on bqth sides of the Ewes is hilly ; and the hills are nearly green, with the exception of some small pieces covered with heath, which afford both pro- tection and food for the various species of game. In the low land along the banks of the river, the soil is light and gravelly ; and on the high grounds, it has a tendency to a deep loam. In favourable seasons, good crops of oats, barley, potatoes, and turnips are raised on the low grounds. The climate upon the whole is salubrious, and no epidemic was ever known to prevail in the parish. The common diseases are^ rheumatism, consumption, and catarrhs, arising from the dampness of the climate, or the sudden changes from heat to cold* Rivers. — The water of Ewes runs through the parish for eight miles, has its source near Moss Paul, in the northern extremi- ty of the country, and falls into the Esk at Langholm, two miles below its southern boundary, dividing it nearly into two parts. In the east part of the parish, the water of Tarras takes its rise, and, running almost south-west, falls also into the Esk, about three miles below the town of Langholm. Mineralogy. — The prevailing rocks in this parish belong to the transition class, and of these the most abundant are greywacke and grey wacke slate. Greenstone also occurs, and on the summits of some . * Drawn up by a Probationer of the Church of Scotland. 438 DUMFBIES-SHIRE. of the transition mountains, secondary or floetz trap rocks occur. It is supposed coal may be found in the parish, but hitherto no tml has been made. Zoology. — Salmon in the spawning season are found in the riTefs. The sea trout, the herling, and particularly the bum trout, are caught in great numbers. Black-cock, grouse, partridge, pheasant, hare, and rabbits are most abundant. The woodcock, curlew, plorer, lapwing, and snipe are also plentiful. The fox, the polecat, weasel, and hedgehog are common. IL — Civil History. Parochial Registers. — Session records were begun to be kept in this parish so early as 1646. In the same year, the registration of baptisms and marriages commenced ; and that of deaths in 1717. From 1646 to 1680 the records of baptisms and marriages hare been correctly kept. In 1694, they were resumed by the prelates, and since that time to the present they have been kept with mucii accuracy, and preserved with great care. They are voluminous, and contain much curious and interesting information regardiDg the early discipline of the church. Land'oumers. — The chief land-owners are. His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, Mr Elliot of Arkleton, Mr Beattie of Muckledale, and Mr Lamb of Cooms and Middlemass. There are no resident heritors in the parish, neither are there any modern buildings, mansion-houses, or manufactories. Antiquities. — The only antiquity to be found in the parish is the remains of a small station, which evidently appears from its formation to be either Saxon or Pictish. No medals, coins, anns, or other antiquities have been discovered. II L — Population. The population in 1755 amounted to 392 1791 . 820 1801 - 358 181 1 - 367 1821 - 314 1881 - 335, of whom 1 71 are males, and 1 64 females. Number of fiunilies in the parish, ... 57 chiefly engaged in agriculture, - 82 in trade, - - 4 all other families not comprehended above, 21 inhabited houses, - - - * 53 uninhabited houses, ... 2 The yearly ayerage of births for the last seven years, - 5 marriages, ... 2 deaths, • - - - 5 Character of the People. — The people appear happy and con- tented with their lot, and enjoy in a reasonable degree both the comforts ,and necessaries of life. The tenants are all industrious, EWES. 439 exemplary, and regular in their attendance on public worship. An air of satbfaction and contentment pervades their dwellings, and the heart of every philanthropist must rejoice to know that they enjoy a competent share of the blessings of life. No poach- ing of game prevails in this parish. IV. — Industry. jiffriculture, — Xhe number of acres arable, - - - - ]|00 not in tillage, but affording sound pasture, 23169 under wood and plantations, - - 200 Kent qflxmcL — As the low and high lands are let together, the rent per acre cannot be accurately known. The grazing of an ox or cow may be estimated at from L. d to L. d» 10s., and a full-grown sheep at 5s. Live Stocks — In all this district, the Galloway breed of cattle is preferred. They are hardy, thrive well on the pastures, find a ready market, and bring good prices. The number of sheep pas- tured may be about 18^000. They are all of the Cheviot breed, and every attention is paid to their improvement. All modern improvements in husbandry have been introduced, and draining and building dikes on the high grounds have been carried on to a great extent. The state of farm-buildings in point of accommodation and convenience cannot be surpassed. The Noble Duke and the other proprietors withhold nothing from their tenantry that can promote their comfort and happiness. The whole grain raised in the parish is consumed in the maintenance of the families of the growers. V. — Parochial Economy. There is no market-town in this parish, and the nearest is Lang- holm, which is distant five miles. Langholm is also the post-town. There is no village. Means of Communication, — The means of communication in all directions are good. The great road from Edinburgh by Hawick, Langholm, and Carlisle to London, runs along the banks of the Ewes, for the space of eight miles within the parish. The Car- lisle mail, besides several other coaches to London, run on this road. This line of road was planned by Mr Pulteney of Westerhall, who obtained an act of Parliament for carrying it into execution in 1763. There are two other public roads, the one leading to the east, which affords a ready communication to Liddesdale, and the other to Dumfries and Moffat Both of these roads were made, by an 440 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. act of Parliament laying an yearly assessment upon the lands of the different heritors according to their valued rent, and which the tenants pay in lieu of the ordinary statute labour. Ecclesiastical State. — Before the Reformation^ there were two churches and two chapels in this parish. The principal churcb of Ewesdale was dedicated to St Cuthbert, and stood on the west side of the Ewes, near a hamlet called Kirktown of Nether Ewes. Robert, the son of Radulph, the parson of St Cuthbert of Ewis-. dale, having sworn fealty to Edward I., obtained from him a pre- cept to the sheriff of Dumfries for restoring him to his rights. The other church was situated at Ewesduris, in the upper part of the vale, where a pass leads into Teviotdale. From this pass the termination of the name was derived; drws in the Britisli and duras in the Irish signifying a pass. One of these chapels in Ewisdale stood at Unthank, and the other at Moss Paul, on the south side of the valley where their ruins may still be seen. The advowson of the Overkirk of Ewes belonged in the re^ of James IV. to John Lindsay of Wauchope, who held the ten pound lands of old extent in Ewesdale. By his forfeiture in the year 1505, the lands and patronage fell to the Crown, and were granted to Alexander Lord Home ; after whose forfeiture, in 1516> they were granted to Robert Lord Maxwell, in the same year and month. The Overkirk of Ewes was deserted after the Reformation, and the kirk of Nether Ewes served the whole valley. The advowson of the parish of Nether Ewes, with the tithes and church lands, belonged to the Earls of Nithsdale, during the reigns of Charles IL and of William. The patronage afterwards passed to the family of Buccleuch, and the Duke is now patron. The church was repaired in 1831 ; it may contain 200 sitters, and is very centri- cal. The number of communicants is 87. The manse and office- houses were put into excellent order, the same year. The glebe contains 30 acres arable, and is well enclosed. The stipend is 15 chalders, half meal half barley, payable at the highest Bar prices of the county, with L. 6, 8s. 8d. for communion elements. No Dissenting meeting-house is in this parish, and the number of Dissenters is only 14. Education. — There is only one parochial school, and the teach- er has the maximum salary with the legal accommodation. The branches of instruction taught are, English, writing, arithmetic, geography, Latin and Greek, French and mathematics. The EWES. 441 average number of scholars may be about 30. The school is cen- trical, and there is no need of an additional one. The amount of fees may average L. 11, exclusive of L.d given for collecting the poor's rates, and L. 2 for acting as precentor and session-clerk. There is not a single individual in this parish betwixt six and fif- teen years of age who cannot read or write, nor is there one up- wards of fifteen. Indeed there is not a single father of a family who is not alive to the benefits of education, or who would think that he had performed a* father's duty, if he did not give his family, at least the common branches of education. Poor-ltouses, — These houses were founded in 1761, by the Rev. Mr Malcolm, minister of the parish, and grandfather of the late Sir John Malcolm, for the support of four families supposed to be the most needful in the parish. The Duke of Buccleuch gives to each a quarter of an acre of ground for a garden. The mi- nister and elders have the appointment Poor and Parochial Funds. — Poor-rates were instituted in this parish in 1773. The assessment forlastyear amounted to L. 41, 10s. upon the valued rental. The number on the poor's roll is only 6, but occasional relief is given to a few others, and to poor and distres- sed travellers. The weekly collections average Is. lly^d. or nearly L. 5 per annum. The poor receive quarterly L. 1, 10s., and their comforts are in every respect carefully looked after. No legacies or other funds have been left to the poor of this pa- rish. There is no disposition among the poor to seek relief unless compelled by absolute necessity. Inns. — One. Fuel — Feat is the principal fuel, which costs per cart load ^ 6d. The nearest coal pits are at Canobie, where the cart load can be purchased for 2s. 6d. The distance is only eleven miles, and the road is good, i November 1835. DUMFRIES. F f PARISH OF MOUSWALD. PRESBYTERY OF LOC^MABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ANDREW B. MURRAY, MINISTER.* L — Topography and Natural History. Name J Boundaries^ Sfc. — The name of this parish was formerij spelt Muswald and Mosswald, and is evidently derived from the Saxon word walda or wealth which signifies the woody district, cft forest near the moss; in former times, the whole of the lower grounds, not only of this parish, but of the extended range from Tinwald to the Solway Frith, were covered with wood. The pa- jrish is bounded on the west by Torthorwald ; on the north by Lochmaben ; on the east by Dalton ; and on the south by Rutb- well. It extends from 4 to 5 miles in length, and in breadth from 9 to 3, and contains 4725 Scotch acres, or 8^ square miles. In- cluding the part of Lochar Moss which lies in the parish, its figure may be said to resemble that of a heart, contracting on the nortb and south quarters as it falls to the moss, and still becoming nar- rower till it terminates on the river Lochar, which separates it from the parish of Caerlaverock, Topographical Appearances. — The appearance of this parish is plain and level, with some rising grounds, which, however, have so gentle an acclivity that they are cultivated to the very summit. The elevation of the highest of these hills above the level of the sea may be computed at about 686 feet. Soil^ Sfc. — The soil is very diversified, from the extent of moss ground which is within its bounds. The farms which are contiguous to the moss have a considerable portion of pasture ground both wet and marshy ; and a part of the arable ground is in the same state. Where the ground rises above the level of Lochar Moss, the soil is light and sandy. A considerable part of the parish adjoining to these farms, though rising considerably above them, and which is about one mile in breadth and nearly level, is also light and sandy, or a thin soil with a gravelly bottom interspersed with stones, * Drawn up by a Probationer of the Church of Scotland. MOUSWALD. 443 which runs into broom in the course of three or four years, even when laid down in good heart with grass seeds. Towards the eastern part of the parish, wliere the grounds rise considerably higher, the soil is tolerably deep and rich, and produces good crops of every description. Within the bounds of this parish, there are 682 acres of moss. Nevertheless, the air is pure and healthy, — which is attributed to the vicinity of the sea, distant four miles from the centre of the pa- rish. The medium temperature is about 46°; and the prevailing winds are from the south-west; and from the same quarter we have the heaviest falls of rain. Hydrography. — The only river in the parish is the Lochar, which runs through it, for a very few yards. There are several rivulets that have their source in the higher grounds, and abundantly wa- ter the parish, falling into the Lochar. There is also a copious •supply of spring wells. The well of St Peter's, which is nearly 100 yards west from the church, is one continued spring for 30 or 40 yards. This spring, even in the severest frosts, never freezes, nor does the rivulet into which it runs freeze for a considerable distance after their junction. Geology. — The chief rocks in this parish are greywacke and greywacke slate. Indeed, the soil of the best land in the parish is formed from the 'decomposition of these rocks. On the farm of Bucklerhole a blue limestone rock is found, the same as that at Rookan, in the neighbouring parish of Torthorwald, which ef- fervesces freely with acids. The substratum of Lochar Moss is chiefly fine white sand, — afibrding a strong and incontrovertible proof that at one time the tide must have overflown the whole of this extensive moss. Zoology. — All the common birds are found in great numbers in this parish. Among the more rare that are met with, we may mention, without observing any particular ornithological classifica- tion, the golden-crested wren (Regulus cristaius^ ) found in the woods of Rockhall, and the long-tailed titmouse (Parus caudatus^J found also in "the same place. The woodlark ( Alauda arborea^J the gray wagtail (Motacilla boartdajj the yellow wagtail (M.fia- vc^J are also common. The moor buzzard f Circus csruginosusj is occasionally seen in the Lochar Moss, The bullfinch (Loxia pyrrhutoi) the goldfinch (Fringilla carduelis^J the common linnet (Linaria vulgaris^) are abundant^ The jay fCorvus glanda- riuSfJ the missel-thrush (Turdus viscivorusj) and the common 444 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. night-jar (Caprimulgus EurojxBus,) are seen in the woods of Rock- hall. The black-cock (Tetrao tetrix^) and grouse (Lagopui Sco- ticus^J are frequently found in the moss. — Water Birds. The Ut- tern (Botaums stellarisyj the common curlew (Numenius arqnor tUiJ the lapwing (Vanellus cristcttusyj the golden plover (Charor drius pluvialis,J and the snipe (ScolopaxgallinagoyJ are abundant The common wild duck (Anas boschasj hatches here in great numbers. The wild swan (Cygnus ferus^) and the wild goose (Anser ferusy) are frequently shot in the Lochar Moss. The woodcock) the cuckoo, the fieldfare (Turdus pilaris^) and the swallow are found in their season. Botany. — Among the rare plants met with in this parish we mav notice the following, viz. the common mare's tail {Hippuris vidga- m,) the water speedwell (Veronica anagaUisj) and the greater bladder- wort ( Utricularia wlgaris^) which are found in the ditches and stagnant waters in the Lochar Moss. In the meadows we find also the small marsh valerian (Valeriana dioicoj) and the yellow goatVbeard ( Tragopogon pratensisJ) In the peat bogs, the cran- berry ( Vaccinium oxycoccos) is gathered in large quantities, and sold in the Dumfries market. All kinds of forest trees grow to a large size, but particularly oak and ash, — beautiful specimens of which are seen around the mansion-house of Rockhall. II. — Civil History. Ltand'Oumers. — The chief land-owners, with their valuations in merks Scots, are as follows : Sir Robert Grierson, Bart 1200 ; Earl of Mansfield, 125; Robert Paterson, Esq. 413, Is. dd.; Co- lonel Harvey of Castlesemple, 389 ; Robert Threshie, Esq. 298> 6s. 8d. ; John Morison, Esq. 188, besides his farm of Langdykes^ the valued rent of which is included in the valued rent of Robie- what and Raffles; George Cruickshanks, Esq. of Robiewhat, 100; Philip Forsyth, Esq. of Raffles, 75. Parochial Registers. — The register of births has been regularly kept since about 1771 ; but that of marriages and deaths cannot be depended upon till of late years. Yearly average of births, 22; of marriages, 6 ; and of deaths, 16. Antiquities. — The vestiges of five old square buildings are st visible, which, in former times, were places both of residence and defence against the depredations of the borderers. One of these towers, situated at a place called Bucklerhole, or Bucklerhold, had, till very lately, two stories, and what was called a watchhouse, re- maining ; but the walls are now little more than traceable. The MOUSWALD. 445 one at Raffles is the most entire. The largest and strongest built of these remains of ancient times is that at Mouswald Mains, or, as it is there generally called, Place, This stronghold was the mansion of Sir Simon Carruthers, the laird of Mouswald. His only daughter was married to one of the Queensberry family, by which connection they came into the possession of the estate. In the aisle of the old church, there were formerly two statues as large as life ; the one a representation of Sir Simon, and the other of his lady. That of the lady was cut out of beautiful white freestone, which has now been completely carried away piece •meal. The one of Sir Simon, which is still preserved, represents him with his head lying on a pillow, his feet on a lion, and his hands raised in a praying posture. Unfortunately there is neither date nor inscrip- tion. — There are also several camps in the parish, in all probability British. The one at Burronhill has a strong double fosse or ditch. In digging the foundation for a new school-house some time ago near to this place, a considerable quantity of human bones were found. There is another near the summit of a small hill called Panteth hill, which, from its extensive and commanding view, must evidently have been a watch tower. There are also several burrows or cairns, in which human bones have been found, and urns containing small pieces of bones. One of these cairns, distant about a mile and a quarter, in an eastern di- rection, from the church, is called Stryal^ or as some say, the Tryal- caim. Its circumference is 288 feet ; and it is very near to another cairn which still retains the name of DeadmangiU. Tradition has handed down, that at the one place malefactors were tried, and of course executed at the other. Urns have been found in different parts of the parish, where there were no visible remains of tu- muli. Resident Heritor, — The only resident heritor is Sir Robert Grierson of Lag, Bart. Modem Buildings, — The only mansion-house in the parish is Rockhall, the seat of Sir Robert Grierson. III. — Population. The population of this parish in 1756 amounted to 553 1791 - 628 1801 - 705 181 1 . 769 1821 - 795 1831 - 786; 372 are males, 414 females. Number of families, - - 153 inhabited house?^ - 1 52 uninhabited, . - . - 5 446 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Number of families employed in agriculture, - 65 trade and manufactures^ 26 all other &miHes, ... 62 Character of the People. — The people in this parish are, ahnost without exception, sober, cleanly, and industrious ; and appear in every respect contented with their condition, and the circumstance in which Divine Providence has been pleased to place them. Thev are regular in their attendance at church, and in partaking of the holy ordinances of our religion. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy, — The number of Soots acres in this parish is ... 4ii^ cultivated or occasionally in tillage, - 331' never cultivated, and affording indifieroit pasture, in- eluding the part of Lochar Moss in the parish, lOOt that might be improved with advantage, - ^ under wood, both natural and planted, - *^ Produce, — The average amount of raw produce, as nearly as can be ascertained, may be computed as under : From grain of all kinds, L 4845 poUtoes and turnips, .... 1250 hay, both meadow and cultivated, ... 1000 flax grown for family use, - - - 25 pasture, rating at L. 2, 10s. per cow or full-grown ox, - 500 Hius making the total annual value of raw produce, - L. 76*20 Rent of Land, — The rent of arable land in this parish varies, ac- cording to soil and situation, from L. 2 to 6s. per acre. Breeds of Live-Stock. — The common breed of cattle kept by the farmers in general is the Galloway ; to the improvement of which great attention has been paid by selecting stock and bulls of the purest kind. In this district, farmers find it their advantage to be careful in rearing good stock, as their profits depend more upon a gootl sale of their black-cattle, than on their grain produce. Be- sides, no breed of cattle is more sought after or so readily bought up by the English dealers. Cows of the pure Galloway breed bring from L. 8 to L, 10 ; two year old slots of the same kind, from L. 5 to L. 7, 10s. Farmers in general sell their young stock at this age. Farm horses able for their work, of which a considerable num- ber is reared in the parish, bring from L. 20 to L. 30 ; and some of great power and fine symmetry, L.45. Great numbers of pigs are both reared and fed in this parish. Farmers now think it more pro- fitable to consume their oats and potato crop in feeding swine than by carting them to the Dumfries market, particularly as a ready market is found for the pork to be carried into England. MOUSWALD. 447 Husbandry. — All the modern improvements in agriculture have been successfully introduced into this parish, such as the use of bone manure for raising turnips, and eating them off the ground with sheep, which has been found to improve the soil very much. Draining, where it can be effected, is carefully attended to; and very considerable portions of the moss ground, particularly of late year^ have been redeemed from a state of waste, and converted into good arable ground. The general duration of leases is nineteen year^, which, according to the mode of cropping adopted in this quarter, has been found to be the most favourable for both parties. The state of farm-buildings would admit of great improvement ; but the subdividing and enclosing with proper fences the different arable fields, has been by no means neglected. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Town^ Sfc. — Dumfries, distant six miles from the centre of the parish, is the post town, and the nearest place where regu- lar weekly markets are held. There are four small villages, viz. Mouswald, which may consist of about thirty inhabited houses, with a population of 126 ; Woodside, 70 ; Cleughbrae and Banks, 74. Means of Communication. — The means of communication, in every direction, enjoyed by this parish, are excellent. The turn- pike and parish roads are kept in the very best state of repair. The great post-road from Carlisle to Dumfries and Portpatrick, which was finished in 1776, runs through the parish from south-east to north-west, by the church and .manse. Another road runs almost in the same direction, and nearly parallel along the rising ground of the eastern division of the parish. Between these two roads, there is also another parish road, which runs from the church to Torthorwald, and gives easy access to the markets held at Loch- maben and Lockerbie. This road leads also to the lime-works at Kelhead, to Annan, and to Ruthwell. It was made by the road-money, which is paid instead of the statute labour. Suf- ficient bridges, wherever they were required, are thrown over all these roads. The Carlisle and Portpatrick mail-coach, besides several heavy coaches to different parts of England, travel on the principal turnpike road, affqrding an easy and ready communica- tion to all parts of the world. Ecclesiastical State. — The church of Mouswald was dedicated to St Peter; and there is near it, as we have mentioned, the remark- able spring consecrated to the same saint. At what time, the old church was built, which was taken down a few years ago, is not known. . 448 ' DUMFRIES-SHIRE. In the reign of James VL, the lands of Mouswald, with the ad- Yowsofi of the church, belonged to Sir James I>ouglas of Dnim- lanrig, who conferred them upon his second son, James Douglas of Mouswald, whose descendants enjoyed them in the reign of Charles II. They were held of the chiefs of the Douglas famOy when they returned to the Duke of Queensberry's property. Os the death of Duke William, in 1810, the property of Mouswald, with the patronage of the church, fell to Sir Charles Douglas of Kelhead, Bart who, at the same time, succeeded to the title of Marquis of Queensberry. The present church is a very handsome modem building* erect- ed within these few years. It is very centrical, and stands oo a fine eminence, and is visible from every farm in the parish except three. It may contain about 386 sitters. The manse and office- houses are also newly built. They are finished in a substantial manner, affording every comfort and convenience. The glebe contains 16 acres, 11 of which are arable, 3 of bog hay, and 2 of woodland and pasture. The stipend is 15 chalders, half meal, half barley, payable ac- cording to the highest fiars of the county, with L. 8^ 6s. 8d. for com- munion elements. The last augmentation was granted upon the 4th December 1822. The stipend, converted into money, ^^y average, for the last five years, L. 213; glebe, manse, garden, &c< L. 45 ; total, L. 25a The number of families which attend the Established Church is 140 ; of thos^ attending chapels of Dissen- ters in Dumfries, 10. There are no Episcopalians in the parish* Roman Catholics, 3. The average number of communicants is about 170. The only fixed yearly collection for charitable objects is for the Dumfries and Galloway Infirmary. Education. — There are two schools in the parish, and one for young girls. The parish schoolmaster's salary is L. 25, 13s. 5d., with the legal accommodation. The branches of instruction taught are, English reading, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, geography* Latin, and Greek. Emoluments arising from school fees, L. l^* The other school has a small endowment of L. 2 per annum, l^f^ by a late schoolmaster, a native of the parish. From its situation it is tolerably well attended. The fees are the same as in the pa- rish school, but none of the higher branches of education are taught There is not a single native of this parish betwixt six and fif- teen years of age who cannot read and write a little. The people in general are alive to the benefits of education, and there is a J MOUSWALD. ^ 449 marked cbange in their conduct and morals since the facilities of education were increased. There is no part of the parish so dis- tant from some one of the schools as to prevent attendance ; on that account, no additional school is required. Savings Banks j 4*^. — There is no circulating library, nor friendly society, nor savings bank, in this parish. The nearest savings banks are at Dumfries and the neighbouring parish of Ruthwell. The one at Dumfries was established in 1815, and the other in 1810. Several individuals of this parish have deposited small sums in the Ruthwell bank, — the first of the kind, which was in- stituted by the clergyman of that parish, Dr H. Duncan. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of poor at present upon the roll is 16 ; besides that occasional relief is given to a few others. There are no funds for the poor in this parish, except what arise from the weekly collections, fines, &c. and the sum of L. 5, which was left in the year 1791 by a man who died in Dumfries, whose forefathers had been natives of Mouswald. The heritors gene- rally assess themselves to raise any additional sum that may be re- quired. Last year the assessment was L. 35 ; church collections, &c L. 13; making the sum of L.48, which was distributed. At an average, the poor receive 12s. 6d. per quarter. There is nei- ther a blind nor a fatuous person in the parish. There is no manifest disposition, but rather an aversion at first, on the part of the poor, to seek parochial relief; but it has been remarked, and we believe with much truth, that, as soon as they do get upon the roll, this feeling immediately dies away, and they look upon what the session gives them as their right, which the pne is as much bound to bestow as the other is entitled to receive* At the same time, we are quite aware, that there are others in the parish, objects of charity, who would accept of private relief, but in no other way. Inns. — The parish contains two good inns, which, from the great intercourse betwixt England, the south of Scotland, and Ire- land, may be considered necessary. The landlords of both are re- spectable men, and keep their houses in an orderly manner. JFtte/.— The common fuel used is peat, procured in great abun- dance within the parish. A cart load costs, within the parish, from Is. to Is. 6d ; and if carted to any great distance, 2s. From the time that is spent in cutting, drying, and carting the peats home, farmers, of late, have begun to use more coal than former- 450 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. ly, — an abundant supply of which is brought by sea from the Eng- lish coast to Dumfries, and sold about 8s. the cart load, or from Ids. to 14s. per ton. Miscellaneous Observations. Great changes in dress, mode of living, comfort in dwelling- houses, and improvements in farming have taken place in this pa- rish within these last forty years. In 1791, the real rent of the pa- rish was L. 1500 ; now it is Lb 3690. The greatest improvement wanted in this and in some of the neighbouring parishes, is the draining of Lochar Moss. It is little more than eight years since the cultivation of turnips was general in this parish. We may notice, that the higher grounds in this parish afford the most extensive prospect in the south of Scotland. From one point you have a full view of the Solway Frith, several ports both on the English and Scotch sides, the Isle of Man, and many of the neighbouring counties; the greatest part of Dumfries-shire, Galloway, part of Lanarkshire, Peebles-shire ; Northumberland, and Cumberland, in England. At the western extremity of the parish, a person standing on one par- ticular spot, can throw a stone into each of the four neighbouring parishes, Torthorwald, Dumfries, Caerlaverock, and Ruthwell, all terminating on the side of the river Lochar, near to this point. Janxiary 1836. PARISH OF DRYFESDALE. PRESBYTERY OF LOCHMABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY. THE REV. DAVID B. DOUIE, MINISTER.* I. — Topography and Natural History. ♦ Name, Boundaries, ^c. — It is obvious that this parish derives its name from Dryfe, a small rivulet that runs through the north- west side of it ; Drysdale being a contraction or abbreviation of Dryfesdale. It lies in the middle of that beautiful and extensive valley commonly called the How of Annandale, and is in 55"" 08'' north latitude, and 3® west longitude. It is 7 miles in length, north to south ; at the southern extremity only about a mile broad, but at the centre 5 J, at the north end 3 miles ; and contains in whole up- wards of 1 1,000 acres. It is bounded on the south and west, which is flat and well cultivated for the space of 6^ miles, by the river An- nan, which divides it from the parish of Lochmaben ; on the north- west by that of Applegarth ; on the north by that of Hutton ; on the east and south by the parishes of Tundergarth, and St Mungo. Topographical Appearances. — No mountains, but some of the most beautiful hills add much to the beauty and diversity of the sce- nery, of the parish. The highest and most beautiful is White Wool- len or Quhyte Woollen, but generally named White Wynd. The pasturage upon it being at one time very good, it used to be covered with very white sheep ; from which it is supposed to have taken its name. But the lapse of a few years has created a wonderful revolution on its appearance. Instead of the once beautiful and white fleeces, we have to admire the rich luxuriance of the waving corn, — it being now almost all cultivated' to the very summit It is of considerable steepness and height, being about 1500 feet above the level of the sea* On its summit is a small verdant plain of about 2^ acres, of a cir- cular form. It has now no traces of antiquity ; but beacons are sup- posed to have been lighted on it, to warn the more northerly in- habitants of the country of the approach of the English borderers. • Drawn up by the late incumbent, the Rev. John Henderson. 452 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. On a clear day we have one of the most enchanting and extenare views of the whole of the surrounding countries of Annandale, Esk- dale, the English border, Solway Frith, part of the Irish sea, eTen of the Isle of Man, and part of Nithsdale and Galloway. On the north and south sides of this hill, is a range of lesser ones ; these have an imposing and beautiful appearance, being now almost all cultivated. They divide the east or high part of the parish from the south or low part At the southern extremity of this range is a rising eminence called Mount Holly. Upon the banks of the Cor- rie, is a small but beautiful hill named Corrie Law, commanding a pleasing and deep prospect beneath. These hills, though some of them very steep, are mostly all cultivated and covered with grajn. potatoes, &C. Hydrography. — On the west side of the parish there are two spring wells, — one called the chapel well, from its vicinity to the old chapel of Beckton : its spring is of great size, being at the great- est nearly 15 inches in circumference. The water is found to be very light and uncommonly wholesome ; it is supposed to be use- ful in stomach complaints. The other, about three quarters of a mile farther to the south-west, near the lake called the Old Caul- dron from its depth, is called the Woodkin well. It was for- merly esteemed very powerful in curing and preventing the effects of witchcraft. The only stream in the parish is the Dryfe, though the AnDBih Corrie, and Milk, all touch it on their passage to the Solway Frith. The Dryfe rises in the north end of the parish of Hutton, tbroug" part of which it runs; and enters Dryfesdale, after passing a part of Applegarth. It runs a course from north to south for about 2^ miiest emptying itself into the Annan, in a direct line between the mar- ket-town of Lockerbie and the royal burgh of Lochmaben, ^^ is a small rivulet, and in moderate weather its water is pure and clear. The bed is of a deep gravel, and therefore in dry seasons it disappears at some parts for about a mile. But, in rainy weather, it comes down in sudden and rapid swells, breakingdown and overfl^^' ingallits banks, so that nothing in the way can resist the impetuosity of the torrent Sheep, pigs, even cattle, and trees torn from tb^^^ roots, have been seen floating on its surface. The Annan washes the parish on the west and south for the \en^^ of 6^ miles. It formerly afforded a plentiful supply of salmoD) herlings, and sea trout; but these are now very scarce, owing ^^ causes at present unknown. It abounds much in other small fish' DRYFESDALE. 453 The Milk and Corrie diversiiy and enrich the east and south-east, sides. They have nothing peculiar, but like other streams contab plenty of small fish. Geology. — No minerals or ores of any kind are found here. There are some beds of a very soft kind of freestone found at Oldwells, but not wrought At the old cauldron near Dry fesdale gate, there is some good shell marl, which is now only wrought by the tenants on whose grounds it is found. There is also at Quaas, a quarter of a mile west of Lockerbie, at the southern end of the parish, a rock of very dark-coloured limestone, not made use of. The very great quantities of rag and whinstone supply the deficiency of sand- stone. These make good, durable, and at the same time beautiful walls, when skilfully wrought. There is little peat-moss in the parish, except some small spots on the west side. 11. — Civil History. jhUiquities, — On the holm of Dryfe, as stated in the former Ac- count, about half a mile below the old church-yard, are two very aged thorn trees, with a tumulus at their base, called Maxwell's Thorns, because they point out the place of the remarkable fight on Dryfe- sands, between the Maxwells of Nithsdale, and the Johnstons of An- nandale. There are vestiges of strong towers at Old Walls, Kirk- town-mains. Nether-place, Myrehead, and Daltonhook. There are evident remains of eight camps or forts, some square or Roman, others circular or British, and mostly built on eminences, because about 2000 years since (their age) the sides of the eminences or hills had been covered with growing wood, and the present flat or low lying and holm lands in Annandale had partly been a morass, or under water; hence we find, that the Roman roads were generally made on ris- ing ground, when it could be got. The most remarkable are two, the one British, and the other Roman, facing each other, and se- parated by a narrow morass. They are built on two hills east of the village Bengali, the name alluding to the forts on the hills, signifying the hill of the Gauls. Old pieces of armour and war- like weapons have frequently been found in them, and the skeleton of a man was found in a cairn on the intervening morass, thought to have lain there for some ages ; and some fragments of his dress or accoutrements were carried off as a curiosity, particularly the sandals, curiously wrought and bound around the mouths with leathern thongs, which were conveyed into England, for the Oxford Museum. There is also a Roman fort, beautifully situated upon 454 DUMFRIEl^-SHIRE. a large eminence, in the centre of the united and extensive holm of Dryfe and Annan, called the Gallaberry, or the burgh and sta- tion of the Gauls, for the term Berry is of Saxon origin, signify- ing <^ burgh, mansion, or strength." The most entire is a British one at Dryfesdale gate, occupying about two acres of ground, and commanding a most extensive prospect. Its counterpart is a large Roman one about half a mile due east, interrupted by a moor, standing on the place celebrated for the bloody battle between the army of Julius Agricola and the forces of Corbredus Galdus, the twenty-first King of the Scots, about the end of the first cen- tury. There are plain traces of the great Roman road from the borders of England, up to the vast encampments on the neigh- bouring hill of Burnswark, and thence crossing the parish at Lock- erbie to Dryfesdale gate, and up to the Gallaberry above-mention- ed, where it divided, one branch leading up through Annandale, by Moffat to Tweeddale and Clydesdale ; the other branch crossing the Annan, touched an entire and beautiful double fort, on the northern margin of one of the Lochmaben lakes, called the Woody Castle, and thence passed up the west side of the water of i£, through Nithsdale to the west country. III. PoPULATrON. Amount of population in 1801, 1607 1811, 1893 1821, 2251 1831, 2283 Number of families, - - - - . 478 chiefly employed in agriculture, « • 179 in trade, manufactures, and handicraft. Uo IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — Of the 11000 acres of land in this parish, about 600 are not in cultivation, and seem never to have been cultivated, consisting chiefly of moss, wood, and moor. It is supposed that 240 acres might yet be cultivated ; and that about 250 are at present under wood. ReTit of Land. — The average rent of land, taking one acre with another, in the parish is about L. 1 ; of good arable land, L. 2. The average rent of grazing is per cow or ox, L. 1, 10s. 6d.; but sometimes L. 3, 10s. is paid on some pastures ; and for a ewe or full-grown sheep, about 7s. per annum. Produce. — The average gross amount and value of raw produce yearly raised in the parish may be as follows : — Grain of all kinds, - . L. 7500 Potatoes and turnips, - - 3700 Hay, - - - - 1900 BRYFESDALE. 455 Flax, . - - - 50 Land in pasture, - 3900 Gardens and orchards, . - 200 Thinnings of woods, - . - 100 Other produce, - - - 200 L. 17,550 V. — Parochial Economy. Lockerbie. — The market-town of Lockerbie, the only one in the parish, merits a particular description. Lockerbie is supposed to have derived its name from Lock, and bie, the Celtic name for a station or place of strength. Accordingly, there is an old square tower still standing called the Mains, which was the mansion place of the ancient family of the Johnstones of Lockerbie, a branch of the old family of Johnstone of Lochwood, the ancestor of the late Marquis of Annandale, and of the present Marquis of Queensberry, and Mr Douglas of Ix)ckerbie. This tower had been placed on a ridge, between and almost surrounded by two large lochs or lakes, — one on the east and the other on the west, which are now drained, and are all either cultivated or in rich meadow ; and it may be worthy of notice, that the great Roman road already described passed through one of these lochs, about half a mile below the tower, at a place called Blackford, From this mansion and its dependencies, it gradually increas- ed to the size of a village ; and from that, by the liberality of some of the lairds of Lockerbie in granting feus and long tacks, it has yearly increased to its present dimensions. It is now a neat 4^1eanly town, situated in a fertile and inviting part of the country, midway between the rivers Annan and Milk: it lies 12 miles east from Dumfries, and 4 from Lochmaben, 16 south from Moffat, 17^ west of Langholm, 10 north of Annan, and 6 from Ecclefechan. The number of inhabitants is of males, 646; of females, 768; total, 1414. There are as yet no public manufactures establish- ed in the town. Many of the common people here and in the country are very expert in making many parts of their own wearing apparel. Means of Communication. — The town and parish in general en- joy excellent communication, — the great post and turnpike road from London to Edinburgh and Glasgow, running through the town of Lockerbie and parish, for the length of three miles. On the London road, at the north-west side of the parish, is an old but strong, firm, and well built bridge, over the Dryfe ; another at Scroggs, on a parish road, and over the Milk. But the one most worthy of notice is at Stullahill, on the new road from Dum- 456 DUMFRI£S*SHIRE. fries by Lockerbie to Langholm, built in 1830 by the county road proprietors, at a great expense. It is indeed a great ornament to this part of the country. It is built all of good Memel tim- ber, and consists of seven large arches, supported each by four very large perpendicular logs of wood forced into the earth, with strong beams, extending from one to another of these, with appropriate ob- lique supports ; the whole strongly jointed together with strong cast metal, covered above with a double flooring of thick strong planks lodged with a beautiful wooden palisade, covered with a coat of white oil paint. The whole is a strong, substantial, and at the same time elegant piece of workmanship, and does great credit to the undertaker, Mr John Park of Ecclefechan. Ecclesiastical State,^ — The parish church is a neat building, situated on a small eminence on the west side of the main street of Lockerbie, a little north from the centre of the town. It is well fitted up in the inside, and handsomely painted. Its situation be- ing near the centre of the parish and in the town of Lockerbie, it is very conveniently placed for almost all the population. Its dis- tance from the farthest extremity of the parish is only about three miles and a-half. It was put into good repair in the year 1751, and has since been kept so. It may contain about 750 people. There are two important benefactions on record, — the first of L. 80, given about the year 1751 by the father of the late Earl of Hopetoun, the interest of which was to be annually paid to the pa- rochial schoolmaster ; the other a legacy of L. 65, left by John Ait- cheson, Esq. of Oulney, with a gift of two massive silver communion- cups, in 1761. On the summit of the old Kirkhill, contiguous to the former churchyard, stands the present manse, a neat building ; its situation is one of the most beautiful in the whole of Annandale. It was built in the year 1782, and is kept in yearly repair by the heritors. It is surrounded by a glebe of 24 acres standard measure, at present * Previous to the year 1757, the church stood on the middle of the hokn of Dryfe, now called Sandbed, one mile and a-half north of Lockerbie. Tradition says, that in the year 1670, from its closeness to that stream, it was gradually undermined and carried away by it, and that after this the church and burial-ground was rebuilt at a small distance to the south-east in 1761, on a height upon the skirts of the present glebe, or as it was then called KirkhiU, and thought to be perfectly secure finom the swells of the rivulet ; but in the course of time it changed its course, and ran along the foot of a scar, above which the church and burial ground stood, parts of which gradually fell into the water, in spite both of <* spades and shovels," and would soon have been carried off. In 1757, it was removed to the town of Lockerbie, both as an or- nament to, and for the convenience of, the town and parish. 3 DRYFESDALE. 457 let for L. 24 per annum. The amount of stipend, not including the glebe, is just L. 198, 18s. 6d. There is an Antiburgher meeting-house at the south end of Lockerbie, established about ninety years ago. The minister is paid by the congregation, in general from the surrounding pa- rishes. The stipend is about L. 95 per annum. There are two Sabbath school institutions in winter ; the number of children at- tending that connected with the Established Church is about 120, in summer about 70. The Established Church is very well attend- ed ; the average number of communicants is 600. Education. — There is one parochial school in this parish, be- sides six private unendowed ones, — three of which are taught by females. The branches of education commonly taught in the paro- chial schools are, Greek, Latin, French, with English, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, and practical geometry, &c. &c. In one of the unendowed schools, these are also generally taught. The salary of the parish schoolmaster is L. 34, 4s. 4d. He has every legal accommodation. Every person in the parish above fif- teen years of age can both read and write. About eight young men go annually to attend the different classes at the University of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Libraries. — There are two libraries,— one a parochial subscrip- tion, and the other a circulating one, in Lockerbie ; besides a pub- lic reading-room, having many of the Scotch and English newspa- pers of the day. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The average number of poor per- sons receiving parochial relief is 18, — each receiving about the ave- rage sum of from Is. to Is. 6d. per week. The average amount of contributions and free donations to assist the poor is about L. 25 per annum, — which, with church collections, may amount to the sum of L.65, with the interest of L. 100*, — which is, each winter, expend- ed by the kirk-session for coals to the poor. These are barely suf- ficient to supply the necessitous poor. The people are very liberal and benevolent to their own poor, but they are continually annoyed by an immense influx of vagrants and beggars from distant places. There is still a great desire on the part of some more of the poor to get their names enrolled with those that are already receiving weekly relief; and therefore they do not consider it degrading. Jail. — There are no jails nearer than those of Lochmaben and * This L. 100 was the legacy of Mr Aitchison of Oulney, formerly mentioned. The original sum was L. 65, which was gradually increased to its present amount. DUMFRIES. G g 458 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Dumfries. The old tower at Lockerbie was last year converted into a kind of temporary lock-up house; but such is the peaceable disposition of the people of this part of the country, that not one single person has yet been lodged in it Fairs. — In Lockerbie, there are two fairs and ten markets.* The two fairs are, the one at Lammas, and the other at Michael- mas, when moderate tolls are levied by the proprietor. At the two markets, all are free ; but besides these, there are in winter weekly markets, principally for pork, which is brought from all quarters of the surrounding country to be disposed of here. I have known the sum of h. 1000 and upwards expended by bacon-curers in one day, — which they buy in at the average price of 5s. per stone, which, when cured and dried, are sold at 6d. or 7d. per lb. Such is the importance of the Lammas fair, that I consider a short history of it here will not be unsuitable : Lockerbie has been celebrated for its lamb and wool market for several centuries back. When the border raids had so far ceased as to allow a slight inter- course between the Scot and the southern, our sheep farmers as- isembled here every year, to meet with English dealers. This the; called a tryst ; but, as Lockerbie increased in population, and the friendly intercourse between Scotland and England extended it- self, the fair became a greater object of importance, and was held on the top of that range of hills south of QuhytewooUen, and north-east of Lockerbie, which was granted in perpetuity as a kind of " common" to that town, — but at what time or by whom I have never met with a person who was yet able to inform me. It is a curious fact, however, that the common was once dependent on the city of Glasgow, until Lady Douglas of Lockerbie House bought the right of superiority, who charges so much per bead upon all the lambs that are shewn on it ; and as the charges amount in the aggregate to a considerable sum, it is let out by roup to the highest bidder a day or two before the custom is collected, and he depends for remuneration on the number of lambs * The Lammas fair is on 2d Augusti old stylci excepting Saturday, Sundajr» or Monday, and in that case on the Tuesday following. The Michaelmas fiiir is on tb< 2d of October, old style, excepting Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, and in that csae on the Tuesday following. The two markets are on the second Thursday, old style, in J*^ nuary, February, March, April, May. The third Thursday in June is called the Mid* summer market. The next is fourteen days after the Michaelmas fair, if on Thurs* day, if not, on the Thursday thereafter. The next is three weeks after tlie last, cal- led the Martinmas one. llie other is fourteen days after that, and the last on the Thursday before Yule or Christmas, old style. The hiring market for senrants for the summer half-year is in April. For the winter half year, the one fourteen davs after Michaelmas. To these two markets an immense concourse of people assemble from all parts of An nandale. DRYFESDALE. 459 exposed. In some good years, he pays L. 30 to the proprietor for one day's collection. The person that takes it was never known to be a loser by it. The common is a round hill of about 100 acres in extent. The soil is barren ; in some places overgrown with whins ; a large portion of it is of a spongy nature, but from its al- titude it presents on the fair day a very imposing spectacle. Be« sides the lamb-market on the hill, there is an annual fair in the town, at which the whole county for twelve miles round is gene- rally assembled. Inns. — In Lockerbie there are two inns ; at one of which, chaises and horses are to be hired ; besides some small ale-houses. These houses are, on public occasions, frequented by many for the trans- action of business, for receiving payments, &c and on any of these days the people seem to be more regular and sober. Miscellaneous Observations. The appearance of the people, as respects their manners, dress, inclination to be employed, and aversion to idleness, — shews at once that, since the time of the former Statistical Account, there has been a progressive advance in these particulars. The improve- ment in agriculture is also proved satisfactorily by the great ad- vancemeut in the rent of land since that time, viz. from Ids. 4d. the acre per annum to L. 2. The enclosed parks about Lockerbie, then set at 17s 6d., are now let at L. 3, 10s. 6d. It may also be observed, that at that time there were sixty farms in the parish let at from L. 25 to L. 100 yearly rent ; there are now only about fifty, each let at from Ji. 60 to L. 500. The population in the town of Lockerbie has increased 714; but in the country part of the parish there has been a decrease of 31, — which decrease may be owing, perhaps, to many of the small farms having been joined into one, and to the dilapidation of many cot houses and villages already mentioned. There is one great obstruction to every kind of trade in this part of the country, — the great scarcity of fueL This is occasioned by a want of proper internal communication. There are in Lockerbie — 20 grocers, 1 hardware, and 4 cloth- shops, 5 surgeons with 2 apothecaries shops, 2 midwives, 5 writers, 4 messengers, 8 weavers, 13 tailors, 7 joiners, 2 wheel-wrights, 9 blacksmiths, 4 nailers, 3 watchmakers, 4 bakers, 3 fleshers, 1 bar- ber, 3 doggers, 2 saddlers, 2 tanners, 4 stocking-framers, 1 cabi- net-maker, 8 shoemakers, 12 stone-masons ; in the country part there are, 4 millers, about 100 ploughs^ 400 horses, and 50 farmers. January 1836. PARISH OF KEIR. PRESBYTERY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY. THE REV. WILLIAM MENZIES, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Namey Boundaries^ Sfc. — This parish forms the south-west side of the central basin of the Nith, which comprehends great part of the parishes of Closeburn, Morton, Durisdeer, Penpont, and Tyn- ron. It derives its name either from some fortress, of the exist- ence and history of which all traces have now disappeared, Caer, an old British word, signifying a fort;* or, according to the somewhat fanciful conjecture of Mr Rae in his History of the parish, from the colour of its grounds, — the word Keir signifying black or brown. This colour, however, which seems formerly to have been in a cer- tain degree distinctive of the parish, is gradually yielding to planta- tion and extended culture. The extreme length of the parish, from north-west to south-east, is about 7^ miles, and its extreme breadth 2^ ; but in much of its length it is so narrow that the surface does not exceed 1 1 square miles. The ridge of Keir hill separates the parish from Glencairn on the south-west ; and everywhere else streams form its boundaries. Indeed, it may be said to consist of the slopes from that hill down to some stream. From Tynron, on the west, it is separated by the waters of a small burn and the Shinnel ; from Penpont on the north, by the Scar after its junction with the Shinnel; from C/loseburn on the north-east by the Scar and Nith ; and from Dunscore on the south by the Allanton burn. The high land of the parish consists of the long ridge called the Keir hill, and some small branches at both ends of it. This ridge is about four miles long. Its highest point bears the name of the Waugh hill. Connected with it at its northern extremity is Ca- penoch hill ; and to the east of its southern extremity lie the short parallel ridges of Kilbride and Blackwood. From all these heights there are most beautiful and extensive views, — so many as " Close by a farm house, now called Nether Keir, a tower once stood. 4 KEIR. 461 ^ight or ten parish churches being seen from some points. Black- wood hill, in particular, is noted for commanding all the windings of the Nith, through the rich holms of its central and lower ba- sins, from Drumlanrig to the Solway, the view being terminated to the north by the central chain of the lowlands, and to the south by the mountains of Cumberland. Adjacent to the Shinnel, Scar, and Nith, are about 300 acres of rich holm land. This is separated by a steep wooded bank from the table-land of the parish, which stretches to the foot of the hills, and becomes gradually narrower and mofe elevated towards the south- east, till it merges into the slope of the hill of Kilbride. Black- wood hill dips at once into the Nith. The height of the hills has not b^en ascertained by actual measurement. Aldgirth Bridge is about 50 feet above the level of high water at Dumfries; and the table-land may be from 100 to 150 more. Proffnostics of Weather^ S^c. — Springs are observed after long- continued drought to rise before rains. Sea gulls appear in un- usual numbers before a storm. In clear weather, when the Low- thers to the north, and Queensberry to the north-east, assume a very indistinct outline, resembling a piece of printing on which the types have been shifted, rain may be expected, and in frost thaw. In cloudy weather, a reddish or brassy glare in the'morning in that part of the horizon which appears in the south-east, between Black- wood and the heights of Closeburn, when it decreases, portends rain ; when it increases, fair weather. The temperature of the atmosphere is extremely mild. But. the air is generally loaded with moisture, as is proved by the rapidity with which the surface of the earth, or fine gravel, becomes covered over with mosses. The noxious effects of this dampness are in a con- siderable degree counteracted by the porousness of the soil, and by very extensive draining for the improvement of the numerous bogs or small patches of meadow land, with which the whole surface of the parish is studded. It is probably owing to the latter circumstance that the slow nervous fevers, rheumatisms, and asthmatic disorders, which are stated by Mr Wallace in the former Statistical Account to have been very prevalent, are by no means so at present. Con- sumption is the most frequent and deadly disease ; and stomach complaints, originating in poor diet, are common. Hydrography. — The whole parish abounds in springs : but none of them are known to possess any remarkable property, though in some the presence of mineral substances is indicated both by taste 462 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. and smell. The only loch of any consequence lies on the border of the parish, between Blackwood and Halliday hills. It is fast filling up. A part of it now yields an abundant crop of meadow hay, and it might all be drained, and the land highly improved, were it not for a servitude held over it by AUanton mill for sup- plying it with water : the bum which drives the mill flowing through it Another to the north-west, now nearly filled up, seems to be the loch alluded to in the Macfarlane MSS. ^^ Here is a deep loch, called the Loch of Kilbread, in a place pertaining to the Laird of Lag, but the water is not reputed medicinaL" Keir hill gives birth to a great number of burns which intersect the table land of the parish. None of them have formed any deep ravine, except the Bamdennoch bum below Barjarg. This ravine is covered with fine trees : pleasure walks have been cut through it ; and it possesses a great attraction in a singularly beautiful waterfall. The hill of Blackwood is the great barrier which seems at some remote period to have pent up ihe waters of the Nith, so as to form a lake of great dimensions in the basin above. A considerable extent of alluvial land, nearly at the same level, about thirty feet above the present holms in the parishes of Keir, Penpont, and Closebum, bear testimony to its existence. Geology^ §*c. — The parish of Keir, as is the case with most of the upper part of Dumfries-shire, is chiefly composed of greywacke, which exhibits considerable variety in its characters, the component parts being in many cases very large, while in others they are so minute that the mass has a very homogeneous aspect, and bears a considerable resemblance to a trap rock. In some parts, however, newer rocks occur, and those are pnn- cipally limestone and sandstone. The limestone is generally of a reddish colour, owing to a con- siderable admixture of iron, and contains numerous small cavities filled with crystals of calcareous spar. A few petrifactions are oc- casionally met with. The principal localities of the limestone are at Barjarg and Porterstown, and in both of these places it is regularly quarried. The Barjarg limestone has been found by analysis to contain about fifty-four per cent, of carbonate of lime, and thirty-six per cent, of carbonate of magnesia. The limestone" of Porterstown has not as yet been regularly analyzed, but appears to be much the same as the other, though it probably contains a larger portion of foreign matters. n KEIR. 463 According to Mr Menteath (Edin. New Phil. Journal, Vol. v. p. 45,) the Barjarg limestone appears to be a continuation of the great bed of limestone at Closeburn on the opposite side of the Nith, although their connection cannot be distinctly traced, owing to a dislocation of the strata. Their chemical composition is, however, almost precisely the same ; but at Closeburn there is a lower stratum of limestone which contains no magnesia, and is nearly pure carbonate of lime. This stratujoa has not as yet been found at Barjarg, which is probably owing to the quarry not hav- ing been worked to a sufficient depth. The strata at Barjaig dip towards the north-east under a small angle, while at Porterstown the dip is more towards the east. Sandstone occurs, lying above the limestone, and conformably with it, in both these quarries. At Barjarg there is a bed of hard red sandstone, 12 feet thick, under the limestone. At Porterstown the sandstone at the upper part is of a fine texture and whitish co- lour. This, as it approaches the limestone, becomes much mixed with mica, and acquires a slaty structure. At Waterside, sand- stone occurs, accompanied with a variety of slate clay ; and the appearances were such as to induce the proprietor to bore for coal some years since, but the attempt proved unsuccessful. From the imperfect developement of the limestone and sand- stone, it is difficult to determine precisely the formation to which they belong. But it appears probable that they may be referred to the older part of the secondary series, and possibly to the lower part of the coal formation. Judging, however, from the general geological phenomena exhibited in this parish, we should be in- clined to give it as our opinion that there is but little probability of coal being discovered, or at least, of its being found in such quantity as to repay the expense of working it. The sandstone formation is entirely covered with alluvial mat* ter to the depth of from 10 to 50 feet, consisting of gravel, sand, clay, &C. with masses, large and small, of all the different rocks, but principally grey wacke. Occasionally pieces of coal and granite are found. Peat occupies some hollows containing oak and fir of large dimensions. The soil of the hills which rests on the grey- wacke is generally a rich loam, but full of stones. Much of the rock is entirely uncovered. In other places large loose masses of it impede the cultivation of a deep soil. In some cases these have been broken up and removed at very great expense ; and so rich is the virgin soil, that above 100 Winchester bushels of oats have 464 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. been reaped on a single acre. The soil of the table-land is gra- velly or sandy ; in some rare instances, approaching to clayey, and very stony. From the naCUre and depth of the alluvium on which it rests, it is much drier than the soil of the hills, and more to be depended on for a crop. It is so well adapted for barley, that that grain often attains the weight of 55 and sometimes of 58 lbs. per imperial bushel. Two lime-works a^e in active operation — one on the estate of Barjarg, the other on Porterstown. The lime is of a scorching quality, but for building and for manuring some kinds of land, it is frequently preferred to the milder lime of Closebum. Zoology. — In a small loch, a quarter of a mile north-west of the church, leeches are found. They are used in the neighbour- hood, and sometimes sold. The kingfisher is often seen on the banks of the Scar. Foumarts are extremely abundant. Salmon begin to run up the rivers to spawn in the middle of November. Botany.* — According to Mr Rae, in the manse garden there was ^^ a fine stock of Bryonia alba. But I know not if it be there now ; for the late Homer Grierson, chirurgeon-apothecary in Dura- fries, told me that he got of the roots of it several times for making that drug called Fcecula bryonitB.'* The juice of Veronica becca' bunga^ called waUinkj is much used for the diseases of infants. Much natural wood, consisting of oak, ash, birch, and alder, in- tersects and adorns the lower grounds; and very extensive planta- tions have been formed of larch, fir, oak, and ash, all of which thrive well and promise to become very valuable. The sycamore grows with great rapidity. The most remarkable tree is the oak at Barjarg, in old title-deeds called the royal, the stag, or the blind oak. Mr Rae says it was called the deaf oak, " because if a person near it called to one on the other side he could not hear him." By a joiner's measurement it contains 520 feet of useful wood in the stem, and about 150 more in the branches. Others have calculated it, after a very careful measurement, when all the wood was taken into account, at above 800. Its stem is 68 feet high, and since some decayed branches were lopped off, it is growing with great luxuriance. A silver fir, at the back of Barjarg House, brought upon car- riages from Tinwald when of considerable size, is now 91 feet • No very rare plants, except the Rhamnus frangula, have been found in t"® P** rish ; but in the MS. of this Account will be found a list of those which are the least common. KEIR. 465 high. In 1810 it measured, at 4^ feet from the ground, 9 feet 2 inches. It now measures 9 feet 8. The lower branches drooping to the ground form a large tent. Of thd six beautiful larches plant- ed by Lord Tinwald, the largest now measures, at 4| feet high, 8 feet 10 inches. In 1796, when sixty-five years old, it contained 74 feet of timber — it now contains 190. 11. — Civil History. An account of the parish will be found in Macfarlane's MS., preserved in the Advocates' Library. There are also in the li- brary of Barjarg, Notes for the History of the county of Dumfries, collected by the late F. H. Arundell, Esq. containing some no- tices of its history. *^ This paroch was anciently a pendicle of the Abbacy of Holy- wood, or (as some say) a viccaradge belonging to the paroch of Carlavrock, which was a parsonage belonging to the said abbacy, and so had at least a mediate dependence upon it After the Reformation from Popery, the fews which us'd to be paid to the church, were gifted to the Earl of Morton ; but he having dis- obliged the Soveraign, they were afterwards disponed to the Earl of Nithsdale." — Rae^s History^ MS. ^^ Kire of old, a pendicle of the abbacy and part of the parish of Holywood, and since the Reformation served by a substitute who supplied both places in the absence of the minister, but late- ly divided from it and erected into a parish by itself, and after- wards annexed to the presbytery of Penpont" — Macfarlane MS. *' It is not taxed in Bagimont's Roll, and therefore must have belonged to some monastery." " The estate and baillery of Porterstoun was a separate juris- diction till their final abolition, which the Douglases of Drum- lanrig had acquired in this parish." '^ Bamdennoch is conjectured by Hornby to have been the Carbantorizum of Ptolemy." — Pennants Tour. Land-owners. — The heritors of the parish are the patron, the Duke of Buccleuch ; Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, Bart, of Close- burn; James Hoggan, Esq. of Waterside; Godolphin Hunter Arundell, Esq. of Barjarg, now a minor ; and William Copland, Esq. of Blackwood. " The chief heritor of the parish was the Earl of Nithsdale till 1702, when James Duke of Queensberry purchased the barony of Keir from William Earl of Nithsdale." Family of Kirkpatrick of Closebum. — Various purchases have 4G6 DUMFRIES-SniRE. since that time increased the property which the Duke of Buc- cleuch now holds in three large divisions, separating the posses- sions of the four other heritors, and forming nearly half the sur- face of the parish. Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, Bart of Close- burn, possesses the estate of Capenoch. It came into his family by the marriage of his grandfather with Susanna, daughter and heiress of James Grierson. This most ancient and distinguished family once possessed not only the estate of Closeburn, but a most extensive property in other parts of Nithsdale and in Annandale. Robert- Muir, now containing the Wanlockhead mines, belonged to them, and also the barony of Ross. Their earliest charter was granted by Alexander, King of Scots, in the eighteenth year of his reign, to Ivon Kirkpatrick, at which time they were a family of note. The part which Roger Kirkpatrick took in the death of the Red Comyn at Dumfries, February 10, 1306, is well known. ** I'll mak sicker,'* the expression he used on that occasion, is still the family legend. From this time they held many of the high- est offices of trust and honour, and added greatly to their posses- sions. In 1438, Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn was one of the conservators of the truce with England. Sir James, the father of the present representative of the family, before he sold the estate of Closeburn, had opened the lime^works both on Closeburn and Keir, and was thus the originator of those improvements in agri- culture which have since advanced so rapidly in this neighbour- hood. The grandfather of the preser\t proprietor of Waterside pur- chased the property from a family of the name of Orr, one of whom, Alexander Orr, minister of Hoddam, had in 1725 married Agnes Dalrymple of Waterside, one of the family who had long possessed it. Barjarg was in 1587 given by the Earl of Morton to Thomas Grierson, along with Penfillan and Penmurtie, which now belong to the Duke of Buccleuch. Mr C. Areskine, advocate, afterwards Lord Advocate and Lord Tinwald, married the heiress of this family and acquired the estate. Dr Hunter, Professor of Divini- ty in the University of Edinburgh, purchased it and left it to his son, W. F. Hunter, who assumed the name of Arundell. This gentleman, when he died in 1827, had made great progress in his preparations for a work on the history of the county. Blackwood was purchased from the Lady Indergellie by Wil- liam Copland, Esq. of Colliston, an ancestor of the present pro- K£IR. 467 prietor. The Griersons, to whom a great part of the parish at one time belonged, were of the family of Lag. Parochial Registers. — The parochial register of baptisms, com- mences in April 1722, and has been kept to the present time with considerable regularity; that of marriages and deaths from 1721 till 1791, and since 1626 ; session records, collections, and dis- bursements of poors' money, since 1692. Antiquities* — A chapel is reported to have stood on Kilbride hill ; and a cottage still remains, with walls about three feet thick, which is said to have been the manse. The position of the chapel is assigned to a spot on which the present farmer declares that he has often laiil bare with the plough a piece of pavement composed of small stones, all of a size. A neighbouring patch of ground, on which the crops are always too luxuriant, is pointed out as the churchyard. A person lately dead used to tell that he had as- sisted in removing some of the grave-stones, and in collecting and burying scattered human bones. Close to where the parish church now is, on the south-east side, stood an upright stone, six feet high, surrounded by three or four flat ones. It had no inscription, and bore the name of '^ The Grey stane." At the head of the ravine, formed by the Glen Lacht, Cleugh House, or Barndennoch bum, lies a large stone, called ^< The Siller stane," near which were found several stone axes. Some persons once attempted to split it with gunpowder, but at the first blast so dreadful a storm came on that they fled in terror ! It is a boulder stone, of a highly crystalline texture, and principally composed of quartz and felspar. The piece which was blown off emits a strong ringing sound when struck or trod on. At a mill which once existed near it, the laird of Glen Lacht paid no mul- ture, because the water came from his property. A stone, with the initials of James Renwick, on the ridge of Keir hill, above Staigholes, commemorates the place where he used to preach dur- ing the times of persecution. A small mound on the glebe is pointed out as the spot where the plague was buried. On the <' Court Know" the neighbouring magistrates held a court. Modem Buildings. — These are Capenoch, Barjarg, and Black- wood Houses. There is a mill for grain. The common materials for building are the whinstone of the hills, and the red sandstone from Gateloch Bridge, four to six miles off. lliis latter stone is so extremely pervious to water, that it requires to be painted or tarred. Many of the cottages are roofed with it. The rest are thatched. 468 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. The sandstone of the parish having generally a deep cover is little used, except what is quarried along with the lime. The church was built from a quarry on Capenoch. III. — Population. According to the Macfarlane MSS. there were in 1728» 500 examinable persons in the parish, which by the usual rules would give a population of 666. Dr Webster's report gives 495. In 1778, Mr Wallace found it to be only about 300. At the date of the last Statistical Account, it had risen to 520. In 1811, it was 993; in 1821, it was 987 ; in 1831, 1804. The lime-works and the great improvements in agriculture, especially in fencing, drain- ing, and bringing waste land under tillage, have been the principal causes of the increase of population. 206 persons reside in vil- lages ; 878 in the country. For the last seven years the average of births has been . . .28 marriages, . . . . 7 fiinerali, . . 17 Of individuals or families of independent fortune there reside in the parish in summer 5, in winter 3. The proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards are the five heritors. Of unmarried men, bachelors, and widowers, upwards of SO years of age, there are 23 women upwards of 45, . .... 43 The number of families is 212. The average number of children to a marriage is 4 There are of fatuous persons, 2 ; insane, 1 ; deaf and dumb, 2. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy, — The arable land of the pa- rish amounts to 2700 acres Scotch statute measure ; meadow land about 600 ; pasture, 2096. Very little more is capable of being cultivated with profit. There are 538 acres of wood. The indi- genous trees are oak, ash, birch, and alder, and more sparingly elm, gean, holly, willow, and crab. The planted trees are larch, Scotch, spruce, and silver firs, ash, sycamore, oak, beech, elm, and more sparingly horse-chestnut, poplars of various kinds, labur- num, {Cj/tisus laburnum^ and Cytisus alpinus^) and birch. The greater part of the woods are well managed, but many of the plan- tations have not yet reached the productive state. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land per Scotch statute acre is L. 1, 5s. ; rent of grazing on hill-pasture, ox, L. 1 : sheep, 4s; low ground, milch cow, L.4; bullock, L.2, 10s.; sheep, 10s. Rate of Labour J ^c. — Ploughman, with bed and board, L. 12 per annum; woman servant, with ditto, L. 5. Day labourers, Is. 6d. per day ; women, lOd ; joiner and mason, 2s. 6d. ; tailor with food, KEIR. 469 Is. 3d, Price of articles of raw produce, potatoes per cwt. Is.; butter per stone imperial, 9s. 4d.; skim milk cheese, ditto, Ss. 6d. Live-stock, Sfc. — There is nothing remarkable in the stock reared. The sheep on the hills are the black-faced, on the low ground mugs. The cattle are generally the Galloway breed. A few Ayrshire cows have been introduced. The mode of husbandry is a six years' rota- tion; If^year, white crop, oats; 2^, potatoes, or turnip fed by sheep or raised for home feeding ; 3rf, barley or rarely wheat ; 4rt, hay ; bth and 6^A, pasture. The practice of leaving some of the fallow naked is fast falling into disuse since the introduction of bone Dfianure. It was common very lately to have two white crops, wheat and barley, after fallow. Landlords are now restricting their tenants to one. Improvements might be made in a more thorough clean- ing of the land, a more careful selection of seed, in sheltering some farms by plantations, and in buying up the remaining multures. A great extent of waste land has been reclaimed, so that double the quantity is now under cultivation since Mr Wallace's Account in 1778, and the sheep walks are now confined to the wild and rocky summits of the hills. The great difficulties which lay in the way of these improvements, were the draining of boggy land, and the removal of great quantities of large stones. No irrigation of importance has been attempted. The embankments along the rivers are kept in the best state, and the bed of the Scar has lately been altered so as to confine its waters to one channel, instead of allow- ing them to wind through the adjacent holms of Closebum, and injure much valuable land. The ordinary duration of leases is fifteen or nineteen years. From the circumstance of the year's crop belonging to the tenant who leaves a farm, and the new tenant having frequently to pay a whole year's rent before he reaps a crop, a large capital is required. But the leases are favourable to the tenant. Farm-buildings and en- closures are generally in a good state. On the Duke's farms they are almost all new, handsome, and commodious. Quarries,, — In the two lime quarries, the cover is very great, and the superincumbent strata so little tenacious, that it requires all to be removed. The rock is consequently worked at very great ex- pense. The burning of it also is very costly, as all the fuel is brought from Sanquhar, a distance of fifteen miles. One bushel of coal is required for two and a-half of lime. The latter is sold at 6d. per Winchester bushel. Fisheries, — In former periods salmon were so abundant in those 470 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. parts of the Nith and of the Scar which bound the parish, that it was no unusual circumstance with a net to fill a common cart twice in a few hours after a flood. But so destructive have been the effects of poaching in close time, that a tenant of the fishery where this used to happen, found himself a loser, while paying a rent of L. 1, 10s., and lately gave up his tack. Produce. — The average amount of raw produce yearly raised in the parish may be as follows : Grain with straw, - - L. 5450 Green crop, - - _ IQ27 Hay, - - - , 1760 Pasture, - . - - 2225 Gardens and orchards, including honey, 150 Woods and plantations, - . 820 Lime, - . - 3350 Pork 600 L. 15682 V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Toums^ Sfc. — The nearest is Dumfries, eight miles dis- tant from the foot and fifteen from the head of the parish. The villages in the parish are Keir Mill, and Barjarg. There is no post-office ; letters being brought by a runner from Thornhill, two miles from the head of the parish. There are eight and a-half miles of turnpike road ; seven on the road from Dumfries to Pen- pont ; one on that from Penpont to Glencairn ; and a-half on that from Dumfries to Thornhill, from the foot of the parish to Aid- girth bridge, on which the Edinburgh and Glasgow coaches travel Five bridges connect the parish with the adjoining ones. They are all in good repair. A suspension bridge of a new construction has lately been erected by the Duke of Buccleuch over the Scar, at the manse, on the parish road to Thornhill. Its span is 1 10 feet. Ecclesiastical State, — The church is situated too near the up- per end of the parish, being only a mile and a quarter from Penpont, and six miles from the lower extremity. It was built in 1814, and is in good repair. It accommodates 440 per- sons. There are no free sittings ; the heritors assigning to their tenantry the space falling to their share over and above their ovn family seats. The manse was built in 1777, but received great ad- . ditions and repairs in 1828. It contains three sitting-rooms and six bed-rooms, besides a large sunk story ; — offering a singular con- trast to that described by Mr Rae in 1721. ^^ It is a very handsome house, consisting of four fire-rooms, with cellar and closets, and offices conform." The glebe consists of ten acres, worth about L. 1 8 per annum. The stipend is fifteen chalders, half meal and half KEIK. 471 barley. Converted into money on an average of the last eight years, the grain stipend paid by the Duke of Buccleuch, of about twelve chalders, amounts to L. I669 14s. The money stipend by the four other heritors, who have surrendered their teinds, including the usual sum for communion elements, is L. 62, 14s. 4d. ; total, Lfc 229, 8s. 4d. In 1728 the stipend was 650 merks, and three chal- ders of victual, two-thirds meal, one-third bear, besides thirty merks for communion elements. The heads of 6 families are attached to the Relief; of 8 to the Secession; of 8 to the Reformed Presbytery; of 3 to the Romish church. All the remaining families, amounting to about 187, be- long to the Established church, and as many members of the other families have joined it, that part of the population connected with it may be stated at 1000. Divine worship is remarkably well attended. The average number of communicants is about 600. Those belong- ing to the parish are about 445. The sacrament, as in many of the neighbouring parishes, takes place in the open air. In consequence of its being the latest in the district, and celebrated in a spot of sin- gular beauty and adaptation for the purpose, it is attended by a very great number of people. The most perfect decorum, how- ever, is observed, and, were the weather more generally favourable, few would desire to exchange this ^^ temple built by God" for one << made with hands." The average amount of contributions for religious purposes by subscriptions and collections in church, be- sides the usual collections for the poor, has for the last six years been L. 16. For the last nine years the average of church collec- tions for the poor has been L. 29, 2s. Edtication. — There are two parochial schools, in which are taught Greek and Latin, mensuration and mathematics. The school- masters' salaries are L. 25, Ids. 4d. each, and the school fees amount to about L. 30 more. Both school-houses and the house of one of the masters, were built by subscription, the other master's house by the master himself. The heritors have, however, granted a considerable additional and repairs for the upper school-house and school. The expense of education is, for English, 2s. per quar- ter ; do. and writing, 2s. 6d. ; do. do. and arithmetic, 3s. ; these and all other branches, 5s. The Kildare Street Society's Juvenile Library was lately gifted to the upper school by Mr John McMil- lan, now Rector of the Dumfries Academy, and a Sabbath school library has been procured by a collection in church and donations. Poor. — The average number of persons receiving aid from the 472 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. poors' fund is 10, at an average of 10s. per quarter. Occasional distress is also relieved. At present there are four orphan children belonging to the parish, boarded at L. 3, 10s. per annum. In addi- tion to the quarterly distributions, coals and clothes are given in cases of urgent necessity. The church collections for these pur- poses amount to L. 29, 2s. on an average of the last nine years ; during which time also a legacy of L. 25, left in 1827, by Mr Hunter Arundell of Barjarg, has been expended, and the he- ritors have twice of late given a voluntary contribution. At an annual spiel on the ice, as much is frequently collected from the players and spectators, as to purchase six or eight carts of coals, and twice that quantity when they are driven gratuitously. The good old Scottish love of independence and aversion to come on the poors' roll still exist in considerable force. Great efforts are often made by individuals to prevent themselves and relatives from becoming a burden on the parish. The kirk-session are extremely careful also to discourage all but the most necessitous applicants. Inns, — There are a small inn, an alehouse, and a dram«shop in the parish. FueL — Coal is brought from Sanquhar, fifteen miles, at ds. per ten measures, or thirteen cwt. There is not much peat, and the wood is too expensive to burn. The decayed branches of the trees, however, (and the loppings form a considerable item,) are the fuel of some of the cottagers. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the date of the last Statistical Account, vast improvements have taken place. The roads have been made, and are now kept in excellent order. All the small lochs and marshes have been drained, — the meadows and arable land doubled, — the rivers em- banked, — the sheep are now only half as numerous; but all other farm stock have greatly increased. The people in general, both farmers and cottagers, are much better lodged, their diet is improv- ed, and greater attention is paid to cleanliness and comfort. January 1836. PARISH OF TYNRON. PRESBYTERY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ROBERT WILSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — The name of this parish, according to Chalmers in his Caledonia, was anciently written Tyndron; Tin-'troyn^oiTin^droyn^ in the ancient British tongue, and Dun-ron in the Irish signify *^ the fortified hill with a nose." The name was applied to a round hill, which is still called the Dun or Doon of Tynron. Extent^ Boundaries, — The length of this parish, according to Mr Crawford's measurement and the county plan, is 10 miles, and its breadth 3, which gives an area of 22^ square miles, or 1 1, 332 Scots acres; but I am inclined to think that it cannot be less than 12 miles in length, and about 2^ in breadth. Upon consulting the plans of the different estates, to all of which I have had access, the real measurement is found to be 1 1,796 acres, 3 roods, 17 falls. Tynron is bounded on the north by Penpont; on the east by Keir ; on the south by Glencairn ; and on the west by Glencaim aud Dairy. Topographical Appearances. — There are two ranges of hills in this parish, running from south-east to north-west The one range terminates in the Doon of Tynron, and the other in the Doon of Mazwellton, in the parish of Glencairn. Lamgarroch and Cormil- ligan Bale are the highest of these hills, — which maybe about 1800 feet above the level of the sea. The character of the hills is in accordance with the greywacke formation to which they belong, with the exception of Craigturrah and Croglin Craig, which are more precipitous. The climate upon the whole may be considered healthy. Hydrography, — The only rivers are the Shinnel and the Scar. The former divides the parish into nearly two equal parts. The other forms the boundary with Penpont for about three miles on the north. Both rivers nin in a south-easterly direction ; but the Shinnel at the farm-house of Ford takes an easterly course until it m DUMFRIES. H h 474 DUMFKIES-SHIRE. joins the Scar near the village of Penpont. There is a consider- able waterfall in the Shinnel, known by the name of Aird-linn, a short distance below the manse, — which is very picturesque in con- sequence of the banks of the river being richly wooded. Mineraloffi/.— The direction of the strata is generally from east to west, the dip inclining more or less to the south-east. The greywacke, which is the prevailing rock in this parish, contains a bed of clay-slate at Corfardine, which was at one time wrought by the Wanlockhead Mining Company, but has been abandon- ed from the inferior quality of the slate. There is also a bed of flinty slate or Lydian stone at Shinnelhead. An attempt was made at one time upon the farm of Stenhouse, near the march of Dalmakerran, to find lead ; but it was soon abandoned, al- though some gentlemen from Wanlockhead thought it not un- likely that lead might yet be found there. Granite or any of the primitive rocks have never been found in this parish, with the ex- ception of a small bed of disintegrated granite, which appears both on the estate of Landhall and on the Queensberry estate on the farm of Ford. The mica being of a very yellow colour, has been mistaken by inexperienced persons for gold. Botany. — No rare plants worthy of notice. The natural woods are, oak, ash, birch, plane, mountain-ash, alder, and willow. Those planted are generally Scotch fir, spruce, silver, larch, bahn of Gilead ; and of late years, principally oak, and other hard woods mixed with the above varieties of fir. II. — Civil History. Land'Oioners, — The principal proprietor in the parish is His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, who possesses nearly two-thirds of the whole parish. Parochial Registers. — The first entry in the parish register is dated 17th January 1742 ; but the register was not regularly kept until 1828. Historical Notices, — There was formerly a place of religious worship on the lands of Chapel, which are now united to the farm of Craigturrah ; and another at Kirkconnel, which, like other places of the name, was dedicated to St Connel. The Doon of Tynron was formerly a place of strength, as the ditches on the side most difficult pf access indicate. The foundations of an extensive build- ing might lately have been traced on the top of this hill ; and it is stated in Black's manuscript history of the Presbytery of Pen- pont, deposited in the Advocates' Library, that King Robert the Bruce, after the death of Cummin, was conducted to this »s a TYNRON. 475 place of safety. " The steep hill (says the author of the manu- script) called the Dune, is of a considerable height, upon the top of which there has been some habitation or fort. There have been in ancient times, on all hands of it, very thick woods and great about that place, — which made it the more inaccessible, into which King Robert Bruce is said to have been conducted by Roger Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, after they had killed the Comyn at Dumfries, which is nine miles from this place, whereabout it is probable that he did abide some time hereafter; and it is reported, that, during his abode there, he did often divert to a poor man's cottage named Brownrig, situate in a small parcel of stoney ground encompassed with thick woods, where he was content sometimes with such mean accom- modation as the place could afford. The poor man's wife being advised to petition the King for somewhat, was so modest in her desires, that she sought no more than security for the croft in her husband's possession, and a liberty of pasturage for a very few- cattle of different kinds on the hill and the rest of the bounds, of which privilege that ancient family by the injury of time hath a long time been, and is deprived, but the croft continues in the pos- session of the heirs and successoi*s lineally descended from this Brownrig and his wife ; so that, his family, being more ancient than rich, doth yet continue in the n.ime, and, as they say, retain the old charter." Antiquities, — There are the remains of a Roman road leading from the Doon to Drumloff, and crossing the Shinnel above Sten- house, — along the line of which Roman urns have been found filled with calcined bones. A few silver coins were discovered con- cealed beneath some stones at Pingarie Craig, — principally of the reign of the Roberts, and coined at Edinburgh. Formerly, there were three Roman cairns in the parish, all of which were opened ; in the one at M^ Question, which was the largest of the three, were found a stone coffin with fragments of bone, and a hammer made of stone ; in the one at Land, there were also found a stone coffin, with frag- ments of bone and a stone hammer; in the one at Pingarie, nine stone coffins were found, and fragments of bone, the whole of which, with the surrounding stones to the distance of some feet, were fused into one mass. The Rev. Peter Rae, in his manuscript history of the Presbytery of Penpont, mentions a fourth cairn. " I am in- formed, (says he,) that, in the Appin Hill, there is a high mount called Lamgarroch, upon the top of which there is a great cairn of 476 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. stones, under which it is reported one of the Kings of the Pictsis buried.**' Ecclesiastical History, — The parish church is at present in a ruinous state ; but is to be rebuilt next spring. It was erected about the beginning of the eighteenth century. Nearly one^half of it was rebuilt in the year 1750, when a considerable portion of the freestone was taken from the ancient castle on the top of the Doon. According to Chalmers and the Rev. Peter Rae, the church of Tynron belonged of old to the abbot and monks of Holywood, who enjoyed the rectorial tithes and revenues, and the cure was served by a vicar. At the Reformation, the rectorial tithes of the church were let for the payment of only L. 30 a-year. To the parish church of Tynron, there belonged lands of considerable extent, which, at the Reformation, passed into lay hands ; after the Reformation, the church, with its tithes, was vested in the King by the general an- nexation act. They were afterwards granted in 16 1 8 to John Mur- ray of Lochmaben, who was created Earl of Annandale in 1625, and died in 1640. They were inherited by his son James, the second Earl of Annandale. The advowson of this church was afterwards acquired by William Duke of Queensberry, who died 1695. On the death of William the last Duke, in the year 1810, the patronage went to the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, to whom it now belongs. In Mr Rae's manuscript account of the Presbytery of Pen- pont, I observe a Robertus Welsh, Canonicus et Vicarius de Tynron. " He was succeeded, (observes Mr Rae,) in that vicarage by Mr Taylor ; and the Reformation, or establishment of the Reformed Protestant religion in the Church of Scotland having taken place anno 1560, Mr Taylor renounced the Popish religion, and complied with the Reformation, wherefore he continued in the ministry of Tynron, and conformed to the act o{ Parliament made in the like cases. He enjoyed the kirk-lands during his life. Upon his conform- ing to the Protestant religion, he married and had children, and some of his posterity, as I am informed, are still living in that parish.' III. — Population. Population in 1801, • > 563 1811, • • 574 1821, • • 513 1831, • * 493 From 1811 to 1821, the decrease mav be accounted for from a considerable portion of the land having been thrown out of cultiva- tion in consequence of the reduced price of produce. From 1821 to the last census in 1831, it may be accounted for from the dif- TYNRON. 477 fereDt arrangement which then took place of the Queensberry estate, — the farms on which have been twice let during that period, and considerably increased in size, in consequence of which some fami- lies removed into towns and villages. The number of people residing in the ylllage is . - 80 country, - - 417 The yearly average of births for the last seven years - • 10 deaths, ... 7 marriages, - - - 5 The average number of persons under 15 years of age, - 170 betwixt 15 and 90, - . 112 98 and 50, - 119 50 and 70, - - . 80 upwards of 70, - - 16 The number of unmarried men, bachelors, and widowers, upwards of 50 years of age, 1 1 women upwards of 45^ - - 22 families in this parish - - 105 chiefly employed in agriculture, . • .50 . in trade, ipanufiustures, or handicraft, 19 Number of inhabited houses, ... 90 houses uninhabited, - - - - I During the last three years there have been six illegitimate births* There are two heritors whose lands in this parish produce up- wards of L. 600 of yearly rent; three upwards of L.300 ; and three upwards of L. 50. IV. — Industry. Agriculture, — This parish contains 2455 acres, 2 roods, 35 falls of land, which have been cultivated ; and 8935 acres, I rood, 3 falls which have never been cultivated. To the ground already under tillage little more could be added with any prospect of remunera- tion to the farmer. The number of acres under wood is 405 acres, 3 roods, 19 falls, the greater part of which is thriving natural wood. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land in the parish may be stated as follows : — 250 acres at L. 1, 10s. per acre; 750 at L.I per acre; 1455 at 12s. 6d. per acre; pasture land, 8935 at 5s. per acre. The average rent of grazing bullocks during sum- mer may be estimated at L. 1, 5s. per head ; winter fodder for ditto, L. ], 5s. ; expense during twelve months, L. 2, 10s. The average rent of grazing cows during the season may be stated at L.d, 10s. per head; winter fodder for do. L. 2, 10s.; expense during the season, L. 6. The average rent of grazing ewes during the sea- son may be taken at 5s. per head. Bate of Wages. — The rate of wages during the year for men-ser- vants fit for all farm-work is from L. 10 to L. 13, besides victuals ; women, for the same period, from L. 4 to L. 6. For mowing, a man generally earns from Is. 6d. to Is. 8d. per day, besides food. 478 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. During the harvest, which generally lasts five weeks, men receive from L.2 to L. 2, 2s., and women from L. 1, 8s. to L. I, 10s., and 3s. 6d. a-week during hay harvest. For all other kinds of work during summer, such as hoeing turnips, 9d. a-day without food. Live Stock, — The common breeds of sheep in the parish are the Cheviot and Black-faced. The practice of crossing the Cheviot with the Leicester ram is now prevalent, and upon rich pastures may be considered as more remunerating to the farmer than the pure breed. However, this can never be advantageously carried to any great extent, as it would tend soon to diminish the pure breeds. The breeds of cattle are the Ayrshire and Galloway; but Highland cattle are grazed to a much greater extent than either. The usual mode of reclaiming waste land is by draining where necessary ; and on dry soils, ploughing during summer, lim- ing, and in the course of another year, ploughing, — taking one white crop, a crop of turnips planted with dung or bone manure, and feeding it off with sheep, — another white crop, and the ground sow- ed down for permanent pasture, with a sufficient quantity of rye- grass and clover seeds. But a shorter, more simple, and less ex- pensive process is, — two ploughings at those seasons of the year when they can be accomplished with the least possible interference with the other arrangements of the farmer, — lime during the spring or summer, — and without a single white crop, at once to sow down with rape, ryegrass, and clover, when in the course of two months the land becomes ready for pasturage. — Leases are generally for nineteen years. The farm-steadings in the parish were generally erected within the last ten years, and are good and substantial. The improvements in fences, planting, and breaking up of waste land were carried on to a great extent from the year 1800 to 1812. About that period, the greatest improvers in this parish were the late Alexander Smith, Estj. of Landhall ; the late James M'Turk, Esq. of Stenhouse ; and the late William Smith, Esq. of M'Ques- tion. Now, the most liberal encouragement to improvement is given by His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, as also by John Walker, Esq. of Crawfordton, the principal non-re- sident proprietors. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication, — Dumfries is the principal marKet- town, and sixteen miles distant. There is only one village m the parish. A daily post passes through it from Thornhill to Moniaive. The roads in the parish, fifteen miles in length? are TYNRON. 479 maintained by the statute labour funds, with the exception of one mile of turnpike. The bridges at Ford, Tynron Kirk, and Pin- garie, afibrd sufficient accommodation over the Shinnel ; and the one over the Scar near the junction of the Shinnel affords suffi- cient accommodation over that river ; they are all in good repair. Ecclesiastical State. — The situation of the church could not be better chosen for the accommodation of the people. It is distant from the north-west end of the parish about ten miles ; but the pa- rish at that extremity is very thinly peopled. From the other ex- tremity it is distant about two and a-half miles. The present church has been found insufficient; and a very handsome plan, fur- nished by Mr Burn of Edinburgh, to contain 314 sitters, has been contracted for, and is to be built next season at the expense of L. 975, — a sum, the liberality of which^ (taking into consideration the small population,) reflects the highest credit upon the heri- tors. My highly esteemed and much revered relative and friend, the late Rev. James Wilson, who preceded me in the pastoral of- fice here, in his Account of the parish in the former work, makes the following observations under the head of donations to the pa- rish and the poor : '^ The most remarkable donation that has been in the memory of the oldest man living, or indeed that ap- pears from any written documents, was made in the year 1754 by Mr John Gibson, originally a native of the parish, and who in his younger years was rather in straitened circumstances. Some of his more wealthy friends, finding him possessed of a consider- able share of genius, and fond of cultivating and improving if, administered to him the means necessary for this end. After a short time successfully spent in attention to his studies, he issued forth into active life ; by the most perfect integrity of manners, and the most unwearied application to business, he increased both in reputation and wealth. In the latter part of his life he was mar- ried to a lady in London, by whom he had no children. He be- queathed to her all his property during her personal life, and after her death, which happened in the year 1762, L. 1500 was appoint- ed by will to descend to the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge in Scotland. This Society, by their acceptance of this donation, bound themselves to pay annually to the parish of Tynron L. 35 Sterling, — L. 22 of this sum being paid by the trea- surer of said Society to a schoolmaster appointed by Mr Gibson's latter will to teach a school at or near Tynron Kirk ; the school- 480 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. master found qualified by the Presbytery of Penpont, and certified to be so, to instruct in the principles of the Christian religion, to teach to read and write well, to cast accounts, to sing psalms at church and in private families, and also to teach any other parts of learning as shall be thought proper, and to be elected to his of- fice by the minister and elders for the time being, and the heritors residing in the parish. The Presbytery examines the school an- nually, and upon their certificate of the schoolmaster's due elec- tion, diligence, and faithfulness in the discharge of his duty, he draws the salary above specified- The remaining L. 13^ by the will of the donor, is appointed to be distributed annually by the kirk-session among twelve poor, sober, and industrious per- sons residing in the parish ; the value of L. 6 to be given them in flax, adjudging the value of 10s. to each, accompanied with 10s. in cash, — the last 20s. being still kept in the hands of the treasurer for the poor till the yarn spun from the flax is inspected by proper judges, at which time it is adjudged in difierent proportions to four or five of the best spinners among the twelve. This donation has an excellent efiect in encouraging industry among the poorer class, at the same time that it greatly t^nds to relieve their wants. A strict attention has been paid hitherto in acting up to the will of the donor both in the letter and spirit. And every thing at pre- sent, both in respect of the school and the gift to the poor, is upon the best and most agreeable footing. A very commodious house of two stories in height, in pursuance of the suggestions of the do- nor, was raised in the year 1765, in the near neighbourhood of the parish church, by the late Duke of Queensberry, and another pub- lic-spirited heritor. One large apartment is used for the school- room, and the rest of the house appointed for the accommodation of the teacher." The school-room of the donation school here alluded to has been added to the dwelling-house of the teacher; and a large and excellent school-room has been built partly by the heritors, and partly by public subscription. It was evidently the intention of the benevolent founder of this school, that the sala^ should not only be equal but superior to that of ?iny of the paro- chial schools, — which it certainly was at the time of its foundation ; but as the salaries of the parochia l sch ools have been several times augmented since that period, they^now exceed that of the schools in question. It is therefore to be hoped that the Society forPro- pagating Christian Knowledge will, at no very distant period, see the propriety of granting a suitable augmentation. The manse 3 TYNRON. 481 was built in the year 1785; and two additions have been built at different times, — which render it a comfortable and very commodi- ous house. The extent of glebe, including houses and garden, is fourteen acres, three roods, which may be valued at L. 30 a-year. The stipend is 16 chalders, with L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion ele- ments. Number of families attending the Established church, 73 ; number of persons, 246 ; number of families attending Dissenting chapels, 28 ; number of persons attending the same, 67. Divine service at the Established church is tolerably well attended, more especially in summer. The average number of communicants in the Established church, 170. Average amount of church collec- tions about L. 15 a-year. Education^ — There are two schools in the parish, the one paro- chial, the other endowed. The branches of education taught in both schools, are Latin, Greek, English, writing and arithmetic. Fees for Latin and Greek per quarter, 4s. ; English, 2s. ; writing and arithmetic, 2s. 6d. The parochial schoolmaster has L. 25, 13s. 4d. of salary. He has a school-house, a comfortable dwelling- house, and one rood of good land. He does not receive more than L. 4 a-year of fees. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of persons receiving parochial aid varies according to circumstances ; but may be about 20. Th^ late Mr Wilson, in the former Statistical Account, says, '^ beside the weekly collections made for the poor, amounting to L. 1 1 or L. 12 annually, there is a small piece of landed property belonging to them yielding L. 7 of yearly rent. The number of poors' names on the roll is 12 or 14. They have a pretty com- fortable subsistence, and not one is known to go beyond the bounds of the parish as an itinerant beggar." Only one beggar is yet known to go beyond the bounds of the parish, and the farm of Caimey Croft, the landed property above alluded to, is now let for L. 20 of yearly rent. With regard to Cairney Croft, the Rev, Mr Rae makes the following remarks : " Brownrig of Cairney Croft, though this is but small, yet I thought fit to mention it because of its antiquity. It is reported that King Robert Bruce, being in the beginning of his reign in bad circumstances, in regard the most of the gentry in the country having sworn fealty to . King Edward Longshanks, had not yet joined him, — he came incognito in a morning to Cairney Croft, and asked Brownrig's wife if she could give him any meat, for he was very hungry ; to which she returned that she had nothing but ^re^^n- (meal and goat's milk,) and he 482 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. replied that that was very good, whereupon she made him a gred- dan^ which he supped very pleasantly, and then told her that he was the King; and asked her what he should give her, to which slie answered that they desired nothing but their own ground they pos- sessed, (a sign she was not covetous, it being at this day but worth fifty merks per annum, and was no doubt of small value then,) whereupon King Robert Bruce took parchment out of his pocket, and wrote a charter for the said land of Cairney Croft to the said Brownrig, his heirs and assignees. John Brownrig of Cairney Croft, lately deceased, told me that William Duke of Queensberry was once pursuing him for his land, upon which he went to Edin- burgh and consulted an advocate, who advised him to go home and search all his house, and bring him all papers he found in it; and that accordingly he returned, and noticing a bowell in the wall at the back of a bed which had not been opened for some ages, be opened the same, and found the said charter and some other papers, all which he carried into the advocate, who told him he needed not fear the pursuer, for he had as good a right to his land as the pur- suer had to his. The said John Brownrig told me further, that William Philip, factor to Sir Robert Grierson of Lag, then pro- prietor of the barony of Aird, (within which bounds Cairney Croft lies,) persuaded him to give up that old charter, and take a new one holding of Lag, which in his simplicity he did. This family were weavers from one generation to another, from King Robert Bruce his days till the death of the said John Brownrig, but his sons Simon and choosing rather to serve other men than to follow the occupation of their forefathers, have sold Cairney Croft to the kirk-session of Tynron." The annual amount of contributions for the poor, including Mr Gibson's mortification, may be stated at L. 50 a-year, and the an- nual distributions about the same sum. February 1836. PARISH OF CANONBIE. PRESBYTERY OF LANGHOLM, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES.* THE REV. JAMES DONALDSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. NamCi Boundaries^ 4'c.^-There are two opinions with regard to the derivation of the name of this parish. The one traces it to the Saxon word Bie or By^ signifying a habitation or station, — making the term thus denote " the residence of the Canons ;" the other, to the Latin ccenohium^ which signifies a priory or monas- tery, and is a compound of the Greek adjective xo/^or, common, and jSioc, life, because the monks lived in common. The latter opi- nion is supported by the circumstance, that a piece of land, grant- ed in donation to this priory, and specially designed in a charter confirmed by King William the Lion, in 1165,f is to the present day called Canonbie-holm, viz. the Priory-holm, as distinguishing it from Bee-holm, and Knotty-holm, which are in the immediate neigh- bourhood. This parish is bounded on the south-east by the Liddle, which divides it from Cumberland ; and on the north by Langholm. It extends 9 miles in length, in breadth 6, and contains 22,500 Scotch acres, or d6| square miles. Topographical Appearances* — The appearance of this parish is uneven, and diversified by a variety of ridges and flat ground, ex- cept the land which lies along the banks of the different rivers, which is generally level. Canonbie, therefore, may be regarded as the low grounds of Eskdale ; for the highest grounds, which rise by degrees towards the east and north-east, cannot be called moun- tainous, when contrasted with the general appearance of the sur- rounding parishes of Langholm, Ewes, and Castleton. The cen- tral part of the parish is intersected by the river Esk ; and the great post-road to the south by Carlisle passes in the same direc- tion, through a part of the country rich and variegated with woody * Drawn up by a Probationer of tbc Cburcb of ScoUand. \ Ex dono Guido dc Rossedale» assensu ct consensu Uodolphi filii sui, quadra- ginta duas acras inter Esch et Lidlc, ubi Escb et Lidle convcniunt. 484 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. hills of aged oaks, pastoral scenes, and verdant fields, which never cease to attract and arrest the attention of travellers ; indeed, it is upon the whole one of the most picturesque and lovely districts in Scotland. Soil — The soil in this parish is various. Along the river £sk, is fine holm land of a light loam, exceedingly fertile, and well shelter- ed to the east and west by a considerable quantity of wood on the sloping grounds on each side of the river, the whole length of the parish from north to south. Upon this ground, crops of all kinds are highly productive, and early. On the banks of the Liddle, the soil is nearly of the same kind and quality as that along the Esk. On the higher grounds, the soil is cold, and of a wet clay mixed with moss, which, however, when properly limed, produces, in dry seasons, good crops of oats. From the recent improve- ments arising from draining and fencing, the greater part of this ground is now capable of carrying crops of all descriptions. Climate, — The climate of the parish is rather moist, and though we have very heavy falls of rain during the season, the atmosphere appears to be by no means injurious either to health or vegetation ; as there are a very considerable number of aged persons in the pa- rish, and vegetation is earlier than in any parish of Eskdale. The climate, however, varies very much in different situations. Along the whole extent of the Esk, in this parish, which, as we have men- tioned, is well sheltered on both sides, the air is found mild and tem- perate, even in severe seasons, — while, within the distance of two miles from that situation, it is keen and piercing. The diseases common in this parish are rheumatism, consum))- tion, and those of a nervous kind, brought on by the moistness of the atmosphere. Scrofula, about forty years ago, was rather pre- valent, but, from care and attention with Regard to matrimonial al- liances, is now nearly extinct The prevailing winds and the heavi- est falls of rain are from the south-west* Hydrography. — There are no lakes in the parish. The two principal rivers are the Esk and Liddle, the former having its source in the highest grounds of the parish of Eskdalemuir, agd the latter in the extremity of the parish of Castleton. These rivers, after receiving in their different channels, which have nearly the same extent of twenty-four miles, a considerable number of tributary streams, fall into one another at the southmost part of this parish, when the Liddle loses its name and waters in the Esk, — * According to Colonel Mein*8 notes of the state of the weather for last year, rain fell more or less during 212 days. CANONBIE. 485 which, after running from the point of junction about seven miles in a south-west direction, falls into the Solway Frith. The banks of the Liddle, which, for the space of four or five miles, forms the boundary with England, are beautifully diversified with natural woods and thriving plantations. Among the various interesting objects presented to our view on this river, Penton Linns is un- doubtedly the first At this particular spot, the river is very much contracted by stupendous rocks, which rise abruptly on edch side, and force the water into a broken narrow channel. There is a ter- race-walk along the ledge of this frightful and dangerous precipice on the Scottish side of the river, from which you see the waters dash- ing and boiling among the huge rocks that are scattered indiscri- minately below. The perpendicular precipices which narrow th^ bed of the river are overgrown with copsewood in every tint of fo- liage. In the centre of these scenes of sublimity, an isolated rock, which has braved the fury of the waters for ages, adds not a little to the prospect, particularly in a high flood, when its summit is only visible in the midst of the raging waters, surrounded by a few shrubs and bushes. Tarras, a small river which rises in the parish of Ewes, and divides on the north-east quarter this parish from Langholm, falls into the Esk three miles below the town of Lang- holm. This stream is remarkable for its rugged channel, roman- tic and picturesque scenery. It flows with so much rapidity through a narrow channel among immense masses of rock, and is so much broken by falls, that any person whom it may chance to sweep away, would be dashed to pieces before he could be drowned by its waters, which occasioned the following popular saying : Was ne*er ane drowned in Tarras, nor yet in doubt, ^For e'er the head can win down, the hams (brains) are out. Its banks are beautifully covered with trees ; and we may mention, that this small stream gave the title of Earl to Walter Scott of Highchester, who married Lady Mary, eldest daughter of Francis Earl of Buccleuch. The patent bears date the 4th September 1660. Besides these rivers which we have mentioned, there are a great many burns or rivulets, such as Archerbeck and Rowan- bum, both of which fall into the Liddle ; the others scarcely de- mand our notice. Many of these burns afford excellent sport to the angler. Mineral Springs. — There are appearances of several chalybeate springs in various parts of this parish ; but the principal mineral well resorted to by invalids is that at Heathet, which is situated on 486 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. the English side of the Liddle. This water has been found of great advantage to persons labouring under scorbutic disorders and complaints of the stomach. There is also a celebrated petrifying spring near the river Tarras, the only one known in the whole range of the country. Mr Keir of Langholm, late factor to his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, col- lected the petrifactions of moss, or fog, along the course of its stream, to the amount of several cart loads, which he caused to be burnt in the same way as limestone, and found it to be excellent manure, and to produce nearly the same effects as lime does. Geology. — This parish abounds in coal, limestone, and freestone. The coal formation is found in hollows of the transition rocks. The sandstone rocks are very friable ; and those found in the coal depositions consist of spherical concretions, which are again com- posed of curved lamellar concretions. Slate-clay of a greyish- black and ash-grey colour, which contains numerous impressions of shells, and sometimes also of ferns, is found ; and clay-iron, in the form of spherical-shaped masses imbedded in slate clay, in the coal fields. Some of these spheres are from a few inches to three feet in diameter, and are exactly similar to those found in the coal fields of Mid-Lothian. The coal, which is worked at the two collieries of Archerbeck and Byreburn, appears generally to be intermediate between slate and pitch-coal, sometimes inclining more to the one, sometimes more to the other. The principal coal seam at Archerbeck, let to an English gentleman of the name of Lomax, is 5 feet 10 inches thick ; and three yards below this, it is 3 feet 4 inches thick, and the coal is wrought by an open level. At Byreburn, it is wrought by a water engine upon a new construction, the invention of the late Mr Keir of Millholm. It is moved by means of a lai^ bucket of a square form, suspended from the end of a lever, hav- ing a valve at bottom in the centre, which, by machinery, is made to shut and open in the instant of time the bucket should fill and empty itself. The other end of the lever is fixed to the pump, spear, or rod, and, by the continued action of the bucket descend- ing and ascending, filling and emptying the water it contains, which is of such a weight as to make the beam preponderate, the pump- ing is carried on, and the coal pit cleared of the water collected below. Limestone is found in great abundance in different parts of this parish, but more particularly on the east side of the Esk. The lime burnt at Harelaw is in greatest request, both as yielding CANONBIE. • 487 the purest and whitest and the largest quantity of powder from the bushel of shells. The lime quarries at Harelawhill and Holhouse are easily wrought, and seem inexhaustible ; and the country for thirty miles round is abundantly supplied at lOd. per imperial bushel, four of which will fill a single horse cart. The race of the fine mills lately erected at Hollows is cut through strata of blue lime- stone; below which is a stratum of sandstone, schistus, and clay three feet thick, succeeded by a seam of coal four inches thick, which is presented at the mill sluice. On the west side of the Esk, near Hollows House Tower, a considerable body of shell limestone is found dipping south-east, and stretching towards Annandale, re- sembling the Kelhead and Arbigland rock. About forty yards above Blakebeck bridge are some thin strata of limestone dipping west one in four; beyond this, a body of grey sandstone appears. About a mile from the foot of the burn, are strata of limestone; and a little higher up are strata of blaes, succeeded by a seam of coal about four inches thick. The bed of the Esk below Langholm \ovf bridge is founded on the primitive rock ; from thence to a little below Canonbie it is occupied with the coal metals. From this point to the mouth of the river, the secondary strata of a reddish colour prevail. Freestone of various kinds is everywhere found in this parish, — which is well adapted for building, as being durable and easily wrought. It may be here mentioned, as a somewhat singular circumstance, that within the space of 200 yards in one particular place, coal and peat, limestone and freestone, may be digged. Zoology, — All the common birds are found in the extensive woods of this parish. Salmon, grilse, and sea-trout, previous to the building of a call by the late Dr Graham of Netherby, for the purpose of supplying his mills with water, were most abundant in the Esk and Liddle, and taken in vast numbers. On account of their run being inter- cepted, they are not now so plentiful, as it requires a considerable flood to enable them to get over this barricade. The whiten or herllng (Salmo albus) and the common trout are also abundant in these streams. Indeed the Esk trout and whitens are held in high estimation, on account of their delicate flavour. Tarras is also famous for its good bull-trout, according to the old rhyme, " And Tarras for a gude bull-trout, If it be ta'en in time." Botany. — In this parish, there are no very rare plants to be met 488 DUMFRIKS-SUIRE. with ; though there is no parish in the district which abounds so much in woods. In the various plantations, .oaks in particular are of large size, and seem well adapted for the soil. Planes^ beeches, elms, firs of all kinds, ash and poplars grow rapidly, being pro- perly fenced and pruned. Around Hollows Tower, there are some large oaks and plane trees. A limited quantity of oak is annually cut down, which furnishes bark to the tanner, and wood for the va- rious purposes of the tenant. A variety of orchards were planted about forty-eight years ago, at the expense of the Duke of Buccleuch, upon such farms as were thought most favourably situated for the purpose. They have all turned out well, yielding a fair proportion of fruit of good quality, — particularly those at Woodhouselees, Forge, Rowanbum, Prior- liden, and the one at the manse. II. — Civil History. Land-otoners. — The Duke of Buccleuch is the sole proprietor of this parish ; and its valuation in merks Scotch, with half of Mor- ton annexed in 1703^ is L. 7462, 6s. 8d. Eminent Men. — Among the men of former times, noted for their border exploits, we may mention, as a native of this parish, the celebrated Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, a brother of the laird of Mangerton, chief of the name, whose place of residence was at the Hollows. Johnnie and all his retinue were con- demned and hanged upon growing trees at a place called Carleo- rig Chapel, about ten miles above Hawick, on the high road to Langholm, by James V. ; also William Armstrong, called Will of Kinmont, a descendant of Gilnockie; and Hector Armstrong, Hare- law, — whose exploits on the borders are well known. In more modern times, we cannot overlook, as natives of this pa- rish, the sons of the Rev. Mr Petrie, who died minister of Canon- bie, — four of whom, by their talents and industry, acquired splen- did fortunes. The eldest, Dr Robert Petrie, was an eminent phy- sician in Lincoln, and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians at Edinburgh ; the youngest, William Petrie, Esq. died second in Council at Madras, a man highly distinguished for his benevo- lence, and agreeable manners in private life, and for the great abili- ties with which he discharged the important duties of the puhhc station which he filled. Dr Russell, author of the History of M^ dern Europe, and the celebrated Benjamin Bell, Esq. surgeon, were also natives of this parish. Antiquities. — In this parish, which, from its locality, was more CANONBIE. 489 exposed than any other in the district to the plundering incursions the English borderers, the inhabitants were by no means in- *entive in erecting strongholds as places of defence and pro- . ^"^"^ against the visits of these ruthless marauders. In this pa- ®"> therefore, many vestiges of these strongholds can be distinct- y traced. As the most entire of the kind, we may take notice of ^^^ tower of Hollows, the residence of John Armstrong. It was ^■•■ted near the eastward of Hollows Bridge, upon a situation, natural beauty, cannot be equalled in Scotland. It is s,^ 1 of an oblong square, extending in front about 60 feet W^ and at each end of the squares about 46 ; the height ^ ^ ituated at nearly 72 feet It has two round turrets with • ^ at each of the east and west angles, and is built of red r^ ; though now roofless, it must have been in former times J^ of considerable strength. — At no great distance from )^ which is of the oval form. Coins. — A variety of Roman and English coins has been found in this parish at different times. The late clergyman, the Rev. John Russell, found an aureus denarius of the Emperor Nero, on a fieW in the glebe to the east of the church. A number of silver coins, which are in the possession of William CMiver, Esq. of Dinlabyre, were found on the 29th of October 1811, by a person who was em- ployed in draining some marshy ground near the place where tne rivulet Rowauburn falls into the Liddle. They were contained m an old purse, and some of them were remarkably entire. On one si ^ is Civias London^ the city of LfOndon, and on the reverse is Edtcr* AngL Dns. Hyh. a contraction for Eduardus, Anglise DomJ'J"^ Hyberniae, Edward Lord of England and Ireland. We can have no doubt that these coins are all of Edward I. of England,— b^^"^ - if they had been coins of any of the other Edwards, some tig" CANONBIE. 491 would have followed the name, as a part of the title of distinction of everjt king who comes after the first of the name. We may re- mark, that, during the reign of Edward I., there was a constant com- munication with Scotland, ^' the affairs of which,'' says Hume the historian, " form the most interesting period of his reign." From great numbers of coins of the same kipd being found in various parts of Annandale, particularly around the burgh of Lochmaben, we are of opinion that these coins were secreted in Canonbie and An- nandale, at the time when Warrenne, in 1298, marched an army of 40,000 men into the latter district to re-establish the authority of Edward, which Wallace had for some time so nobly opposed. Modem Buildings. — Among these worthy of note, as held in feus from his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, are, Woodhouselees, the occasional residence of George Bell, Esq. merchant, Leith ; Forge, that of Pultney Mein, Esq. ; Marsh House, of Colonel W. Mein; Crookholm, of C!olonel N. Mein; and Woodslee, of George Scott Elliott, Esq. of Larriston. The corn-mills erected some years ago at Hollows are exten* sive buildings, and the machinery of the most approved kind. These mills are driven by a subterranean dam cut through the solid rock, and, by this means, have at all seasons of the year an abundant supply of water from the Esk, near the banks of which they are situated. HI. — Population. The population of this parish in 1755, amounted to 1733 1794, 2725 180U 2580 1811. . 2704 1821, 3084 1831, 2997 Number of families in the parish, ^ • 595 chiefly employed in agriculture, . 256 in handicrafl, ^ • • 138 all other families, * * V 201 inhabited houses, ... * M ^ 576 uninhabited, .... ^ ^ w 9 Average number of baptisms for the last seven years, " • • 72 deaths, - - - # ... 82 marriages, ... . 27 Character^ Sfc. of the People, — The dispositions and habits of the people of this parish have undergone, within these last 6fty years, a wonderful change for the better. At that period, much of the spirit of the borderers pervaded the inhabitants ; and gambling was carried on to such a degree that all industry was laid aside, so that many depended for their subsistence upon the precarious results 492 DUMFRIES-SHIBE. arising from their success in horse-racing and cock-fighting, which tend more, perhaps, than any other hazardous games, to demoralize the people. Great praise is due to the then Duke of Buccleuch in bringing about this happy change. The great improyements carried on by his Grace in the parish gave constant employment both to artisans and labourers ; and as the Duke resided in the neighbourhood for some months during the busiest pai't of the year, and almost daily overlooked these improvements, he had an opportunity of knowing the character of each of the workmen, whom he encouraged and rewarded according to their industry; and offenders not only lost employment, but were obliged to leare the parish. The tenants are a highly respectable, intelligent, and independent class of men, who spare no expense or trouble in the improvement either of their farms or of their stock. As masters, they are kind and indulgent to their servants, and set them an ex- ample, in their walk and conduct, of all that is religious and moral IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — This parish contains, in Scotch acres, 22.500 Of which there are cultivated, or occasionally in tillagCy . 1 6*000 In pasture, part of which may be cultivatedi . . 5.500 Under valuable wood and plantations, . . 1,000 Rent of Land. — In a parish like this, where the soil is various, the rent per acre is regulated according to the quality. Some of the fine holm-land along the banks of the different rivers lets so high as L. 1, lOs. per acre ; and on the high grounds from 2s. 6d. to 10s. The grazing of a milk cow or full-grown ox for the year, L. 2, 10s. to L. 4, lOs., and of a sheep 5s. Live-Stock.— ^The common breed of sheep is the Cheviot, to the improvement of which the strictest attention is paid, — in select- ing stock of the largest bone and finest symmetry to breed from. Farmers on the lower and enclosed grounds rear a considerable number of what they call half-bred, by crossing the largest Che- viot ewes with a Leicestershire ram ; by which the size of the stock and quality of the wool are greatly improved. This stock is ge- nerally sold when lambs to English dealers. Betwixt 3000 and 4000 sheep are pastured in this parish. The Galloway breed of cattle is preferred over the whole district, as the best adapted for the pasture grounds. They thrive well, rise to a good size, find a ready market, and bring a fair remunerating price. Some far- mers, however, in this parish rear considerable numbers oi the Teeswater breed. Cows vary in price, according to age and con- CANONBIE. 493 dition, from L. 6 to L. 12. Two year old stots (the age at which they are generally sold) bring from L. 5 to L. 8. Farm-horses, in good condition, may be purchased at from L. 18 to L. 30. A great number of swine are fed for the English market in this parish. Every cottager has his pig. Husbandry, — With regard to the state of husbandry in this pa- rish, when contrasted with that adopted fifty years ago, perhaps no parish in Scotland has been so much improved in appearance. Under the superintendence of the late Mr Keir, new roads were made, — farms laid out and enclosed where the plough had never before entered,-^suitable dwelling-houses and offices were built, and slated at the Duke's expense, — and leases granted to the te- nants upon such terms as enabled them to carry on their improve- ments. All the modem improvements, therefore, in agriculture are introduced here, and carried forward with great spirit, as far as reclaiming waste land, draining, and enclosing can possibly go. The late James Bell, Esq. who possessed Woodhouselee, one of the largest farms in the parish, was amongst the first who set the example of improvement, and who, by his superior skill in farming operations, brought his farm from a state of nature to the highest condition of cultivation. The late George Bell, Esq. sixty-five years ago, was the first who introduced the culture of turnips in this district, and the laying down of his grass fields with clover. Mr Church, Tower of Sark, a very enterprising farmer, has of late years improved a considerable extent of mossy ground by broad ploughing and liming, which now yields him good crops. Leases taken within these few years are commonly for nine or thirteen years. There are no obstacles to improvement in this parish aris- ing from the want of capital, or the want of encouragement by the noble proprietor. V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Tawns, — Langholm, distant six miles from the church of Canonbie, is the post-to^n, and the nearest place where mar- kets are held. Markets are held also at Longtown and Carlisle, the former distant six miles, and the latter fifteen. Ready sales for cattle, pork, and land produce of every kind, are found at both places. Means of Communication. — In no parish in Scotland has so much been done to improve the means of communication as in Canonbie. About sixty years ago, every place out of the course of the river Esk was almost inaccessible, except during a very dry summer. Since that time, good roads have been made on the east and west 494 DUMFRIES-SUIUE. side of the parish, and branches carried from these to the princi* pal farm steadings in the parish. For making and keeping these roads in a state of repair, the Duke of Buccleuch, at the time, ap- propriated five per cent, out of the whole land rent of the parish, with 'L. 50 additional from his private purse. A half-penny was also levied at the different coal pits upon every horse load, equal to 2d. the cart load, — besides the conversion of the statute labour, which was altogether inadequate at the time to carry on these great improvements. The whole annual amount may have been at the time about L. 400. The funds arising from the toll-bar, placed ex- actly upon the side of the Scotch dike, went entirely towards the repair of the post-road. Bridges. — In this parish, there are ten bridges of one arch over the different rivulets, and a great number of smaller ones. Over the Esk there are two bridges, — one having three arches, and the other two ; the former, distant a mile and a-half from the latter, was built about ninety years ago at the expense of the county. The parishioners who lived to the west of the river had no ac- cess to the church or to the east side, before this bridge was built, except by wading or crossing on horseback, or in a boat, when the water was not fordable. The boat having been overset at one time, and several persons drowned returning from church, and many individuals having lost their lives after this catastrophe, the building of this bridge was at last executed. The other bridge was finished about forty-two years ago. It is built upon an extensive scale, and has a very striking appearance, which attracts even the attention of the most incurious traveller, who, if circumstances permit, halts to admire the beautiful scenery around him, — which, as far as wood and water, bank and brae go, is almost the finest landscape the imagination can' paint. The span of the largest arch of this bridge is 70 feet, of the smaller one, 45 ; the height to the pass way 46 feet ; and the extreme length 244. This bridge has been of the utmost utility to the country, by opening up a ready and safe communication, as well as shortening the distance several miles in going and returning from his Grace's colliery at Byreburnfoot. The turnpike road takes also a new direction for a mile and a-half, by which means a pretty long and heavy pull, from north to south, on the old road, and also, the most exposed situation on the road between Lang- holm and Longtown, — are avoided. The road which leads CANONBIE. 495 from the east end of the new towards the old bridge, is cut along the side of a steep bank, covered with wood, forming something in the shape of an amphitheatre ; at the south end of which, another bridge with two arches is built. These operations, for boldness of design, and from the labour and difficulty of execution, astonish every passenger. These works were finished at the Duke's pri- vate expense, and must have cost him many thousands of pounds. There is also a bridge erected lately over the Liddle above the Penton Linn, which opens a ready communication to England for the people of Liddesdale and the western jpart of Canonbie, which lies in that direction. The Edinburgh and Carlisle mail, besides stage-coaches to Lon» don and various parts of England, travel through this parish. Eccksiastical State. — The church of Canonbie was dedicated to St Martin, and, as it stood upon the banks of the Liddle, it was often called the church of Liddle. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it was called both the church of Liddle and the church of St Martins. When the canonry was established in the twelfth century, it was called, ^* Domus de religiosis de Liddal," before it obtained the name of Canonbie, the canons' residence. In the reign of David I., one Turgot de Rossedale, who then occupied the district on the lower Esk, founded a canonry in connection with this church. He placed this canonry on the peninsula which is formed by the junction of the rivers Esk and Liddle, and granted to it the adjoining lands, with the church of Kirk- Andrews, and its pertinents. The words in the original grant are, *^ Ex dono TuTg. de Rossedale domum religiosam de Lidle cum tota terra ei adjacente, ecclesiamque de Kirk- Andrews, cum omnibus ad illam pertinentibus." In the twelfth century, he gave it to the monks of Jedburgh. The church of Canonbie continued with the ca- nonry, which was a cell of Jedburgh, till the Reformation disunited and destroyed the whole. After the Reformation, the patronage and the tithes, with the whole property of the priory of Canonbie, were vested in the King by the general annexation act ; afterwards they were granted to the Earl of Home in 1606, which grant was ra- tified in Parliament in 1621, — when a stipend of 500 merks yearly was settled on the minister serving the cures of Canonbie and Wauchope, which had been united by the King's Commissioners. They afterwards passed to the Earl of Buccleuch in the reign of Charles I. The Duke of Buccleuch is patron of the parish. 496 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. The present church, a handsome and el^ant building, was erected in 1822, at an expense of L. 3000, and may contain 1000 sitters. It is very centrical, and stands on the east side of the Esk, near the village, which is on the west side. The manse was re- built in 1800, and since that time has undergone some substantial repairs, along with the office-hous^es. The glebe consists of 20 acres English of good arable land, including garden and office- houses. The stipend, according to last augmentation, dated 20tb November 1822, is 16 chalders, half meal, half barley, payable according to the highest fiars of the county, — ^with L. 10 for com- munion elements. There are 516 families attending the Esta- blished church, and 68 families belonging to the Secession. There is neither an Episcopalian family nor a Catholic one in the parish. The average number of communicants is 805. Collections are occasionally made for the General Assembly's Highland Schools and Indian Mission ; and there is a yearly subscription of one guinea to the Dumfries Royal Infirmary. Education. — The number of schools in this parish, exclusive of Sabbath schools, is 5. The parish schoolmaster's salary b L. 31, 6s. 7d., with the legal accommodations. The teachers of the auxiliary, or, as they are called, side schools, are allowed as salary the sum of L. 5 each. These schools are placed at Glen- zier, Harelaw Hill, Hag, and Tail The probable amount of fees actually paid to the principal schoolmaster may amount to L. 30, allowing 25 per cent, for irrecoverable debts, — with the additional emoluments arising from the offices of session-clerk and collector of the poors' rates. The branches taught in the public school are English, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, French, Greek, and I^tin. The charges per quarter for these branches are, English reading, 2s. ; English and writing, 2s. 6d. ; arithme- tic, English grammar, and writing, 3s. 6d ; Greek and Latin, 5s. mathematics, 10s. 6d. ; French, 7s. 6d. ; and book-keeping (a complete system,) L. 1, Is. There is not a single individual be- twixt six and fifteen years of age unable to read. All the people appear very much alive to the benefits of education ; hence they would sooner deprive themselves of many of the necessaries of life than that their children should be unable to read and write. From the number of schools in this parish, and no part of it being so far distant from some of them as to prevent attendance, no additional schools are required. There is not a coal-miner's child above six CANONBIE. 497 years of age who cannot read a little, and repeat many of the ques- tions in the Shorter and Mother's Catechisms. Library. — A Library was instituted in this parish in 1813. The annual contribution ^for the purchasing of books is the sum of 4s. 6d. exclusive of entry money. Though not numerous, the books are very select i and the collection is under the best manage- ment. Charitable Institutions. — There are two Friendly Societies in the parish, which have considerable funds for the relief of sick members. They have been in existence for many years, and have afforded relief to many distressed members and poor widows. Savings Bank. — A Savings Bank was begun here sometime ago. As long as four per cent, was allowed upon the deposits, very considerable sums were lodged. Since the per centage was lowered, no money has been paid in for years, and the whole amount is withdrawn, except L 20 or L. 30. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid at the present time is 75 ; but occasional assistance is given to 25 others. The average sum allotted to each of those who are upon the poors' roll is about L. 1 per quar- ter. Poor rates were establbhed in this parish in the year 1773, when the annual amount was only L. 54, 2s.; which left a consi- derable surplus in the collector's hand, after affording the necessary relief to 24 persons, the whole poor then in the parish. At mar- tinmas 1793, the number of poor on the roll was 68, and the as- sessment for their support was L. 176 a year. Liast year, the sum of L. 457, 15s. 8d. was distributed among the poor. Of this sum L. 408, 9s. 8d. was raised by assessment, at the rate of Is. 2d. per pound, the landlord paying one-half, and the tenant the other; from church collections, L. 27, 5s. ; from the use of a hearse, the property of the poor, and from fines for irregular marriages and immoral conduct, L. 21, 16s. We believe there is, with a few ex- ceptions, a disposition among the poor to refrain from seeking pa- rochial relief, which they consider as degrading. But, at the same time, it must be allowed, that this independent spirit is by no means so strong as it was forty years ago. Inns. — There is one principal inn in the parish, kept in the most orderly manner, where travellers meet with every accommodation and comfort ; 'also four alehouses in different places. These low tippling-houses produce the worst effects upon the morals of the people. It is much to be regretted that the Justices of Peace do 498 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. not refuse to grant licenses to toll-bar-keepers, two of whom in this parish sell ardent spirits. FtieL — This parish is most abundantly supplied with coal and peat, which are procured at a very small expense ; a single horse load of coal costs from 4s. to 4s. 6d., and one of peat from 8d. to Is. according to the distance. Miscellaneous Observations. The crops in this parish are generally cut down with the sickle, except on the farm of Woodhouselees. Mr Bell for many years has used the scythe ; and, from experience, has found that there is a great saving of expense, grain, and fodder. Mr Bell states, that two mowers, with one person to collect the sheaves to each, and a man to bind and stock, will do more work than twice the number with the sickle. This practice is gaining ground. In 1793, the rental of this parish did not much exceed L. 200^^ now it is L. 7462, 10s. The Duke has erected at his own expense kilns for making draining tiles, which he supplies to the tenants on their paying a per centage on the outlay. The Eskdale and Liddesdale Pasto- ral Society, which has its shows of stock for premiums, alternately at Langholm and Castletown, has been productive of the best ef* fects in improving the breed of every description of farm stock. February 1836. PARISH OF PENPONT. PRESBYTERY OF PENPONT, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. GEORGE SMITH, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — This parish is generally believed to have derived its name from a hanging bridge ( Pendens pons ) across the river Scarr, which separates one part of it from the adjoining parish of Tyn- ron. If this etymology should be thought to ascribe little ingenui- ty to the aboriginal inhabitants of the soil, it is not thus chargeable in respect of their posterity. If any one can believe that the pa- rish had no name until it was visited by the Romans, or that the name had then been changed, — or that it was ingeniously applied by the " masters of the world" from the peculiar structure of the bridge, — then to him the etymology will appear quite satisfactory. More probably, however, it is derived from the Celtic words Ben or Piew, signifying high, and Pont^ a sharp crag or pointed cliff. Any one acquainted with the parish, and the striking outlines of the whole neighbourhood, will readily consider this to be the more rational etymology.* Extent^ Topographical Appearances, Sfc, — This parish is conti- guous to seven parishes, Tynron, Keir, Closeburn, Morton, Dur- risdeer, Sanquhar, and Dairy. It is probably, from one extreme point to another, somewhere about 18 miles in length; but the in- habited part is from 15 to 16. There are not above nine houses farther off than 7 or 8 miles from the parish church; and the few, perhaps four, situated beyond 9 miles, are nearly in a line, indi- cated by the course of the Scarr. The parish is of an irregular form. The upper part of it is altogether pastoral, and dixersified with numerous hills, varying perhaps from 500 to 1000 feet in height Some of them around their bases are adorned with natu- * The latter idea has been suggested by that accomplished scholar the Rev. John Wightman, minister of Kirkmidioe. It has antiquity at least on its side ; for whe- ther we look to Glenquhargan Craig as its name-rather, or to any rugged cliff in the neighbourhood, the cliff was at least older than the bridge. 500 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. ral copsewood, whilst their green summits are ^* clothed with flocks." Others are so rugged and precipitous, as in some degree to resemble the scenery of the Highlands. Glenquhargan Craig, situated about nine miles from the church, is frequently resorted to in summer by those who admire the wilder beauties of nature. It presents an irregular and precipitous front to the south and south-west. It is said to be 1000 feet in height, which, if un- derstood in reference to the level of the sea, may be not far from the truth. But if the height be taken fVom the adjoining Talley, or the Scarr, which washes its base, it certainly does not appear to be underrated. The parish at this point may probably be from 3 to 4 miles broad. These distances are not given with perfect pre- cision. But on the authority of an eminent surveyor, the parish is said to contain 32^ square miles, and 20,640 English acres. The lower part of the parish is bounded very distinctly upon the west and south by the Scarr, which separates Penpont from Tyn- ron, for about five miles ; upon the south still by the Scarr, which separates it from Keir ; and on the north or north-east for about three miles by the Nith, which separates it from Morton and Closebum. Indeed, in consequence of a change in the channel both of the Nith and the Scarr, a small angle of the parish of Closebum has been somewhat unceremoniously cut oflF from it, and in defiance of eccle- siastical statistics attached to Penpont The Scarr rises near the extremity of the parish. Its course is marked by a hilly range on either side, extending from the north-west to the south-east, the one terminating in Glenquhargan Craig, the other on the south at Chanlock foot, in a beautiful round green hill, formerly covered with wood to the summit When this hill is again planted, whicbj in the judicious and tasteful management of the estate to which h belongs, is about to take place, the landscape will bear to be com- pared to some of the most beautiful scenes in the Highlands. About the middle of the parish, a hilly ridge extends towards the north, which terminates in Cairnkinnow, a hill of gradual ascentj 2080 feet above the level of the sea. On the north-east, for seve- ral miles, the parish is separated from the parish of Durrisdeer oy the Mar or Park Burn, a small stream, which after adorning tne policy and flower-gardens at Drumlanrig, falls into the Nith about a mile below the castle. The parish is generally of a hilly character, and, compara^^^ ) speaking, there is little flat or low-lying land in it The Isna o PENPONT. 501 the latter description is chiefly to be found upon the sides of the rivers, or not far removed from their banks. The surface of the more hilly parts is not considered to present very interesting fea- tures to the geologist. There are two sandstone quarries in it, — one upon His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch's lands at Hillhead, the other on the estate of Lauderdale Maitland, Esq. of Eccles. In both, abundance of excellent materials might be found for build- ing; but they are not worked. The strata in both are nearly hori- zontal, or dip very slightly to the south-east. Detached pieces of lead ore have frequently been found in the parish. This may be of less consequence, however, — as, many years ago, it was brought thither in large quantities for the purpose of being smelted. At- tempts were at one time made to discover lead upon the Eccles estate, and, as is said, with reasonable hopes of success. These at- tempts, however, were interrupted by some legal proceedings re- specting the property, and they have never again been resumed. Of late, several pieces have been found in cutting a ditch along the public road leading from Penpont towards Sanquhar, about a mile from the village. One vein in particular has been discovered of a very promising character. It is said to resemble the veins that in- dicate lead at Wanlockhead and Lead- Hills, and to run precisely in the same direction, or nearly from south to north. Similar in- dications, it is thought, would be followed out with avidity by the miners in that quarter. And there is little doubt that here they will be thoroughly investigated. It is said that coal was at one time found accidentally upon the Eccles estate when the then proprietor was raising materials for building a wall round his garden. Yet no scientific attempts have ever been made with a view to ascertain to what these hopeful symptoms might lead. Hydrography^ Sfc. — The river Scarr is one of the largest tributa- ries to the Nith, which it joins about three miles below the church of Penpont It is a considerable stream, and at one time abounded greatly in trout. Its banks for probably seven miles are beautifully fringed with wood, — now rugged and precipitous, and again open- ing back into fertile valleys, presenting scenes of considerable va- riety and beauty. About half a mile from the village, toward the west, is the site of the bridge from which the parish is alleged to have derived its name. From its antiquity, its height, and the width of its span, it must have been an object of considerable curiosity. It was 502 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. ■ originally designed for people upon foot or on horseback. After- wards (in 1724,) it was widened to admit of carriages. But being still inconvenient, and probably insecure, it was taken down in 1801 ; — and a convenient and substantial bridge erected in its place. About half a-mile above this bridge, is Glenmarlin Pool, a rocky and nar- row pass in the river, where the stream descends with such rapidit^^ and its waters are so broken as at all times to present a scene of great interest It is indeed not unworthy to be compared with the Rumbling Bridge, near Dunkeld, to which it bears some resem- blance. There are few more interesting rides in this part of the country than the road presents along the banks of the Scarr, as far as Glenquhargan Craig. From the rising ground in the vicinity of Arkland, the view of the valley, bounded by its wild or wooded hills, is remarkably sweet. And when the vista opens up with Chanlock foot in the distance, and apparently terminated by the round high hill behind, there are few scenes to be met with any where more picturesque. In summer, sea-trout are brought up by the heavy rains; and later in the season, salmon in considerable num- bers. The latter are unfortunatelv destroved in close time, it mav be said, almost without let or hinderance. The present state of the law, as it refers to the Nith and its tributary streams, is consider- ed by many to be injudicious. It closes the rivers as early as the 25th of September, when the fish are in excellent order. The angler Is then deprived of his recreation, which might with safety be extended for several weeks, and the fish are in fact preserved for those who are less scrupulous about legal prohibitions. On the other hand, the 10th of March is too early a period for opening the rivers, as many spawned fish are then taken when they are nearly useless, and of course before they had returned to the sea. II. — Civil History. Antiquities, — There is one obelisk in the parish, upon the pro- perty of Mr Maxwell of Bailford; but no account can be got of it, worthy of being recorded. It is a narrow pillar about ten feet in height, with two steps of a stair around its base, or forming the socket in which it stands. It is covered with a sort of character, now almost defaced. A somewhat curious tradition has come down to us regarding the stream that separates the parish from Durrisdeer, immediately opposite Drumlanrig Castle. . It is expressed in a couplet, which PENPONT. 503 is ascribed to Thomas the Rhymer so far back as the thirteenth century. The words are, — *< When the Park bum rins where never man saw, The Red-house of Hassock is near hand a &*." In explanation of this prophetic couplet, it, may be necessary to state, that the castle, which is built upon a piece of high table or flat land, in the gorge between two hills, must occupy the place of an older building of similar colour, to which the oracular prediction referred ; for it is well known that the castle itself dates about four centuries later. It has various dates engraved on it, from 1675 to 1688, and is the workmanship of Inigo Jones. The word Has- sock is*said to be a corruption for " haus o't," signifying the throat or passage between the hills. It is said, likewise, that, in order to beautify the gardens with a cascade from the high ground behind, the course of this stream had been changed by Duke Charles of Queensberry ; whereupon, the prophecy was fulfilled by the pro- perty coming in the year 1810 into the possession of the family of Buccleuch. Another poet, however, and better known than Tho- mas, has attached some celebrity to this beautiful streamlet. For it was beside it where Burns wrote the fine song, beginning " Their groves o* sweet myrtles let foreign lands reckon.** In the neighbourhood of Drumlanrig, there are still shewn the ruins of an ancient castle, called Tibbers Castle, and so called, it is thought, by one of the Roman generals, in honour of Tiberius Caesar. The traces of this monument of antiquity are now nearly oblite- rated, — eiiamperiere ruince. In 1812, the lintels of a doorway were standing, and several steps of a winding staircase; but they have since been removed. From the niches then seen in the wall, it is con- jectured that the outer doorway had been hung, and drew up and was letdown, like a window, — while the inner apparently had been hing- ed. A labourer, who had been inadvertently allowed to pull down a part of the ruins, for the sake of the lime, found, about the door- way, various masses of lead, which might have been thrown upon assailants in a state of fusion, or may be supposed to have indicat- ed the fate of the building itself. He also found a number of ar- row heads, generally square and tapering to the point ; a few were grooved out like the sides of a bayonet ; and all of them were of a dark blue colour. There were found, likewise, broken pieces of earthenware, lined with metal resembling copper, of the thickness of tea-chest lead ; and a spear head about two feet long, includ- ing socket, sharp-pointed and two-edged. 504 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. This castle is said to have been in the possession of the Eng- lish at the time of Sir William Wallace. It is said, likewise, that, having heard of the depredations which the garrison committed in the neighbourhood, Wallace was desirous to avenge the wrongs of his countrymen, and that, to accomplish his purpose, he prac- tised the following stratagem. Having observed a kiln smoking at Mallyford, a place in the immediate neighbourhood, and seen from the garrison, he hied thither in the morning, in the tattered garb of a mendicant, bent down with infirmities, and leaning upon a trusty staff. With the curiosity characteristic of his vocation, and on that account the more readily excused, he soon ascertained from the unsuspecting kiln man the strength of the garrison, and that he was engaged in drying grain for their use. Thereupon, he asks and obtains leave to prepare his breakfast, or to ^* roast a herring^ at the kiln fire. And in return for this accommodation, he agreed to take charge of the kiln while the keeper was away for a similar purpose. As soon as he had gone, Wallace seized the moment, set the kiln on fire, and returned unperceived to a party of his men who lay in ambush in the Keely Cleugh, a woody dell near the castle. The flames in the meantime soon burst through the roof, and the garrison flew to save their grain. While they were engaged in ex- tinguishing the flames, Wallace and his party rushed to the gate, secured the drawbridge, and set the castle on fire. Whether this story be true or not, it is generally believed ; but, unfortunately, the means of verifying, or of refuting it, are not at present with- in reach.* Legend of the Dowloch. — There was a small loch in the parish, from about 70 yards in breadth to about 120 in length, near the summit of the hilly ridge about a mile to the soiith of Drumlanrig; but which, by draining, has been somewhat shorn of its fair pro- portions. It was called the Dow-Dhu or Black Loch, as the word signifies in Gaelic, and was reputed to possess extraordinary virtue * Though the parish may not be distinguished by any extraordinary individuals now living within its bounds, yet the inhabitants still cherish the remembrance of one remarkable for strength, and who died near the beginning of last century. Tbis was the celebrated John M*Caul, or Strong Glenmannow, who occupied a fiinnof this name about a mile from Glenquhargan, upon the banks of the Scarr. lliti indi- vidual is stated to have been tall and stoutly built, as, indeed, was evinced by the size of the bones brought to light on the opening of bis grave. The late schoolnJister, who has deemed the feats of Glenmannow worthy of a place in the parochial r^is^t remembered the opening of the grave, and his being struck with the sizeof the strong man*s remains, particularly the skull. Whether all the anecdotes current are to be implicitly believed may perhaps admit of some doubt He died in 1705| at the ag<^ of eighty-four. 3 PENPONT. 505 in the healing of diseases. It seems to have been looked upon as a perpetual Bethesda, for its waters were reputed to be efficacious in the cure of every disease, but especially of cattle subjected to the spells of witchcraft. It was not necessary that the person ailing should himself visit the loch. This might often have involved consi- derable hazard; and if the prudent alternative had not been adopted of employing a deputy^ the number of cures consequent upon their use would probably have been considerably diminished. To accom- plish the end desired, however, the deputy was required to observe certain rules. He had to carry a part of the dress of the person ailing, or of the furniture of the animal bewitched, as an ofiering to the spirit of the loch. Whether any of the contingent virtue might not first accrue to the raiment from lustration in the loch, is not declared. But when the person had reached it, he had to draw water in a vessel, which was on no account to touch, the ground, — to turn himself round with the sun, — and to throw his offering to the spirit over his left shoulder, — formalities all indicative of a Druidical origin, — and to carry the water, without having once look- ed back, to the sick person or animal, to be drank. All this, more- over, was to be done in absolute silence. Like the prophet's ser- vant, the messenger was to salute no one by the way. If, after an observance of this ritual to the very letter, expectations were some- times baulked, is it uncharitable to suppose that the temptation to violate the injunction of silence sometimes proved too strong for the virtue of the messenger ? Whether the inefficacy of the water may be ascribed to any defect in the prescribed form or to another cause, it certainly is now of no longer avail even to cattle, unless, perhaps, to the fleecy flocks that pasture beside it. Yet it is not long since the virtue of Dowloch was put to the test, as indivi- duals are now alive of undoubted veracity and intelligence, who have seen the votive offerings floating on the lake, or scattered around its banks. And to such a degree had the habit prevailed in earlier times, that Mr Murray, the minister who lived till 1736, was regularly in the habit of debarring from the sacrament those who had engaged in the heathenish practice. The particulars of this somewhat curious history are partially confirmed and illustrated by an expression still to be met with in the neighbourhood, but at one time said to be proverbial. When- ever an individual did not return the usual civilities, on being met upon the road, or who, when addressed, whether in the day time or under cloud of night, found it convenient to keep silence, DUMFRIES. K k 506 DUMFRIES^SHIRE. the shrewd guess, that he ^^ had been at the Dowloch,^ both sug- gested an excuse for taciturnity, and a reason for not £Birthef at- tempting to break it. The medical faculty will learn no doubt with dismay, that the Noble proprietor is about to restore Dowloch to all its former glory ; some have hinted, for the less poetic pur- pose of accommodating wild-fowl. But if any one of that tnilj Noble house should ever stand in need of the charmed water, this much may be safely affirmed, that it were deeply to be deplored) if there were not at command greatly less questionable aid. * Will it be thought to be beneath the dignity of Statistical lite- rature, to record matters of such questionable Teradty, beside de- tails which are only valuable, if admitting of the most rigid scni- tiny ? Perhaps the moralist will find an excuse, in the illustration they afford of the state of society, at a period not very remote from our own. Land-owTurs. — There are nine heritors in the parish who pa; stipend. Of the whole valued rent, L. 6799, 8s., L. 5644, 8s. 4d is attached to the property of his Grace the Duke of Buccleucb. Gardens at Drumlanrig Castle. — Drumlanrig Castle, his Grace's Dumfries-shire residence, stands at the extremity of the pariab of Durrisdeer, and within a few hundred yards of the parish of PenpooL A part of the pleasure grounds attached, and the extensive newga^ dens, which were begun about six years ago, and are scarcely yot finished, are situated within the parish of Penpont. These, with the^ elegant cottage for the accommodation of the gardener, designed by Mr Bum, the architect, have been made at an expense of Dearly L. 1 1,000. And the soil being excellent, and the whole establishmeDt under the most judicious management, in a few years they will be as productive as any in Scotland. The position of the gardens, in point of taste, may perhaps be questioned ; but no other locality held out the same advantages in point of soil, extent, aspect and shel- ter. The vegetable garden is four acres within the walls; and the quality of its productions not excelled by Covent Garden mar- ket itself. There are 600 feet of glass divided • as follows : IM allotted to vinery; 100 to peach-house ; 100 to Dutch peach-pi^' 100 to pine stove ; 50 to succession pine-house ; 100 to forciDg- frames, for melons, cucumbers, &c. ; and 50 to an exotic stove. ^ these, excepting the forcing-frames, water is employed to produce the necessary degree of heat, and all the departments are kept i* the most beautiful order. The exotic stove contains many of the PENPONT. 507 choicest varieties of the vegetable kingdom, particularly of the class OrchidecB, or tropical parasitic plants, which are found upon the bark of trees, rocks, &c. in these warm regions ; such as, the Stanhopea insignisy Oncidium divaricatum, Cypripedium insigney CaJdeya crispa, Rinanthera coccineoy or Chinese air plant, Epiden- dron cocJdeatumj Oncidium papilio^ or butterfly plant, 8cc. There are here likewise the Musa coccinea^ Musa sapientum^ Dendrobiwn FHerardiiAstrapaa Wattichii^ or lightning plant, so called from the splendour of its flower. On the back wall of the stove, the Passi- flcra edidis fpnts freely, as also in the pine-stove. There is, here, also, the Passi/hra quadranfftJarts, and the Quisqualis Indica^ which flowered beautifully in 1835. The Nepenthes distittatoria or pitch- er plant may likewise be mentioned, as also Dianaa muscipula, or Venus's fly-trap, Hybiscuss plendens, and the Cattleianumj which bears that luscious fruit of which Guava jelly is made. It fruits here readily. But it is impossible to specify all the attractions that are here presented to the botanist or the lover of the beauties of nature. It is only justice to the Noble proprietor to add, that every facility is afforded to strangers to gratify their curiosity here, or in the lovely flower gardens in the immediate vicinity of the castle. Parochial Registers, — Little authentic information can now be gathered regarding the ancient statistics of the parish. Unhappily a fire, which happened in the manse during the ministry of Mr Mur- ray, consumed the parochial records ; and those which exist com- mence only at 1728, and have been very irregularly kept The first entry in the record of births and baptisms is of date 15th Novem- ber 1728. With a view to the preservation and classification of the ancient parochial records of Scotland, the Presbytery of the bounds lately instituted an inquiry regarding the state of such do- cuments in every parish under their ecclesiastical superintendence ; and the following is extracted from the report of the committee relative to those of Penpont. ^' The registerof births and baptisms is irregularly kept down to 1833. Since that period it has been kept regularly, as far as the children of parents who belong to the Establishment are concerned. Those parents who belong to other religious denominations seldom apply for registration. There is no record of marriages or of deaths." The extract abundantly shows the defective and utterly inadequate manner in which these records hare been and still are kept. Similar defects and irregularities are very general; and it would be not unworthy of the Legislature to attempt a remedy. 508 DUMPRIES-SHIRE. I II. — Population. In 1801, the population amounted to 966, there being 455 males and 511 fenolcf. 1811, - - - 10)6, . 478 - 538 18-21, - . . 1065, . 519-566 1831, - - - 1232, . 573 - 659 Of these there were, by the schoolmaster's memoranda, under fifteen years of age, 441 ; between fifteen and thirty, 347 ; between thirty and fifty, 268 ; between fifty and seventy, 145 ; and above seventy, 31. The yearly average of marriages may be stated on the same authority at 10. Neither the births nor the deaths can be given with perfect accuracy, for the reason assigned in the re- port formerly quoted. The population is scattered over the parish very irregularly. About 570 belong to the villages of Penpont, Bumhead, Townhead of Penpont, and Brierbush. Indeed, with the exception of Burn- head, which is within half a mile of the Nith, the other three may almost be considered as one village with its suburbs. There is a tendency in the village population somewhat to increase its rela- tive proportion to the country part of it. His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch is understood to be inclined rather to the system of hav- ing large farms, and of erecting substantial buildings with all ne- cessary and suitable accommodations, than of subdividing them, and having numerous cottars attached. Some cottages upon bb estates, that had become ruinous, have not been rebuilt ; and of course, their former occupants have found their way into the vil- lages. The number of illegitimate children born within the last three years may be stated at 4. And it may likewise be of importance to state, that there are probably not more than three fatuous per- sons in a population of 1261. Language J Customs, — There can be no doubt that society here has made considerable progress in intelligence within the last fortv years ; and that the language of the inhabitants has participated in the general improvement. Yet to one not a native of Nithsdale it perhaps would seem that modes of expression are employed indi- cative of greater antiquity than in the adjoining districts, — than in Ayrshire for example. One often hears, even from men of intel- ligence and education, of the Parochin of Penpont. And uo mode of expression is more common than to use hut for without I^ would be injudicious, however, to record other peculiarities of idioniy which, in the rapid course of intellectual improvement in the p^* rish, may soon themselves become obsolete. / PENPONT. 509 Customs still prevail here, which in a great measure are discon- tinued elsewhere. But, let it not be rashly spoken whether they are more honoured in the breach or the observance. Upon occa- sion of marriages, guests are frequently invited, greatly more nu- merous than the happy couple could afford to entertain. To ob- viate this inconvenience, a sum of money, varying according to cir- cumstances, is levied from the gentlemen. A sum equal to )s. 6d. from each will furnish music for the dance, and refreshments to exhilarate ; and thus the wedding is celebrated by a numerous party, and the festivities go off with eclat. The funerals in the parish are often accompanied with greatly more expense than the relatives can afford, though considerable improvement in this respect has of late been effected. The good sense of the inhabitants is, of its own accord, gradually working out a cure. Would it be believed, that individuals in circumstances the reverse of affluent would incur expense, not only for things that are necessary or suitable for such solemnities, but even for show, to an extent which perhaps they may never be able to defray. Yet such things have been known. If such inability were occasioned by the unavoidable dispensations of Providence, and if such extra- vagance were incurred from a sacred regard to the dead, or a mis- taken desire to do honour to their remains, one would endeavour to probe this wound with all tenderness and delicacy. But if it proceed from a silly vanity, — from a desire to rival or excel others in expense, — regardless alike of the claims of justice and the calls of affection, — it can hardly be reprobated too severely. It would be altogether inexcusable to omit, under this head, the prowess of the parish in the national game of curling. It might, indeed, adopt the motto of the 2d Dragoons, better known by the name of the Scots Greys ; for every player must maintain that the parish is " second to none." And that the immortal Cairnie, in his elaborate treatise upon curling, should have omitted to do her justice, is one of those capital errors which perhaps cannot be satisfactorily explained. Character of the People. — The parish may be considered as en- tirely of an agricultural character. There are no manufactories with- in it, nor machinery, — except such as is employed for agricultural purposes. It is true there is the ordinary variety of crafts in the village ; but such trades are called into being by the exigencies of the farmer, and are dependent upon him for their existence. There are likewise retail shops in abundance, — no fewer than eight. 5 1 DUMFRIES-SUIRE. There are also five inns,— enough, and more than enough, for the morals of the people. It is at same time true, that in gene- ral the people merit the character of sobriety. The fanners are intelligent, some of them remarkably so, whUe their ser?ants, the shepherds, in the more pastoral parts of the parish, perhaps from the leisure they enjoy, and their distance from society, exhibit more information, particularly on matters connected with religion, than others who occupy a corresponding grade in society. The situa- tion of the lower classes ought to be unusually comfortable at pre- sent from the abundance of work, and the cheapness of proTisioDS. If the calculation be a fair one, that the labourer is well provided when he can earn a peck or half a stone of meal in the day, he must be much better provided when he can earn double, — ^as is here often the case. The labourer's wages in winter are Is. 4d. : in summer, Is. 6d. sometimes Is. 8d. per day ; while the wright and mason cod- sider themselves entitled to 2s. The rate of labour varies less throughout the year than may seem altogether reasonable. But the wants of the labourer are even greater in winter than in summer, though his labour at this period cannot he so productive to his em- ployer. The wages of a man-servant may be stated at about L6 ui the half year, while those of female servants vary from L. 2 to L 3) or even L. 4. The food of this class of the inhabitants is plain? but substantial and nutritive. Oatmeal in the morning constitutes the regular food of the agricultural labourer; the same, or potatoes, lo the evening; and generally they have broth with butcher meat oi some kind, or cheese, to dinner. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — It is by no means an easy matter to give correct de- tails regarding the agriculture of the parish. The utmost, therefore, that can be offered, is only an approximation to the truth. It contains from thirty-five to forty farms of very varying extent ; and perhaps about an eighth of the whole surface might admit of being brought under tillage. This, however, could not be effected without great expense, and the land not already reclaimed is much more pmnt* ably occupied in the feeding of sheep. There are probably o^^ more than two proprietors of land of the yearly value of L- ^ ^ upwards, residentupontheirown landsin the parish. Extensivepl^ tations have lately been made in it, of all the more conmion kinds oi timber, which in a few years will greatly increase its beauty. ^T on the estate of the Duke of Buccleuch, the extensive plantation^ are rapidly increasing. Preparations are already made for pl^'' PENPONT. 511 ing about 150 acres, this season. In the higher and wilder dis- tricts of the parish, there is natural copsewood, chiefly of hazel, to a considerable extent, which, though unprofitable, adds much to the beauties of the landscape. The wood in the glens, and upon the rugged braes, is chiefly oak, — a species of wood, which, ^whether natural or planted, is adnoiirably adapted to the soil. From the extent of wood in the parish, — ^the variety of hill and dale, — and the numerous streams with which it is intersected, there can be no doubt that, in a few years, it will be one of the most beauti- ful and romantic parishes, not only in Dumfries-shire, but in the lowlands of Scotland. Rent of Land. — As there is no parish which presents a greater variety of prospect and of surface, so there is none where the land is of more varying value. In the holms upon the banks of the Nith, which for several years have been under the most judicious manage- ment, the value may not be considered too high, if estimated at L.2, 10s. or L. 3 per acre ; and from this may be found land at every intermediate rate, to the lowest denomination of Sterling money. A cow's grass yearly may be said to run from L. 4 to L. 5, while that of an ox may be rated at L. 3. The wood that is em- ployed for agricultural implements may be purchased readily at 2s. per foot. Mate of Wagei. — The rates of wages are specified under the head Population. Husbandry. — The agriculture of the parish may be considered as steadily advancing. The farms upon the estate of the Duke of Buc- deuch have been let last summer for nineteen years, upon terms fa- vourable to landlord and tenant. And the spirit of true liberality and encouragement with which the tenants are met in regard to enclosures, and reclaiming land by freeing it of stones, by liming, draining, or otherwise, — holds out the hope, that before the expiry of these leases, the estate will be most materially improved, and the tenants substantially benefited. Upon the part of the Queens- berry estate situated in the parish of Penpont, there are now erect- ing farm-houses and offices of the most substantial kind. When they are completed, no farmers in the kingdom will be more com- fortably, and few so elegantly accommodated. There can be little doubt of the wisdom of those extensive landed proprietors, who promote the substantial comfort, and thereby indirectly raise the character, of their tenantry. It would probably seem paradoxical to affirm that the house will affect the character of its occupant. 512 DTJMFRIES-SHIRE. But when agriculturists are raised from the status of serfs, or la- bourers, or middlemen, and enabled and accustomed to partici- pate in the substantial comforts, not to say the luxuries of civilized life, — independently of the feelings of respectful attachment vhich they cherish towards those through whom these are enjoyed, — there is an interest created in the permanency of all those social arrange- ments, and of the very constitution of society by which, under Pro- vidence, they are guaranteed. If Sterne's theory be a sound one, that, in order to write like a gentleman, it is necessary for the writer to put on clean linen and dress genteelly, — to give the agri- culturists all the accommodations, not of country squires, but of substantial, well-educated yeomen, leads not indirectly to create and to foster in them the same principles and feelings which cha- racterize the landlords themselves. The progress of improvement within a limited period has, per- haps, in no case been more strikingly exhibited than in the parish of Penpont Districts of land, perhaps it would not be wide of the truth to say whole farms, may now be pointed out, that are three times more productive at present than they were thirty years ago. Turnip husbandry is gradually extending, and where the crop has been, eaten off with sheep, the effects are abundantly visible in the following crop. Districts formerly unenclosed are now ju- diciously fenced, and a spirit of improvement everywhere manifest- ed by an enterprising tenantry. Perhaps in no respect would the parish as a whole be more be- nefited than by an extension of the roads in iU It may excite surprise to state, that, until this season, there cannot be said to have been a made or passable road for more than seven miles up the parish. It is hoped that, ere long, one may explore on horse- back the beauties of the most remote pastoral districts, with safe- ty and comfort. The turnpike roads, however, are excellent ; they extend to about eleven miles. The bridges, too, are in good order, except where the ledges have suffered through that wantonness said to be peculiar to Scotland. V. — Parochial Economt. Penpont is situated about fifteen miles from Dumfries, the county town. The post-ofiice nearest it is in the village of Thornhill, distant about two miles. It enjoys, however, the benefit of a daily runner in his progress to and from Minnyhive* Ecclesiastical State. — The church is situated at the lower extre- mity of the parish, about 150 yards from the village. It was built 3 PENPONT. 513 in 1782, and thoroufirhly repaired in 1834, at an expense of L. 240. A session-house was likewise added to it, with a new entrance to the church underneath, at a further expense of L. 100. The church is in the form common to the period in which it was built. It stands on three parts of a cross, one of which had at one time been built up, but is again opened and comfortably seated. It has a neat small gallery attached, which the Duke of Buccleuch erected at his own expense. The church is seated for 408, in- cluding the gallery, and has communion tables capable of contain- ing about 80 communicants. The communion cups bear the dates 1363 and 1366; and it is worthy of being mentioned, that not till the year 1834 had the Lord's supper ever been dispensed in the church, the service previously having been conducted in the open air. The seats in the church are about to be legally divided* The congregation have hitherto been well accommodated, with- out being asked for a farthing of rent by the heritors. Perhaps in DO spot could the church have been placed more conveniently for the parishioners generally, — though one family attached to the Es- tablishment are fully fourteen miles away from it. The present incumbent, Mr Smith, was inducted in 1833, after having been several years minister of the second charge in Kilmarnock. There are other two places of worship hi the parish besides the Established Church, — the one belonging to the Reformed Presby- tery, which was built in 1791, and is capable of containing about 500 sitters; the other to the Relief, erected in the year 1800, and seated for 700. These congregations are supplied with ministers of great respectability. Mr Carmichael, of the Reformed Pres« bytery, has not yet been a twelvemonth ordained. Mr Dobbie, of the Relief, being somewhat advanced in life, is about to avail himself of the aid of an assistant and successor, a Mr John Smith, in whose favour a call has been very harmoniously moderated. It is no more than justice to these congregations to say, that indivi- duals belong to them as intelligent and as respectable as are any- where to be found in their sphere of life. And whatever asperity may have resulted elsewhere from discussions upon Establishments, now so rife, such discussions here have neither interrupted nor em- bittered the intercourse of social life. Mr Carmichael is allowed L. 100 a-year, and has a house and garden. Mr Dobbie, with si- milar advantages, has L. 125. Both congregations are in the ha- bit of giving from their funds to relieve the necessities of the poor who belong to them. Since Mr Smith's induction, he has been 514 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. in the habit of taking an ecclesiastical census annually when en- gaged in parochial visitation, with the view of asoertainiog accu- rately the different denombations of professing Christians to which the inhabitants belong. In 1834) the number of £unilies wbere the heads belonged to the Relief was 79, and contained 347 souls; the number of those belonging to the Reformed Presbytery, 48, containing 235 souls ; of the Secession, 21, containing 109; and all the rest, including those who can scarcely be considered as at- tached to any religious denomination whatever, 110, attached, no- minally at least, to the establishment, and containing 570 souls. From a statement inserted in the parodiial register about thirty- four years ago by Mr Hewetson, then schoolmaster of the parisb* it appears that, so early as 1766, there were 16 families that bad separated from the Established Church, and in 1796 upwards of 60. About the end of the century, it is said that this number considerably increased. The same authority, of date 1802, states that/^ the people in general have been of a religious cast of mind, being addicted to Puritan principles. But of late, from the great influence of itinerant preachers, they are more and more divided u their religious principles ; and being split into four considerable factions, there is a foundation laid for religious squabbles and po- lemical controversy, which do not tend to the progress of true aod genuine religion." The parochial stipend amounts to 16 chalders, half meal hali barley, which in 1834 yielded L. 209; in 1835, L.210. Tbe manse underwent a thorough repair, and had a large addition made to it in 1833^ at an expense, including a new steading of offices, o^ nearly L. 1100 ; and whatever may be thought of its appearance, there are few more convenient or more comfortable manses in Scot- land. It is situated about 100 yards from the church, the garden intervening. Both church and manse are about a similar distance from the Scarr, and stand on a level ground near a sloping ^'^ about forty-five feet above its level. From the situation of the noans^ it was found impossible to supply water from within the glebe, ano there seemed to be no other mode of obviating this great incon- venience, but by leading it in pipes from the high land behind. \^ this plan, however, the proprietor of the land was averse ; ana consequence, water had to be brought from another springs &^ ^ yf tance of about 1000 yards from the manse. The expense of tni^ work, amounting to about L. 130, the Duke of Buccleuch dei^J^ individually ; and it is not saying too much to add, that, io i^^ P^' PENPONT. 515 cuUar circumstances of the case, perhaps no other heritor in Scot- land would have acted with the like generosity. The glebe ex- tends to Id acres — ^smd in improving it and making a new garden, the minister has expended nearly L. 300. The heritors have erected a garden wall at an expense of about L. 100. Peiiiaps it may be added, that in a few years Penpont manse will be as de- lightfully situated as any in Scotland. Education. — There are four schools in the parish, two of them parochial and of course endowed; the third, private, as such schools are termed, and unendowed ; and the fourth exclusively ap- propriated to females. They are all respectably taught. In one of the parochial schools, Greek and French are superadded to the ordinary Branches. The salary of the one parochial schoolmaster is L. 29, 6s. 6|d., the other has L. 22. The one draws about L. 16, the other about L. 9 in school fees. One of them has a house and a small garden ; the other has only a house, and that of as comfortless a description as can well be imagined. The ex- pense of education per month may be considered as ranging from 8d. to lOd. and Is. It is not believed that there are any persons in the parish between six and fifteen years of age who cannot read ; and if there be any, they are not more than one or two above fif- teen years of age, in this unhappy predicament One of the pa- rochial schools is about five miles from the church, and on the whole is judiciously set down, for the district. Of course, there may be eight or ten farms with their cot-houses adjoining, that cannot be said to have the benefit of parochial school economy. But the evil is partly remedied, as in the Highlands, by itinerating teachers; partly by intelligent parents themselves. Pocr and Parochial Fundi. — There are 18 individuals, who singly, or as representing others, receive parochial aid. The ex- penditure for the year ending August 1835 was L. 59, 8s., so that the average sum may be stated as 5s. 6d. per month. This, how- ever, is not an exact average, as the number of children, and other modifying circumstances, cannot be minutely detailed. There are two sums, the one of L. 200, the other of L. 150, mortified for the benefit of the poor, the capital of which, it is understood, can- not be encroached upon. The yearly collections average L. 16 per annum. The sums allowed to paupers here will seem lai^ in comparison with those in other parts of the country, — a circum- stance whidi may be partially explained by the fact, that coal can- not be procured for less than from 7d. to 8d. per cwt. The aver- 516 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. sion to receive parochial aid, at one time so beautifully characte- fistic of the independent and honourable character of the Scottish people, is, unhappily for the morals of the community, gradually diminishing. Individuals may yet be found who cannot brook the disgrace, as they consider it, of receiving parochial aid in regard to themselves. But this fine spirit is nearly extinct amongst those even from whom better things might have been expected, in re- gard to their collateral descendants. Within the last two or three years, three hiring markets ha?e been held annually, on the third Tuesday of March for the summer half year; on the third Tuesday of June, for hay-making and har- vest work ; and on the third Tuesday of October, for hiring for the winter half year. February 1836. PARISH OF ANNAN. PRESBYTERY OF ANNAN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JAMES MONILAWS, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Namej Boundaries^ Extent^ Spc* — The parish and town of An- nan derive their name from that of the river by which the former is intersected, and on the east bank of which the latter is commo- diously situated, about a mile and a-half above its influx into the Sol way Frith. The etymology is dubious. Annan (Amhann,) however, in the Gaelic signifies weak or slow-running (water,)— an appellation even now descriptive of a considerable part of its course, which has a fall of little more than a foot in the mile; but, at a distant period, when, as is generally supposed, it had flowed past Dalton and Denbie, emptying itself into the Frith at Pow- foot, before making its way through the rock at Dormont, the ap pellation must have been still more appropriate, in as much as this tract, in which it is supposed to have formerly flowed, is nearly a dead level.* * Professor Jameson, ia his Mineralogical Description of DumfVies>sbiret say' << The valley of the Annan was probably at a former period a hollow in the tran^ lion rocks, in which a river vastly greater than the present flowed, but whicfa> by the deposition of floetZ'trap rocks across its communication with the ocean, was convert- ed into an iniand tea or lake.** There are certain facts which render the latter ^ ANNAN. 517 The parish is extremely irregular in shape. It extends upwards of 3 miles along the north shore of the Solway Frith ; whence, to its most northern boundary, being the extreme length, it is 8 miles. In breadth it varies from about 4 to 2^ miles. It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Hoddam and Middlebie; on the north-east, by Kir kpatrick- Fleming ; on the east, by Dornock ; on the south, by the Solway Frith ; and on the west, by Cummer- trees. Within the boundaries thus described, there is contained an area of 17^ square miles, or 11,100 imperial acres. Topographical Appearances, — The surface of the parish is comparatively flat, having a gentle inclination towards the south. Three parallel ridges of moderate height run through it in a north- east and south-west direction. Between the middle and western ridges, the Annan wends its way through scenery highly beautiful and picturesque. At the north termination of the western ridge, is situated the obtuse conical hill of Woodcock-air,* rising to an elevation of about 320 feet above the level of the sea. Above the same level, Annan hill, close upon the shore of the Frith, is 256 feet Barnkirk hill, apparently about 120 feet above the level of the tide which washes its base, seems to have been the south-east termination of a range of little eminences, from thence extending, into the parish of Tinwald ; but which, along the coast, has, with the exception of the one mentioned, probably through the opera- tion of the waters of the frith, which at one time rose to a much greater height than they do at present, so far disappeared, that now its lineaments can little more than be traced. With the exception of the two last-mentioned hills, neither of which would be entitled to be so named, did they not possess a somewhat prominent appearance from the levelness of the adjacent country, the coast is flat and uninteresting. To the west of the An- nan, the shore is gravelly, to the east, one part is wholly sandy, while the other consists of a mixture of sand and gravel. The of this supposition highly probable. In the parish of Kirkmichael. thpre are at a short distance from the Annan, a Aom, signifying in the Gaelic a,profnontoiy ; and a Camrue or Cumrue^ signifying in the same tongue, the crooked promontory^ — terms nerer applied to places except when bordering on a tea or lake, lliere is, moreoyer, laid down in Ptolemy's map of this country, a lake answering to the course of^the Annan, and adjoining the position of the places alluded to; from which facts it would appear, that the situations of Hosm and Cumrne must at one time haTe been appro- priately designated by the names which they continue to bear. * This hill, the property of Lieut.- General Sharpe of Hoddam, is completely co- vered with wood, and was formerly a part of a forest of the same name, of which Edward III., in 1S34, appointed John de la Forest the bailiff. This office was heritably enjoyed by the Maxwell family in the reign of James VI. — Inqumt. SpeciaL 20. 518 DUMFaifiS*SHIRE. subsoil is clayey. The only frequented harbour is Annan Water- footy which is completely sheltered from the winds of the west and south-west by Bamkirk hilL Meteorology. — The temperature of the atmosphere is in gene- ral remarkably mild. In winter, the mercury on Fahrenheit's scale seldom falls below 35% while commonly it is not obserred so low by some degrees. In summer the mean heat ranges between 55° and 65% Last summer the mercury, in the shade, rose so high as 80°. The following table exhibits the average direction of the winds for three years previous to November 1834 : Nik i^DuyM. Moniht. N. N.E. £» Sm £• S. 8. W. FT. N. W. Norember, 1 4 4 1 10 2 8 December, 5 2 16 S 6 January, . 9 1 11 1 7 2 Februuy, • 2 1 6 13 2 4 March, . 2 1 7 1 6 7 7 April, . . 2 6 IS 1 3 b May, . . 1 5 2 5 11 3 4 June, • • 3 2 12 2 11 July, . . 4 3 5 1. 13 3 2 August, • 3 1 2 15 6 4 September, 3 5 2 14 4 2 October, 2 2 3 2 11 6 5 Total, 4 39 14 67 13 131 37 60 The following table exhibits the average state of the weather during the eight years previous to September 1834 : September, 1 1 October, 20 No. Shntery. 17 9 of Day. Wet throughomL Frtahig. 2 2 NoTember, 18 7 3 2 December, 12 9 3 6 1 January, 14 February, 17 March, . 20 5 7 7 ■ 2 1 2 9 2 1 1 1 1 April, . 20 May, . 24 vJune, . 22 9 6 7 1 1 1 July, . 21 August, . 16 10 14 ■ 1 Total, 215 107 19 20 4 Although the rain which falls here is considerable, the climate is remarkable for its salubrity. Hydrography^ — Rolling over a vast tract of sand and sand-ba^^^ which, during the absence of the tide are exposed, the water of the Solway Frith possesses naturally in summer a higher, and in wioter a lower degree of temperature than the water of the ocean ; ^^ from the amazing rapidity with which it flows, it loses much of toe ANNAN. 519 clearness and purity which it possesses when issuing from the Irish sea. The colour to which, perhaps, it most nearly approaches, is Roman ochre. In ordinary tides, the depths of water in the chan* nel is about thirty feet, which gradually shallows to the shore. Spring water, purer or in greater abundance, is nowhere to be found than in the town and throughout the greater part of the parish. To this circumstance may in some degree be attributed the absence of prevalent diseases among the inhabitants. Chaly* beates abound, one of which, near the port, being a combination of alum and iron, somewhat similar to Hartfell Spa, at Moffat, has, with much benefit, been made use of by those labouring under chronic complaints of the stomach. A very strong mineral spring was, in July last, discovered near BattlehilL* It has not yet been analyzed. Hundreds of individuals daily resorted to it during the autumn ; and from the wonderful cures said to have been effected by means of its water, its fame has already spread considerably be- yond the bounds of Annandale. Should it continue to retain its present reputation, it would be of great importance to the place, because, being only a few hundred yards from the shore, there would be combined the advantages of a sea-bathing and a water- ing-place. 6^o2o^.— The rocks in this parish, and indeed those through-^ out the whole of the lower part of Annandale, belong to the inde- pendent coal formation. The secondary sandstone which pervades the parish, lies immediately under the soil, which in depth varies from a few to a considerable number of feet. The general stretch of the strata is from east to west, the depth of which varies from a few inches to several feet. The general inclination is towards the south ; and the dip eight inches and a-half in the foot. In texture, the rock is considerably fine, — weighing eleven imperial stones per cu**- bic foot, — and well adapted for architectural purposes. Sometimes it contains mica in such quantity, that without difficulty it can be raised in tTiiu sections, or flags, which are occasionally used in- stead of slate for the covering of houses. In the upper part of the parish, it occurs loosely aggregated, and easily friable. It assumes a variety of colours, such as reddish-brown, brick red, white, steel-gray, and yellow. Sometimes it is interspersed with spots of a mountain-green colour* Considerable fragments of * So named on account of a severe engagement which here took place during the border forays, b^een the Soots and the Englkh, in whieh the bitter were wholly discomfited ; their forces to a man« being either put to the sword» or in attempting to escape, drowned in the frith. 520 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. quartz occasionally occur in it ; and not unfrequently the surfau of the uppermost stratum is found so completely imbedded «iib small fragments of 6int, as effectually to resist the impressioDof the best tempered tool. In the north part of the parish, a large body of limestone is exposed. " It is covered by and alternate with sandstone. Beds of ironstone sometimes accoropanv the outer strata, and bituminous shale, with small seams of coal, some- times make their appearance either io the limestone quarries, or near to where the secondary strata terminate on the primary rock." Between the strata, which are from six inches to three feet thic^ range from east to west and dip to the south, there are thin seam: of clay of various colours. In the rock, there is found a variety of petrifactions, of which the species most frequently occurring an the tnilleporites and the ammonites. All geologists who have surveyed the district are of opinion that abundance of coal may here be obtained, though at aTeiy considerable depth, — the bed of sandstone rock lying above it bf- | ing extremely thick. Workable coal abounds on the opposite side of the frith, on both sides of which the superincumbent sand- stone belongs to the same formation. Several attempts have here been made to obtain this important material, but without success; the obvious reason of which, however, seems to be, thatthedepth of bore, considering the thickness of the superincumbent rock, ^^ been greatly short of that which would render success at all pro- bable. On the other side of the frith, the depth of descent be- fore workable coal is obtained, is in some places 108 fathonB, while here the greatest depth reached has not exceeded IJ" | feet Almost every variety of soil is to be met with in the parislii and that, sometimes within a small compass. The lower gro"" along the banks of the river consists of allnvial depositions, and is very rich. To the west of the river, for a short way stio^ its inBux into the frith, the soil is clayey, having a substratum of strongly adhesive bluish clay, and loamy with a gravelly i""" ' Torthwards, on the same side of the river, it is mostly lig"' >rish. On the east side .of the river, and to the south iwn, it is mostly loamy, with a sandy or gravelly bottom; )rth of the town, it is generally light, the subsoil being ^ ; to the north-east, east, and south-east of the tow, i' '* holly moorish and mossy, over the greater part of whicba lite stone prevails, a well-known indication of a natural',' ANNAN. 521 poor and barren soil, though not incapable of improvement and culture. A few boulders of sienite, of considerable size, occur in different parts of the parish. The nearest rocks of the same kind are those of Skiddaw in Cumberland, and Criffel in Galloway, from either or both of which localities, they may have been conveyed to their present positions, by the irresistible force of the diluvial waters. ^^logy. — The salmon, * the grilse, and the trout, f frequent the frith and river. In the frith, the sparling, the cod, the had- dock, and the sturgeon, the turbot, the sole, and the skate, occa- sionally make their appearance. The herling at one time fre- quented the frith in great numbers, but of late years has almost wholely deserted it. The salmon fry | migrate to the sea, from the middle of April to the middle of May. The herling ascends the river from the beginning of July, till toward the end of Au- gust, and returns to the sea the following spring. The sea-trout commences running so early as April, becomes most plentiful in June, and descends the river in spring. The migrations of the grilse correspond exactly with those of the herling. The salmon continues to run from September till on towards Christmas, and returns to the sea in spring, — having completely deserted the river by the end of April. Botany, — There are but few, if any, very rare plants in the pa- rish, which, however, is no bad field for the young botanist. The earliest harbingers of spring along the banks of the river are the coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara,) and the common butter-bur ( Tussiloffo petasites^J the former of which abounds also in the fields. Next to these in succession, come the wood -sorrel (Oxalis aceto- selloij the primrose (Primula verisjj the dog's-violet (Viola ca- ninOfJ the wild hyacinth or harebell (Hyacinthus non scriptus^) m " A species of the salmon, here named the spring salmon, weighing from five to eight pounds, and in which there is found neither milt nor roe, enters the river in the be- ginning of January, and there remains only a very short time. It is remarkably rich, and is sold at from 2s. to Ss. per lb. 'I' A species of the trout, called the bull-trout, has here been tal^en at the weight of 90 lbs., and has sometimes been palmed upon the market for salmon, from which, however, it is easily distinguished by the rounded shape and larger size of the head, besides cutting white. X The yellow-fin, here so named from the colour of its fins, weighing about a-third of a pound, and supposed to belong to the salt water, but respecting which extremely little is here known, visits the lower part of the river from .the middle^of April till towards the end of May, for the purpose, as is conjectured, of conducting the red fry to the sea. When the fry in a body are leaving the river, the yellow-fin is observed preceding them at a very short distance, or mingled with the foremost. It is never seen more than three or four miles up the river, in which it is not taken or observed, oKcept during the period alluded to. DUMFRIES 1^1 522 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. I the wood anemone (Anemone nemorosaj) which adorns the wood- lands on the banks of the Annan, in considerable profusion. Then, also, the rather uncommon Adoxa moschatettina is met with. In summer, besides the common plants, such as the purple fox- glove (Digitalis purpurea^) the meadow-sweet (Spinsa ulmaria^) and the great wild valerian (Valeriana officinalis^) which, in pro- fusion, ornament the sides of the river, the rivulets, and the moist ditches, — there are to be seen among some of the hedges, in the im- mediate vicinity of the town, the elegant blossoms of the woody nightshade or bitter-sweet (Solanum dulcamara^) and the beauti- ful white blossoms of the great bind*weed (Convolvulus sepiunu) In the ditches, the ivy-leaved crowfoot (Banunadus hederacetth) and the great spear-wort (Ranunculus lingtia^) frequently occur. Along the banks of the river and the lesser streams, the water fig- wort ( Scrophularia aquatica) is often met with. In the wood of Galabank, the showy-spreading bell-flower (Campanula kUifolk) abounds, a few plants of which are also to be found in the wood of Craigdale. The Flora of the parish abounds with species of the St John's-wort (Hypericum. ) The mountain*speedwell is plen- tiful in the woods of Dalebank. 11. — Civil History. Historical Events, — From the absence of historical documentSj it is impossible to ascertain at what period the town of Annan ^^^ founded. In the Old Statistical Account, it is stated that " An- nan was probably a Roman station, — that it appears to have been occupied by the Britons of the west, till they were subdued by the Anglo-Saxons of Northumberland, — and that, upon the overthrow of that kingdom, it fell into the possession of the Scots, and was, from the reign of Malcolm Canmore down to that of William the Lion, reckoned one of the principal border ports." The statement which has been so often published, and' the opinion which generally prevails, that Annan was constituted a royal burgh shortly after the accession of Bruce to the throne, appear to be founded merel} on conjecture. During the many transfers of the lordship of An- nandale which took place after that event, it cannot be inferred, in any case, that Annan was regarded as a royal burgh. Besides, iu a new charter (the former one having been destroyed in the time of war,) which was obtained from James VI. renewing and confirm- ing to the town its former privileges and immunities, it is distinct- ly mentioned, that, induced by the great privations to which the inhabitants had been subjected in protecting and defending the h- ANNAN. 523 berties of the Scottish border, James V. did, in 1538, erect the town of Annaa into a free and royal burgh. From its vicinity to the English border, Annan was frequently plundered, burnt, and its inhabitants put to the sword, during the succession wars and the vexatious border forays. In the troublous year of 1298, when waste seems to have been the great object of war, the town and church were burnt by the English invaders. Two years after this, a castle was either built or repaired by Ro- bert Bruce, for the defence of the town, which he occasionally made his place of residence. To this castle it was, that Edward Baliol, in 1332, shortly after being crowned at Scone, had summoned the Scottish nobility of the west, to do [lira homage ; when Archibald Douglas collected at MoSat a body of 1000 horse, marched to Annan during the night, defeated and slew his guards, his brother Henry, and many more of those opposed to the in- terest of Bruce. Baliol, in the utmost alarm, and while half- naked, mounted a horse without saddle or bridle, and fled to Carlisle. There, he was kindly received by Lord Dacre, whose estates suffered severely for the reception given to the fugi- tive ; for Douglas immediately collecting an army of 3000 men, entered Cumberland, and ravaged and plundered a considerable part of the county, but particularly that belonging to Lord Dacre. In 1547, Wharton, accompanied by the forfeited Lennox, during the protectorship of Somerset, made an inroad into Dumfries-shire, and in his way through the county, plundered and burned the town, after having met with an obstinate resistance from the inhabitants, who having fortified the church, (the castle having been previous- ly demolished,) baffled for a while the attempts of the assailants to overpower them. " The church of Annan," says Patten, the journalist of the incursion, *^ was a strong place, and very noisome to our men as they passed that way." In 1548 and 1549, the town and district continued to be harassed by the predatory incursions of the English border- ers. The Governor Maxwell, therefore, ordered a tax of L. 4000 to be levied on the prelates and clergy, for repairing the castle for the defence of the place against the oppressive ag- gressions of their ^^ auld enemies of England." A treaty of peace was, soon after, concluded between the two kingdoms, yet the cessation of the barbarous system of predatory aggression was of short continuance ; and on the arrival of 6000 French soldiers from Gascony in the Clyde, the Queen- Regent found it necessary to dis- 624 . DUMFIES-SHIRE. patch the greater part of them to Annan, to aid in the defence of the town, and the neighbouring district. In 1570 the castle was again demolished by an English army under the Earl of Sussex* It was afterwards rebuilt, and continued to be a border fortification, till the union of the crowns. At that time, the inhabitants were reduced to a state of very great destitution, and in a grant obtain- ed from James VI. in 1609, it is stated, that owing to their being ^^ so miserably impoverished" as to be unable to build a church, the castle was granted them for a place of worship. During the civil wars in the reign of Charles I., Annan suffered still more, and, as some compensation for the privations to which it had been subjected, the Restoration Parliament granted it the privilege of collecting customs and other aids. Nothing worthy of note seems to have occurred at Annan, from this period down to that of 1745, when the rebel forces, retreating before the Duke of Cumberland's army, lay encamped there dur- ing the night of the 20th December, after several hundreds of their number had been swept away by the current, when attempting to cross the rivers Eden and Esk. Eminent Men, — Dr Thomas Blacklock, a poet and a divine, was born at Annan in 1721. Though totally deprived of sight by the small-pox when a child, he was not deterred from prose- cuting his studies for the church, which he commenced at the age of twenty, and continued to pursue for ten years at the Uni- versity of Edinburgh. His acquirements in the Latin, Greek, and French languages were very considerable, — his knowledge of the sciences intimate, — ^and his attainments in poetry remarkable, con- sidering the disadvantages under which he laboured. A volume of poetry, and several theological productions composed by him, are printed. As a particular instance of his discernment, may be mentioned the circumstance of his having been the first to appre- ciate the poetical merits of Robert Burns. Here was brought up and educated the celebrated African tra- veller, Hugh Clapperton, whose dust now lies in the land which was the scene of his researches. Here too was born and brought up the Rev. Edward Irving, whose fate is still more a subject of melancholy regret. Posses- sed of a heart wedded to his sacred profession, and once of a mind to whose vigour and capacity we presume not to assign a limit, he bade fair for becoming one of the brightest ornaments of our na- tional church. But, alas, " in the midst of his fame, delusion like 4 ANNAN. 525 a summer cloud, overcame him." He now sleeps with his fathers : and sure we are there must be few, who will hesitate to say, — peace to the manes of Edward Irving. lAmd-owners. — The principal land-owners in the parish are, Mr Irving of Newbie ; Mrs Dirom of Mount- Annan ; Mr Irving of Bonshaw; Mr Carruthers of Warmanbie; Ihe Earl of Mansfield; the Marquis of Queensberry; and General Sharpe of Hoddam. Mr Irving of Newbie possesses the largest rental, which is upwards of L.2000 per annum. The others are ranged as above, according to the valued 'rent of their respective properties in the parish. The number of small proprietors is very considerable. Parochial Registers. — The register of baptisms commenced in 1703, that of marriages in 1764, neither of which were regularly kept till about thirty years ago. So imperfectly, indeed, had the register of marriages been kept for upwards of thirty years after its commencement, that the kirk-session, in 1797, found it necessary to resolve and enact, that in time coming it should be duly kept. An obituary has been punctually kept, for upwards of thirty years, by the parish sexton. Antiquities. — On an angled elevation on the east bank of the river, and west side of the town, was situated Annan Castle, the ruins of which, with the exception of a small part of the wall built into the to^n-house, finally disappeared nearly forty ylsars ago. A stone taken from the ruins, and built into the wall of a small vintage-house in a garden in the town, bears this inscription, " Robert De Brus Counte De Carrick et Seniour De Val De Annand, 1300." Separated from the ancient site of the castle, now forming the old church-yard, by a sort of ravine, there is an artificial mound of considerable extent, designated the moat^ supposed, like other places of the same name, to have been raised by the Saxons as a spot on which to assemble for the administration of justice. About half a-mile farther up the river, and on the same side, is an elevated bank, on which criminals or captives were executed, called Galabank or Gallow-bank, an evident contraction for Gallows-bank. A deep fosse or ditch, part of which remained open not many years ago, and which can still be easily traced, extended from this spot to Annan moss, skirting the town on the side nearest to the Eng- lish border. It was undoubtedly cast by the inhabiUints of the town, for a means of defence. About two miles from Annan, and a few hundred yardl to the north of the Carlisle road, there stood, not many years ago, a rude sort of monument, erected in memory Qi 52(1 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. of the brave Scots who fell in a keenly contested and bloody en* gagement which there took place, and in which the English were routed with dreadful slaughter. There is a wall adjoining the spot in which the Scotch soldiers washed their swords after the battle, which, with the adjoining grounds, has ever since been designated " Sword welV* Among the English of note that then felU were Sir Marmaduke Longdale, Sir Philip Musgrave, and Lord Howard, who were interred in the neighbouring church-yard of Dornock. A grave-stone, with an inscription which time has rendered incapable of being deciphered, covers the spot where they were laid. Modem Buildings, — On the eastern bank of the river, and near- ly two miles from the town, is situated the mansion-house of Mount- Annan, the residence of Mrs Dirom, widow of the late Lieut- General Dirom, who, from the Christian benevolence of his cha- racter, the able and varied productions of his pen, and the im- portant improvements connected with agriculture he effected, was extensively known and deservedly esteemed. Placed on an ele- vated situation, Mount- Annan commands a prospect of the Solway Frith and northern counties of England so extensive and varied as comparatively few residences can boast of. The grounds around the house are tastefully wooded, and the scenery on the banks of the Annan, which it overlooks, highly beautiful and picturesque. On the same side of the river, and about a quarter of a mile south of Mount Annan, is situated the handsome residence of Warman- bie, the property of A. Carruthers, Esq. This elegant edifice was erected by the present proprietor a few years ago. The grounds have been greatly improved, and are most tastefully laid out. — The situation of Northfield House, the seat of Miss Carruthers, about half a mile nearer the town than Warmanbie, and close upon the east bank of the river, though confined in its prospect, is surpass- ingly beautiful. The house, which was lately enlarged, is very elegant. — The vicinity of the town is studded here and there with handsome houses and neat cottages, many of which have been erected of late years. The town itself is well built, and the streets are capacious and generally well paved. The church and town-house are each adorn- ed with a handsome spire. * * Since the above was written, Mrs Dirom of Mount- Annan has, with her usual benevolence, built a neat church at Bridekirk village for the benefit of the inhabitants and those of the a<^oining district, who, especially in wint^, are placed at an incon- venient distance from the parish church, — not to speak of the decided want of church accommodation there. ANNAN. 527 IIL — Population. The population of the pariah in 1755 amounted to 1496 At the publication of first Statistical Account, 1797 it amounted to 2500 According to the census ibr 1801, 2S70 Do. do. 1811, 8341 Do. do. 1821, . 4486 Do. do. 1881, 5038 Amount of population taken 1836, previous to the separation of the new parish of Brfdekirk, • 5700 Number of inhabited houses at the date of last census, 831 families employed in agriculture at do. 84 in trade, manulactures, and handicraft, 580 All other fiunilies not included above • . 488 Number of males at the date of last census, 2375 females, . . - . 2656 Character oftJie People* — The iDhabitants of this burgh and pa- rish are an active, enterprising, and intelligent class of people. The great increase of the population, which has more than doub- led within the present century, is a striking proof of their exertions in promoting the trade, manufactures, and rural economy of this portion of the south of Scotland, and the spirit of improvement is now as active, or more so than ever, since the introduction of steam navigation betwixt this port and Liverpool. Building is still going forward with great animation, and is aided by the abun- dant supply of materials in the immediate vicinity, or by wa- ter communication. The modern mansion-houses of the resident gentry, as well as the farm-houses, are now built in a more ele- gant and commodious form ; and the policies or pleasure grounds are equally tasteful and ornamental. Many charming villas or cot- tages are scattered around the burgh, which are much admired for their elegance and neatness, and the fine prospects which they command. Speculation here, as in many other places, may in a few instances have been pushed too far, or in advance of even the present rapid rate of improvements ; but where this has occasionally appeared, the consequences may prove a warning against the like imprudence. From the keenness of competition displayed in this burgh, there are certainly at present too many candidates for pub- lic favour in the market, and, as it is observed in other markets where the supply exceeds the demand, the profits must be redu- ced to the minimum value, or the stockholder sell with a loss. These things will no doubt rectify themselves in the end. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The number of acres in the parish, as it stood before the separation of Brydekirk, was 11,000 or thereby. Of these nearly 10,000 acres were under cultivation or laid down in permanent pasture, the remainder being occupied with 628 DUMF&IES-SHIRE. woods and plantations, moors, and waste ground, &c. A large tract of ground in the vicinity of the burgh to the north-east, and extending at one time to nearly 2000 acres, was formerly a com- mon bleak moor, but was divided about thirty-five years ago among the burghers and adjoining heritors. Before this took place, it afforded only a scanty pasturage for cattle and horses belonging to the burghers, and was greatly impoverished by the practice of cutting feal or divot for the common behoof. It is now divided and subdivided by hedge and ditch, and a considerable portion of the most elevated parts are covered with thriving plantations. The fields are well cultivated and improved, with neat cottages interspersed, built with stone and lime, and roofed or covered with slate. To accommodate these cottages, or small farms, cross roads are formed from the public roads leading from the burgh to Langholm and Cannobie, by Kirtlebridge and Kilpatrick Churchy It is calculated that there are now in the parish about 10,087 acres under cultivation, or laid down in permanent pasture. The average of which being taken at from 10s. to L« 4 per acre, may be calculated at L. 1, 14s. 4d., giving nearly L. 17,232, Ids. 8d. in whole. The arable land where not laid down in pasture is kept under a regular course of cropping, according to the most approv- ed practice of the neighbouring parishes. The kind of stock generally reared here is the common Gal- loway or polled breed, with occasionally a few of the short-horned and Ayrshire breeds. The number of sheep kept within the pa- rish is small, as .there are no ranges of any extent for sheep pas- tures. The rates charged for grazing^ of cattle vary from the quality of the pasture, and their proximity to the burgh. The rearing and feeding of hogs is a part of rural economy now univer- sally pursued throughout Annandale by the farmers and cottagers, and has become a source of no small profit to the country, and of ample remuneration to those by whom it has been adopted. Manufactures,^— K cotton manufactory for spinning of yam was established here in the year 1785, and the building and machi- nery have been considerably enlarged since. The number of per- sons at present engaged in the work may vary from 120 to 140 hands, and the quantity of manufactured goods produced weekly is 4000 pounds on an average, or upwards of 92 tons weight of mule jenny yarn. The work is carried on by Mr Douglas, from Manchester. Fisheries. — There are two fisheries carried on here, one of them ANNAN. 529 on the coast on the west side of the Annan, belonging to Mr Ir- ving of Newbie, which is let to a tacksman at present for L. 350 per annum. The other belongs to the burgh, on the coast to the east of the town at SeaGeld, on lea«e at L. 200 a-year. Both these fisheries were very productive, last season affording a good return to the tacksman. Trade and Skipping. — The trade and shipping of the port of Annan, which is formed by a creek of the Solway Frith at the mouth of the river, is mostly engaged in the importation from Ame- rica and the Baltic, of timber, deals, lathwood, and tar. Four cargoes from America and two from Memel have been imported this year. From the regular communication by steam packets from Liverpool to Annan Waterfoot, the greatest part of the merchant goods are conveyed to this place, and grain, wool, live* stock, bacon, and hams, and other produce of the country, besides passengers, are shipped on board these vessels in return, for the Liverpool market, and the adjacent manufacturing towns in Lan- cashire. There are, at present, thirty- four vessels belonging to Annan in employment. Two of these are engaged in the foreign trade ; thirty are employed in the coasting trade of Great Britain and Ireland ; and two are pleasure yachts. The whole are regis- tered at 1639 tons burthen. The imports coastwise here, exclusive of what is carried on by the steam packets, are, coals, slates, salt, iron, herrings, and grain, and sundry other merchant goods from Glasgow, and other ports on the coasts of England and Ireland. The exports coastwise, exclusive of the steamers, are very trifling, with the exception of a few cargoes of grain, shipped for the Liverpool and Glasgow markets, or a few loads of timber and freestone for other ports in England. The navigation of the Solway Frith is attended with considerable danger and difficulty, occasioned by the frequent changes in the course of the channel, from the shifting of the sand- banks, &c The port of Annan, as stated above, is formed by the creek or inlet to the river, which has been rendered more con- venient for the shipping trading in the Solway Frith, by the em- bankment of a piece of carse ground of considerable extent, called Hallmeadow, a part of the Newbie estate, the property of John Irving, Esq. lying on the north-east side of the river, — whereby the channel is rendered deeper, for bringing up the shipping to good and safe anchorage-ground, and also better protected from the prevailing south-west winds, by a narrow promontory or point of 530 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. land, on that side of the river, called Barnkirk hill, which is ele~ vated about 45 feet above the tide at high water mark« The em- bankment of this field was begun in the year 1819, and finished the following year, at an expense of L. 3000, by the proprietor. It is formed by the soil taken from the inside of the embankment, consisting of sandy loam, and is on an average about 12 feet high, with a slope toward the tideway, of from 5 to 2 feet, to 1 foot in perpendicular height, according to the nature of the exposure to wind and currents. The slope in the inside is more erect The front, or outward side of the embankment, is covered with green swarded turf, as well as the top, and the land side is sown with na- tural grass seeds, which have grown most luxuriantly from the richness of the soil. At the lower end or angle of this embank* ment, which runs across from the port or place where the ship- ping anchor, to the bottom of a hill or rising ground to the east- ward, there have been erected two jetties, measuring 140 yards in length, for conveying passengers, goods, and live-stock to the steamers, plying between Liverpool, Annan, Waterfoot, and Port Carlisle. The jetties were erected a few years ago by the owners of the steam-vessek whose register of tonnage are, the Solway, 1 92, City of Carlisle, 300, Newcastle, 396, and Vic- toria, 450, in all 1338 tons burthen. Here, they call regularly on their passage to and from Liverpool, tp take in cattle, sheep, horses, grain, merchant goods and passengers, once a week during winter, and oftener in summer, and make the passage, a distance of 120 miles, in twelve hours, or one tide. From the burgh to the jetties, about four years ago, an excellent road was formed, being forty feet in breadth, through the centre of the field, for the convenience of the public It was made by a public subscription, and cost L. 640. A commodious inn, with stabling attached, has been erected near the jetties, within the embankment, several (eet be- low high water-mark. The intercourse along this road is kept up by a public coach from Dumfries to Annan, on every day the steamers arrive, and by private carriages of all descriptions, con- veying passengers, merchant goods, and the stock of all kinds to and from the burgh, as they arrive for the purpose of transporta- tion. The embankment and road were planned by, and executed under the superintendence of, Mr G. D. Roume, land-surveyor and civil engineer in this parish. V. — Parochial Economy. Bridges^ — As this burgh has now become a general thorough- ANNAN. 531 fare, by the public road conveying the mail coach from Portpatrick and Dumfries to the south by Carlisle, as well as the great trans- fer of live-stock from the west of Scotland and Ireland, whereby the public tolls levied there have become of considerable impor- tance to the burghers, — it was judged expedient to rebuild the bridge over the river, which was first rebuilt in the year 1720. This bridge, for a long time past, had been considered dangerous to pass, and incommodious from the narrowness of its roadway. Ac* cordingly, in the year 1824, a new bridge was erected on the site of the old one, a wooden temporary one having been thrown across the river about a hundred yards above the old one. This new bridge is 27 feet 6 inches in breadth betwixt the parapet walls, and has a neat flagged foot-path of hewn stone, 3 feet 9 inches broad on each side, and the middle roadway is 20 feet broad. It has three arches of 65 feet in span, each forming the segment of a large circle, with a rise of 1 3 feet 6 inches, from the level of the spring of the arches, — the roadway of the middle arch being 27 feet above summer water level, having a fall from the main street^ at the eastern end of the bridge, and across Lord Queensberry's Holm, on the west side of the river, of one foot in thirty. The ma- terials for building the bridge, consisting of red sandstone of excel- lent quality, were dugfrom Gallowbank quarry, nearly a mile farther up the river, and floated down on the stream on a barge or punt, con- structed for the purpose. The expense of lowering the street at the west end next the bridge, of erecting the bridge and forming the embankment across the valley on the west side, &c. amounted to about L. 8000. It was built from a plan of the work furnish- ed by Robert Stevenson, Esq. civil-engineer, and executed by John Laurie, bridge contractor, Dalkeith, to both of which gentle- men the work does great credit, as there is not a more handsome and substantia] piece of work of the kind in the kingdom. The temporary wooden bridge was taken down when the new stone one was finished. The cost of this last structure was L. 500. Roads, — The parish is intersected by the public mail-coach road, from Dumfries to Carlisle, which is kept in excellent repair, be- sides two public roads to the north and eastward, towards Edin- burgh by Langholm, one of these passing by Kirtlebridge, which is very near the outskirt of the parish to the northward, and the other by Stapleton, by Kilpatrick church, and Chapelknow, till it joins with the Edinburgh and Carlisle mail coach road along the Esk in Cannobie. Another public road leaves the first men- 532 DUMFIUESSHIRE. tioned road to Langholm near Mount Annan, and from thence to Ecclefechan, wher^ it joins the Carlisle and Glasgow mail-coach road ; there is a fourth public road from Annan by the bridge, and along the west side of the river to Brydekirk village, where it crosses the Annan by a substantial stone bridge of three arches. Upon all these roads, toll-bars have been erected, from the rents of which, and public assessments, they are kept in proper repair. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church of Annan was built in 1790. It is a handsome structure, and surmounted with an ele- gant steeple and clock. It is commodious, neatly seated, with galleries on three sides, and well lighted, having four spacious windows in front, and smaller ones on each end. It does not, at present, afibrd sufficient accommodation for the whole congrega- tion, containing only 1190 sittings, the population of the parish when it was built consisting of only 2300, whereas the popula- tion of the burgh alone contains more inhabitants than the whole of the parish, at the period when the church was erected ; and in consequence of the allotment of seats to the landed proprietors, and their tenants and retainers, as well as the ancient burgh pro- prietors, a want of accommodation has been felt by the more recent settlers in the burgh. There are two Dissenting meeting-houses in the town, both of which have been recently built. One of them belongs to the Associate Synod, and the other to the Relief Church. They are both very handsome buildings, commodious, and well attended by their respective hearers. The former of these has been long established in the burgh, but the congregation of the latter has only been formed within a few years past. There is also a preacher of the Independent persuasion, but it is understood he has not yet got any suitable chapel fitted up. The manse of the present incumbent of the, Established Church is commodious and in good repair. The glebe land belonging to the cure, properly speaking, consists of 10 acres of good land around the manse. Besides this, the minister had formerly a right of foggage, feal, and divot, on Annan common; but, when the division took place, in lieu of his right, 6^ acres of moor ground were allotted to him, which at present let at the yearly rent of L. 2, 10s. From this, however, falls to be deducted an annual feu-duty to the burgh as superior, of L. 1, 18s. 6d., leaving to him from this source 16s. 6d. yearly. The present stipend is 19 chalders of victual, half meal and half barley. It is variable in yearly value, being regulated by the county fiars prices of meal ANNAN. 533 and barley. There is> besides, L. 10 allowed* for communion ele- ments, the whole derived from the teinds of the parish. The ave- rage number of communicants belonging to the Established Church is 530. It is understood that there is not an individual, a native of the parish, and of sound mind, above fifteen years of age, who canndt read. Education is, indeed, so much prized by all, that there are few of the children of the place who have not been taught (besides reading) writing and the elementary rules of arithmetic. It may be remarked, however, that of late a number of Irish families have become settlers here. The parents (generally Roman Catholics) are found to be grossly ignorant, and pay no attention to the education of their children. At present, there are about 150 persons, old and young, of this description in the parish, the greater proportion of whom are unable to read. Education, — There is one parish schoolmaster in the burgh, whose yearly salary is L. 31, 16s. 6d., with an additional allowance for a house and garden. The average number of scholars attending the parish school is from 80 to 90. There is another branch school belonging to the parish at Breconbeds, near Kirtlebridge. The schoolmaster's salary is L. 10 yearly, and the average num- ber of scholars from 60 to 70. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The fund from which the poor of the burgh and parish of Annan are supplied, is raised by an assess- ment on the real rental of property in the burgh and parish, the proprietors contributing one-half, and the tenants the other, the rates and allowances being settled twice a year, at Lammas and Candlemas. The collectors and treasurers of the poor cess mo- ney, are appointed by the heritors, magistrates, and kirk-session of Annan. The number of paupers at present on the roll is 121, who are paid weekly every Saturday forenoon, receiving from Is. to 2s. 6d., or higher, according to circumstances. There is a small bequest yearly from the estate of Gullielands of L. 5. The poor are paid more liberally here than in any other of the neighbour- ing parishes ; but, the more ftiey get, the more they would have. The amount of the money paid for the last half-year was L. 295, 8s. 6d. Burffhj Civil Constitution^ and Education continued. — The sub- sisting charter of this burgh was granted by King James VI. on 10th July 1612. It recites, that this town had been erected into a burgh by King James V. in 1538. The population of Annan has been more than doubled during the present century. From a 534 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. Statement furnished by the town-clerk, the revenue of the burgh may be stated at L. 650, arising from customs, feus, rents, &c«^ and is expended in Municipal salaries, (including burgh oflSceni salaries,) L. 80 Lighting and cleaning the streets, ... 95 Teachers* salaries, • . 76 Poor's rates, &c . . 23 Interest on debt, . . . 168 Various other charges, . , • 206 L. 6aO The town is governed by twenty-one councillors, who select from among themselves a Provost, and three Bailies, and other oflSce-bearers, by whom the police of the burgh is administered at the expense of the. common gude or burgh revenue, there being no assessment for any purpose imposed by the magistrates or coun* cil. The parliamentary and municipal constituency, as adjusted by the sheriff of Dumfries-shire on the 17th of August 1837, was 179, and the constituency of the landward part of the parish at 70 or 80. From time immemorial, the heritors of Annan, both burghal and landward, and their tenants, had possessed the right of pasturage and cutting turf on 1650 acres (Scotch measure) of indifferent commonty lying to the north of the town. As this land was, under such management, very unproductive, it was in the year 1802 divided among those interested ; burdened, however, with an annual payment of L. 200 to the magistrates for behoof of the community, — which sum was, at the suggestion of Mrs Gra- ham, the amiable and accomplished wife of the author of the Sab- bath, appropriated to secure L. 1000 to be expended in building, and L. 65 annually in endowing, an academy for the public bene- fit. The annual income of the institution is now L. 113^ exclu- sive of wages. The average number of scholars for the last ten years has been 1.41- This is an excellent institution, and has proved highly beneficial to the burgh, the parish, and the sur- rounding district. An Infant School has also been lately esta- blished in the burgh. The school- Rouse was built in 1834 by sub- scription. The teacher. Miss Williamson, receives a salary of L. 30 per annum, which sum is paid partly from small weekly charges on the children, and partly by subscription. The number of pupils in regular attendance, from three to six years of age, is averaged at 85. Its beneficial effects are now fully acknowledg . ed and duly appreciated by the public. In the former management of the burgh concerns, it appears ANNAN. 535 that alienations of the burgh property had taken place to the amount of more than L. 6000 ; but as the proceeds of these aliena* tions have been laid out in works most beneficial to the public interest, it is obvious that the community have reaped the full advantage of such alienation. But the debts still remaining a pub- lic burden on the community, amounting to upwards of L. 4000, are of a nature more detrimental to the public benefit. From the Report of the Commissioners on Municipal Corporations of Scot- land, it appears, that the taxations in this burgh are peculiarly light, with the exception of the assessment for the poor. In fact, no taxes of any description are levied by the magistrates except poor money. There are no incorporated trades with exclusive privileges in Annan, and no qualification has been enforced to entitle any one to manufecture or trade within the bounds of the burgh. The magistrates issue burgess tickets both to ordinary and honorary burjgesses, but they exact no fees of entry except the stamp of the tickets. Addenda. • Brydehirh. — The church at Brydekirkwas at first designed as a missionary station, comprehending a detached part of the parish of Annan, situated about three miles from the burgh on the west side of the river. It was built entirely at the expense of Mrs Dirom of Mount Annan and her friends, in the year 1835, and appoint- ed an established district parish church by the General Assem- bly in the year 1836; and on the 17th of August following, the Bev. H. Macbryde Brown was ordained first minister. The church is a neat and commodious structure, situated at the west or upper end of the village of the same name. It is seated to contain 870 sitters, including benches for children in the area. The extent of the parish may amount to nearly two square miles on both sides of the river, comprehending a part of the adjoining parish of Hoddam, which is annexed to it The principal heritors are, Mrs Dirom of Mount Annan, the Earl of Mansfield, General Sharpe of Hoddam, and Mr Irving of Bonshaw. The population of the Village of Brydekirk, with the adjacent houses, may amount to about 400. This number, which forms a part of the 770 deducted from the congregation of Annan, with the additional number supplied from the parish of Hoddam, with recent settlers in the village, will now * See page 526. 536 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. make the whole population of the parish about 1000. Last sum* mer, a neat and commodious dwelling-house was erected in the village for the minister, but is scarcely yet finished. The stipend or income of the present minister is derived from the seat rents, or voluntary pecuniary aid of the benevolent proprietor of Mount Annan or Brydekirk estates, within which the greatest part of the parish is placed ; but it is to be hoped, that, ere long, his station and labours in the church will be rewarded according to his merits. The church is well attended by a devout and se- rious congregation, much attached to their minister; The poor- rates and other parochial affairs are conducted on much the same principles as those adopted in the landward parts of the parish of Annan. The schoolmaster, very recently appointed to the situation, has not yet been accommodated with any school-house properly fitted up, nor dwelling-house. His salary consists of L. 10 yearly, be- ing a commutation of a victual stipend, assigned, while the school formed a branch school of the parish of Annan in ] 828. The number of scholars attending the school here may vary from 60 to 80 in summer and winter. There is likewise an infant school es- tablished here, and a school for teaching girls reading and sewing, both taught by females. A Sabbath evening school has also been established by the minister of the parish, which is now at- tended by loo young people. There is a corn mill in the village, constructed on the best prin- ciples, for grinding com and dressing flour. A substantial stone bridge, consisting of three arches, was thrown over the Annan, here, upwards of twenty years ago, at a very considerable expense to the public. At the east end of the bridge a large building was erected for the manufacturing of wool, much about the same pe- riod when the bridge was built, and to which, machinery for saw- ing timber has been attached. The intersecting roads here are kept in good repair. Decerllber 1837. UNITED PARISHES OF HUTTON AND CORRIE. PRESBYT£RY OF LOCHMABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JACOB WRIGHT, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — It is observed in Hutchinson's History of the County of Cumberland, that the name Hutton, which is the name of a parish also in that county, is probably derived from the principal village being originally a town of huts. It appears not improbable that this parish derived its name from the same circumstance ; and it strengthens this supposition, that there is a &rm near the church of the name of Newton, where the principal inn of the parish has been long kept. It is natural to suppose that Newton was so cal- led on its erection, in contradistinction to the old fragile tenements formerly on the spot The rivulet Corrie gives name to the other part of the parish. The word is Gaelic, signifying a narrow glen. The rivulet accordingly issues from a glen, where this parish joins Eskdalemuir. Dryfe, another rivulet, which rises in the upper part of the Hutton division of the parish, and flows through it for six or seven miles, derives its name from its fury during floods, and driving all before it. In rainy seasons it is frequently shifting its bed, disfiguring fields, and destroying ferries and mill-dams. Extent J Boundaries. — The united parishes extend from N. W. to S. E. about twelve miles in length. The breadth is unequal, but may average three miles. They are bounded on the N. E. by the ridge of hills and waterfall which divides Annandale from Eskdale ; on the S. E. by the water of Milk, which separates the parish of Corrie from Tundergarth ; and on the N. and W. by the parishes of Wamphray, Appl^arth, and Dryfesdale. Topographical Appearances, 8^e. — The view is very different from different positions. Within sight of the rivulet Dryfe, till near its source, the hills are of a fine verdure, and the banks much co- vered with wood. In sight of the Milk, the view is less hilly, less DUMFRIES. M m 538 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. woody, and less rocky. In sight of Corrie, there is a large extent of rich pasture and meadow. On the heights between these waters the scene is mossy and bleak ; but not barren. IL — Civil History. Antiquities. — Besides the remains of British forts specified iu the former Account, there is nothing in the parish, under this head, that claims notice. Parochial Registers. — The parish register was very imperfectly kept previously to 1799, when the present incumbent succeeded. It contains a list of baptisms from 1745 to 1772 ; a list of marriages from 1746 to 1771 ; and a list of testimonials from 1746 to 1769. Land-ovmers. — These, in the order of their valuations, are as fol- lows : J. J. Hope Johnstone of Annandale ; Samuel Rogerson, of Boreland ; Miss Graham of Heithet ; William Rogerson of Gil- lesbie; George Graham of Shaw; Thomas Beattie of Creeve; Andrew Kyle of Paddockhole ; John Bell of Whiteknow ; The Duke of Buccleuch. The only resident land -owners are, Messrs Rogerson, Graham, and Bell. III. — Population. Amount of population in 1801, 1811, 1821, 1831, Number of fiimilies, ... chiefly employed in agriculture, trade, manufactures The yearly average of births for the last seven years is do. deaths do. do. marriages for do. df , or nearly As the Dissenters occasionally neglect to get their children';? ages registered, the average of births is probably stated too low. The increase of the population appears to have been principally occasioned by the improvements that were made in the parish, dur- ing the last thirty or forty years, in consequence of which additional labourers and servants have been required. Within the last twenty years, a number .of cottages have been erected on Corrie common, several with parks containing a few acres attached. Character^ Sfc. of ike People. — During the last thirty or forty years, the inhabitants have generally improved in manners, intel- ligence, and good conduct. Various causes have contribut- ed to this. The increased profits of farmers during the late w^r, and the advance in the wages of labourers and servants, have enabled these classes to obtain a greater number of the comforts of life. Greater attention has been paid to dress, and to cleanli- ness in their persons and habitations. The increased attention paid to the state of the public schools, has also had a considerable 646 677 804 860 • 141 • 104 )r handicraft. 24 • • m • 5*1 • 4 HLiTTON AND COBUIE. 539 influence. The mode of pronunciation is greatly improved, a more efficient and extensive course of education is attended to, and the attendance on the schools is more regular. For a considerable period, there has been a Sabbath school in each of the united pa- rishes, from which the rising generation have derived great benefit. The old mode of burial has been long abandoned. The precise hour of meeting is observed, the time during which the company remain is short, and the service slight. The use of spirits, on other occ^ons also, has become more limited. As a proof of the general good conduct of the inhabitants, there have been no con- victions of any of them, so far as is recollected, before a criminal court, except in a few instance's for poaching. At the same time, worthless characters occasionally appear in the parish; but the worst of them come to us from other countries. Some have come from the north of England. The Irish also occasionally visit us, and ofiFer their services at a rate ruinous to native labourers ; and threa- ten to reduce these last to their own low condition. The profits from farms and the wages of labour having greatly decreased since the re-establishment of peace, there appears now a good deal of pecuniary distress. The consequence has been, emigration to the British North American possessions and the United States. Dr Smith observes in his Wealth of Nations, that man is, of all lug- gage, the most difficult to be transported ; and that such is his at- tachment tx> the place of his birth, and where he has spent his early years, that he will cling to naked rocks, and pestilential swamps, to a land of storms and tempests. This attachment, however, appears to be losing strength with many. And indeed such numbers of their frieuds and acquaintances have preceded them, more especially to the British North American possessions, that they no longer consider these to be the land of strangers. The population of the parish, it will be seen, has been steadily advancing, notwithstanding of emigration, and since employment has become more difficult to be procured, it is fortunate there is such a vent for the superfluous population. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. * — The whole extent of the parish is nearly SSjOOO imperial acres. Of this there are only 3000 occasionally cultivat- ed, the remaining 20,000 not having been ploughed within the last forty years. But at an earlier period, and before the middle of last century, cultivation had been extended considerably farther than • The ]iart of. this article which relates to Industry was drawn up hy Charles Stewart, Esq., factor for Mr Johnstone of Annandale. 510 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. it has been latterly. The number of farms was much greatef,-*two, three, and four, having afterwards in many cases been united into one : and the marks of the plough are visible on many places which have been long under sheep pasture. Within the last ten or twelve years, the proprietors and tenants of these pasture farms have found it profitable again to break up their dry uplands, which had been formerly ploughed, and were covered with heath and coarse grasses. They are generally of a fine dry soil ; and although the elevation is in most cases great, being from 400 to 800 feet above sea le?el, yet, when limed, they produce excellent crops of oats and potatoes, which, although attended with some risk in bad seasons, more amply remunerate the farmer than his land kept long in rotation. The pasture is, by liming and breaking, in part tripled in value. This improvement is going rapidly on ; and it is not perhaps too much to say, that there are yet 1500 acres more of dry soil to be improved, having an elevation that admits of its being profitably brought under occasional cultivation. There may be said to be no natural timber remaining in the pa-, rish, excepting a few scattered trees of ash along the banks of the Dryfe. The plantations are of very small extent, and chiefly made witliin the last five years. The whole do not exceed 100 acres, and are chiefly larch and spruce fir. Within the last two years a number of clumps have been plsCnted on the sheep-farms for shel- ter, — ^a system which will no doubt be carried to a considerable ex- tent. But although the soil is good, the elevation and exposure will make the growth tardy. About a century ago, ash trees seem to have been regularly planted around the farm-yards, and great care to have been taken in the rearing of them. From the plan" tations being so young, little management is yet required. Rent of Land. — It is difiicult to state a rent per acre of arable land, there being almost no farm without a considerable proportion of pasture. Were they separated, the best land on the lowest si- tuation (although there is none less than 350 feet above sea level, and most of it 600,) would probably give L. 1 per acre. But, taking the average of the whole, it would not exceed 10s. There being no farms devoted entirely to the rearing or grazing black-cattle, the rate of rent per head cannot be distinctly ascertained. Where cattle happen to be taken in for grazing on ordinary unimproved land, the rate paid for the summer grass may be L. 1 for a year old, and L. 1, 10s. for a two year old. The rent per head for sheep is well known. Of the whole extent of the parish two- thirds are occupied by regular breeding stocks of Cheviot sheep* HUTTON AND CORRIE. 541 and nearly all the stock-farms have been let just now from 5s. to 5s« 6d. per sheep. Live-StocL — About 15^000 acres, or two-thirds of the parish, are occupied as sheep-pasture in nine or ten regular breeding farms, keeping about 10,000 sheep, wholly Cheviot, with the exception of 600 or 700 of black-faced on the highest ground at the head of Dryfe. The farms are all what is termed grasty or strong land, and great attention having been paid to the improvement of the breed, perhaps there is no parish in Scotland which, on the whole, possesses a more valuable or productive stock of mountain sheep. The stocks belonging to Mr Graham of Shaw, and Mr Bell, te- nant of Whitcastles, have in particular been considered as among the first of their kind in the border counties. Within the last four years, crots lambs from Leicester rams are bred on the lower situat- ed sheep-farms, the ewe stock being kept up pure Cheviot. These cross lambs selling from twenty to thirty per cent above the Che- viot, has greatly increased the annual returns from these farms ; but it requires a longer experience to prove that this system will continue so profitable, there being considerable doubt whether the ewe stocks can be kept up of proper quality, and whether the pre- sent difference in the selling price of the lambs will continue. The other third of the parish, in point of extent, is divided into farms from 150 to 600 acres, chiefly occupied in the rearing and grazing of black-cattle. Each of these has a portion of land in cultivation ; but from its elevation, and the coldness of the climate, the farmers sell little corn, excepting in very favourable seasons. The cattle are all of the Galloway breed. They are mostly kept till two and three years old, and sold for the Norfolk market. Great attention has of late years been paid to their improvement, by ob- taining superior bulls from Galloway, and by giving premiums at shows; but there is yet much room for better management, espe- cially in the winter feeding. Ayrshire dairy cows have been in- troduced, apparently with much success, upon some fEU'ms in the neighbouring parishes ; and the farmsof this parish, which have ge- nerally tracts of strong rough pasturage, and abundance of meadow hay, have been considered well adapted to them ; while, on the other hand, the small extent of green crop, and want of early and kindly grass, have been stated as great objections to their profitable management. It is probable, however, that before long the ex- periment will be made. . Husbandry. — A good deal has been done in surface-drainbg 542 DUMFRIKS-SHIRE. the sheep land, and also the common cattle pastures ; but the lat- ter particularly admit of much improvement by this means. There have been few attempts at irrigatibn or embankments ; indeed, the latter are little required. About twenty years ago, an injurious system prevailed of breaking up the natural coarse pastures on cold soils. The crops of corn were at first great ; but the land is much depreciated in value. For some time past, this error has been seen, and none of this sort of soil is now cultivated ; while, as before stated, the attention of farmers has been directed to the dry upland ridges, which have been of old under the plough. The general length of leases on the property of Mr Hope John- stone, being three-fourths of the parish in point of extent, is twenty- one years on the cattle and mixed farms, and thirteen years on the sheep farms. * On a number of the farms of the parish, the steadings have been rebuilt and slated within the last thirty years. But a portion yet remains to be done. When new leases are now let in this district, the houses are generally put in good order and slated. In point of enclosure, there has been a great extent of fencing executed within the last twenty years. Still much requires to be done, in order to bring the land to its full value. The elevation and cold- ness of soil in most situations, and want of wood for paling, are bars to the success of thorn hedges, now extensively planted ; while stone dikes, which are the immediately useful and permanent fences, are, in most parts of the parish, difficult and expensive in the erec- tion, from the scarcity of material of good quality. The sheep district of the parish is, and has been, rapidly im- proving in production. There has been almost no change in the occupiers, for a long course of time. They are men of sufficient capital, and much intelligence in their business. The extent and progress of their enclosures, and good cultivation, their draining, and the high and improving character of their stock, shew that there has been nothing deficient on the part of the tenant, and no want of encouragement from the proprietor. With regard to the more numerous, but smaller black cattle and mixed farms, the tenantry have not been so prosperous. High rents fixed at the end of the war, (although largely abated,) loss of ca- pital by low and fluctuating prices, and by unremunerating cultiva- tion in bad seasons, have retarded the improvements of this class of farms. Now that it is discovered that there should be little corn raised in the district, and that the colder soils should never HUTTON AND CORRIE. 543 be ploughed, a more permanent and steady system of improvement may be expected to proceed. A good deal of attention has been directed to improvement by top-dressing with lime, and draining the extensive meadow lands for hay. The same system should ex* tend to the low-situated rough pastures. No fences should be erected, excepting to be well kept. These improvements, parti- cularly the liming, require great outlay on the part of both pro- prietor and tenant ; and they can only be attended to on the part of the latter, where the farms are moderatelv and under-rented. Should there be no great depression in the price of farm produce, there is every reason to expect, that, from the encouragement by the landlords, and increasing intelligence of the tenants on this class of farms, a steady system of improvement will proceed ; — al- though it may be noticed, that, hitherto in this district, in general these mixed cattle farms in cold districts have made much less ad- vance in value by improvement and management, than either the dry arable farms of the lower country, or the more elevated and extensive sheep farms. A circumstance may be mentioned, which will explain why the above species of farms has not, in many instances, thriven in this parish. The buying and selling of their black-cattle, a necessary part of the business of the farmers, has led to the habit of frequent- ing markets on all occasions, and ultimately to cattle-dealing, upon which, consequently, has followed inattention to their farms, and in too many cases, from the precarious nature of the business, loss and ruin. The changes, however, in the tenantry have already \io\ been numerous from this or any other cause ; — there being, since the peace in 1815, only two or three farms out of nearly forty in the parish, which have changed occupants. Produce. — The average amount of raw produce raised in the parish may be stated as follows : — Imp. octet, 950 of oats, including straw, at L. 3, lOs. . . L. 3325 900 green crop of all sorts, at L. 4^ . . 1200 250 rye-grass hay, at L. 1, 15s. . . . 437 10 60,000 stones of 24 lb. of meadow-hay, including cut from pasture land, at 3d . 750 10,500 sheep on regular sheep forms, total average amount of gross produce, at 7$. . . . 3175 1 ,200 ditto, partially kept on cattle grounds, at 4s. 6d. • ' 270 350 Galloway breeding cows ; produce, deducting fodder and green crop, at L. 3, • . • 1050 860 dittoyoungcattle,atL. 1, 12s. . . . 1372 350 swine, being grass produce, deducting green crop and grain given at L. 1 for summer pasture, niel, and trouble, 350 L. 11,929 10 544 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Tawn. — There are three different quarters in the pa- rish, where a number of cottages are collected* to the amount of eight, ten, and twelve. There is nothing in it, deserving the name of a village. The nearest market-town, where there is also a post-office, is Lockerbie, distant from the church about seven miles. Dumfries, however, distant seventeen miles, supplies the principal market, to which there are r^rular weekly carriers. Means of Communication, — The public roads have been greatly improved, or rather almost entirely formed, within the last thirty years. The country being considerably hilly, the roads were ori- ginally ill planned; but improvements are made from time to time, as the funds allow. There are two principal lines of road in the pa- rish ; the one from Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Lockerbie, towards Eskdalemuir, Ettrick, and Hawick, extending four miles ; the other from Moffat, towards Langholm and Carlisle, extending eight miles. There are three bridges over the rivulets, Dryfe, Corrie, and Milk, the last of which divides this parish on the south-east from Tun- dergarth, for seven or eight miles. The roads and bridges are kept in good repair. Ecclesiastical State, — The church stands near the Dryfe, on the west side of the parish, and is far from being in a central situa- tion ; the parish not extending more than a mile from it on the west; whereas, towards the north-east and south, it extends six. At the same time, the densest part of the population is round the church, and were a new one to be erected, it could not be perhaps placed more conveniently than the present The church vras built towards the beginning of the last century. An addition, in the lan- guage of the country, a jam^ was built to it in 1764. It b kept in good repair, and forms a decent place of worship. It can ac- commodate 312 sitters. The manse was built in 1808, some ad- ditions and improvements having been since made. The glebe contains nearly 28 Scots acres, and may be worth L. 16 or Lb 18 a year. The Court modified the stipend in 1823 to sixteen chal- ders, half barley, half oatmeal, with L. 8^ 6s. 8d. for conununion elements. The following distribution of the families of the parish among the different religious denominations approaches pretty nearly the truth. It is not professed to be perfectly accurate. In a number of instances, the members of a family belong to more denominations than one. Families belonging to the Established Church, 95 ; BUTTON AND CORRIE. 545 Relief, 22; Secession, 12; Reformed Presbytery, 1. The average number of communicants at the Established Church is 140. The yearly average amount of collection in the church for religious and charitable objects, may be stated at L. 15 or L. 16. Education. — There is a school in each of the divisions of the parish. That in the Hutton division is parochiaL The salary, as lately fixed, is L. 27. The school fees may amount to L. 15. Mr James Oraham, a native of this parish, bequeathed, in 1802, the sum of L. 260, two-thirds of the interest of which to be paid to the schoolmaster of Hutton, for teaching poor children reading, writing, and arithmetic, gratis. The school of Corrie is now be- come endowed. Mr Edward Moffat of Exeter originally left L.280, the interest of which to be paid to the schoolmaster of Corrie, on condition of his teaching the whole children of this division of the parish reading and writing gratis. In 1820, Mr James Wilson, a native of Moffat, and grand-nephew of the original founder, added Lfc 20 per annum to the salary, on condition of the schoolmaster teaching the whole children, reading, writing, and arithmetic, gra- tis ; and also that the school be considered as endowed ; he and his heirs and successors appointing the schoolmasters ; it being at same time understood, and expressly stated, that the trial of the qualifications of the schoolmasters, and the power of taking cog- nizance of their conduct, should be regulated by the act 1803. The heritors of Corrie have for a considerable time paid the school- master a small salary of L. 8, 6s. 8d. At the same time, they have reserved to themselves the power of withholding it, should they be so disposed. The schoolmasters' houses and school-rooms have been lately rebuilt, and are in a good state. Besides a gar- den, the schoolmaster of Corrie has four Scots acres of good pasture. The branches taught in the schools are reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, mensuration, navigation, Latin, Greek, and French. The expense of education for nine months, during which proportion of the year the schools are taught, (the vacations being seldom short of three months,) is as follows : reading, 6s. ; do with writing, 7s. 6d. ; arithmetic, 9s. ; any higher branches, 15s. Poor and Parochial Funds. — Owing to unfortunate dispensations of Providence, the expense of the support of the poor has, within these few years, been greatly increased. The average yearly ex- pense for the last seven years was L.d5, 17s. Assuming the number of families relieved to be 20, this gives nearly L. 1, 16s. for each. At the same time, a number of these cannot be con- 546 DUMFRIES-SHIRE. sidered on the poor's list, and receive merely a temporary relieil A few families, for the last four years, have received as high as L. 5 each. The funds to meet this expense are, collections in the church, L. 12 ; one-third of the interest of money, mortified by Mr James Graham, formerly mentioned, L. 4, 6s. 8d. The rest is supplied by donations from the heritors and others. I believe it is real necessity that induces any to apply for relief. An idly- disposed character may occasionally be found. Inns^ 8^Cn — There is an inn in each part of the parish, with ac- commodation for travellers. Spirits and ale are also sold at a toll-bar. There is no drunkenness in the parish ; and none can be said to frequent places, for the sake of strong drink. At the same time, spirits are drunk on occasions to a considerable extent. Fueh — Peat is used as fuel in this parish, except in a few fami- lies, which employ coal in their parlours. There are large fields of moss in the parish, sufficient for the supply of many future gene- rations. The providing peat occupies a great number of hands during a considerable part of the summer. It has frequently to be carried a distance of two and three miles. But as coals are very expensive, — Annan, from which they are chiefly brought, being sixteen and eighteen miles from the greater part of the parish, — it is considered a most fortunate circumstance that the other fuel is so abundant March 1833. Miscellaneous Observations. It is hoped that the following observations, pointing out various evils which depress the tenantry and other classes, though of a general nature, will not be deemed foreign to the objects of this work. 1. The state of the tenantry would be greatly improved by a dif- ferent mode of disposing of their surplus stock. The great pro- portion of their black-cattle and sheep, it is well known, goes to England. There is, however, no sound policy in the tenants them- selves proceeding with them to the south fairs, and in so far be- coming drovers : for not only are their farms thereby in danger of being neglected, and they themselves exposed to the risk of contracting unsteady and irregular habits, but there is, moreover, reason to apprehend, that they could not dispose of their stock to as good advantage as it would be disposed of by persons experien- ced in the trade. There appears, therefore, a propriety in dispos- ing of their surplus stock to merchants who present themselves. HUTTON AND CORRIK. 547 Nu\v, it is the unfortunate character of many of these merchants which constitutes a principal drawback to the prosperity of the far- mer. The writer must not be understood as insinuating anything to the disadvantage of men, who, having begun business on a small capital, and encountered bad fairs in the south, have not been able to implement their engagements. When they have made a fair surrender of their effects, nothing more can be required at their hands. But considering the great and repeated losses which farmers have experienced from the prevailing practice of giving credit, it surely deserves the consideration of the Highland So- ciety, and of the other associations for promoting the interests of husbandry, whether another system might not be devised, and such losses prevented. Wool-staplers appear at certain seasons, and it is not understood that there is much risk or loss in transacting with them. It is believed, that were due pains employed, a safe class of merchants might present themselves for other objects as well as wool. It may be thought that the evil will cure itself, and that such repeated losses witnessed will render the country more cauti- ous. But the evil does not appear to cure itself; and hence the interference of pubhc-spirited individuals, or associations, is most desirable. It is not meant, by what is here stated, to discountenance native dealers, even though in commencing trade their means should be humble. But it is suggested, that they should look, for support, to relatives or friends, who can attend to their proceedings, and ob- serve that they are of a prudent and safe description, and check that adventurous and reckless spirit, which is a common charac- teristic of the profession, when credit can be obtained. 2. The burden of vagrant beggars contributes in no ordinary degree to depress a parish. It is difficult to compute the numbers of these over Scotland. Dunlop, in his Parochial Law, computes them, towards the end of the seventeenth century, at 200,000. And it appears that Government established manufactories, in order to compel them to work ; and also ordered the burghs to build Correc- tion houses for confining and punishing them. The numbers are probably at present much less ; but they are still very great It is well known, that vagrant begging has, for ages past, been a regular trade. There are what may be called breeding places of pauperism over the kingdom, which send forth fresh swarms of paupers every sea- son. Many marry and rear families without the smallest consi- deration how they are to be supported, except by the trade of beg- 548 DUMPRIES-SHIRE. ging. These wanderers have been allowed to multiply over Scot- land without any hindrance. In England^ checks have been em- ployed to prevent the multiplication of the poor. They have been encouraged and assisted to emigrate ; or they have been employed at home on roads, railways, canals, and the plantation and enclo- sure of waste lands. But in Scotland, their increase has scarcely met with a single check. The expense of supporting them over the kingdom must be very great. Some years ago, it was comput- ed, on good data, that the expense of vagrants in this parish was ten times that of our own poor : and as our poor are half-support- ed by non-residing heritors, the expense of vagrants was probably twenty times the amount of what was contributed, within the pa- rish, for our own poor. From this, it appears to what a dreadful oppression the tenantry of the country are subjected. The loss is very great in a pecu- niary point of view. But it is not merely in this light, the subject should be considered. We may readily conceive the disgusting circumstances attending the communications of the tenants with these paupers, and the contamination to which their families are exposed from such intercourse ; and if the tenants are exposed to such oppression, the landed proprietors would do well to consider that their own interests must ultimately suffer. Indeed, the whole expense of vagrants must be considered as deductions from their rentals. Their tenants cannot thrive under such oppression. And, moreover, should they be exposed to it, they will do less for the resident poor ; and consequently, a greater burden will be thrown upon the heritors. In this county, there are parishes where as- sessments are established, while it has been customary to demand no part from the tenantry, on account of their being subject to the heavy burden of vagrants. It is to be regretted, that the very persons who chiefly suffer, are many of them hostile to any change. Having had vagrant begging always before their eyes, they look on it as a natural and necessary order of 'things. They look on vagrants as God's poor, for whose sustenance and support they are bound to provide ; not considering that the proper objects of charity, that may be found among them, form a very small proportion of the whole, — ^probably not one-twentieth part, — and that even these proper objects have a right to be supported by their own parishes. At the same time, the suppression of this evil will occasion inconvenience and suffer- ing to some. But no reformation can be set about without a per- HUTTON AND CORBIE. 549 tion of this. Not to mention the powerful reasons for suppression formerly mentioned, it appears even an act of humanity to stop the multiplication of this idle and profligate race ; and comiJlel them, if possible, to betake themselves to a life of industry, honesty, and decency. The oppression they occasion, moreover, prevents a due attention to our own poor, and it is not unfrequently alleged by many, that the expense of strangers is so heavy, that they have little to spare for the other. The same argument is employed to excuse their very indifferent contributions to public charities, or the funds of religious societies. Several of the counties of Scotland are now bestirring them- selves, and taking measures to root out this great national evil. And there appears little doubt, that the evil has only to be grap- pled with in order to be subdued. Should these counties perse- vere, and similar measures become general over the kingdom, the suppression of vagrant b^ging can still only be expected to be gra- dual. It appears to be a mistaken idea that it can be rendered im- mediately complete. Humanity points to a gradual abolition. It would be most distressing, should the wanderers find every door shut against them at once. By taking steady measures for a gra- dual suppression, they will obtain a fair warning, that the trade of begging is an unlawful one, and there is every reason to hope that they will gradually disappear. The great means to be employed, in accomplishing this measure, is to get the law of settlement en- forced. The limits prescribed to the writer prevent his attending to this and some other matters. Let it merely be observed in con- clusion, that when vagrants are sent to their place of settlement, they will accumulate in some quarters to very great numbers ; and the parishes may find it difficult to provide for them. It is to be hoped that collections and contributions will not be refused in be- half of cases attended with distressing circumstances.* * Sinoe the above was written, the county of Dumfries has adopted measures for the suppression of vagrant mendicity. A few years ago, the syaod of Dumfries ap- pointed a committee of their number to attend the meetings of the Commissioners of Supply, with a view to this object. After some delay, the commissioners directed the various parishes within the bounds of the synod to send reports, in order to enable them to judge whether the country was disposed and prepared to co-operate in putting a stop to the evil. These reports having been judged satisfactory, the oommissioners voted L. 80O per annum for the payment of constables to be employed over the county ; it being understood that such parishes only would be entitled' to the gratuitous services of constables, which sliould adopt the necessary regulations for putting a stop to vagrant begging. These regulations require station-houses to be provided in necessary places, where vagrants may get relief, and occasionally lodging, in passing, the parisiiioners steadily refusing alms. It is usual for a number of con- . tiguous parishes to form themselves into a union. Notwithstanding that the measures 550 DUMFRIES-SHIHE. 3. The use of ardent spirits debases and depresses all classes of the community. Two or three years ago, it was stated on autho- rity, that the consumption of spirits in Great Britain, was 30,000,000 of gallons, of which 5,000,000 were consumed in Scotland. Tiie population of Great Britain and Ireland was lately upwards of 23,000,000. And it has been calculated, that the expense of bread, the staff of life, is greatly less than the expense of spirits. The whole produce arising from the industry of all classes and pro- fessions, throughout the United Kingdom, has been calculated at L. 36,000,000, or L. 37,000,000. And a third of this has been employed in purchasing spirits. But while it appears that the loss occasioned by expending money on strong drink is of no ordinary description, this, as ever}' one knows, is by far the least evil attending the unfortunate pro- pensity ; the injury to health, and to every habit of activity, and every moral and religious feeling being incalculable. * 4. The habit of using tobacco and snuff wastes to a lamentable extent the resources of the inhabitants of a parish. The follow- ing statement will show what these articles cost immense numbers of deluded people, throughout the nation. The duties paid on to- bacco in Great Britain and Ireland for 1829 were stated to be L. 2,859,000. Add to this the cost of production, the expenses of freight, the profits of the manufacturer, wholesale merchant and retailer, and the whole will amount to an annual sum, which, in the course of fourscore years, would almost pay off the national debt. And all this is of course paid by the consumer. The pro- portion of duty for Scotland in 1829 was L. 273,000. Suppose L. 400,000 paid for the article by the consumers, which is pro- Imve been adopted for a short period only, and have, moreover, met with opposition in some few quarters, vagrants have in a great measure vanished from the county, llie office of constables, where they have been employed, has been found nearly a sine- cure. And it does not appear that their services will be long required. — Nov. 1837. * In 1834, the House of Commons appointed a Select Committee of their number to take evidence on the vice of drunkenness. The witnesses ascribe a large proportion, much more than the half of the })overty, disease, and misery of the kingdom, to this vice. Nine>tenths of the crimes committed are considered by them as originating in drunkenness. The pecuniary loss to the nation from this vice, on viewing the sub- ject in all its bearings, is estimated by the committee, in their report to the House of Commons, as little short of fifty millions per annum. A great many of the wit- nesses recommended the prohibition of distillation, as well as of the importation of spirits into the kingdom. In a religious view, the consequences of this vice, as ap- jiears frorn the evidence, are no less afflicting. In London, Manchester, IJverpool, Dublin, Glasgow, and all the large towns through the kingdom, the Sabbath, in- stead of being set apart to the service of God, is made by hundreds of thousands a high festival of dissipation, rioting, and profligacy. It is sincerely to be wished tluit the excellent institutions for rooting out drunkenness, now appearing in every \mi of the kiitgdom, m •^ '» i ^ •. • ' PARISH OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT. PlIBSBTTEnV OF KIKKCUOBRIGHT, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. JOHN M'MILLAN, MINISTER.' I. — TOPOORAFHY AND NaTDRAL HiSTORY. .Mime. — It seems nearly certain that the name of this parish, which, at diETerent times, haa been variously spelled, was derived from the famous Saint . Cutbbert. The ancient parish church stood ID a burying-ground about a quarter of a-mile to the east of the town, and was dedicated to the Northumbrian Saint, as were several other pUces of worship, both 'in England and Scotland. The burying-ground still retains the name of Saint Cuthbert's church-yard. The name of the parish is but a slight change from Kirk-Cut hbert, the Church of Saint Cutbbert. Extent, Boundariei, S^c. — The parish consists of three ancient parishes, namely, Kirkcudbright, Galtway, and Dunrod ,- Kirk- cudbright lies on the north, Gallway in the centre, and Dun- rod on the south. The two latter parishes were aanexed to Kirk- cudbright about the year 1683, but their churcb-yards, which are still used, retain the ancient appellations of Galtway and Dunrod church-yards. The modern parish of Kirkcudbright approaches the form of an oblong square, the west side protruding at the bui^h~ and St Mary's Isle. It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Kel- ton and Rerwick ; on the east, by Rerwick ; on the south, by the Solway Frith ; and on the west, by Borgoe, Twynholm, and Tongtand, the centre of the river Dee forming this boundary line till it passes St Mary's Isle, south of which it expands into an es- tuary. The extreme length of the parish, from the march of Kirk- bride on the north to Balmae head on the south, is upwards of 8 miles, and its extreme breadth, from the east side of the estate of Gribdae to a bend in the Dee at the town of Kirkcudbright, is abnut 3^ miles. Its superficial area contains about 33 square miles or upwards of 15,000 imperial acres. • Dravn up bj the R«t. William Mackenue, HiniMer of Sfcirlioa, ind ■ulboi of the Hiuorj of Cklloirmj. i CONTENTS. ANWOTH, RALHACLBLL«N, BALHAGHIE, BORfiUE, CARSPHAIRN, COLTRND AND SOUTBWICK, CROUHtCKAEI^ PALRV, SIKTBON, UtONBRAr, KBLTON, KIRKBBAN, KtBKCUDBHlOHT, SIRKSIINZEOK, KIRKHkBRBCK, KIRKPATRICK-DtlRHAU, KIRKPATRICK-IHONOBAT, LOCHRUTTON, HINNIOAPF, RERBICK, TERRBBLBS, TONGLAND, TROQUEBR, KIRKCUDBRIGHT. 5 From the lower bridge of Tongland, taking the course of the river, its run is about eight miles to the Solway. The highest spring tides reach to^ the Lin mentioned in the preceding lines. When^the tide is full, the river becomes a picturesque object from the top of Tongland hill, also from the higher grounds of CuU doch, the Borelands, and other places in the parish of Kirkcud- bright* Its links and windings, from its confluence with the Tarff, at Cumpston, gave it the appearance of a fine chain of lakes sweep- ing round the town of Kirkcudbright and St Mary's Isle. The Dee is navigable for ships of any size as far as the town of Kirk- cudbright, and for vessels of 200 tons burden to the lower bridge of Tongland. A brook, the sources of which are marshy ground, runs betwixt this parish and Berwick from Bombie, until it falls into the Solway at the west side of Mullock* bay, where sometimes vessels of small burden lie in fine weather. This brook crosses the road to Dundrennan at Ringligget, and is there called Ring* burn, probably from its occupying the line of march : it falls into the sea under the name of Mullockbum. Another brook, dividing the parish into two not very unequal parts, rises in the north end of it, at or near the march of Kelton. It is first called Hartburn, passing southward through a farm of that name, then, after receiving a rivulet of the same size, called Gribdae-burn, it obtains the name of Bucklandburn, and is aug« mented on one side by a rill called Clownstanegill, and on the other by one issuing from a ravine named Glenlay Heugh. Pro- ceeding onwards in its course, the brook at last gets the name of Grangeburn, under which it falls into the Dee to the south of St Mary's Isle. These brooks abound with yellow trout, and in the end of autumn numbers of sea trout and herling ascend the streams in order to deposit their spawn. In the upper end of the farm of Jordieland, where it joins the contiguous farms of Culdoch and Blackstockarton, there is a loch of considerable size, stocked with a species of yellow trout equal to that of Loch Leven. They With tumbling and rumbling Amang the rockis round, DeraUing and falling Into a pit profound.** lh«s Dee at different times assumes very dissimilar appearances; atone time it swells into a fearful sizei and at another dwindles into a scarcely perceptible rill. In 1822, it rose to a height of nearly twenty feet of solid water, and could hardly find a passage through the arches of the old bridge of Tongland, which appeared to vibrate, and in 1826 it suuk so low that its whole waters were confined within a channel of six inches in depth, and ten inches in breadth. 6 KfRKCUDBRIGUTSHlRK. weigh from I to 3 pounds, their fish is red and of delicious fiaYOur. They, however, try the skill and patience of the professor of the gentle art, as they are very shy and diflScult to take. The parish is plentifully watered, there being many other rills and an abuDdaot supply of springs of pore water within its bounds. In the burgh roods, chalybeate springs have been discovered, which, howe?er, are little valued, and have not been minutely analyzed, although their taste would indicate metallic impregnation fully as stroog as is possessed by some distant and celebrated fountains. The lioe of coast from Mullock bay on the east to Torrs' point, opposite the island of Little Ross on the westi extends about 8 miles* It » bold and rocky, except for a short space immediately below the farm house of Howell, and at a point east of that called '^ the Haen,'* t. fry about the 12th of May. The shell-fish of the parish are, lobsters, crabs, rock-oysters, cockles, muscles, wilks, buckies, limpets, pipes. Mussels are much sought after by the poor, and may be collected on some rocks in pretty large quantities. On the Torrs' shore are seen, during spring tides, considerable numbers of oysters. Buckles are here exten- sively used as baits for white fish ; they are therefore of much va • lue. Limpets and a kind of sand-worms are likewise used. There are few reptiles in the parish, aud insects are not parti- cularly destructive. The following animals formerly existed, but have now disap- peared, viz. the urus, — an animal resembling a bull, — the wolf, the deer, the wild cat, and the eagle. Bolam/.— The following list of the rarer plants belonging to the parish was kindly furnished to the writer by Major-General Irving, ~ " i House. m Hrpericumbun.ifii.um Allium arcnarium Dcoaer. glica iDula Hdenium Tinale longifclia laiMlei lacuslcii AllhM offieinilh Augallii lendlB oblu5[floruii AncbuM •empcrrirens Epilobium .IpiDum Lamium macu latum Ijthjru* latifoliui Antbcmii nobilii nlTHtiii Aner Tripolium Ha-*. assit^ss- LjFihrum ulieaiia Galium borede Malva mOKhaU Csnwiioa win punllum C*rduiu Harianui Molluga Mrrica Ciile Carliu Tulnria uligin^m Geranium phaum Goodjera rcpen* (Enaothe RiiuloM CoiTolTuhii lepiuin Cranbc nurilima 10 KIBKCUDBRIQHTSHIRE. PetroseliauiD, Hoffm, Sarobucus Ebalus UtricularU minor^ ■ aegetum Samolus Vaierandi vulgaris Phleuoi arenarium Sookipendriutn vulgare Vaeeiniuin Ozycoeoos PoCentUla Fragarjaatrun Seutdlaria galerieulata Valeriaoa pyreaaica Puliearia dysenterica minor __ rubra Ranunculus artrenab Solanum Dulcamara Verbaacuin Thapoit ■ Lingua Sfiarganium stinplex Vinca major Raphanus maritimiis Stacfays ambigua - minor Ruppla maritima . Germaniea Zoatera marina. Ruscus aculeatus Typba latifolia Forests or Pbmtatians^ — The plantations are composed pnoci- pally of oak, ash, elm, beech, plane, Spanish-cbestnut, larch, Scotch-fir, spruce, and silver fir ; and partially of alder, bircb, hornbeam, horse-chestnut, walnut, gean, maple, lime, laburnum) Huntingdon willow, poplar, balm of Gilead fir, and pinaster. There is little wood indigenous to the soil, with the exception of a few ash and mountain-ash trees in the glens of Glenlay and Bombie ; and along the bank of the Dee, a little below and abote the old bridge of Tongland. There are some oaks, in addition to the ash and rowan ; and farther up the river, within Culdoch, in the march of Netherthird, there are a few birch. The other plants and shrubs natural to such localities are, the hazel, hawthorn, sloe, wild dog-wood, crab, black-saugfa, whin, broom, buckie and bramble briars, rasp, honeysuckle, and ivy. There are a considerable number of beech-trees and some elms in St Mary's Isle, the circumference of the trunks of which reach 8 and 9 feet, and several of them 1 1 feet. One oak is 10 feet, and a Spanish-chestnut 14 feet in circumference. On the farm of Kirkland, in the south Gotland field, is a plane tree, the circumference of which is 11 feet, and the spread of the top covers a circuit of 60 yards. . II. — Civil Htstort. Historical Events. — The parish of Kirkcudbright is rich in his- torical events. The town is thought to have existed before the in- vasion of the Romans, and to have been known to them by the name of Benutium. Agricola, with his victorious army, pene- trated into the parish a. d. 82. He entered it on the north- east boundary, and having taken a British strength belong- ing to the Selgovae on the farm of Little Sypland, he encamped near Whinnyligget, about a mile from the captured fort. After re- ducing another strength on the farm of Meikle Sypland, the Ro- man army proceeded to Bombie, where t*hey formed an encamp- ment. After wresting from their defenders several intervening fort- lets, they again encamped near the site of the old church of Dun- rod. Another short march placed them before the important fort- KIRKCUDBRIGHT. H ress of Caerbantorigum, which they also seized* This fortress, which may be considered the principal border garrison of the Sel- govae, stood on an eminence of about 250 feet high at t)rummore. The Romans retained possession of it during the reigns of the An- toninesy or, as some think, for nearly 800 years. The inhabitants of the locality must have derived many advantages from the pre- sence of these more civilized andjndustrious foreigners ; for Agri- cola was particularly zealous in promoting improvement among the conquered tribes of Scotland. Whilst Malcolm IV., Ion of David L, was a minor, Fergus, the Lord of Galloway, whose palace stood on an island in Lochfergus, near the town of Kirkcudbright, abjured his connection with the Scottish crown, and asserted his independence as a sovereign prince. ^The King took up arms to chastise him, and twice invaded his rugged territories, but without success. Malcolm marched against the Galwegian chief a third time, with additional forces and redoubled ardour, and completely prevailed. In 1 160, Fer« gus resigned the Lordship of Gralloway, and retiring into the abbey of Holyrood, nest year died of grie£ He bestowed upon this in- stitution the church and village of Dunrod, with the lands and church of Galtway. Fergus was a prince of great piety and some notoriety. He married Elizabeth, illegitimate daughter of Henry I., King of England, and was much at David's Court. He was ancestor of Bruce and Baliol, and from him the royal families of both France and England are descended. Fergus was succeeded by his two sons, Uchtred and Gilbert, between whom, according to the Celtic law, his dominions were divided. The brothers became mutually jealous of each other, and on the 22d of September 1174, whilst Uchtred resided in bis castle at Lochfeigus, he was attacked by his elder brother, de- prived of his tongue and eyes, and murdered in a most barbarous manner. Uchtred, like his father, was distinguished for his piety : he bestowed the church of Kirkcudbright upon the monks of Ho- lyrood, who enjoyed the tithes and revenues, whilst the cure was served by a vicar. The last in the male line of the ancient princes of Gralloway was Allan, who died, in all probability, in the castle of Lochfergus, or Kirkcudbright Castle, and was buried in Dundrennan Abbey, founded by Fergus, his great-grandfather. During the competition for the crown of Scotland, Edward I., who was appointed umpire, committed the keeping of the castle 12 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. of Kirkcudbright, erected by one of the Lords of Galloway, to Walter De Courry, and afterwards to Richard Seward, who, od the mandate of the English King, deliYered it up to John Ba- llot, to whom the kingdom of Scotland was nominally awarded. After his defeat at Falkirk, the patriot Wallace took shipping at Kirkcudbright, and sailed to France with Maclellan of Bombie, ancestor of the noble family of Kirkcudbright, and about fifty faithful adherents. Edward I., in his career of conquest, readi- ed the town of Kirkcudbright, and took up his abode in the castle, where he remained with his queen and court for ten days, and made his usual oblations in the priory church. From the port of Kirkcudbright he sent into both England and Ire- land large quantities of wheat, to be made into flour for the use of his army. The Archbishop of Canterbury, attended by his learned dignitaries, clerks, and servants, followed Edward to Kirk- cudbright with a Papal bull ; but before his arrival the king bad departed from the town. Bakers from Carlisle, and experienced fishermen with suitable nets, attended the royal army. Edward Bruce having subdued Galloway, received from bis royal brother, as a reward of his important services, the Lordship of Galloway, with the castle of Kirkcudbright, and all Bailors forfeited estates. This ruler granted to the priory of Whithorn the half of the salmon fishery of the Dee, near Kirkcudbright. In the reign of James II. Sir John Herries of Terregles applied to Douglas of Threave Castle for compensation for some robberies committed by the dependents of that powerful chief. The appli- cation was unsuccessful ; and he, aided by Maclellan of Bombie, made an inroad into the territories of the Earl, but his party was routed, and he himself taken prisoner, and executed in defiance of the king's command. The encounter is thought to have taken place about a mile aqd a-half from the town of Kirkcudbright, on the old road to Dumfries, at a place still called ** Herries'- slaughter." The tutor of Bombie soon shared the same fate. Admittance having been obtained, either by force or treachery, into his castle of Raeberry, the principal residence of the family, he was seized, carried to Threave Castle, and beheaded, although Sir Patrick Gray, the King's messenger, had arrived to demand the custody of the prisoner. Douglas was stabbed by the king's own hand in the castle of Stirling on the 20th day of February 1452. In about three years after this event, James visited the town of L KIRKCUDBRIGHT. I'i Kirkcudbright to make arrangements for laying siege to the strong castle of Threave, the last place that held out for the Douglasses. The citizens afforded him assistance, having supplied, it is believ- ed, the iron from which Mons Meg was manufactured. Before the fall of the Douglasses, the capital of Galloway remained a burgh of regality under their oppressive sway,, but it was now cre- ated a royal burgh by a charter dated at Perth the 26th of October 1455, the chief magistrate being styled alderman. The Maclel* lans of Bombie often held this office. After the battle of Teuton, in 1461, Kirkcudbright afforded shelter to the unfortunate Henry VI. of England and his high-minded queen. The King resided here until his indomitable consort visited Edinburgh to concert measures with the Scottish Government for regaining to her hus- band the English crown. On the 16th of April 1462, Margaret, with a convoy of four Scottish ships, sailed from Kirkcudbright to Bretagne, in France, and in J 463, the feeble Henry returned to England in disguise. It appears he had only four attendants with him in Scotland. In the spring of 1501, the town of Kirkcudbright had again the honour of a royal visit. James IV., in one of his numerous pil- grimages to the shrine of St Ninian at Whithorn, diverged thither, and, with his usual liberality to the clergy, bestowed Lb 1 upon the priests, and L. 5, 5s. upon the friars, to buy a Eucharist. Thomas, Earl of Derby, a young, fiery, and warlike chief, hav- ing succeeded to the sovereignty of Mar, to extend his fame and gratify the hostile feelings of his subjects to the Scots, made a de- scent upon the shores of Galloway in 1507, at the head of a formi- dable body of furious Manxmen, and nearly destroyed the town of Kirkcudbright. For some years afterwards many of the houses remained in ruins. James IV. again visited the burgh in 1508, and was hospi- tably entertained by the inhabitants. On this occasion, he grant- ed them the castle of Kirkcudbright and its lands, which had reverted to the crown on the forfeiture of the Douglasses, on whom it had been bestowed in 1369 by David II. This grant was confirmed by a charter in the following year, dated the 26th of February ; and it is said to have been made on account of certain aids afforded to his grandfather, James II., when engaged in the reduction of Threave Castle, and for services to James him- self. On the 9th of September 1513, Sir William Maclellan of Bom- bie, the principal proprietor of the parish, was slain with a num- 14 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. ber of bis dependents in the disastrous battle of Flodden. His son fell in a feud by the hand of Gordon of Locfainvar, at the door of St Giles' Churchy in Edinburgh. The Duke of Albany, regent of Scotland, and next heir to the crown, in 1523, embarked at Brest in a fleet of eighty-seven ves- sels, and having escaped the English squadron, landed at Kirk- cudbright on the 7th of October, where he was joyfully receifed. During the minority of Mary Queen of Scots, the.English hav- ing gained possession of Dumfries, summoned the town of Kirk- cudbright to submit to the authority of Edward VL This demand being refused, a detachment of the invaders on horseback pro- ceeded to the town, under the command of Sir Thomas Carletooi to. compel obedience or bum it. They reached their place of des« . tination, a little before sunrise ; but the inhabitants had got no- tice of their approach, and, according to Sir Tliomas's account, *^ barred their gates and kept their dikes ; for the town," be adds, ^* is diked on both sides, with a gate to the waterward, and agate at the overend to the fellward." The English alighted from their horses, and vigorously assailed the place ; but they could make no impression upon it. One man was killed within the walls by an arrow, and immediately some of the women began to be alarmed for the safety of their husbands. The tutor of Bombie^ at the head of a party of his friends, now made his appearance, and flercely attacked the besiegers ; but, after three of his men were killed and a number of them wounded or made prisoners, he thought it advisable to retire. Though only one of the English fell in the conflict, they did not venture to attack the town a se- cond time, but retired to Dumfries. After the destruction of the ill-fated Mary'^s army at LangsidCf fihe fled into Galloway, accompanied by Lord Herries and bis fol- lowers. Having travelled along the west side of the Ken, she crossed the Dee by a wooden bridge, thought to have been erect- ed by the Romans, near Tongland church, and entered the pa- rish of Kirkcudbright. Whilst her attendants were engaged in breaking down the bridge to prevent pursuit, she remained in a neighbouring cottage. The ruins which long existed in the farm of Culdoch were called " Dun's Wa's." The fugitive Queen re- mained three days in the district before proceeding to England. To avenge the death of Mary and his own wrongs, Philip, King of Spain, &c fitted out a stupendous fleet and collected a vast army for the invasion of Britain. The place fixed for the landing of KlUKCUDB RIGHT. JS the Spanish troops was the harbour of Kirkcudbright Lord Maxwell hurried home from Spain to arm his followers, and landed at the same place. The fate of the Spanish Armada is well known : it was defeated by the English fleet before it reached the destined port, and the elements completed its destruction. James VI. appears to have been in Kirkcudbright when in*pur- 8uit of Lord Maxwell ; for the burgh is in possession of a'small silver gun, which, according to tradition, was presented to the in- corporated trades during his visit, that they might occasionally shoot for it, and by this means improve in the use of fire*arms, — then rapidly superseding the bow and arrow as implements of war. The year 1587 and the letters T. M. C, supposed to be the ini- tials of Thomas Maclellan of Bombie, are engraven on the barrel of this miniature fusee. The trinket, seven inches in length, has. been shot for, only three times in the memory of the oldest person now living, Ist, in 1781 ; 2dy on the 2-2d of April 1830 ; and, Sdy on the 28th of June 1838^ the day of the Queen's coronation. The capacious wassail bowl belonging to the burgh was filled and refilled on the joyful occasion. When Charles I. visited Scotland to conciliate the favour of his northern subjects, he bestowed upon Sir Robert Maclellan of Bom- bie the title of Lord Kirkcudbright, and granted a new charter to the burgh dated the 20th of July 1633, which created the pre« sent corporation, consisting of a provost, two bailies, a treasurer, and thirteen councillors. In the Battle of Philiphaugh, John, third Lord Kirkcudbright commanded a regiment which he had raised at his own expense, chiefly among his tenants. It behaved with great bravery, and was awarded 15,000 merks out of Lord Herries's forfeited estates. In 1663, a serious riot took place in the parish at the introduc- tion of a curate. Commissioners were appointed to repair to the burgh, and make the most searching inquiry into the particulars of this contempt of authority. After examining a number of wit- nesses, they ordered Lord Kirkcudbright, John Carson, late pro- vost, John Ewart, who had been chosen provost, but had re- fused to accept of the office, and several women, to be carried prisoners to Edinburgh. Some of the rioters were imprisoned and afterwards fined ; and several of them were exposed at the market- cross of Kirkcudbright, with papers upon their faces stating the nature of their crime. After the defeat of the insurgent Covenanters at RuUion Green 16 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. in the Pentland Hills, Major M^Culloch of Barholm, John Gor- don of Knockbrex, and Robert Gordon, his brother, were sen- tenced to be executed at Edinbui^h, and their heads sent to Kirk- cudbright, to be exposed on the principal gate of the. town. This sentence was put into execution. In 1684, two CoTenaiiters, William Hunter and Robert Smith, who had been apprehended at Auchencloy, on the Dee, were brought to the town, where a jury being called, and the empty forms of a trial gone through, they were sentenced to be first hanged and then beheaded : this sen- tence was literally carried into effect. They were buried in Kirk- cudbright churchyard, and a stone still points out the place of in- terment. John Hallam, another Covenanter, was also tried and ex- ecuted in Kirkcudbright : his remains rest in the same churchyard. In 1685, Sir Robert Grierson of Lag surprised John Belief Whiteside and some others on the hill of Kirkconnel, in the pa- rish of Tongland, and barbarously ordered them to be instantly put to death : be would not allow their bodies to be buried. Mr Bell was the only son of the heiress of Whiteside, who, after the death of his father, had married Viscount Kenmure. This no- bleman met Lag in company with Graham of Claverhouse oo the street of Kirkcudbright. Kenmure accused Lag of cruelty, when he retorted in highly offensive language, which so provoked the Viscount, that he drew his sword and would have run it through the body of the persecutor, had not Claverhouse interfered and saved his life. The encounter happened near the door of an inn at the north end of the town. William's fleet, on its passage to Ireland, continued for some time wind-bound in the Bay of Kirkcudbright. He erected a battery on the eastern shore, some traces of which still remaio. In 1698, a woman named Elspeth M*Ewen was brought to trial for witchcraft, condemned and burned to death nearHhe town. On the 12th November 1 706, the magistrates, councillors, and other inhabitants of the burgh petitioned Parliament against the Union. A riot afterwards took place. Previous to the Rebellion of 1715, Kirkcudbright seems to have been fixed upon as the place where the Pretender was to land. So enthusiastic did the inhabitants become in the royal cause, that they sent a company of foot under the command of their late provost, to assist in the defence of Dumfries against the rebels, who intended vigorously to attack it. On the 1st of June 1750, Thomas Miller of Glenlee, Esq.i 3 18 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. John Maclellan, who wrote, in 1665, a description of Gralloway in Latin for Blaeu's Atlas, which gained him some celebrity, vas minister of Kirkcudbright. Dr Thomas Blacklock, who bad been blind almost from in- fancy, was ordained to the pastoral charge of the parish of Kirk- cudbright in 1762. He was both an elegant writer and an amiable man. His settlement being strenuously opposed, he at length felt himself compelled to resign his living and retire to Edin- burgh. Basil Willi&m Lord Daer was the eldest surviving son of Don- bar, Earl of Selkirk. About the year 1786, his father's advanced age prevented him from engaging personally in the improvement of his estates ; and, by a generous and merited act of confidence, he devolved the management of his property on his talented son. Lord Daer turned his attention to the study of rural economy in its various branches, and displayed much ability in the formation) and diligence in the execution, of his admirable plans. His ex- ertions, however, were not confined to the improvement of his fa- ther's estates ; they extended to the promotion of every measure of public utility. By his liberality, judgment, influence, and ex- ample, he induced the proprietors of the district to form proper roads, to erect suitable bridges, to lay out ornamental plantations, to build better farm-houses, and construct convenient offices. This celebrated nobleman died on the 5th of November 1794, at the early age of thirty^two years. Of Lord Daer, the History of Galloway thus speaks : — '* We cannot name this amiable and youthful nobleman without remarking, that his genuine distinction did not arise from the accidents of rank, influence, and fortune. He belonged to the aristocracy of nature — to the peerage of in- tellect ; for, if his useful and valuable life had been spared, the magnitude and buoyancy of his talents would have raised him to eminence, and the south of Scotland to unexampled prosperity. We do not remember this truly great and good man, who, during his short and philanthropic career, gained the esteem, commanded the admiration, and riveted to himself the hearts of all by whom he was surrounded ; but well we remember, that in our boyhood, his name was never mentioned in the town of Kirkcudbright, with- out emotions of the liveliest enthusiasm and veneration. He set an example that has been widely followed, and the district tn which he resided will long reap the fruits of his disinterested la- bours." KIRKCUDF;RIGHT. 19 Thomas, Earl of Selkirk, was distinguisbed as a scholar, an author, and a politician. In the management of his estates, hd followed the judicious plans devised by his brother. He died at Fan, in France, on the 8th of April 1B20, having scarcely com- pleted the forty-ninth year of his age* James Wedderburn, Esq., Solicitor- General of Scotland, died in 1822, at St Mary's Isle, and was interred in Galtway church- yard. Ministers of Kirkcudbright since the Revolution^ with the years when their names first appeared in the synod book ; — " John Spalding, 1689. Andrew Cameron, 1695. George Gartshore,* 1723. Thomas Blacklock, 1762. William Crombie, 1765. Robert Muter, 1770. George Hamilton, 1820'. John McMil- lan, 1837. Chief Liand-owners. — The Earl of Selkirk is the principal land- holder in the parish. Parochial Registers, — A parochial register is regularly kept by the kirk-session. The oldest record commences in 1 692. Antiquities^ British Forts, jfc. — In the parish of Kirkcudbright^ there are many vestiges of British forts ; indeed, the whole eastern banks of the Dee, the line of demarcation between two hostile tribes, the Selgovae and Novantes, seem to have been studded with ancient fortifications. The most important in size and strength was Caerbantorigum, on the farm of Drummore. The hill on the top of which it stood commands a most extensive view both of land and water. The fort was surrounded by two ramparts, composed of earth and stone, and a double fosse, which remain almost entire, the ram- parts being still covered with heather. In the middle of the enclosure is a pit partially filled with stones. To what uses it may have been devoted, it is now impossible to conjecture. It has the appear- ance of a well. In a piece of marshy ground at some little 'dis< tance below the fort, is a large well, the sides built of stone, which some think supplied the garrison with water. At short dis- tances from the eminence are still observable traces of the hostile Roman camps. About a mile and a half from Drummore hill, there are the remains of another British fort, likewise of a circular form, on the farm of Milton. There are two hill fortlets near the old ehurch of Galtway ; and a hill on the farm of Meikle Syp^ ^ Th« distinguished physician, Dr Maxwell Gartshore of London, was his son, ' '^^ KIRKCUDBUlOHTSHrUK. land exhibits the site of a pretty entire fort, of about forty paces in diameter. This emineDce overlooks a vast extent of country, and no enemy could have approached the fortress without being seen at a considerable distance. Between this and Galtway, traces of a Roman camp are still visible on Bombie Mains ; and the re- mains of two British posts appear at no great distance. The farm of Little Sypland contains a large British fort: between the strongholds on the two Syplands, is the site of a Roman camp Dear Whinnyligget. In the farm of Carse was a British fort, of about fifty paces in dia- meter, placed there, in all probability, to protect a ford nearly op- posite in the Dee, and to overlook a portion of the river. Castles. — On an island in Lochfergus, now drained, stood the strong mansion of the ancient Lords of Galloway. There were two fortified islands in the lake, the larger, about 90 paces in dia- meter, was called Palace Isle, and the smaller. Stable Isle. The Lords of Gralloway, as formerly noticed, had another castle in the immediate vicinity of the burgh, named Kirkcudbrigbt- Castle. In old deeds, the lands are called Castle- Mains ; but nov the place bears the name of Castledykes. The castle was sur- rounded by a deep ditch, or fosse, into which the tide at bign water probably flowed. Traces of the building are still apparent, though it has been long since demolished. The Maclellans had a castle at Bombie, from which they took their title ; but it is now a heap of ruins. They had another and a stronger castle at Raeberry, also in the parish of Kirkcudbright* It stood upon a rock which overhung a terrific precipice above tbe Solway Frith, and was disjoined from the main land by 8 deep fosse, with a strong wall. Across it, was a huge drawbridge, said to have been made of hard freestone. The wall and drawbridge are supposed to have been destroyed about ninety years ago, and the interior buildings about two hundred years prior to that time. A^ present, nothing remains but the site and fosse. Antiquities— Burffk.— The town of Kirkcudbright was ancient- ly encompassed by a wall and fosse. None of the wall is now vi- sible, though the fosse, or ditch, is still open in several plac^ The space within the wall was almost a square, each side being about 350 yards long. The town had one gate at the river, ana another on the side next the Barhill, called the Meikle Yett. * The three globular stones which stood above it are placed on tbe g>te of churchyard. place of worsliip after the mngistrates of Kirkcudbright had ob- tained possession of the Friars' church. Galtway* church stood on high ground, about two milei from the burgh. Traces of the walls are apparent. The church seemi to have been but small, about 30 feet in lehgth by 15 in breadtb. The church-yard is still used by a few families. It is complelel; surrounded by a thriving plantation, and has a veny sequestered a]>- pearance : the ancient wall, much dilapidated, exbibila its fo^ mer boundaries. The enclosure is but small, namely, 67 paces long and 45 broad. The oldest monument is Thomas Ledder- dale's of St Mary's Isle, who died on the lOth of February 1687. In the neighbourhood are some traces of a village which ihe plough has not entirely effaced. The church and lands of Galtway were appropriated to ihe prior and canons of St Mary's Isle, a dependent cell of Holjrooil, and continued to belong to that establishment until the Reforma- tion. The priory stood in the parish of Galtway. Dunrodt Church was situated at the distance of nearly three and a-half miles from the town of Kirkcudbright. The churcb seems to have been about 30 feet long and IS broad. It alsobe* longed to Ho1yrood.| The churcb-yard is of a circular form and continues to be used. The population here was once considerable, though now few houses remain in the neighbourhood. In the end of the seven- teenth century, the heritors of Dunrod and Galtway opposed the minister's application for an augmentation of stipend, because the parishes were a mere waste. At what time the three parishes were united, is not exactly known ; but it is thought that both Galtway and Dunrod were an- nexed to Kirkcudbright in 1663. The priory of St Mary's Isle with its church, stood upon a piece of ground which must have been completely insulated at every influx of the tide. It is now a beautiful peninsula, and contains the seat of the Earl of Selkirk. This change has been affected partly by the retreat of the sea along the whole coast, but particuliirly at St Mary's I'le, and by embankments formed on each side of t.e isthmus between the island and the mainlaDd. ■ From ths Brititb gatt, a itMp amnt. t Thii word i> uid to be Jeriied rrum Otn, » hill, snd rudd, red. , t The Abbot of HolyroDd grsnled to the collegiate church of Btgg«r the right 1 twtrunngelof the perpetual Ticaiage of the psiish thurcb of Dunrod. in ih« itm"? sf Kiikcudbrighl, on the 5th Maj JAM.— 95 1167 . 152S 2690 1117 1580 2697 26 KIRKCUDBRIGHSHItlE. ous, and imperfectly constructed. Almost all the ordinary drudg* ery of life was performed by females. Little employmeDt could be obtained, and the price of labour remained miserably low. Education at this period was in a deplorable state. Few of the common people could read even the Bible, and superstition pre vailed to a lamentable degree. Amount of the population of the parish at each census . In 1786, 1792, 1801, 1811, 1821, 1831, 1841, Population of the burgh : In 1821, 1831, 1841, Population of the country in 1841, 829. The country portion of the parish is thought to have been at one time much more populous than at present. During the last year, there were 60 births, 50 deaths, and 10 marriages in the town and country. There are some individuals above ninety years of age. One noble family, and several persons of independent fortune reside in the parish. There are five proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards. The burgh also has a rental from land, of about L. 600. 795 families reside in the parish, namely, 635 in the bui^b> and 160 in the country. The parish contains 5 insane and 2 fatuous persons. There are in it one blind person and one deaf and dumb. Character, — The people of Kirkcudbright are as intellectual, moral, and religious as those of any other parish ; but their iotel* ligence is free from pedantry, their morality from cant, and their religion from fanaticism. They have been long distinguished foe their attachment to their pastors, and respect towards their supe- riors in station. The higher ranks are attentive and hospitable to strangers, and the lower ranks are peaceable, modest, obliging) and industrious. Formerly, they were said to be addicted to tb$ use of spirituous liquors ; but such a charge cannot now be brought against them, at least with any foundation in truth. There are few crimes committed in the parish, and these by no means of an 4 KIRKCUDBRIGHT. 27 aggravated nature. Poaching in game still prevails, though to a trifling extent, considering the temptation the great abundance of game presents, the facility of turning into money, and the poverty of some of the inhabitants. Smuggling is now almost unknown, and no regular pawnbroking has ever been carried on in the pa« rish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — There are about 3000 acres in tillage, and 500 ivhich remain constantly in waste or pasture. About 500 acres have been planted. The management of the plantations is good* Rent — Theaverage rent of arableland isabout L.1 per acre. A cow or ox can be grazed for L. 4 for the year, and a sheep for ds. Wages. — The rate of wages for farm labourers and country ar- tisans may be stated at Is. 4d. per day. Men servants, on an ave-> rage, receive about L.4, and women servants L.2 half-yearly, with victuals. Masons' wages average 2s. 6d. per day, and house car- penters, 2s. Cattle are of the Galloway breed, and sheep of the Leicester. The general duration of leases extend to Bfteen years ; but leases are not numerous. The state of farm buildings and enclosures is good. Draining is now much attended to. Fisheries. — The river Dee contains three valuable salmon-fish- eries. The rent of the Tongland fishing, which belongs to Alex* ander Murray, Esq. of Broughton, was once as high as L. 705. Its present amount is not correctly known. It is extremely pro- ductive. Three hundred fish have been taken out of a pool called the Sandbed, on the Kirkcudbright side of the river, at one draught ; and even during last season, one draught yielded no fewer than 100 salmon and grilses with three trouts. Out of another pool called the Sheep- Dubb, on the same side of the river, were taken at one time last summer, 589 fish, some of them of a large size. The burgh has a fishery, which lets at present at L.80 per annum ; and Lord Selkirk possesses a third, the rent of which is generally sup- posed to be about L.:50. This is also a productive fishery, and the quality of the salmon cannot be surpassed ; they are princi pally taken in yairs. A considerable quantity of excellent cod is caught off the mouth of the river by hooks fastened to lines. Produce. — The average amount of raw produce raised in the parish cannot be exactly ascertained. The following may ap- roach the truth. t / L.8000 2000 10,000 1890 SOO • 1000 1500 28 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Produce of grain, Potntoea, turnipsi &c., Land in pasture, xiaVf • • • • • Gardens, .... Fisheries, ..... Miscellaneous produce, TotaUalue, LJ24»a90 V. — Parochial Economy. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is coDveniently situated for the greater part of the population : no houses are above three and a-half miles distant from it. It is in a state of complete repair Benefactions, — In 1639, Robert Johnston, Esq. physician, Los- don, left to the poor of Kirkcudbright the sum of L.500 Sterling. In 1730, David Currie, Esq. of Newlaw, left L.16, interest to be applied in purchasing Bibles for the poor at New Year's day ; and in 1803 James R. Smyth, Esq. of Nevir York, left L.31 for the same purpose. Mr Currie of Newlaw left L.20, the interest to be paid to the poor in sixpences at New Year's Day. In 179'» William Lawrie, Esq. of Barnsoul, bequeathed to the poor LIO, interest to be applied in purchasing meal and coals. Willii^iQ Johnston, Esq. of Madeira, left in 1795, L.100 interest to be ap plied for the same purpose. In 1779, David Sproat, Esq* of Portmary, mortified L.200 for clothing and educating poor bojS) the sons of respectable burgesses. William Johnston, Esq. of Mar- whim, in 1802, invested in the hands of the magistrates Ul 00, in- terest to be divided among *^ five householders who had seea bet- ter days." In 1831, Alexander Gordon, Esq. of London, left L.270, the interest to be paid annually to the poor by the minis- ter and kirk-session ; and in the same year Miss Jean Gordon of Threavemains invested L.80 for the same purpose. In 1833, Jonn Commelin, Esq. Dumfries, left L.400, onehalf of the interest to be applied in aid of the poor, and one-half for purchasing pn^^ for the grammar school. Thomas Macmillan, Esq. of the gram- mar school, bequeathed, at his death in 1827, L.200 for educa- tional and charitable purposes, and L.6 yearly from the lands of Bellerigg, one-half for a prize to tl^e best scholar in the grammar school, and the other half for purchasing entertaining books, to be divided among the poor of the town of Kirkcudbright Stipend. — The minister has no manse, but he receives L50 per annum as manse rent. He has one glebe, for which he draws an yearly rent of L.18. His stipend last year amounted to L.240) but the average amount may be about L.280. 30 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. creeks, possessed 54 vessels^—tonnage, 2069. No foreign vessels trade to the port A little above the harbour is a ferrji where passengers are carried across the river in a flat-bottomed boat of an oblong form, with both comfort and expedition. To each end of the boat is attached by hinges, and suspended by chains, a broad platform or pathway, by which all kinds of vehicles can enter, aod depart without loss of time, and almost with as much ease a« if travelling along a common road. The boat is commodious, and can hold at once four carts with their horses attached, or two car- riages and one gig. It is moved along a chain by a crank weocfa. The rent of the boat and boat-^house is L.128. Incorporated Trades* — There are no public or private associa- tions in the parish for the encouragement or improvement of anv branch of industry ; but there are six incorporated trades, namely, the Squaremen, 36 members ; Tailors, 13; Weavers, 22; Hiun- mermen ; 13; Clothiers, 20; Shoemakers, )7; total uumberof members, 121. AfffrAtf^-Tbtm.-— The only town in the parish is Kirkcudbright; and there are no collections of houses in it to which the term villages could be applied. In Kirkcudbright, a weekly market is held every Friday, but it is not well attended. At one time, more foreign trade was carried on by the burgh than at present Sel- dom more than one cargo of wood, containing about 15,000 feet, has been annually imported. Much coal and lime is received from Cumberland ; and a great many articles of general traffic, such as flour, herrings, groceries, haberdasheries, hardware, iron, lead, slates, freestone, &c. are conveyed from Liverpool and other places, both by land and sea. Bone-dust and guano are also fre- quently imported. From the parish of Kirkcudbright are regu- larly exported, corn, potatoes, meal, wool, turnips, beans, black- cattle, sheep, salmon, grass-seed, timber, staves. From the 5th of April 1842 to the 5th of April J 843, there were sent from the port of Kirkcudbright 50 quarters of wheat, 338 quarters of bar- ley, 5268 quarters of oats, 6 quarters of beans, 8 tons of toesit 688 tons of potatoes, 7840 stones of wool, 60 tons of turnip^i and 80 cwt. of rye-grass-seed. 721 black-cattle, and 12,005 sheep» were also exported from Whitsunday 1 842 to Whitsunday 1^^ Means of Communication. — The means of communication whicb the parish enjoys are excellent Two commodious steam-boats sail regularly from Kirkcudbright to Liverpool, once in the week in summer, and once in the fortnight in winter. Two coachef KlltKCUDBRIGHT. 31 irisit Kirkcudbright daily from Dumfries ; and, exclusive of the carriers from the adjoining parishes, there are carriers weekly from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dumfries, Stranraer, Newton Stewart, New Galloway, and Gatehouse of Fleet. The London mail arrives at the post-office twice in the day. The roads in the parish are kept in good repair. The turnpike road, about a mile and three-quarters in length, is perfectly smooth and level. There are only two bridges in the locality worthy of notice, and both are over the Dee between the parishes of Kirkcudbright and Tongland. The old bridge, which is still in good repair, was built upwards of 1 10 years ago, and cost only between L.400 and L.500 : it has two arches. The new bridge, completed in ]808» cost L.7d50. It consists of one large arch of 1 ] feet span, and three small arches on each side. Harbours. — The parish of Kirkcudbright contains two good harbours. In the harbour at the town, vessels often disload at the beach and load in the dock. One side of the dock is of wood, and the other two sides are of stone. The river opposite the harbour is 30 feet deep at spring-tides, and 500 feet in breadth. At neap-tides, its depth is from 20 to 25 feet, and its breadth about 400 feet. Below the harbour is a ford, b^ which the river may be sometimes crossed, the depth of water upon it on some singular occasions being not more than 1^ foot.* There is another harbour about two miles and a-ha)f from the mouth of the river, called Torrs' Lake, or Manxman's Lake* Here almost any number of vessels might lie in safety on a clay bottom. At four hours of flood, there is generally a depth of from 14 to 16 feet of water. Before reaching it, a bar, which cannot be crossed by ordinary vessels at low water, extends across the channel, but at half-flood there are from 10 to 12 feet of water upon it. Two towers and a lighthouse lately erected on the island of Little Ross, kept in one line bearing south-west, lead over the bar in the deepest water. For this harbour vessels fre- quently run in bad weather, but before they can gain admittance to it, they have often to anchor at the Ross-road in from two to three fathoms water. Many faital accidents have occurred from * Iq the severe winter of 181d>14, the river opposite the town became completelj ^^ittten over, and passenger regularly crossed it upon the ice ; even some iodividuals ^ent across on horseback. Such an event had never before been heard of. 32 KIUKCUDBBIOHTSHIRE. mariners mistaking other inlets for the entrance to the Dee. The lighthouse on Little Ross will now be seen from a great distance, and serve as a beacon to direct shipping, but particularly strtngec vessels, to a haven of safety. The lantern is about 50 feet aboTe the level of the sea at high-water. The light is a revolving one, producing a bright flash every five seconds. Police. — The Rural Police of the stewartry consists of a super- intendent and eleven officers. The superintendent and one of tbe officers reside in the town. This officer's district connprehends the parishes of Kirkcudbright, Rerwick, Tongland, and TrogDhoIm. The burgh has one police officer in its constant employment, and two additional officers receive salaries for assisting to keep tbe peace of the town and other public services. There are besides a harbour-master and some steward-officers in the parish. Steward Court. — A Steward Court is held within the town (or ordinary cases every Friday during session, and a Commissary Court when business requires, the Steward-substitute being gene- rally the presiding judge. A Small Debt Court for the disposal of cases where the claim is under L.8» 6s. 8d., is held once in the fortnight. From the legal knowledge, acuteness, and patience of the Judge- Ordinary, this Court has become very popular. Tbe number of CAses disposed of in it during the last year was 27'2, exclusive of those decided in the Small Debt Circuit Court Iq the Steward Court, during the last year, were tried, with or vith- out a jury, no fewer than 59 criminal actions. Both the ma- gistrates of the burgh and the justices of the peace also sometimes hold courts for disposing of civil and criminal business. Banks, — There are two branches of banks in the town of Kirk- cudbright, namely, one of the Bank of Scotland and another of the Western Bank. Water. — The town is excellently supplied with water, brought in leaden pipes from springs at the distance of nearly half a mile from the main cistern. This useful work was completed in 1763, and cost L. 440 Sterling. The burgh defrayed about one-half of the expense, and the inhabitants the other. Even in the dry summers of 1826 and 1842, there was no great scarcity of water. AfarAf/5.-^The markets in general are supplied with abundance of provisions, and prices are moderate. Assessments. — The inhabitants of the town enjoy a complete ex- 3 RIRKCUDBKIGHT. 33 emptkin from all local assessments, such being paid from the burgh revenue.^ Education, — Kirkcudbright is well provided with the means of education. There are no fewer than eleven schools, six of them endowed, and five unendowed. Three of the endowed, namely, the Grammar, the Commercial, and the English schools, are united, and form the Academy of Kirkcudbright. This institution is under the patronage of the magistrates and town-council, and the sala- ries of the masters are paid by the burgh. There are nearly 200 pu- pils constantly attending the academy, and the fees for one branch of education vary from 2s. to 7s. 6d. per quarter. In the classical departments are taught Latin, Greek, and French, with ancient geography, &c. Attached to the grammar school is a library con- sisting of between 300 and 400 volumes of useful literature. It was instituted by the present master in 1837. The teacher of the grammar school is allowed a yearly salary of L.50 ; and he realizes by fees about L.60. In the commercial department are taught mathematics, navigation, geography, book-keeping, arithmetic, writing, &c. The teacher receives a salary of L.50 ; and his an- nual fees amount to about L.90. The master of the English school has a yearly salary of L.40; and his fees on an average amount to Ii.60. In this class are taught history, geography, com- position, and the principles of the English language. The Aca- demy of Kirkcudbright has long maintained a high reputation. It can boast among its teachers of Dr Cririe, afterwards one of the masters of the High School of Edinburgh ; Mr Thomas McMil- lan of Bellerigg, long a zealous, efficient, and celebrated instruc- tor ; and Mr Robert Mitchell, subsequently one of the masters of the New Academy, Edinburgh, There is one other endowed school in the town, namely, a fe- males' school, where needle-work and some other branches are taught* The mistress of the Ladies' school receives from the funds of the burgh a salary of L.20. The master of another school is allowed an annual gratuity of L.IO, one- half of which is paid by the burgh, and the other by the Countess of Selkirk* Seventy scholars attend this school, and the fees, which vary from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per quarter, amount annually to L.80 : no school- room is provided. There are three other unendowed schools in the town, namely, one containing 109, another 50, and the third 40 * Revenue of Uie burgh during the last Tew Ul 131 ; the debu amounted to LJ^7, oemely, L.1803 mortified money, and L^784 borrowed money. KIBKCUDBRIOHT. C 34 KIBKCUDBRIGIITSHIBE. pupils; fees varyiDg from Is. 8d. to Ss. per quarter. Aboot 100 children are educated gratuitously from a collection made yearly in the parish church, and the interest of money mortified for the purpose. In the town, classes almost constantly exist for the or- namental branches of education. There are two endowed seboob in the country, each of the teachers of which has a house and gar- den, and L.25, Ids. 3d. of salary. These schools are geDeiallj attended by nearly 100 scholars* None of the fees exceed Ss. per quarter, lliere is likewise an unendowed schooli attended b about 40 scholars ; the fees in it are very moderate. For about thirty years, a Sabbath school has been open in the town, and has been attended generally by 300 scholars. It is ud- der the superintendence of the minister, assisted by the gratuitous labours of a few benevolent individuals. From the opportunities of obtaining education which prevati, and of which the people seem disposed to take advantage, tbere are few or none above the age of seven years who cannot read. Literature. — A few years ago, the town contained two circulat- ing libraries. At present, neither of them is in active operatioDf cheap periodical publications having tended to supersede tbeoQ* In 1777, the principal inhabitants of the district established a sub- scription library, for which they selected books of interest and me- rit. Of late years, the number of subscribers has rapidly decreas- ed, and few new works have been obtained. Last winter, how- ever, a new library was formed on the basis of the old, and the to- tal number of subscribers now amounts to about 50. It is still impossible to predict what success may attend this iostitutioo. The town contaj^ns one reading-room, supported by subscription. It receives no periodical works, but several Scotch and English newspapers. There are two printers* presses in Kirkcudbright) but no periodical works issue from them. Charitable and other Institutions. — No alms-houses, poor-bouses, or hospitals exist within the parish. A soup-kitchen, however, confers an incalculable benefit upon the poor during the drear}' months of winter, by dispensing clean and wholesome nourishment at least three times a- week, either gratuitously or at a very soaall price. Savings' Bank,— At Whitsunday 1842, a branch of the National Security Savings' Bank was established in Kirkcudbright From its commencement until the 10th of May 1843* the deposits amounted to L. 423, 9s. lOd., and the sums withdrawn were verj triBing. The depositors are principally servants, both male and female, mechafiics, and children of the middle class. Poor and Paroehiai Fundi. — During the last year the roll con- tained the names of 180 pennanent paupers, with 80 who received occauonal assistance. The poor are relieved principally by church collections, interest of money mortified for their use, and alms db- tributed in private. The church collections amounted last year to L.140, 8s. 6d. ; contributions from heritors and bui^h, L.80 ; mor- tifications, &C. L.3B, ] 7s. ; total, L. '259, 5s. 6d.* It is imposdble to estimate the sum bestowed in private charity. The allowance of each pauper from the sessional fund varies from 13s. to L. 6 annually. There are several charities, foundations, and mortifica- tions, where the magistrates and members of the town^countul are sole trustees. The poor in general evince little delicacy in applying for paro- chial relief: they do not consider it degrading to solicit charity. Prittm. — The number of persons committed to the prison of Kirkcudbright from 1st April 1842 to Ist AutI 1843, was 8S criminals and 15 debtors. The offences or crimes for which the criminals were committed are the following : Fur child mnnleT, I Brswh of ihe peace, 9 Then, ... 29 Uttering bue coin, . . 2 Auull, ... 12 Eipoung childien, . 2 Mencrful begging, . 5 Contempt of oouit, 1 Halieiou* m»cbief, 4 — BrcMh of Game iiclg. . 13 Criminals, 85 Fidiioft, ... 6 Debton, IS Procuring money on felie pretences, I Total eommitled, 100 The number of prisoners in confinement on 1st April 1843 was, criminals, 14; debtors, 3. Offences or crimes for which the criminals were committed. Foi theft, . . . S Procuring mane; on GUn pretences, 2 Houie breaking, ... 3 — Ullering bMe coin, 2 Criminal*, 14 Forgerj and fraud. 1 Debtors, 8 17 Committed, 100 ToUl number in one ^car, 1 17 The prison is pretty well secured, though it is only partially sur- rounded by a wall. Proper means are used for preserving the health of the prison- era. Each is comfortably clothed, and receives three meals a-day of plain, but wholesome food. Their hands and faces are washed f slue, bestowed upon thcui 36 KlHKCrDBRlGHTSHlRE. night and morniog, and their feet once in the weelu The; ar« bathed once in the month, and the male prisoners are shaved twice in the week. Clean linens, clean stockings, and clean handker- chiefs are furnished to them every week, clean sheets every fort- night, and clean blankets every month. They are allowed to take daily exercise in the open air, and are supplied with various kinds of employment in their apartments. The jail is under the particular superintendence of the Count; Prison Board, consisting of nine members, the steward, or bis sub- stitute ex officio being one. The new system of prison discipline is in operation. The keep- er, matron, and male warden riside within the precincts of the pri- son, and the prisoners are regularly visited by the chaplain and surgeon. The keeper acts as schoolmaster. Thirteen individuab were committed during the last year who could not read. Fairs. — Hiring fairs for farm and domestic servants are held annually on the last Friday of March, and the last Friday of Sep- tember. Aday Jbr hiring hay and harvest workers is likewise held yearly on the Friday, immediately preceding Keltoohili fair at midsummer, but not much business is transacted on any of tbe days. The ancient iairs of the burgh have fallen into desuetude. Inns, — The parish contains twenty-seven inns, or houses licensed to sell spirituous liquors. It is probable, however, that the num- ber will soon be materially diminished. FutL — Coal is the principal article of fuel used both in tbe town and country. The average price is about J Is. per too of 20 cwt. Wood and peat, which are procured in the neighbourhood, are also used, though in small quantities. The coal is geoeralij brought from Cumberland. Constituency. — The town contains 102, and the country 26 elec- tors. Kirkcudbright, with Dumfries, Annan, Lochmaben, and Sanquhar sends a member to Parliament. Miscellaneous Observations. The size of the town of Kirkcudbright has considerably io« creased since the last Statistical Account was written. One building Society was formed in 1808» and another in 181^' These Societies erected in whole 112 houses, which have not only enlarged the town, but, from lowering the rents of houses, tended to augment the population of the parish. In 1838, a Gas Ligbt Company was formed, and a great improvement has taken place in the lighting of the streets. The people are now better fed, better clothed, and better Icxi Tl oa T ra * is di ef is g< tb fsi\ ill an in 'ivi ci oi t o c i i t M KIRRCUOBRIOHTSHIRE. ham, a dwellinffj has been added. If this etymology can be relied on, the name is sufficiently descriptiye of the situation of thediurch of Twynholm. The time when the parishes of Kirkchrist and Twynholm vere united, is uncertain. It is known, however, that the unioo took place in the course of the seventeenth century. Kirkchrist was a separate parish in 1605. In Blaeu's Atlas, published in 1654, Kirkchrist has the symbol of a church put to it, as if it had still been the church of a separate parish. But, in 1684, wheo Symson wrote his account of Galloway, the church of Kirkchrist had been long in ruins. From these circumstances, it is probable that the union of the parishes took place soon after 1654|— the time when Blaeu's Atlas was published. Extent — The parish of Twynholm, as now constituted, is about ten miles long, by nearly three broad, where the length and breadth are the greatest. Its figure is a sort of oblong, widest at the centre, and tapering towards the northern and southern ex- tremities, till it ends almost in a point. It is understood tocoDtaio about 16.7 square miles. Boundariei. — It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Girthon and Balmaghie; on the east, by Tonglaod and the river Dee, which separates it from the parish of Kirkcudbright; and on the south and west, by Borgue. Topographical Appearances. — In the northern part of Tff}^' holm the hills rise to a considerable height, and consequently some of the lands in that part of the parish are incapable of cultJTatioDt and used solely for the pasture of sheep and black-cattle ; but in the southern part, where it approaches the Dee, there b to be found excellent land, both for cropping and pasturage. Like roost of the land in this part of the kingdom, the surface is very irregular, and even in the richest cropping districts, knolls rise up in the middle of the corn fields, and the rocks protrude to the very sur- face of the ground. The whole parish appears to rest upon a bed of whinstone. We have no sandstone, and granite occurs on)} id the shape of large boulders ; which, however, are to be found m great abundance in many places. Rivers. — The only rivers worth mentioning are the Dee, aud its tributary, the Tarff, forming part of the eastern boundary of the parish; but the account of these rivers will more naturally belong to some of the neighbouring parishes. There is, however, abundance of water throughout the whole of Twynholm, suppli^ by a number of small streams that fall into these two rivers. TWYNIIOLM. 39 We have also several sheets of water of considerable extent. The largest of these, Loch Whinyeon, lies at the head of Twyn- holm, on the borders of Girthon. The waters of this loch for- merly found a vent by Glengap burn, which carried them into the Tarff ; but a tunnel has lately been driven for a considerable way through a hill, which has diverted them into another course, for the purpose of driving the cotton-mills at Gatehouse. - In the former Statistical Account it is said, that, with the ex- ception of some old trees about Compston, there were very few in the parish. It is mentioned, at the same place, that plantations of considerable extent had been made by Lord Daer on the lands belonging to the Earl of Selkirk. These plantations have thriven well, and add greatly to the beauty of that part of the parish in which they are found. Mr McMillan has also done much to beautify the lands of Barwhinnock, by small plantations tastefully laid down, so as to give both ornament and shelter to a portion of the parish which was formerly bare and exposed. II. — Civil History. Eminent Men* — The only man of eminence in literature known to have been connected with Twynholm is Alexander Montgome- ry, the Homerus Scoticus of Dempster, who lived at Compston Castle ; and Symson mentions the tradition, that the poem of the " Cherry and the Slae" was written by him at this place, dur- ing the reign of James VL Historical Events. — The only well authenticated historical event connected with the parish which is worthy of note, is the re- sidence of Edward I. of England for some time within its bounds. On the 17th July laOO, Edward entered Galloway. On the 1 9th he came to Kirkcudbright, and remained there for about ten days. He then crossed the Dee, and continued for about ten days more at Twynholm, waiting for provisions, which were brought to him by sea. On the 9th of August, he advanced to the Flete. Dur- ing the time he remained at Twynholm, he made three several offerings at the altar of the chapel there, of 7s. each.* Antiquities. — There are a number of British forts in the parish of Twynholm. A tumulus was opened near one of these, and there was found a stone-coffin, containing human bones. There was also discovered in it an instrument resembling a hammer, with some coins. * In preparing a field in the glebe for green crop in the summer of 1842, the la- bourers found a number of tmall silver coins of the reign of Edward I., of about the HZQ of a sixpeuce. Three of these are in the possession of the writer of thb account. 40 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. It is Stated that there was at one time a nunnery in the pamh of Kirkchrist ; and it is probable that the site must hare been hi the southern part of that parish, though the exact spot caanot be ascertained. There are still two farms there, bearing the Dame of High and Low Nunton, and the Nunmill adjoins to them. In the last Statistical Account it is mentioned, that there were tbe ruins of a castle upon the Nuntou. Nothing now remains of these ruins, except some mounds covered with grass; but there are per- sons still living who remember the old tower, and tbe stairs bj which, when children, they were in the practice of ascending it. The only ancient building now remaining in the parish is tbe Castle of' Ck>mpston, which is in a very ruinous conditioD, oolv three sides of the Cower being left, and even these thilBateoiog to fall. Land-owners. — There are sixteen proprietors in the parish. The chief of these are, the Earl of Selkirk, patron of the parish, who possesses nearly one- half of the land in value, though not io extent ; Mr Maitland of Dundrennan, who resides at Compston, in this parish; and Mr McMillan of Barwhinnock, who also re- sides upon his property here. Mansion Houses. — The houses of Compston and BarwhioDock have been built by the present proprietors. They are substantial and convenient. Modem Buildings. — The church was built in 1818. It is ^ neat and plain building, well suited to the parish, and furnishing accommodation for rather more than 400 sitters. The old church was built in 1730, at which time the situation of tbe church and churchyard were changed,— the former church having stood near- ly a quarter of a mile south from the present site. Parochial Registers. — The parochial records and registers have been by no means regularly kept, and part of them were consumed bv fire. The oldest volume in existence contains the records of the kirk-session mixed up with a register of births and marriages from 1693 till 27th October 170a In this volume of records there are many entries that are inte- resting and valuable, as showing the state of the people at that time. From J7th October 1703 till 14tb June 1730, there is ^^ blank in the records. From this last date, there are occasiooai entries till May 21st 174)'. There is then another blank, with the exception of a few loose leaves that appear to have been tlie scrolls of the session-clerk till 4th April 1762, and the entries are continued at intervals till 29th April 1804. The register of TWYNHOLM* 41 births and marriages commences in 1763, but does not appear to have been very regularly kept For four years back, the session records and the register of births, deaths, and marriages have been regularly and correctly kent. A 1 1 L — Population. The population in 1755, was . 519 176d, 510 1791, . 611 1794, 620 180), 683 1811, 740 18?l, . 783 1831, 871 1H41, . 777 Id the winter of 1838-9, . 797 Of whom there were males, 378, and females, 419. The partial decrease that has taken place since the census of 1831, is to be principally attributed to the circumstance, that, in 1831, extensive improvements were carried on, on the estate of Barwhinnock, and as these are now completed the labourers who were engaged in them have removed with their families. About 2d0 of the above-mentioned inhabitants reside in the vil- lage of Twynholm, the rest in the country. Yearly average of births for the last four years, of deaths, 27 11 of marriages, Of the population there are under 15, upwards of 70, 51 • > 299 29 Two families of independent fortune reside within the parish. There are thirteen proprietors of land of the yearly value of L.50 and upwards. Of these four reside within the parish. Number of unmarried men, bachelors, and widowers upwards of 50 years of age, 18 unmarried women upwards of 45, . . 32 families in parish, . . . 157 inhabited houses, . , . .127 There are five fatuous persons, of these, four are paupers, and two of them nearly blind. Poaching in game, it is to be feared, prevails to a considerable extent, more particularly since steam navigation has been introdu- ced into this quarter, and a ready market is thus found for any game that may be taken. IV. — Industry. Of the families in the parish there are about ninety-seven di- rectly dependent on agriculture for their support ; fifteen are the families of tradesmen employed chiefly by the agriculturists ; and 42 KIRKCUDBUIGHTSHIRE. the remaiDder, with a few exceptions, are engaged in occupations, in which they owe their employment either to the two families of independent fortune that live in the parish^or to the fanners. Agriculture. — The parish contains about 8502 acres Scots ; of these there are in pasture, about 2600 ; under wood, about 260 ; arable, about 5500. The remainder may be supposed to be oc* cupied with roads, water^ &c. Rental. — The total rental of the parish is about L.6250, allow- ing a feir value for the land in the possession of the respectire proprietors. The parish is chiefly agricultural, or rather, like most of the land in the district, agricultural and pastoral combined. There is one farm in the northern part of the parish principally stocked with black^faced sheep. The rest of the farms are stocked with black-cattle and white-faced sheep, and in most of them (he dif- ferent fields are brought under tillage in rotation. Besides the land incapable of cultivation, there are two farms containing above 500 acres of rich old pasture kept in perpetual grass, and in many of the farms a field or two is never ploughed for the sake of the old grass. In the tillage farms, the most usual rotation of crops at present followed is, U/, oats; 2(/, oats; do. Li20U to LJ300 per annum or upwards, 15 ^ , , Do. L.50toL.lOO, ... 4 Total of persons employed in agriculture, ... 300 mechanics and manufacturers, . ... 28 shop-keepers, ..... 8 carriers, ...... 2 Number of fiituous, ..... 1 Character of the People. — Of the habits of the people we can speak in favourable terms. They may be characterized in general * Sir J. Gordon died January 8lh 1843, and was .succeeded by his son Sir Williami still a minor. BOROUB* 57 As charitable, yet frugal, cheerful, industrious, and well informed, according to the stations which they occupy. Smuggling, which at one time prevailed to a great extent, is now extinct It will be well for us when the same can be said of poaching, a practice which is at present the source of grievous injury to the morals of this and several adjoining parishes. The facilities possessed for transporting game by the steam-packet which now plies betwixt I^iverpool and Kirkcudbright, has tended to augment this mischief. The provincial, if not national, games of quoits and curiing are practised in Borgue with unabated ardour. From an early pe- riod, the youth of the parish discover something like an innate relish for the latter of these sports ; and it is not until his sinews have been unstrung by the feebleness of declining life, that the veteran curler reluctantly forbears to wield his broom. The friendly parties who visit our rink from neighbouring parishes, we have reason to believe, uniformly carry home a good report of the receptUm they meet wi(h here. IV. — Industry. AgrieuUure, — The number of acret occationally in tillage if 8500 imperial measure. uncultivated, 4364 Total, . . 12»864 It is not considered that any part of what is now uncultivated could, with advantage, be brought under tillage. Rent of Land* — The average rent of land may be stated at 17s. per acre. That of arable land, at L.1. The average rent for grazing is at the rate of L.4 for an ox, and L.6 for a cow, if straw or coarse hay be given on the field. Without any fodder, for an ox, L.3 ; for a cow, L.4, 4s. ; for a sheep, 18s. Wages. — To a common labourer in summer, 2$. ; in winter. Is. 6d. An artisan in summer, 38. ; in winter, 2s. Live^StocL — Cattle are almost exclusively of the Galloway breed, and the greatest attention is paid by the farmers to have their stock pure, and of the most correct symmetry. The remark of the former reporter is as applicable as ever, that " the farmers here are as attentive to the shapes of cattle as a jockey to the proportions of a horse. Even an eye or an ear is not to be over- looked." Some of their observations may appear whimsical, but hi general they are certainly well founded, for one of good pro- 58 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. portious is always easily kept, sooo fattened^ lOid, as Mr Ramsav has observed, ^* commonly tells well at the end of the balaooe.'* The sheep pastured here, for some time, chiefly consisted of the Leicester breed ; and, more recently, a breed from the Cheriot eve, crossed with the Leicester ram, has been preferred, as more hardy, and the mutton superior* Husbandry. — The recent introduction of bone manure, aDdtlie opportunity afforded of communication by steam with the English markets, have materially affected the system of husbandry of thb district. Turnip husbandry has very much increased ; the soil of Boigue is particularly well adapted for it ; and, from its kindly dry nature, is likely to derive from it permanent benefit. At the same time, from the unarable character of the surface in many fields, aod from the lightness of the soil, it is not desirable to push tillage beyond the necessities of the winter fodder required for cattle, on most of the farms. The rotation of cropping considered to be the best adapted for the parish in general is the following : 1st year, a crop of oats; 2(/, turnips; 3cf, barley or oats; 4M, hay or pasture; 5(A, pasture; 6M, do. ; 7 thy do ; and so on for two or three years more if the contingencies of the farm will admit ; care being taken to lime and dung the (allow suflSciently, and to feed off with sheep. Land thus partially grazed, on account of the nutritive qualities of its pasture, pays better than under a close system of tillage. ImpravementSy jfc. — For some time after the close of the war, agriculture was in a state of stagnation. During the last fifteen years, improvements have again advanced rapidly. By Sir John Gordon, extensive plantations have been outspread along the steep slopes of his demesne and the adjoining iarms ; much has also been done by the same spirited proprietor in draining and cultivating moss ; a considerable extent of which, in the neighbourhood of his policy, is now converted into good meadow. Mr Ireland of Bat- traw has also planted and enclosed, in a very judicious maooer, a considerable extent of his property in Borgue. Many of the farms on the Earl of Selkirk's estate have, in the course of a few years, completely changed their appearance. This is partly due to the intelligence and enterprise of his tenantry,— but still more to the liberal encouragement given by his Lordship for liming and draining wherever required. The good effects of judicious liming are also apparent on the BOROUB. 59 lands of Borgue, and Low Carleton, which yield not less than a third (we believe it might be stated at a half,) more produce than befoie the application of this powerful stimulant. The farm-steadings and enclosures which, forty years ago, were of the most miserable description, are now in general good and suflScient. Fences. — Stone walls from five to six feet in height, are the fences in common use. For constructing these, Borgue enjoys the advantage of numerous quarries, which yield an abundant sup- ply of stones of the best description. The soil is considered too hard and rocky for planting hedges, — at the same time, with right management, this useful fence might be more frequently employed, and would be found service- able in giving the shelter so much wanted in exposed situations against the severe gales which are here prevalent LeaMeM. — The land-owners of Borgue, to the hurt of their te- nants and the injury of their estates, were for some time very backward in giving leases, and much of the land was let from year to year. The views of proprietors on this point appear now to be changed, and the lands of Borgue are let for the most part on leases varying from fifteen to nineteen years. Produce. — The following table furnishes as accurate an ac- count as can well be given of the amount and value of the gross produce. We have not the means of coming at the exact truth on each head. Grain of all kinda from 1500 English acres, 25 bushels per aere, equal to 37y500 bushels, (moat part poUto, Uopetoun, and oommoo oata^) at 28. 9d. per bushd, .... L.4218 15 170 imperial acres of potatoes, at 12 Galloway boUs, of 8 cwt. each, per acre, at 98. per boU. - - - . - 918 940 imperial acrea of turnips, at 20 tons per acre, if eat off with sheep, TsJue per acre, 1*2, fia., . - - - 765 550 imperial acres of rye-grass, at 80 stones of 28 Ibo. per acre, at 6d. per stone, led from the 6cld, - - . 1100 150 imperial acrea of meadow hay, average 90 stones, of 28 Iba. per weste, at 5d. per stone, . - - -^ 281 To find the measurement of lands in pasture deduct the foregoing, ▼is. of white crops, - - 1500 acres, of green cropa, ... 510 of artificial hay, - - ^50 of meadow bay, - - - 150 Together with planutions , - - 250 Waste land in cultivated fields, blank fiillow, sites of stead- ings, &c - - - - 284 a244 From the whole measurement of the parish, - 12,864 5 There remains of pasture. 9620 Carry OTcr, L.7283 60 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE* Brought over, L.7283 On the estimate tliat each ox will require 3 acres for summer posture, and the value of one acre for winter fodder, we have pasture and fod- der equal to 2375 cattle^ which, estimsted as above, at L. 4 each, , yields .... 9700 Fishings, saj • - • - 50 riantationsy garden produce, and honej, for which the parish is fo- mous. ... - 100 Total yearly value of raw produce, • L.17,IS3 Manufactures. — Besides the produce of two bandloom weaversi there are no manufactures. As there is a suflSciency of water power, it is not improbable that mills may hereafter be erected. Navigation. — The proximity of a safe and commodious harboar, has induced one of our enterprising farmers to build two vessels of considerable size, for the exportation of grain and other produce; and for importing coals, lime, and such other articles as are want- ed for home consumption. Our ports are visited also by other coasting vessels, as occasion requires, V. — Parochial Economt. Market-Towns. — Gatehouse and Kirkcudbright are nearly at equal distances from Borgue, The market day of the former is Saturday, of the latter, Friday, — and about an equal number from Borgue attend each. Cattle are bought and sold, either at home or at the Castle Douglas market, held on Monday, to which, though more distant, many of our farmers repair. Roads. — The great turnpike road from London to Portpatrick passes through Borgue at the distance of three miles from the pa- rish church. This, as well as the other roads in the parish, is kept in excellent repair, though unfortunately the funds raised for keeping up the roads have been burdened with a considerable debt, which renders the present assessment somewhat oppressive to the tenantry on whom it has been laid. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is conveniently situated, as nearly as possible in the centre of the parish. It is seated to accommodate about 500 persons, and is remarkably well attended, whenever the weather permits the more distant part of the popu- lation to come out. The church is a modern Gothic structure, elegant in its de- sign, and conspicuous on all hands, even at a great distance, in consequence of its elevated situation. The manse, built in 1802, is commodious and in good repair. As the population has increased above 100 since the church was built in 1814, additional accommodation is now urgently called for. This, indeed, may be furnished without much trouble or ex- BORGUE. 61 peDse, as the aisle admits of a gallery being erected at a conveni- ent distance from the pulpit, and in such a way as to obtain suffix cient light and elevation, without incommoding the area beneath. The three glebes, Kirkandrews, Senwick, and Borgue, which are still disjoined, contain above 20 acres of good arable land, which was greatly improved by the two former incumbents. The teinds are exhausted, and yield, exclusive of the grant from heritors of L.50 per annum, L.220. At the last dispensation of the Sacrament (1840) of the Lord's Supper, the number of communicants, including a very few strangers, was 367, — considerably more than a third of the whole population. From this it may be seen that the number of persons belonging to other denominations is inconsiderable. Their relative numbers may be stated as follows : Established Church, 965 ; Baptists, 8 ; United Secession, 10; Roman Catholics, 12. An association for prayer, and for promoting the Schemes of the General Assembly, was formed some time ago. Its meetings are held on the first Monday of every month. MduaUioH. — The Borgue Academy, conducted by a rector and assistant, enjoys a deserved celebrity as a classical, but especially as a commercial seminary. In addition to the emoluments deriv- ed from Mr Rainy's mortification, which, from circumstances con- nected with the manner of investment, as well as the present low rate of interest, now fall greatly short of the founder's design and expectation ; the head master receives the maximum salary, and is paid, except by 20 free scholars, a rate of wages varying, ac- cording to the branches taught, from Is. 6d. to 5s. Out of these funds, which may amount from L.110 to L.120, the usher's salary is paid. The number of children who attend the academy ave- rages 120, — nearly the whole of these belong to the parish. A school for sewing and reading is kept in the village by a fe- male teacher on her own adventure. Forty children, for the most part under eight years of age, attend this school, and, besides the branches mentioned, are carefully instructed in spelling, writ- ing, and grammar. The average number of children attending the public schools may therefore be stated at 160 scholars. For several years, classes for religious instruction, under the direction of the minister and rector of the academy, have been taught according to the methods now commonly pursued, on the afternoon of the. Sabbath. From 60 to 70 children attend. There are two other Sabbath schools, conducted by ladies in re- 62 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. mote quarters of the parish, at which from 20 to 30 children re- ceive sound instruction in the elements of saving knowledge. Library. — A library has lately been formed in coooectioo with the Sabbath schools. The funds, which have not yet risen to any considerable anwttnt, were derived from private donations,— a few of the heritors having kindly contributed. The volumes are partly religious, partly suKed for general instraction and en* tertainment. A private subscription library, for rel^ous reading, was also set on foot some years ago. There are sixteen sharers, who subscribe 2s. 6d. per annum, with 2s. 6d. additional at entry. A new volume is purchased monthly, which is put in circulation, and makes its round, remaining for a month in the bands of each subscriber. Poor and Parodiial Funds. — The average number of poor on our roll may be stated at 20 ; the average allowance at L.3 per annum. The entire funds at the disposal of the session amount to above L.70 ; but these funds are burdened with the salary of the precentor and the beadle, and other contingencies. L40 or thereby are derived from the ordinary collections, the re- mainder from the interest of Mr Rainy^s, and another small mor- tification. Though our poor are by no means discontented, nor disposed to burden the parish with their aliment, so long as they are able by any honest means to earn a meagre subsistence, yet we can- not say, that, from the funds above-mentioned, adequate provision is made for their wants. Cases of much hardship and privation often come under our notice ; and though we can always appeal with confidence to many of our kind and charitably disposed pa- rishioners, we could wish at the same time to have an ampler treasury at our disposal. Imis. — There are five licensed inns or ale-houses, three at least of which are uncalled for by the necessities of the place. Fuel. — Peats were formerly abundant. The fuel now univer- sally used is coal, which is imported, of excellent quality, from the coal-pits of Cumberland, at the price varying from L.1 <^ L.I, 6s. per 24 bushels. Drawn up in 1841, Hevised December 1843. PARISH OF TONGLAND * PRESBYTBRT OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, 8TNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. DUGALD STEWART WILLIAMSON, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural Histobt. Namey Extent^ Boundaries^ 8fc. — The derivatioo of the name, which is spelt Tungland, Tongueland, but more commonly Tong* * The last Statistical Account of Tongland, vrittm in 1793, bears the name of the Her. William Robb ; but it ia gvnerallj understood to have been supplied by his brother Alexander, at that time bis assistant and afterwards his successor, who sur- vived him nine years, and died in the prime of life in 1806, after a short and sud- den illness. He enjoyed a considerable local reputation as a man of science, a man of letters, and a man of wit. His wit was principally discharged in satirical effii- siona, aometimci in prose and sometimes in verse, on incidents and personages of sueb dignity as the parish or county could afford. Those which 1 have seen are coarse and vigorous productions, executed in a style of brood humour, and well fitted to eveite both the merriment and the fear of the humble class of readers for whom they were intended* I am informed by those who remember him that, in conversa- tion« he was fiuent and original, ranging over a variety of subjects, but always wil- ling to escape from the grave and instructive to the grotesque and comical, without murh regard either to the disposition of the company or the suitableness o£ the oc- casion. His fame for science seems to have arisen chiefly from his knowledge of scientific men, with some of the most eminent of whom, in the last age, he was in habits of intercourse. He had a turn for practical mechanics, and I have heard it staled, but I do not know on what authority, that he was the inventor of some inge- nious contrivances about the loom. That be was a man of literary ambition is evi- dent, from his having spent a portion of his best days in composing two works, one entitled «« The History of the Reformation in Italy," and the other, «^ The Philo- sophy of Religion.^ These comporitions were shown in manuscript to some of the principal literary men of the day, but. whether from their wanting literary merit, or exhibiting too much freedom of opinion, the publication was discouraged, and the author abandoned the idea. If I may judge from such slight specimens as I have seen of his composition, I should pronounce him to have been totally unfit to con- duct a grave or elaborate work, having been not only destitute of grace and even co- herence in his writing, but, as appears from his frequent blundeis in orthography, without the advantagesof a finished or regular education. Whatever may have been the execution of these works, however, the selection of topics was felicitous, both having been since handled by two popular writers, *"*• The Philosophy of Religion,** by Mr Dick of Perth, and ^ The History of the Reformation in luly," by the well-known Dr M*Crie. But, humble as the rank to which publication would, in all likelihood, have consigned him, he was undoubtedly a man of liberal curiosity and of active intellec- tual habits. Having gathered, by extreme and protracted n*ugality, a considerable sum of money, he determined, a few years before bis death, to indulge his appetite for information by making a tour upon the continent, and after obtaining leave of ab- sence fiom his presbytery, for that purpose, he spent nearly two years in travelling through France, and Italy, principally, I believe, on foot. The accounts of his adventures which he gave on his return to his ftiends were thought highly amus- ing, l>ut no part of his diaries was ever published, nor am I aware that they have 64 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. land, is unknown. The general supposition is, that the name is descriptive of the shape, which is broadest at the northern extre- mity, but tapers towards the south till it terminates in a point with- in high water mark, formed by the confluence of the Dee and the Tarff. This derivation is countenanced by Chalmers in his Cale- donia, — a work of great learning and industry, but, as might hare been expected in an undertaking which promises minute local infor- mation, very frequently erroneous. The etymology is conjectural, and so are several others which I have heard, connecting the name with adventures of remote antiquity, but, although of some interest, resting on authority too trivial to warrant their insertioo here. The parish is about eight miles in length from north to south, ' and varies in breadth from three miles to half-a mile. It is se- parated from the parishes of Kirkcudbright and Kelton on the east, by the Dee ; from the parish of Twynholm on the west, for two miles, by the Tarff; and on the upper part by two beautiful mountain lochs called Trostree and Culcagrie. The nortbem boundary is the parish of Balmaghie, from which it is not dLstio- guished by any natural limit, except for half-a mile by a locb cal- led Bargatton. The Tarff and Dee, at the southern extremity, separate it from the parishes of Twynholm and Kirkcudbright Topography^ 8fc. — It presents considerable variety of topogra- phical aspect. The southern and central parts consist of a narrow and uneven ridge, which rises gradually from the junction of the two rivers. The northern part expands into broken moorlands, interspersed with wooded valleys and farms partially cultivated, but in general exhibiting a very wild and rugged appearance. The whole parish is arable, except an extensive farm or two at the up- per extremity. The slopes to the south-west and east are ex- tremely beautiful, and in a high state of cultivation. The soil is excellent, and, owing to the elevation and aspect of the ground, the harvest is earlier in the lower farms than in those of the surround- ing parishes. No wood has been planted for many years, — nume- rous fine clumps of old trees are scattered up and down, but there even been pretenred. I give this slight sketch of Mr Robb, because, alUiougb un- known to the world, be enjoyed some distinction in bis neighbourhood, sod is tbc only person recently connected with the parish whose mental powers, had they been sufficiently cultivated or happily directed, might have conducted the possenor to eminence. The only specimen of his authorship that remains, is the Suitiitical Ac- count which bears the name of his brother. 'I'hc touches of satirical humour msrk it as the production of a man who was at least eccentric ; and some curious infonos- tion, which it contains about the habits and character of the people, is worthy of b^iiS preserTcd. and shall be referred to in the course of this article. 1 TONGLAND* 65 are no extensive plantations. In the middle of the parish, as much wood is grown as is necessary either for use or ornament, but in the lower part it is sadly wanting, a want the more to be regretted, as the surface is of that undulating and rocky nature which would admit of its being grown with much advantage both to the emolument of the proprietor, and the appearance of the scenery. Near the sum- mit of Meiklewood hill is a small loch, 15 or 20 feet in depth, which affords a supply of water sufficiently abundant to serve a thrading-mill in the driest seasons. Being almost at the top of a ridge, with no hills in the vicinity from whence so much water can come, the springs that feed it must be brought by a subterranean passage from a distance of several miles, and unless they come from the north, which is not probable, they must flow beneath the channel either of the Tarff or of the Dee* If one may judge from the general health of the inhabitants, none of whom, however, have ever presented remarkable instances of longevity, the climate is sa^ lubrious, although not in the same degree throughout every part of the parish* In the valley of the Tarff, typhus fever occurs more frequently, and to a more fatal extent than in most other districts. This is supposed to be partly caused by the overflowing of the stream, which is there deep and sluggish, and, when swollen by the rains of spring and autumn, inundates the meadows to a consider- able extent Unfortunately too, that part of the parish is the most densely peopled, and prinoipally by the poorer classes. Of the two rivers which form the western and eastern boundary, the Tarff is by much the smaller ; it has its rise in Loch Whynnion, about fourteen miles from the sea, and after pursuing a very winding course, and presenting a great variety of channel, it joins the Dee at Cumpston Castle. It is a beautiful, limpid stream, abounding with yellow trout, salmon trout, herling, and occasionally with sal- mon. In the middle of its course there is a waterfall, or rather a succession of waterfalls, called the Linn of Lairdmannoch, between 6fty and sixty feet in height^ which can be seen from a single point of view, and, when the stream is swollen, forms as picturesque an object as any thing of the kind can be imagined. The lower fall is received by a dark and deep pool, where salmon may be often seen disporting in the latter end of autumn. The Dee is a noble river, having, as well as its tributary, the Ken, a course of forty or fifty miles, and exhibiting in its descent many features both of beauty and grandeur. Perhaps the finest part of its course 4re the four miles along which it forms the eastern boundary of I^IRKCUDBBIGHT. ^ 66 KIRKCUDBUIOHTSHIRE. this parish. Its channel is extremely rugged. Its banks are richly wooded with oak, birch, ash, elm, alder, elder (the bourtree), tborn, and hazel, and the current is, in some places, forced between per- pendicular rocks seventy or eighty feet in height. It is boldest and most striking just before it joins the sea, and is seen to most advantage when swollen by the rains of autumn, or bj the melted snows in spring. The best view of its impetuosity is commanded from an old two-arched bridge a little above high-water mark. It appears there in a straight line for near* ly a quarter of a mile, and, the series of rocky shelves causing it to rise in successive undulations, it resembles the convolutions of an enormous serpent, while the large streaks and patches of foam that diverge from their crests give an animation and a savage .beauty to the torrent which it would be hard to match in many Scottish rivers. Its characteristic beauties &e celebrated in very sweet verse by Montgoniery, in bis poem of the *' Cherry and the Slae,'' the principal Scene of which is laid on the most picturesque part of its banks, immediately below the old bridge I have already alluded to. As I shall have occasion to refer again to this admirable production, I shall reserve such quotations as I mean to give in illustration of the very accurate and poetical de- scriptions with which it abounds. Geology^ — Porphyry and clay slate are the prevailing rocks in this parish, in common with those of the neighbourhood. There is one remarkable geological appearance. The rocky channel of the Dee is composed entirely of slate, but in one place called the linn pool, the strata are suddenly intercepted by a vein of por- phyry mixed with jasper, about a foot and a half in thickness, which, running straight across the stream, appears on both banks, and is gradually lost in the vegetation and mould that cover the rocks. How far it may extend on either side, it is impossible, of course, to say. Botany. — The profusion and variety of plants are greater than their rarity. Of the water plants, the white and yellow water lily, the water plantain, the buckbean, the white ranunculus, the car- dinal flower, and the snake-weed, occur in the lochs and in the sluggish parts of the Tarff. Several ppecies of the catch-fly, the spatling-poppy, the cotton-grass, the needle furze {Genista An* glica)^ the moon flower, the butterwort, the milkwort, the TroU lius EttroptBUSf the tway blade {Ophrys nvata)j the snapdragon, the viper grass {Echium vulgare)^ Paul's betony^ the pimpernel. TONGLAND. 67 or poor man's weather-glass (AnagaUU teneUa)^ the asphodel, the hawkweed, the anemone, the corncockle, the wood-sorrel, the parnassia, the periwinkle {Finca major)^ the gentian, the mares* tail, the cudweed, the cinquefoil, the bitter-sweet {Solanum dul^ €amara)j the bilberry, the cranberry, the great valerian, and many species of Orchis, amongst others the white and the sweet smelling, are all to be found in their respective habitats, — such of them as are peculiar to moors and meadows being most abund- ant. But to a lover of botany the banks of the Dee, where they are most wooded and rocky, that is, for nearly a mile before it joins the sea, present a field both for variety and beauty which many days may be spent in exploring. The unusual number of plants is easily accounted for, by the sharp and rugged nature of the channel, which is well adapted to receive deposits of soil and seed brought down by the river. Great part of it is dry for many months during the year, and thus the new plants have time to take a firm hold, and to propagate either by the seed, the joints, or the root. Being both exposed to the sun, and sheltered from the wind, they have every advantage of locality, and spring up with a rapidity and profusion, of which, within so limited a spot, there are very few examples. Besides most of those which I have already mentioned, I may note the following : Adoxa mo9chatellina^ agri- mony, ashweed. Allium oleraceum (wild garlic), A. ursinum (ram- sons), Buniumjlezuotum (the pignut), bird's-foot trefoil. Campa- nula patula * (the field bell flower), cistus, centaurea, coltsfoot (Tunilagofarfara)i common rue, comfrey {Symphytum officinale)^ convolvulus (Sepium), cow-parsnep, pimpernel rose, {Rosa spinosis" sima) dog'srose (whiteand red), Epilobium (two species), eyebright {EuphraMia)^ figwort (Serophularia nodom)^ fumitory, geum (two species), geranium (five species, perhaps more), golden rod, ground ivy, great mullein {VerbaMcum Thapsus)^ Guelder rose, honey- suckle, house-leek {Sempermvum Uctorum)^ hyacinth. Iris, Jasione, lady's bedstraw (white and yellow), lady's mantle, lily of the valley ( Canvallaria majaUs)f Lysimachia nemorum (yellow pimpernel of the woods), marestail {Hippuris vidgaris)^ marsh mallow {Malva moschata)f marsh marigold, milfoil yarrow, (the mouse ear), il/yo- sotis arvefuis and palustriSf orpine, Potentilla, primrose, purging flax {Linvmcatharticum)j purple-spiked willow herb {Ly thrum sa^' ltearia)y queen of the meadow, saxifrage, shaking grass (the ** silver * The Campanula latlfolia it not found, in so far as I know, within the parish, but it opcun in two nefghbouriog ones. 6d KI!IKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. shaker**), stone crop (two species), Sherardia arvensi^ sea gtllj- flower {Statice armeria)^ speedwell (three species), strawberry, St JohnVwort (six species, Hypericum hirsHtum^ humifuMim, perfo- ratum^ pulchrum^ qfiadrangufum and dubium\ tansy, Teucriutn, Tormentilla, TroUius, violet, winter-green (Pyrola)^ woodruff, woundwort (two species). Aniig«Uis airensU Gcnmiuro syWaticuin Orobos tuberontt ■ cBrulea lucidum Origanum Tulgare — — . tenella Genista tinctoria Parnassia patnatrit Anthyllis Tulncraria Hippuris vulgatia Pinguicula lositaniea Astragalus gljcyphyllus Ilex aquifulium Polygonum bistoru Atropa Belladonna Juniperus eommunia Rnbua saxaliUs Chelidonium miyus Melampyrum syWaticum Sanguitorba offidnalb Circaea lutetiana Myrica gale Sniyrnium Ohisalmm ThtJtera longifhiia Ononia arreiuia Scilla venuu ■ rotundifulia ^— ^ spinosa Serratula tinctoria Euonyrous Europieus Orobus sylvcstris It would be unpardonable to dismiss this very imperliect eno- ffieration, without adverting more particularly to the Geramm sanguineum^ or bloody cranesbill, which grows along the banb of the Dee in such profusion and beauty, during the months of Jooe and July, as to excite the admiration of every one who sees ir. Many of the rocks are covered with this lovely flower. Scarcely inferior to it in beauty, and, in the opinion of some, even surpass- ing it, is the Geranium pratense^ which is likewise uncommonlj abundant ; but, being a taller and more straggling plant than tbe othcr^ the blossoms, from the want of compactness, do not pro- duce the same gorgeous effect. The quantity of wild bonej- suckle, too, is immense, especially of late years ; and to one «bo has a taste for such pleasures, I can imagine nothing more en- chanting than a solitary walk by the side of this river on a serene sununcr evening, when the wild flowers are in full blossom, to gaze on the deep crimson of the cranesbill, or the graceful fe^ toons and exquisite tint of the convolvulus, to inhale tbe fragrance of the honeysuckle and the sweetbriar, and to hear the notes of innumerable birds mixing with the murmur of the stream. In the above slight account of the botany of this parish, I have not noticed either the grasses or the cryptogamic plants. To attempt a complete enumeration of them would far exceed the limits proper to a work of this nature ; and it is the less necessary, as I rather think that there is nothing in them peculiar either to the parish or to the neighbourhood. However, as I have not had the oppor- tunity of comparing them with those in other parts of the countrjt I may very possibly be mistaken. Many of the Agarics are ex- tremely beautiful, and some of them are very large. Tlie sanie TONQLAND. 69 is true of the Boleti and the Lichens* In some seasons, the com- inon mushroom (Agaricvs caiif/7e«M«), grows abundantly on the southern slopes ; but the crop is exceedingly precarious, there be^ ing many years in which not one is to be seen. Notwithstanding its delicious flavour and wholesome qualities, it is neglected by the common people, who entertain an ungovernable prejudice against eating it or any of the Agaric family, for all of which they mark their detestation, by stigmatizing them as '* paddock-stools." The Agariem Xerampelinus^ held in such high esteem by the ancient Romans, and celebrated in history as having been employed by Agripptna to convey poison to her husband, the Emperor Clau^ dius, is not uncommon in our plantations. It grows to a magni^ ficent sice, (I have found it sometimes with the pileus as broad as the crown of a common hat,) and although not of a particularly agreeable taste, may be eaten with perfect safety. Its indifferent qua- lity as food has led some to wonder at the coarse taste of the Roman epicures, and others to doubt the accuracy of their historians, ima* gining that they have confounded this fungus with the Agaricus ddiewhUB^ which is still held in high repute by the modern Italians* The latter idea may possibly be correct; but taste of every kind is capable ef incredible modifications. I am assured by a gentle^ man, a native of Russia, that, at particular seasons, the Agaricus XerampeKnvs and many other kinds, which our peasants and our paupers would sooner starve than taste,, continue to form, as they have done for ages, the principal food of his healthy, long-lived, and athletic countrymen. It has been supposed, too, that certain sorts which are deleterious with us, the Ag. piperatus for example, are eaten without inconvenience or danger by natives of the con^ tinent; but that is a total mistake. What kills a Scotchman would prove equally &tal to a Russian or a Frenchman; — the shades of discrimination, however, between the poisonous and the wholesome, are so nice that, althotigh detected at once by the dis- ciplined mushroom-hunter, an unpractised or a careless eye is un- able to discern them. Accustomed from infancy to follow their pa- rents through the fields and forests, children soon learn to distiu- gubb the different kinds. Hence the astonishment often felt by strangers en seeingezposed for sale in many of the continental mar- kets,iF*ungi, which in their own country, they had been taught to re- gard as loathsome, injurious, and even fatal. Fairy rings are found in some places. That this singular and often beautiful appearance is caused neither by lightning nor by insects, nor still less by fairies, 70 KIBKCUDBBIOHTSUIRE. (although one regrets to consider these *^ delicate creations,'' as a mere coinage of the brain,) but simply by the manner in which certain species of agarics cast their seed, is now, I believe, univer- sally agreed on by naturalists ; but I am not aware of a satisfac- tory reason having been assigned for the circular figure which the clusters uniformly assume. To what species or variety the aga« rics composing the rings are to be referred, is also a matter of dis* pute. Lightfoot, without hesitation, pronounces it to be the Ay* coriaceus^ or fairy agaric, called by the French Mausseran^ and describes the pileus as being of the sixe of a half-crown, a little convex or elevated in the centre ; while Withering, after quoting a number of authors, and giving his reasons for differing from Lightfoot, decides that it is the Jiff. praeaUus^ which is a large species, and strengthens his conclusion by the respectable autho- rity of Ray, who subjoins to an imperfect character of the plant the English name of Scotch bonnets^ This confusion and contra- riety of opinion has arisen, as it appears to me, from its being sup- posed that the phenomenon of the fairy ring is exhibited by one species of agaric only. The season in which 1 write prevents me from verifying my observation by a reference to specimens, or distinctly stating what the different kinds are ; but I can confi- dently affirm that two kinds, at least, propagate in a ring — ^the one corresponding exactly with Lightfoot's description <^ the Ag, coriaceusy the other, so far as I remember, with Ray's account, as quoted by Withering, of the Jff* praealtiis. Great variation ex- ists in the diameters of these rings, some of them being only a few inches, while others extend to nearly twenty feet The circles, especially the smaller ones, are often completely formed. Woods and Plantatiohs, — The following trees, indigenous and cultivated, occur within the bounds of tlie parish: alder, ash, birch, bird's cherry, beech, crab tree, elder, elm, hawthorn, hazel, horse chestnut, laburnum, larch, lime, mountain-ash, oak, plane, poplar, Scotch fir, silver fir, service tree, spruce, wild cherry, and willow. The plantations consist principally of ash, larch, lime, and oak. Theoldestand finest trees arethose which surround the church and manse. They are planes and beeches, the former upwards of one hundred years old, the latter about eighty-five, as neariy as I could ascertain from the testimony of some aged people, now dead, who recollected them when newly planted* Zoology — Wild Animals. — The fox is very common. The bad- TON GLAND. 71 ger is occasionally met wilb. Otters sometimes appear in the Tarff, and are numerous in the Dee. They are very destructive to salmon ; but, as they hunt in the night, they are seldom visible by day, and, being extremely wary, they are enabled, by their ex>*' long since disappeared not only from this neighbourhood, bultnun the southern part of Scotland. This change is remarkablei km cannot be the effect of climate, as the squirrel is abundant in the northern counties of England, and not uncommon in the Lotbiaos. Birdi. — Several years ago a bittern was shot by a sportsina''' who had it stuffed in commemoration of his adventure. So fara^ I am aware uo other specimen of that bird Has ever been obsetrea- In the course of the last two years, king-fishers have been repeat- edly seen along the Dee. The missel-thrush, the lai^est and one of the most beautiful of our singing birds, was quite unkoon to us about twenty years ago. They long continued to be rsre; but now, although not numerous, they are not uncommon. Except when breeding, they are the shyest of birds ; but then they become very bold, building their nest in the cleft of a tree, close to > house, and attacking, with loud and angry screams, such aaiD>a'< as threaten to approach them. For several years, a pair M" built on some old trees that surround the manse. At first tbcf selected the more disUnt trees and the highest brancbes, bat, from not being disturbed, they acquired additional confideneeeac successive season. At length they ventured within a fe» y*|* of one of the doors, and, while I now write, the female is haichui^ io my orchard on a branch not sii feet from the ground, anii ' most within arm's length of a walk, along which people sre per- petually passing. The ysllow wagtail is a pretty little bird, w sembling, in elegance of slmpe and beauty of plumage, sowe 'I** TONGLAND. 73 cifls of canaries. The; do not increase id numbers, one reason for which may be, tliat, building when the streams and rivers are low, the; select crevices of rocks, which the first flood covers^ sweeping away their eggs or their tiny offspring. 1 saw this hap- pen two succesuve seasons to the nest of a yellow wagtail) whicht undeterred by the catastrophy of the preceding year, the poor bird had built in the following one in the same cleft. In winter and spring, we are sometimes visited by swans and wild-geese, but they never continue long, and merely make resting-places of our rivers and lochs as they pass from one haunt to another. The sbieldrake, which is the most beautiful of the duck tribe, fre- quently builds in the higher grounds, near the centre of the parish. Although the principal element of these birds is the sea, to whicH they immediately conduct their young, they often hatch at a great distance from it. Tbey commonly descend by a tributary rivulet to the main stream, and soon reach the tide ; but, if in- terrupted, or accidentally prevented from taking that course, tbey will boldly go by the shortest and smoothest path they can find. Last ;ear« a flock of no fewer than twenty-two came down from the moors to the sea by the high road. Tbey liad to pass some houses, and were met by several individuals in rapid march, the parent birds fluttering in front, close above the young ones, di- recting them in their course, and animating them by their cries. They aredeliciousfood,butalthough easily tamed, they are stupiBed by domestication, having so little idea of self-preservation, as not to fly even when attacked, so that, being common objects of assault to the domestic fowls, they are soon esterminated. Several at- tempts have been made in this parish {o rear them with poultry, but, owing to this circumstance, these attempts have uniformly fiiiled. The cuckoo is very common among the hills. I have seen eight in a flock. On arriving, it is almost always soliury, but before its departure, is frequently attended or followed by a little bird. Hence the phrase of the " gowk" and the " titling." Many to whom the fact and the phrase are familiar know nothing of their origin, which it may be worth while therefore to explain. The cuckoo, building no nest, deposits a single egg in that of some little bird, generally the bessy bUck'Cap, or the moss- cfaeeper, by whom it is hatched along with her own. After ar- rivii^ at a certain age, the young cuckoo, a giant compared with bis foster-brothers, takes them on his back, flings them out of the nest, and thus geU the whole attention of the old bird devoted to 74 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHiRB. himself. She continues to feed him, and to tre^t him as her bantling after he is ten times her own size, and, although so much his inferior in strength and speed, does what she can to keep up with him in his rapid and extensive flights, nor quits him till be is just about to set off on his foreign travels. The " gowk," there- fore, is the young cuckoo, and the ** titling" is the bird (hat hatched him* Many people imagine they have never seen the cuckoo, from their confounding it with a species of hawk vhich it much resembles, — an imagination countenanced by the cele- brated line of the poet, " O cuckoo, shall I call thee bird, or but a wandering Toice ;** and by the note appended to it, in which he affirms that, althoogb " the cuckoo is almost perpetually heard throughout the season of spring, it seldom becomes an object of sight," * The ra?en, the hooded'Crow, the carrion crow, and the rook, are all found io the parish. To such gentlemen as wish to form rookeries around their man- sion-houses, I may suggest a plan which I have recently tried myself, and found to be attended with complete success. A rook- ery having been long established in the neighbourhood, I b^d ex- pected, as there are some fine tall old trees about the manse, that the rooks would extend their settlement to my premises; but jear after year passed, and still they declined doing so. I therefore caused two nests, having each four strong young crows, to be brought from the rookery and fixed on one of the highest of mj own trees. The old birds immediately found them out, and con- tinued to feed them till they were full-fledged. I observed the rooks return to the trans(^orted nests at certain periods during toe winter, and linger about them for a few days, to ascertain, app rently, whether they continued fit for future use, and to repair toe injuries done by the weather. In March, I bad the satisfecuon to see eighteen nests clustered round the tree on which the decoys had been fastened. A rookery may be formed at any distance in this way, provided the nests are not too far removed at a t»DC They should be shifted by successive stages, and permitted to re* main a day or two at each place. The old ones will feed young, even although the nest be put upon the ground; *>" by fixing it at each resting-place upon a tree, the success of t experiment will be more certain. In the first stanza of \ Cherry and the Slae," the nightingale is mentioned, along ^* the "goldspink^' (goldfinch,) as saluting May from the^baliDy • Wordsworth's Work», Vol. i. p. 26, pref. boughs,^ ou the banks of the river which the poet describes ; but Goldsmith says the nightingale is only found in some of the south- em countiea of England, and ii totally unknown in Scotlnnd, Ire- land and Wales ; while Bums, in some strictures addressed to Mr ThomsoD on old Scottish songs, censures the writer of " Jamie the Bower of the Dee," as guilty both of false description and of a blunder in natural history in the line " sweetly the nightingale BKDg frae (he tree," — alleging, first, that the nightingale is never beard so for north ; and, secondly, that he sings, not from a tree but from a bush. In both particulars, the popular opinion coin- cides with that of those distinguished authors. The authority of such a writer as Monlgomery, however, whose works, indepen- dently of the great poetical powers which they display, are remark- able for a close observation of nature, are enriched with numerous classical allusions, and indicate a mind informed with general knowledge, stands high upon the other side. The inanliness of his undersUnding places him beyond the affectation of introducing the name of a celebrated bird, without any attention to the local propriety of the allusion, and merely for the sake of tickling the ear of the ignorant or indolent reader by a sound which calls up so many associations of romance and melody. It b nearly certain, either that he must have heard the bird sing where he has placed it, or that he believed it to bea periodical, although, perhaps,arare visi- tant, lam assured, too, by my friend, Mr M'Culloch of Ardwall, that, in the year 1826, he is convinced he heard the song of the nightin- gale, with which he had been familiar in other countries, at his beautiful residence near Gatehouse of Fleet, about ten miles to the westward of the Dee. The inference, therefore, is, either that the melodious stranger has ceased to visit this country, or that his visits are extremely rare. Of birds either frequently or occasionally seen, we may note the heron, the cormorant, the curlew, tbe lap- wing, the dorhawk, the corncrake, the tern, tbe white owl, the golden plover, the water hen, the stock dove, the fieldfare, the star- ling, the golden-crested wren, the corn-bunting, the snow-bunting, the speckled diver, the long-tailed titmouse,* the little grebe, atid the bullfinch. We have all the varieties of game birds except the ptarmigan, — red and black grouse, pheasant, snipe, partridge, and woodcock. • Now «11«1 ib« " row-mufllin- bj iMLuntlisU, who b.ve di«»ierrd that it* habit, ■re toUllj difTerenl rroin IhoK of tlie titmouK. It is no eiiquiMiely bt'uiijul Ultla creature, u quick and mlleia, ibat it is ••my difllcuk to get a iigliluf 'li»"d,nei» t„ ihp gold-ciolcd wren, tbe iinallrat of «ur native birda, I bavc gBnctaily tma il amuii^ birebus, tij' llw lido otstrEamL 76 KlBKCUDBRlGaT&HlttE. Fish and Fisheries. — Perch, pike, trout, and eels are fouud In the lochs. In one loch it is said there are char, but that is un- certain. Smelts or sparlings are taken sometimes in the Dee, but rery seldom. The pearl mussel is so frequent as to be used for ornamental purposes. The salmon of the Dee are highly es- teemed for their richness and flavour, being considered superior in these respects to those of the neighbouring rifers. Of late they have increased prodigiously in numbers, for which various reasons may be assigned, — the removal of 8take*nets, which ioteroepted multitudes in the estuary of the Dee, and, in certain states of the weather, prevented a single fish from passing upwards, and tbe much greater attention now paid in whiter to the protection of the breeders, of which great numbers used to be destroyed with spears by torch-light when in the act of depositing their spawn io the sliallow fords.* Although in a state at that time totally unfit to be eaten, the disgusting practice of destroying them for food pre- vailed to an incredible extent. In the remoter tributaries of the Dee, it prevails still ; and the instincts of the fish leading it to tbe highest and the shallowest streamlets it can reach, render the de- tection and punishment of the poachers a work of much trouble and expense. The protection of the salmon fry, too, in the spring) deserves to be mentioned as another probable cause of tbe increase. Every school boy knows they are the boldest of fish in seizing the fly ; and it is generally by the capture of a few dozens of tbeo that he is initiated into the mysteries of angling, and fired with tbe passion for it. The effect of taking fry with the rod, however, has been much exaggerated. No doubt for every fry that is killed, a salmon is lost ; but the influence on the annual produce of a river from the loss of all the fry which it is possible to take in a season, is too insignificant to be reckoned, compared with the loss occa- sioned by the destruction of a single breeding salmon. The dis- covery lately made by Mr Shaw of the identity between the sal- mon fry and the par, and the curious investigations respecting the habits of the salmon in which the prosecution of his experimeDts engaged him, are the most interesting and remarkable circumstances that ever have occurred in connection with tbe natural history of this valuable fish. I have termed it a discovery, having not tbe slightest doubt, from what has fallen under my personal observa- tion, that although the identity had been long suspected, Mr Shaw • The increase, however, is not steadily progressive^^-an abundant season being Roinelimeti succeeded by one of comparative scarcity, and vice vena. The **"*?j? variation adm?t being explained ; but the explanation would involve a number ol(K- 4ils, too great for the space allotted to this article. ^Sve, however, page 79, note. TON6LAN0. ! is entitled to claim the merit of having established it On hes ing of his investigations, the present tacksman of the Tongland 6s ery, Mr Gillone, a person of some intelligence and much curiosit commenced a series of experiments with salmon roe upon the san principles. These esperiments are not yet completed, but I wi nessed them from the time that the embryo was taken from tl salmon bed, fourteen months ago, up to the present moment, an so far as they have gone, they exactly coincide with the proc€ detailed by Mr Shaw. Another year is required to finish the e periment, but the result seems certain. "What Mr Shaw has su ceeded so well in showing is, that the par remains for upwards two years in the fresh water before seeking the sea or acquirii the scaly appearance of the fry, and that, in the course of the s cond year, it makes very little additional growth. ^^ A clear expl nation is thus supplied of a circumstance which naturally caus< a good deal of scepticism about the new theory — par and fry, whi< differ very little in size but much in appearance, being found t gether in rivers at the same time* The effect which this discover if turned to practical purposes, is likely to have on the multiplic tion of salmon, is too obvious to be pointed out. In confirmatii of its soundness, I may mention a remark often made by old fis ermen, that the effects of an unfavourable breeding time, eith from severity of frost or a scanty supply of rain, appeared in din: nishing the number of salmon, not in the two seasons immediaU! following, but in the third. On the supposition that Mr Shaw's (i periments are conclusive, that is exactly what was to be expectei and the unintentional correspondence between his theory and tl opinion of men who had no guide but long experience, may be i' garded as a somewhat interesting evidence of its truth. Immediate ! on entering the river, the salmon begin to lose their beautiful ai elear appearance, becoming gradually darker till they deposit th • spawn, when they are often quite black ; but after that event, i I bright colour reappears, and on finally quitting the fresh wat i they differ little in outward aspect from those ascending from sea, except in the lankness of their shape and the discolorat i of their gills. After getting to the sea, the salmon increases v ! rapidly. The fry which descends in May a few ounces in wei { returns in July or August a grilse of six or eight pounds, a ra ; growth certainly, but not much more so than that of some l animals. « The right of fishing belongs exclusively to Mr Murray ^roughton, and must have been acquired by prescription, as a 1 1 78 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. small portion of his estate touches that portion of the river, along which the fishery exteods. The Earl of Selkirk^s land is on the one bank, and the glebe of Tongland on the most valuable part of the other. Formerly, it was let by public roup in short leases of two, three, and four years, and rose in value at each successiTe auction. When last let in this manner, the lease was for four years at a rental of L,705 per annum, — a large sum, considering that the fishery is not more than half a mile in extent. At present it is let for fifteen years by private bargain ; hut at what rent, I can- not pretend to state accurately. The salmon are taken in seven different modes, — by doachs or cruives, by hang^nets, by draught-nets, by shoulder-nets, by drag- nets, by gaffs, and by the rod. Two doachs have been erected, one on each side of the Dee, with a stone battery or gangway communicating between them, which stretches completely across the channel. The consequence is, that, except when the river is much swollen, not a single sal- mon can pass. These erections, especially the stone battery, are believed to be quite illegal, — a judgment having been pronounced by the present Lord Chancellor Cottenham, a few years ago, in the case of the Earl of Airly against the proprietors on the Spey, from which it appears that every obsimciion in the bed of a river, to prevent the ascent of salmon^ is contrary to law. By way of permitting some fish to get up, there is what is called a Saturday's slap, that is, a part of the doachs is removed once a week for thirty-six hours, reckoning from six o'clock on Saturday evening; but, except in particular states of the river, this slap is of Httio avail towards its ostensible purpose. When it is low, the salmon do not run, but remain inactive for weeks, (I have observed then, for many days, lying in the same identical spot, apparently with- out having stirred from it,) and, when high, the pressure of the current against the doachs is so great, that even should the fish- ermen attempt to remove them, which they cannot always venture to do, the effort would be beyond their strength. The proportion of salmon, therefore, that &lls to the upland proprietors, compared with the numbers taken below the doachs, is a mere trifle^ and it is astonishing, that, in a matter which so nearly affects theno, they do not act with vigour in vindication of their rights. By the removal of these obstructions^ the value of the fishenes near the mouth of the Dee, far from being diminished, would pro* bably be very much increased, and that in the course of a few years. The proprietors along the whole course of the river and TONGLAND. 79 its tributaries would have a direct and obvious interest in the pro- tection of the fry and preservation of the breeding fish ; and be- ing constantly on the spot, could effect these most desirable ob- jects with much more certainty than can ever be done either by proprietors or by tacksmen under the existing monopoly. One or two more hands would be required to work the nets in the lower part of the river ; but the expense thus incurred would be greatlj overbalanced by the profits arising from the increase in the num- bers of the fish which would almost certainly ensue* At present the higher proprietors have no interest whatever in the multi- plication of salmon ; they, therefore, see the fry and the breeders destroyed with indifference, and many of them connive at their de- struction.* * The folloviog observations ou tbU subject lately appeared in a Worcester news, paper. They deserve to be quoted, both for the confirmation they afFord of the fore- going statements, and the suggestion respecting the best mode of stopping the illegal practice vhich they so justly reprobate : ** A Gloucester correspondent again calls our attention to the subject of the preservation of this delicious fish (the salmon.) We cannot withhold the expression of our regret, after the many reasonable appeals which have been made by the press respecting this question, that contrabandists and purchasers of unseasonable fish are yet to be found, in open violation of the Act of 58tb Gea III. Our regret is further increased by the fiict, with which our corre- spondent has furttiflbed us, that a gentleman, who is a magistrate (!) of this county and of Gloucestershire, and whose duty in that capacity should have been to enforce the law* rather than to encourage its violation, openly purchased an unseasonable fish, at about lOd: per lb., in order to effect a paltry saving of some 2d. per lb. ; this bar-* gain was made on the 18th of October last We are asked, * who U to he the prate* CMtor in tueh imtaneee 9* Our answer, is, the conservator, who is, or aftould be^ the recognized inlbrmer, to be authorized and supported by the county at large ; and where such public officer is not appointed, no time should be lost in teUfcting one.* In Scotland, no such fnnctionary as the one mentioned by this writer is known ; and I am doubtful whether, in the case of a large river like the Dee, having many tribu- taries, and taking a winding course through a rugged mountainous country, the ap. pointment of one such functionary, or even of numy, would produce a sensible effect in preventing the destruction of unseasonable salmon. How little the independent exertions of detached counties avail, is obvious from the result of the attempts laidy made io this distiict to put down vagrants. Considerable success attended them at first ; but of late the nuisance has become as rank as ever. And if a number of constables, with broad day-light and public roads to guide them, are unable to exter- minate a crew of miserable beggars, we may judge what a ** conservator" would ef* feci against gangs of nimble and powerful young poachers, conducting their opera- tions under the cloud of night, amidst remote and unfrequented glens, on streams often flowing underneath high rocks and through extensive copsew ^ course of the season. ^^. 4. And the fourth thing to be done is, to provide for the protection ^^^.?Z ing fish. This can only be effected by a numerous, active, ftithful, and ^}V^ ^ lice. This police should be brought from a distance, and periodically sl>i^."T^ station to another, like excise officers. Nor should any person in the ^''^^r'^^ word to say, either in their nomination or removal Reckoning the average weign each salmon at 6 lbs. (which is under the fact,) I should say that a tax of one *^''P?^ per lb. would be quite enough to defray the expense of this establishment. Udks ^ or similar measures of practical energy be adopted to put an end to river P**^^^^ sliall never have a permanently abundant supply of salmon ; and still less a PJf^^ sive increase. It is grievous to see, as I have done often, large and **"?V['* ^ offered for sale, in a sute totally unfit for use, and if habitually used, ^^^1° LL. duce bad effects on the health. • Unlimited reliance must not be placed on tbe tee dity of the salmon, which is far from being so great as numy people think, l^ ^ at the quantity of roe in a single fish, it would no doubt be incalculable, did esc ^ produce a salmon ; but not to speak of the casuaJties it is exposed to, both «t^| ^ ing deposited, and even. after being covered up, a very large proportion ^^\^ [ ren, having either accidentally lost, or been incapable of receiving, '"™P**^"*JI^oe^, cannot pretend to state the proportion, (although, I think, it might be "'^^^ ^ and it is worth ascertaining,) between the numter of roe in any one salmon,* ^ number offish produced by that salmon, which arrive at maturity; but ^"'^. ^|^ it roughly guessed at one in one hundred ! The cause of the continued *^*^|?'L.jj for numbers of these valuable fish are to be found at our doors ; and we need no other, such as the multiplication of steam-boats, saw-mills, &c. ^ bv t^ Tlieir disappearance from some rivers in Norway may be accounted fur 7 ^^ quantity of saw-dust thrown into them from the mills; and from the ^**]J^L pod- number of the ships, or still more, by tbe evacuation through the Irwell of 'r^^, die of Manchester ; but causes similar to these will not apply here, ^^^^^ ng^, quired,— those which I have specified, being quite sufficient to account for mc r and to insure a future diminution. TONGLAND. 81 or the upper part of ihe stream. It is said the number that thus escape is, in general, equal to those which are captured. This also is an illegal mode of fishing ; but, until last year, it was prac- tised in the Dee with great success, — ^three hundred salmon hav- ing been often taken from a single pool in a few hours. The shoulder-net and the manner of using it cannot be describ- ed more correctly than in the words of Mr Robb : ** A net is fixed to a semicircular bow of wood, and this is attached to a pole twenty feet in length. The fisherman ties a piece of bended wood with a groove in it on his right shoulder, for the pole of the net to slide in. Taking his station, in the night, upon a rock by the side of a pool frequented by the salmon, he throws his net before him into the water, and draws it towards him along the bottom, the pole sliding in the wooden groove. When near him, he gives the net a sudden turn, and brings out the salmon. Another man is by to kill the fish, and bring them to a place of safety." By far the greatest number of salmon are taken by this method. It requires a man of great bodily strength, and of long experience as to the haunts of the fish. Two years ago, 35 salmon were brought out at a single throw. Several people were fortunately'present to as- sist the fisherman, otherwise he could not have secured his prey. In July 1836, the same man took 315 grilses with the shoulder- net in the course of an afternoon. The drag-net is constructed in the same manner as the preced- ing, but upon a much larger scale, and is worked at night by two men in a boat. It is used only in the Linn-pool, — the largest and deepest in the Dee. The greatest weight of fish I have known taken in this manner, intone night, was 800 lbs. The draught-net is too well known to need description. The only pool in which it admits of being used is happily situated and formed for that purpose, — being the hi^est into which the tide flows, and the only one, as its name, the sand bed, imports, which has a sandy bottom. It can always be drawn four times a day, — twice at flood and twice at ebb-tide, and seldom fails to yield a return of fish, which, although less abundant perhaps, is much more regular than that arising from some of the other modes. The gaff is seldom employed, except in spring, and even then only when the river is low and salmon are scarce. A large hook is fastened to a slender piece of wood or wire,' four or five feet m length, which is attached to a salmon line. One man takes a nsh-. ing-rod, and another approaching cautiously the place where a saU mon has been observed, slips the gaff slowly underneath, and, by KIRKCUDBRIGHT. F 82 KIUKCUOBRIGIITSHIUE. a suddeo jerk, strikes the hook into him. U: immediately flits off, and, after being played awhile, is brought gridoally ashore. A method, somewhat similar to this, called grappling, is often successfully practised by poachers. Three or four large hooks are fastened together, pointing in different directions. The line to which they are attached being loaded with lead, they are dropt iuto the narrowest part of a pool where salmon are supposed to be most abundant, and, after being allowed to sink nearly to the bottom, are moved up and down in a see-saw manner. Alfhough thisap- ))ears to be random work, I am assured that poachers who koow the river, will take salmon by it in considerable numbers. In spring a good many fish are captured with the rod, to which all the men employed in the fishery devote most of their spare time. No river can possibly afford better amusement to the an- gler, and great liberality has always been shown in giving permis- sion to fish, both by the proprietor and by the different tacksmen. Of the artificial flies used there is considerable variety in point of size and colour, both being determined by the state of thenver. When it is swollen, the fly most commonly adopted is a large one, with red or spreckled wings, taken from the feathers either of the common turkey, or of the fish-tailed or Huntington kite. Ihc latter bird is not a native of Scotland. It is found in the central and southern counties of England, and used to be so highly es- teemed by our anglers, that I have known half-a-crown given for a single feather. Of late it has fallen rather out of repute, and given place to the more flexible but less brilliant feathers of the red turkey. When the river is low, small trout flies are used witi the finest tackle. To my taste this is by far the best amusement. I^arge yellow trout rise freely, and the sportsman is certain of an occasional struggle with a salmon. As an illustration of the ex- cellent diversion sometimes had on the Dee, I may mention, tna, some years ago, I took, with a small trout fly, a finely-grown newy- run salmon, which weighed I4| pounds. My line consisted three horse hairs, and a single gut. The fly was com\)osed ot red part of the partridge-tail feather, a red hackle, and aba worsted body, without tinsel of any kind. On the same ^^J* same fly was taken by another salmon, which escaped. I am inclined to think, is the greatest piscatory exploit ever pe formed on the Dee*. The enthusiastic angler will appl'*"^ feat, and the good-natured reader will excuse my vanity. On first appearing on the river, salmon are invariably vao ^ less infested — sometimes their backs are nearly covered—^'* TONGL\ND. 83 sects, to which fishermen give the name of sea -lice. They occasion the Gshagreat deal of uneasiness, and perhaps pain, being sometimes so firmly attached, as oo removal to bring away the scales. Fresh water is fatal to them ; but how long they survive in it^ is uncer- tain, — some say only for a few days: but this is a mistake, as I have observed new fish among a number of old ones,* for upwards of a week, in the same pool, where they were easily distinguish- able, both by the superior vivacity of their motions, and by the long tails of the insects attached to them, and appearing like frag* ments of numerous white threads between the tail and the dorsal Hn. In descending the river after spawning, the gills of the sal- mon are filled with small maggots, called fresh-water lice^ which disappear after the fish reach the sea, and, except in one case, to be noticed immediately, are never found on the same animal at the same time as the sea-lice. The existence of these insects, under the particular circumstances, will not account for the migratory instincts of the salmon; but supposing them to annoy or irritate the fish, it afix^rds a curious illustration of the physical means employed by nature to quicken the operation of instincts which she has implant* ed. The salmon seeks the river to deposit its spawn, and the sea to recover its strength and bulk ; — its migrations j^i either direction being hastened by the presence of insects, fostered by the element which it leaves, and destroyed by the one into wliich it parses. If this fact be admitted as one of the inciting causes of the migra- tion of salmon, it may be considered as somewhat analogous to one in the history of migratory birds, with respect to which, John Hunter suggested, and Dr Jenner has established, that the incit- ing causes of their migrations are certain jertedical changes in the testes of the male, and the ovaria of the feitiale. It also af- fords an interesting, though partial confirmation of a conjecture thrown out by Mr Stewart, who, in treafing of the distinction be- tween Reason and Instinct, in the third volume of the Philosophy of the Human Mind, observes, that, ^^ of the attempts to account for the instincts of migratory birds and fishes, I have met with none which seem to me at all satisfactory; at the same time, I have DO doubt that it is by some physical meaits that the effect is accomplished, and I think it highly probable, that new lights uill be thrown on the subject by the researches of future natura- lists/'— P. 351. In consequence of the facility of communication opened with Liverpool, Manchester, London, and other large towns by steam- boats and railways, the price of salmon, like that of almost ever 84 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. other article of food, has risen of late years. Id the earlier part of the season, that is, from February till June, the prices are !2s. 6d.9 2s., and Js. lOd. per lb. In June, July, and August, the prices generally are, for salmon, 6d. ; grilse, 4d. ; trout and her- ling, dd. per lb. In September, there is a slight advance on each. Fifty years ago, salmon was so abundant and so cheap, that servants in this neighbourhood, on being hired, made it a part of their bargain, that they wore not to be fed upon it more than twice a-week. Although salmon have lately so much in- creased in numbers, large ones are not so common as rormerlj. Within the last eight years, one only has weighed thirty pounds, and no other has come near it. Fish of that weight used not to be scarce, and sometimes they far exceeded it. The fishing sea- son commences upon the 1st of February, and closes on the25tn of September.* The bull-trout is often caught. He varies from five to twenty lbs. An unskilful person is very apt to select him, as Ihave often witnessed, from a group of salmon, as the Doe^t and richest of the lot ; but, although a handsome fish, his quality ''^ food is utterly detestable. On being cut up, he appears white instead of red, and has nothing of the flavour, firmness, or delicacy of the salmon. He is distinguished by greater roundness of body and bluntness of nose, and also by two or three large spots upon his cheeks, which are wanting in the other ; but the surest exter- nal mark is the state of the gills, which in the salmon are clear, and of a beautiful deep red, while those of the bull-trout are o(» pale difty colour, and foul with fresh water maggots of the bign«^ of a small pea. At the same time that these maggots are found on the gills of the bull-trout, sea lice appear on its body, — a fact wnic might, at first sight, seem to be fatal to the theory I have ventured to hint at, respecting one of the inciting causes of the periodical ui'* grations of salmon. But there are two circumstances ivhicb vobJ perhaps account for the singularity in this case. One is the sort- ness and the white colour of the fish, as compared with the rest of the salmon tribe, all of which are firm and red when in season* By long continuance in the fresh water, migratory fish become pale and flaccid. The probability, therefore, is, that the penVnlica migrations of the bull-trout are short and frequent, or, io ^"^^ words, that it is the habit of this fish to hover betwixt the salt an * A greater number of salmon are taken in July than in any one month^ .^ eight during which the river is open. The greatest number I ever knew ttf^ that month was in the year 1840, namely, )426. * 4 '■''>' .//•/ >• r T0N6LAND. 85 the fresh water, and thus to acquire certain properties, and to present certain appearances, in common with those fish which re- main longer in either element. This supposition is strengthened by another consideration, that the bull trout, in so far as I have heard or observed, is taken roost frequently near the mouths of rivers; in the Dee, almost invariably within high water mark. To anglers, it will be no slight confirmation of the truth of these remarks, that, notwithstanding its size and beauty, it is a sluggish fish, seldom taking the fly, and when hooked, affording very little amusement On the sea-trout and the herling, both of which are very nu« merous, especially the latter, in the summer and autumn months, it is needless to make any observations. I will take this opportunity of correcting a prevalent mistake respecting the manner in which salmon overcome waterfalls, — ^a mistake to which Goldsmith has given currency, and Captain Brown countenance in a late edition of that author's Animated Nature. Goldsmith observes (and his annotator has almost ver- bally copied the observation in a different part of the work,) that *^ salmon spring up cataracts as higk as a house. As soon as they come to the bottom of the torrent, they seem disappointed to meet the obstruction, and swim some paces back ; they then take a view of the danger that lies before them, survey it motionless for some minutes, advance, and again retreat; till at last, summoning up all their force, they take a leap from the bottom, their body straight and strongly in motion, and thus most frequently clear every odstructionJ' Captain Brown adds, ** On the river Liffy, iu Ireland, there is a cataract above nineteen feet high. Here, in the salmon season, many of the inhabitants amuse themselves by observing the fish leap up the torrent. They frequently fall back many times before they surmount it." It is evident that some of these statements are entirely fabulous. In both passages an er- roneous account is given of a very interesting fact in the habits of the salmon, whose power in ascending cataracts, although very great, has nothing of that miraculous character which such ex- tracts as the foregoing would lead us to ascribe to it. The truth is, that they overcome waterfalls, not by leaping^ but by swimming^ The great muscular power of their fins and tail enables them to repeat the blows on the water more rapidly than it descends, the effect of which is, of course, to raise the body of the fish. But this power can be exerted only for a short time, and through au 86 KlRKCUDBUlOnTSHIRE. inconsiderable space. Understanding by a catamct n perpendi* ciilar fall of water, without any obstruction whatever, I would say that no salmon can by swimming overcome one exceeding ten feet, or by leaping, one exceeding six. Perhaps even these num- befs are too high. I have sat for hours, by a fall on the Dee, observing their motions ; and for one that masters the current by a leap, hundreds effect their purpose by swimming, as can easily be seen, while the sun shines on the column about noon, during a very bright day. The fall is not more than four feet in height. The most extraordinary leaps are made not by salmon, but by herlings, some of which I have seen spinning to a height of ten feet perpendicular, as near as I could judge. We have loach and stickle-back, but no minnows. The natural history of the eel is, in some respects, very curious, and may be regarded as the converse of that of the salmon. Both are migratory ; but, while the salmon is oviparous, and breeds in rivers, the eel is viviparous, and produces in the ^ea. Eels begin to evacuate the fresh water in October, and, by the middle of winter, not one is to be found, even in the minutest lochs or dams at the greatest distance from the sea. Near the southern summit of the ridge of our hills, there is a small pond for supplying a thrashing-mill. Eels abound in it during summer, but, at the commencement of winter, they descend in such num- bers, that, as the country people observe, one might fill a basket with them in a few minutes, by holding it under one of the wa- terfalls. The pond is within half a mile of the Dee, and the height above the channel of the river, 400 feet. The descent of the water, consequently, is very abrupt, and the singular thing is, how the supply of eels is kept up, since they have annually to overcome so many formidable obstacles, ' as the communication between the river and the pond presents. In the beginning of May, the young eels begin to appear, and, by the end of that month, thousands, myriads, millions, are terms not more than adequate to describe the appearance of these fish. Their heads are all directed up the stream. The instinct which prompts them to ascend appears in a striking manner at the narrow gorge of a pool, where the current is too powerful to admit of their pas.sing upwards. There they are to be seen struggling for days, and even for weeks, forcing their way over the damp moss that adheres to the edges of the rocks, and perishing in such vast numbers among the crevices from whence the water disappears in dry sea- TONOLAND. 87 sons, that the stench arisiug from their dead bodies resembles that of a large animal cast away on the shore. I had often perceived this disagreeable smell before I ascertained the cause. Rut the most singular thing connected with the appearance of the eel fry in the river is the simultaneous arrival of the old eels, who -resfu- larly prey upon their own offspring, which they take in a variety of ways ; sometimes lying nearly covered with the young brood, and devouring them at their leisure ; sometimes singling them out and pursuing them as a hawk does a small bird, and sucking them in at the surface of the water with a loud smack. It was long before I knew whence this very peculiar sound proceeded, which may be heard incessantly repeated in one large deep pool, when tbe river is low and the weather calm. Adders are very numerous in the moors. The ** refulgent lamp" of the glow-worm is often visible. On hot moist even- ings I have seen multitudes of these beautiful insects scatter- ed like ^* sparkling gems" over our meadows. From a bog, about a mile from the manse, I have frequently brought a plen- tiful crop to my garden, which, for many nights after their transportation, they would continue to illuminate. I had thrown seven one night into 'a grass plot in front of my house, and was much amused, next evening, at the alarm of one of my servants, who rushed suddenly into my room, exclaiming, that the grass before the door was ** in a bleeze/' The poor woman, who never in her life had seen so many glow-worms, had some reason for her apprehensions, as many a " bleeze" is less brilliant than the lustre of these earth-bom pleiaded. II. — Civil History. Aniiquitiesj ^c-— On one of the wildest and least frequented moors is a Druidical circle and cairn. The stones which compose the circle are eleven in number, with a twelfth one in the centre, tbe summits of them all just appearing at the surface of the ground. The large pile of stones which constitutes the cairn, is a few paces to the westward of the circle. Not far from these, on Kirkconnel moor, is the grave of a martyr called M*Clement, who was slain along with four others, and buried on that spot during ^^ the perse- cution" in 1685. One of his fellow-sufferers is interred in the church-yard of Anwoth, where there is a long rhymed epitaph on bis gravestone, which is printed in the " Cloud of Witnesses." Ten years ago, a sermon was preached on the spot where he was killed, and a collection made to defray the expense of a monument to his 88 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. memory. An immense multitude, Amounting to many thousaod^f assembled. The collection came to Lf.t27, consisting almost en- tirely of halfpence, of which L.5 were presented to the preacher, and the rest was employed in putting up a stone pillar, with a great number of inscriptions. It was unskilfully built, and is at present threatening to fall in pieces. The name of the gentleman who conducted the services of that day is Osborne. His discourse which he printed, is an elaborate and strong performance, without the slightest reference either to times of religious persecutioo, or to the history of the martyr, M^Clement. Of the Abbey of Too;- land, built in the twelfth century by Fergus, Lord of Galloway, of whom the present family of M'Dowall in Wigtonshire is de- scended, only a single small and low arch remains. It forms part of the northern wall of the old church, one of the meanest of buildings, having evidently been permitted to remain for the sake of convenience and economy. It is almost entirely built up, the oply open space left being a little square hole in which a pane or two of glass had been stuck by way of window to the congregation.* b trenching a piece of ground for a garden, some years since, near the farm-house of Kirkconnel, the workmen came on what seem- ed to have been a burying-ground of some antiquity. Patches of earth appeared much darker in colour than the surrounding soiif and exactly resembling graves in dimensions and shape. In tbe centre of one of these patches, a gold ring was turned up, without name or date, bearing on the part next the Bnger an inscription lo the old engrossing hand, " The gifl and the giver are thine for ever." This, no doubt, had been the marriage ring of one, loviogj beloved, and, perhaps beautiful in her day. It suggests the his- tory of our race, and insinuates the hopes of our nature — youw, love, courtship, wedlock, happiness, separation, old age, deatflf oblivion on earth, and eternal union in Heaven ! Modem Buildings. — The present church is a handsome, com- modious and substantial building, with Gothic windows and a square tower. It was built in the year 1813. Although so re- cently erected, it is the oldest church in a presbytery, eonsisting 16 parishes, and nearly the oldest in a county consisting ^' . all the others having been either rebuilt, or enlarged and alte so as to suit the increasing population since the date of its e tion. It is seated to accommodate 420 people, which is rawer more than the half of the inhabitants. On the 22d of Aiarcii • An exquisitely formed granite cell, turned up by the plough at ^J'^'J" lately presented by Mr Turnbull to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotlana 160-1, the foundation stone of a new bridge across tbe Dee was laid by Sir Alexander Gordon, Provincial Grand Master, and at lliat time sheriST of the county. The plan of the bridge was given by Mr Telford. The contractors nere country masons, and the contract price was L.2420, of which part was raised by private subscriptions, amouDting to L.1 150, and the remainder by a county grant. On the 15th of August, the centres aud the whole of the building, so far as it bad proceeded, were swept away by a high tide, combining with a prodigious rise of the river. On the 28tb of March following, the work was recommenced, but in July the county Ending that they bad expended upwards of L.3000, and that the contractors were utterly incompetent to carry on a work of such difficulty and magnitude, determined to release them from their contract, to obtain the services of an experienced engineer, and to finish the bridge themselves. It was finished, accordingly, in May 1808) upwards of four years after its commencement, and including embankments, cost the county and the subscribers L.77 10 1 It is a strong and elegant building. The nrch is circu- lar, and tbe span is 1 10 feet. The distance from Kirkcudbright is less than two miles. The old bridge is a quarter of n mile higher. It consists of two arches, and is still in good repair. It would not have been so convenient for the public, but the ground of its condemnation was its insecure and tottering condition,— an allegation which its present appearance, after a reprieve of forty years, sufficiently refutes. It was built in 1737, in which year it is remarkable that three bridges were thrown across the Oee at different points. The contracts were all granted on the same day, and amounted to L.1000. In I83S, a bridge with an elliptical arch was thrown across the TariF, about twenty yards from an old one, which is still passable and strong ! The foundation is upon wooden piles 18 feet in depth. Notwithstanding this it has sunk considerably in the centre, as appears from the depression of the ledges. There are, in alt, 6ve bridges in the parish, three across tbe Tarff, and two across the Dee, — one of two arches, and the rest of one. Argrennan House, formerly called from its situation, Deebaok, the residence of Robert Ker, Esq. is a spacious build- ing, very pleasantly placed en the Dee. The public rooms are tbe largest in the county, and handsomely proportioned. The greater part of the house was built twenty-five years ago. Hi$torical £««/..— An estate and a knoll called Queenshil\ derive their name from Mary Queen of Scots, who, o" «" Ajglit from the battle of Langside, U said to have rested m the neigh- 90 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE, bourhood and taken some refrej^liment. Continuing her flight, she crossed the Dee by a wooden bridge, hastily thrown over it for her accommodation, about a mile from the present church. The river is very narrow at this spot, which is still pointful out and known as ** Mary's Brig." There is a well, also, at a short distance, called by her name, from whence tradition says that she drank. Land-owners. — The principal land-owners are, Alexander Murray of Broughton, at present M. P. for the stewartry ; Ro- bert Ker of Argrennan; David Maitland of Barcaple; William Campbell of Queenshill; Thomas Maitland of Dundrenoan; Mrs Hall of Valleyfield ; Allan Bell of Hillowtown ; and James Carrick Moore of Corsewall, eldest brother of the late Sir John Moore, and author of his life. Of these, Mr Ker is the only one who resides permanently in the parish. Eminent Men. — The name of Alexander Montgomery is so closely connected with this parish, by the passages of the ^' Cher- ry and the Slae," which describe its scenery, that, although he never lived within its bounds, it cannot be out of place to mention him. His residence, now a ruin, was in a neighbouring parish, at Cumpston Castle, close by the junction of the Tarff and the Dee. Part of the ruin is still standing, surrounded with fine old trees. A sweeter abode for a man of letters could not be desired ; but much of its original beauty has disappeared amidst recent pleasure grounds, and the residence of the bard is rendered a secondary object in the landscape, by a large mansion-house which was erected some years ago between it and the river by the late Mr Maitland of Dun- drennan.* How Montgomery happened (o come thither is un- certain. Different stories are told, but none of them are sufficiently authenticated to justify belief. One is, that he obtained the castle and the property connected with it by mar- riage, and that his poem is meant to allegorize that portion of his personal history which relates to what seemed at first to be a desperate, but ultimately turned out a successful and even easy courtship. He was a native of Ayrshire, and related to the fa- mily of Eglinton. The date of his birth is not known ; but it was probably a little before the middle of the sixteenth century. * The present owner of *^ this lovely spot of earth" is Thomas Maitland, £f>q. llu- Maje8t7*s Solicitor-General for Scotland under the administration of Lord Mel- bourne, a gentleman who, as is well-known, combines fine forensic talents with the love and cultivation of literary pursuits. 92 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. repelled at a first glance from the perusal of it, as from the ifives* tigatioD of a cypher. Why should not a poem printed for general use be made universally accessible? There can be no doubt, that, were an edition published with civilized orthography, the po- pularity of the work would be extended beyond its present sphere. Of all the mechanical parts of his art Montgomery is a complete master. One of his most common artifices is alliteration, the inju- dicious use of which was the besetting sin of many of his contempo- raries. In general, he introduces it with great felicity, although, per- haps, somewhat too profusely. It seldom forces him into strained or pedantic words or allusions, and thus, while taking nothing frois his ease, it gives, both to his imagery and language, a great ap- pearance of vigour and compactness.* He has few inversions; his rhymes are very exact ; his language is elegant, vigorous, and easy ; while in facility and sweetness of versification, he surpasses not only all his contemporaries^ but every Scottish poet, I think, except Burns. A living authoress, Mrs Grordon of Caropbelton, resided for several years after her marriage at Deebank, of which her husband was at that time proprietor. Parochial Registers, — Those of baptisms extend as far back as 1698. For fifty years afterwards, they appear to have been kept with great care, and are in tolerable preservation ; but of mar- riages no entry is made til) 1712, between which year and 1753 there appears to be a considerable regularity in the record. There is then a blank till 1807, the year in which the present Dr Tho- mas Brown of Glasgow commenced his ministry. During the nineteen years of his incumbency, both marriages and baptisms * The abuse of alliteration did not escape the notice of Shakeq>eare, who in the play of " Love*8 Labour Lost,** (act iv. sc. 2,) ha$ ridiculed the exoeasive use of this figure with irresutible comic eflfect, when he makes Holofernes, an old, ooooeited schoolmaster, something qffbct the leUer, for it argues facility, in inditing his extem- poral epitaph on the death of the deer ; ** The praiseful princess pierced and pricked a pretty, pleasing pricket, Art., ftc** This affectation of the letter did not die with Holofernes, but was used lavishly in the following ages, both by speakers and by writers, and even now, though fidlen into comparative disrepute, is occasionally met with in productions of every grade* from the poems of our best bards to the sermons of our worst preachers. Words beginning with the same letters sometimes add force to the logic of Dr Chalmers; as when he says, ** Multiply apples as men may they will never transmogrify them into oprieoU.** They often give the finest edge to the sarcastic wisdom of Mr Sidney Smith, and are scarcely ever used improperly by that great reasoner and wit. Of great living poets, Mr Rogers, I rather think, is the only one with whom they are favourites, and. like every iigure,of speech employed by him, are always introduced with sweet and graceful effect. Whether the same can be said of the following speci- men of pulpit eloquence, let the reader judge. The speaker was one of no small pre- tension, in his day, and 1 have no doubt thought, with his brother Sir Nathaniel, that his was **a rare talent," for which he ought to have been accounted '* a good member of the Commonwealth," ** Be pious, but not peevish ; devout, but not demure ; cheer* ful, but not childish ; so shall ye convert every precept into a privilc^ and every duty into a delight !*" TONGLAND. 93 are regularly recorded. For the six years that follow his trans- portation to Glasgow, there is again a blank in the marriage re- gister; but from 1832 both that and the baptismal one continue to be duly kept We have no register of deaths. The number of yearly births varies considerably. For the last thirty years the maximum is dd, and the minimum 18. The number of female births in general exceeds that of male. Of marriages, the maxi- mum is 15, and the minimum 2. Sometimes a year and more has elapsed without a death. The greatest number I recollect within a year is 1 1. IIL — Population. Dr Webster's report. 537 Statistical Account, 1792, 520 Ministerial visitation, 1833, . 820 Ditto, in 1838, 791 Census of 181], . 802 1821. 890 1831, . 800 l«4i, 826 The number of families at present is 147. There are no manufactories. Many years ago, a paper-mill was erected on the Dee, which continued for some time in operation. Contact with the population which it introduced had begun to tell unfavourably on the manners of the original inhabitants, when, in consequence of the failure of the proprietors, the establishment was broken up, and has never since been reorganized. The ma- chinery and all other materials belonging to it were sold, and the building itself is falling rapidly to ruin. A better sample of Scottish yeomen will not easily be found than what is supplied by the farmers of this parish. Their farms are held on reasonable terms, and in pretty long leases. Two or three only fall under L.ldO of yearly rent, and none exceed L.500. These are the limits within the range of which the greatest com- fort and happiness may be expected for the farmer. Larger con- cerns are unwieldy ; by engaging in them he is harassed by endless anxieties, and is apt to be led into dissipated habits and ruinous speculations ; while farms of a lower rent are insufficent to yield a profit adequate to his comfort, or commensurate with his labour, besides being always let too high by coming within the reach of a greater number of competitors. From the character and condition of the yeomen, there is at present no prospect of any material or speedy change in the general habits of the popu«. lation, which are entirely those of agricultural labourers. They 91 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. are regular in their attendance at church, firm in their religious principles, decent and exemplary in their moral habits. Illiterate fanatics have sometimes attempted to unsettle the opinions, and to efface the early religious impressions of the poorer clanes; but their efforts have uniformly ended in ridiculous failure. The cha- rity of the better ranks to the poor, and of the poor to one ano* ther, is as great as could be wished. The numerous calls made upon their liberality, both for general purposes, and for the relief of indigent neighbours, are always answered in a manner worthy of their Christian profession. The wealthy are social, liberal, andhos- . pitable; the!poor are sober, industrious, and very civil in their man- ners. Here, indeed, as in every conventional community where it is the privilege of one class to ask, and the duty of dthers to bestow, the usual charges are reciprocated of want of charity od the part of the rich, and want of gratitude on the part of the poor. It is natural that they who have little should wish to have more; nor is it likely that persons who are in want of every thing, and owe whatever they enjoy to the munificence of others, will ever think that their wants are sufficiently supplied, or that the mea- sure of charity is in any case perfect. On the other hand, I would agree with those who pronounce that he who wants gratitude can possess no virtue, did I not know that the tenderest and most uu' wearied offices of neighbourhood and friendship are often rendered to their fellow poor by the individuals who are most marked for thanklessness to their superiors. Well entitled as every Christian philanthropist is to the veneration of those whom he clothes or feeds, it should never be forgotten, that the loftiest philanthropy is that which looks for no gratitude at all ; but, intent only on the relief of wretchedness, under whatever form it may be found, con- tinues to " disperse" its offerings over a neighbourhood, in despite of the thankless and even maledictory spirit with which they may be oftentimes received. Two descriptions of the character and manners of the inhabitants have been drawn, — one by Mr Robb, in 179.% the other, referring to a much earlier period, inserted by him in his Statistical Account, although he does not mention the authority on which it proceeds. IV. — Industry.* In consequence of the late ruiny seasons, the barley crops and the grass crops that follow them have suffered so severely, that seve- ral farmers have ceased to raise barley to the same extent as in former years. In some instances the oat« of last year yielded a * For the greater part of the information contained in this secliony I 9m ind».'"ttu to the khulne&s of Mr Robert Wallace, Low Cluudian. TONGLAND. 95 higher price than the barley per bushel. The weight of the lat- ter used to run from 49 lbs. to 53 lbs. per bushel ; but of late it has sunk so low as 42 lbs. A regular rotation system of husbandry is now introduced. Some farmers, I believe, still crop too severely, but, as old leases drop, that abuse is guarded against by the land- lords in granting new ones. The rotation extends to Vour, or in very good soils to five years, but never goes beyond that. For- merly a rotation of seven, and even eight years was not uncom- mon. Turnips are every where cultivated, and in general to great advantage. The kinds commonly raised are the Swedish, the globe, the purple top, and the yellow bullock. GroM Produce^ Grain^ §t. — ^ttW, 928 ftcrcB, at 8S bushels per acre, 35,264, at 3*. per bushe), Barley, 129 acres, at 30 bushels per da, 3771, at 4s. per do, Turnips, I8U acres, at L.5 per acre, Potatoes, 109 acres, at L. 9 per do., Grass land, 2792 acres, at L. 1, 2ai per do^ Moorland, 2000 acres, at 2s. per do., - - . Fishery, say. ushe), m I.. 5289 12 744 900 - 981 3071 4 200 - L. 11,185 16 850 U L. 12,035 16 Acres. 1346 2792 Land in the parish under tillage, Grass land occasionally do., Uncultivated moorland, ... ParUy capable of cultivation, . . 2000 6138 Jsive-Stock, — The large cattle are all of the Galloway breed, wiih the exception of those on three or four farms, where the Ayr- shire kind have been introduced, ^with a view to the dairy system. The sheep are mostly of the Leicester breed on the arable farms. On such as contain moorland, the Cheviot and the black-faced arc kept Rent and Wages. — The average rent of arable land is L. 1, 2s. per acre. Wages of male farm servants from L.5 to L. 6 per half year, with food and lodging, but without washing ; or L.2 with house and garden, and benefit^ (the last comprehending a certain allowance of meal, potatoes, coal, and sometimes barley.) The expense of a first-rate farm servant is about L, 12 half yearlv. The wages of female servants from L.2, 5s. to L. 3 for the same period. Male labourers per day from Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. ; females from 8d. to lOd. without victuals. There is a port at Tongland bridge to which sloops of 80 or 40 tons (20 cwt. per ton) come regularly, and occasionally a smali 96 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. brig imports lime, coal, and bone manure. Exports grain, pota- toes, and timber. The lime and coals are brought from Cumber- land, the bone manure from Liverpool and Ireland. Lime from Is. Id. to Is. dd. her bushel. Coals from 10s. 6d. to 146. 6d. per imperial ton. Bone manure, at an average, 2s. 9d. per bushel From the extravagant price of coal, repeated attempts have been made to find it in the neighbourhood, but hitherto in vaiiu The foel used by people at a distance from the port consists principallv of turf, peats, and the weedings of plantations. A great deal of furze used to be consumed by the poor, but the severe frost of 1837-1838 almost totally destroyed it. Cotton mills might be erected with great advantage on the Dee. Falls of thirty feet could easily be commanded within 500 yards of the harbour, an' were a spirited and well-ordered establishment of this kind set agoing, it would confer immense benefits on the whole country, but on no part more than the neighbouring town of Kirkcudbright, which has long been stagnant for want of trade^ and where all the necessaries of life, and manufactured goods of every description^ are of inferior quality and at the highest prices. V. — Parochial Economy. Ecclesiastical State, — The church and manse are situated upon the Dee at the southern extremity of the parish. The maose was built in 1798, and is still in good repair. The site is very pleasant, and the views from some of the neighbouring heights are beautiiU' in the extreme. The glebe consists of about ten acres of land, va- lued at L. 3 per acre. It runs along the river to the east, and is sup- posed to include a right to the salmon-fishing in that part, but as yet the question has not been tried. The sum of L. 15, 17s. W- is given by Government to augment the stipend. Education. — The public school is placed in the middle of the pa- rish, and is in good repair. The schoolmaster has a house and gar- den. His salary is the maximum. The average attendance through the year is 75. The branches taught are, writing, arithmetic, English reading and book-keeping. A private school kept by a female has an average attendance of 20. She has a salary o L. 10 raised by subscription. A Sunday school is taught by the same individual. Families residing at the outskirts of the pan^ find it more convenient to send their children to schools m ^ ^ neighbouring parishes, than to those within the bounds of tbei own. By a return which I made two years ago to Mr Coiq"' houn of Kellermont, it appeared that, of the whole population TONGLAND. 07 in 5^ attended school^ — a larger proportion, I believe, than is generally to be found in Scotland, celebrated as its people are for attending to the education of the young. Po&r and Parochial Funds, — We have three classes of poor, re- gular, occasional, and insane; and they are supplied with aid in three diflferent vrays, — by church collections, by subscriptions, and by von luDtary assessment. The regularpoor are those upon the roll. They are at present 15 in nuniber, and nearly all of them old and infirm widows. The church collections, amounting to an average of L.12 per quarter, are distributed among them exclusively, with the excep- tion of a guinea to the* precentor, and 15s. to the beadle ; each pau~ per receiving not less than 7s. and not more than 15s. per quarter. T^e occasional poor are such labourers as are either disabled bjr disease or accident, or cannot find employment in severe winters. The methods resorted to for their relief are petitions to the inhabitants of the parish, and applications to the non resident heritors ; methods which hitherto have never failed to bring the necessary supply, although individuals sometimes prove illiberal and testy. In the winter of 1837-38, L. 36 was collected in this manner, which was expended in coals and oatmeal. A vo^ luntary assessment, amounting to L. 24 per annum, is applied to the maintenance of two insane females, who are boarded with relations. Perhaps I ought to mention a fourth class of persons, for whom a voluntary assessment has sometimes been resorted to, consisting of individuals, who, after seeing better days, have sunk to poverty, and reached the extremity of age. Such instances lately occurred in two families, each composed of three indivi- duals, — husband, wife, and daughter. One of them was upwards of 90, and three of them were near it. As they required con- stant attendance, the heritors unanimously agreed to assess them- selves in L. 16 per annum, which had to be paid only twice ; all the old people having expired within two years from the time of the assessment. There is every reason to believe, that, had this assessment been a legal one, and as such applied to the general purposes of parochial pauperism, instead of being limited to special cases, it would have become a permanent burden on the land- holders. Voluntary assessments cease, as the objects for which they are imposed disappear ; but legal assessments create a host of applicants, whose clamours inevitably lead to their periodical and indefinite extension. The only other source of income to the poor is L. 100, verbally bequeathed to them by Mr Alexander Robb, on his KIRKCLDBRIGIIT. ^ 98 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. deathbed, of which the interest is applied to their relief. The great- est annual amount I have known arising from these different sources was L. 132, collected three years ago. The average per anoum, I should think, about L. 75. The management of the funds is io the hands of the kirk-session, and attended witli no expense what- ever. Vagrant mendicants, accompanied sometimes by troops of ragged and 61thy children, had become an intolerable nuisance, and by their insolent importunities and frequent impositions, bad pro- duced an impression unfavourable to the interests even of the native poor. The baseness of some of these miscreants is almost bejood belief. It has repeatedly happened that when the farmers, of whom they asked lodgings for the night, were prompted by a supererogation of benevolence, to furnish them with bed* clothes, the vagabonds would abscond in the morning, before the family were astir, carrying off with them every article of their benefactor's propertj within their reach. The attention of the gentlemen of the county, however, has been at length energetically directed to the pre^ lence of mendicity, and the consequent appointment of a rural po- lice, although of short duration, has already had a sensible effect in suppressing the abuse. December 1 848. PARISH OF BALMACLELLAN- PRESBYTERY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, SYXOD OF GALLOWAV. THE REV. GAVIN CULLEN, A.M., Minister. THE REV. GEORGE MURRAY, Assistcmt and Suceeisor-* I. — Topography and Natural History. . . Name. — Balmaclellan is one of the four parishes »o northern district of the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, commonly k^^ by the name of Glenkens. The compound word Bal-M*^ Ian is understood to signify the township or manor of the M lans, once extensive proprietors in Galloway. The power o ancient family, however, is now gone ; the title of Baron Kir bright, by which a branch of it was ennobled in 1633» w oow \ * Bj whom the following account is drawn up* 3 BALMACLELLAN. 99 mant, and no individual of the name has possessed land in the pa- rish for more than a hundred years. Mxtent^ Figure^ S^c. — The parish is of an oblong figure, and bounded almost entirely by streams and rivers. From the Ken, on the west, it stretches to the river Urr, which, flowing from a loch of the same name, forms its eastern boundary for several miles. The Craig and Crogo rivulets, rising from the same range of hills, run in opposite directions, and separate it from the parish of Parton, on the south ; while on the north, the' Garple and an* other smaller stream separate it from Dairy and Glencairn. The whole super^cies is estimated in the county map at 37 square luiles. It is the smallest parish in the district. Topographical Appearances^ S^c* — Along the banks of tho Ken a series of drums stretches towards the interior for two or three miles. The country then assumes a wilder and more rugged as- pect. Moors, morasses, and hills of considerable height appear, interspersed with a few cultivated fields. Eastward, the land has been rapidly emerging from its originally barren and uninteresting condition. There still, however, remain extensive plains of moss, possessing all the sterility of the desert, and apparently incapable of the least improvement. Meteorology. — The climate is upon the whole damp and the heights swampy. As drainage is scarcely known or imperfectly practised, water continues long on the hills. No epidemic pre- vails : rheumatism is common ; and perhaps more people die of pul- monary complaints than of any other. Hydrography. — The lakes or lochs in Balmaclellan are nume- rous. They are principally situated among the upland heights, but are far inferior in beauty to Loch Ken. This noble sheet of water sweeps the western boundary of the parish, and presents to the eye an agreeable variety of bay, promontory, and wooded isle. The river that supplies this splendid loch frequently overflows its banks till the whole valley assumes the appearance of an inland sea. The most destructive of these periodical inundations occurs in the beginning of August or end of July, and is known in the country by the name of the Lammas Speat. Of the innume- rable tributaries that tend to this immense increase of waters, the Garple is deserving of notice. In some parts, it flows through a narrow and rugged channel, while on either side rise lofty preci- pices wooded to their summit. Its progress is marked by a few waterfalls. The most picturesque of these is the Holy Lmn, a 100 KIRKCUPBIIIGHTSHIRE. cascade worthy of its present celebrity, both on account of its na- tural beauty, and from having been the spot where the ejected mini- ster of the parish, in persecuting times, occasionally baptized the children of his flock. In alluding to the scenery of Balmaclellao, the extensive and varied prospect in the neighbourhood of the vil- lage is well entitled to notice. Tourists, painters, and poets have all endeavoured to do it justice, but we have seen no effort either of the pencil or pen at all worthy of it. It will stand a compari- son with the fairest scenes in the Highlands, and presents a 6oe combination of all the features mentioned by Scott in his descrip- tion of national landscape : *< Land of brown heath and shaggy wood. Land of the mountain and the flood.'* Geology, — The principal rocks are whinstone and slate. There are two quarries of the latter within the parish. The metal is excellent, but they have not been wrought to any extent for several years. Zoology. — The lakes of Balmaclellan are frequented by a great variety of water-fowl. Here wild geese and swans are occasional visitants. The coot is rarely found, yet we have seen its rude and singular nest among the reeds on the rushy margin of Loch Ken. It is so constructed as to float on the surface, and to rise or fall with the water. A still rarer bird is the kingfisher. It has been seen hovering over the Garple, and watching its prey as it rose to the surface of the stream. The small grebe is seldom noticed. Herons are by no means uncommon. Allured by an abundant supply of fish, these birds wander at certain seasons by the loneliest streams and most secluded lakes. The rapacious birds are not numerous. The eagle confines his range to the wilder scenery west of the Ken, and rarely crosses the parish. Hawks, however, reared in other quarters, take long flights, and sweep the culti- vated fields for partridge and smaller birds. A pair of ravens still maintain their residence. Rooks, on the other hand, are abundant. Swarms of them, proceeding from two colonies in tiie parish, and reinforced by those of Kenraure, annoy the farmer m seed-time and harvest. On the whole, however, from their tie- struction of noxious insects, they may be looked upon not somuc as a nuisance as a benefit. A few years ago, a sort of grub sett e on the summit of the hills, and, .spreading its ravages downwar s> reduced the green heights to absolute sterility. Thither the roo were gathered together, and, after waging war with the destroye j BALMACLKLLAN. 101 have roosted ever since, iu considerable numbers, on some tall trees near the foot of Cairnstnoor. Of the smaller birds that enliven the grove, a great variety abounds. At the approach of winter large flocks of ^' lintwhites sing in chorus" on some tall poplars near the manse. They all pause together, and then after a short interval resume their warbling. A few years ago, the mis- sel-thrush and starling were exceedingly rare. They are now abundant. The cross-bill forms another recent addition to the feathered race of the district. Plantations have increased in the neighbourhood, and there this interesting stranger may be seen, from time to time, extracting seeds, with his singular bill, from the cones of the Scotch fir. There are no quadrupeds worthy of notice. The little, spirit- ed, and serviceable species of horse once so famous in Gallo- way, is scarcely ever met with. Of the wilder animals the species are few. Foxes have no particular haunt or yird in the parish, and badgers are unknown. Otters abound, but remain the unmo- lested tenants of the stream. They are never harassed by the sportsman with spear or hound, and only one individual, with a trap of his own construction, has disturbed their peaceful posses- sion of the deep. This invention, if skilfully applied, and with a due regard to the habits of these animals, might be successfully employed for their destruction. The streams and lochs are well stored with fish, and afford ample opportunity to the angler to display his skill. In Loch Houie and Loch Urr pike are very plentiful ; and the largest ever caught in Britain was taken from the waters of the Ken. Here also perch abound, though introduced scarce a century ago. In the time of harvest, a very large species of trout ascends the Shirmers and Garple to deposit its spawn. In spite, however, of prohibi- tory statutes, poachers and others manage with impunity to sweep the streams with nets, or, in the dark night, spear the fish upon the fords, by means of torch light. The trout of Loch Brack rival those of Lochinvar in quality, and are far superior in point of size. Two were caught this year, weighing five and seven pounds re- spectively. Barscobe, Loch Skae, and the Lows deserve also to -be mentioned. On the whole, there is no parish in the south where the angler may more successfully pursue his solitary but pleasant pastime. The following is a well-known " saw" among the brothers of the rod and line in this district : — 102 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. *' When the mist creeps up the hill, Fisher out and try your skill : — When the mist begins to nod,* Fisher then put past your rod." Botany. — Few plants, in an economical point of view, are worthy of notice. Chair-bottoms and mats were once formed of the bull-rushes that fringe Loch Ken. Quantities of ^ the Vacei' nium oxycoccos^ or cranberry, are still gathered from the bogs, and the fruit of the wild buUace tree {Prunus insititia) forms an ex- cellent preserve. The brake or bracken, though not abundant) is occasionally employed as litter for cattle. Though the beta- nist traverse the whole parish, he will find do great variety of plants to reward his labour. A few of the more interestiDg flowers, however, may here be mentioned. The pale butterwort (Piagukuk lusitantca)j never found on the east coast of Scotland, is plencifoily scattered over the moors. Pyro/a minor (lesser wintergreen)is found on one spot alone on the Garple. The densely matted foliage of the water lobelia {Lobelia Dortmanna) often forms a green caipet at the bottom of the upland lakes. This singular aquatic, with its pale blue flowers, must yield in beauty to the white lily and water crowfoot, which, in the summer months, here expand their blossoms in great profusion. In addition to these, we may simply name the following : Solanum Dulcamara^ woody nightshade or bitter-sweet; Utricularia vit/^am, greater bladder- wort; Cir(^ JLutetianUf common enchanter's nightshade ; Viburnum Opwuh common guelder-rose ; Lythrum Salicariay spiked purple loose- strife ; Alisma ranunculoidesy lesser water plantain ; Meum am' mantlcum^ meu or bald- money ; Briza media j common quaking grass ; Bumex alpinus^ alpine dock or monk's rhubarU Robcs, geraniums, and saxifrages also abound. The plantations seldom exceed ten or twelve acres in any one place, being mostly confined to small isolated spots. The soil w well calculated for the growth of trees, especially of oak and as • A few noble specimens of the silver fir were overturned at i» ' scobe by the hurricane of January 1839. They were of grea age, and had attained an uncommon size. A solitary ash tree a peculiar shape has long flourished at Killochy. It is seen i every point of the compass at a distance of many mil^s, ^^ known by the name of the « Daflin-tree." Probably it "^^ ^ called from the natives in former days assembling there for a^ ment, and, like the inhabitants in Goldsmith's Deserted Villag^' ^Meading out their sports beneath the spreading tree.'' 104 KlllKCUDBlilOUTSHIRE. for centuries, till discovered at a depth of not less than twelve feet from the original surface. '* In the excavations making at Pompeii, utensils are often found seemingly in the very position in which they were last used. This may be accounted for by the suddenness of the calamity that befel that devoted city ; but what induced or impelled the ancient games- ters, in this remote corner of the Glenkens, to leave the instru- ments of their amusements in what might be considered the middle of the game, is more difficult to solve. These relics, wbicb are in my possession, can now only be prized for their curiosity, the singular position in which they were found, and the relation they bear to ancient times." Buildingt. — Two bridges, in the memory of man, had been successively swept away by the rapid inundations of the Ken; aod it was only in 182*2 that a structure of sufficient strength was reared. Three of the piers were built on dry land. A partly new channel was then made to give way to the water ; and now the violence of the current is principally spent on that portion of the bridge which is founded on a rock. This elegant yet substantial edifice consists of five arches, is built of granite from Lowran, mea- sures 400 feet, and can boast of an arch whose chord or span b nearly 100 feet. III. — Population. According to the session record in . . 1755, the population wtt ^ By return of the Rev. J. Thomson in . 1792, . ^ By census in ... 1801, . . i^ 1811, . . Jg 1821, . . .,Q 1831, . . % 1841, . • 'T The population in the village of Balmaclellan is H^) '" Crogo, 60. Yearly average of births for the last seven years, , 25 deaths, . . 10 marriages, . .4 The only family of independent fortune is that of Carruthers o Craig. Mr Scot of Craigmuie spends a portion of the ye^' ^" his own estate, and, from his enterprise and liberality, is a ?'^^ acquisition to the parish. Of fourteen proprietors one only is possessed of land under I>^ of yearly value. Unmarried men, bachelors and widowers, upwards of 50 years of agc» *^ women upwards of 45, . . . • . There are seven fatuous individuals in the parish, and one i sane person. Six of these are supported by a legal assessment. balmaclellan. 105 character of the People. — The inhabitants generally live in a conifortable manner. They are sober, industrious, intelligent, and enterprizing. They live on good terms with one another, and are given to hospitality. The benefits of education are duly appreciated, and they are regular in their attendance on the or- dinances of religion. The only game to which they are devoted, is that of curling. All ranks join in this amusement with un« bounded enthusiasm and spirit. IV. — Industry. Agriculture^ Sfc» — The parish contains 23,737 imperial acres. The land cultivated, or occasionally under tillage, amounts to about 4000 acres. After making a large allowance for land un- der water, roads, extensive plains of moss, and about 300 acres of plantation, the remainder is chiefly pasture. Breeds of Live-Stock. — Till lately, sheep of the black-faced breed formed the only stock of this description. In one of the largest farms, they are now crossed with the white-faced breed. The Cheviot and finer kinds are also sometimes met with ; but the cross, on the whole, is preferred, as. better adapted to the soil and climate. Here, Galloway cattle are much esteemed. The cows are almost all of this sort, with the exception of a few of the Ayrshire breed. It is also worthy of notice, that whereas fifty years ago, scarce a dozen pigs were found in the parish, 850 on an average are now annually fattened for the Dumfries market. Estimating these at L.2, 5s. each, the sum of L.787, 10s., or about one-sixth of the rental of the parish, must be realized from this source alone. Huibandry. — Of the general system of farming, there is little worthy of remark. Six of the best arable farms in the parish are entirely in pasture, and the tenants themselves are non-resident* Of those under tillage, it may be said in general, that they are over-cropped. This evil, however, is rather on the decline. A few of the farmers still hold the plough. Indeed the ploughmen of Balmaclellan hold a prominent place in the district competi*- tions, and have uniformly carried off a fair proportion of the prizes annually awarded. On some estates the houses and fences are far from good. There, a system of subsetting has been car- ried on for years, and produced the most miserable results. In general, however, there is a progressive improvement. Landlords grant leases of fifteen and nineteen years' duration, and, on the whole, are indulgent, liberal, and enlightened. Grain of all kinds, 700 acres, at I<^, 10b. per acre. Potatoes, ..... Turnip, 90 acres, at L.2 per acre. Land in pasture, rating it at L.2 per cow or ox, ds. per ewe. Hay, meadow, and cultivated, Thinnings of wood might be . . . Gardens, .... Peat, at Is. per cart, for mere right of cutting. 106 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Roads. — The roads are excelleDt. Two more are projected, or in progress. When the one from Troquhain to MioDibuie is opened, the parish, in this respect, will be complete, the means of communication greatly improved, and lime introduced at a much cheaper rate. Wages. — Wages for men, including victuals, range from LIO to L.18 per annum. Women servants receive from L2 to L3 for the half-year. Day labourers may be hired at Is., 1& 6d., 2s., according to the nature of their employment, and the season of the year. Rate Produce. — The following, according to a calculation made by six intelligent farmers, is a near approach to the average ^ross amount of raw produce of Balmaclellan. . L.24S0 990 60 a246 1885 600 40 00 80 SO L.9290 The valued rent is L.S48], 28. 8d. Scots, ^ ^ The actual rent, in 1840, nearly .... p?5J )[ a 1792, do.^ . . . , 1900 Associations. — Notice might here be taken of the Glenkens Society, as having given a beneficial impulse to the learning, »D" dustry, and morality of the district. V. — Parochial Economy. , Roads. — There is no market*town in the parish. The roafls, however, to Castle Douglas and Dumfries are excellent, and bo these places are frequented by the farmers of Balmaclellan. Post-Office.— The nearest post-office is in the neighbouring burgh of New Galloway. Ecclesiastical State.— The parish church is conveniently a^"' ated for the greater part of the population. It was enlarged ao substantially repaired a few years ago, and is calculated *^ ^ . accommodation for 370 persons. Though much too sma sacramental occasions, when worship is performed in the open it is still sufficiently comfortable and commodious for the oral , service of the Sabbath. The attendance is excellent. ^^^ " ' however, about 200 of the population might be advantageous j thrown into a new parish, comprehending destitute and re BALMACLELLAN. 1^7 parts of Balmaclellan, Parton, and Kirkpatrick-Durbam. A neat church has already been erected with this view in the last-naen- tioned parish. There is little prospect, however, of its being any- thing beyond a preaching station. The people are poor, and the probationer employed is most inadequately supported. Manse^ Glebe^ Sfc. — The manse was built about the beginning of this century. It is pleasantly situated, commands a fine view of the valley of the Ken, and is, on the whole, comfortable and commodious. The glebe extends to nearly fifty acres, and has been well fenced, subdivided, and improved, by the present in- cumbent. Its value, together with a few houses in the village, may be about L.80. The stipend is exactly L.226, 1 98. 9d« Five or six families of Catholics are in the parish^ The number of Dissenting families of all denominations is 22. Edueation. — The parish is remarkably well supplied with schools. Three are parochial, and a fourth is undertaken at the teacher's own adventure. In the principal school, no fees are ex- acted. This arrangement was made in consequence of a bequest to that effect of L.500. This sum was laid out in the purchase of a small landed property, which now yields about L.70 per an- num. The teacher has also the yearly allowance of one chalder, or L. 17, 2s. 2d., as well as a house and garden. The whole number of scholars in the parish at the last Presbyterial examina- tion amounted to 218. Poor. — At present there are twenty-four individuals on the roll receiving parochial relief. Seven of these are widows. The rest are orphans, or fatuous and infirm persons. A legal assessment has just been introduced, but its influence on the habits and feel- ings of the people cannot yet be determined. Innif dpc» — There are four licensed retailers of ardent spirits in the parish. The sale, however, must be very limited. The inns are poor and little frequented. FueL — Peat is the common fuel, and is both cheap and abun* dant Coal is chiefly procured from Ayrshire, and very rarely from the ports on the Solway. The original cost at Dalmelling- ton is only 2s. Id. per cart. Drawn up in 1840 ; revised January 1844. PARISH OP KELLS. PRESBYTERY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY- THE REV. JAMES MAITLAND, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Namey Boundaries^ S^c. — The name of this parish, according to the former Statistical Account, is Gaelic, and descriptive of its ele« vated situation ; but Chalmers, in his Caledonia, derives it from the British " Cell," a grove or toood^ — which seems the more probable derivation, as formerly a great portion of the parish was covered with wood, many remains of which are still visible in the bogs and mosses. Kells is one of the most extensive parishes in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. The extreme length is fully 16 miles, and breadtb about 8 miles. It is of a triangular shape, calculated by Ainslie, m his survey of the Stewartry, to contain 37,978 Scotch acres, and about 74 square miles. It is bounded on the north, by Carsfaim; on the west, by MonigaflT; on the south, by Girthon and Balma- ghie, from which three last-mentioned parishes it is separated by the river Dee; and on the east, by the river Ken, which divides it from Dairy, Balmaclellan, and Parton. Previous to 1640, tbe parish was still more extensive; but what now constitutes tbe western division of Carsfaim was then disjoined from it, and with the northern part of Dairy formed into a separate parish. Tlie royal burgh of New Galloway, situated in Kells, is 24 miles dis- tant from Dumfries, 18 from Newtonstewart, 20 from Kirkcud- bright, 14 from Castle Douglas, and 12 from Carsfairn village) through which a coach passes from Ayr to Dumfries and Castle Douglas, opening up an easy and speedy communication between New Galloway and Glasgow and Edinburgh. Topographical Appearances^ Sfc* — The scenery along the banks of the river and loch of Ken is eminently beautiful. Kenmure Castle, with its avenue of ancient limes and verdant meadows; the little rural burgh of New Galloway, interspersed with trees; the winding river and the splendid loch of Ken, having for its back ground the rocky Lowran, and the lofty and wooded Bennan, f^""^ KELL9, 109 a landscape rarely surpassed. The scenery around Glenlee Park is also most striking and romantic, every where fringed with natu- ral copsewood, and studded with oak trees, amongst the finest in the south-west of Scotland. There is in the immediate vicinity of the mansion-house a rocky and beautifully wooded glen, con- taining two waterfalls of considerable extent. The face of the parish is hilly and unequal. Along the banks of the Ken, there is a considerable extent of arable and meadow land, interspersed with copsewood ; but on leaving the river, the surface gradually rises into a range of magnificent mountains, of the height of about 2700 feet. Climate^ 4-c. — The climate is exceedingly moist, but mild and healthy. From a rain-gauge kept at Kenmure Castle, the annua) quantity of rain appears much to exceed the average of the east- ern parts of Scotland. There fell in 1832, - 56 inches, 6 lOths. 1833, - 59 - 2 1634, - 54 - 12 1835, - 59 - 12 1836, - 72-12 1837, -52-4 1838, -58-0 Average of seven years, 59 inches. The extreme humidity, however, does not appear to be injuri- ous to health or longevity. Epidemic diseases are of rare occur- rence, and the inhabitants robust. The prevailing winds are the west and south-west; but, especially in the months of March, April, and May, there are frequently long tracts of east wind. Here, however, as in other parts of Galloway, Us severity is much tempered. Considering the inland situation of the parish, the seasons are generally early. Harvest, on an average, may com- mence the latter end of August. When attention is paid, the com- mon garden vegetables, such as peas, potatoes, &c. are generally fit for use in the second week of June, and in favourable springs even sooner. The gooseberry, strawberry, raspberry, plum and cherry thrive and bear luxuriantly. The pear and apple do not succeed so well : except the coarser kinds, they are apt, unless in favour- able situations, to canker. I'be fuschia and myrtle, with a little protection, stand the winter tolerably well ; and the Noisette rose, without any covering, was uninjured by the severe frost of January and February 183a Hydrography. — The principal stream connected with the parish is the river Ken, which forms its eastern boundary. It has its rise in the east of Carsfairn, or confines of Dumfries-shire. Upon iia RIRKCUDRRIOHTSUiaE. entering Kellsy on the north-east, it is joined by the Deuch, and at the southern extremity of the parish by the Dee» which name it then assumes, and, after a course of about forty miles, empties itself into the sea at Kirkcudbright. The I>ee, which separates Kells from Monigaff, Girthon, and Balmaghie, is also a consider- able stream. The parish is everywhere intersected by rivulets. The lochs are numerous : the lai^est is Loch Ken, in the Ticinit; of New Galloway. Its length from Kenmure Castle to the Boat of Roan cannot be less than five miles, by about one*half or three* quarters of a mile in breadth. Lochs Dungeon and Harrow in the north of the parish are also of considerable extent Mineralogy, — There are no mines of any description wrougiit in the parish. The hills to the sooth along the ri?er Dee are masses of granite. Zoohgy, — Ptarmigan are extinct Grouse are considered to be on the decrease, partly from poaching, and probably also from the great increase of black game, which is abundant Hares and partridges, were they properly preserved, would be plentiful; as it is, they are comparatively scarce. Snipe and woodcock are nu- merous. Deer were occasionally seen, in the remembrance of some old people. The bittern has disappeared. Foxes and otters are numerous, but the badger has of late years become extinct Eagles are often seen, and occasionally have their nests in the parish. Salmon, especially towards autumn, are abundant, both in the Ken and Dee ; but there is no regular fishery. Trout are plentiful in Lochs Dungeon and Harrow, and in the smaller streams. In Loch Ken there are pike and perch. Perhaps the largest pike known to have been killed in Scotland, was caugnt with the rod and fly in this loch by John Murray, game-keeper to the grandfather of the present Viscount Kenmure. It weighed 72 lbs. The head is still preserved in Kenmure Castle, and bears witness to its enormous size. In Loch Dungeon there are char, which are occasionally killed with the fly ; and in the nver Dee the pearl muscle abounds. Botany. — The parish affords an ample and interesting fieW fcr the investigations of the botanist Amongst the rarer plants are the following : — AnagaUis tenella Cardamine amara Solanum Dulcamara Orobus sylvatica Ornithopus peipusillus and many other rare and beautiful ferns. Uya ursi Pinguicula lusitanica Meum athamanticum Geum rivale . Nymphca alba Melampyrum pratwise Botrycbium Lunaria Pteris erispa Polypodium Dryopte^>* Asplenium BuU-mumttt 1 nere is a consiaerauie exieui ui uatunti copse, cnieny ook ana bircb, both of which are evidently indiganous. The avenue of times at Keamure Castle has been long celebrated, and the oaks around Glenlee Park are splendid trees. The only planution of any extent is on the estate of Airds, the property of Thomas Hughao, Esq. It may consist of about 250 acres. It is chiefly composed of Scotch fir, larch, aod oak, and is thriving vigorously. It nas planted, we believe, in 1810. n. — Civil History. Chalmers in his Caledonia gives an account of the parish. There is also a description of it in Symson's Galloway, written in 1664, and published in 1823, from a manuscript in the Advocates' Library. It is likewise mentioned by a Dr Archibald in a short account of Galloway, printed along with Symson's work. " There is a well," says the Doctor, " in the parish of Callis called Kema- dort. The water is very sweet, to which many people resort who are distempered with sore heads and stomachs, and it proves ef- fectual." This well, which is a strong chalybeate, is still well known to the inhabitants ; but not resorted to, as in Archibald's time, by strangers, most probably from its being di£Scult of access to invalids. Laitd-owtteriy Sfc. — The land-owners are, Viscount Kenmure; Sir William Miller, Bart., one of the Lords of Session as Lord Glenlee ; William Forbes, Esq. of Callendar ; Thomas Hughan, Esq. of Airds; John Kennedy, Esq. of Knocknalling ; John Hoggan, Esq. of Stran^ket ; William Grierson Yorstoun, Esq. of Garroch ; and the Honourable F. M'Adam Catfacart of Craig- engillan. The valued rent is L.4!>48, 13s. 4d. Scots. The present rental is about L.4800 or L.6000 per annum. Eminent Characiera, ^c. — Lowe, the author of Mary's Dream i Heron, author of a history of' Scotland, a most voluminous writer, of whom there is an interesting account in D'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature ; Gordon, translator of Tacitus, and author of the Independent Whig ; and the Rev. William Gillespie, author of the Progress of Refinement, Consolation, &&, were nalives of this parish. Parochial Begitlen. — The parochial registers are imperfect. The first entry is in 1693. The register of baptisms does not appear to have been kept with any regularity previous to 1750. AtUiquitiet. — Kenmure Castle is an edifice of great antiquity. At what period, however, it was originally built is unknown. 1 1^ KIRKCUDBKIGHTSHIRE. The charter-chest of the Kenmure familv is understood to coo- tain many ancient and curious documents. In the former Statis- tical Account, there is mention of the remains of a wall or stone dike running through the parish from south to north, vestiges of which still remain. The rocking stone* is no longer an object of attraction. About twenty years ago, it was displaced from its pi- vot ; whether from the effects of lightning, or by some mischievous persons, is not known. In the church-yard there is a stone erected to the memory of one Adam M^Qwhan, who was shot during the persecutions in the reign of James II., on Knockdavie, a small eminence in the vicinity of New Galloway, upon which there is the following inscription : " Here lyes Adam M'Qwhan, who, being sick of a fever, was taken out of his bed and carried to Newtoun of Galloway, and the next day most cruelly and unjustly shot to death by the command of Lieutenant- General James Douglas, brother to the Duke of Queensberry, for his adherence to Scotland's reformation, co?e- nants, national and solemn league, 1685." This stone was, in 1832, placed in a handsome granite monu- ment, the expense of which was defrayed by a collection made by the present incumbent. Modem Buildings, — The church, which is handsome and com- modious, was built in 1822. Glenlee Park, the property of Sir William Miller, was about the same time much enlarged. Mr Kennedy of Knocknalling, and Mr Grierson Yorstoun of Gar- roch, have both, within these few years, built handsome and com- fortable residences. III. — Population. The population in 1755, was 784 1791, 869 1801, 778 1811, 941 1821, 1104 1831, 1128 By the census of 1841, the population is 1121, of whom 4d() are in the burgh of New Galloway. Parochial Registers. — The yearly average of baptisms for tlie last seven years is 8, and of marriages, in which one or both parties belonged to the parish, 8. No register of deaths has been * Since the above was written, we have been informed that there is another rtxi* ing stone, on the same range of hills with the one adverted to as destroyed, equallr Urge and interesting. KBLLS. 113 kept, but they bear a very small proportion to the number of births. There are eight proprietors in the parish, but only two perma- nently resident, namely, Viscount Kenmure and W. Grierson Yorstoun, Esq. Character of the People, SfC, — The inhabitants are sober, inoral, and religious, and of sound and healthy constitutions. There is only one fatuous person in the parish. There has, un- doubtedly, since the commencement of this century, been a great improvement in the dwellings and comforts of the people. Of late years, a considerable stimulus has been given to neatness and cleanliness in the cottages and gardens attached to them, by the prizes given by the Glenkens Society.* The food of the pea- santry is the same as in other parts of the south-west of Scotland, chiefly oatmeal and potatoes. There is a considerable consumpt of bacon and mutton ham. Wheaten bread is coming into much more general use, and the retail of butcher-meat has, within these last ten years, greatly increased. IV. — Industry. Agriadtart, — Kells must be regarded, almost exclusively, as a pastoral parish. The grain produced (chiefly oats) certainly does Dot exceed the annual consumpt Rtnt of Land. — In the neighbourhood of New Galloway, the rent of land is Lk2 per acre ; but, as in other parts of the parish, the arable land is attached to extensive stock farms, no fixed sum can be spec^iGed as its value per acre. The fences are in most casea exceedingly bad, and there is ample scope for improvement in drainage, collecting manure, and in general &rm management. Turnip husbandry might be most advantageously and more ex- tensively adopted. That agricultural improvements have not kept pace here with those in the lower district of the stewartry, must not be attributed to any deficiency in intelligence, activity, and industry on the part of the occupiers of land, but partly to the great expense of lime, and chiefly to their attention being directed almost exclusively to stock. There can be no doubt, however, that an improved system of tillage, by which the land might be • Tho Glenkent Soriety Ukei iti name from Ihe diwrict, uid wu commenced ■bout 1830. under the aiupjce* of WillUm Grieraon, (now W. Giimon Yomoun.) Eiq. of Garroch. It haa for \ta olgecl (he general improiemenl of ,th"t P^'e- It itite«f>ritci in (he schools, for lh« neateM kept ootinge*, id apprentice J"'""* ■no 114 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. laid down in a richer state for pasture, would eventually be found much more proGtable than the one now generally pursued. The number of sheep in the parish is calculated at 17,040, and they are considered worth 2s« 9d. per head annually. There are 565 Highland cattle grassed nine months, which may pay on an average L.l, 5s. per head ; 315 Galloways, kept a year at an ave- rage of L.2 per head, and 421 cows with their followers. There are a great number of pigs kept which uniformly turn out a profit- able stock. Almost every cottager is enabled to fatten one either for his own use or the market. V. — Parochial Economy. The royal burgh of New Galloway is situated in the parbb. Its population by the recent census is 486. In it the Sheriff and Justice of the Peace courts for the Glenkens are held. There is a daily post Post-horses and carriages are kept, and a branch of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Bankhas been established. Theroads are excellent in every direction. The bridges are generally in good repair. The one across the Ken in the vicinity of New Galloway is built of granite. It is a beautiful bridge, highly ornamental to the district, consisting of five arches, the span of the centre on? being 90 feet ^ EccksicLstical State. — The parish church with regard to the po- pulation is centrically situated. It is seated for 560, but can ac- commodate more. It was built in 1822, and is in excellent re- pair. None of the pews are let The attendance is good and regular. The number of communicants may vary from 350 to 400. There is no Dissenting place of worship in the parish. The number of Dissenters in the parish may amount perhaps to 50; of these about 9 are Episcopalians, 10 Irish Roman Catho- lics, and the remaining belong to the United Associate Synod ot the Secession church. There is a Sabbath school in New Gal- loway, which is well attended. The annual collections for religi- ous purposes may amount to L.10 or L.12. The manse was built in 1806, and an addition to it in 1836. Though the rooms are smaller than in the manses more recently built, it is now a convenient and comfortable dwelling, quite suit' able to the benefice. The glebe, including the garden and site of the manse, consists of about 8 acres, and may be worth LIS per annum. The teinds are exhausted. The money stipend is 1^299, 9s. 8Jd., of which sum L.9, 19s. 6d. is payable from the KELLS. 115 teinds of CarsfHirn/ In 1755, the stipend was L. 67, 18s. 4d. ; when the last Statistical Account was written, L«dO, 11 s« 3d. ; and previous to the late augmentation in 1834, 12 chalders, half meal, half barley. The rectory of Kells was united by Robert I. to the archdeaconry of Galloway. But in the beginning of the sixteenth century, when James IV. enlarged the establishment of the chapel royal at Stirling, the church of Kells was transferred to it, and constituted one of the prebends of that establishment Education. — The only school in the parish is the parochial one, situated in New Galloway. In addition to the elementary branches, Latin, Greek, French, and geography are taught. The s&lary is the maximum of two chalders, and the whole emoluments of the teacher, including wages and Candlemas offerings, may amount yearly to L.65 or L.70. The fees for English are 2s. ; with writ- ing, 28. 6d.; with arithmetic, 8s. ; with Latin, French, and Geogra* phy, 5s. per quarter* The school is excellently taught, and a great stimulus has been given to the pupils by the prizes awarded by the Glenkens Society. A school is much required in the north- ern part of the parish. * The people are intelligent and fully alive to the advantages of education. They can all read and almost universally write. There is a good village library attached to the Sabbath school. ^ Poor. — The number of paupers on the roll has of late years been 1R or 20. Their allowances, except when they require a person to attend to them, vary from 7s. 6d. to 15s. per quar- ter ; but extraordinary cases are constantly occurring, when more must be given. The six years previous to 1842, from the failure in the potato crop, the advance in the price of meal, and the scarcity of peat, owing to the wet summers, pressed very heavily on the poor. The annual church collections now average from L.35 to L. 40, — occasional donations, proclamations, and mortcloth fees, L.16. These sums, with the interest of L.522, 16s. at present in the hands of the kirk-session, have hitherto met all the ordinary expense of the poor. The feeling of shame at being put upon the poor roll, both on the part of individuals themselves, and their relatives, has rather decreased. There is a growing impression, that the heri- • This defect, since the above was written, has to a certain extent been removed, through the liberality of John Kennedy, Esq. who has built a school on his property, and pays a small salary to the teacher. 116 KIRKCUDBRTGHTSHIRE. tors can be compelled by the sheriff to grant relief. There ia, however, a great repugnancy on the part of the paupers to be re- moved to anything like a workhouse ; that is, to being collected into one dwelling, with a person to attend to them. FairSi Sfc* — Formerly there were four fairs in New Galloway, The April, midsummer, and Hallow fairs are still pretty numerousl; attended. Little business, except hiring, is transacted at them. Cattle-markets have recently been commenced, with every pro- spect of success. There are three inns in New Galloway, and one public house in a remote part of the parish* Fuel is expensire. Peats are most generally used by the peasantry and in the farm kitchens. They are becoming scarce, and cannot cost less than 3s. per cart load. Coal are brought from Dalmellington in Ayr- shire ; they cost at the pit ds. or ds. 6d. per ton of twenty cwt; but there is a land carriage of twenty-four miles to New Gal- loway, which necessarily renders them very expensive. Miscellaneous Observations. The comforts of the people have been undoubtedly much in- creased since the last Statistical Account was written. At that pe- riod, and down even to the last fifteen or twenty years, salted pro- visions were alone used from Martinmas to July. The houses have yodergone a great improvement. Roads, which in 1792 were mere mountain tracks, have been opened up in every direction. The church collections, which then averaged only L.12, 10s. per an- num, now average L.d5 or L.40, and this without any additional resident heritors to swell the amount, — a circumstance showing both a more general attendance upon ordinances, and greater ability on the part of the people to contribute to the poor, while the number of paupers, when the population is considered, has not proportion- ally increased. There appears to have been no increase in the num- ber of sheep and cattle kept in the parish, but in the quality of the stock there has been a vast improvement. In agriculture, though a more liberal system of husbandry is certainly gaining ground, much remains to be done. The fences and drainage are both bad, nor in many cases is the value of manure at all appre- ciated as it ought to be, either as a mean for top*dressing mea- dow land, or to enable the farmer permanently to improve his pas- turage by sowing out his fields in a luxuriant state. The two great impediments in the way of farther improvements are the ex- pense of lime, and several farms susceptible of profitable tillage, MINNIGAFF. li' having been thrown together as sheep walks. Upon the whole, however, the social condition of the people is on the advance, and though some may yet talk of the good old times, as if want and misery had then been almost unknown, were their fathers, who kept a few potatoes as a treat for Halloween, bled their cattle in spring to make blood puddings, sent their children to school with " a CBuld kail blade" in their pockets for a piece, and luxuriated on black oats and brazy, to revisit the parish, they would be astonish- ed to behold comforts and refinements in the dwellings of the far- mers, and even in many of the peasantry, which in their day were unknown even in the houses of men of moderate landed property. Octoier 1839. Bevued, February 1844. PARISH OF MINNIGAFF. PRESBTTERT OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALLOIVAT. THE REV. MICHAEL STEWART JOHNSTONE, MINISTER.* I. TOPOGEAPHY AND NaTOEAL HiSTORY. Etymology. — Priob to the year 1664, the name of the parish appears to have been written Monnygaffe and Minnegoffe. In the records of the kirk-session, which commence in 1694, it is in- discriminately MonnygoS*, Monogof, Minnigoff, and Monigaf. It first appears as MinnigafF in the records of 1737, in which way it is now generally written. The name is evidently derived from the Gaelic momui dhubh, signifying a dark mountainous region, — a description peculiarly characteristic of the aspect of the parish. Extent and Boundaries. — The parish is upwards of 'ZQ miles in length from north to south, and varies from 6 to 12 in breadth from east to west, and contains 127 square miles. Its figure is an irregular oblong. It is bounded on the west by the river Cree, which separates it from Penninghame ; on the south and south-east, by the parishes of Kirkmabreck and Girthon^ on the east, by the parishes of Kells and Carsphairn, the river * Tfau ucouDt wu drawn up by Mr Thomu Hogg, MJnnigaB' Mill. 1 18 KiRKCUDB&IGHTSHlR£. Dee being the natural boundary ; and on the north and north- west, by the parishes of Straiton, Barr, and Colmonell. Topographical Appearances. — The general aspect of the parish is mountainous, being a portion of the range of hills stretchiog from St Abb's Head on the eastern coast. lu the south-western extremity, a stripe of carse land extends for several miles along the Cree, but it is of no great breadth. The highest hill is the Meyrick, which is 2500 feet above the level of the sea. Caims- muir hill, though lower, appears nearly as high as the Meyrick, from its base rising almost from the level of the sea. From the summit of Cairnsmuir, a most extensive and varied pro- spect is enjoyed. At its base, the Palnure flows through a beauti- ful valley, ornamented by the finely wooded grounds around the mansions of Cairnsmuir and Bargaly. . Westwards, the House of Kirouchtree, the seat of Lady Heron Maxwell, is visible amid the old trees by which it is embosomed. On the Penkill Water is si- tuated the romantic cottage of Cumloden, the summer residence of the Earl of Galloway. The " crystal Cree," in its serpentine course, appears like a stream of molten silver, till it disappears among the upland hills. On its banks, the most prominent object is the town of Newton- Stewart, with its beautiful new church and elegant spire, beyond comparison the most splendid church m Galloway. Beyond the Cree,* Wigtonshire lies extended, diTcrsi- fied by hill and dale, verdant pastures and fruitful field5, orna- mented by the seats of the nobility and gentry, with which it ^ studded. To seaward, the Isle of Man is distinctly seen, and the Irish mountains are visible in the distance. Southwards is seen the vale of Fleet, with the pleasant town of Gatehouse, embel- lished by the richly-wooded pleasure-grounds around the splendid mansion of Cally. Onwards appears the ancient burgh of Kirk- cudbright, with its beautiful environs, and the horizon is bounded by the blue mountains of Cumberland. Climate. — In the lower part of the parish, the barometer ranges from 28 to 81 inches, rarely falling below the former or exceeding the latter point. The climate is mildj though rather humid. The parish is healthy, and instances of longevity are not unfrequent. The person mentioned in the last Account as being 118 years of age, died aged 121. In 1831, a man died up- wards of 100 years old. This spring two females died, the one aged 91 and the other 92. An old man still survives who is 95 years of age. though none of any magnitude. It abounds in locha, there being ten within its boundaries, but none of great extent. The largest are Loch Trool and Loch Dee, neither of which exceed two miles in length. Ixwh Trool is situated in a singularly picturesque spo^ almost environed by lofty hills, down whose sides rush numerous rills, which at a distance appear like streaks of snow. On the south and north, the hills rise from the very edge of the loch — that on the northern side rising precipitously. Eastwards the hills recede from the head of the loch, the intervening space being covered with waving woods and rich meadow land. The lower end is beautifully wooded on the southern shore. The hilb on the op- posite side were formerly covered with wood, chiefly oak ; but hav- ing been cut a number of years ago, the young shoots were de- stroyed by goats ; and so effectually did they complete their de- vastations, (hat only a few solitary trees remain. The river Cree, which has its source in Loch Moan, on the boundaries of this pa- rish and Colmonell, is the most considerable stream. On issuing from the loch, its course for several miles is through a bleak moor- land district. About a mile below the high bridge of Cree, it is jomed by the water of Mionoch, a stream which rises in the parish of Barr. On its junction with the latter stream, the Cree flows for several miles with an almost imperceptible current through rich meadows, and its breadth being considerably increased, it forms a beautiful sheet of water called the Loch of Cree. Below the wood of Cree, the river loses its sluggishness, and Buws for some" miles through a fertile valley. About a mile above the church, the valley becomes contracted, and the river enters a nar- row gorge, the banks being richly fringed with wood. I'his por- tion of the river is termed the " Gill," and the water, for a consi- ^rable distance, being level, it forms one of the finest views of river scenery in the south of Scotland. At the village of Minni- gaff, its waters are augmented by the Penkill, a stream which has its source on the eastern confines of the parish, and, passing through a mountainous district, is liable to sudden and impetuous floods. Beneath Minnigaff, the valley again expands, through which the river flows in a serpentine course, and, after being in- creased by the water of Palnure, another mountain stream, it pours its tribute into the Atlantic at the bay of Wigton. It is na- vigable for vessels of eighty tons to C^rty, within two miles Of 120 KinKCUDBKIGHtSHlRE. NewtoD- Stewart. The Palnure is navigable, for a short distance, for vessels of 6fty or sixty tons. Geology. — The rocks belong to the transition formation, aod consist of greywacke and clay slate. In the valley of Palnure thej appear partially stratified, with an inclination to the west. Gra- nite is found chiefly as boulders, except at Craigdhews, where great masses are scattered. These have been extensively cut for building purposes, the stone being of a very superior quality. The granite columns, upwards of twenty feet in height, of the splendid portico at Cally House, were procured from Craigdhews. Lead occurs in veins in the south-western portion of the parish, on the estates of Kirouchtree and Machermore. The veins vary from two to five feet in thickness, and dip to the west. For maoj years, the mines were wrought extensively, producing several hun- dred tons of lead annually ; but having latterly become unproduc- tive, the working is now almost abandoned, there being only three or four individuals occasionally employed. SoiL — The soil is various. In general it is of a dry gravelly nature, abounding with stones. In the valley of Palnure, aod along the Cree, above its junction with the former stream, the soil is generally a tenacious clay, interspersed with portions of moss. Boulder stones abound, though immense quantities have been removed from the soil within these few years : they are most- ly of granite, and being in demand for building, are cut up, the proceeds assisting to defray the expense of raising. Zoology. — Foxes abound in the parish. The otter is occasion- ally seen in the Cree, above the manse of Minnigaff. The wea- sel and the polecat are found. * The common gray rabbit was in- troduced a number of years ago by one of the proprietors, and latterly increased to such an extent as to prove a serious detriment to agriculture ; though, these two seasons past, their numbers have been greatly reduced. The red deer and the ptarmigan at one period were common, but both have disappeared. Among the birds which are natives, or are occasionally seen, may be mentioned the following : The common eagle, peregrine falcon {Falco peregrinu8)j the sparrow hawk (F. nisus)^ the mer- ling {P. re caught in profusion in tbe months of June and July. The sparling is caught in the Cree during March, April, and May. The pearl mussel is found in the river, some- times containing pearls of considerable size and beauty. Deer Parkt. — There are two of these within tbe parish, one OD the estate of Lady Heron Maxwell, which contains about iOO bead of fallow deer, and the other at Garlies, belonging to the Earl of Galloway, the wall of which is nine miles in circumference, and contains 1500 acres. There are about 350 head of fallow deer, aud about 60 head of red deer, at present within the park. About two years ago, a number of the red deer were sold, and ex- ported to England, and a portion of the park has been more pro- fitably devoted to the rearing of bullocks. Botany, — This parish affords a wide field for botanical research. Among the more rare or less common plants, may be enumerated the Pyrus domettica, which Is found on the bank of the Palnure, above Bargaly; /'yroifl medio, on the bank of the Minnock, near Boi^n ; JRubux auberectui, on the road to Macbermore ; the Trol- liua Bwopaua and Solidago virgaurea grow in profusion on a small island below the confluence of the Cree and Penkill, where also occurs the Tkalictrum Jlavum ; on tbe banks of tbe latter stream the Galium bortale and tbe Polygunvm bittorta are found ; the Nymphea alba and Nuphar baea adora with Uieir splendid flowers the loch of Cree ; on Cairosmore hill, Saxifraga tteUaru, Among the more commoa, in various parts of the parish, are round. AcbiUsa MilUfulium Adoxa moicbitelUnii Agrimonia Eupatorium AlchemilU Tulguii Agroalemnu Gitbigo Alum* PUnUgo Auigallu arTimiU tenelb Anchuu officinalis Aiperula ixlorau Auer Tripolium ArUmiiia vulgarii Bartsia Odontile* Belli* pereDuia Bunium flexuoauin Balrjcbium Lunar la Callha paliutria Cam pan uU rotundifulia Capaella Buru-Paalorii CudamlH amara Cacum Canii fulgare ComanuD paluilie Cythin Scopaiiua Digitalii purpurea Drown longifblia ^^.— rotundifolia Eehium Tulgare EpiloUuni moDUauin —m paluMie ErjtbrM CeiiUuriuro Euphorbia brliasco|iia iTuIgars Clccboma hedencei Gaaphaliuro dioicuin Hyacintbiu neemosua Ilfdroeotjile Tulgarii Hypericum quadrangulu . perfbrstum ek>d«t Heracleum Spboodjlium Irit Pwudo-Aoorua purpurcum Lapaana communii . puiiUa Leontodon paluitre Lepidium eampcttn: Linuin catharticum OiigauL Drobua luueniiui Oialia Acctoaella Parnmia paluatiii Petadtet lulgaiii Pinguieuk vulgatii Plantago laneeolata Polfgala Tulgari) Potenlilla BiueriDa Primula Tutgara Rbinantfaua Cruu GiIi ScuteUiirii miliar fMiim daiiphjUum Tebfibiiiis ScmperrivuDi lactoram Saponaiia officinal ii Seoecio nilgaiii Lin aria lulgatia LoDicera Pericljmem Lotui major Ljchnii Klo*-Cucu1i Mroiatis paluibrii Teucrjum Chinrdij) TormenliUaofficiDalk Trifulium fitibrmc Tuaulago Fat&a Voccinium Oxjcoccof Valeriana officintli' Veronica offidaali* — -— BMnbunp ChanunbTi Viburnum opulin Viola canlna A specimen of the Otmunda regalii was lately found near i>^r- galy, being the only plant of the kind that has heen oouced id '"^ j parish.* • The writer begs to acknowledge his obligation! to the Re'. Willi""" Gri**' Cairnunuir Houk, irbD rurniabed a targe number of ibe plaDM in Ibii li>t> The Martyrs.— T\iG Glen of Trool was, in 1685, the scene of one of those atrocities which have affixed so iDdelible a stain on the reign of the profligate Charles IL On a Sabbath morning in the month of January, a few of that persecuted remnant, who, for their adherence to the cause of the CoTenant, were compelled to worship the God of their fathers in the lonelj glen and solitary moor, had assembled ior this purpose, undeterred by the rigour of the season, when they were suddenly surprised by Colonel Douglas and a party of dragoons. After a brief re- sistance, sis persons, James and Robert Dun, Alexander M'AuUv, John M'Lude, Thomas and John Stevenson, were murdered, one dragoon being killed, besides Captain Urquhart, who was shot by a countryman. He had that morning, on account of the diffi- culties of the road, sworn a dreadful oath, that he would be re- venged upon the unoffending Covenanters. Tradition asserts that he had dreamed that he would be killed at a place called The Caldons, and, while approaching the cottage of a shepberd in search of fugitives, he inquired the name of the place; on beJi^ informed, he gave utterance to a fearful oath, and, with the su- perstitious feeling of the age, drew up his horse, but, ere be could determine whether to advance or retreat, a shot, fired from the 126 KIRKCnOBBlGHTSHIRE. asked what reward they expected for all their services, thej re- plied, that " they never bad a prospect of great tbiogs ; but, ir his Majesty would bestow upon them the thirty pund land ofliie Hassock and Cumloden, they would be very thankful." To tbis he cheerfully assented, and their descendants possessed the lands for many centuries. The eldest, M'Kie of Lorg, assumeil for MINNIGAFF. 127 he was enabled to enter on his studies at the University of £diu« burgh, with a view to the ministry. While ardently devoting his talents to the preparation requisite for entering upon the ministe- rial oflBce, he, at the same time, extended his investigations to every language to which he had access, and not only made him- self acquainted with all the dialects of Europe, but his researches penetrated into the languages of the East. Subsequently he made himself master of the Sanscritta, the ancient dialect of India, and arrived at no slight proficiency in the study of the Chinese. He made himself completely master of the Guz or Tygre, and the Amharu, — the two dialects of which the Abyssinian consists. In 1802, he was engaged by the late Mr Constable to edit a new edition of Bruce's Travels, which was published in 1 805 in seven volumes, to which was prefixed a life of Bruce. Having, in the meantime, been licensed as a preacher, he, in 1806, was appointed assistant and successor in the parish of Urr. His predecessor dy- ing in 1808, he succeeded to the benefice, and, in Deceml>er of the same year, married Henrietta, daughter of Mr James Afileck in Grange. In 1812, he was elected Professor of Oriental Lan- guages in the University of Edinburgh ; but, alas ! Vas not des- tined long to adorn it by the splendour of his talents. Dr Murray was naturally of a delicate constitution, and, being attacked with consumption, died at Edinburgh on the 15th April 1813^ in the thirty-seventh year of his age. His remains were interred in the Greyfriars churchyard. He left behind him, in manuscript, a History of the European Languages, which was published in two Tolumes in 1823. A monument, consisting of a granite column, has been erected near the spot of his birth.* The late Lieutenant- General the Honourable Sir William Stewart, K. C» B., K. T. S., resided in this parish for several years. He was second son of John Earl of Galloway, and entered the army at an early period of life. He served in seventeen campaigns iu the West Indies, Egypt, and various part of Europe. He com* manded the troops embarked with Lord Nelson in the expedition to Copenhagen. In Spain and Portugal he commanded the se- cond division of the army under the Duke of Wellington. At Ferrol he was severely wounded, from the effects of which he ne- ver recovered. He received the thanks of the House of Commons • For the greater portion of this notice of Dr Murray, the writer is indebted to Murray's Literary History of Galloway. 128 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. for his able and gallant services. His health^ having become greatly impaired by arduous duty and numerous wounds, he pur- chased the property of Cumloden, in the vicinity of the ruins of the ancient residence of his ancestors, upon which he built a ro- mantic cottage, to which he retreated to spend the latter years of his life in retirement. He died at Cumloden on the 7th January 1827, and was buried in the churchyard of Minnigaff, where a monument of granite has been erected over his remains. Land-owners, — The following are the names of the land-owners in the order of their valued rent : — Earl of Galloway, - U4477 3 4 Lady Heron Maxwell, - - 1497 6 John M*Kie, Esq. of Bargaly, - 763 12 4 R. N. Dunbar, Esq. of Machermore, - 351 13 10 James Stewart, Esq. of Catrnsmore, - 203 John Drew of Craigencallie, - 86 10 6 Dr Ramsay of Dallash, - - 81 7 «5 Messrs CampbeU and Morison of Meiklecarse, 81 8 10 Lady Heron Maxwell and Mr Stewart are the only resideot heritors. Lord Galloway occasionally resides for a few weeks. Antiquities. — The ruins of the Castle of Garlics, the ancient seat of the Earls of Galloway, and from which is derived the title of Lord Garlics, are situated about a mile and a half from the vil- lage of Minnigaff. At what period it ceased to be inhabited is unknown. It appears to have been a ruin for several hundred years. The remains of the walls have acquired nearly the solidity of rock, the mortar is so bard* The lime appears to have been produced from burnt shells, portions of these being still disoeroi- ble in the mortar. On the summit of a steep bank, at the junction of the Cree and Penkill, within a few yards of the old church, and overlooking the village, there is an ancient moat-hill, which appears to have been used in former times as a place of justice. Another of these mounds is situated in the valley of Palnure, near Bar- galy, and is now planted. About a mile eastwards from the lat- ter moat- hill, there is one in an isolated spot on Bardrochurd Moor. Various tumuli have been opened, and found to contain human bones and remnants of warlike weapons* In the course oi some planting operations, many years ago, on the estate ot i^i* rouchtree, there was opened a large mound, the top of which was covered with clay a foot and a half in depth, under which there was the same depth of gray ashes ; beneath this, a vitrified s"*^" 4 MINNIQAPF. 129 staoce, about an inch thick, was found, which required to be bro- ken with the pickaie. On removing this, a circular wall was ex- posed, enclosing a space several feet in diameter, and three deep, filled with red ashes. Uoder these a large flagstone was disco- vered, about six feet long hy three in breadth, covering a pit about a yard deep, in wlych were the remains of a human body, which crumbled into dust upon exposure to the air. About a quarter of a mile from Creebridge, on the road to Dumfries, there is a large tumulus of stones, which is supposed, along with those that have been opened, to have been erected over the remains of those who fell in the battle fought by the Scots against the Romans and the Picts, which is related in Buchanan's History in the following terms: — " During the reign of King Engenius, the Boman Lieutenant Maiimus, expecting to possess the whole island if he could only destroy the two northern nations, commenced his operations by pretending friendship to the Picts. As their circumstances were the more depressed, and they were therefore the more ready to listen to terms of pacification, be buoyed them up by magnificent proinises if they would prove sincere in their attachment to the Rooians, and, besides innumerable other advantages, he offered u> concede to them the whole territory of the Scots. The Picts, blinded with rage, and eager for vengeance, allured by his pro- mises, and regardless of the future, willingly listened to the Ge> neral's proposals, and, in conjunction with the Romans, ravaged the possessions of the Scots. The first engagement took place on the bank of the Crec, a river in Galloway, where the Scots, being inferior in strength, were overcome by numbers. While they fled on all sides, the Romans, certain of victory, pursued without regularity ; but, in the midst of the pursuit, the troops of Argyle, and other remote districts, who had not yet joined the army, arriving in good order, fell upon the dispersed Romans, and occasioned a great slaughter. Eugenius, profiting by this circum- stance, rallied as many as he could of the fugitives, and held a council of war on the present state of his affairs, when finding that, with the forces he possessed, it would be hopeless to renew the. engagement, he retreated into Carrick." A small urn, containing ashes and burnt bonea, was discovered on the farm of Boreland in 1839, but was broken by the workmen KIRKCI'DBBIGHT. t 130 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. in their anxiety to ascertain its contents, which they imagiDed might be treasure. The following communication has been kindly furnished by Joseph Train, Esq. of Castle Douglas : — ^* This was the field of many of my antiquarian gleanings. I obtained from the farmer of Buchan one of the instruments of tor- ture called thumbikins. It had been kept there since the Cove- nanters were shot at the Caldons. It is now in the museam of Ahbotsford. '' The Kist Vaen described in Caledonia ( Vol. iii. p. m) was discoyered in this parish ; and many of the Pict kilos de- scribed in the same work, may yet be seen in the parish. On the upland farm of Craigencallie, they were, about twenty years ago, very numerous ; and on the farm of Risk, there were seyen within the compass of an acre. On the corse of Slaiks, in the parish of Kirkmabreck, they are still more numerous. They are ge- rally about fifteen or sixteen feet in length, and about half that m breadth, forming an elliptic figure resembling a pear. The ridge or side wall is from two to three feet high at the broad end, and at the narrow end, it is nearly level with the surrounding earth at the entrance. The ridge seems to have been formed of earth; but, on removing the surface, it is found to be composed of very small stones, evidently the fragments of blocks broken by ignition. * ^' The kilns are invariably placed on the south side of the hillf on the margin of a brook, or where one has been, with the door or entrance facing the water. The only tradition in the country re- specting them is, that they were erected by the Picts for the pur- pose of brewing ale from heather, which is perhaps not uofeasiblet as these ancient inhabitants of the country are said to have been thoroughly acquainted with the chemical process of that ope- ration. " The learned author of Caledonia says, the practice of brewing ale from heather is of a more recent age than the Pictish period of the Scottish history ; but he thinks the Irish cniithne may have used these kilns for that purpose. (CaL Vol. iii. p. 234.) Sir Walter Scott takes another view of this subject In a letter dated Abbotsford, 20th December 1816, he says, * The Picts* kiln seems to be a very curious relic of antiquity* Is it not possible it may have been employed for burning lime ? We know that these ancient people were traditionally renowned for their skill in arenJ- tecture. They certainly seem to have been farther advanced in 1S2 KIRKCUDBRIQHTSHIRE. cairn are very large, and are laid in regular courses firom the bot- tom to a considerable height^ and become gradually smaller as they are laid from the centre. " The cavity of the Grey Cairn, on the Drum of Knockinao, is exactly similar and of equal extent to that just described. There is another large accumulation of stones, called the White Caim^ on the mark of Glencaird. Part of it having been carried away, a cave was thereby laid open, 18 feet in length, 5 feet Id breadth, and 4 feet deep. Several of the stones by which this cave is formed, are upwards of a ton weight each. Nathaniel M^Kie, the Laird of Glencaird, and his two sons, are said tobaie concealed themselves in this cave during the latter part of tbe per- secution, and thereby escaped the fury of Claverhouse, whose wrath they had incurred by harbouring some people who were surprised at a conventicle in the neighbourhood. '^ The Shrine of St Ninian, at Whithorn, was visited by pilgrims from the most remote parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland. Even down to the time of the Reformation, the relics of the saint were believed to work miracles. A direct line of cairns, from the Niih, from the Doon, and from the Irish sea, can yet be traced to Whithorn. These cairns, it is said, were commenced at a remote period at the different stations where pilgrims were allowed to rest» each of whom was obliged to add a stone to each cairn ; whlcb> in course of time, accumulated to the vast heaps on which stran- gers DOW look witlT astonishment. Parochial Registers, — The earliest existing register of births commences in 1694, — there occurs a blank from July 1696 to December 1699, — and again from October 1709 to June 171^; from which period it has been kept to the present time, though a great portion of its contents have been very meagerly recorded. The register of marriages also commences in 1694,-^a blank oc- curs from 1696 to 1699— and from 1709 to 1736 ; from the lat- ter date to 1771 it has been kept with more or less regularity; from 1771 there is a blank of thirty -eight years; from 1609 to 1821 it has been very irregularly kept. After an interval of seventeen years, the registration of marriages was resumed in lBd9, and there is every probability of the register being now feithfully kept. There is no record of deaths. The record of the transac- tions of the kirk-session commences in 1694; the previous records appear to havd been destroyed during the incumbency of Mr Wil- liam Maxwell, the Episcopal curate. A blank similar to those m MINNIGAFF. 133 the other registers occurs after 1696. From 1699 to 1710 they have been faithfully kept. There is a black from 1710 to 171^ from which date to 1740 the transactions have been regularly re- corded. From 1740 to 1795 there does not exist any record ; from the latter period, with the exception of six years afler 1803^ they have been regularly kept to the present time.^ * The earlier records are ioterspened With Tarioui curious noUoet* At the com meDoement of laat century the aeasion appears to have met regularly twice a mooth, on week days,— while at the beginning of the present one, they sometimes oniy met twice a year I and that on Sabbaths. At the former period, there was public worship regularly on a week day, — and the session contained upwards of twenty members, induding deacons. The records bear no eridenoe of haTing been eiaimned by the presbytery for upwards of one hundred years, which in some degree accounts for the irregular manner in which they were kept. For the suppression of Sabbath break- ing and drunkenness^ there appears to have been vigorous efibrts made» though the foUowing enactment will appear mther odd : — Not. 19^ IdSdi— ** It is enacted yt persons driving goods on ye Sabbath shall be caused pay two pounds Scots, Miee qMOike, and shall be censured a» finAaUors hetUes^ Dee. , 1700. — ** A collection is ordered to be made for the slaves in Algiers.** Aug. 9, 1701.—*' The sessioa considering that seme persons, as they are informed, * drink so long betwixt sermons on ye Sabbath day, so yt they either come too late, or else stay wholly from the afternoon^ sermon ; to prevent this abuse, they appoint y% elders and deacons by turns to search ye toun at ye said tyme, as also to take notice that none stay unnecessarQy from ye forenoon's sermon, or withdraw themselves in time of divine worship." 1702,^an. 28i— ** The session understanding yt some penons repair to Minigoff after lermon on ye Sabbath, and are too ready to tarry too long in alehouses, they enact yt about an hour after ye close of ye sermon on Sabbath days^ ye officer toull ye bell to l^ve warning to all to repair to yr severaU dwellings, wt certification yt any who shall be fou A in alehouses after ye touling of ye bell shall be liable lo censure ; as ulso ye heads of ye fiunily yt entertain ym ;— and yt ye said act mav be ye more ef- lectuall, ye members of ye session that live in ye toun of Mioiffofr are hereby ap« pointed, each Sabbath evening after ye touling oif ye bell, two and two persons, to go Chrou ye town of Miniooff and search ye several alehouses yrof, and if the^ find any persons drinking b^ondye said tyme, to delate ym and the head of ye fiunilie8.qr they «rB entertained. The minister b to intimate this from ye pulpit ye next Lenfs day. The officer, for his pains for touling of ye bell each Sabbath evening, is allowed Cwdve pounds Scotp quarterly.** 1702, June K — *' There being a ilagrsnt report yt nme perMOs in this parish in and about the house of Bardy, should have practised that piece of devilrie commonly «aUcd turning the riddle, as also it being reported yt ye principal person is one Mal- ley Redmond, an Irish woman, for present nurse in the house of Barely, to ye young Lady Tooderghee, as slso yt Alexander Kelly, Gilbert Kelly, his son, and Marion Murray, formerly servant in Bardy, now in Holme, were witnesses yrto, the sea- aion appoints ye said Malley, and ye above said witnesses to be dted to ye nixt meet- ing." Malley after some delay at length appeared, but positively denied having «• practised that piece of devilrie, of turning ye riddle," but acknowledged that she had seen it done in her father's house in IreUnd, by two girls, on occasion of some, thing being stolen, " to fear ye guilty person vt it might restore yt was stolen.'* Mal- ley was exhorted to be ingenuous, but she persisted in asserting her innocence. The ses- sion, therefore, resolved to proceed to proof. The proceedings occupy a number of pages, and are too long for insertion, but the particulars are comprehended in the de* podtion of Marion Murray. << Marion Murray, aged 18 years, having been sworn, purged of malice and partial coniel, deponeth, yt she (not having seen any other person doing it before her,) together with ye nurse, held ye riddle betwixt ym, hav- ing a pair of little schissors fastened into ye rim of the riddle, whereof ye nurse Mal- ley Redmond held one point and she the other, and that the nurse mumbled some . words, mentioning Peter and Paul, and that when the nurae said these words, the rid 134 KIRKCUDBKIOHTSHIRE. Modem BuUdingi. — A beautiful church was erected ia 1836, from a design by William Burn> Esq. Edinburgh. The mansioo- houses within the parish are^ Kirouchtree, the seat of Lady Heron Maxwell ; Cumloden Cottage, the summer retreat of the Earl of Galloway ; Cairnsmore, the residence of James Stewart, Esq. ; Bargally, the property of John M*Kie, EJsq., and the present re- sidence of Rear- Admiral Hodgson ; and the old house of Macher- more, presently occupied by C. W. Thomson, Esq. IIL — Population. FamiJies. Males. Femakt. Total. The population io 1746, - . . 828 1755, ... 1209 1792. - . . 1120 Byceoaus, 1801, SM 711 888 laOO 1811, a55 686 804 1^80 1821, 861 90a 1020 1923 1881, 352 809 1046 \^^ 1841, 963 854 972 1826 The decrease for the last ten years is 29, which is to be ac- counted for by the stoppage of the lead minesy which fonnerlj gave employment to a large number of persons. Amount of the population residing in villages : Minnigaff, 160; Creebridge and Millcroft, 262; Mines and Blackcraigi dl^> country, 1089; total, 1826. die Uirred less or more, and after yo nurse had said the words, «he bad ye deptfoeot say them to, and that she accordingly said the same words back again to the nanCt and that the deponent had said to ye nurae Malley, before ever she meddled vito itf that if she knew yr was any evil in doing of it she would not meddle with it, .J^ nurse replied yr was no evil in it, and further, that to shift the meddling ^^}^^ offered to take ye child from ye lady^s armes, but ye young lady put her to ^ ''"'' ding her go do it. As also, yt further ye said Marion depones, yl ye ^^,^J^* little after ye young lady bad her go to ye barn, and yi do it o^rer again with ik nurse, which she positively refused ; whereupon ye young lady did it herself ^"* all the circumstances she and the nurse had done it in the chambers before ; ^"^^^^ that some dayes after, the chamber door being close upon the young lady and Dtf nurse Malley, ye deponent, looking through a hole in ye door, saw ye Dur» '°^ lady standiog, and ye riddle betwixt ym as before, but heard nothing. And furtoert yt ye lady and her nurse bad her deny these things, but did not bid ber svear to it. For her participation in this affair, the young Lady Tonderghee, Mrs Janet Sii^ was cited t^fore the session ; and having expressed her penitence ^r being cp^"**^ infrk eiinh sinful tirndMnojt. bHa anH Mflrinn Miirrav siiha«*r!>ww1 m AMilaraiMU tO DC *'''" ture, they were dismissed." The originator of the affair, Malley RednK>od» 9tt& w«- ing her appearance to be rebuked before the congregation, was banished the Pf''^ On occasion of the union betwixt the two kingdoms, we find the f^^^^."'.*'ti^ October 1706, *^ The synod having appointed each minister and session wttlno ^ bounds to observe a day of fasting and humiliation, with prayer and ^P^^!^»^ Godt for conduct and direction to those concerned in the treaty of union bet^^is' ^^aaht kingdoms, and other weighty reasons, therefore thissession appoint '^^'^'^^^i!? to 'days to be observed by them for the said reasons, other public affairs not '^'r^ iLp, observe it sooner ; and all the members are desired to attend at ten o'clock fof^ MINNIQAPF. 135 The yearly average of births for the last seven years is 50 deaths, - - 31 marriages for the last two years, 9 Males. Females. Total. The number of persons under 15 years of age. 368 329 697 betwixt 15 and 30, ao8 248 456 30 and 50, 162 232 394 50 and 70, 87 113 200 70 and 80, 21 37 58 80 and 90, 7 13 20 90 and 100, 1 1 854 792 1826 IV, — Industry. The number of males employed in agriculture is 294 manufacture, 30 handicraft, &c.* 85 professional persons and other educated men, 8 male servante, . . .10 female do. . • 141 The number of acres of land which are either cultivated or are occasionally in tillage, is about • . . 6,000 Imp. The number of acres which remain constantly waste or in pasture, is 80,767 There is uo common in the parish. The mosses along the Cree might be added to the cultivated land in the parish with a profitable application of capital, though it is not probable that any attempts will be made to convert them into arable land, until they be exhausted for fuel. As near as can be ascertained, the number of acres under wood is about 1600, chiefly planted. In the older woods, the oak is the principal tree, interspersed with ash, hazel, and birch. The larch predominates in the more recent plantations, with Scots spruce, and silver firs, oak, beech, ash^ and plane tree. Where the woods are periodically cut, they are generally felled every twenty-five years. Pruning is rarely resorted to. RenL — The average rent of arable land is I6s« per acre; and tbe average of the whole parish is 2s. 7d. The rate of grazing for a cow is from L.4, 10s. to L.5 ; but in most cases, a calf is allowed to accompany the cow. The average of grazing for an ox or cow is JLA 10s. ; for a ewe or full-grown sheep, 4s. 6d. fVoffes. — Farm-servants, when boarded in the house, receive from L.4, 10s. to Im6 the half-year. Married servants receive a certain quantity of meal, potatoes, and money, in general from L.18 to L.20 a-year. The herds are allowed grazing and fodder for a cow and calf, meal, potatoes, wool, &c. ; and their income ranges from L.16 to L.24 yearly. The ordinary rate of wages * Males under 20 years of age, employed undei these heads, are included. 136 KIRKCUDBRIOHf SHIRE. for labourers is Is. to Is. 6(]. per day in summer, aud lOd. to Is. 4d. in winter. For cutting peats, ^, ^ the Rev. Mr Johnstone, L.10. The remainder is supplied/'^"* the collections, &c. There is no other place of worship witbia to parish. The manse received considerable repair and additions to i^ ' 4wo wings being added, and it is now a commodious bouse. MINNIGAFP* 141 beauty of situation, it is surpassed by none in the south of Scot* land* The glebe extends to twenty acres, and is worth L. 25 yearly* The stipend is 17 chalders, half meal and half barley, and has averaged L.268, Os. lOd. for the last five years, besides L.8, 6s. 8d. for conomunion elements* The number of persons belonging to the Established Church is 1597 ; United Secession, 49, whose places of worship are in Wig- ton and Creetown ; Reformed Presbyterian, 43» do. in Newton- Stewart ; Relief, 26, do. do. ; Episcopalians, 6 ; Baptists, 2 ; Ro- man Catholics, 81, whose place of worship is in Newton- Stewart ; not known to belong to any denomination about 20. Divine service is well attended in the parish churchy and has considerably increased within these five years. The average num- ber of communicants is about 400. In 1702, Anthony Stewart, in Laig, bequeathed the sum of L.50 Scots for behoof of the poor ; and some years subsequently, Archibald Stewart, in Larg, mortified 500 merks to provide an assistant to the minister. The records furnish no information how the money was expended. In 1811, Lady Elizabeth Heron left L.21 Sterling to the poor. The other benefactions are L. 100 in the 8 per cent, consols, bequeathed by Dunbar, Esq. the inte- rest of which is to be expended on the poor ; and L.100, less legacy duty, left by ' M^Taggart, Esq. As the minutes of session contain no notice of either of these two donations, the writer is unable to furnish any particulars beyond the surname of the do^r nors. Previous to 1827, Nicholas Simpson bequeathed to the session, for behoof of the poor, a house in Millcroft, worth L.5 yearly. The only Society for religious purposes connected with the pa« rish is the Newton- Stewart and Minnigaff Missionary Association, instituted in 183.9, the income of which has averaged L.14 annu- ally. A Bible Society was formed by the kirk-session in June 1839; 28 copies of the Bible have been distributed gratis, and 50 sold at a low price ; 21 Testaments have been given gratis, and 28 sold ; making 127 copies of the Scriptures circulated. Education. — Besides the parochial school, there are other two in the parish; one at Bargrennan, in the upper part of the parish, which was built by subscription ; and another at Stra- nord, in the mines district, built chiefly at the expense of Lady Heron Maxwell and Mrs Stewart of Caimsmuir. The parochial teacher's salary is L.84, 4s. The school fees average L.28, 4s. ; 143 KIRKCUI>8R1GHTSUIRB. and his emoluments, as session-cWk and treasurer, amount to L6; in all, L.6d, 8b. yearly. The teacher at Bargrennanhas» inaddir tion to the school fees, the sum of L»5 allowed by the Earl of Galloway. The fees do not exceed L.10. He generally resides two or three weeks alternately with those farmers who have chil- dren at school, otherwise it would be impossible to exist od the scanty remuneration he receives for his labours. The teacher at Stranord has no salary : his emoluments do not exceed L20 yearly, a sum infuior to the earpings of a labourer io constant employment. In addition to these schools, the Countess of Gal- loway has a charity school near Cumloden Cottage, where 25 girls are instructed in reading, writing, arithmetic, and needle work, by a female teacher. Besides those children whom the pa- rochial teacher is bound to teach gratuitously, the Earl of Galio* way pays for the instruction of 20 children in the common branches of education at the parish school ; and Lady Heron Maxwell aod Mrs Stewart pay Lf.2 yearly to the teacher at Stranord, for the instruction of poor children. There are none of the yoong, be- twixt six and fifteen, who cannot read, though there are a few who cannot write. There are very few persons above fifteen who cannot read, but many of the females above that age cannot wnte. The people in general are fully alive to the advantages of educa- tion for their children ; though it is to be regretted, that mao; of those whose children are taught gratuitously are not sufficieotlv attentive to enforce their attendance regularly, but allow them to be absent from school on the most trivial occasions. Many • parts of the parish are so distant from any school, (being from six to ten miles distant over moors and bogs,) as to prove a serious ob^ stacle to attendance. The population is thinly scattered, and the families are mostly those of shepherds. They, however, display a laudable solicitude for the instruction of their children, and several of the families unite to procure a person, generally a youog iadj to teach them, as it is impossible to assemble the children toge- ther daily for this purpose. The teacher usually goes the round of each family, remaining a week or fortnight in each, and the children bring their victuals with them, and remain for the same period, and thus an itinerating school is formed alternately m each other's houses. As the most of the families are poor, and consequently cannot afford to give much to the teacher beyond his food, the services of one willing to encounter this expatriation among the hills, are sometimes difiicult to be procured. 3 ' Library. — There is a library attached to the Sabbath ichool, which contains about 400 Tolumes. There is also a public lub- scriptioD library in Newton-Slewart, immediately adjoining. Charitable IniHtiUion*. — There is no Triendly society or saving bank in the parish. A clothing club was instituted a few years 1^0 by Lady Galloway. The contributors deposit Id. or 2d. weekly, as they choose ; at the end of the year, her Ladyship adds to the sum deposited one-half of the amount, and, for this sum, the depositor receives an order on a draper in Newton-Stew- art for what articles of clothing he may wish. This scheme has been of much advantage to many of the poorer class. A clothing depository was formed last year, under the patronage of Lady Heron Maxwell, which is supported by subscriptions. The clothes are made and sold at the cost of the materials, to those who are unable to pay the full price. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of persons perma- nently receiving parochial aid is 46, and of persons receiving oc- casional relief, 27. In all, 73 persons are on the poor funds, or one pauper to every 25 of the population. The highest sum allowed to those on the roll is 4s. weekly, or L.IO, Ss. annually.* The lowest is 58. quarterly, or 4id. per week; the average to each pauper being L.1, 14s. 2d., and the total expenditure, L.138, 8s. 8jd, The income arises from collections at church doors, L.80, 7s. IO|d. ; mortcloth dues, proclamations, and interest of morti- fied money, L.40, 10s. The deficiency is supplied by a contri- bution on the heritors, according to their valued rents. Many of the poor are Irish, or of Irish extraction, and, among these, there is little disposition to refrain from seeking parochial relief. Among those originally belonging to the parish, there is more reluctance manifested to apply for aid ; but this feeling is disappearing, and individuals, by no means in distressed circumstances, do not he- sitate to apply for relief. Police. — A constable was appointed by the county for this pa- rish in 1839, whose services have been of much benetit, especially in the suppression of vagrancy. Fain. — None are now held in the parish, but every facility for the disposal of cattle and farm produce is afforded by the markets of Newton- Stewart. Alehouta. — There are eight public houses in the parish ; two in the village of Minnigaff, three at Creebridge, and three in the country. • Tha perion receiving Ihii allovinn l> a man upward* of nin«j-four y«t» of ig^ the north, by Crossmichael ; on theeast, by Buittle; on thesouthi by Rorwick and Kirkcudbright ; and on the west, by the ri'er Dee, which separates it from Balmaghie and Tongland. Topographical Appearances. — The general outline of thepaf* is that of a ridge between the channel of the Dee and the bssiD the Carlinwark loch. Its surface, though yery uneven, abouDfli^ with small hills of a conical figure, called drums, is almo^ ^ for the plough. Towards the south these hills gradually increase KBLTON. 145 in height, UDtil ifaey attain an altitude of 1200 feet. The high- est points are Bengairn, the Skreel, and Dungyla From Ben- gairn or the Skreel, when the state of the atmosphere is favour* able, the view is remarkably beautiful and extensive. Throughout its whole eitent^ the vale of the Dee, rich in natural and artificial beauties, is visible. Running along the silvery line of the river, the eye naturally rests upon the lofly Cairnsmuir of Carsphaim, overlooking the Kells range of mountains, which separates the stewartry from Ayrshire, On t)ie east and north-east are seen Criffel, Queensberry, and the mountains in the north of Dumfries* shire. Towards the west appear Caimharra, and Cairnsmuir of Fleet, and on the south, the sea — (in the midst of which appears the Isle of Man) — ^lies immediately below. From St Bee's Head— like a giant guarding theeotranceinto the Solway Frith — strotches, in an easterly direction, the bold outlind of the Cumberland moun- tains, with the line of cultivation, the rich fields, towns, and vil* lages that adorn the coast of England, distinctly visible. Immedi- ately on the east of Bengaim» and separated from it by a deep and narrow ravine, rises the wild and rugged Skreel, beneadi which, on the north-east, is the green hill of Dungyle^ whose summit was once crowned with a strong fort, in which the British sought shelter from die Roman invader* CHmate. — The climate is very variable, generally moist, yet mild, pleasant, and salubrious. The springs are cold, the sum- mers rainy, the autumns mild, and the winters not severo. The following is a correct register of the rain that has fallen in the parish of Kelton during each month within the time specified, as showii by the ram-gauge kept by Mr Joseph Train, in Castle Douglas. The rain-gauge was erected on the 1st March 1837, and the observations ceased in June 1841. MonUi. 1897. 1838. 1889. 1840. 1841. Incbeik locbes. Inches. Inches. Inches. Jmvuajf .6 2l2 4.9 23 Fflbrunry, 2L4 a6 a5 ai Maivbf .7 4.1 4.9 .2 8.4 AprOy 1^ 1.9 2L2 .8 2.8 May, 1.6 a7 2. ai a4 Junet 2^ '4.2 2L] 2.8 4.6 July, 4. as &JS M August, aa a7 2.4 2L6 . September, 1.9 2.1 8.8 7.8 October, S.2 ae 4.7 a4 Norember, 8.7 fi. 4.5 43 Decembery • 4.3 2.6 4.4 5.1 Annuat total. 37.2 47.1 43.1 KIRKCUDBRIGHT. K 146 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Although it thus appears that a great deal of rain falls in the course of the year, yet the porous nature of the soil secures its speedy absorption. Frosts are seldom of long continuance, and snows are felt only in their beneBcial influences* The strongest winds and the heaviest rains come in the direction of the sea, from the west and south-west ; although in early spring, the east wind sometimes blows without intermission for many days, with the most piercing keenness. No diseases however, are peculiarly pre- valent in the parish, the general softness of the climate being do less friendly to the human constitution than favourable to pastuN age, and the operations of husbandry. An occasional case of small-pox, scarlatina, and typhus fever may occur, but these dis- eases never spread their ravages far, nor are they ever of long continuance. The blessing of health is enjoyed in an eminent de* gree; it is no uncommon thing to meet with inhabitants who, in a lifetime of fourscore years, have never been confined to bed by sickness for a single week, and there are at present living in the parish a man and a woman, both of whom have attained the ex- traordinary age of ninety-seven years. Hydrography. — Springs and streams of the most excellent water abound in the parish. The river Dee, which has here attained to nearly its greatest volume, being only a few miles from the Tooglaod rapids, below which it is met by the tide, runs along the whole west- ern boundary of the parish. Immediately above the bridge of Dee, and again at a small distance below it, the river separates, and by the confluence of its divided stream, forms two large and beautifully wooded islands. Several streamlets descend from the mountains and intersect the parish in difierent directions. The Slackburn and the Auchlane burn, from Bengairn, after run* ning parallel for a few miles in a northerly direction, turn their courses westward, and fall into the Dee, the former above, and the latter below the ancient village of Rhonehouse. Three other burns descend from the Skreel, one of which flows in a northerly direction, past the village of Gelston, and falls into the Carlinwark Loch ; the other two run in a south-easterly direction) one on each side of the hill of Gelston, and having at length united, fall into the Solway Frith near Orchardton. One of these —the Yerroch — runs through a beautiful and romantic pass, and, for several miles, forms the boundary between the parishes of Kelton and Buittle. Lioch. — Near the north corner of this parish there is a small J K ELTON. 147 lake called the CarliDwark Loch. It covers a surface of about 100 acres. In the year 1765, this lake was partially drained by a canal of about a mile and a-half in length, cut from it to the river Dee. Six feet of water were thus withdrawn, and the loch was reduced from 180 acres to its present extent. This drainage was made for the purpose of procuring marl, an inexhaustible store of the very best sort of that useful manure — the shelly kind — ^being contained in the loch, and the mosses that were then ex- posed. The canal served the double purpose of draining the lake, and of conveying the marl in boats to the Dee, from which it was earned to all the inland parishes which lie upon that river and the Ken. Being thus reduced to the level of the Dee, the Carlin- wark Loch is commonly a tributary to the river ; but after a heavy fall of rain it actsTas a reservoir, being raised many feet, and all the adjoining marshes being overflowed by the influx of the river. The great road from London to Portpatrick runs along the north-western margin of this lake, whose beauty never fails to command the attention and admiration of the traveller. It is con- fessedly the most lovely sheet of water in the south of Scotland ; nor are there many of the Highland lochs with' which it would sufier by being brought into comparison. It is fringed with wood down to the water's edge, aqd studded with finely wooded islands, which afford harbour to all kinds of waterfowl. Overlooking the lake, the passenger has a remarkably fine view of the castle and woods of Gelston, with the magnificent background of Dungyle^ the Skreel, and Bengairn. Even after it had enriched its pro-^ prietor, Mr Gordon of Greenlaw, and fertilized the whole sur- rounding country by the marl which it yielded, this beautiful loch was sold to the late Sir William Douglas for L.2000. Geology and Mineralogy. — No coal, lime, or freestone is found in this parish. In the mountains there is abundance of ironstone of superior quality ; but the absence of coal, difficulty of access, and distance from the sea coast, must ever prevent its being ex- tensively used. The prevailing rock is of the transition formation — viz. slate and greywacke* The strata of greywacke exhibit many varieties ; some, which are called in the country whinstone, are of a blue, or greyish-brown colour ; of a hard and compact grain ; generally break irregularly, but sometimes split into pa- rallel slices, of which large coarse slates are made. The beds of this stone are of various thickness, from half an inch to many 1 48 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. feet, and generally lie in a direction from north-east to south-west, with a slight inclination from the perpendicular. There are in- terposed between them frequent strata of the soft, shifering, ar- gillaceous stone, which easily yields to the weather, called slate band; and they are also sometimes interspersed with veins or dikes of porphyry. Of this there is a striking instance immedi- ately in front of the manse, where a dike or vein of the hard- est porphyry, about three feet in thickness, has been forced up through a bed of slate band. Granite is found in the moun- tains. There are also several mosses, of considerable extent, in the parish) which exhibit remains of the ancient forest that once covered nearly the whole of Gtalloway. Soil. — The soil is various, but in general it consists of a thin light hazel mould, or a brown loam, mixed with sand, or the debris of slate band. In some places it is incumbent upon a stiff clay, and occasionally on gravel, but generally upon the rocks which prevail in the parish. It is very fertile, and yields a grate- ful return for any agricultural improvement. Zooloffy.-^Kelton Hill was formerly the great mart for the sale of horses in the south of Scotland* Many of these animals were, in consequence, bred in the parish. But the nuiltiplication of fairs throughout the country, and the free importation of horses from Ireland, have divested this village of much of its an- cient importance. A considerable number of horses, however, are still reared for the market, though the true Galloway, the once- celebrated native of the district, is now almost unknown. That small but beautifiil, hardy, docile, and useful* animal has given place to various larger, stronger, and more showy races. Much attention is paid to the breed of cows. The native Gal- loway cow, perhaps the most finely proportioned of the species known in Scotland, is generally of a glossy black colour, without horns, of a round and compact body, and capable of being fed to the weight of 45 stones. This fine animal, however, has now to contend for superiority with the Cunningham or Ayrshire cow. Each species has its admirers and advocates ready to assign sub- stantial reasons for the preference of their favourite. The pro- duce of the native, though not so abundant as that of the stranger, is maintained to be superior in quality. Practically, the dispute is settled in this way ;«— those who can afford to indulge in luxuries retain the Galloway ; while those to whom quantity is an object of importance, as the keepers of dairies, — a mode of husbandry KBLTON. * 149 that is beoommg common in this part of the country, — adopt the Ayrshire breed of cows. The greatest share of the agriculturist's attention, however^ is directed to the rearing of black-cattle, which may still be eonsi* dered as the staple commodity of Galloway. In this respect, there seems to be a strong inclination to keep up the character which the county had acquired in the days of Symson, who re- marks, that it was ^ more plentifull in bestiall than cornes.'' Many more cattle are reared than bred in this parish. Some are brought from the Highlands of Scotland ; others from Ireland, or the northern counties of England ; and, aflter being grazed a year, are again sold to the dealers who supply the English markets. They are generally bought at the age of one or two years, at prices va- rying from L.5 to Lb 10, and are resold at prices ranging from L.9 to L.14. Some of the best lots bring as high as L.15. What- ever disputes may exist with regard to the comparative merits of the Galloway and Ayrshire cows, there is none with regard to their respective capabilities of being fed for the butcher, — the Galloway being readily and universally allowed to take en fat much faster, and to afford finer beef than its rival. None of the farms in Kelton are held exclusively as sheep-walks. A considerable number of these useful animals, however, are kept in the parish. They are almost all of the cross breed between the Cheviot and Leicester. A few of the small black-faced sheep, the ancient breed of the country, are still to be seen wandering among the rocks of the Skreel. These produce finer mutton than the cross-breeds. All the farmers, and many of the common peo« pie, keep a few pigs, part of which are used in their own house- holds, and part brought to market On several of the farms, large flocks of geese are seen feeding, which, towards the end of the year, are sent to the Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Liverpool market. Grouse, blackcocks, partridges, pheasants, and wood pigeons, hares and rabbits abound. The woodcock, cuckoo, landrail, swal- low, and marten are annual visitants. The curlew, quail, and bit- tern are sometimes met with. The Carlinwark Loch is stocked with almost all the fresh-water fowls common in the country, as the swan, heron, wild duck, and various species of the jay-teal. Chinese geese breed in the islands ; and the solitary cormorant may often be seen swimming among the waves, or sitting motion- less for many hours together upon a pile of stones in the middle of 150 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. the lake. Various kinds of vermin are also to be met with, as th^ owl, several species of hawk, raven, poleeat, fox, weasel, hedge- hog, mole, and rat The otter has also been seen and snared in the parish. One was lately taken in the Carlinwark Loch that measured 85 inches from the snout to the point of the tail. The river Dee abounds with salmon and trout ; and the Car* linwark Loch with the finest pike, perch, and eels. The UniOi or Alasmodan Margaritiferus^ a kind of pearl mussel, is found io the Dee ; and another, but rarer, species of the same genus, the Anodon cygiieus, is met with in the Carlinwark Loch. Botany, — Kelton offers a rich field for the botanist Besides the more common plants, there may be mentioned as indigeoous to the parish ;— Hippuris Tulgaris Veronico serpyllifolia Galium saxatile — — —« cruciatum — aparine IVf yosotis collina Anagallis tenella Parnacsia paluistris Drowra rotundifblia Nartbecium ossifragum Alisma ranunculoidea Bpilobium hirsutum Sasifraga ffranulata Stellaria glauca Arenaria scrpyllifolia Cerastium Tiscosum Cerastium semidecandrium GFraniam noUe Lythrum salicaria Agrimonia Eupatorium Spiraa salicifolia Potentilla reptaos Helianthemum Tolgare Kympbaea alba Nupbar lutea RanuDculus lingua ■ soeleraius TroUiua Europeus Scutellaria galericulata Lepidium campostre Nasturtium terrestre Sisymbrium oflSeinale Erysimum Cbeirantboides dissectun Genista tinctoria ^ Anthyllis Tulneraris Errum birsutum Hypericum humifusara «.._..^.— - puicbnuD Hypocbcris radicats Hieraciom pilosella Gymnadenia oonoptea Epimedium Myrica Gale Aaplenium TricboinaM* Scolopendrium vulgaWi ^* IL — Civil History. The ancient history of this parish is enveloped in considerable obscurity. It formed part of the extensive territories of the power- ful and warlike British tribe the Selgovs, several of whose places of strength can still be traced. When Agricola invaded "that part of Britain which is opposite to Ireland," along with the rest of Galloway, Kelton was comprehended in the Roman province Valentia. The progress and power of that warlike people are still indicated by existing vestiges of their roads, causeways, and campS) placed aaiong the hill-forts to keep the natives in check, as well as by Roman weapons, ornaments, and culinary utensils, found lo this parish. After the Roman abdication, the Britons assumed their ancient independence, until the Northumbrian Saxons, w the seventh century, reduced this country under their power. x*e* of that people, however, who enjoyed a better country and ciun^^^ on the eastern shore, and who had already conquered a greater extent of territory than their limited population could occupy* ever having gained a footing here at all. Not so with the Irish eoiigraDts, who, after many attacks on the Romaoized Britons, before the eaA of the ninth century, succeeded in gaining posses- sion of Galloway, and at length of the whole peninsula formed by the river Nith and the Solway Frith on the one hand, and the river and Frith of the Clyde on the other. In the topography of the Etewartry, these colonists have left innumerable proofs of the □umber of their settlements. Many of the names of places alluded to, indeed, are common to the British and the Irish, as Torrs, from tor, a small hill ; Dungyle, from the British din or the Irish dun, a fort ; and Bengairn, from ben, a mountain, and cairn, a hillock of stones ; yet the complete colonization of Galloway hy the Irish is strikingly proved by the ^ct, that in this whole parish only two places retain names which are purely British, viz. Slag- naw, a compound of ilack, the name of a burn, and cnol, commonly pronounced kaotoe, a hillock; and Carlrawark, from the British caer-lin, the fort-lake, and the tautological Scoto-Saxon work, a castle or large structure of any kind. The name of Kirk-cormic, or rather Kil-cormic, as it was fonnerly written, one of the three parishes of which Kelton is composed, is purely Irish, kil signify- ing a church, and Cormic being the successor of Saint Patrick, and called in the Ulster Annals Saint Patrick's heir. For many ages, this people predominated in Galloway, speaking their own language, having their own officers, called re^uli or kings, being governed by their own laws, and retaining their national manners and customs, even to the point of rebellion whenever they were attempted to be interfered with, as was the case in the times of Malcolm IV. and Alexander II. The manners of the Galwe- gians, as described by Symson in 1684, shew a great resemblance to the peculiarities of the Irish peasantry at the present day ; but recent improvements, and increased facilities of intercourse, have changed the habits and customs of the people, and assimilated their modes of life to the Scottish national standard. It would be foreign to the object of a work like the present to pursue the civil history of this parish, mixed up as it is with that of the district through all the desolating feuds of its native lords ; the wars that originated in the disputed succession to the throne of Scotland, in which the Galwegians naturally took part with, their countrymen the Comyns and Baliols, and consequently shared 152 KIUKCUDBRIGHTSHIRB. iu all their disasters ; the oppressioDS of the Earls of Douglas ; iu deliverance by James IL ; its distracted state^ arising out of tbe jealousies and quarrels of its petty chiefs ; the incursions of the English, until die union of the Scottish and English crowns gare repose to the harassed and .almost depopulated country* Suffice it to say, that the parish of Kelton, £rom its central positioD, and especially from its proximity to the Castles of Builtle and Thrieve, the strongholds of the ambitious and turbulent families of the Ba- liols and Douglasses, was necessarily the theatre of many interest- ing and important transactions, altogether lost sight of by historj^ and concerning which even tradition is now almost silent In Blaeu's *^ Atlas Sootise,*' there is a description of the of Kelton, furnished by John Maclellan about the year 1650. k is particularly described in Symson's MS. Account of Gallowaj^ 1684; and it is also noticed in Chalmers' Caledonia, VoLiii. p. 314. LaniLaumer$. — The followinff is a correct list of the present pro- prietors, with their respective valuations % Tha Hein of the late Willuiin Maitland of AucUttie, TbeEarlofSeUurk, Archibald Maiwell of Kelton, Sir Robert kberenmbr, BavC of Birkcnbog, fte. WUliam Forbes of CaUendar, Sir J. M. Maekensie, Bart of DdTiDe, Colonel Maxwell of Orchardtoni James Barbour of Duomuir, « John Craiff of Milnthird, Mrs' Hamilton of Torrs^ t Colonel M*DowalI of Logan, . • James Cowan of Daldawn, • Adam Gray of Kirkland, . « Messrs Hankey, Bankers, London, • Matthew Ciaiff of Upper Torrs, John M*Kinnel of Orer Arkland^ • Hngh M< Whirter of BeUerig, Total Taluationi . • . hJWS Of these land*owners, Mrs Maitland, Mr Barbour, MrX Cratg» Mr M«Kinnel» and Mr M«Whirter reside in the parish. It ^ tains no residence of any of the nobility. Parochial It^isters.^li is to be hoped that there are few pa* rishes in Scotland, the roisters of which have been so csrei^ ; kept as those of Kelton* The session records extend no is^ back than the year 1716. For the next eleven years '^'".^^ date the proceedings of the session are regularly minuted, ^^ register of births is also complete. But from 1726 down to f« two neither record nor register can bo found. For the next lweD*r KMLTOi^. 153 years they bave beeti regularly kept ; but from 1 794 down to 1 639 uo regular records appear to have been kept, and the regis^ ter of births has been iq[uite neglected. The transactions of the sessioo are now regularly minuted ; but so inveterate has become the babit of neglecting the register that not one parent in ten can be persuaded to record ihe births of his children* Andqidtieir^ThiB parish esdiibits traces of all the nations who have successively occupied Galloway* K On the farm of Torrs there is an imperfect circle of upright stones, the remains of a Druidical temple, in the neighbourhood of which there is a copious spring of excellent water. In such places, the pagan aborigines and tbetr descendants, the Selgova?^ performed their superstitious wor- ship and impious rites of divination. 2. Of the numerous remains of the hill forts of that ancient people which are found in this district, the most remarkable is situated Upon the hill of Dun* gyle, near the ruins of Oelston kirk. It is of the usual circu« lar form, and surrounded with three ramparts of stones mixed with earth. At a little distance there is a smaller one, forti6ed in the same way. The former is 117, and the latter 68 paces in diameter. 3. On opening a sepulchral tumulus near Oelston, which is not &r from the route of Agricola's army through Gal- loway, there was found a stone coffin, seven feet long, and three feet wide, which contained human bones of unusual length and thickness. These appear to have been the relics of some ancient warrior, as there was also discovered in the same coffin, a brass or copper helmet, with several implements of war, that were greatly corroded* There was also found in the neighbourhood ** a nicely carved urn,'' full of reddish coloured ashes. The figure of the urn, however, is all that would lead us to refer this relic to the Romans, as cremation was not pecuUar to tliat people, but prac* tised also by the British ; and it was the custom of both to inhume the urns of the dead, without any pious cairn to mark the place of their repose. 4. A few years ago, a Roman tripod, in a good state of preservation, was turned up by the plough in the farm of Mid Keltoa t it is now in the possession of Mr Train, Castle Douglas. & A Muosmer^s head mask, made of fine copper, rich* ly ornamented, and having two long horns turning backwards like those of a goat, was found in a morass in the farm of Torrs, about the year 1820. Masquerades were a favourite amusement of the nobility in the middle ages, and this ma^ had probably belonged to a Mummer of the -neighbouring castle of Thrieve. It was pre* 154 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. seated to Sir Walter Scott by Mr Train, and is now a conspicu- ous object in the museum at Abbotsford. 6. Mr Train has also in his possession two interesting pieces of furniture; the one an antique bedstead or buistie of the black Earl of Douglas, who was assassinated by his sovereign in the castle of Stirling; the other, a beautiful cabinet of elaborately carved .oak, formed out of the different pieces of an ornamented chimney-piece, the cutting of which was the amusement of twenty tedious years spent by Mr J. Gordon, a member of the Earlston family, in the dungeon of Blackness, where he was confined on account of his religion. 7. The Carlinwark loch has yielded up many antiquities. This beau- tiful sheet of water appears to have been an object of wonderful interest in ancient times. It once contained two laige islands; one near the north end, and the other near the south end of it* But great pains have evidently been taken to adorn it with artifi- cial islands, as there are two small ones that the writer of the Old Statistical Account says, *' have evidently been formed by strong piles of wood driven into the moss or marl, on which were placed large frames of black oak." These were discovered in the year 1765, when the loch was drained for the purpose of procunog marl. They had been immersed ** fully six feet under water,"— a fact which seems to prove that the original extent of the loch was not much greater than its present, these six feet of water being fully accounted for by two dams which were then also discovered. These must have been erected for the purpose of deepening the lake by shutting its two outlets towards the Dee. This idea seems to be confirmed by a tradition which has always prevailed in the parish, that there was a town which sunk, or was drowned, in the loch — probably a few houses partially submerged, and rendered uninhabitable by the confinement of the waters. Tradition says also, that there were two churches or chapels, one upon each of the large islands. On an islet near the north end of the loch, there was found a large iron mallet, or hammer, stained on one end with blood-rust. It is now in the possession of the Antiquarian Society of Edinburgh, and is supposed to have been an instrument used by the ancient Druids in killing their sacrifices. The dams refer- red to above had been strong works ; the one was discovered at the present outlet of the loch to the Dee, and was built of stone, moss, and clay ; the other was found near the town of Castle 1a>U' glas, at a poitit where, in very high floods, the loch and the rive still meet. This work consisted of oak wood and earth. At tnis 156 KIRRCUDBBIGHTSHIRE. Oo the west side of the k>ch, between it and the public road, there is still pointed out a small piece of rising ground, as the Gallows Slote» or^ pit into which the rictims of the cruelty or re- venge of the Earls of Douglas were cast alter being hanged on 4he gallows knob, a large block of granite projecting from the froot wall of Thriere Castle, immediately over the main gateway. There is a difficulty, however, in accounting for this chamel be- ing situated at the distance of more than a mile from the castle^ while the carcasses could have been so much mora readily dispos- ed of in the neighbouring marshes^ or in the river that flowed uo- der the very walls* Some, therefore, regard this piece of ground as the gttUowB sloie^ on the top of which, it is said, stood a gibbet, upon which those unhappy persons who incurred the displeasure of the Douglasses were executed. Be this as it may, the fact is indisputable, that this piece of ground was used, if not as a place of execution, at least as a receptacle for the bodies of criminals ; for the popular tradition to this effect was strikingly corroborated in the year 1800, when^ in making the present h^* way^ abundance of human bones were turned up in this spot On this gallows, it is stated in the old Statistical Account, that Madel- Ian, tutor of Bombie, was executed by the command of Douglas, not* withstanding the King's letters demanding his release. Tbis ac- count, however, differs from that which is given by the best authors, as Pinkerton, Hume of Oodscrof^ Balfour, Buchanan, Hume, Scott, and Tytler, who all agree that Maclellan was beheaded io the court of Thrieve Castle, — a grim and frowning stronghold that stands on an island surrounded by the Dee, about a mile ftom the high road, from which it is visible* The same writer states, that ** The remains of Raeberry (Maclellan) lie buried in the church of Kirkcormock, as appears from the inscription upon a gravestone there/' But Crawford, in his Peerage^ says, that ** Sir Patrick Maclellan was interred in the abbey church of Duodreo- naU) under a monument of freestone.'' This account is the more probable, as Dundrennan was the.&mily burying«place of the Maclellans, and not far from their castle of Raeberry. The in- scription upon the stone in the church of Kirkcormock is io ^^^ Runic-characters, now hardly legible. Enough, however, has been made out to show, that it was erected to perpetuate the memory or a young man of the same name, who died upwards of eighty y^^ after the murder of the tutor of Bombie. It is, " Honorabilis Pa* tricius Maclellan qui obit anno m.dxxxiv. anno xviii cup to her lips, — a circumstance regarded by the people in the country as a direct manifestation of the vengeance of Heaven, because that hand had been given in wedlock to two brothers, and that whilst the lawful spouse of one of them was still alive. The garrison immediately surrendered ; and the grateful monarch presented to M^Kim the forfeited lands of Mollance, as a reward for the service he had rendered his country by con- structing so noble an engine of war. According to the custom of Galloway, where persons are generally called by the names of the lands they possess, M'Kim soon came to be known by the soubri- quet Mollance. The cannon was named after him, with the ad- dition of Meg, in compliment to his wife, whose voice, it is said, rivalled that of her namesake. Thus the original name of the gun was Mollance Meg^ which, in course of time, was contracted into Mans Meg. Drummond of Hawthornden is the first author who uses this contraction, '^ sicuti Mons Megga crackassety*'^ which has led people unacquainted with the history of Galloway erroneously to suppose that this famous cannon was forged at Mons in Flanders. But no proof whatever has yet been adduced to that effect, whereas there is very conclusive evidence of its having been constructed in Galloway. The ball which made the can- non hole in the wall of Thrieve Castle as well as those which are shewn in the Castle of Edinburgh, as pertaining to *Mons KELTON. 159 Meg, are of Galloway granite, to which there is none exactly si- milar in Scotland ; and tradition says they were made on the sum- mit of Bennan hill, while M'Kim and his sons were employed in constructing the cannon at the Buchan croft. Two of these balls only are said to have been discharged at the siege, and of both a satisfactory account can be given. The first, — that which shook the castle and spread dismay among the garrison, was, towards the end of last century, picked out of the wall and delivered to Mr Gordon of Greenlaw. And in the year 1841, when the ten- ant of the Isle of Thrieve was removing, for the purpose of tur- nip-husbandry, a large accumulation of rubbish from the lower part of the castle, he came upon the draw-well, which was found to be lined with strong planks of black oak in a state of perfect preser- Tation. Prosecuting the search which this discovery provoked, the labourers at length came to an immense round ball, which, on examination, was found to be a bullet in all respects the same as those belonging to Mens Meg, and still retaining evident marks of having been discharged from a cannon. It lay in the direct line from Knock-cannon to the breach in the wall ; so that there is every reason to believe that this was the identical missile that shattered the stronghold and mutilated the lady of the tremendous Lord of Galloway. A massive gold ring, inscribed, ** Mar- garet de Douglas,'' supposed to have been on the Fair Maid of Galloway's hand when it was blown away at the siege, was discovered by one of the workmen employed to clear out some rubbish, when Thrieve Castle was partially repaired, in the beginning of the present century, as a barrack for French prisoners. The ring was handed to Sir Alexander Gordon, sheriff of the county. Symson says, that <' the common re- port also goes in that country, that in the isle of the Thrieve, the great iron gun in the Castle of Edinburgh, commonly called Mount Megg, was wrought and made," — which statement, writ- ten nearly a hundred and sixty years ago, though obviously incor- rect in assigning the Isle of Thrieve as Meg's birth-place, goes far to prove her a native of Galloway. Finally, the uninterrupted tradition which has prevailed on this subject in the country, receiv- ed a strong confirmation, when the labourers who were engaged in making the great military road at Carlinwark, at the very spot where Mens Meg is said to have been manufactured, came to a large mound, which iurned out to be a mass of ashes or cinders, such as are generally left from a forge. 160 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. The unexampled popularity of Mens Meg may perhaps justif; the following brief outline of her subsequent history and travels. From the following entry in the Treasurer's books, she appears to have been carried by James IV., July 10, 1480, to the siege of Dumbarton, — " Item, to the gunners to drink-silver when they carit Mons, by the King's command, 18s/' Mons, howeier, from her enormous size and weight, proved exceedingly unmanage- able ; and after having been brought back from Dumbarton to Edinburgh, she enjoyed an interval of eight years' inglorious re- pose. When James, however, in 1497, sat down before Nor- ham, the great gun was, with infinite labour and expense, convey- ed to the siege, and some of the items regarding her transport are amusing. The construction of a new cradle or carriage for ber seems to have been a work of great labour. Thus on July 2i, 1497, we have ** Item, to pyanaris to here ye trees to be Mon'snew cradill to her at St Leonards, qubare scho lay, iiish. vid. ;" and again, July 28, *^ Item, for xiii stane of irne to mak graith to Monsis new cradill, and geolokkis to ga with her, xxxsb. iiiid.'' << Item, to vii wrightis for twa dayis and a half ya maid Monsis cradilU xxiiish. iiid.'' << Item, for xyiiii li of talloun (tallow) (o Mons." '^ Item, for viii elne of canvas to be Monsis daiths to cover her." ^* Item, for mare talloun to Mons." '< Item, to Sir Thomas Galbraith for paynting Monsis claiths^ xiiiish." ** Item, to the minstralis that playit before Mons douna the gait, xiiibb." The next occasion of Meg's making a noise in the world, was in 1548) at the nuptials of Queen Mary and the Daupbin of France, when the following entry occurs,— <* certain pyanaris for their labouris in raising Monss out of her lair, and for finding and carrying her bullet after she was shot frae Waldie Mnir back to the castle of Edinburgh, a distance of two miles, 19s." On the 19th December 1650, when the Castle of Edinbuigfa capitulated to the parliamentary troops, in the list of ordnance delivered by the governor to Colonel Moncke is specially mentioned ^' The great iron murderer, called Muckle Megg." In 1682, in firing a salute in honour of James, Duke of York, Meg unfortunately sustained some damage, in having part of the iron hoop next the touch-hole blown away. The disaster is thus referred to by Robert Fergusson : ** Oh WniawinB f Mons Meg for you, 'Twai firing cracked thy muckle mou.** To the great grief of the inhabitants of Edinburgh, this gigan- KELTON. 161 tic piece of ordDance wasi on the 19th April 1754, removed from Edinburgh Castle to Leith, on its way to the Tower of London. Her loss is thus again recorded by the same poet,--> ^ Right aeldom am 1 gi'en to bannin. But by my aoul «be wai a cannoD* Could hit a man bad he been staonin In abire of Fife ; Sax Jang Scota milea ayont Clackmannin, An' tack his Ufe." When King George IV. visited Edinburgh Castle, on 22d August 1822, Sir Walter Scott pointed out to him the spot on the chief bastion of the old fortress, formerly occupied by Mens Meg, and earnestly requested that she might again be placed there, to which his Majesty readily assented. But through petty obstacles, stated by the official guardians of Meg, that object was not effect- ed for nearly seven years afterwards. '^ On 9tb March 1829, she was, however, brought in so- lemn procession, to re»occupy her ancient site on the Argyle bat* tery, escorted by the 7dd Regiment, a detachment of artillery-men j and two troops of dragoons, with thirty gentlemen, in full Highland costume, at the head of whom was Sir Walter Scott, accompanied by the greater part of the inhabitants of Edinburgh.* Modem Buildings* — The principal modem buildings in this pa- rish are, Gelston Castle, built by the late Sir William Douglas, Bart, now the residence of his niece, Mrs Maitland ; the Carlin- wark, built by the late Mr M^Culloch, and belonging at present to Mr David Hannay ; and Daldawn, built by the late proprie- tor. Captain M'DougalK The St John's Lodge of Free Masons have a large hall in Castle Douglas. There are three mills in this parish for grinding corn, and one bone-mill. III. — Population. Few parishes in Scotland exhibit so rapid an increase of popu- lation as Kelton. In the year 1755, it was only 81 1, and in 1791, it amounted to 1600. Maks. Females. Total. 1801, 926 979 1905 1811, - 1075 1188 2263 1821, 1161 1265 2416 18S1, 1398 1588 2877 1841, 1296 1577 2875 * The abore aoooimt of Mens Meg is taken from TyUer*8 History of Scotland. loeideDtal Notices of ThricYe Castle and Mods Meg, furnished by Mr Train for <' the History of Galloway. J. Nicholson, Kirkcudbright, icocccxu.'' KIRKCUDBRIGHT. L 162 KIRKCDDBBIGHTSHIBE. There are in the whole parish 686 {amilios» being an average of about 4^ to each family. Of tbe present populHioD, there reeitfo in thft town of Caetle Donglas, 18^ ▼iUaffe of Rhoneboiwe, « - ^ ecrantry part of tlie parkh, • 645 Total, «75 The population consists generally of bankers, writers, medica> men, shop keepers, cabinet-makers^ masons, joiners, bladumitbs, painters, upholsterers, inn*keepers, tailors, shoemakers, weafers> and labourers. As nearly as can be ascertained, the yearly ave- rage of marriages is 20 ; of births, 65 ; and of deaths, 35. The number of resident proprietors of the yearly value of L.50 and upwards, is 4. The number of blind persons is 3 ; of insane, I ; and of fatuous, 1. Language. — Very good English is spoken by the people in ge- neral. The peculiarities noticed by Symson, of their omitting the letter h after ^ as in pronouncing ting for Aing; of their con- verting V into «?, as, serwaat for servant, 8/v^ no longer eiist. The epithet bask is very generally applied to tbe dry withering easterly winds that sometimes prevail in spring. Although a few provincialisms, and a slight patois may occasionally be recogniced, yet the language is decidedly improving, both in purity and co^ rectness of pronunciation. Character and Habits of the People. — The people are characte* rized by caution, shrewdness, and an inquisitive turn of nund. Though a good many lead an irreligious life, yet the inhabitants are generally distinguished for their industry, sobriety, and regard to tbe outward ordinances of religion. The peasantry are irugal> and cleanly in their habits ; enjoy, in a reasonable degree^ the comforts and advantages of society, and seem cheerful and con- tented with their condition and circumstances. Their ordinary food consists of oatmeal made into cakes and porridge, with miiK for breakfast and supper, and a dinner of barley broth with beet or mutton and potatoes. They are simple in their tastes, civil to their superiors, and proverbial for their hospitality. Their fa- vourite games are quoits and curling, in both of which they excel) standing at present in the proud position of conquerors in both games, of all the neighbouring parishes with which they are m the habit of playing an annual match. In winter, the Carlinwark Loch presents an ample field for the lovers of the latter national the surhce beinf; coiutaDtl; agitated in particular parte by cur- rents of wind, and the hundreds of watflr-fawl that frequent its shores, there are generally Bome small spoU left open after the rest is frozen over. These being covered by a single night's in- tense frost, as is sometimes the case, are apt to deceive the un- wary. In this way a boy was drowned in the winter of 1839—40. Qtrds, backgammon, draughts, and chess are known, but not es- tAisively practised in the parish. Poaching is not common, though one or two lawless young men have been several times iucarcO' rated for violating the game laws. Smuggling is unknown. IV.— lNDI7eTRY. There are io the parish about 40 farmers, 43 cottars, and 4ft rarm-servsnta, living in their masters' houses. A considerable number of labourers, probably to the amount of 60, reside in Castle-Douglas, and the villages of Bbonehouse and Gelston, who, along with Uieir families, and a part of the female population also, are generally employetl in agriculture. Farm-servants re- ceive as wages from L.10 to L.13 per annum; female servants, from L.5 to L.e ; masons, Ss., and carpenters 2s. 6d. per day. There are about 40 males employed in retail trade, and, in- r-luding masters and workmen, 180 in handicraft. There are 3 bankers and 7 assistants, 10 writers, and 4 pbysiciansand surgeons. Atfricvlture. — This parish cootaina 2721 imperial acres annu- ally under cultivation. About 1327 acres have never been sub- jected to the plough, and could not, by any profitable application of capital, be reclaimed. Cultivation, indeed, has nearly reached its limiL There are about 570 acres in plantation. The woods generallj consist of the Scotch fir, larch, spruce, elm, ash, and oak. Most of the plantations are young, but take kindly to the soil, and grow rapidly. Great care is taken, by yearly thinning and pruning, to promote the growth of the tree?. This parish owes much to Sir William Douglas, for tbe pains he took (o adorn with plantations the estate of Gelston ; to the late proprietor, Mr Maitland, for improving upon tbe plans of fail predecessor ; to Colonel Maxwell, for his extensive plantations upon the farms of Potterland and Glen Yerroch, which entitle this port of the parish to the designation of the TVosac/u of Gal- loway ; and to James Barbour, Esq. of Dunmuir, for the tasteful manner in which he has beaotified the estate of Keltonhill. 164 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. The valued rent of the parish is L.d598; its real reut is L.7972 ; but, as assessed for the poor, where house property ii included, it is about L. 1 1,000. Bent of Land, — The average rent of arable land per acre is L. 1, ds. The average rent of grazing is at the rate of L6 per cow; L.2, 10s. per head for black-cattle; and L.1 per ewe or full-grown sheep pastured for the year. The lands are let on leases of fifteen and nineteen years dura- tion. The farm-houses are all slated, comfortable, and commo- dious, generally containing, besides a kitchen and accommodation for servants, a dining-room, parlour, and two or more bed-rooms. The lands are all enclosed, either by substantial stone-dikes, or by thorn hedges, planted in a manner peculiar to Galloway. It is this : — A wall is built against a bank of earth, and when it has at- tained the height of the soil, a row of thorns is inserted, bent for- wards, and covered with a little mould, when the building proceeds to the proper height. The thorns soon take root, creep up the face of the wall, and, by proper attention, combine with the dike to form a fence impervious to all kinds of cattle. Sometimes two rows of thorns are inserted, one at the base of the wall, and ao- other at a small distance above. This hides altogether the de- formity of the naked dike ; and, whilst the thorns keep the stones in their proper places, the wall gives a stability to the hedge which bids defiance to the most violent storms. This mode of fencing is said to have been introduced by the late Lord Daer, with the view of turning the Galloway cattle, which are sure to trespass upon every field into which they are able to poke their heads, — and it fully answered the purpose. The hedges are care- fully scutched, and give a great appearance of neatness to the country. It is little more than a century since lands begun to be enclosed in Galloway. In a letter to W. M. Herries, Esq. of Spottes, dated February 1811, and published in the Appendix to the Report of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright Agricultural So- ciety for the year 1810, the late John Maxwell, Esq. of Munshes, gives the following somewhat ludicrous account of the famous rising of the Levellers, occasioned by the pro- prietors enclosing their grounds. " That same year (1723, for this fine old old gentleman was born in 1720,) many of the proprietors inclosed their grounds to stock them with black- cattle, and by that means turned out a vast number of the tenants, at the term of Whitsunday 1723^ whereby numbers of K ELTON. 165 them became destitute ; and, in consequence^ rose in a mob ; when, with pitchforks, gavellocks, and spades, they levelled the park dikes of Bamcailzie and Munches, which 1 saw with my own eyes. The mob passed by Dalbeaty and Buittle, and did the same on the estates of Netherlaw, Dunrod, &c. and the lands of the Laird of Murdoch, then proprietor of Kilwhanedy, who turned out sixteen families at that time. The proprietors rose, with their servants and dependants, to quell this mob ; but were not of sufficient force to do it, and were obliged to send for two troops of dragoons from Edinburgh, who, upon their appearing, the mob dispersed/' Before the arrival of the military, however, the Levellers had very effec- tually done their work, the only dike that was left standing in the Stewartry being one on the right hand side of the old road from Castle- Douglas to Kirkcudbright, upon the estate of Kelton. The proprietor used more effectual weapons to preserve his fence than the swords of the dragoons. Having awaited the arrival of the Levellers, he accosted them courteously, and invited them, be* fore commencing their labours, to refresh themselves from a good cask of spirits, and another of ale, which he had prepared for them. They drank, his ale, and spared his dike. The present race of farmers are an intelligent and enterprising class of men. Their farms are skilfully managed, all the most approved modes of agriculture and improving stock being in gene- ral use ; but a great obstacle to their improvements is the difficulty of procuring lime, which must be shipped from the opposite coast of England. Bone manure is much used in turnip husbandry ; and draining, both with tiles and stones, is practised to a conside- rable extent, and with the greatest success. A great impulse was given to agriculture by the discovery of the beds of marl in the Carlinwark Loch, about the year 1765. Crops of the greatest luxuriance were produced by the use of this calcareous manure, and it soon came to be eagerly sought after, and extensively applied. Ignorant, however, of its tendency to exhaust as well as stimulate the soil, the farmers injured their lands by cropping them for many seasons in succession ; and this natural effect of an injudicious and excessive use of the marl was referred to the manure itself, and for many years it has ceased to be ap- plied. The common rotation is now a white and a green crop al- ternately, till the fifth year, when the lands are laid down in grass. Nothing can be more striking than the contrast between the present system of agriculture, and that described by Symson, who 166 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. tells US, that, << in several parts of the Stewartrie, they till with &ur horses, all abreast, and bound together to a small tree before, which a boy or sometimes a woman leads, going backward. In the meantime another stronger man hath a strong stick, about four feet long, with an iron hook at the lowest end thereof, with which) being put into another iron fastened to the end of the plough* beam, and leaning upon the upper end of the stick, and guiding it with his hands, he holds the plough-beame up or down, according as he finds the ground deep or shallow/' From this miserable and expensive mode of tillage the usual return was four or five for one ; and the grain was of the most execrable description, ai we learn from the same source, for, he continues, ** before they carry the come to the mill, after it is dry'd in the kiln, they lay it upon the kiln*flour, in a circular bed, about a foot thick ; then, being bare* foot, they go among it, rubbing it with their feet, (this they call lome- ing of the come,) and by this meanes the long beards, or awnds, are separated from the come, and the corn made, as they term it) more $nod^ and easy to pass through the mill, when they are shell- ing of the corne there.^' And, after all their lomeing, he adds, ** Although their measure be heaped, and the weakest and worst of their oates, which they reserve for their horses and seed, be winnowed and drawn out, yet three bolls of corne will not yield much more than one boll of good and sufficient meal, straked measure.'' But now the ploughman of Galloway, with his im* proved implements, and single team of strong and bandsome horses, will stand a comparisouj in point of appearance and dez* terity, with any of his class in the country. The crops, too, are re- markably good ; ten for one is not looked upon as an extraordinary retum ; and for every bushel of oats sent to the mill, the farmer expects at least a stone and a half of meal. It is pleasant to add, that their personal comfort has improved in the same ratiob No peasant would now be proud of what satisfied the proprietor a cen- tury ago, when, as Mr Maxwell, in the letter already referred to, tells us, *^ The tenants, in general, lived very meanly on kaili groats, milk, graddon ground in querns, tumed by the hand, and the grain dried in a pot, together with a crock ewe now and then about Martinmas. They were clothed very plainly, and their habi- tations were most uncomfortable. Their general wear was of cloth, made of waulked plaiding, black and white wool, mixed very coarse, and the cloth rarely dyed. Their hose were made of white plaid- ing cloth, sewed together, with single-soled shoes, and a black or KBLTON. 167 blue bonnet, none having (lats but the lairds, — who thought them selves very well dressed for going to church on Sunday with a black kelt-coat of their wife's making.'* Produce. — The gross amount of raw produce annually raised in the pariah, as nearly as can be ascertained, is as follows, vie« 1543 acres oT com, yielding 86 bushels per acre, at 2s. 6d. per bushel, L.6943 ]0 26B acres of potatoes, yieldmg 18 bolls per acre, at 12b. per boH, 2894 8 927 acres of turnips, yielding 12 tons per acre^ at 8s. per ton, • 1569 12 583 acres of ry^graashay, yieldang246 Imp. stones per acre,at 8d. per stone, 1 749 444acreaof natural hay, yielding 200 Imp. stones per acre, at 2d. per stone, 740 430 cows, graaed at the rate of L.6 per head, per annum, . 2580 969 bulloeks, grased at the rate of L.2, lOs. per head, per annum, 2422 10 1327 sheep, pastured at the rate of L.l per h«id, per annum, 1827 650 pigs, each weighing 12 stones, at 5b. 6d. per stone, . 2145 20 horses annually brought to the market, at the aTerage price of U20, 400 Total yearly value of raw produce raised, Lu22,771 This table, which has been prepared with very great care, fur- nishes as nearly as possible an exactaccount of the stock and crops for the year 1841, — and may be regarded as a fair average of the amoimt of raw produce annually raised in the parish of Kelton, There are 270 horses in the parish. Agricultural Society. — There is a district society, comprehend- ing Kelton and the five surrounding parishes, whose object is to promote the improvement of agriculture and stock of all kinds. Each member pays an annual subscription of half a guinea. Out of the funds thus realized handsome premiums are awarded to the best ploughmen, and to the owners of the best stock in the dis- trict The ploughing-matches are held in each of the six parishes alternately ; the show of stock takes place in Castle Douglas on the first Tuesday in October. The influence of this society, aided by the countenance and support of the Highland Society of Scotland, is very considerable in promoting the object of its in* «titution» V. — Parochial Economy. Markei^Town. — The market-town is Castle Douglas. This town, being situated near the centre of the county, is the great mart for the produce of the stewartry. A weekly market, at which an astonishing amount of business is transacted, is held every Monday for the sale of black cattle, sheep, pork, and all kinds of agricultural produce. The extraordinary rapidity with which Castle Douglas ha^ sprung into commercial importance is suflBcient to account for the great increase of the population of this parish during the last half century ; whikt the circumstancer of its 168 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. not faaviDg gone on in the same ratio, but having actually decreased since 1831, is accounted for' by the failure of a cotton manufac- tory formerly carried on in Castle Douglas. This work was esta- blished by Sir William Douglas, as a means of increasing the town, of which he was the superior, and may almost be said to have been the founder. The introduction of the power-looni) however, rendered it impossible to carry on with advantage such a trade in places like Castle Douglas, where there is neither coal nor a sufficient power of water, and it has consequently been abandoned. The town has nevertheless thriven beyond the ex- pectation of its patron. Men are yet living who remember the time when Catueway*end was only a small cluster of cottages, the population of wh'ich did not amount to more than twenty. Now, Castle Douglas is a handsome modem town, built upon a re- gular plan, containing a population of 1848. It is situate upon a gentle declivity, at the bottom of which is the Carlinwark Loch. The streets are wide and spacious, crossing one another at right angles. The town is thus divided into rectangles, the internal space in each division being laid out in gardens, one of which is attached to every feu. This town, the suddenness of whose rise rivals the rapid growth of towns in America, has already attained an importance that, in most cases, is the growth of ages. In an agricultural point of view, it far surpasses any other town in Gal* loway ; and, with the exception of Dumfries, it is second to none in the south of Scotland. It possesses many natural ad- vantages. It is situated in the centre of the county, and the great road from Dumfries to Kirkcudbright and Portpatrick passes through the heart of it. At the instance of Sir William Doir- glas, it was erected into a burgh of barony under its present title, by royal charter in 1 792. Till then it had been called Carhn- wark, and in remoter times, Causeway^end. By the charter of erection, the burgh was governed by a bailie and six councillors, who were chosen from among the resident burgesses, and continu- ed in office three years. A new and extended charter was obtain- ed in 1829, by which the burgesses were invested with the pnvi- lege of electing triennially, on the first Wednesday of September, a provost, two bailies, and seven councillors — ^the qualification be- ing residence within the burgh, and a right by feu to a piece of ground within the same. The property of the buigh amounts to L.550; the debts to L.150. The average annual revenue is L20; the expenditure L,l 5. Justice of peace small debt courts are held under the late Small Debt Act, are held on tbe second Wednes- days of January and April, and the first Wednesdays of July and October. There is a modem town-house, with a tower and clock, which were presented to the burgb by Sir W. Douglas. The shops are remarkably elegant and well furnished, so as to awaken the surprise of strangers, who are not aware of the fact that Castle Douglas is the great mart, not only of the parish of Kelton, but of the whole stewartry. Banki. — Three of tbe most respectable banks in Scotland have branches in Castle Douglas ; the British Linen Company, esta- blished in 1821; the National Bank, established in 1826; and the Bank of Scotland, established in 1840. All the three insti- tutions do business to a considerable extent, and afford great en- couragement to industry and commerce. Poa-Office. — The post-office of Castle DougUs b perhaps one of the most important in the south of Scotland, whether we con- sider the consequence of the town itself^ or the extent of country, and number of villages around it, and subject to its delivery. There are uo less than fourteen post-offices under Castle Douglas, vib sab-office. New Galloway ; penny post-offices, Auchencairn, Kirkpatrick, Dairy, Lanriestoti, Crocketford, Dalbeattie, Palnac- kie, PartoD, Rhonehouse ; receiving-houses, Gelston, Crossmi- chael, Haugh of Urr, and Glenlochar, — to all of which places there are daily runners. Castle Douglas, in regard to the num- ber of its sub-offices,- &c. is second to Glasgow alone throughout Scotland. The revenue, prior to the establishment of the penny postage, exceeded L.llOO ; but what it yields now cannot be ex- actly ascertained irom the stamps being sold both at tbe post and stamp-offices. Meant of Communication. — 1. The mail from Dumfries bring- ing dispatches from all England and Scotland, arrives at Castle Douglas daily at 10 o'clock f. m. Another mail from Portpa- trick with the Irish letters, arrives at 3 o'clock a. m. 2. There are also two coaches every lawful day to and from Dumfries and Kirkcudbright, one of which brings a second mail from England and the whole of Scotland except Edinburgh and its neighbourhood, at one o'clock p. m. 3. Carriers go twice a week to Dumfries, once to Edinburgh, once to Glasgow, and thrice to Kirkcudbright and Gatehouse. Road*. — The great military road from London to Portpatrick 170 KIBRCUOBEIOHTSHIRE. passes through the north part of the parish for nearly four miles* The road from Castle Douglas to Palnackie, a sea-port dd the mouth of the river Urr, from wbich coal, wood, slate, lime, bone manure, && are brought, passes along the east border of the pa- rish for five miles. The old road from Dumfries to Kiifccud- bright by Castle Douglas and Rhonehouse, and another by Dal* beattie, pass through Kelton, the former firom north to south about five miles, the latter from north-east to south-west about three and a half miles. There are also two other roads which in- tersect the parish ; one from Castle Douglas through Rhonehouse^ and the very centre of the parish to Greenlane, on the line from Dumfries to Kirkcudbright by Dalbeattie, and another from Castle Douglas by Kelton Kirk to the village of Auchencairn in the pa* rish of Rerwick. All these roads are kept in excellent repair, tbe metal of the parish, whether the hard primary schistus, or the por- phyry, being admirably adapted for road making. The roads are Macadamised, and a little elevated in the centre ; and the water- tables being kept clean, the rain speedily rans ofi^, or is absorbed by the porous soil. Bridgu* — A very handsome bridge, consisting of three arches, was built across the river Dee in the year 1825. It is composed of granite, and unites the parishes of Kelton and Balroagbie. Be- low it about 200 yards, stands the old bridge consisting of four arches, from its venerable appearance, and still more from it) narrow path-way, presenting a striking contrast to its modern neighbour. JScdesiastical &a/e.«— Kelton is composed of the three united parishes of Kelton, Gelston, and Kirkcormack. At each of the two last mentioned places, there exist the remains of a churcb, with its adjoining cemetery, which is still occasionally used by the families in the neighbourhood, and the descendants of those whose ashes are there deposited. There is also on the south-east boundary of the parish the vestige of an ancient chapel and church-yard, called Kirkmirren, now entirely neglected, and of which nothing is known but the locality and the name. In aocieot times, it probably formed a distinct parish, though it is said to have been designed for a chapel of ease. The local situation of Gel- ston countenances the opinion of those who refer the name to^' or ffeUf a ravine through which runs a brook, and the common af- fix tuiif but its ancient name appears to have been Galston, Gauls- ton, or, as in the grant of land to James Boyd by Dai^i tors and kirk-session. In these, about thirty poor persons, some of whom have families, are lodged, and receive the usual allowance of out-door paupers to spend as they please. A matron b ap* pointed to take charge of the helpless, and orphan, or deserted children. She has free apartments assigned her, and receives, per month, for taking charge of an orpfaao child, from 6s. to 7s. Od. ; and for a paralytic or disabled person, from lOs. to 18s. per month, according to the nature of the case. This plan is attended with less expense^ and a greater amount of comfort to the poor, than the system of paying for a separate lodging for each. SavingM Bank. — The Savings Bank of Castle Doughs was opened for public business on 24th December 1840, and on 20th I^ovember 1841, there were in 25 accounts, balances to the amount of . • . L.196 On 20th November 1842, 104 Accounts, . 668 11 10 „ 20th November ld4S» 220 Accounts, • 1638 8 and on 4th January 1844, . 241 Accounts^ . 2022 17 10 As the institution is yet in its in£euicy, little can be said regard- ing its ultimate success. Hitherto that has been as great as could reasonably be expected ; and from the subjoined statement of ac- counts and classification of depositors, it appears that a consider- able number of individuals in those classes whose benefit it chiefly contemplates, take advantage of the institution. Classification of Depodtora aa at 4th January 1844. Amt. at Cr. Statemant of Aceouota aa at 4th January 1844. Aceouota containing balaneea. 61 under L^ L.aO 12 9 !i5 54 37 18 13 1 5 10 20 3D 50 100 168 3 7 873 5 4 455 14 7 442 12 6 420 1 1 91 19 1 2 Charitable Sodetiea 3! 8 11 o 6 Clasaification of of each Class. 241 Accts.conuiningL2022 17 10 37 Male servants, . L.261 3 6 76 Female senranti, . 518 17 8 7 Mechanica, 88 2 5 7 L4ax>urer8, 39 2 8 51 Trustees for minors, &c., . . 276 4 5 2 Charitable societies, 31 8 11 4 Shopnieo, 48 15 2 57 Other descriptions, 759 3 1 241 Accts. containing L.2022 17 10 176 ' KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid is 55. The sums allowed to them vary . from 9d. to 5s. per week, the average allowance being ls.8d. The annual amount of contributions for the relief of the poor is about L.8d0. This sum is raised by a legal assessment, amouDt- ing to L.800, and the half of the ordinary collections at the pa- rish church, amounting to L.30, the other half being retained by the session to meet the current expenses, and] relieve the occa« sional poor. There is also the interest of L.100, given by Miss Harriet Douglas, now Mrs Congar, of New York, one of the heirs of Sir William Douglas, which is expended in the purcbase of coals, and distributed, in equal proportions, among the poor b Castle Douglas, Rhonehouse, and Gelston. The legal assess- ment was imposed in 1837~d& It began at the rate of 5d. per pound upon the real value of property in the parish. It stea- dily increased at the rate of Id. per pound each year, until it reached 8d. per pound. The rate is imposed upon all tangible property above the value of L.3 per annum. The landlords pay the one-half, and the tenants the other half. The system is ma- naged at an expense of L.25 yearly, including L. 15 as the dork's salary, the remainder being expended in paying the persons ap* pointed to value the different properties, and in providing the ne- cessary accommodation for the permanent committee of manage- ment, which meets once a-month. Besides the regular poor, a good many persons require occa- sional aid. These are relieved by the kirk-session, out of the half of the ordinary collections, which the law allows them to re- tain. There is no disposition among the poor to refrain from seeking parochial relief, but, on the contrary, there is the most mortifying eagerness to get upon the roll. They look upon it as their natural and legal right, and receive, without gratitude, the pittance that is given without charity. This deplorable effect, the destruction of the proper feelings that ought to exist between the givers and receivers of charity, seems to be inseparable from the system, and is one of the strongest objections to its adoption. In some few cases, it is to be feared that the poor refrain from making the exertions to maintain themselves, of which they are capable ; or, having an opportunity of earning a livelihood, as most of them have at certain seasons of the year, they still apply for the benefit of the public fund ; and there is seldom any appa- tions to coaw upon the parish. lliere is not much private charity now eserciBed id the parish, , as it is thought iDConsisl«iit with a main object of so large an an- nual expenditure upon the poor, the suppression of vagrancy and public begging. Many femilies, however, are still favoured with a weekly visit from the poor persons whom they were in the habit of serving before the introduction of the poor rale ; and the col- lections at the church have not been sensibly diminished. Fairt. — There are seven birs held in the parish in the course of the year, viz. at Castle Douglas, for the sale of horses, on the 11th February if it happen to be a Monday, if not, on the Mon- day follovring ; at Castle Douglas, for horses and hiring, on the Q3d March, or Monday after ; at Castle Douglan, for the sale of hoggets, on the first Monday of April; at Keltonhill, for horses and hiring, on the 17th ,Tune, O. S. ; at Castle Douglas, for lambs, on the Monday before the fair of Mioniehive, which is held on the second Friday of August ; at Castle Douglas, for horses and hiring, on the 23d September or Monday after; and at Castle Douglas for horses, on the Monday after the 13th No- vember, O, S. Formerly all these fairs were held at Kelton hill; but, with the exception of that in June, they have been transferred to Castle Douglas, the multiplication of places of entertainment, and, espe- cially, the convenience of the banks, having rendered the change advisable, and even necessary. Iruu, /iUkotuei, Sfc, — There are twenty-three inns and alehouses in the parish, besides two grocers' shops, licensed to retail ardent spirits, — a number greatly exceeding the wants of the population. Several such houses have been closed within the last three years, and it is greatly to be desired that their number were still iarther reduced. Of this, however, there appears a great probability, as the use of ardent spirits has been considerably diminished, since public attention began to be directed to the cause of temperance, and several of these houses are understood to be doing very little business, and very little harm. Upon the whole, they do less in- jury to the morals of the people than, at first sight, is apt to he supposed ; for a considerable number of them are places of enter- tainment for farmers and dealers attending the fairs and markets, and are very little frequented except on these occasions. Fuel. — Coal is the itiel commonly used in the parish. It is KIRKCUDBHIGHT, U 17iB KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. brought from Cumberland to the ports of Pahiackie and Tongland Bridge. At certain seasons, when their servants and horses are not necessarily engaged in agricultural operations, the formers send for coal to Dalmellington, in Ayrshire, a distance of thirty-six miles from Castle Douglas. Here it costs less than the same weight of English coal ; but it is also much less durable ; and, taking into account the long land carriage, in reality no chei^p The common cart-load of shipped coal, containing 8 bushels, or 12 cwt., costs about 9s., besides cartage, which is 2s. 6d. more. Peat is found in the parish, but it is not very extensively used as fuel. Written January 1841. Revised January 1844. PARISH OF BALMAGHIE. PRESBTTEBY OF RIRKCUDBRIQHT, SYNOD OV GALLOWAY. THE REV. ALEX. GIBSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. The name of this parish has been adopted from that of the prin- cipal estate which it contains. An Irish chief named M'Gbie settled here in early times, and the property he acquired was long retained by his descendants. Hence the name of the family estate and also of the parish. The Craelic prefix Bal signifies a dwelling. Boundaries^ 8fc. — The parish lies about the middle of the stew* artry of Kirkcudbright, and is of irregular figure. To the eastward it is separated from the parishes of Kelton, Crossmichael, and Parton, by the river Dee ; to the northward, from Kells, by the Black water of Dee ; on the west, it is bounded by the parish of Girthon ; and on the south, by those of Twynholm and Tongland. The greatest length, from south-east to north-west, is about nine miles, and the greatest breadth from east to west, about seven. Topographical Appearances. — To the south-east the surface of the parish is in general level, but in all other directions it is hilly, though not mountainous. The higher parts of the parish command a very extensive view, including, among other objects, the Cars- pbairn and Minnigaff hills to the north and west, those of Cumber- laod to the south-east, and also, in clear weather, the Isle of Man. In the valley of the Dea the soil is kindly and fertile, and in a few places deep. Immediately adjoining the river, there are some extensive meadows, the advantage of which is felt by the farmer in the supply of much excellent keep for his dairy stock during the winter months. These meadows, in connection with the re- markable stillness of the river, which expands in many places to a great width, impart a peculiarly peaceful air to the landscape in this part of the parish. Bydroffraphy. — At Lochinbreck, on the estate of Woodhall,. the property of William Kennedy Laurie, Esq., there is a mineral spring possessing considerable medicinal virtue, and which has in consequence been resorted to from time immemorial. The mine* ral ingredients which enter into its composition are sulphate of iron and carbonic acid. The water is transparent ; a powerful tonic and diuretic, and not unpleasant to the taste. In com- plaints of the stomach, and disorders arising from obstruction or debility, it has often proved a very efficacious restorative. Pa- tients afBicted with aguish complaints have generally derived much bene6t from it; and even in obstinate intermittents, when bark and other medicines have failed, it has frequently been instrumen- tal in effecting perfect cures. For the accommodation of visitors and invalids, an inn has been provided in the vicinity of the well ; but there b reason to believe, that, were the accommodation more extensive, the resort to it would be still greater than it is. There are five considerable lochs in the parish, Gran- noch or Woodhall Loch is the largest, and is about two and a- half miles long, and at some places half a mile broad. In all of them, with the exception of Lochinbreck, pike and perch are to be found id considerable numbers, and on this account the trout are few. Lochinbreck, however, contains neither pike nor perch, but abounds in trout ; and hence its name, which signiSes the lake pf trouU. In general these lakes are situated in the upland districts of the parish, and their shores are for the most part unclothed with wood. Even in these circumstances, however, they please the eye by the variety and freshness they impart to the landscape; but Wood- hall Loch, which is situated at the bottom of a steep bank, cover- ed in various places by trees, possesses much beauty. The Blackwater of Dee, taking its rise in the parish of Mlnnir 180 K1RKCUDBRI6HT8HIRB. gaff, runs along the northern side of the parish. Flowing to the eastward, it meets the Ken at right angles, and the united stream thereafter takes the name of the Dee. This river flows to the south, forming the eastern boundary of Balmaghie, and, passing between the parish of Kelton on the east, and that of Tongland on -the west, it expands into an estuary below Kirkcudbright, It is proper to remark, that, in its progress along the parish, the Dee has for the most part the aspect of a lake* In some places it b ▼ery deep, and its greatest breadth may be nearly a quarter of a mile. From the nature of the soil through which it flows, its waters are of a particularly dark colour. The fish which frequent the Dee are, trout, sea trout, salmoo, parr, pike, and perch. Trout do not abound, but of the few wluch are to be met with, most are of the red or better sort During the season, the means employed by the tacksman of the fishery at Tongland for taking the salmon are so effectual, that few or none find their way to this portion of the river, with the exception of such as pass during high floods, and in the interval betweeu Sa- turday and Monday, when the law requires the obstructions to be removed. The fishery opens at the beginning of February, and closes in September; after this the salmon ascend the river to spawn, and, in the spring months, retreat towards the sea. Here, as elsewhere, numbers are annually destroyed in close time by the illegal means usually resorted to for such a purpose. In the upper district granite abounds, but in the other parts of the parish the prevailing rock is greywacke or whinstone. No limestone is to be found ; and all that is used for building and agricultural purposes is brought from the shores of Cumberland. Tioohgy. — Considerable numbers of waterfowl frequent the streams and lakes. In winter, wild ducks of various kinds, geese, and, in hard seasons, flocks of swans are to be seen on the wing and in the waters. In the part of the Dee bounding this parish, a shell-fish is found which often contains a pearL This fresh-water mussel has lately been pronounced by a scientific gentleman to be a very scarce va- riety of the Unio Roistj/i of Michaud. The pearls have various hues and considerable beauty. Wood. — Plantations thrive remarkably well, and were they of more frequent occurrence, they would tend to increase the beauty and promote the improvement 4>f the district. In those of younger growth, larch forms the staple; but in various parts of the parish. BALMAGHIB. 181 oaks have baeD planted in considerable numbersy and are found to thrive welL !!• — Civil Histobt. The most remarkable antiquity which the parish contains is that of the Castle of ThreaTe, which is still standing. It is situated upon an island, several acres in extent, formed by the river Dee. The walls are very thick and strong, and bear the marks of great antiquity. It was formerly the residence of the Douglases, and is said to have been built by one of that family upon the site of a more ancient castle, which belonged to the ancient lords or petty kings of Galloway. The remains consist of a great square tower, which has been surrounded at a small distance by a wall with three round towers. Part of the wall, with one of the towers, is still standing, and the ruins of the other two may be seen lying upon the ground. Upon the fall of the house of Douglas, and the an- nexation of Galloway to the Crown of Scotland in 1455, this cas- tle came into the hands of the King; but it was afterwards trans- ferred to the family of Maxwell. The Lords Maxwell, afterwards Earls of Nithsdale, possessed the heritable office of Stewards of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright and keepers of the Castle of Threave until the year 1747, when all the heritable jurisdictions in Scotland were annexed to the Crown. The keeper of the Castle of Threave received from each of the parishes of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright what was called <'a lardner mart cow,'' that is, a cow in such condition as to be fit for killing and salting at Martinmas for winter proyisions. These cows were regularly paid to the Earls of Nithsdale till the forfeiture of the last Earl in 1715, when the practice went into disuse ; but formerly, so attentive were the family to that right, that when, in the year 1704, they sold the estate on which the Castle of Threave stood, they reserved the island and castle, that it might aSbrd them a title to the cattle ; and they regularly, by a written commission, appointed a captain of the Castle of Threave. During the troubles under Charles L, the Earl of Nithsdale held this castle for the King, and armed, paid, and victualled a garrison of eighty men, besides officers, all at his own expense ; till at length His Majesty, unable to send him any assistance, di- rected him to make the best conditions he could for himself and bis garrison. The same Castle of Threave was, a. d. 1451-2, the scene of an outrageous and cruel insult upon the royal authority. The ./ 1^ KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. fortress was tbeD held by William, eighth Earl of Douglas, who, in fact, possessed a more unlimited authority over the southern districts of Scotland than the reigning monarch. The Earl had, on some pretence, seized and imprisoned a baron, called Maclel- Ian, tutor of Bombie, whom he threatened to bring to trial by his power of hereditary jurisdiction. The uncle of this gentlemaD, Sir Patrick Grey of Foulis, who commanded the body-guard of James II.« obtained from that prince a warrant requiring from Earl Douglas the body of the prisoner. ' When Grey appeared, the Earl instantly suspected his errand. *^ You have not dined,'' said he, without suffering him to open his commission; ^Mtisitl talking between a full man and a fasting.^ While Grey was dio- ing, the unfortunate prisoner was, by Douglas's command, kd forth to the court yard and beheaded. W^hen the repast was i* nished, the King's letter was presented and opened. ** Sir Pa- trick," said Douglas, leading Grey to the court, << right ghid had I been to honour the King's messenger, but you have come too late ; yonder lies your sister's son without the bead; you are «ei- come to his dead body." Grey having mounted his horse, turned to the Earl, and expressed his wrath in a deadly oath, that be would requite the injury with Douglas's heart's blood. **To horse I" cried the haughty baron ; and the messenger of his prince was pursued till within a few miles of Edinburgh. Grey, however, had an opportunity of keeping his vow ; for» being upon guard in the King's antechamber at Stirling when James, incensed at the insolence of the Earl, struck him with his dagger, Sir Patrick rushed in, and dispatched him with a poleaxe. The Castle of Threave was the last of the fortresses which held out for the house of Douglas after their grand rebellion in i45S. James II. writes an account of the ezilo of this potent family to Charies VIL of France, dated 8th July 1455, and adds, that all their castles had been yielded to him except Threave, which, at the time of his writing, was besieged by the royaV troops.* Mr Joseph Train of Castle Douglas has in his possession eight small stone balls, four of them 3} lbs. each, four about 1 lb. each) and a gold ring, which were found in the Castle of Threave in the summer of 1843 by some bibourers whilst clearing away mould to be used as manure in the adjoining farm of Kelton Mams. * See Pinkertdn^ History, Appendix, Vol. i.; note in the Border Minstrelsy w the ballad titled Lord Maxwell's Good Night; and ForsythN Beauties of Scotlsofl; from which works the particulars In the text are transcribed. BALMAGHIE. 183 There was also found, the preceding summer, a stone ball, about .nineteen inches in diameter, which was presented to the Dumfries Museum, and may be seen in the Observatory at Maxweltown. Upon the estate of Duchrae, in the northern part of the parish, there are the marks of a small military station, which was probably occupied by a detachment of the Roman army.* Land'^noner$. — The landed property in the parish is divided €unopg sixteen proprietors. Of these, several possess only a single farm, but in every instance the yearly rental is considerably above L. 60. Balmaghie House, the residence of Captain James Murray Gordon, B. N., patron of the parish, is situated on the southern part of the parish, and not far jfrom the Dee. Part of a more an- cient building is incorporated with the present mansion* but no part of it is of modem erection. The grounds possess in a re- markable degree the undulating character so peculiar to Gallo- way, and, advantage having been taken of this in laying out the plantations, the effect is very pleasing. Upon the estate of Duchrae, and near the junction of the Dee * The fbUowing intereiting communication has been received from Mr Joseph Train of Castle- Douglas :— ** The only relic of the &mil¥ of Douglas in Gallovay that has reached our times, ao fiw as my information extends, is part of an oaken bedstead, well authenticated to have been the principal one in the Citttle of Thraave, and said to have been that of Black Douglas himself. ^* It is one of the old closet kind of beds to be seen yet in some remote fiirm-houses in Galloway. The back and ends are of wood, and it seems to have bad sliding doors in front, but they are gone. The parts that remain are en- tirely covered with carved figures of men and beasts, so rudely executed as to bespeak its high antiquity. Busts of the various Earls of the family in their robes and coro- net* are placed in the foreground, and surmounted by troopers caparisoned agreeable to the Act of James I., Parliament 9, Cap. 122. < Ilk laik landed man havand ten poundtes in gudea and geare, shall have for his bodie and for y defence of y realme and ane sufficient action, (a leathern jacket strongly stuffed, anciently worn under a cot of mail,) ane barnet and ane glove o( plate, with ane speare and sworde, ane barbeirbon, ™ known, suffered in Galloway in the cause of religion. In the ehurebyara <^^^' ghie there are two grave-stones commemorative (? the death of martyrs^ one of viuco bears the following inscription : . ** Here lyes David Halliday, portioner of Meifield, who waa shot upon tbe Slit or Febu 1685; and David Halliday, once in Glengape, who was likewise sbot UP^^ 11th July 1685, for their adherenee to the principles of Scotland^ Cofensntcd re- formation. Beneath this stone two David Hallidays Doe lie, whoee souls now sing their Master^s praise. To know, if curious passengers desire^ For what, by whom, and how they did expire: They did oppose this nation'^ Perjury ; Nor could they join with lordly prelacy. Indulging favours from Christ^ enemies Quenched not their seal. This monument then erias^ These were the causes, not to be forgot. Why they by Lag so wickedly were shot. One name, one cause, one grave, one heaven do tie Their souls to that one G<^ eternally.** BALMAGHIB. 185 byterian or Episcopal, in regard the General Assembly had not declared the same by their explicit act'* At a later stage, he gave in a written statement of grievances, as affecting, in bis judgment, the purity and Scriptural character of the Church. In taking this step, he had the avowed concurrence of two other members of the presbyteiy, but who afterwards withdrew their support, so that he was left alone. Aflter a variety of proceedings in the case, the narrative of which occupies a large portion of the presbytery re- cords of the time, and Mr McMillan still preserving, upon the whole, the attitude he had assumed, the presbytery at length pro- ceeded to his deposition, in December 1703. This sentence they pronounced mainly upon the ground that the course pursued by Mr McMillan, in withdrawing himself from the presbytery, and in other respects, was, in their judgment, essentially divisive and schismatic. Such, however, was the regard in which he was held by the parishioners, that they resisted every attempt to eject him from the manse and church. Mr William M^Kie, though legally inducted to the charge, was obliged to hire a house for himself, and to officiate in a bam to those who were willing to acknowledge and attend his ministry.* At length, after the struggle had con- tinued in the parish for twelve years, Mr McMillan retired volun- tarily, and connected himself with the United Societies which ex- isted in various parts of the country, and adhered to Mr Came- ron's views of ecclesiastical polity. In 1743, he was joined by Mr Thomas Nairne, a minister of the Associate Presbytery, but who had separated from that body. These two ministers, together with some ruling elders, concurred in constituting a presbytery at Brae- head, inr the parish of Carnwath, on the 1st of August 1743, un- der the appellation of the Reformed Presbytery. On the first December 1753, Mr McMillan died at Broomhill, in Lanarkshire, and was buried in the churchyard of Dalserf, where a monument has lately been erected to his memory. He attained the venerable age of eighty-four years. Parochial Registers* — In regard to parochial registers, it may be mentioned, that, prior to 1804, but little attention appears to * When some of Mr M'Kie*8 •dberentf went to plough the glebe for hit behoo( thoee of bis competitor rose up against them, cut the reins in pieces, turned the horses loose, and threw the ploughshare into the adjoining lake. Some threatened Tiolmce to the minister's person. An infuriated female actuallj attempted the execution of it, and would probable have effected her purpose, had he not interposed his hand between his throat and a reaping sickle, with which she was armed. His fingers were cut to the bone. The gloTe which he wore was carefully preserred, as a memorial of the protideotial escape he had made.*«iVbt« to the Old StatUtieal Account. 186 KIRKCUDBBIOHTSHIRE have been bestowed on this particular. Since that date a regis- ter of marriages, births, and baptisms has been regularly kept IIL — Population. Population in 1755, according to Dr Webster*^ return, 097 1794, - - 8e2 Population in 1831, • - males, 721 ; females, 695; toUl, U1& 1841, > males, 592 ; females, 660 ; total, ISdi ' Of these 275 reside in the village of Laurieston, and 248 in that of Bridge of Dee. The number of families is 268^ giving an average of something more than 4^ persons to each family. The average number of children residing in each family is about 2^. Number of population under 15 yeaiB is - 459 between 15 and dO, .902 80 and 50, .270 50 and 70, - 170 70 and upwards, - 51 1252 Bachelors above fifty years of age are 10 in number; the unmar- ried women above forty-five are ISb There are 3 fatuous and 2 blind persons. There is one deaf and dumb boy, who is at present • receivioghis education in Edinburgh. Theaveragenumberof births for the last seven years is 24$ ; the average number of marriages for the same period is 6. The inhabited houses are 226, and the uninhabited, 9. The decrease of 164 in the population since 1831 is accounted for by the circumstance, that, at that period, operations were ca^ > rying on to deepen the bed of the Dee, at the lower end of the parish, with the view of facilitating the passage of the waters dur- ing floods. This of course led to the employment and temporar; residence of a considerable number of workmen, who have since passed away. The same circumstance accounts for the fact, tbati in the return for that period, the number of males was considerably above that of females. Character and Habits of the People* — The people are in gene- ral comfortably clothed and lodged, and they appear to be coo- tented. Most of the cottagers keep a pig or two, and, as (he far- mers are accustomed to allow potato land for the manure thus produced, they are in this way supplied with an important article of food. IV.— iNnUSTRY. Agriculture. — The staple employment is agriculture, and b)' far the greater number of families is engaged in its pursuits Upon these, of course, the artisans and shop-keepers are depend- ent for their support ' tae locai oumoer oi acres id lae parisu maj^ ua estimaieu n 17,516 Scots. Of these, about 5472 are arable, and 12,046 remain coDstaotly waste or in pasture. Cultivation, it is belieTed, has been extended over all the lands from vhtch a profitable return could reationably be expected. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land is 15s. per Scots acre. The real renul of the parish is Li.6200. When the Old Statistical Account was dravn up, the real rental was L.2640. Live-Stoek. — Galloway cattle are reared over the whole parish, and for thein the farmers in general have a decided preference over all other breeds. There aret however, on some of the farms, a number of Ayrshire cows. In the higher districts, a number of Highlanders are grazed. In regard to sheep, the black-faced sort ore of course the staple on the upland farms; but, on the richer soils, crosses between the I^eicester and Mi^, or between the Leicester and Cheviot, are also reared. The general duration of leases is niReleen years. The farm- steadings are in general good ; those on the estate of Balmag- bie were all rebuilt near the beginning of this century, and •re excellent specimens of thai class of buildings. Slone dikes constitute tbe usnal enclosure, and are, upon the whole, in a good state of repair. In tillage husbandry, the seven shift rotation is usually followed. Bone-dust is used to a considerable extent in the raising of turnips, which are eaten off by sheep, and thus the fanner is enabled to have an additional quantity of land under the plough. A good deal of draining is every year done, but, as stones -are plentiful, tiles are not much used. Raw Produce, — The average gross amount of raw produce an- nually raised in the parish may 1» estimated as follows : S8.Sa) biuhe1> oroaU, at Qi. Sd.. . 1,4498 ID 10 1,000 Do. liwlej, at 3i. &!., 170 16 8 I90acte3orpOlaU>a,at L^peraera, . lAJO 193 Dd. turoips, at L.4 per do. 499 J6.fi00i»aeaormcadi>wlui;, at 4d. per atone. Ml IS 4 18,780 Do. rre-gran baj, at fid. per do. 469 10 253 com, fToAaang L.6 per head anniultr, . 1518 950 black-caltle, jieldiag an aTerage retDni for keep hj the jreu-, of LJl, 10* 3897 10 4,060 moarbod aheap, at 4a. pai luad, . 816 S3S whiu^ced ibeap, at lOi. 167 10 L. 12,921 10 10 v.— Parochial Economy. There are two considerable villages in the parish, Laurieston 188 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. and Bridge of Dee^ the population of which has already been given. Jiarkei'TaunL — Castle Douglas, in the parish of Keltooy is the nearest market-town, and is situated at the distance of aboat six miles from the centre of Balmaghie. There are two branch post- offices in the parish. The length of turnpike road Hiay be estimated at about sixteen miles* The fences along the way sides are in very good repair; and the same remark applies to the bridges. That across the Dee at Glenlochar was built by subscription about the beginning of this century, and is substantial and commodious. Ecdesiastieal State. — The church, which was built id 1794, and is in a good state of repair, is situated near the Dee, aod consequently at one side of the parish. It is seated for nearl; four hundred persons. No payment is exacted for sittings, but the whole of the church is allocated to the respective estates^ with the exception of the communion seats, which are capable of accommodating thirty-six persons, and are free to all. The manse was built near the beginning of the present centurj} and is in an excellent state of repair. The extent of the glebe is fourteen Scots acres, and may be worth about thirty ehillingi per acre. The stipend is sixteen chalders, half barley and half meaL There are about 1 12 individuals professing to adhere to the Church of Rome, and 22 Episcopalians. There are 11 persons connected with the Reformed Synod, and three families with the United Associate Synod. Education. — There are two parochial schools, one of which is situated in the village of Laurieston, and the other at Glenlochar. The salary connected with the former is L.80 Sterling, and the school fees may yield an equal sum. That of the teacher at Glen- lochar is L.21, 6s. 6^d. Sterling, and the school fees may amouot to L.14. A dwelling-house has lately been erected by tbe heritoR for the teacher at Laurieston. There is a third school at Bridge of Dee, endowed by the Society for Propagating Christian Know- ledge, to whom the lands in that neighbourhood belong. The salary paid to the teacher, including certain items allowed him, is nearly 1^30, and the school fees may be estimated at Lb25. He is accommodated with a house and offices. Sunday schools have been established in three different locali- ties, and are at present attended by upwards of 100 young people. Library. — A subscription library was commenced mBuyj^BTs ago, and is still in existence ; but the members are not numerous. Poor and Parochial Fundi. — There are at present 30 paupers recfliviag stated aid from the poor's funds. The big[best sum paid to a pauper^ in ordinary circumstaQces, is L.5 anuually, and the lowest L.1. There are two iosaoe paupers supported from these funds at an annual charge of L. 26. The sum annually expended upon the poor amounts to about L,80, and is raised partly by the collections in the church, and partly by donations from the heritors individually. Amongst many there is an evident reluctance to apply, in the first instance, for stated relief; but it is equally observable, that the feeling disappears when they have been in receipt of such aid for a time. Imu and AUhotaet. — There are five small inns and two ale- houses in the parish. All of these, with oue exception, are con- ducted with much propriety, and, it is believed, without ill conse- quences to the morals of the people. Fuel. — In various parts of the parbb peat is ibund in great abundance, and constitutes the fuel principally used by the iuba* bitants. Coal is imported from the shores of Cumberland, and landed at Kirkcudbright, Tongtand, and Palnackie in the parish of Buittle; but as the nearest of these places is nine miles distant, the chai^ for overland carriage constitutes a heavy per centage upon the coat of the article. At the less busy seasons, many of the fermers are in the practice of sending for coals to Dalmelliitg- ton in Ayrshire. The distance is not less than thirty-five miles ; but, considering the small charge at the pit-mouth, the trifling ex- penses incurred on the road, and that the journeys are so timed as not materially to interfere with the work of the farm, this is found to be a rather economical method of procuring a supply of fuel, Faruajy 1844. PARISH OF CROSSMICHAEL. PRRSBYTERT OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. JOHN WHITSON, M. D., MINISTER. L— Topography and Natural History. Name^ ^^— The parish of Crossmichael is situated about the middle of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. In old writings, it b called Ck>rsemichael. The ancient and modem appellation is obviously derived from St Michael, the patron saint, to whom the church was dedicated. No vestige, however, of any cross is to be seen, and there is no allusion to it in any iraditions that have been handed down to us. St Michael seems, however, to have beeo regarded as an individual of more than ordinary sanctity, as those churches called Kirkmichael were obviously dedicated to him; and one in the parish of Tongland, on the west side of the Dee, at a small village called Balnacross, or the town of the cross, derived its name from the same source. The church of Crossmichael was transferred to the Abbe; of Sweetheart in 1275 by Dervorgille, the wife of Allan and mother of John Baliol, who succeeded to the Scottish throne as the de- scendant of David of Huntingdon. Dervorgille survived her hus- band, and founded Baliol College at Oxford, and monasteries at New Abbey or Sweetheart, Wigton, Dumfries, and Dundee. Until 1587, this church remained with the monks of Sweetheart, after which it was annexed to the Crown. In 1624, the estate belong- ing to this abbey became the property of Sir Robert Spottiswoode, who transferred his right to Charles I. in 1633, when the see of Edinburgh was about to be erected. When Prelacy was abolished in 1689, the patronage of the church and parish fell to the Crown, but was given to the Viscount of Kenmore, whose family had long considered itself as having a legal right to it. The minister of Crossmichael was made a member of the Chapter of Galloway at the re-establishment of Episcopacy by James VI., and lands, rated by the old extent at forty shillings, originally belonged to him, of which he was deprived at the Reformation.- I CROSSMICHAEL. 191 Extent and Boundaries. — The length of the parish from north to south, is about four miles and a-half, and its breadth about a mile less. On the west, it is bounded by the Dee, which sepa*- rates it from the parish of Balmaghie ; on the north, by Parton ; on the east, by the river Urr, which separates it from Kirkpatrick* Durham, and Urr ; and on the south, by the parishes of Buittle and Kelton. Its figure is rectangular. When, under David L, the Ep'iscopate of Galloway was re-established, its eastern boun- dary was the Urr and its western the Cree. The eastern division of the Stewaftry formed a portion of the Bishoprick of Glasgow, and was included in the Deanery of Nith. At the Reformation, the parishes in the eastern division of the Stewartry were made to form part of the Presbytery of Dumfries, while the others formed the Presbytery of Kirkcudbright, with the exception of Kirkma- breck and Minnigaff, which, on account of their locality, were annexed to the Presbytery of Wigton. The river Urr, therefore, which was formerly the boundary between the Bishopricks of Gal- loway and Glasgow, is now the boundary between the Synods of Dumfries and Galloway, and between the Presbyteries of Dum- fries and Kirkcudbright. Along the banks of the Urr and the Dee, the land is very fertile ; and in other parts of the parish there are small, rich, and beautiful valleys. The general appear- ance of the parish, however, is hilly, and, up to a not very remote date, it may have been regarded as a district in a middle state between pastoral and agricultural. In the north-east district of the parish, there are a number of hills fit only for pasture, and which yield but little grass. They are rocky, and somo of them have lately been planted with larch. In the immediate ▼icinity of the shore, there ate hills rising to the height of 100 or 200 feet, and the interior of the country for several miles is nearly at the same elevation, and of a very unequal surface. The coun- try is thus dirided into a succession of hills more or less abrupt The surface of the hills is very frequently broken by abrupt pro- tuberances, steep banks, and rocky knolls of every shape. In many instances, however, these hills are cultivated to their sum- mits, and yield excellent crops. The soil is extremely various, consisting chiefly of sand, till, loam, or holm, and the crops in general are good where justice has been done to the land. Hydroffraphy. — There are three lakes in this parish. The first is Erncrags loch, on two small islands of which sea-gulls formerly built their nests. Were the water it contains not necessary for 192 KIRRCUDBBIGBTSHIBE. driviiig a meal-mill, to which nearly all the parish is thirled, it might be almost, if Dot altogether dried. It contains trouts» pikes, perches, and eels. The second is Lochroan, which is larger than the former, containing about fifty acres of ground, and is supplied with water from no ybible source but the clouds. It is situated in the highest district of the parish, and its depth varies from 60 to 190 feet. It is seldom frozen in winter, and its water is remarkably dear. The third is Lochsmaddy, which is not nearly the size of either of the two former ones, but is said to be deep, and, like them, to contain the kinds of fish which have already been mentioned. On the estate of AuchendoUy there is a chalybeate ^ring, which has hot been analyzed, but whjch is. probably too weak to be beneficially employed. The river Dee^ which forms the western boundary of the pa- rish, rises at the head of the parish of Minnigaff from Loch Dee and other sources in the north-western district of the stewartiy, and runs in a south-east course of twenty-two miles, when it meets at Livingstone with the Ken, which, although supplying the great- est quantity of water, loses its name in the Dee, which then be* comes the largest river in Galloway, and formed of old the boun- dary between the powerful tribes of the Selgovss and Novantes. It is noticed by Ptolemy and Richard under the name of Deva. The Ken, which rises in the northern part of the stewartiy, runs twenty-five miles in a southerly course, forms a lake of four miles and a-half long and half a mile broad, called Loch Ken. These rivers, after their junction, form another lake of similar length and smaller breadth, having the parishes of Balmaghie oo the west, and Parton and Crossmichael on the east. These col- lections of water, extending to about ten miles in length, frequently overflow the adjoining land, and are navigable. Formerly, great quantities of marl were brought from Carlinwark loch by a canal to the Dee, and which passed up to New Galloway, fifteen miles distant from the loch. The canal was of very moderate dimen- sions, and is now partially filled up. The late Sir Alexander Gordon obtained an act of Parliament for making a canal firom the sea to near Glenlochar bridge, which, according to the calcu- lations of engineers about the end of last century, could have been executed for about L.9000. That sum, however, it appears could not be procured, and the undertaking was most reluctantly aban- doned by its public-spirited and benevolent author. The Dee, after leaving this parish, runs southward, dividing the parishes of 6 CROSSMICHABL. 193 Balmaghie) Tongland^ and Twynholm on the west, from the pa* rishes of Kelton and Kirkcudbright on the east. Formerly, there was no bridge in this neighbourhood over the Dee, ferry-boats supplying their places, occasioning frequently great annoyance and danger. The erection, therefore, of the one at Glenlochar, up- wards of thirty years ago, has been a most important acquisition to the country. The floods of the river, which are sometimes very frequent, injure the grass on the meadows, rendering it for some- time unwholesome food for cattle. The breadth of the river is very variable. Opposite the manse, where there is a ferry-boat, it is 220 yards broad, and its depth from 40 to 60 feet. The bed of the river, between Glenlochar bridge and Tongland, is rocky, and, in many places, shallow. The river Urr rises from Loch Urr. It divides the parishes of Glencairn, Dunscore, Kirkpatrick- Durham, Urr, and Col vend, on the east side, from the parishes of Balmaclellan, Parton, Cross- michael, and Buittle, on the west side. The rivers in this neigh- bourhood do not now discharge the same quantity of water into the sea as formerly ; which is accounted for by supposing that land culti- vated absorbs much more moisture than it did in its wild state, from its being more pervious to water, and from more of that fluid being required for the nourishment and growth of plants. The rivers Dee and Urr have abundance of treats, and salmon coming up to spawn in them are caught in great numbers. The salmon caught in the Dee are considered superior in quality to those caught in any other river in the neighbourhood. Few of them pass Tong- land from the doughs erected there. The pike, perch, and eel are also to be found in the Dee. The perch is said to have been first introduced into it in 1750, by Mr Copland of Collies- ton, and are now taken sometimes in great numbers. From a statement made by Boethius, and reiterated by Buchanan, — that eels were formerly caught here in great quantities, and trans- mitted to Italy, it would appear that they then existed in much greater abundance than at present. Mussels are found in the Dee, from which pearls have been taken of some value. Qeohgy. — The rock most common here consists of strata of the transition class, including not only the slateband, but also the hard compost strata, called greywacke^ which is similar to the blue whinstone of Galloway. The schistus is formed of strata contain- ing substances very unlike each other. This stone exists in beds, varying from half an inch to many feet in thickness, and is mixed in KIRKCUDBRIGHT. N 194 KIRKCUDBRIOHTSHIBB. endless proportions with the slate-band. Their strata lie in ever; di- rection, froai being perfectly Yertical to nearly horizontaL The; are sometimes found united to veins of porphyry, and run in a direction from east-north*east to west-south-west The highest parts of the Stewartry consist entirely of granite, to the extent of miles, wbich sometimes runs io veins among the strata of schistus. The soil lying on granite is generally barren. The degne of fertility of the schistus district seems very much to follow the proportion of slate-band in the rock bebw it. The hills of grant and tile are covered with a soil similar to the mosses of which tfaej are composed. From the rocky nature of the country it is every where abuodaot- ly supplied with stones for building and draining ; but, unless at Kirkbean, I am not aware of any place where limestone has beea wrought All the freestone employed is brought from bejooa Dumfries, a distance of twenty miles. It b only, therefore^ soiight for expensive houses, to furnish door and window ribbets andlioteo> Many of the houses in Galloway are damp and liable to smoK^* There is a slate quarry at Parton, which is most convenient for the neighbourhood. There are no circumstances indicating that coalf exist in the district. Zooloffy. — A small breed of horses, from twelve to fourteea baixb high, was formerly common, and held in high estimation is u^' loway. There being little occasion to employ them in the draogn^ tbey travelled quickly and safely, in a rugged and mountaiooi)^ country. The ancient breed is now almost lost. Horses of gr^^^ weight became necessary, as those every way fitted for predalon excursions ceased to be of peculiar value for the operose processes of agriculture. Their colour is generally a light bay or hro«^ with black legs ; their heads were unusually saiall, and their vi^<^ form indicated a capability of enduring great fatigue. The horses now to be found in Galloway, with the exception of being n^^ smaller in size, differ little from those found throughout Scoiiao^ In the cart, they are all yoked sbgle. . Galloway has long been distinguished for a peculiar ^^!^ cattle, and, from the soil and climate being peculiarly adapted o rearing them, they have received great attention. Tbey sr^ " versally almost without horns, less than the horned breed of cashire, but larger than those in the West Highlands, and beanng a very considerable resemblance to the cattle peculiar to M^ shire. Their general colour is black. In the dairies in the ocigfi- GBOS6MICHABL. 195 bourhoody cows of the Ayrshire breed only are kepti each of which is expected to yield about seven pounds a year from milk, butteri and cheese. The farmers in Galloway now raise a large number of swiney which they kill in the winter and spring, and sell at Dumfries, where there is generally a quick demand, and always ready money. A considerable part of the rent of small farms is made in this way. Sheep are every year increasing in numbers, from the great use now made of bone-dust as a manure. They in general pay well. P/£m a BUITTLE. 201 by flowing 'through Carlinwark loch and Glengagrie, and falling into the sea at Orchardton bay, have formed the boundary on the west side. This supposition is strengthened, and in some mea« sure confirmed, by there being a place on this line denominated the Doaghf which would then have been a station for catching salmon. Besides, when the river Dee is swollen, it flows into Carlinwark loch, and nothing prevents the water issuing from that loch in this direction, but a narrow ridge of accumulated gravel at Burntstick, elevated a few feet above its present level. The length of the pa« rish from north to south is 10 miles, and its breadth, which is ir« regular, may average about 3 miles. Topographical Appearance. — The surface is finely diversi- fied with hill and dale, and though it does not abound with grand and sublime prospects, affords much beautiful and pictur- esque scenery. In the lower and middle districts, the ground is broken and uneven, and frequently juts out into steep banks and rocky knolls covered with furze and broom. In the upper dis- trict, it presents a more level and arable appearance. It is evident that the sea has receded from this coast, and that at a former period it must have flowed up the Urr, as far as Fwrth*headf or Frith^/ieadj two miles from its present boundary, and considerably above its present elevation at high water, cover- ing a great extent of ground on each of its banks. Climate. — The climate is mild and salubrious, as the longevity of many of the parishioners testifies. There are at present eight individuals about 90 years of age ; and sixteen individuals, either upwards of 80 or approaching nearly to that age. Twelve years ago, one individual died at the age of 103. There are no diseases peculiar to the parish. JVoodi, — The cultivation of wood has been greatly extended during the last forty years, and might be profitably extended still farther. Much ground, at present waste and uncultivated, and many places naked and exposed to every blast, might be protected and sheltered, and rendered capable of producing both grain and pasture of a better quality. The soil, climate, and situation are in general well adapted for planting and raising wood, as the ra- pid growth of various kinds of trees testifies. In some of the woods at Munshes, there are larches of thirty years' growth, girth- ing four feet and a-half at three feet from the ground ; some of the poplar and willow tribes, not yet twenty years planted, girth- ing four feet. The Spanish chestnut thrives well, and increases 202 KIRKCUDRRIGHTSHIR B. rapidly, — trees of ibis species, not above thirty years piloted, girthing four feet. The Scotch firs are of large size, aod bighlj ornamental. There are also oaks containing upwards of 100 feet of timber, and beeches 160 feet Although the larch grows vigorously for a time^ it has not any where in the parish attained to a large size. There are larches at Munshes, from seventy to eighty years of age, which would not yield more than 40 or 50 feet of timber. Most of them are evi- dently not in a healthy state. Upwards of 100 acres of natural wood, on the estate of Kirk- ennan, are now in the course of being cut down. This wood cod* sists of oak, ash, birch, &c. It is thirty years old. The woods on the estates of Kirkennan, Barlochan, Aimer- ness, and Castlegower, are from one to thirty-five years planted. There is wood on the estate of Munshes much older. All ibe woods in the parish consist chiefly of oak. Yearly tbinniDg and pruning, though in some places neglected, have in general been well attended to. Number of acres under wood. Etuten Imperial KirkeDnan, - . 247 Orehardton, - • 190 Almemess, - 163 Munshes, . - 156 CasUegower and Craigton, - 76 Halketbaths, m 44 Barlochan, m m 84 The other estates may conteiii 50 960 At Hopehead, on the line of the old military road from Castle Douglas to Dumfries, there is a common plane tree, known by tb^ name of the Forge-tree^ equalled by few if any, in this neighbour- hood. It girths 10^ feet at three feet and a»half from the ground. Its branches extend horizontally, and form an exact circle of 76 feet in diameter, the extremities of which are not more than i^efeei from the ground. The top is of a conical shape, and, when covered with foliage, affords an agreeable shade, and presents a magnificeot appearance. There are no records from which its precise age can be ascertained ; but, according to tradition, it was a full-gro'^" t/ee in the reign of King William III. ; and it may have derived its name from His Majesty having passed that road with bis army on bis WJ to Ireland, and his cavalry having erected a forge there for the pu^* pose of shoeing their horses. The trunk contains 100 feet, and i^^ branches upwards of 200 feet of measurable timber. There is a 4 BUITTLE, 203 considerable cavity above the 6rst row of branches, the depth of which has not been ascertained, owing to its being filled with stones. This is the only mark which it exhibits of decay. At Little Knox, in the immediate vicinity of the church, there is a variegated plane tree, which girths 1 1 feet at three feet and a^half from the ground, and contains upwards of 200 feet of solid ^ood. Whether the variegation in the foliage of this tree has been accidentally produced, or has been effected by budding or engrafting, is not known ; perhaps the former supposition is the correct one. This description of plane does not propagate its own variety. It sheds seed around it, which produces abundance of plants. Some of these were found, having the first tree leaves variegated like the parent tree. They were selected and trans- planted, with the view of raising variegated planes ; but, beyond the two first tree leaves, the variegation did not extend. II. — Civil Histohy. *' The castle of Buittle, (says Mr Maxwell in the former Sta- tistical Account of Scotland,) is assuredly the most considerable re« mains of antiquity in the parish. Some have affirmed that it was for- merly called the Castle of Knarcj Nare^ or Bar-nare^ and was the chief residence of the Regyli of Galloway. An« adjoining hill, named Craig-nair, gives some weight to this supposition. Certain it is, however, that the ruins of Buittle Castle denote it to have been a place of strength and even magnificence. The vaults and ditches are all that remain of this proud structure. Besides the Castle of Buittle, the only other remembrance of ages equally rude and remote, is one of those ruins commonly called vitrified forts, standing on the north-west border of Buittle parish, within a farm called Castlegower, which lies along the march of Kelton.'* Wells. — There are two wells in this parish, mentioned in Sym- son's description of Galloway, as having been, at a former pe- riod, much resorted to by valetudinarians on the first Sunday of May. One of these wells, called the Rumbling Well, is situat- ed within the farm of Buittle Mains, on the march of Little Knox and Guffocgland, and its water was considered to be a pa- nacea for the cure of all diseases which afilict the human body. The other well is supposed to be situated on the march between Buittle Mains and Buittle Place, and was held in estimation for the cure of a disease called the Connachj which affects cattle. These wells issue out of rocks, and discharge copious streams of pure water. Like many of the wells in this parish, they partake 204 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. more or less of a chalybeate nature ; but they do not appear to be so much impregnated, by any mineral substance, which could in the least degree prove more eflBcacious in the cure of disease than any other well in the neighbourhood ; and the belief id those supernatural qualities, with which superstition had in?ested them, being dispelled, they have longceased to be resorted to by inyalids.* Parochial RegisUrs. — These consist of minutes of the kirk ses- sion, and of the records of marriages and baptisms. They com- menced in 1736, and were regularly kept till 1780. From 1780 to 1807, the record of baptisms is somewhat defective. From 1736 to 1807, the date of the baptism is always entered; that of the birth only occasionally. Since 1807, the date of both the birth and baptism is recorded. The average number of marriages for the last three years is 6 ; of baptisms for the same period, 22 ; of deaths, 7. The register of baptisms is not so complete as it ought to have been, owing to Dissenters not choosing to en- ter the births of their children in the parish register. The entries are chiefly made by parents belonging to the Established Charcb. III.— Population. The population in 1755, by Dr Webster's report, was 1793, by last Sutistical Account, 1808» census taken by the 'minister, 1811 » census taken by direction of Parlianaent, 1821, 1831, 1836, census taken by the minister, 1841, 1793. Members of the Established Church, 678 Cameronians, . 67 - Seceders, . 34 - Roman Catholics, 75 Episcopalians, . 1 Relief, . .... Independents, . .. Baptists, . . — - Total, 855 Under 7 years of age. Under 12 years of age. ^ . 8d9 ^ . 855 •» . 914 rlianaent^ . 943 . 1028 . . 1000 ^ . 1018 1059 1808. 1886. 694 847 43 5 59 15 103 94 1 II 14 .. — 45 1 914 . lois • 187 320 * <* In this parish of Bootlei about a mile from the kirk, towards the north, '^ • well, called the Rumbling Well, frequented bv a multitude of sick people for aU sorts of diseases, on the first Sunday of Ms^, lying there the Saturday ni^t, soo then drinking of it early in the morning. There is also another well, about a quar- ter of a mile distant, towards the east. This well is made use of by the coontiy people when their cattell are troubled with a disease called by them the ^"^ This water they carry in vessells to many parts, and wash their beasts with it, a^ give it them to drink. It is, too, remembVed. that, at both the wells, they lesve be- hind them something by way of a thank-offering. At the first, they leave either mo- ney or clothes ; at the second, they leave the bands and shades wherewith bcsstf are usually bound.*' — Symton^t Detcripiitm o/Galiotpaff, page 16. BUITTLE. • 205 Proprietors. — There are 15 proprietors of land belonging to the parish whose properties are of the yearly value of L.50 and upwards, of which 7 reside in it, and 8 are non*resident« IV. — Industey. Agriculture. — Though farm produce has not for several years past yielde4^ remunerating price, yet both landlords and tenants have adopted and prosecuted every plan of modern improvement with a degree of eagerness, perseverance, and success, not sur- passed in any other part of the country. The turnip husbandry is greatly extended beyond what it was a few years ago. Feeding of sheep, for the last Gve or six years, has, with the exception of 1834, been profitable to the farmer; and the facility with which they are conveyed to the Liverpool market, by means of steam vessels, has contributed to produce this result. The Jcinds of grain raised in this parish consist of oats, barley, and wheat. The cultivation of wheat is chiefly confined to the clay soil, on the banks of the Urr and Bay of Orchardton. On the dry and lighter soils, adapted to turnip husbandry, barley is extensively cultivated. The chevalier barley was introduced about three years ago, and bids fair to exclude the common sort, which was formerly, and still is cultivated. It is considered to be a finer grain, more productive, and of greater weight per bushel. The rotation of crops most approved of on land under tillage is a white and green crop alternately, though in some instances the practice of taking two white crops in succession is followed. Besides the manure which the farm aflfords, lime and bone-dust are employed to stimulate and fertilize the soil. The breeding and rearing of cattle is an object of great import- ance to the farmers, as they generally calculate on realizing a con- siderable part of^their profits from this source. Our well-known breed of Galloway cattle bears a higher character, in almost every point, than any other. It yields beef, which, when well fed, is of the first-rate quality, and is said to bring, in the Smithfield mar- ket, a higher price, by at least Is. per stone, than the best beef of England. The carcase weighs, on an average, from 50 to 60 stones, and, in some instances, 100 stones and upwards. Few Gralloway bullocks are fed in this parish. They are generally sold to the cattle-dealers at two or three years old, and driven to £ng» land, where they are fed for the English markets. On three farms in this parish, the Ayrshire dairy system has been partially adopt- ed with success. * 206 * KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. The farmers hold their lands by leases varying in duration from fifteen to nineteen years, and pay rents from L.50 to L.700 per annum. There are several small patches of less value. The farms are enclosed by stone dikes, sunk fences, or hedge*row& 1'he real rent of the parish, independent of the value of woods and plantations^ as taken in 1830, was upwards of L.dOOO peraDDum. The valued rent in Scotch money is L.d461 per annum. Rate of Wages. — Male servants, who reside in their master's house, are paid from L.10 to L.12 per annum. Female servants are paid from L.6 to L.7 per annum. The rate of a labourer's wages during summer is Is. 6d. per day, and during winter Is. Sd. per day, without victuals. Women, during summer, earn 9d. per day; during winter, they are seldom employed at outfield wort Masons, t2s. 6d. per day ; carpenters, 2s. The subjoined letter, written by the late John Maxwell, Esq. of Munshes, to the late W. M. Herries, Esq. of Spottes, and pub- lished in the appendix to the first and only report of the Stcwartry Agricultural Society in the year 1810, shows the state of society^ the value of land, and the condition of agriculture, in this parish and neighbourhood, upwards of a century ago. As the report al- luded to had only a local circulation, and is now entirely unknown, it is thought proper, for the preservation of so valuable a letter, to insert it in the Statistical Account. Mr Maxwell was a native of this parish, and died at Munshes in 1814, at the age of nineiy* four. * • Munshet, February 8, WH. Deak S»,— -The last time that Mr Yoang of Toungfield was bera, be signified tt roe. as you bad previously done, that John Christian Curweo of Workington H^flf Esq. had mentioned, that he was very desirous of knowing the state of agriculture id the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, and in Nithsdale, as fin- baek as my remeffibnoee goes. I was bom at Buittle, in this parish, which, in old times, was the fortress aiui re- sidence of John Baliol, on the 7th day of February, old style, 1720, and do distinctly remember several circumstances that happened in the year 171^ and 1724. Of Uief particulars, the falling of the bridge of buitde, which was built by John Frev is 1 722, and fell in the succeeding summer while I was in Buittle garden seeing iny^ ther*s servants gathering nettles. That same year many of the proprietors cdcIosw their grounds to stock them with black cattle, and, by that means, turned out a ^ number of tenants at the term of Whitsunday 1728, whereby numbers of tbeni M- came destitute, and, in consequence, rose in a mob ; when, with pitchforks, gareUoccS and spades, they levelled the patk-dikes of Barncailzie and Munshes, at ^^'^ which 1 saw with my own eyes. The mob passed by Dalbeattie and Buittle, ^^r^ the same on the estates of Netberlaw, Dunrod, &c., and the Laird of Murdoch, tl*^ proprietor of Kilwhaneday, who turned out sisteen families at that term. Tbepr^ prietors rose, with the servants and dependents, to quell this mob, but were urt suflScient force to do it, and were obliged to send for two troops of dragoons fro Edinburgh, who, upon their appearing, the mob dispersed. After that, •.■f^JL were granted for apprehending many of the tenants and persons conc^^nw »nj^ ^ said mob. Several of them were tried, those who had any funds were finw, ** BUITTLE. 207 Rent of Land. — The average rent of land varies from 15s. to L.l , 10s. per acre, according to soil and situation ; bill pasture from ds. to were banished to the plantations, whilst others were imprisoned, and it brought great distre« upon this pan of the country. At that period, justice was not very properly administered ; for a respectable man of the name of M^Clacherty, who lived in Bal- maghie parish, was concerned in the mob, and, on his being brousht to trial, one of the justices admired a handsome Galloway which he rode, and the justice told him, if be would give him the Galloway, he would effect his acquittal, which be accordingly did. This misfortune, with what happened to the Mississippi Company in the year 1720, did most generally distress this quarter of the kingdom. It is not pleasant to repre- sent the wretched state of individuals as times then went in Scotland. The tenants, in general, lived very meanly on kail, groats, milk, graddon ground in querns turn* ed by the hand, and the grain dried in a pot, together with a crook ewe now and then about Martinmas. They were clothed very plainly, and their habitations were most uncomfortable. Their general wear wan of cloth, made of waulked plaiding, black and white wool mixed, verj coarse, and the cloth rarely dyed. Their hose were made of white plaiding cloth sewed together, with single-soled shoes, and a black or blue bonnet,*-none having hats but the lairds, who thought themselves very well dressed for going to church on Sunday with a black kelt-coat of their wife's making. It is not proper for me here to narrate the distress and poverty that were felt in the country during these times, which continued till about the year 1735. In 1725, po- tatoes were.first introduced into this stewartry by William Hyland, from Ireland* who carried them on horses* backs to Edinburgh, where he sold them by pounds and ounces. During these times, when potatoes were not generally raised in the coun- try, there was, for the most part, a great scarcity of faoA^ bordering on famine ; for, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright and county of Dumfries, there waa not as much victual produced as was necessary for supplying the inhabitants, and the chief part of what was required for that purpose, was brought from the sand beds of £sk in tum- bling cars, on the Wednesdays, to Dumfries ; and when the waters were high, by reason of spates, and there being no bridges, so that these cars cotUd not come with the meal. I have seen the tradesmen's wives in the streets of Dumfries crying, be- cause there was none to be got. At that period, there was only one baker in Dum- fries, and he made bawbee baps of coarse flour, chieflvbniD« which he occasionally carried in creels to the fairs of Urr and Kirkpatrick. The produce of the country, in general, was gray corn, and you might have travelled from Dumfries to Kirkcud- bright, which la twenty-seven miles, without seeing any other grain, except in a gen- tleman^s croft, which, in general, produced bear or big for one- third part, another third in white oats, and the remaining third in gray oat& At that peruxl, there was no wheat raised in the country ; what was used was brought from Teviot, and it was believed that the soil would not produce wheat. In the year 1735, there was no mill in the country for grinding that sort of grain, and the first flour mill that was con- structed in these bounds, was built by old Heron at Clouden, in the parish of Iron- gray, some years afkcr that date. In these tiroes, cattle were also very low. I remember of being present at the Bridge end of Dumfries in 1736, when Anthony M^Kie of NetherUiw sold five score of five year old Galloway cattle, in good condition, to an Englishman, at L.2, 12s. 6d. each ; and old Robert Hallidav, who was tenant of a great part of the Preston es- tatei, told me, that he reckoned he could graze his cattle on his farms for 28. 6d. a bead, that is to say, that his rent corresponded to that sum. At this period, few of the proprietors gave themselves any concern anent the ar- ticles of husbandry, — ^tbeir chief one being about black-cattle. William Craik, Esq. of Arbigland's &ther died in 1735, and his son was a man of uncommon accomplish- ments, who, in hu younger days, employed his time in grasing of cattle, and studying the shapes of the best kinds,— his father having given him the farm of Maxwelltown to live upon. The estate of Arbigland was then in iu natural state, very much co- vered with whins and broom, and yielding little rent, being only about 3000 merks a year.* That young gentleman was among the first that undertook to improve the soil ; and the practice of husbandry which he pursued, together with the care and trouble which he took in ameliorating his farm, was very great. Some of it he brought to such perfection, by clearing off all weeds and stones, and pulverised it so ' 18 merks make L.l Steriing, or L.12 Scots. 208 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRB. lOs. per acre. A cow may be grazed during summer for L»«9^ aod a sheep pastured at the rate of 6s. The average charge for feed- ing a full-grown sheep, on clover after harvest, and turnips during winter, is 3d. per week ; young sheep, 2d. per week. The gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish caooot be ascertained with any degree of accuracy. Mosses. — The greatest part of the tract of flat land lying along the river Urr, from Craignair-hill to the march of Kirkennan, ex- tending to nearly 400 acres, was, about seventy years ago, aa un- improved moss, of little or no value. The late Mr George Max- well of Munshes commenced its improvement, by cutting large open drains, and putting in a number of covered drains filled with heath. For many years, he kept a boat constantly employed in bringing up sea-shells, from extensive shell banks at the mouth of the river. The boat carried nine cart-loads, for which he paid 6s. These shells were discharged along the sides of the river; and he took his tenants bound to cart and apply to their respective farms a certain quantity annually. Their effects upon the moss were most astonishing. They destroyed the heath, and when ploughed, the ground from the outset brought good crops. The use of shells has been completely given up for that of lime. But many are of opinion, that, on wet land in particular, shells are a better, a more gradual, and a more lasting stimulant than lime. The moss in question lay to the depth of many feet, on a blue clay. In some parts, the moss was removed by burning ; but with- out this, the drainage and tillage have had the effect of consoli- dating and exhausting i^ so that moss, formerly three or four feet deep, has nearly disappeared, and now the plough generally reaches the clay. Thus the moss and clay are incorporated into a fertile eompletelyi that I| on walking over the surfaooi sank as If I had trodden on new fiillca snow. The estate of Arbigland was bought by his grond&ther, in 1722, from the Bar) of Southesk, for 22,000 merks. In 1785, there were only two carts for hire in tlte town of Dumfries, and one be> longing to a prirate gentleman. About the years 1737 and 1738, there was almost no lime used for building in Dumfries, except a little sheU-lime, made of cockle-shells, burned at Colvend, and brought to Dumfries in bags, a distance of twenty miles ; and, in 1740, when Pro- vost Bell built his house, the under storey was built with clay, and the upper storeys with lime, brought from WhitehsTen in dry-ware casks. There was then no lime ueed for improving the land. In 1749, I had day-labourers at 6d. per day, and the best masons at Is. This was at the building of MoUance Uouse^— the walls of which cost L.49 Sterling. If you think that any thing mentioned here can be of any use or entertainment to Mr Curwen, I give you full leave to make the same known, with my best respects ; and I am. Dear Sir, Yours sincerely, (Signed) Jobk Maxwku. To W. M. Herries, Esq. of Spottes. BUITTLE. 209 black mould. JobD H. Maxwell of Munshes, the present pro- prietor, haSf by a judicious system of tile-drainiog, and other ez« tensive improvements^ greatly ameliorated this soil, and added much to the beauty of the landscape.* About thirty-five years ago, the proprietors of the adjoining estates expended L. 500 in widening and deejpening the drain which forms the outlet of Kenmore loch, on the confines of Kel- ton. This drain is upwards of a mile in length, and in some places consisted chiefly of rock. About sixty acres of moss, liable to be covered with water, were thereby converted into productive mea- * The following informatioD wm most obligingly communioated by Mr Train of CaaUe Douglas, well known to the world as a lealous antiquary t— ** A short time ago* some labourers, while draining a moss near Munshes,* turned up, at the distance of soTeral feet from the surface, the horns of a urus. Only one of these has been preserved. Prom its very large dimensional however, some idea may be formed of the corresponding siie of the animal It measures fifteen inches in circumference round the bat-end, and its present length is twenty-six inches, although •c might have been originally thirty incbea. It weighs seven pounds ten ounces. It is well known that the urus, which has now been ascertained by naturalisu to be of the same species with the bison, was, at an early period, an inhabitant of this coun- try. A horn of the urus was found near Dunkeld, and is now in the possession of the Duke of Athole. Two horns and a part of the head of the same animal were* eome years ago, discovered in the parish of Borgue, and are now at St Mary*8 Isle, the seat of the Earl of Selkirk. But the only entire head and horns that seem to have yet been discovered, were dug out of a marl-pit on the estate of Castlewig, in Wigtonshire. This very interesting relic was presented by Mr Hawthorn, the pro- prietor, to Mr Train of Castle Douglas, who again presented it to Sir Walter Soott, and it may still be seen at Ahbotsfbrd. The interesting horn first alluded to is in the poasessioD of Mr Train. <* In August 1843, there was discovered at the estuary of the river Urr, within high water-mark, and acyoining the fiirm of Nethertown, the fossil head of a bison, of the fbllowing dimensions:— I^gth of the bead, - - S8 inches* Distance between the points of the horns, > 92 CireumlSerence of bom at the but, - 13 Breadth of the head between the eyes, - 1 1 Sockets of the eyes, - - 3 ^ In 1841, there was found at Barlochan a Roman coin of Constantine the Great, in a high state of preservation, which Mr Train has in his possession. - In the summer of 1888, an urn or kirtvean was turned up by 'the plough on the farm of Breoch. This ancient repository of the ashes of the dead is made of baked clay, coarsely ornamented It is nine inches in diameter, six inches deep, and nearly an inch thick. It contained a quantity of black ashes, and (ragmenu of bones, which are carefully preserved by Mr Maxwell, the proprietor of Sreoch. I have in my possession the only remaining part of the urn ; but, since its exposure to the air, it has lost much of its calcin^ adhesiveness, as it crumbles on being removed, how- ever slightly. •« In the spring of the year 1880, a labourer employed in clearing away a bank of earth on the margin of the water of Urr, near the site of the old castle of Buittle, once the residence of Kdward Baliol, laid bare with his spade a Urge block of red sandstone, on which the figure of a regularly formed female countenance, surrounded by ornamental wreathes in bas-relief, is exquisitely carved. The peculiar quality of this stone shows that it must have been brought from a disUnce of nearly twenty miles to Buittle Castle, of which it evidently formed a part. It may now be seen in the garden of Mr Marchbaok at New Buittle. * At Green bill, on the esute of Muoshes^ parish of Urr. KIRKCCJDBRIGHT. O 210 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. dow. This expensive work was also undertaken with the view of gaining access to a bed of marl which the loch contains. Bat, though the water was nearly all carried ofiF the surface of the lock, yet the moss was not laid sufBciently dry to admit of carU^ and this treasure has not hitherto been obtained. At Barwhinnie loch, near Palnackie, six acres of moss, coTered with water, were lately, by draining and cultivation, converted into meadow of the richest quality. Embankments, — Twenty acres of carse land, on the banks of the Urr, and bay of Orchardton, subject to be flooded at high spring* tides, have been embanked, and rendered 6t for cultivation. Lainl to a greater extent^ on the estates of Orchardton and Almeroess, was enclosed by embankments; but these having been ill con- structed, or insufficiently executed, were soon broken down, aod rendered useless. Quarries. — A granite quarry was opened, about ten years sgo, on Craignair-hill, by the Liverpool Dock Trustees, under faTour- able auspices, and this quarry for several years afforded occupa* tion to nearly 200 individuals. A large quantity of well-dr^ blocks, some of them weighing from seven to eight tons, were ship- ped to Liverpool. The difficulty, however, of finding blocb of sufficient size, and the great expense attending the operations^ led to the abandonment of the undertaking. Were granite to come into more general use, it is very probable that this quarry would again be opened. Independent of the stone being of the first quality, its locality so near a sea-port enables it to be easily r^ moved. The improvements in quarrying, splitting, and dressing are likely also to reduce the expense. Craignair quarry still gives employment to a few hands for lo- cal purposes, such as gate-posts, monuments, tombstones, &^^ The ornamental work and lettering of these, and also the polish- ing of slabs for lobby- tables, watch-seals, &c show great improve- ment, and do credit to the workmen in the district. Minerals. — Neither coal nor lime have been found in this pa- rish : these are imported from the opposite coast of Cumberland. From partial workings that have been made on the estate of Kirk' ennan, there is every appearance that this property abouods with valuable iron ore. Fisheries.— The salmon fisheries in the river Urr wef^*^* former period, of considerable value. The report of old mhsbl- tants still alive is, that the fishing belonging to the estate of BUITTLE. 211 Mtinshes, in favourable seasons, yielded, during the latter part of the season, from 15 to 20 salmon daily. On one occasion 50 were taken at one draught And now, for years pas^ not one-half of 50 has been legally taken during the whole season. It is believed that all the 6shings in the Urr would not, if now let, bring L.10 of annual rent. It is difficult to say to what cause this failure is to be attributed. The stake-nets at the mouth of the river, on Balcary sands, in the parish of Rerwick, erected within the last twenty years, (in which a great number of salmon are now taken,) may in some measure account for it. The proprietors having little interest in the river fisheries, use no vigilance in protecting the breeding fish, so that poaching during the close season is carried on to a great extent. The application of lime to the land, the great ex- tent of drainage, whereby marshes and swamps throw off their superfluous waters at once, and thus prevent the salmon in dry seasons from getting up the river, have all, it has been imagined, tended to injure the river fisheries. No attempt has hitherto been made by any of the inhabitants to establish the white fishing, along our shores. V. — Parochial Economy. Castle Douglas is the nearest market- town. Palnackie is the only village in the parisli. It is situated on the river Urr, and has a considerable trade with Liverpool, Whitehaven, Workington, Maryport, and other towns in the north of England ; with Glaa* gow and Irvine, in the west of Scotland, and also with North Ame- rica. Coals, lime, wood, slates, and merchant goods are import- ed. Farm produce, wood*, fat cattle, and sheep, are exported. Trade has greatly increased at the port of Palnackie, since the for- mer Statistical Account was written. The additional quantity of lime used for building and agriculture, the increased consumption of coals,* the increasing prosperity of the town of Castle Douglas, of which Palnackie may be considered the port, and the general prosperity of the country, have led to this result. The river Urr is navigable at the lowest neap-tides, from its confluence with the Solway to Palnackie, being a distance of four miles, by vessels drawing from 11 to 12 feet of water ; and at high spring tides, by vessels drawing 16 or 17 feet of water. From Palnackie to Dalbeattie, a distance of four miles, it is navigable by vessels drawing 8 feet of water, at a tide rising 15 feet * Fifty yean ago only two, or at most three, cargoes of coalf were imported. Tha areragc number of cargoea for tbe last three years is 124. 21^ KIBKCIDBBIGHTSHIRE. There is no regularly built harbour at Palnackie. Oq one of the Creek where vessels used to He, a breast-work, or tempo- rary wooden quay, has beeu erected, where six vessels can be loaded or discharged at the same time. As the preseot ac- commodation is too small for the shipping, were the quay ex- tended along the side of the river, and on the opposite side of the creek, it would give an additional impulse to the trade of this port. No harbour dues are exacted. One fartbiog per ton register is levied for river dues, viz. keeping up ring-bolts^ moor- ing posts, and the river road. A custom-house officer is stationed here, and all vessels, except those engaged in foreign trade, are cleared, both inwards and outwards. The following table shows the principal articles of import and export, to and from the port of Palnackie, for the three years fron 1833 to 1886, distinguishing each year. Imports. Foreign timber. Cotls. Lime. Slates. Booe rauiure. goods, Ac Cwlisle Winchester Years. Carg. Feet. Carg. Torn. Cwrg. Bush. Carg. Tonn Carg. Bush. Cki|t toes. 1853, 2 22,000 124 S720 125 62^0 12 4U8 4 8,000 25 670 1854, 2 22,300 12^ 8600 111 55,500 11 874 7 14,500 34 ]f»^JO 1885, 2 24,000 126 4082 66 83,000 12 417 9 18,200 47 14«S Exports. Timber, oak-bark. Grain. Oat-meaL Potatoei^ sawn boards, &c. Stcana i taadi . Fat cattle Years. Carg. Quart. Carg. Tons. Carg. Tons. Carg. Tons. Carg. ftsbccpb, 1883, 81 6975 2 85 16 640 57 2580 1834, 42 9450 8 120 7 280 100 4000 15 5100 1885, 50 11,250 8 125 17 665 97 S860 22 7480 There are twenty vessels belonging to the river Urr, amount- ing in all to 1303 tons burthen ; and navigated by 75 seamen. A foot*ruoner, carrying the mail, passes every afternoon from Castle Douglas, through Palnackie to Dalbeattie, and returns in the evening. Ecclesiastical State.-^The church stands in the centre of the parish, and is accessible to all the inhabitants. It was built in 1819, at an expense of L.1000 Sterling, on an elevated situatioD adjohaing to the burying ground, and of a construction more com- modious for the people than the old church, as well as more or- namental to the neighbourhood. It is calculated to hold 400 sit- ters on the ground area ; and the walls are of sufficient height to admit of galleries being erected at any future period, should the population increase. There is no other place of worship in the parish. The patronage of the church belongs to the cro^n. BUITTLE. 213 The old church stood in the centre of the burying-ground, and bore evident marks of remote architecture ; there are no records respecting the period of its erection. The east end of it, which comprehended the choir, was wider than the rest of the building, and was divided from it by a Gothic arch. The walls still re- main entire, and are covered with ivy, forming a beautiful ruin. In Symson's description of Galloway, it is said that *' the kirk was of old called Kirkennen, and was situated upon the river of Urr, near the mouth of it ; but for the more conveniency, was trans* lated to the very centre of the parish, and called Bootle, because built in the baronie so called." No vestige ofthe old church of Kirkennan now remains, though the place where it stood, is still pointed out. About seventy years ago, when digging the ground around it, handles of coffins and frag- ments of human bones were discovered. This burying-ground has long been.8ubjected to the plough ; it probably ceased to be used as a place of interment when the church was removed to Buittle, and a burying-ground was established there. No monuments or grave stones were erected at Kirkennan, at least, no fragments of any such memorials now remain ; perhaps, at a remote period, these were not erected in country parishes. The oldest grave- stone in Buittle church*yard, was erected to the memory of a person who died in 1701. The manse aqd offices were built in 1 793^ and have undergone frequent repairs. The stipend, as modified in 1831 by the Court of Teinds, is 16 chalders, half barley and half meal ; and since that period, the average amount of stipend, converted into money according to the fiar prices of the stewartry, is L.21], 2s. 3;^. per annum. Education.-^There are two parochial schools in the parish. One of the teachers has a salary of L.28, 6s. 5d. The other has a salary of L.23, Os. 2d. The teachers have commodious dwelN ing houses and school-rooms, built by the heritors in 1817. One of the teachers has a small garden free of rent ; the other pays L.1 per annum for less than a rood of ground. The number of scholars attending the parochial schools, on an average, is about 130. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The average number of indus- trious poor on the roll of the kirk*session for the last three years ifl1& There is no parochial assessment. The weekly collec- tions in the church, with the interest of a small sum of money. S14 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. and the aDnual donations of a few charitable iDdividuals amoDg- the noD-resident heritors, bafe hitherto been sufficient for the support of the poor. The funds are divided quarterly, and the industrious poor receive on an average 8s. 6d. each. Besides the industrious poor, there are at present one pauper entirely supported out of the poor's funds, at the rate of L.7 per annum, and another supported by the heritors, at the rate of L.IO per annum. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the former Statistical Account was written, the parish has undergone considerable changes. Zeal for agricultural improve- ments has greatly increased, new implements of husbandry have been introduced, and better kinds of grain cultivated. Drainage has likewise been extensively practised, the system of turnip hus- bandry generally adopted, and greatly extended by the application of bone manure, and the land improved by the turnips being fed off with sheep. Plantations, by which the country is sheltered and adorned, have been greatly extended, the farm-houses have been rebuilt or enlarged, and are now neat and commodious, and the office-houses substantial and extensive. The comforts which the farmers enjoy, and their modes of living, have changed greatly for the better. The cottages and their inhabitants have also shared in the general improvement The increase of population, though not rapid, has been pro- gressive. This increase is chiefly conflned to the village of Pal- nackie, which, in 1808, contained only 7 houses and 29 inhabi- tants. It now contains 29 houses and 190 inhabitants. Roads have been greatly improved within the last thirty years. New lines have been opened, and the old lines in many places altered, so as to avoid acclivities, and conduct them in a more level and convenient direction. Besides the turnpike roads pass- ing through the parish, there are eighteen miles of parish roads kept in repair, from the (Conversion money in lieu of Statute La- bour. This amounts, at the maximum assessment, to L.51, Ids. dd. Many of the most important of these roads were made at a great expense by heritors, through whose lands they passed, ad- vancing money without interest, to be repaid when the road funds of the parish would admit. Twenty years ago, the debt thus created amounted to L.549. It has now been reduced to L.ld6, principally by the heritors having for many years assessed them* selves with an extra sum of L.17, 6s. Id. annually. Drawn up November 1836. Revised February 1844. UNITED PARISHES OF COLVEND AND SOUTHWICK. PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. ANDREW M'CULLOCH, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Extent. — This parish extends in length, from east to west» along the coast of the Solway Frith, about 8 miles, and is, from north to south, 4 miles broad. Topographical Appearances. — The surface is extremely rough and irregular. Broom, furze, and bramble spread with amazing ra- pidity. Many of the higher grounds are poor and shallow, owing to the soil being carried down to the valleys. These, however, are fertile and kindly, and produce graiu of good quality and excellent pasture. Towards the east or Southwick side, many of the farms are in a high state of cultivation. Besides a ridge of hills that run through the middle of the pa- rish, there is a mountainous range covered with heath, and run- ning to the large and conspicuous mountain of CrifieL Coves or Caves. — There are a number of these along the *^ wild shores of caverned Colvend." The principal of these is called the Piper's cove, from a legend that a piper undertook to explore it. He carried his pipes with him, and continued to play under ground till he reached Barnbarrach, about four miles distant from its mouth. The sound then ceased, and nothing was ever heard again of the unfortunate minstrel. It is found, however, to be only 120 yards in length. There is a well in the middle, 22 feet deep. There are a number of fissures in the rocks along the shore. Close by the Piper's cove, already mentioned, there is a rude na- tural arch, about 40 feet in height, called the Needle's Eye. An- other arch, bearing the same name, and lying more to the e^sU ward, is more regularly formed though not so high. Hydrography. — There are a number of small lakes in the pa- rish. A strong chalybeate flows from one of the clefb. It was formerly used as a tonic in intermittent fever. 216 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Mine. — A copper mine was at ooe time wrought. The ore was said to be rich; and the seam of a tolerable thickness. Woods. — There is a considerable extent of natural wood in the parish upon the estates of Fairgirch and Barahourie ; and, of late years, great quantities of wood have been planted, prindpally oak and fir. II. — Civil History. Parochial Registers. — The earliest date of the parochial regis- ters is 1716. They have not been regularly kept. Land-owners. — The chief land-owners are, Mr Oswald of Au- chencruive ; Mr Crichton of Auchenskeoch ; the Rev. Mr Hait- land of Fairgirch ; and Mr Stewart of Southwick. Antiquities. — Coins have sometimes been dug up, priacipalk of Edward L of England, and Alexander III. of Scotland. On the castle hill of Barcloy, there are the remains of a circa* lar encampment. There is also a hill called the vitrified fort, and another encampment, of a circular form, not far from the manse. There is a well called the Murderers' Well, near the Soutbwick Needle's Eye. According to tradition, it was named from the fol- lowing circumstance : A set of border reivers came to levy black- mail on the peaceable inhabitants of Colvend. The parishioDers rallied, and seizing the leaders of the foray, threw them dovo this rock to the well below. At Achenskeoch, in Soutbwick, there are the ruins of a large building of the castellated form. III.— Population. The populAtion in 1755, wm 898 1794, 964 1801, 1106 1811, 1298 1821, 1322 188), 1858 1841, 1405 Smuggling is now unknown. This coast, at one time, was do* torious for this illicit traffic. There were a number of cellars be- low ground, where smuggled brandy was concealed, till the p^P'^ were informed of its arrival. It was conveyed away in barrel-^ slung over horses' backs, even as far as Teviotdale, by bands o men, prepared to defend themselves against the revenue offico^ IV.— Industry. Agriculture. — Arable land lets about 10s. per acre. Of '^ years^ a considerable quantity of waste land has been reclaiiQ^ 3 COLTBND AND SOUTHWICK. 217 The state of £arm-buildings and enclosures has undergone a great change in the last forty years. Number of farms, 71 ; rent from L.10 to L.560. X^tve-iS'^acA.— -There are fed in the parish between 40 and 50 score of black-faced sheep, and a few score of other kinds. The cattle are almost all of Galloway breed. Quarries. — There are two mill-stone quarries in the parish ; but they have not been wrought of late. NaviffaiiofL — Coasting vessels are employed in shipping grain to Liverpool, Dublin, Glasgow, &c. ; in the- herring fishery ; and in bringing coal and lime from the English side. There are an- nually exported from the parish, about 4000 bushels of barley, and 5000 stones of meal. The Bamhourie sand-bank, so fatal to vessels, especially to those which are strangers to the coast, runs from the mouth of the Urr to the Nith. Nearer to the English side is another bank called the Robin Rig. V. — Parochial Ecomomt. Eccksiastical State. — The parish church is extremely ill situated for the united parishes. The nearest part of Southwick is four miles, and some farms are distant seven miles. It was built in 1771, and is too small for the present population. The manse was built in 1804. There are about twelve acres of glebe, partly at Colvend, and partly at Southwick : value of both glebes about L.20 per annum. The teind was exhausted by last augmentation in 1824, and amounts to L.282. There b a meeting-house belonging to the Secession, about seven miles from the parish church. It is ill attended, and would be still more so, if the parish church were centrically placed. Poor. — There are on the poor's roll, at this time, 44 persons. The fund for distribution arises chiefly from the collections in church. FOruarylQU. PABISH OF KIRKGUNZEON. PKESBYTERT OF DUMFRIES, 8TN0D OF BUAf FRIES. THE REV. JOHN CROCKET, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The name of the parish has heen spelled differentlr at different times. On the kirk bell, which was cast in 1674) it is named Kirkwinong. It is probable that the church was dedi- cated to St Winning. There is a spring near to the church which still bears the name of Winning's well. Boundaries^ S^c* — The parish is bounded on the east bj Nev- abbey ; on the south, by Colvend ; on the west, by Urr ; aod od the north, by Lochrutton. It is about 5 miles in length, aod ^i^ breadth. Topographical Appearances. — The general aspect of the pa- rish b hilly and uneven ; but along the banks of the stream which flows through the middle of the parish, there is a very considers' ble portion of excellent holm and meadow land. The hills do not rise to any considerable height, and abound with grouse aod black game. The river which intersects the parish, takes its nse from two lochs in the upper end of the parish of Newabbey. Tfl^ length of its course is about nine miles. It joins the Urr about a mile below the village of Dalbeattie. The water abouods with trout of excellent quality ; and salmon find their way up fro<° the sea in considerable quantities, in the end of the season. ^^ afraid that few of them return, as there are some poachers od the banks who make a trade of killing them by night with /e'^' ters. The salmon were much more plentiful at one time than they are now. Mineralogy. — The southern division of the parish abounds witfl granite, and some of the rocks are of stupendous size. ^^^ P*' rish supplies the surrounding district with pillars for gates an steps for stairs, which, when finely polished, have a beauri/u' ^P' pearance, and are remarkably durable. The stones on ih© ^^ KIRXOUNZEON. 219 side of the parish are of blue whiostoDey and are used for building dikes, which are the principal fences io the parish. Zoology. — The cattle reared are of the Gralloway kind. The farmers pay a good deal jj of attention to this stock, as they find from experience that it makes a better return than any other. On the coarse and high-lying lands, a number of Highland bullocks are wintered, as they are considered to be more hardy and more easily fed. They are generally bought at Falkirk in the end of harvest, and yield a pretty fair profit for a season's keep. There are few sheep now kept in the parish. There are only two farms where a shepherd is kept to look after the flock. The hills on the south and east of the parish abound with grouse and black game. When the present incumbent came to the parish in 1809, there was scarcely a blackcock to be seen* Now the black game outnumber the grouse, and if they continue to increase in the same proportion, they will banish the grouse from the ground. From occupying the low ground where they first hatched their young, they ascended to the higher hills, and have taken possession of the breeding grounds of the grouse. Hares and partridges are also plenty, as the most part of the parish has been strictly preserved for a number of years. There are also some pheasants, which have made their appearance, of late from two of the neighbouring parishes, where they were reared with some care. The river is an excellent trouting stream, and in the deep water at the lower end of the parish there is a quantity of large pike and perch. Some very large trout about spawning time have been caught at the outlets of the lochs from which the water takes its rise. They are from four to six pounds weight, and are of excel- lent quality when they are in season. II. — Civil History. Land'Owners, — There are only five proprietors in the parish. The principal heritor is Mr Maxwell of Terregles, whose rental amounts to nearly L. 3000 per annum. The rental of the other four proprietors is about L.1000 per annum. There is no heritor residing in the parish. Parochial Register. — The parochial register was begun in 1705, and has been very irregularly kept Meetings of session, births, marriages, and collections are all jumbled together. There are some very curious insertions in the record, which strongly mark the inquisitorial spirit of our ancestors. The first volume of the record comes down to 1770; and from that period to 1800 the 220 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. record has been lost or mislaid. It has been regularly kept since that time, and the present incumbent, who was inducted in 1809, has acted as session-clerk, and saved to the poor the small sum which was formerly allowed as a salary. Antiquities, — There are no antiquities in the parish that de- serve to be particularly mentioned. Two ancient houses, now in ruins, were formerly the seats of Lord Herries, who made a con- spicuous figure in the reign of Queen Mary. The one is in tbe middle of the parish, and the other at the southern extremity. They have both been places of strength, and it is easy to trace the moat which surrounded the castle of Corah. There is also a square tower at Drumcoltran, which had also been a place of strength. About thirty years ago, a matchlock was dug up in tbe neighbourhood of the tower. On the farm of Glaisters, belong- ing to Mr Maxwell, there was a very large cairn of stones, which was carried away some years ago, for building dikes. The dike built out of the stones which composed the cairn, extended to a mile in length ; and in the bottom of the cairn, a number of urns were found filled with ashes. They immediately crumbled into dust when exposed to the air. This cairn was situated in a low-lying and level moor. Adjacent to this mound there is still a circle of large granite stones. Coins, — Some years ago, a beautiful gold bonnet piece of James V. was found on the lands of Lochend. It was in a state of good preservation, and is now in the possession of the proprietor. Two years ago, a silver coin was found in the glebe, which appears U> have been struck on the dispersion of the Armada. Modem Buildings. — When the present incumbent came to tbe parish, there were only three slated farm-houses in it^ Now there is an excellent onstead on almost every farm, and the tenants are most comfortably lodged. Mr Maxwell of Terregles bas spared no expense in erecting most commodious houses of every description. The buildings are most substantial, built of granite, and well finished in every respect. IIL — Population. Acoording to the fonner Statutical Account tbe population was 520 In 1811, - . .656 1821, - - 776 1831, . - . 652 1841, . 6S7 It is easy to state the causes of the decrease of the population. As formerly stated, new farm onsteads were erected throughout KIRKGUNZEON. 221 all the parish. Formerly, there were cottages attached to each farm,' where labourers resided. These have nearly all been swept away ; and in some places where five or six families formerly resid- ed, there is not a stone left to mark where the cottages stood. There is only one small village, which stands in the neighbour- hood of the church. It contains the schoolrbouse, a smithy, a joiner's shop, two small shops for groceries and other merchan- dize. An excellent milt adjoins the village, which is constantly employed throughout the year in grinding meal and making pot barley. The people, in general, are industrious, moral, and religious. Poaching, hgwever, is carried on to a greater extent than it was formerly, owing to the facility of transporting the game to Liver- pool by steam vessels. The quantity of game caught at night is incredible ; and the gentlemen who are most strict in preserving it, generally suffer most, as the poachers invariably select their grounds for depredation. IV. — Industry. Agrieutaure. — Lime is brought to the port of Dalbeattie, and is in great request at some distance from the harbour. As the lands in the vicinity of the port have been regularly limed for thirty years past, the farmers have in a great measure declined to use this manure to any great extent. The introduction of bone ma- nure has created a great revolution in the mode of farming. The ordinary rotation is a crop of oats from ley land ; Scf, green crop of potatoes or turnips ; Si/, barley or oats ; and, 4/A, hay. The gronnd is then pastured and broken up according to the rotation. Wheat is seldom sown, as the farmers think that barley is fully as profitable a crop, and that it does not scourge the land so severely. Upon the whole, the system of agriculture has been greatly changed to the better, and the produce of the land doubled within these twenty years. V. — Parochial Economy. Means ofCommunieaiwn, — The nearest post-office is the village of Dalbeattie, which is only four miles distant There is a daily post to that place; but the most of the inhabitants receive their letters from Dumfries, which is nine miles distant. Two carriers to Dumfries pass through the parish twice in the week. The turn- pike road is excellent, and there are three bridges on it, which are kept in good repair. Two coaches travel daily to Kirkcudbright, and return the same day to Dumfries. 222 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Ecclesiastical State. — The church is situated in the centre of the parish, and is most conveniently placed. There are only four farms, which are distant four miles from the church. The church was built in 1790, and is in good repair. The sittings io the church are 224 in number. About 20 of these sittings are given free of expense to the villagers by Mr MazwelL All the other sit« tings are also free. The manse was built in 1604, and is a most commodious and excellent house. It is kept in good repair ; bat as it was built and finished in the best manner at first, it has required very little outlay since its erection. The offices are good and commodious. The glebe consists of ten acres of good land. The stipend is the minimum, as the lands werg valued rerj low, about the middle of the last century. There are only four families of Dissenters in the parish : they attend the Secession meeting-house in the neighbouring parish of Urr. All the other families are regular attendants on the pa- rish church. The average number of communicants is 160. There is an annual collection for that excellent institution, the Dumfries and Galloway Infirmary. EducatioTU — There is one school in the parish, situated near the church. The salary is the maximum, and L..4 are allowed out of the salary to a small school at the lower end of the parish, when a school is kept there, which has been the case for some years past. The farmers built a small house at their own ex- pense, and the teacher generally lodges alternately with his em- ployers. The average number of pupils at the two schools is 90, The parochial teacher has the legal accommodation and an ex eellent house. All the children upwards of six years of age can read and write, and are well grounded in arithmetic. Poor and Parochial Hinds, — The average number on the poor^s roll is 8. The collections in the church are about L. 1 2 per an- num. The session have L.181 in the bank, the amount of dona- tions from different individuals at different periods. In order that the poor might be more liberally provided for, the heritors ba?e lately voluntarily assessed themselves in different sums, according to their respective valuations. Mr Maxwell, who has always paid particular attentiou to the poor, has been in the habit of granting L.10 annually for the relief of the labouring poor. Each pau- per receives on an average L.I per quarter; and their houses are rent-free. 4 TROQUEER. 228 Fuel. — The fuel commoDly used is peats, but the mosses are nearly exhausted. Miscellaneous Observations; Since the former Statistical Account was written, the parish has been greatly improved. The arable land was then 8000 acres in extent, but now it amounts to 5000 or 6000 acres. A great many acres have been planted since that period, and the planta- tions will soon add much to the beauty of the country. The lands are all subdivided, and the fences kept in good order. The farm- houses, which were formerly in a miserable state, are now com- fortable and commodious, and good offices are attached to them. They were built and finished at a great expense, and the expense was wholly defrayed by the proprietor. The people are now com- fortably lodged and clothed, and their provisions are more plen- tiful and of a better kind than formerly. The tenants pay their rents half-yearly ; and there is scarcely an instance of a farmer not paying every farthing of his rent on the day of collection. Formerly the farmers had great difficulty in paying the trifling rent which was then demanded; and it is well known that at the conclu- sion of the American war, many were in arrears for the by- gone rents of several years. The landlord and the factor were indulgent; and it is worthy of remark, that every shilling of these arrears was paid up, when the state of the country began to improve. February 1844. PARISH OF TROQUEER. PRESBYTERY OP DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. WILLIAM THORBURN, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The name of this parish was written Troquire in the records of the kirk-session of the parish about the year J 745, and Troqueir in the records of the Presbytery of Dumfries, in the year 1647, Perhaps it was so called from the two French words sig* 224 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. tiifying the third quire^ it being one of the three Catholic quires iu the district, betwixt that of Lincluden on the one bandi and that of Sweetheart Abbey on the other. Extenif j"^.— It comprises a space of nearly 8 miles in lengtb, and 5 miles in breadth ; and has for its boundaries, Terregles on the north ; Newabbey on the south ; Lochrutton on the west; and the river Nith on the east This river is wonderfully pure and transparent, considering that it has tides twice a day the whole length of its connection with Troqueer* Topographical Appearances. — This parish may be said to be di- vided into three distinct parts by three ranges of elevations, which run almost at equal distances from each other, like waves of the sea. The first range, which rises with a gradual acclivity from the river, has been long in cultivation, and is remarkable for its beauty and fertility. As it lies within the burgh-roods of Maxwelitoirn, and contains a large portion of Maxwelltown, with some public nur- series and gardens of considerable extent, and several houses and villas of modern architecture, its enclosures bring a high reatf varying from L.3 to L.6 per acre. The intervening space between the first and second elevation is also highly cultivated and produc- tive. The Cargen, which falls into the Nith towards the south- east, runs along the whole of this valley, much to its utility^ but little to its beauty, as it is a dull, heavy stream. On the banb of this small river, otters are sometimes seen, which find shelter among the bulrushes and alder bushes which cover several parts of its margin. The second elevation, which rises to a greater height than the first, and extends considerably farther to the south, is likewise un* der the plough, and yields crops of turnips and potatoes, hay and oats, wheat and barley of the best quality. It may be mentioned here, that some of the farmers on the higher grounds of this range have lately tried bone-manure with great success, and much to the ease of the horses which they employ in husbandry. A large por- tion of the space between the second and third ranges of bills is moss and meadow, both of which might be brought into a much more productive state by skilful cultivation. Indeed, were the whole of this moss, which at present yields only peats of an inferior quality, and whose surface is mostly covered with coarse heath, and frequently disfigured with bogs and quagmires, pro- perly drained and levelled with the spade, it would, at no great distance of time, repay the expense, and, in the meanwhile, con- TROQUBEB. 225 tribute highly to the beauty of that part of the parish, and to the ▼alue of the conterminous parishes. On this moss the botanist will find no plants of the rarer kinds to gratify his curiosity. It is OTident that the whole range of this moss, stretching several miles in lengthy was, at a remote period, a part of the firth, and covered twice a-day with the tides that flow up the Nith. The third range of elevation^ which is much higher than the second, and extends along the whole space of the parish, is under tillage on the sides and along parts of the summit ; and the crops which it produces, though neither so early nor so rich as those that grow on the other two, are sufficient to repay the skill and indus- try of the cultivator. On several parts of this range are extensive and thriving plantations of fir, larch, ash, elm, oak, and other forest trees. None of these hills contain freestone, limestone, coal, or any other fossil entitled to the notice of the mineralogist. The rock of the whole of them is composed chiefly of mica slate, running into syenite, with occasional masses of granite shooting up through the strata beds. 11. — Civil History. Mansion^Hcuses. — The properties in the parish entitled to no- tice, are those of Kirkconnel, Cargen, Mabie, Dalscairth, Gol- dielea, Terraughty, Carruchan, Cargenholm, and Mavis Grove; The mansion-house of Kirkconnel, the most extensive and valuable of these properties, stands remote from the public road and in sight of the river, is surrounded with a considerable extent of cropping and pasture land, and several thriving plantations, and has many ac* companiments that invest it with an imposing aspect and an air of an* tiquity. A Catholic chapel is attached to it, appropriately seated and furnished. The mansion-house of Cargen is a large building ; and though placed too near the corner of the field and the parish road, yet, as it commands a view of some of the beautiful windings of the river, it might, by a skilful extension of the lawn, and a tasteful grouping of the trees around it, be made a charming re- sidence. On this estate is St Querdon's Well, which is the sub- ject of a poem of considerable length, written by Mr White, late teacher of mathematics in the Academy of Dumfries. The man- sion-house of Mabie is a modem, substantial, and well-arranged building, stands on an elevated situation, and commands an ex- tensive and sublime land and water prospect. A saw-mill, lately erected on this estate, proves of great advantage, by bringing to market the surplus of fir trees, with which some of its woods KIRKCUDBRIGHT. P 226' KIRKCUDBRIGHT9HIBE. abound. The present proprietor, by draining a considerable por-* lion of moss which lay directly in view of the mansion-house, and levelling it with the spade, and top-dressing it with compost, has greatly improved the spot by giving a green sward to what was formerly a disfiguring swamp. The mansion-house of Dalscairtb is an elegant, spacious residence, standing on an extensive Geld, skirted with plantations of trees, with a waterfall in view of it, de- scending from a considerable height through a range of hanging wood, which renders it truly picturesque and romantic. The pre- sent proprietor has added greatly to the beauty of the place b; con- verting, at a considerable expense, an extensive marsh in front of the house into a lake, the margin of which is laid out and varied in a very tasteful manner. The mansion-house of Goldielea is a delightful residence, embosomed in wood, has a lawn in front studded with clumps of venerable oaks, and is refreshed apd en- livened with a perennial stream of water running over a transpa* rent and pebbly bed. The mansion-house of Terraughty stands on a very delightful eminence, has a great extent of land- prospect, and a field in front that might, at a trifling expense, be converted into a lawn of singular beauty. The late proprietor made a gar- den, hot-house, green-house, and vinery, at a considerable expense, all of which are tastefully arranged, and highly productive. The mansion-house of Carruchan is surrounded with fields of rich soil highly cultivated ; and is particularly interesting from the seclu- sion of its situation. The mansion-house of Cargenholm stands close to the river Cargen ; has a warm southern exposure, with a full view of Criflfell ; and is a sheltered comfortable residence. On this property, there is a brick-kiln, the bricks of which are in great request, owing to their superior quality. The maosion- house of Mavis Grove is situated on a delightful rising ground near the river Nith, has a variety of large trees of diflFerent sorts ranged tastefully around it in a kind of amphitheatre, and is much admired for the amenity of its situation and the softness of its scenery. The villas of Summefville, Arundel, Bromland, Tro- queerholm, Ryedale, Rosefield, Nithside, may be mentioned as all of them commodious, and some of them spacious and elegant Eminent Men. — This parish cannot boast of having been the birth-place or residence of any person entitled to notice, except, perhaps, the Rev. Mr Blackadder, who, about the period of the Reformation, was officiating minister ; the particulars of whose life and banishment to the Black Rocks, where he died, are rescued TROQUBBR. 227 from oblivion by the published narrative of the Uev.Mr CrichtoD» It is said that Laggi who was the terror of the Covenanters of his time over the whole south of Scotland, resided occasionally in this parish at a place which is called Hag-hall to this day. Antiquities. — Close by the manse, and directly opposite to the spot, on the other side of the river, where Cummin's castle for- merly stood, is a moat of a circular form and considerable height, where, according to oral tradition, the kings of Scotland, or their vassal chiefs who were entrusted with the keeping of it, used to hang offenders, and the most daring of their captives taken in battle, or in acts of pillage and robbery. The more probable con- jecture is, that it was one of the circular mounds where the baron or judge of the district held courts of Justice in the open air. Parochial Registers* — The register of proclamations begins April 1713; that of baptisms, 14th June 1734. The parish re- cords begin about the same time. All of them are, for a long pe- riod, extremely meager and scanty. It may be mentioned here, that the records of the Presbytery of Dumfries commence 5th August 1647. III. — Population. Amount of population in 1801, in 1811, in 1821, in 1B81, Uil841, IV. — Industry. Rental of the Parish. — In the year 1752, the rental was ascer- tained before the Court of Session to be L.950; in the year 1791, it was nearly L.5000; and in the year 1819, L. 12,000. And though landed property has fallen considerably in value of late, yet the rental of the parish may still be regarded as L. 11, 000. Fishery, — There is a fishery in the Nith, drawn on the Troqueer side of the river opposite to Dumfries, which furnishes salmon, grilse, and herlings, more than sufficient for the supply of the two burghs and the adjoining country. V. — Parochial Economt. Maxwelltown. — Maxwelltown, formerly Bridgend, has a claim to a particular account. About twenty-one years ago, it was erected into a burgh of barony, with a provost, two bailies, and four coun- cillors elected annually ; and it was named in honour of Mr Max- well of Nithsdale, its superior. It stands opposite to the burgh of Dumfries, with which it is connected by two bridges. It stands 2774 9409 4901— whereof in Mai welltown, 3048 4665 Do. Do. 8601- 4351 Do. Do. 3230 228 KIRKCUDBBIGHTSHIRB. on a bank or ridge circling along the edge of the river ; and irith its burrow-roods comprises a space of nearly a mile in length, and half a mile in breadth. The houses in the old part of Maxwelltown are built without any regard whatever to elegance, and ran in streets awkwardly crook- ed and narrow. A more correct style of building has been adopted in the new part of the town. Many of the houses are neat and eonvenient, and the streets run in straight lines, and are of. a sttt- ficient breadth. The public road from London to Portpatrick, and from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh, by Thomhill and £!• Tanfoot, runs through Maxwelltown. By the former, the mail- coach to Portpatrick passes daily ; by the latter, a private coacli runs every day to Glasgow, and a private coach runs to Edinbargh three times a-week. Maxwelltown has a court*house of sufficient dimensioos for ac« commodating the meetings of the Magistrates and Justices of tbe Peace of the district, and the courts of the Sheriff when he officiata in this quarter. Below the court-house is a jail, wherein delio- quents apprehended within the burgh can be lodged till arrange- ments are made for removing them to Kirkcudbright, a distance of twenty-seven miles, whence they are to be sent back to stand tbeir trial at Dumfries ; — an inconvenience that might easily be remedied, by incorporating Maxwelltown with Dumfries in all matters of po- lice. As Maxwelltown has no police act, its streets are ill ligbted at night, there being asyet only a few lamps in it, which have been erected and are still supported solely by the voluntary contribotions of some of its wealthier inhabitants. Two founderies have lately been established at Maxwelltown, both of which have a great run of employment. It has long bad awaulk-mill; adie^house; two roperies; a brew-house; two tan- neries ; four nurseries, two of which have hot*houses, in wbich grapes and some of the other rarer fruits are reared in great per- fection ; and a damask manufactory, celebrated for the beauty and elegance of the fabrics. The water-mills belonging to Dumfnes stand on the Maxwelltown side of the river ; which, by the supe- rior style in which they are fitted up and worked, gave great satis- faction to the community. An observatory, which was formerly a windmill, stands on the top of the Corbelly hill, formiog a strik- ing object over an extensive range of district The butcher-mar* ket of Maxwelltown has, for some time past, taken the lead o that of Dumfries, and affords a daily supply of excellent beef an TROQUEER* 229 T eal, mutton and lamb, in their respective seasons. A Dispen- sary has lately been opened in Maxwelltown, for the benefit of the poorer classes of its inhabitants, under the superintendance of a young medical practitioner. Ecclesiastical State. — The church and the manse are situated within the burrow-roods of Mazwelltown, at a distance of a mile from the most crowded part of the population. The church is capable of accommodating 840 sitters. A chapel of ease was lately built in the centre of the burgh, through the influence of the principal landed proprietor, and others. The Crown is the patron of the parish. The manse was built thirty years ago. Its situation is on the banks of^the Nith, and it commands not only an extensive view of the Nith, but of Criffell in the adjoining parish, and of Skiddaw and some of the other lofty hills in the north of Cumberland. The stipend is L.322, 12s. money, the teinds having been sur- rendered by the whole of the heritors, the titular excepted, whose estate pays nearly two chalders of victual, the one-half meal and the other barley. The glebe contains nearly eleven acres, all of good quality. A chapel of ease was some years ago erected in Maxwell- town, capable of accommodating 1600 sitters ; the stipend of the minister b L.150 without a manse. Education. — There are three schools in the landward part of the parish, the principal of which is the parish school, which has L.30, 16s. of salary attached to it, with L.2, 10s. of interest, arising from a mortified sum for teaching the children of the cot- tagers who reside on the estate of Dalscairth, and a comfortable dwelling-house and an excellent garden. The second school has a salary of L.15 from the Society for Propagating Christian Know^ ledge, with L.9, J 2s. from the heritors in compensation for the keep of a cow summer and winter; and a large garden, a suitable dwelling-house, and a sufficient quantity of peats for fuel, are fur- nished by the surrounding tenants gratis. The third school is supported by the tenants on the estate of Cargen, who pay the teacher wages, and give him bed and board in their houses alter- nately. In these three schools, about 180 scholars are taught an- nually. There is only one endowed school in Maxwelltown, with a salary of Lb9, 12s. paid by the landward heritors, and L.4, the interest of L.100 of mortified funds. It has also the benefit of the '290 KlRKCUDBRIGHTSHiaE. interest of some smaller sums bequeathed by a few individuals. The teacher has the usual wages, but no dwelling-house. Two other schools are taught in Maxwelltown, the masters in which have no emoluments but the wages. The number of scholars in these three schools may be 250. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The poor on the roll may be 100. The funds for their support, arising from proclamatioDS, interest of mortified funds, mortcloth fees, collections at the parish church, donations, and one-third of the chapel collections, amount to about L.140 annually, which affords but a miserable pittance for the support of so many, and is one proof among a thousand others, that a provision for the aged and infirm should, in no country, be left to the unsteady and capricious impulse of compassion, but be enforced by positive statute. Indeed, in a parish such as Troqueer, where many of the heritors do not re- side, and several of those who are resident attend other places of worship, and contribute nothing to the poor on the roll, a pooi^s rate, with all its predicted evils, would, if properly managed, be the cheapest, the fairest, and the most effectual mode of main- taining the native poor. Fuel — Coal is the fiiel chiefly used by the inhabitants, which is partly conveyed by land from Sanquhar, a distance of twenty- seven miles; but chiefly by sea from the coaUpits on the opposite coast of England. The first is sold by weight, the last by mea- sure, and almost always at a moderate price. PARISH OF TERREGLES. ft PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. GEORGE HERON, MINISTER. THE REV. DAVID DICKIE, AtsUtoMt Minister. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The name of this parish is generally understood to be derived from Terra eccksicBf or the French, Terre d^EgUse. This derivation accords with the circumstance which is fiilly as- certained, that the lands in the parish originally belonged to tlie TERKEOLES. ^^^ abbey at Lincluden, (an ecclesiastical establishment), which is within its bounds, and situated on the banks of the river Cairn. Extent^ Boundariesy ^c — Terregles is situated within the stew- artry of Kirkcudbright, and is within two miles of the town of Dumfries. It extends from east to west about 5 miles, and at an average is about 3 in breadth. Its boundaries are, Holywood on the north ; Troqueer on the south and east ; Lochrutton on the west ; and Irongray on the north-west. The church is situated as nearly as possible in the centre of the parish, and the manse about a mile to the south-east. To the west, there is a beautiful range of hills, part of which is co- vered with wood, and part affords excellent pasturage for sheep and cattle. From the top of these hills is seen, in great beauty and splendour, the town of Dumfries, which, to the eye of the beholder, lies immediately below, and the vale along the Nith, which, from the windings of the river, and the variety of the sce- nery around, is an object of great attraction and interest, together with a portion of the Sol way and the Cumberland hills in the dis- tance. Hydrography. — The only river or rather stream besides the Cairn, which separates the parish from that of Holywood for about two miles, is the Cargen. Although this stream be of small ex- tent, yet, in proportion to its size, it affords excellent fishing both of salmon and trout. The Cargen joins the Nith, about two miles below the town of Dumfries. II. — Civil History. Land'OumerSf §fc.— The principal proprietor in the parish is Marmaduke C. Maxwell, Esq. of Terregles. The Hon. Mrs Young of Lincluden; John Walker, Esq. of Woodlands; and James Biggar, Esq. of Maryholm, also hold properties in the parish. The estates belonging to the two last- mentioned are situated prin- cipally in other parts of the county. All the heritors are resident with the exception of three. There are twenty-one farms which yield each the yearly rental of L. 50 and upwards. It may be mentioned, that Marmaduke C. Maxwell, Esq. the principal he- ritor in the parish, is of the ancient family of Nithsdale, the title of which was forfeited in the year 1715. This family is Roman Catholic. In consequence of the great and judicious improve- ments which are going on, and the regular employment afforded to the labouring class, the residence of this family in the parish is of the utmost benefit. Their attention to the tenants on the 23*2 KIRKCUDBRIOHTSHlaB. estate, aod their condescension and liberality to the poor and ike working population, have endeared them to all in the neighbour- hood. This branch of the family of Nithsdale claims the donnant title of Lord Harris* Parochial Reffisters.'^The registers of the parish go no farther back than the year 1714, and, generally speakings have been very imperfectly kept. Antiquities.— The ruins- of the Abbey of Lincluden are situated on the banks of the river Cairn, a little above its junction with the Nith. This church or abbey originally belonged to the Benedic- tine nuns. It was built during the reign of Malcolm IV. about the year 1150, by Uthred, the father of Roland, the Lord of Gal- loway. In the year 1400, this ancient piece of architecture was changed from the character it orginally possessed, in consequence of the irregular habits of the nuns, into a temporal barony ( M*Dia^ mid*s Picture of Dumfries-shire.) About the beginning of the sixteenth century, it became the property of the Nithsdale familj) and at present is in the possession of Marmaduke C. Max veil} Esq. Towards the east end of the chapel, is the tomb of Marga- ret, daughter of Robert IIL and wife of Archibald Earl of Dou- glas, on which is an inscription, but so much defaced that it can- not now be deciphered. The ruins are in a very dilapidated state; and although the whole must have been once a building of much grandeur and magnificence, its beauty is completely obscured. There are many farms in the neighbourhood which have obviously derived their names from this ancient establishment, for example) Nunnery, College, &c Adjoining to the church there is an old building which now con- stitutes the burying-place of the Maxwell family. It was built in the year 1568^ and formed part of the church at that period used as a Roman Catholic place of worship. There are many curiosi- ties connected with this remnant of the olden times. Amongst others, is a massy and curiously carved chair made of oak, which originally belonged to the provost of Lincluden Abbey, after that institution was changed into a temporal barony. In the absence, however, of a distinct knowledge of the character of these BDcient relics, and the particular purposes to which they were oDce appl'^^* little can with any certainty be said of them. This remoant of the Catholic times retains to this day the name of the choir, and is understood to have formed the orchestra or place set apart for ' TERREQLES. 888 the siDj(ers in the service of the Romish church* It is now very much decayed. Upon the farm of Terregles-town, about a mile to the east from the church, there was at one time a village of considerable extent. Its population is said to have amounted to about 800. The pavement of the street is still seen, and extends a considerable length. In the immediate neighbourhood there is a place called the Gallows-hill, where, according to tradition, criminals were exe- cuted at an early period. III. — P0PUI.AT10N. The population in 1790, was 510 1821, - 651 laSl, . 606 1841, . 564 IV. — Industry. The estate of Marmaduke C. Maxwell, Esq. can boast of some of the most scientific and enterprising farmers to be found in the south of Scotland. Wages. — The average amount of wages for labourers is Is. 6d. per diem during summer, and Is. 4d. during winter. Farm-ser- vants (unmarried) receive from L. 10 to L. 12 per annum, and females from L. 5 to L. 6. Married men receive from L. 20 to L.22 per annum, together with a free house and other perquisites. Others again receive from L. 10 to L. 12 and 52 stones of meal, and 8 or 4 stones of barley. V. — Parochial Economt. « Ecclesiastical State. — The manse is a substantial and commo- dious building, and is in a state of good repair. The present church was built about thirty years ago. It is badly constructed, cold, damp, and in every respect uncomfortable. The bury* ing-ground around the church is enclosed by a substantial stone wall, and within are several neat and handsome tombstones or mo- numents. The stipend derived from the teinds amounts to L. 110, 12s. 4d., besides 1^8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. The re- maining L.89, 7s. Sd. is obtained from the Exchequer. The patronage of the parish originally belonged to the Niths- dale family, and, subsequently, was exercised by the late Duke of Queensberry. At present, it is in the possession of the Duke of Buccleuch. Education. — The parochial is the only school in the parish. A new and commodious school-house has lately been erected. 234 KIRKCUDBRIOHTSHIBE. jP(^r.— At present there are nine upon the pooF^s roll. Tbe sum of L. 446 is vested in the session for behoof of the poor, and is lying at interest in the hands of the principal proprietor. The collections at the church amount annually to about L. 14. Be- sides this, there is a sum distributed amongst the poor not upon the roll, and which affords a most seasonable relief to many during the winter months. February 1844. PARISH OF KIRKBEAN. PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. THOMAS GRIERSON, A.M., MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — There are various opinions as to the etymology of Kirkbean, some so constrained and far-fetched as to be unworthy of notice. That which appears most natural and satisfactory is, that, like many other names of places, this word unites the com- paratively modern term kirk to the Gaelic term Ben or Bien^ sig- nifyinfir mountain, thus denoting the situation of the former at the base of the celebrated mountain CriffelL Extent, 8fc. — The length of this parish is about 6 miles, and the breadth may be said to average d. The number of square miles, according to Ainslie's map of the county, is 14.89 parts. Boundaries. — It is bounded on the north-east, east, south, south-west, by the Solway Frith, comprising about ten miles of sea coast, and in other directions by a rugged mountainous dbtrict, terminated on the northern extremity by Criffell, and gradually decreasing in height towards the vale of Southwick, on the south- west. The parishes that come in contact with Kirkbean are New Abbey to the north and north-west, and the united parish of Col- vend and Southwick to the south-west and west. The em- bouchure of the Nith separates it from Caerlaverock on the north- east and east. Topographical Appearances, — The height of Criffell aboTe the sea level is about 1900 feet. It is generally stated in tables of KIRKBEAN. 235 heights to be the highest mountain south of the Lowther and Queensberry range, though there is good reason to suspect some of the mountains towards the source of Loch Doon, in the pa- rishes of Kelts and Minnigaff, to be considerably more elevated, as also the Cairnsrouir mountains. In various directions, the view from the summit of Criffell is very extensive. Annan, Carlisle, Dumfries, and Castle-Douglas are distinctly visible, and also the Isle of Man. In very clear weather, Goatfell in Arran may be discerned, rearing its conical head over Carsphairn church, and it is affirmed that the moun- tains in North Wales and the north of Ireland are also visible in very favourable circumstances. From the Criffell ridge of hills, the parish inclines gradually to- wards the shore, presenting a rich, beautiful, and extensive pro- spect, fields well enclosed, and in a high state of cultivation, with several clumps and belts of planting. Beyond the Frith, which is here about ten miles broad, are seen the mountains of Northum- berland, with the rugged peaks of Cumberland and Westmore- land, terminating the scene in that direction, and exhibiting an outline of bold and fantastic magnificence which cannot fail to be highly interesting to all who have a taste for sublime scenery. The coast in this parish is generally low and sandy, though it is varied by precipices of a considerable height at Arbigland, where some singular rocks are to be seen, among which the natu- ral Gothic arch, called the Thirl Stane, is the most conspicuous. The bay of Carse is the only one of importance. The sands un- covered at ebb-tide are very extensive, and render the navigation particularly dangerous. The principal headlands are Borrow Point and Satumess. Climate^ ^-c. — The climate is considered very salubrious. Ow- ing to the Nith, the water is by no means very salt above the mansion-house of Arbigland ; but, below that, the saltness is greatly increased, and at Saturness it is considered admirably adapted for sea-bathing. The depth of the channel along the coast varies from three to five fathoms in ordinary tides. The tides flow very rapidly, insomuch that vessels getting aground upon the banks are frequently upset and wrecked. The flood-tide has been known to tumble a ship's anchor over and over. The chan- nel of the Nith is liable to very frequent changes, by some of which, enormously large trunks of oak trees are occasionally ex- posed, which, though they must have lain prostrate for m^iny cen- 236 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHfRE. tunes, are coDverted by some into field rollers, and even into tablet and omameDtal furniture of various descriptions. Mineralogy. — The rocks consist of granite, limestonei and a species of very coarse sandstone. The whole of the CriSell noge is composed of white granite and syenite, with veins of porphyry and strata of slate. The limestone occurs on the shore, and io the more level portion of the parish, where it is a member of the coal formation as it reposes on the rocks of the Criffell. A lime kiln was lately erected at Saturness. The lime is not of the best quality, though masons allow it to be very well adapted for bo3d- ing — being of a coarse, sandy nature, it requires very little sand to render it fit for their use. Coal has been dug for, and indica- tions of it have been observed, but not so promising as to cdoou- rage farther outlay. On the coast at Arbigland such fossil re- mains occur as are frequently met with in the carboniferous lime- stone formation. The rocks there all dip towards the sea, and at various anglesj from nearly horizontal to vertical. Upon these are to be foiuHl vast rolled masses of granite, for whose appearance, lying as they do upon lime and sandstone, and totally detached from granite fields, it is very difiicult satisfactorily to account Soil, — The soil is various, and is, generally, very prodactiF& The steep cultivated fields lying upon granite, require more ma- nure, and are not reckoned so rich and fertile as those that are more level, and rest upon limestone. After a long process of ma- nuring, however, they may be reckoned equal, if not superior. Much has been done, and much is still doing in the way of draio- ing the low-lying farms, which is greatly improving their appear- ance, and adding to their value; and a considerable tract of land, called merse^ has been protected from the inroads of the sea by a very strong and costly embankment, raised by the late Mr R A. Oswald for that purpose, whose spirit and skill as an noricultii^^ are not to be surpassed. The same process might be most ad- vantageously resorted to in the Bay of Drum, at the northern ex- tremity of the parish. Zoo&^y.*— The principal fishes are, cod, flounder, salmon, and skate. Herrings are very rarely got, and haddocks never; though, in the deep sea ofi^ this coast, not only these fishes, but soles, tur- bot, &c, niight no doubt be caught, were the demand such as to call forth enterprise. The salmon go up the river to spawn in (d^ month of October, and return in April and March. KIRKBEAN. 237 The mussels on this coast are Urge and fine. Oysters have never yet been got in abundance. Mussels and shrimps are the only fish of this description which can b^ regarded as useful, in an economical point of view. They are sometimes carried to Dum- fries for sale, but generally consumed at home. Woods. — There is little, if any, natural wood here; but all com- mon kinds seem to thrive well in the plantations. These, however, are neither so large nor numerous as either to shelter or beautify the parish to the extent which could be desired. At Arbigland there are a good many very large and fine silver firs, some of them perhaps as much so as any in Scotland, though the largest were destroyed in the great storm, 7 th January 1839. II. — Civil History. Eminent Men. — Admiral John Campbell was son of the Rev. John Campbell, minister of this parish. He was born 1719, and, while very young, sent to sea in a small coasting vessel, where his services were so little appreciated, that he was oiily em- ployed in the meanest offices. Afterwards, by distinguished bra- very and skill, he rose to the highest honours of the navy, attended the celebrated circumnavigator, Anson, in his voyage, commanded several of the largest and finest ships in the British navy, and died 1790. An inscription upon the bell in the parish church shows it to have been the gift of his father. — John Paul, after^ wards notorious as Paul Jones, was also a native of Kirkbean. His father was gardener at Arbigland. The cottage in which they lived was repaired, at the expense of Lieutenant Pinkham of the American navy, an enthusiastic admirer of our celebrated coun- tryman, whom he appeared to rival in professional energy, and far surpasses in many of those points which add true dignity and worth to the human character. — The late Dr Edward Milligan, distinguished as a lecturer on medical science in Edinburgh, like- wise owes his birth to this parish. Of this man's energy and success as a teacher it would be difficult to speak too highly. His father, who died lately, was a stone mason. He himself was for a considerable time a shoemaker. As a linguist and mathemati- cian, he was in a great measure self-taught, though he had for a short time the advantage of being instructed by the Rev. Mr Murray, parish schoolmaster. Having made some money in his humble profession, he went to college, and, after much patient toil in teaching himself and others, acquired not only great eminence among the learned, but a considerable fortune in money, 2S8 KIBECGDBKIGHT^HIIIB. by means of which, at bis death, his relations have been comfort* ably provided. For several years previous to his death, he was stone blind ; but such was his strength of mind, that his cheerful- ness continued unimpaired, and he continued his course of lec- tures with great success till his last illness. He died in 1889» aged forty-seven. Dr Milligan b a strikiqg instance, among many, of what can be achieved by a decided determination to literary and scientific pursuits, in the face of much discouragement and difiiculty* LandHnoners, — The only land-owners are,. James Oswald, Esq. M* P., of Auchencruive ; D. H. Craikf Esq. of Arbigland ; and Mark Stewart, Esq. of Southwick. Of these, Mr Craik is the only resident heritor. Parochial Registers. — The parish registers do not extend far- ther back than 1714 ; and, till 1824, have been very irregularly kept. Antiquities. — As to antiquities, Kirkbean has little to boast. There are the remains of a castle, or rather a castellated house, at Wreaths; and till of late, there was a similar edifice at Cavens, which was once the property of the Regent Morton, and inha- bited occasionally by him. At Borrow Point, there are the re- mains of a moat and ditch, called M'Culloch's Castle, overlook- ing' the Solway, the former use of which does not appear to be understood ; and at Preston, formerly the property of Lady Glen- orchy, distinguished for her piety, there is a stone cross, showing where a considerable village once stood. Some time ago, this vil- lage is said to have been inhabited by twenty- four tenants ; now it is occupied by only one. Modem Buildings. — The church was built according to a plan of William Craik, Esq., then of Arbigland, in 1776, and is ele- gant, convenient, and sufficient. The area has lately been fitted up neatly with pews, at the expense of the minister, for the ac- commodation of such villagers as had no claim otherwise. A very handsome tower, crowned by a dome, has been recently erected by subscription of those interested in the parish, and a clock presented by Mr Craik of Arbigland. The entire building, inside and outside, may be regarded as a model for a country parish. Arbigland is one of the handsomest mansion-houses in the county, and kept in the best possible repair, as well as the grounds, by its present amiable and much respected owner. Ca- vens, a seat of Mr Oswald, though much less imposing in ap» pearance, is also very tastefully kept, and highly ornamental to the neigh bourhoocL IIL — Population. The population of Kirkbean is about 890. The number of in- habitants residing in villages, of which there are four, isabout^400» The remainder are occupiers of the farms and cottages through- out the parish. The yearly average of births for the last seven years b 20 ; of deaths, 13; of marriages, 6. There may be about 30 people above seventy years of age. The farmers, as a body, are as sober, steady, and skilful a set of men, as are anywhere to be found. In point of professional intelligence, they would do credit to any district in Scotland. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The number of acres at present under tillage may be about 3680 Scotch, or 4623 imperial acres. There may be about as many more, comprehending the mountainous district, that never have been cultivated. About 600 Scotch or 753 im- perial acres might, with a profitable application of capital, be much improved by cultivation, — part of which is at present undergoing a course of cropping, with a view to its being laid down in perma- nent pasture; but the greater part is a sandy merse, covered to a great extent with whins, and would require frequent crop- ping, in order to keep it in a profitable state. There are, how- ever, about 60 Scotch acres of rich merse land that might be brought into constant tillage by embanking, and would pay well for the capital expended, if judiciously done. There are about 673 Scotch, or 845 imperial acres, not in subdivisions, mostly ly- ing along the shore. Betit of Land.'-^The average rent of the land under tillage is about L. 1, 3s. 6d. per Scotch, or 18s. 8^d. per imperial acre. Some of the land being very light and sandy, and a portion of it high, the rent of such land is low, but the good land gives a fair rent ; some of it as high as L.2, 10s. per Scotch acre, and a good deal about L.l, lOs* per do., while a great part of the bad laud does not give more than 12s. 6d. There is almost no grazing land let for cows, but what is let gives L.4 or L.5 ; and good land let in grass for the season, brings about L.2 per Scotch acre. No sheep are grazed by the year. When pastured on clover after hay, the charge is Sd. per week for each sheep, and 2d. for each lamb of six months old. Such land, if there has been a fair S40 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE.* crop of clover or seeds, may pay about 15s. per Scotch acre. The average rent of the grazing land which never comes under the plough, is about 9s« 6d. per Scotch, or 7s. 7d. per imperial acre. A considerable portion of it being bad, is not worth more than 4s. per Scotch acre, although some of the best grazing land, which is reserved for permanent pa^ture^ is let at L.*2, 2s. ; the very best is let at L. d. The meadow land averages about LI per Scotch^ or 16s. per imperial acre, a great part of it not being good. The hill pasture upon Criffell carries a good stock of Cheviot ewes, and rents upon a lease at about 4s. 9d. per ewe, and 2s. 8^d. per Scotch, or 28. 2d. per imperial acre. • Wages. — The rate of wages paid to good ploughmen, witboot washing, is about L.1 1, 10s. per annum ; and to benefit ourmar- ried men, about L.8 in cash, a house, 66 imperial stones of oat- meal, 3 bushels of barley, 2 tons of potatoes, and 14 measures of coals, amounting in all to about L.19. The day-labourers are paid Is. 4d. per day in summer, and Is. 2d. for three months in winter ; women, 9d. per day throughout the year, harvest except- ed. There are very few day- workers in harvest, the harvesters be- ing generally hired for the whole harvest. Men get Lb 2, 2s.t women, L.1, 12s., with board and lodging. Husbandry. — There are two dairy farms in this parish, vhich keep about 40 Ayrshire cows each. No more of their calves are kept than are required for keeping up the stock. Upon the whole, great attention has of late been paid to the improvement of all kinds of cattle, which are generally in a state highly creditable to their owners. The mode of husbandry followed is a five years' rotation upon good arable land, and a six or seven years' rotation upon what is inferior. The turnip system has recently been introduced, and is practised very successfully, and to a great extent. Bone and other artificial manure has enabled the farmers to raise a third more grain and pasture than could have been raised fourteen years ago. The general duration of leases is eighteen years. The farm- houses and steadings are very commodious, and in good repair. The fences are generally good and well kept. The obsta- cles to improvement are not great, as the farmers, generally are fit for their farms, which are always taken at a money rent, with the understanding that the landlord is not to expend any money ' KIRKBBAN. 241 farther than the necessary improvement upon houses required at entry. The rents of the farms in this parish may vary from 60 to 600 guineas per annum, but many of them will require a considerable reduction, unless there is an increase in the price of iarm produce. Produce* — The average amount of raw produce may be esti- mated nearly as follows : — 42 bushels per Scotch acre of oats, 40 bushels per acre of barley, 30 bushels per acre of wheat, which, at the average price of late years in this part of the coun- try, may be stated at 2s. 6d« per imperial bushel of oats, 8s. per do. of barley, and 58. 6d. per do. of wheat ; L.6 per acre, oats ; L.6 per do. barley ; and L»8, 5s. per do. wheat, all Scotch mea- sure, which gives a gross amount for all grain raised in the parish. OaU. L.4164 Barley, 2068 Wheat, . 2153 , JU8405 Average gross amount of potatoes at Is. per ewt. 8 tons per acre, 800 or turnips consumed on the land by sheep, . 900 ( The turnips would give double if pulled, and not eat off upon the land. ) Of hay, at 200 stones of 24 lbs. per acre, 6d. per stone, or L.5 per acre, 1000 The meadow hay will average in its present state about 120 stones per acre, at 4d. per stone, or L.2 per acre, 860 Tlie land pastured by cattle and sheep is so very unequal, that it is al- most impoanble to arrive at any tiling like aoooracy, but may be sutedat .... 2900 Total yearly value of raw produce. L. 13,765 0* The navigation connected with Kirkbean is very limited. Only two or three small vessels, of about fifty tons burthen, belong to parishioners. These are engaged in the coal and grain trade with the opposite coast of Cumberland, Liverpool, and Glasgow. A wooden pier has lately been erected at Carsethom for the accom- modation of the Liverpool steam-packet, which makes two voyages weekly in summer, and one in winter, and has been of great ad« vantage to the farmers for conveying their fat stock, &c to a bet- ter market than is to be found nearer home. All vessels from Dumfries, when ^neeting with contrary winds, anchor in the bay * For the above agricultural observations and calculations, which are necessarily mueh abridged, the public is indebted to Mr Paterson in Preston, and Mr Smith in Ladyland, two of the most active and intelligent farmers in the south of Scotland* It would alio be unpardonable, were it not here stated, that this parish, which, in an agricultural point of view, ranks among the first in the district, was early imbued with a taste for improvement, by the talents and philanthropic energy of the late William Craikt Esq, d Arbigland, who devoted a very long life to the unwearied endeavour to promote the interests of the parish and of his country at large. KIRKCUDBRIGHT. Q 242 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. of Carsethorn ; while vessels bound for Dumfries lie here, until they are enabled to proceed by the spring-tides. V. — Parochial Economt. Market'-Toum, — The market-town for Kirkbean is Dumfries^ twelve miles distant from the church, and fourteen from the cen- tre of the parish. There are four small villages* That of Kirk- bean is one of the most beautiful and interesting anywhere to be seen. Its situation in a simple rural valley, surrounded by small, well-wooded knolls, is altogether delightful, — an apt representa- tion of Goldsmith's « Sweet AuboTD, loveliest Tiilage of the pbio.** The beauty of this village is much owing to the liberality of the late occupier of Cavens, Lady Mary Oswald, who gave prizes an- nually to those villagers who kept their cottages m good order ; and also to the present proprietors, who continue this system. Means of Communication. — There is a daily post excepting Sunday, and a turnpike road to Dumfries. Ecclesiastical State. — The church is five miles distant from the remotest farm-house, and four from the village of Saturness, Still it is well placed for the accommodation of the principal part of the population. There is abundance of room in the church for all church-going people. The manse was built in 1796. The glebe, comprehending garden and the site of manse and offices, does not exceed ten acres. They are all in good order. The stipend is, as nearly as possible, L.180 per annum. The teinds are exhausted. About L. 1 60 are paid in money, the remainder in bear or oatmeal at the fiars prices. There are not above four &- milies of old Dissenters in the parish, besides two Catholic fami- lies. To this number may now be added about fifteen families who have lately joined the Free Kirk, though some of their mem*' bers still adhere to the Establishment. The church is very well attended. The average number of communicants, 240. Average amount of church collections per annum, L.30. Probable ave- rage of collections annually for religious and charitable purposes, L.10. EducatioTL — There are two regularly kept schools. One pa- rochial, with two chalders of salary, and the interest of L.608^ 4s., mortified for a free school or schools, with a good dwelling-house and garden. At this school thirty children of the poorer order are taught gratis. The other school is distant from the parochial school three miles. The teacher in it has the interest of L.400, morti- KiBKflEAN. ^4S tied money, besides wages from those who can afford to pay. Another sum of L. 100 has been allotted for this school by the writer of this article. No addfttdnal schools are required. - There is one public sub- scription library, kept by the parish schoolmaster. There is a sum of JL350 mortified by certain charitable individuals for the support of the poor. Poor, — The number of poor on the roll averages twenty. They receive their proportion of the funds quarterly, and may, one with another, receive L.2, 1 0s. per annum. Besides the above means of providing for the poor, there has, for many years, in winter been a subscription managed by the minister and the tenants ; and thus about L. 18 are divided among the poorer description of in- habitants, many of whom are not on the parish poor roll. There is still generally an aversion among the poorer orders to apply for parish . aidf, but it is gradually wearing ofl^, and several are eager enough to be enrolled who might do better. None are per« mitted to seek for alms out of the parish^ and very few in it« /ftRii— There are four inns or alehouses in the parish, all of whidi seem to be required. They do not appear to have a de- moralizing effect upon the people. Fuel. — The fuel chiefly used is coal from the coast of Cumber- land, at 8d. per cwt. Some also make use of wood and peat; but peat is not got in the parish, excepting near the top. of Criffell. Miscellaneous Observations. The system of turnip husbandry, and conveyance of fat stock, &c. to the Liverpool market by steam, may be said to constitute the most striking variations betwixt the present state of the parish and that which existed at the time the last Statistical. Account was written. It may also be here mentioned that there are now two tile-kilns, one on the estate of Mr Craik, another on that of Mr Oswald. Owing to the great demand for bathing quarters, and the eagerr uess with which rich and genteel families occupy very indifferent cottages at Satumess during the summer months, it cannot be doubts ed that building a number of neat comfortable cottagestbere, would be an excellent speculation* This would even be of great use to the poor of' the parish, as the church collections would thereby be much improved, and thus the heritors would be secured against extra demands for their support. The farmers and others have, within the last few years, formed 244 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. a society for the relief of vagrant beggars, and, at the same time, protecting themselves from their importunities. This system has succeeded admirably, the whole fund annually required for this purpose not exceeding L.8^ and two sleeping apartments being gra- tuitously supplied by R. A. Oswald, Esq. Jlfffrc&1844. PARISH OF NEW ABBEY. PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JAMES HAMILTON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Same* — There seems plausible ground for assuming that the ancient name of this parish was Lochindoloch. This assumption rests upon the following quotation from the deed of Charles I. erecting the bishoprick of Edinburgh : — << Dedimus personae ad dictum Episcopatum de Edinburgh, per nos providendae specia* tim totas et integras terras et baronias de Lochindoloch^ alias Nem Albay^ cum omnibus et singulis ecclesiis decimis magnis et mi- nutis omnium et singularum ecclesiarum de New Ahbay alias Lochindoloch, Kirkpatrick- Durham, Buthil, et Crossmichael per- tinentibus." To this designation, Lochindoloch, there is an cti- dent similarity in the name of the principal lake in the. parish, Loch Kindar, on an island in which stood the ancient parish church. The present name, New Abbey, is gi?en in consequence of the parish containing the monastery, which sometimes received that name, to distinguish it from the old, or Diindrennan, Abbey, situ- ated in the parish of Rerwick, and founded considerably more than a century before it. Extent and Boundaries. — The length of the parish from north to south is fully 10 oailes, and its breadth from east to west about 2 miles. It is bounded on the north, by the parish of Lochrut- ton ; on the south, by Kirkbean ; on the east, by Troqueer and the river Nith ; and, on the west, by Kirkgunzeon and CoU vend. Topographical Appearances. — The surface is of irregular ele« vation, and, in many places, rough and rocky. Along the whole NEW ABBEY. 245 westerD bouodary, there is a raoge of hills, commencing with Low- tis on the north, and terminating with Criffell on the south. Douglas Cairn, on the top of Criffell, is about 1900 feet above the level of the sea. On the north-east side of the parish, there- is also a ridge of elevated ground about five miles in extent Be- tween the two ridges, there is a strath, varying from a mile to a quarter of a mile in breadth, and watered by different streams,, which, after their junction near the beautiful villa of Kinharvey, alias Kilhelvie, are called New Abbey Pow. Near the north end of the parish, the surface is level, and towards the south-east there is a portion of flat carse land ; but the greatest part of that dis- trict slopes from the western hills gently towards the east, till it reaches the shore of the Nith, which separates it from Caerlave- rock. ' The shore is clayey. The merse is valuable pasture, but the extent of it is gradually diminishing by the encroachments of the tide. By embankments, many acres of valuable land might be recovered. But there is no prospect of this being done by the pre- sent generation. The prevailing winds are from the south and west, and they often blow with tremendous violence. In the tempest of January 1839, about 30 acres of plantation on the estate of Shambel* lie, and worth nearly L.100 per acre, were uprooted or injured. Climate* — Owing to the vicinity of the hills and of the Solway Frith, the climate is mild and moist ; but, as the soil in three- fourths of the inhabited part of the parish is of an absorbent qua- lity, the rain soon sinks, and the moisture does not induce any lo- cal distempers. Lakes. — There are three lakes in the parish. Lochkindar, at the foot of Criffell, on the south, is about a mile long, three-quar^ ters of a mile wide, and thirty feet deep ; it abounds with excellent trout of different kinds. Where the bottom is gravelly, the trout, in the colour of its flesh, resembles salmon, and has a delightful flavour. Where the bottom is mossy, the flesh is whitish, and tastes of the soil. The size varies from a finger-length to eighteen inches. In this loch, there are two islands, — on one of which, as before noticed, stood, in Popish times, the parish church. A- few years ago, the late proprietor, uninfluenced by any zeal for Romish superstitions or relics, slightly repaired the ruined walls, added a thatch roof, and fitted up an apartment as a refectory during the angling season. This island may measure half an S46 KIRKCUDBBIOHTSHIUE. acre in extent, is but a short distance from the land, and accessi- ble by a causeway, on which, at times, the wmter is not above a foot deep. It is a sweet spot, studded with trees and bushes; and the cattle having once tasted its delicious herbage, even wbeo the water is several feet deep, fearlessly encounter the washing of their ribs by wading to gratify their palate* About 70 or 80 yards farther in, towards the centre of the lochy is a small cir- cular island, composed almost entirely of stones, and obviously artificial. At one period it was much frequented by sea-gulk ai a breeding place ; but, for many years past, they have deserted it; and now, in a very slight covering of soil, some trees are growing* It rises about six feet above the level of the water. Lochend Loch lies at the foot of Lowtis, on the nortb|is smaller than Lochkiodar, perhaps fully as deep, and abounds til'i perch, pike, and furnishes a few large trouts, weighing from tbice to five pounds, and having a very thick leathery skin. In it tbefe is also a small island, apparently artificial, within a few yards oi the land, and well wooded. Craigend Loch is about a mile distant, towards the north-east from Lochend, separated from it by a high ridge of rough rocky kind, is not nearly so deep, and furnishes some very large pik^* The bottom of both these lochs is mossy. All the lakes are beau- tifully fringed, in many places, with wood, and, in other places, the arable land reaches to the water's edge. Lochkindar sends its waters, collected from Criffell, to New Abbey Pow, which joios the Nith. The other two lakes help to form Kirkgun^eon Laae* which discharges itself into the water of Urr, near Dalbeattie. JSocA^.— The predominant rock is syenite. The entire western boundary from north to south is composed of this rock. It pr^~ vails throughout the greater portion of the division towards the north-east. Nothing else is seen externally^ if we except a coarse unavailable limestone, which appears in the south-eastern division, and a patch of fine greenstone, all on the estates of Drum and Corbelly. The peculiarities of the syenite are as follows :— ]«/, It is said to contain hyacinth ; but this mineral has been rarely found. 2^, It approaches stratification and the columnar .shapes. A resemblance to the stratified form presents itself on the hill of Glensone, at or near the north-western boundary* An approach to the columnar shape is found in detached spots. F^^ example, there are two or three blocks at the Roan on the Crif- fell side of Lochkindar, having a four- sided aspect, considered co- NEW ABBEY. 247 lumnar. But a better example is observable in a small united group near the top of DrumburD) on Criffell. 3dj Around the edge of Lochkindar a siliceous sand is driven ashore from the lake, and is supposed to be a detritus from Criffell. The sand, when pulver- ized, is valuable, for the purpose of sharpening seythes. . On the farm of Craigend, there is a rocking-stone, estimated to weigh about fifteen tons, and yet a child may put it in motion. It was first discovered, about fifteen years ago, by two little girls, sisters, who, while playing about it, noticed its vibrations, and with astonishment reported them to their parents. It is a block of sy- enite : its position is on a piece of hard land surrounded by mossy or swampy ground : it is quite insulated. 5ot7«— The arable land of the greatest and best part of the pa- rish is a mixture of loam and gravel. There is, however, in this or south-east dbtrict a portion of alluvial clay ; and the north end of the parish is composed of clay, or moss upon a till bottom. This is wet, and not easily drained, as the tenacious subsoil does not allow the springs to discharge their water by filtration into the drains at even a few yards distance, but forces it to the surface in their immediate neighbourhood, so that, unless the drain cut the spring, it is ineflScient. In various parts of the parish, symp- toms of coal have been reported ; but either no efforts have been made to trace them, or they have proved abortive, as is said to have been the case on the estate of Kinharvey'and Corbelly. FiJl — A few salmon wandering from the Nith have, about spawning time, in October, November, and December, been found in the Pow ; and vast quantities of flounders have been caught on the sand-banks of the Nith, the eastern boundary of the parish for about two miles. Woods. — The plantation and natural timber in the parish ex- tends to about 600 acres, of which 350 belong to Mr Stewart of Shambelly, who commenced planting at a very early period of life, nearly seventy years ago, and has lived to reap the fruits of his improvements, by drawing nearly L.100 per acre from land, which, in its natural state, afforded nothing but a scanty coarse herbage, browsed by goats, and not worth 2s. 6d. per acre. The planta- tions consist of Scotch fir, larch, beech, oak, and ash, which all thrive well.* II. — Civil Histoby. Historical Events. — In 1300, Edward I. encamped in the neigh- * Mr Stewart died lately, aged 94. 248 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. bourhood of the abbey, and received, by the hands of Robert Winchelsey, Archbishop of* Canterbury, a Bull from Pope Bodi- &ce VIIL, redarguing the King's claim to the superiority of Scot- land, and* setting forth the title of his Holiness to that kinp^dotn, as a part of Peter's patrimony. The Archbishop's narratiTe, dated October 1300, may be seen in Prynne's History of Edward, and contains an account of his Grace's detention at Carlisle till he could 6nd out where the King was, and a minute detail of his perils by land, by water, and by men.* The Bull was duly delivered ; the King held a council upon it ; but, as it concerned the welfare of England, he declined giving any reply till he should consult the States. Soon after, he dis- banded his army, and proceeded to Lincoln, where a parliament was assembled to prepare an answer. The Bull is endorsed, Memorandum quod Dominus Rex tradidit Domino J. de Lange- ton, Cancellario suo apud Northampton 24 die Decembris, anno regis 29, BuUam quam Archiepiscopus Cantuariensis tulit eidem Domino Regi apud Cartanoks in Scotia. Soon after the battle of Waterloo, the inhabitants of New Ab- bey, aided by the contributions of a few other individuals, animated by those sentiments of gratitude and admiration which at that time pervaded all classes of British subjects towards the illustri- ous Duke of Wellington and his brave army, erected a monument to commemorate that great and important victory. It b a gra- nite column 50 feet high by 1 6 feet diameter, with a winding stair inside, and stands on an eminence called Glen hill rising about 400 feet above the level of the sea. It is seen all over the southern part of Nithsdale, as well as the Solway Frith, and along the coast of Cumberland.! * The following exty^act contains all that relates to Mew Abbey : — " Denique cuni audirem, diligeutius ezplorando, quod idem Dominus Rex cum exereitu suo in re- deundo versus castrum de Caerlaverock quod prius ceperat» in Sootia fisisset tentoria juxta novam Abbathiam de dux quer in Galvedia, malens periculo me, meas ei mea exponere, quam in tarn longinquis partibus, quoddammodo vacuis, extra meam DIch caesim et provinciam diutius sic languere, latitans in qutbusdam locis secretis juxta mare, quod dividit Angliam et Galvediam, captata temporis opportunitate in refluxu maris, ductus ab iis quos non opportebat viae transitus ignorasse, translvi per qua- tuor meatus aquarum maritimos cum equis et phaleris nomine magis (ratione pro- funditatis aquarum) quam littoris et vivorum Sabulorum introitu et ezitu periculo- sos : et quasi inopinate veni die Veneris proximo post festum Sancti Bartbolomaei Apostoli, ultimo jam transacto, ad dictum Regem, in medio exereitu suo tunc praD- dio existentero, et quia non potuit, ut dicebat, eo die vacare, mandavit mihi illo die ' iu^sero per duos de majoribus Comitibus, qui turn assistebant ei, quod in crastiDO, videlicet, Sabhaio sequente, audiret roe benigne." t llie projector was Robert Johnston, Esq. author of a volume of Traveb from Petersburgh to xMoscow, and from Moscow along the line of Napoleon*s disastrous retreat through Russia and Poland. NEW A&BEY. 249 Antiquitiei. — Lyin^ within one of the church windows are two stones, which throw light upon the history of the abbey of Sweetheart. On one of them are cut in large Roman capitals the two last syllables of the name of its foundress, gvlla fvdatrix. . On the other stone, which has evidently been a continuation of the same line of building, are cut in the same kind of letters m.£.lxxxiiii, ex- pressing clearly 1284. But whether this date is to be understood as marking the time when the abbey was completed, or of the death of the foundress, does not certainly appear, as there is no information whether these stones formed a part of the Abbey walls, or of a monument erected in or near it. The inscription is quite conclusive as to the foundress of the Abbey, who was Devorgulla, daughter of Allan, Lord of Gallo* way, niece to David, Earl of Hiintiugdon, wife of John Baliol, and mother of John Baliol, King of Scotland. Her husband died in 1279, and was buried here. His heart having been embalmed, and put into an ivory box bound with silver, was solemnly deposited within the walls of the church, near the high altar, from which the Abbey took the name of Sweetheart. In the arch of that part of the choir, which is to the south of the cross, are two key-stones, on which are cut a heart and twd roses, with two crosiers, and this inscription, Cfiristus marihu mens; alluding to the dedication of the church to the Virgin Mary, as well as to the piety of the widow, who here deposited the heart of her husband. The refectory of the abbey stood op- posite the church, and was used for Divine service till 1731, when, falling to decay, it was, in part, taken down, and a new church erect- ed. Under the refectory was the kitchen, with several vaults. The chapter-house adjoined the old church. Above it was the abbot's house. The dormitories stood to the east beyond the abbot's house.* All these are now completely demolished ; and, but for the interposition of the late minister, the abbey itself would, in all probability, have been in the same state ; for it having fal- *len iuto the hands of persons who had no antiquarian enthusiasm, and who estimated their purchase only by its worth as a quaixy, they commenced pulling down the consecrated fabric to get ma-, terials for building houses in the village. The minister, however, with very different sentiments, succeeded in obtaining subscript, tions to purchase it ; and, for forty guineas, saved it from destruc- • * Vide Cardonnel. 250 K1&KCUDBRIGHT6HIRU. tioD, It is now secured from farther dilapidation except what comes inevitably from the hand of time. Length of the abbey from east to west, 194 feet ; breadth, in- cluding transept, 63 feet ; the cross, from north to south, 102 feet ; height of the tower about 90 feet. The particular year of its erec- tion is uncertain. The monks belonging to the abbey were of the CLstertian or- der, instituted in 1098. In the 24th of Edward I. John, Abb6 de Douzquer, swore fealty at Berwick, and renounced connection with the King of France, and was in consequence restored to his lands, which bad beeu seized. Gilbert Brown, descended of the family of Garsleutb, was the last abbot He sat in Parliament 17th August 1 560, whilst the Confession of Faith was approved, and, in 1 605, he was appre- hended by the Lord Cranstoun, Captain of the Guards, appoint- ed for the Borders, and was sent to Blackness, and, after some days, was transported to the Castle of Edinburgh, where be was confined till he left the kingdom. He died at Paris, 14th Ma; 1612. The Lord Maxwells, ancestors of the Earl of Nithsdale, were heritable bailies of this monastery ; and Sir Robert Spotiswoode, President of the Court of Session, and secretary to Charles I^ being possessed of this abbey in temporal lordship, was, from it, called Lord New Abbey. Distant about half a mile from the abbev, on the liutnof Lan- dis, stand the ruins of a square building called the Abbot's tower, which, as well as the Abbey, is partly mantled over with ivy, aod the residence of owls, jackdaws, and swifts during their short vi- sits to these northern regions. Coins. — A few copper coins, very thin, and of the breadth of a sixpence, have been dug up in the vicinity of the abbey, and two of them are now in the hands of the minister. Some years ago, in a very dry summer, there were taken out of Lochend loch, two metal pots, capable of containing three or four « gallons, evidently of very ancient manufacture. They are now in the possession of D. Hamilton Craik, Esq. of Arbigland, on whose property they were found. Another pot, of similar materials, but of smaller dimensions, was, some years ago, dug up near the abbot's tower, and remains with the tenant of the farm. Land-owners. — The chief land^owners are, R. A. Oswald, Esq. N1£W ABBEY. 251 of Auchencruive ; WtUiam Stewart, Esq. of Shambelly ; James Carrick Moore, Esq. of Carsewell ; Constable Ma]iwell, Esq. of Terregles ; and D. H. Craik, Esq. of Arbigland. Parochial Registers, — The parochial registers of baptisms, mar- riages, and church discipline commence in May 1891, when Mr Harvey was minister, and have been kept with considerable regu- larity. The register of burials has been less attended to, but not altogether neglected by the succeeding incumbents. The early part of the discipline Register evinces a vigilance of inquiry into the private conduct of individuals, and a severity of punishment which are unknown in the present day. Manstori'HouseSy ^c.~^Mr Stewart of Shambelly has two man- sion-houses ; one, of greatantiquity, in the village, where he resides, and another at a short distance, built by himself. The situation of the latter is very delightful, being so elevated as to command a view of Caerlaverock Castle, Solway Friths Criffell, Waterloo mo- nument, the abbey, the proprietor's extensive plantations, and the public road to Carsethorn, by which public carriages regularly go to and from the Nithsdale steamer. The fanciful villa of Kin- barvey, lately purchased for shooting quarters by Mr Maxwell of Terregles^. and about to be enlarged and embellished, arrests the eye of every traveller, as he passes through the strath where it is situated. The parish church was repaired about thirty-four years ago ; and, since that time, two galleries have been fitted up in it; one, containing ninety seats, was erected by the heritors, and allotted to themselves and their tenants; the other was erected by subscrip- tions of the parishioners and some heritors. The whole church is commodious and comfortably seated. A Romish chapel was erected about seventeen years ago. Its appearance is neat ; and there is attached to it a house for the priest For the last seven years, there has been no oflSciating priest. About thirty years ago, the Society of Free Masons and a Friendly Society erected a hall for their meetings ; but it has since been sold, and is now used as a ball-room, and for other public purposes. There are a grain-mill, a mill for carding and spinning wool, and a saw-mill, which employs about ten persons. The timber pre- pared at the saw-mill is generally shipped to Liverpool 253 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. III. — Population. lo 1755, the population wai 634 1769, - . 596 1790, - - 649 1801, . . 832 1811, - - 1045 1821, . . 1112 18. manners, which had always been in- offensive and peaceable, became gradually assimilated to those of their neighbourhood, — and they are now to be distinguished only by the simplicity of their demeanour, and a few religious pe- culiarities of the most unobtrusive description. The old man, who still survives, possesses a large fund of intelligence) and amuses himself by writing many a dissertation on points connected with his peculiar creed, which, though not theologically orthodox, evince a mind much above the ordinary standard. A *^ Free Church" has been lately erected in the village, which is attended by a large proportion of the people. Educatioru — Of the three public schools in the parish, two are on the Establishment. The expense of education is the same here as in the neighbouring parishes. Theprincipal schoolmaster, whose place of instruction is situated at the village, is entitled to the largest rate of salary, (subject to a small deduction for the support of a school at Crocketford,) besides a considerable annual sum derived from money mortified many years ago for his benefit The inha- bitants seem, in general, fully alive to the blessings of education, and the whole population, with hardly a single exception, are taught to read and write. There are a few poor families resident iu the upper end of the parish, whose places of abode are situate at so great a distance from any of the schools as to preclude their deriving from them any benefit. A teacher is therefore generally 264 RlIlKCUOBitJOHTSHIRB. hired for the winter, who resides alternately in each house in the district, instructiog such children ais are sent to him by the neigh* bouriog families. Poor and Parochial Funds* — The number of persons at present on the poor roll, several of whom have families chiefly dependent on what they receive from the parochial fund, is much increased of late, and the average sum afforded to each is miserably small* The session funds arise from collections in church and a volantai; assessment annually imposed by the heritors. The sum of L 5 besides, arising from money mortified for this charitable paqxise^ is yearly distributed to five such poor persons as the kirk^seasioo judge to be the fittest objects. Fairs, — There is still an annual fair held in the Tillage of Kirk- patrick in March, but the assemblage of attendants has vsstl; diminished, and the horse races and balls have dwindled intoaverj paltry representation of what they seem formerly to have been. Inns* — There are four publio^houses in the parish, which, in general, are conducted in a respectable manner. Fuel — The parish was long amply supplied with fuel from the mosses with which it abounds, but of late years this valuable artJ* cle has become scarce. Peats are still obtained in small quanti- ties both in this and the neighbouring district ; but the chief arti- cle of consumption under this head is coal, which is procured from the English skippers, who Import it from the opposite coast, and sell it to their customers at the harbour of Dalbeattie, at the ate* rage rate of 7s. 6d. a cart load. MlSCELLAlTEOUS ObS£RYATIONS. Since the last Statistical Account was written, the general aspect of the parish has been most materially changed. Then, there were but one or two houses that could claim any superiority over those of the farmers, and these last again were but a very small step re* moved above the humble thatched cottages of their servants and labourers. Now, almost every considerable estate has its mansion) and its neat garden and tasteful shrubbery. Heath and furze then occupied large tracts of ground, which are now covered by thnt* ing wood, or cleared for the pasture of cattle and the growing of corn. Then, only a few tracks existed to point out the direction which the traveller should pursue, without aiding him materiali/'^ his journey. Now, smooth and well engineered roads intersect the parish in all directions. Other changes too have taken place. The manufactures whicn KIRKPATBICK-IBONGRAT. S65 at lliat time were prosperously commenciog^ and promised to bring wealth and comfort to the abodes of many of the inhabitants, have taken their flight to other regions, and the people again possess all the characteristics of a rural race^ though in many cases suffer- ing from the dire effects of extreme poverty. To this fact may, perhaps, in some measure be traced the difference which is ob- served in the attendance at the fair of Kirkpatrick now^ when compared with what it once was. Sevised March 1844. PARISH OF KIRKPATRICK-IRONGRAY. PRESBTTERT OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. J. WILSON, MINISTER.* L— ToPOGRAPHir AND Natural Histort. JV(ai»e.^-*lRONGRAT| the name by which this parish is noW ge* nemlly known, seems to have been added to Kirkpatrick by way of distinction, and signifies, as has been supposed, Gra^s land ; the spot where the old church stood, which was dedicated to St Patrick, being probably so called. It lies on the right bank of the Cluden or Oaim, a few miles to the west of Dumfries, and, in form, is nearly triangular. Extent, ^c. — It extends 9 miles in length, by from 1 to 4 iii breadth, and contains a surface of 14,464 imperial acres, or 23.6(> square miles. It is bounded on the east by Terregles ; on the north, by the Cluden, which separates it from Holywood ; on the west and south-west, by Kirkpatrick-Durham and Urr; and on the south, by Lochrutton and Terregles. Topoffraphical Appearances, — The appearance of the parish is varied and singularly beautiful. The lowest or eastern extremity is nearly level, and in a state of the highest cultivation. The centre consists of two or more undulations of hills, being part of a range which stretches across the stewartry from north to south. Their knolls and heights are finely wooded ; their sloping accli- vities well and somewhat tastefully enclosed, here in pasture, and there in crop ; and their outline, as seen from different parts of * Communicated by the late Incujibcnt of the parish, the Rev. Robert Crawford. 266 KIRKCUDBRIOHTSHIRB* the vale, highly picturesque. From several poiuts, particularly along the upper parts of the farm of Inglestone, on the estate of Mr Oswald of Auchencruive, there are delightful views of the richest portion of Nithsdaloi part of Annandale, the Solway, and the hills of Cumberfand. The highest or western extremity con- sists of two bare elevated ridges, which rise to the height of about 1 500 feet above the level of the sea. The one to the north, called '< Bishop's Forest," is separated from the other, '< Gleo- bennan," by the Auld water, a rivulet that falls into the Cain, and gives the name of Cluden to that beautiful stream. TVitb their gray rocks and dark-brown heath, they form a splendid back->ground to the lesser eminences, and the fertile well-culti- vated plains beneath. Meteorology. — The climate varies in different parts of the pa- rish. In the upper district, the atmosphere is colder and more damp than in the lower, owing perhaps to the badness of the soil and the want of shelter from the westerly winds, which are here the most prevalent. Hydrography, — The only stream which, strictly speaking, be- longs to the parish, is the Auld water, which rises on the borders of Kirkpatrick* Durham, sweeps round the base of the Bishops Forest, and falls into the Cairn about three miles above the junc- ture of that stream with the Nith. The course being short, and the channel narrow and rocky, it is easily swollen, and then comes down with great rapidity, doing often considerable injury to the crops upon its banks. That, however, which gives any tbin^'^^ interest to the stream, is a beautiful little waterfall, which vm^^ its course, just where it crosses the road leading from Dumfries to Dunscore and Minnyhive, and very near its junction with tbe Cairn. The fall may be about 20 feet, and is succeeded by (^ considerably less, which deposits the waters in a deep smooth basin. Across the lower fall, and in front of the higher, ncany on a level with what may be called its rapids, a bridge, consisting of a single arch, is thrown. The whole scene, as seen itom |t>^ bridge^ — the ivy mantling its sides, the fine old oaks overbaoging the stream, the noisy and agitated waters on the one sid^^ ^^^^^ quiet and gentle current on the other, heightened as these are Dj coming unexpectedly upon them, — have a very pleasinjf ^^^^ and arrest the attention of the passing traveller. Tbe Rou^|^o Bridge, as the spot is called, is on the north-westero extrcto^i of the property of Mr Oswald of Auchencruive. KIRKPATRICK-IRONGBAY. 267 The Cairn skirts this parish on the north, for upwards of six miles, forming, as already stated, the boundary between it and Holywood in that direction, and adding greatly to the beauty of the landscape by its wooded banks, its numerous windings, and *^ its waves that sweetly glide.'' When joined by the Auld water, it takes the name of Cluden, and, after leaving Irongray, sweeps along the northern border of Terregles for about a mile, and then &lls into the Nith, where the silent and venerable towers of the Abbey of Lincluden stand. It is easily forded, except after heavy rains, when it overflows its banks, and lays many of the adjacent fields under water. It abounds with trout and par, and, in their season, with fry, grilse, &c., and is considered an admirable fishing stream* Mineraloffy.^'The rocks are whinstone, slate, freestone, and pudding-stone. Whinstone and slate of the greywacke spe- cies, compose the hills in the upper and middle district. The dip of the rock is from north to south, facing the south, with an angle of slight inclination. Freestone is to be found in various parts of the farms of Inglestone, Gateside, and Cluden, and forms the bed of the river a little below Cluden Mills. Above the mills, pudding-stone prevails, forming also the bed of the stream for upwards of a mile. • ^oi&.— -The soil where freestone is found is of a light sandy nature, well adapted to the growing of turnip and barley, which are cultivated to a considerable extent on the large and best ma- naged farms. That on the slaty part is of a gravelly description, also well adapted to the culture of turnip and barley. The soil where whinstone prevails, is of a wet quality, having a subsoil of hard impenetrable till, a mixture of clay, sand, and gravel. The alluvial soils are of small extent, being confined to the immediate vicinity of the river. Underneath them at various depths, from five to ten feet, as also in many boggy parts of the parish, trees of difierent kinds are found, principally the oak, alder, birch, and fir, {Pinus sylvestris,) facts which prove that the latter tree, though not now, once was a native of the south of Scotland, and that several ages must have passed away, since they were depo- sited there. Marl, which was formerly used in considerable quantities as manure, and forms perhaps part of the strata of the parish, is to be met with in some of the bogs. It is now disused, having been superseded by lime and bones, which are nearly as cheap, and far less exhausting to the land. S68 KIRKCUDBRIOHTSHIRB. fVooiL — There are BCMoe stately oaks and b^utiful beecbes. Veiy fine specnnens of both are to be foimd on the glebe. IL— Civil History. This parish occupies rather a distinguished plaee in the history of the memorable struggle for religious freedom which die Pres- byterians or CoTenanters maintained from 1662 to 1686. Here many of these oppressed and devoted men found a breathing-place and a sanctuary* On the southern side of the '* Forest^" there is an eztensi?e hollowi enclosed on the west by Comlee^ and on the east by Skeodi Hill) with a natural opening from the south. About midway up Skeoch Hill, on the inner side, where there is a platform of considerable extent, several of the ejected minis* ters met their scattered flocks, and dispensed the sacrameot to them. This lonely and otherwise unattraetire ^lot b invested with a deep interest, from being the scene, and still retaining the memorials, of these erents,-^^* the Communion StotMS.'* Thej consist of what may be called two tables, with a passage between thenu Each table has two rows of seats in disdnct preservatioD. At the head, there is a small cairn, which was obviously used as the table for the elements. A few yards to the souths a stose of an oval form is to be seen, with two separate circular cavities that admit the arm to the elbow, which held, according to traditioOf the water for baptism. In front of the stones, towards the forest, the ground rises gradually, forming a kind of natural galW' where the congregation could hear the sermons and addresses that were delivered, and witness the whole solemnity. The na- ture of the ground, and the precautions that were taken by plan^* ing watchmen on the heights, rendered the spot peculiarly secure* Any attempt to surprise them, was almost sure to be defeated. When this struggle commenced, John Welsh, the great grandson of Knox, was minister of the parish. He was ejected wiUi seTen- teen of his brethren in 166i^ and acted a conspicuous part in these troublous times* After his ejection, we find him io the city teaching from house to house ; on the mountains, preachii^ ^ ^* the sufiering wanderers'' after sleepless nights ; in the cam[H healing divisions, and taming the impetuosity of the more fi^ leaders ; on the field of battle, lamenting the dice necessity that forced him to arms, yet periling his life in the cause» Strai^ to say, he escaped a violent death, having died in London on the 0th of January 1681. In connection with this period we may state, that two martyrs^ KlfiKPATRICK-IRONGBAT. ^^ Edward Gordon and Alexander M^Cubbin, lie buried on a small rising ground, within a clump of trees, close to the CSuden, and in view of the kirk. They were seized in Lochinket moor, by Bruce and the Laird of Lagg, and executed on the spot where they were buried, to strike terror, perhaps, into the hearts of some lamilies in the neighbourhood, either known or suspected to be attached to the Presbyterian cause. In later times, this parish gave birth to an individual in bumble life, whose name would probably ere now have been (ergotten, had not her singular and affecting stocy a ttracted dw attention of the Author of Waverley, and given rise to one of the most en- chanting and instructive of his tales •*-* <* The Heart of Mid- lothian.'* The individual to whom we allude is Helen Walker, the prototype of *' Jeanie Deans.*' How he came to hear of her story, "—the simple materiab 4>n which this splendid creation of his ge* nius was reared,-^and what led to the erection of a stope to her memory, are aU given in the prefece to the tale.* Land-^noners* — James Oswald 4yf Newark, M. P. for Glasgow, is patron of the parish. His estate lies along the right bank of the Cluden, and embraces part of the middle and almost the whole of the lower district of the parish. There is no mansion* house on the property. Mr Oswald's usual residence is Auchen* cruive, a magnificent seat in the parish of St Quivoz, and neigh- * To bring her charaeter before the view of the reader^ we cannot do better than tranacribe the sinple and tonebing inaeripUon written by himaelfl This Stone waa erected By the Author of Waverley, In Memory of Helen Walker. Who died in the year of God 1791. This Hamhie Individual Practised in Real Life the "^rtues With which Fiction haa inrnted Jlie Imaginary character of Jeanie Deaos. Refilling the sluhtest departure from Veracity^ £«eQ to aare the life of a sister, JShe nererthelcss showed her Eandnest and fortitude, In Rescuing her from the sererity of the laW| At the expense of personal exertions. Which the time remdered as diflimdt« As the motive was laudable. Respect the grave of poverty, When combined with love of truth And dear afleetion. 270 K1BKCUDBRI0HT8HIBB. bourhood of Ayr. Mr Lennox, of LinncludeD, in thb parish, re- sides in New York. Well wood Maxwell, Esq. of Bamdeugh, is also a proprietor in this parish. Wellwood Kfaxwell^ Esq. of the Grove, an extensive merchant in Liverpool, has an estate od the South-eastern extremity of the parish, which is principally under his own management* He has lately built an elegant and com- modious mansion, after a design by Bickman, a self-taught archi- tect of very considerable celebrity. The entrance faces thesoath, and is surmounted by a square tower. The front is towards the east, and commands from the upper part a view of Dumfries and the surrounding country. The other chief land-owners are Fran- cis Maxwell, Esq. of Drumpark, and Alexander Hamilton Welsh of Skan, the representative of a very old family* Parochial Registers. — The parochial registers are pretty volo- minous. The date of the earliest entry is 169 L From 1694 to 1756, a period of sixty-two years, during which Mr James Guthrie was minister of the parish, they were very accurately kept III. — PoPULATIOlf. AmouDt of population in 1801 » . 790 1811, ... 841 1821, . . .880 1891, 4d5 males, 477 females, 912 1841, . . .927 IV. ^iNDUSTftT. Number of acres, imperial measure, cultivated, .7125 waste, . • SSSiS underwood, . 2114 The average rent of arable land per acre is 18s. The average rent of grazing for the year, per ox, L.2 ; per cow, including win- ter keep, L.7 ; per sheep, on hill pasture, 4s. ; do. on cow pas- ture, and turnips part of the year, 10s. Live-Stock. — The cattle are chiefly of the Galloway breed, which are considered to be best suited to the soil and climate, and are ge- nerally sold at from two to three years old, and sent south to be fattened for the English markets. Many of the farmers, however, are beginning to adopt a different system, viz. to fatten their csttle at home, and then send them south by steam to the market. This system, if fully acted upon, will put an end to droving, which h^ proved of late years so ruinous to all concerned. The sheep oa the hill lands are black^faced, rather small in the bone, and p&rtale much of the general character of the Galloway breed. Horses are reared here in considerable numbers. The best are of the Clfd^^ dale kind; and, as a good deal pf attention has been paid of late KTBKPATRICE*IRONGBAY. 271 to this sort of stock, the breed is rapidly improving. Pigs are a staple commodity io this quarter. They are generally killed when a year old, and sent for sale to the Dumfries market, where there is a very extensive trade in pork during winter and spring. The average quantity of grain per acre may be, oats, 36 bushels ; barley, 35 do. ; wheat, 26 do. ; potatoes, 10 tons ; turnips, from 15 to 25 do., according as they are manured. Mangel wurzel and beet root are not cultivated, the soil being too light for them. V. — Parochial Economy. Marlut'^Tovm^ Sfc* — There is no market-town in the parish ; the nearest is Dumfries, which is within three miles of the lower end. The roads are good. The only stone bridges are those across the Auld water, consisting of single arches and in good re« pair. The fences are in tolerable condition. EcektiasHcal State. — The church is situated on the northern side of the parish, close to the Cluden, within two miles of the lower or eastern extremity, and consequently is distant from the upper or western about seven miles ; a distance which is very inconvenient, and cannot, it is to be feared, be easily remedied. It is in the form of a parallelogram, with the pulpit in the west end, and a small vestry behind. It was built in 1803, is in good repair, and affords accommodation for nearly 400. The middle area is free, and contains about 50 sittings. The most interesting benefaction on record, is that by Jeart Biggar of Barbuie, in 1750, of 500 merks Scots for behoof of the poor, which was laid out in purchasing from Mr James Guthrie; then minister of the parish, a small property adjoining the glebe, called the Kirk-holm, which yields an annual rent of L. 8, 5s. The manse was built in 1801, and is a substantial and commodi- ous house. The glebe consists of nine acres, the yearly value of which may be estimated at Lf 25. The [stipend is sixteen chal«- ders, half meal, half barley, with L.8, 6s. 8d. for communion ele^ ments. Divine service is in general well attended,'and the Sabbath well kept There is an annual collection for one of the four religi* ous institutions, sanctioned by the General Assembly, which varies in amount, and bears a fair proportion to the circumstances of the people, who are almost exclusively farmers and cottars. Education. — Total number of schools, 2, both parochial. The schoolmasters have the maximum salary divided between them, or L.25, 13s. 7d. each, are provided with dwelling-houses, and re- 273 KIBKCUDBRIOHT8H1RB* ceive in school fees, together, about L.30. There are none be* ftween six and fifteen years of age, or upwards, who can neither read nor write. Literature.^--' A parish library was instituted about two ;ean ago, is managed by a committee annually cboeen, the minister being ex-officio president, and contains upwards of 200 ¥011111165, <— novels, romances and plays being excluded, and every piecan- tion taken to ensure a proper selection of books. Poor and Parochial Iknds. — There are eighteen persons re- ceiving parochial aid. The average yearly allowance to each per- son, is U 6, 10s. — in all, L»99. The funds are produced as fol- lows: collections, LilS; proclamations, L.1, Is.; interest of money, Ii»16| 4s. ; pool's holm, L.7, 15s.; and voluntary assess- ment of the heritors, L.60 ; total, L 99. The only alehouse in the parish is a very small one in the vil- lage of Shawhead. liid. — The parish furnishes no fuel except peats, which Da; cos^ independently of carriage, about 2s« 6d. per cart-load. Of course, they are cheaper when the purchaser can spare hands to cast diem at the proper season. S^ch was lately made for ooil 00 the farm of Midtown ; but, as might have been expected fron the mineral structure of the ground, without success. Alter bor- inff a considerable depth, they came upon what they considered a stratum of this mineral It proved, however, to be a hard slaty substance, of a dark grs(y colour, something like manganese, which emitted) when ignited, a strong sulphureous smell. MiSCELLAKEOUS OBSERVATIONS. Since the last Acoouat was written, various and iaiportsnt changes have taken place, A considerable proportion of the waste land has been reclaimed ; small farms have meiged into hu^ ones ; old» half-ruinous, and supernumerary cothouses, which often prove haunts for vagrants, and nurseries of vice, are heiog removed. Farm-buildings, enclosures, roads, and bridges are in a very superior state to what they then were. The character smd condition, too, of the people have been greatly ameliorated* Revised by the present IncunAeni^ Mereh 1844. PARISH OP CARSPHAIRN. fRESBYTERY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. DAVID WELSH, MINISTER. I.— Topography and Natural History. Name^ Situation, and Extent — The name of this parish, which is frequently written Carsefern, is probably derived from earse and /emj — as the plain on which the church is situate, was, at the time of the first erection of the church, no doubt covered with fern. The parish is situate on the sloping side of that mountainous ridge which separates Kirkcudbright from Ayr, and has a southern ex- posure. On the north, it is bounded by the parishes of Dalmel- lington and New Cumnock ; on the east, by the parish of St John's, Dairy ; on the south, by Kells ; and on the west and souths west, by the parishes of Straitonand MinnigafT The figure of the parish is nearly circular. It extends from north-west to south-east about ten miles, and from north-east to south-west about nine miles, and contains about 88 square miles. The church is situate nearly in the centre of the parish, and the hills and mountains rise around forming a kind of amphithea- tre. The parish, with very trifiing exceptions, may be said to be altogether mountainous or hilly^ Surface and General Appearance. — The higher mountains are verdant to their summits ; but the lower hills are generally cover- ed with heath, and are interspersed with bogs of peat of consider- able extent. The lower hills have growing among the heath or on the boggy ground, a sharp kind of grass, which in the early part of the season looks green ; but as the season advances, and in autumn, it assumes a very brown appearance, and in the winter. It is carried like chaff by the wind. Bivera and Lakes. — This parish is thickly indented with moun- tain streams. The largest stream, while it continues in the parish, is the Deugh. It loses its name, however, on joining the Ken, KIRKCUDBRIGHT. 8 274 KIRKCUDBR10HT8HIBE. which last stream is the separating boundary between Car^hain and Dairy for about ten miles. This last, after lea^iDg Cars- phaim, passes through- a beautiful and richly wooded country, forms that splendid sheet of water Loch Ken, and afterwards giies up its name to the Dee. The only loch in the parish is that of Loch Doon, which forms a considerable part of its western boon* dary. Mountains, — The highest mountain in the parish b Qumsinuirt which rises to an elevation of about 2696 feet above the lefel of the sea. It was chosen by Captain CSolby as one of his stations for the trigonometrical survey in this part of Scotland, about 1814 From the summit of this mountain, when the atmosphere b cleart a most extensive view is obtained in every direction, except where it is intercepted by a mountain called Carline*s Cairn, on the south-west side of the parish, which is nearly of an equal height. Geology and Mitieralogy. — The carse or plain on which the church of Carsphaim is situate, has been entirely formed by water. The churchyard may be said to bea sand-bank formed by the water. From the rapidity and force with which the Deugh rushes from the mountains, it is not wonderful that it should have freqaeotlj changed its course, and traversed, as it evidently has done, the whole of the plain. But, though this small portion of the pansh be continually undergobg changes, the greater part is of a Tery unchangeable nature, and, from the number and elevation of tts mountains, may be supposed to aflford much scope for the investi- gations of the mineralogist* As there are no indications of either lime or coal through- out the whole of the parish, and as there are plenty of stones upon the surface for the purpose of fences or of houses, there has not, till lately, been any attempt made to penetrate into the bowels of the earth. Much, indeed, is reported of the rich freight, with which sooie of the small streams in the neighbourhood of Cairnsmoor were loaded in former times, — when a Mr Dodds, celebrated for bis chemical skill, collected the golden grains, converting them into some foreign coin; but, after his lucrative retirement was dis- turbed by some of the officers of the Crown sent to apprehend him, he threw his dies for coining, into what is commonly called by the inhabitants the green well of Scotland, or well of Lagwioe. A discovery has been made on the estate of the Honourable Colonel M. Catbcart, of a vein of lead, which prooaises to be CAR8PHAIRN. 276 productive. The proprietor has now a number of miners em- ployed, and there are more labourers employed than ever were in thb parish, at any former period. In a season when provisions are high, it is satisfactory to see labour provided for the industrious poor ; and it is earnestly to be wished, that the hopes of the pro- prietor may be realized in their fullest extent Iron has likewise been discovered on the same estate, and in the same neighbour- hood* They are both found in that range of hills which forms the western or south-western boundary of the parish. The rock which seems most generally diffused throughout the parish, is greywacke. Granite abounds, however, on the south- west part of the parish, near to and at Loch Doon, both in large masses and detached focks. The Castle of Loch Doon, an an- cient ruin, is situate on an island of granite in the loch, at nearly an equal distance from the parishes of Straiten and Carsphaim. On the summits of the highest mountains, there is but little ve- getation. In some places, small stones cover a considerable portion of the surface ; in others, a long white moss, which yields to a considerable depth under the pressure of the foot Where there is any vegetation, it is very stunted, and not calculated to afford nourishment to the flocks. 2tio2o^.— The eagle is frequently seen soaring between Cairns- muir and Carline's Cairn; but his place of greatest security is about the rocky mountains of Star, in the parish of Straiten. It is commonly said, that the last place in the sduth of Scotland which the ptarmigan frequented, was Caimsmuir.i They have, for some time, however, been completely destroyed or banished. Other species of grouse are plentiful. Black game abound in every part of the parish ; and the common grouse are very numerous. The migra- tory birds which visit us, are those whfch are common to high and muirland districts. The curlew, the green plover or pea-wit, are very common during the breeding season, but retire towards the shore as the season advances. Wild duck are numerous at all seasons. Owing to an almost entire want of woods or plantations, song birds are rare. The lark, however, abounds, and gives ani- mation to the most remote and retired parts of the parish. . In the two principal streams in the parish, the Deugh and the Ken, the progress of the salmon is interrupted by falls, which they cannot surmount, and which shut them out from much good spawning ground. Towards the junction of these two, there is some good salmon Ashing. All the streams abound with trout, 276 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. not of a large size, but such as afford good sport to the angier who delights in numbers. There are few places in the south, where the sportsman can find better amusement. Botany. — It is not easy to conceive a parish of equal exteot more entirely destitute of wood than Carsphairn. There are few old trees, and the plantations, with the exception of those on the farm of Dundeugh, are neither numerous nor extensive. Some- thing has, however, been done, of late, to remedy this defect, bj some of the residing heritors ; and small clumps are rising upoo several farms, which, besides being useful, will in some degree break the monotony of the scena Carsphairn is, however, en* tirely a pastoral parish. The sheep are what the farmers depend upon for necessaries, for comfort, and for riches. To their flocks, therefore, their attention is chiefly, if not solely, directed ; and they would not be very willing to see much of the land takeo op with plantations, to the exclusion of the flocks, even though their landlords should be at the expense of enclosing and plaoting. Some, however, are beginning to see that the shelter which plao- tations afford during a storm, may be a full equivalent for the want of herbage, and that some benefit may arise from the thioDii^ of such plantations. There are some plants on the higher mouo- tains, which are considered not very common. II. — CivjL History. The parish of Carsphairn is said to have been separated from the parishes of Kells and Dairy, and constituted a parish, aboot the year 1627. Both these parishes receive stipend from Cars* phairn, about L.9 Sterling each, — Kells levying on that part of the parish which lies on the west side of the Deugh,— -and Dairy on the east. The first minister is said to have been a Mr Seo- pie, who is reported to have been very zealous in the discbarge of his ministerial duties* Eminent Men. — Carsphairn was the birth-place of the late Dr Jackson, Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of St Andrews, — a man with whose mathematical works the learned are acquainted, and who was not more distingubhed as a scholar, than loved and admired as a man by all who knew him. S.r Loudon M^Adam, celebrated for his improvements on turn- pike roads, was likewise a native of this parish. He was said to have narrowly in infancy escaped, when the family mansioo of Lagwine was consumed by fire. The body of Sir Loudon is Id* CARSPHAIRN, 277 terred at Moffat, but the family tomb is in the churchyard of Cars- pbairn. Mr M'Adam, late of Castle Dykes, Dumfries, was a native of Carsphaini. Born in low circumstances, and but little favoured with the blessings of an early education, he, nevertheless, by his na- tural talents and application to business, realized a princely for- tune, which he bequeathed among many relatives, in a manner which did honour both to his head and heart. To the place of his nativity, he left L.500 for the bene6t of the poor, and L.500, the interest of which was to increase the schoolmaster's salary ; — both sums under the management of the minister and session. Land-owners, — The heritors connected with this parish are eleven in number, of whom the principal are, the Honourable Colonel M. Cathcart of Craigengillan ; Robert McMillan, Esq. of Holm ; Colonel Clarke of Knockgray, &c. Antiquities, — There are scarcely any traces of antiquities in this parish, except some very large cairns. It is said, that, in remov- ing some of these, stones in the form of coffins have been found, containing human bones. One of the largest is not far from the church, near the road leading to Dalmelhngton, on the farm of Holm of Dultallochan. On the same farm, and at no great dis- tance, are found large stones forming a circle. Near the Holm of Dalquhairn, on the estate of Mr McMillan of Holm, there are a number of knolls, remarkable for their si- tuation and Che regularity of their forms. They are situate in the bottom of a deep valley, high mountains rising on two sides. They have the appearance of having been artificially formed ; but closer observation will perhaps shew that they have been formed by de- bris from the surrounding hills. The name which they have always borne, is the AUwhannie Nowes. ni. — Population. By census taken in 1755 the population was 609 1801, 496 1611, * 459 1821, . 474 }63\, 642 1841, 790 IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — Surface draining has been carried on for several years to a considerable extent, and has in many cases considerably improved the sheep-walks, but the general appearance of the coun- try is but little changed. It would be unjust, however, to say that 278 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. no improvement has been made in agriculture. SeTenil IkmierB have laid a considerable quantity of lime upon those parts of tbeir jhrms most suitable for ploughing, and have^ in return, frequently had excellent crops. In April 1838, the ploughing match of the Glenkens Agricultural Society, took place on the farm of Holm, lying near the base of Caimsmoor, — when about thirty iron ploughs of the most improved construction started, affording an exhibition such as Carsphairn never before witnessed on any of its 6elds. Silver medals were given,— one by the 'Highland Society, an- other by the Glenkens Society. There is much land which might be made to produce good crops. The farmers have generally succeeded their fathers, and have been accustomed to follow the same mode of management Their being continued in their farms by landlords, inferior to none in the country for intelligence, is a proof that the latter could not be much benefited by any change in the mode of fioming. Much attention has been given to surface draining, and some at- tempts have been made to reclaim bog lands, not without success. Neither attention nor expense has been spared in improving the breed of black-faced sheep. Attempts to introduce the white- faced breed, and some have been made, have not hitherto suc- ceeded. The flocks may be considered to have been improved in qua- lity rather than increased in number, since the time when Mr Smith wrote the former account of the parish. He states the number of sheep to be at that time about 80,000, which may be nearly the average number at present The number of black-cattle is constantly changing. There are always a large number of Highland cattle kept during winter, which are generally forwarded to the English markets during the following summer. Stone dikes are the only fences in the parish, and in no part of the country is the building of such fences better under- stood than in this neighbourhood. V. — Parochial Economy. There is one small village, near by the church. Two small inns afford better accommodation than their external af)pearance would indicate. There is in the village one other licensed dealer in spirits, — and license has been given to a toll-keeper about two miles distant from the village. Post'Office* — A post-oflSce connecting this parish with Ayr was CAKSPHAIRN. 279 established in the village, in August 1838^ A two-horse coach from Dumfries to Ayr and from Ayr to Dumfries, on alternate days, passes through the village during the summer season. The roads throughout the parish are kept in tolerable repair, princi- pally at the expense of the parish. The nearest market-towns are Ayr and Castle-Douglas, each about twenty-six miles distant. Ecdesiastical State. — The church is situate nearly in the cen- tre of the parish, and in the most convenient place for by far the greater portion of the inhabitants. There are many fami- lies about five miles distant, however, — some seven, and some even ten miles. The church is a very neat building, comfort- able, and amply sufficient to contain the present population, be- ing able to acconmiodate about 400 people. It was built about 1815, and was repaired at considerable expense in 1887. The manse consists of an old house, with a recent addition of two rooms. The rooms are but small, and the ceilings low ; but, altogether, the manse is comfortable, and in tolerable repair. The glebe con- sists of about 13 acres, which may be valued at about L.2 per acre. The stipend is 15 chalders, half barley, half oatmeal, with L. 8» 6s. 8d. for communion elements. There are three families in the parish connected with the Re- formed Presbytery, and one or two individuals who do not attend church, of whom it would be difficult to say to what sect they be- long. Considering the distance at which many of the inhabitants are from the church, and the utter impossibility of either the young or very old of such families coming out during winter, the church may be said to be well attended. Education. — There is only one endowed school in the parish. The schoolmaster has the maximum salary, and the ' legal al- lowance for house and garden. He likewise receives the interest of L.500, left by Mr M'Adam, late of Castle Dykes. Families at a distance from the parochial school sometimes unite to- gether, to employ a young man, during winter, to teach their children. This is an expense which some of the poor people cannot well afford ; but they manage in such a manner, that there are none in the parish who have attained to ten years of age without being able to read. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of poor on the ses- sion roll is 13; and there are some others who occasionally re- ceive assistance. The highest allowance is about L.10, and the lowest about L.I, 10s. The funds from which the poor are sup- 280 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSBIRB. plied are, Ut, the interest of about L.800 = L.20 ; M, annual collection in church, about L.I8; 3d, annual donation from the Honourable Colonel Macadam Cathcart, L.15. The L.800 b the amount of legacies left at different times, including the Lb500 left by Mr M^Adam. Fuel. — There are no coals in the parish ; but they are obtained from coal-pits at Dalmellington, about eleven miles distant. Peats are more or less used by all the families in the parish. Drawn up I8ii9. Revised 1844. MiSGELLAMEOUS OBSERVATIONS. There can be no doubt that cultivation might be considerabi? extended, and if the mining operations succeed, as they now pro- mise to do, it is probable that a great change, and much improve- ment will be made upon the parish in a short time. Nothing has yet been done in the way of purifying the lead. The ore which has been extracted, lies in the state in which it was dug out ; but preparations are beginning to be made for washing and purifying it, and it is presumed that no expense will be spared in carrying on the operations on the most approved plans. There is abun- dance of coal and lime upon the estates of the ppoprietor on the Ayrshire side, and it is hoped that an exchange favourable to Can- pliairn may be made. Since the preceding pages were written in 1839, Carsphaim has undergone a wonderful change, chiefly on account of the mining operations carried on within the parish. Since the operations commenced, the population has been nearly doubled. In that part of the parish in which lead was discovered, and in the bosom of a remote mountain, where the silence of nature was seldom broken, unless by the barking of the shepherd's dog, or the call of the shepherd, there is now a scene of industry and activity, which re- quires to be witnessed in order to be understood ; and which can- not be contemplated without astonishment The proprietor of the mine, the Honourable Colonel M'Adam Cathcart, has spared no expense in obtaining all the necessary ap« paratus for crushing, washing, and smelting, on the most approved principles. The wheel used for moving the crushing apparatus is about SO feet in diameter, driven by water obtained from the neighbouring mountains. The smelting furnaces are constructed on the most approved plan ; and large houses have been buill, and CAR6PHAIRN. 281 preparations are making in them for separating the silver from the lead. The proprietor has been acting hitherto as if it were his object to exhibit the whole operations in the most perfect manner, rather than to enrich himself. It is to be hoped, however, that the liberal manner in which hitherto he has conducted the whole business, may meet with an ample reward. The Honourable Co- lonel M. Cathcart retains the mine entirely in his own hands. He has appointed skilful and steady men as overseers ; and he takes pleasure in personally superintending the whole. Everything is done by the proprietor to promote the comfort of the workmen. A large village has already been built upon the side of the hill, additions to which are still making ; and from the situation which it occupies, and the cleanliness of its appearance^ it presents a picturesque object to the traveller in passing among the wild mountains. The proprietor has likewise evidenced his liberality in his attention to the mental cultivation and moral im- provement of the workmen. Though there are workmen from different quarters, yet the greater part are from Leadhills and Wanlockhead, — ^men who had enjoyed the privilege of excellent libraries, and who regretted their separation from these means of entertainment and improvement So soon as the Colonel and the Honourable Mrs Macadam Cath- cart were made acquainted with their desire of forming a library, they sent a number of books, which laid an excellent foundation for a library, and which, by various means, is rapidly increasing. In addition to this, they have built an excellent school and school- masters house ; the school-house is more ample and commodious than any in the district, and they give a liberal salary both to the schoolmaster and female teacher. The mining operations have changed Carsphairn from being one of the most rural and pastoral parishes in this country, into one of comparative bustle and activity. More money now circulates in one week than was circulated, a few years ago, in the course of the year. There are now two coaches passing daily, one from Ayr to Dumfries, and another from Dumfries to Ayr. There is like- wise a coach from Carsphairn to Kirkcudbright on alternate days. March 1844. PARISH OP PARTON. PRB8BTTBRT OF KiB&CUDBRiaHTy SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. W. 6. CROSBIE, MINISTER. L — TOPOORAPHT AND NATURAL HlSTORT. NamBf Extent^ jfc.-— The name *^ Partooy" which this parish is said to have received before the end of the thirteenth oeDtuiy, is supposed to signify, in the Gaelic language, ** the hill top,*' which is perfectly descriptive of the situation. Its greatest length from north to south is about 5 miles ; its greatest breadth from east to west, about 7; and its whole area is about 28 square miles. It is bounded on the north by Balmaclellan ; on the east by Kirk- patrick-Durhamifrom which it is separated by the small river Urr ; on the south by Crossmicbael ; on the south-west by Balnoaghie^ from which it is separated by the Dee; on the north-west by Kells, from which it is separated by the Ken, a river that is in some places about half a mile broad. The general character of the parish, in point of surface, is very uneven, though there is do hill of considerable height, with the exception of Mochrum Fell, towards the northern part of the parish. There is a hill fiirther west, called ** Cruckie Height,'' which affords an extensive and interesting view of the vale of Ken and Dee. The rich and va- ried scenery commanded from this point has been done great justice to, in a descriptive poem by the late Mr Gillespie of Kells. Hydrography. — On the farm of North Dullarg, a chalybeate spring was discovered many years ago, and considerable attention was then directed to it ; but, the property soon falling into other hands, it was neglected, and no effort has since been made to res* cue it from oblivion. It is supposed to possess, in some degree, the qualities of the old well at Moffat. The Dee joins the Ken about half a mile above the church, and, though much smaller, it gives the name to the united river, which it retains till it enters the Solway Frith at Kirkcudbright. There is a variety of lochs in the parish, the principal being Corsocky Lurky Fatiesthorn, and PARTON. 288 Falbey. They extend to a considerable depth) and are well stored with trout* Botany. — There is an oak of remarkable size on the fimn of Boreland. Its circumference round its trunk is 8 feet, and round the top of its branches is 300 feet. There is in Parton Woody along the high road, a number of weeping birches, which are not surpassed by any thing of the kind in this part of the country. 11. — Civil History. Parochial Beffisters.-^'A register of births and baptisms, com- mencing in the year 1714, has been kept in this parish, but not with much regularity, until the year 1744, when a complete re- gister of marriages, births^ and deaths commences, and extends to the year 1783; and from that to the present time, a register of births and baptisms only appears to have been regularly kept Land'Owners.'^These^ with the valuations of their respectire properties, are, — Seots mooer. Min GlendoDwyn of Parton, - - Lw5I2 II 2 Lady Gordon of Letterfourie, - . 406 8 lU C. Maxwell, Esq. of Middlebie, . 4^8 Kdward Fletcher, Esq. of Corsock, - . d55 The total valuation of the parish amounts to L.2545 Scots. Antiquities. — Near the church there is an artificial mount 120 yards in circumference at its base, and surrounded with a ditch from six to nine feet deep. About half a mile north there is ano- ther nearly twice the circumference of the former, and enclosed with two ditches. At a short distance from this, are the remains of a small Druidical circle. There are also two cairns in the pa- rish. On the estate of Corsock, in the eastern part of the parish, are the remains of an old castle, the residence of Robert Nelson of Corsock, who is made honourable mention of in the ^ Scots Wor- thies," as one who suffered severely in the cause of the covenant. It is now in a very dilapidated state, little indeed remaining but an old tower. The old church, which was superseded by the erection of a new one in 1834, was built in 1592. It was 72 feet long, by 14 wide. The half of it still remains, and the interior of it has been con- verted into a burial-place by two of the heritors of the parish. On the farm of Arvie, there is a flat stone about three feet in diameter, ovk which are the marks of what might be supposed a cow's foot, a horse shoe, the four nails on each side being very 284 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. distinct, and the impression which might be made by a man's foot and knee while he was in the act of kneeling, the knot of the gar- ter being quite evident. The tradition connected with this re- markable stone, commonly called the <* Cow Clout,*' is, that the proprietor, in order to get up arrears of rent, " drave the pun,** or, in other words, carried off the hypothecated stock, while a fierce re- sistance was made by the people, and that over this stone, on which a man had just been praying for relief against his enemies, the cattle passed followed by an officer on horseback, and that it re- mains as a memorial to posterity of the cruel deed. Across the river Dee, just below its junction with the Ken, there is a causey, which is evidently a work of arL Land-owners. — There are twelve land-owners in all, five of whom are resident* The total valuation of the parish amounts to L..254S. The patroness of the parish is Miss Glendonwyn of Parton. Her ancestor, Sir Simon Glendonwyn, in 1458, obtained a confirma- tion of the barony, baronial rights, and patronage of Parton. 1 1 L — Population. Amount in 1801, . 426 1811, . £69 1821, . 84^ 1881, 827 1841, . 808 The great increase of the population from 1811 to 1821, ap- pears chiefly to have arisen from the subdivision of the farms and the increased cultivation of the lands on the estate of Corsock. The people are almost all engaged in agriculture, and are in ge- neral of sober and industrious habits. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — About 9290 acres, including meadow and inter- spersed with waste land, are under cultivation. 5800 acres con- sist principally of heath and morasses. Perhaps from 500 to 600 acres are capable of cultivation, the greater part of which lies in the interior of the parish, and the great obstacle to the improve- ment of which is the want of roads. The average rent of land per acre does not exceed 7s. The real rental of the parish in the year 1821 was L.6000, but it is now reduced, perhaps, to little more than L.5000. Quarry. — There is a slate-quarry in the neighbourhood of the church, which has been in operation upwards of thirty years, and has given employment to eight or ten workmen. The slates are of good quality, and extensively used. The rent of the quarry at PARTON. 285 one time exceeded L.100; but it has been reduced, on account of the reduction of the duty on the English slates. V. — Parochial Economy. Jfarik/- TVton.— Castle- Douglas is the nearest market-town, and is six or seven miles distant. It affords an excellent market, both for grain and cattle. The high road from Castle-Douglas to New Galloway passesUhrough the western part of the parish ; and the high road from Dumfries to New Galloway passes through the eastern part There is a daily post along the western line. There is a coach on this road communicating with one from Dum- fries to Ayr. Dalbeattie and Palnackie are the nearest ports, and are at a distance of about twelve miles. Almost the whole of the lime, and a portion of the coals used in the parish, are brought* from these ports. Fuel. — The fuel principally used is peat, which the parish sup- plies in great abundance. EccleriaUieal State. — The stipend is eight chalders of barley and eight chalders of meal. The glebe is sixteen acres in extent, and valued at L.25 Ster- ling. The manse was built in 1777, and has had two additions made to it since. It is now commodious and in good repair. The church is situated, like most in the neighbourhood, on the banks of the Dee, and is therefore put at the extremity of the parish. A considerable effort was made by a portion of the heritors to have it removed to the interior, at the pe- riod of its being rebuilt in 1834, but, as heritors holding more than one-fourth of the valuation opposed it, the proposal was abandoned. A chapel on the banks of the Urr was subse- quently built, and a preacher has been supplying regular service, supported partly by seat rents, and partly by the liberality of Major Fletcher, Esq. of Corsock. There are localities connect- ed with it in Balmaclellan and Kirkpatrick-Durham, as well as in Parton, upwards of four miles from the parish churches ; so that, if a new parish quoad sacra is disjoined, it will embrace a part of all these parishes, and be of considerable extent Education. — There are two parochial schools in the parish. One of the masters has L.31, 6s. 8d«, and the other L.20 of sa- lary, both subject, however, to a deduction of L. 4» ds. 4d. each as an annuity payable to a retired teacher. The fees actually paid to the schoolmasters do not exceed L.25, and they have no other emoluments. 266 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Ptfor.— The ayerage number of poor for the last three years, 17; average amount allotted to each, about L.8, ISs. per annmn. Average annual amount of contributions for their relief L.64» 14s^ viz. L.24, 8s. of church collections, and L.40, 0s. frum Tolontary assessment by the heritors on an average for the last three years. March 1344. PABISH OF LOCHRUTTON. rRBSBTTBRY OF DUMFRIES, 8TNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. THOMAS INQLIS, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural Histort. iVanM.— LocHRUTTON derives its name from a lake or loch in the centre of the parish. The word Rutton is supposed to ^g- nify, in the Gaelic language, the straight rood, The great road to Ireland through the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright formerly passed close by this loch. This road is now little frequented, anew and better line having been formed many years ago. The new road passes also through the parish, and at a short distance from the loch. Boundaries^ Figure^ and Extent, — The parish is of an elliptical form, and is computed to contain 13^ square miles ; being 4^ loi^ from east to west ; and 3 broad, from north to south. It is bound- ed by the parishes of New Abbey and Troquire, on the south and east; Terregles and Irongray, on the north ; Urr and Kirii- guuzeon, on the west. Towards its boundaries on the south, east, and west, the land rises, forming a sort of undulating ring round the parish in these parts, but falling towards the north. These high grounds are mostly arable. The rest of the parish lies in a valley consisting of arable land, interspersed with knolls, mos- ses and meadows. Hydrographt/.-^The lake or loch from which the parish has its name, extends to 123 acres, 2 roods, and 4 falls Scots statute measure. It is a mile in length, and at an average about a mile in breadth, and twelve feet in depth. In the middle of it, there is a small island about half a rood in extent, and of a circular form. LOCHRUTTON. 287 This seems to have been, in part at least, artificial. Over its whole surface there is a coIlectioD of large stones which have been gathered from the neighbouring fields, resting on a frame of oak planks. The scenery of the lake is bleak, from want of wood in the surrounding lands and the more distant heights. From the lake there issues a small stream, which, after being joined by others, and having pursued its course for a mile or two, receives the name of Cargen water, and falls into the Nith below Drum- fries. There is a small chalybeate spring in the parish, called the Markland well. It is efiectual in removing agues, stomach com- plaints and nervous disorders. It is exceedingly light, very diu- retic, and an excellent restorer of appetite. During summer and in the beginning of autumn, it is resorted to by persoiw in the ordinary and humble walks of life. Geology and Mineralogy, — The rock is mostly schist and whin- stone. It is frequently soft and clayey^ particularly near the sur- face. It is used for building bouses and dikes. The soil on it in general is shallow loaok It may be considered neither very barren nor very fertile^ Zoology. — The fishes in the lake are eels, pike, and perches. Trouts have been caught in it, but rarely. The eels are caught in quantities, particularly in autumn, by a large wooded chest placed ill the sluice at the foot of the lake, with openings at the bottom. The migratory birds in the parish are the woodcock, cuckoo, swallow, and sea-gull or mew. The sea-gulls frequent the island in the lake, in spring and summer, and cover it all over with their nests. They make their appearance in spring, and disappear in the beginning of autumn. II. — Civil History. Land-owneri. — The heritors are thirteen in number; the chief of whom are Marmaduke Constable Maxwell of Terregles, and James Murray M^CuUoch of Ardwall, neither of whom reside in the parish. Parochial Registerf. — The parochial registers date one hundred and thirty-six years back. They are not voluminous, but have been pretty regularly kept Antiquities. — The vestige of a Druidical temple is to be seen upon a hill at the eastern extremity of the parish. This spot is called the Seven gray stones; though, in fact, there are nine 288 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIKE. stones surrounding a rising ground, and forming a circle of se* venty feet diameter. One ancient tcfwer remains entire, and is mentioned in a Scots chronicle published in the reign of James VL, by the name of the Castle of Hills. The area before the entrance is enclosed, and over the gate a porter's lodge, was erected. When this tower was built, is uncertain ; but on a comer stone of the lodge, which seems to be of more modem construction, the year 1598 is in- scribed. IIL — POPDLATION. The popubtioD in 1728 was 48D 1 755, aooordiog to Dr Webster, 564 1790, 52B 1801, . .514 1811, 562 1821, 594 1831, . .660 1641, .659 The chief cause of the increase of the population has heeo the increase of feus or inhabited houses, chiefly in the village of Lochfoot, the only village in the parish. The population of the village amounts to 96. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The parish contains upwards of 6000 acres Scou statute measure. The number of acres, arable and meadow, is supposed to be 5165 in mosses, 27B in woods, 209 not arable, . 400 6062 Rent of Land.~The land rent of the parish is L. 4000 The average rent per acre of most of the farms is from IDs. to L.1. The highest rent of any farm in the parish is L. 230, and the lovest L.40. Leases^ c$*c.-^ There are few or none of the forms let for a shorter period than flfteen years, and none for a longer. They are all divided from one another by march*dikes, and mau; of them well subdivided, and also suitably accommodated with bouses. There are two mills in the parish ; one for grinding oats and barley, and the other for dressing flax. They are both drifeo hj the stream that runs from the lake. To the flax mill are attach- ed a small circular saw for sawing timber, and machinery for card- ing wool. Both are driven by the wheel of the mill. Oat seed, if the season answer, is begun to be sown on (he se- L.80d5 G 143 8 932 817 15 « 756 18 4 81 2148 210 L.814Q 2 10 LOCHBUTTON. 28t cond or third week of March, and potatoes to be planted about the middle of April, and barley to be sown towards the end of it or beginning of May, and turnips towards the middle of June. Bow Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce rais- ed IB the parish may be as follows : Oats, 30,853 Wlncheiter bushels, at 2b. per bushel, Barley, 956 do. do. at 8s. per do. Poutoes, 2860 bolls, 8 owt. to the boll, at Is. per cwt. Hay meadoWy 49,000 stones, at 4d. per stone, Vtye grass, 80,846 da at 6d. per do. Turnips, 27 acres, at L.3 per acre. Land in psature, rating it at L.4 per coFi ^Sbeep, 140, at L.1, 10s. per sheep, Total y^rly Talue oTraw produce, V. — Parochial Econouy. Market-'Town. — Dumfries is the nearest market and post town* It lies about four miles eastward. There the farmers sell their grain, cattle, and horses* A great proportion of the cattle are -bought to be sent to England. The parish not only supplies itsetf with provisions, but a considerable quantity of oats and barley is disposed of in the Dumfries market, and generally bought to ba exported to England, chiefly Liverpool. The pork fed in the parish, which is considerable, is sold also in Dumfries, and sent 10 Newcastle chicffly. Ecclesiastical «yto/tf.— -The church was built in 1819, and is in a very good state of repair. It affords accommodation for upwards of 300 sitters. It is sufficient for the present population of the parish. There are no free sittings in it. It is distant only a little more than a mile from the eastern and northern extremities of the parish ; but more than three from the southern and western. The number of families belonging to the Established Church is 109. The average yearly amount of the collections for the last five years for charitable and religious purposes, L.2, 9s. There are 14 Cameronians, 17 Seceders, 9 Roman Catholics, and 3 Independents in the parish. The manse is partly old and partly new. The old part was built in 1777, the new in 1809. Both parts were repaired lately. The glebe is about ten acres in extent, very much broken with jknoUsy and may be worth L.10 yearly. The teind is exhausted, and the stipend, valued in money, amounts to L. IB2, 6s. 4d. Mr Thomas Inglis, the present incumbent, was admitted from the parish of Dunscore to Lochrutton in 1807. His predecessors in Lochrutton, as far as they can be traced, were, Alexander Train, member of the General Assembly at Glasgow in 1638; lURKCUDBRIGUT. T S90 KIRKCUDBBIOBTSHIRB. Mr Johnstone, who held the pastoral office in Lochrutton about 1662; Mr John Gillespie, curate, who died in 1682 ; Mr John Willox, ejected at the Revolution ; Mr John Reid, the first Pres- byterian minister after the Revolution, who was ordained in 1691, and died in 1727, having held the ministerial office thirty-six years; and Mr George Duncan, who was ordained in 1728, and died in 1765, having held that office thirty-seven years. He was.soo* ceeded by his son, Mr George Duncan, the late minister, who was ordained in 1766, and died in 1807. Education. — The parochial teacher has a salary of L. 30, with a dwelling-house of the legal dimensions, and the interest of L.62, 14s. 2^d, of mortified money. The school fees may amount to L. 15 per annum. Though the parochial school be not incon- veniently 4situated for the greater part of the population, there is generally a small school kept in the most distant comer of the parish for such children as cannot attend the parochial school, es- pecially in the winter season. A very small sum was mortified for this school by the Rev. Mr George Duncan, minister of this pa- rish, and the late minister's father. There are noiie in the parish who cannot read, and few who cannot write. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The annual amount of the fiinds for the relief of the poor may be about L.20,— out of which sum seven persons receive a regular allowance, at an average of more than L.2 to each per annum. Six others receive aid occasionally from these funds. The proportion of the poor to the whole population is as 1 to 50. None of the poor beg from door to door; but scarcely a day passes, that the parish is not visited by vagrant poor from neighbouring parishes, but chiefly from Ireland. The parochial poor are unwilling to apply for aid, and refrain from doing so until it becomes a matter of necessity. But it is thought that this di»> inclination is not increasing among them. Alelumses. — There are four in the parish. Fvd. — The fuel commonly used is peat There are sereral mosses in the parish, from which the farmers are allowed the pri* vilege of cutting what fuel they need, but not to sell any. There is, however, one moss which is let to a tenant for fuel, who not only cuts a great many peats himself for sale, but also lets a part of it yearly to persons in the parish and neighbourhood for cutting them. They are sold at from 2s. 6d. to 9s. a cart load. February 1841. PARISH OF GIRTHON. PRSSBYTBEY OF KIEKCUDB BIGHT, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. GEORGE MURRAY, MINISTER.* I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — The word Girthon (ancieDtly written GirtoD) is of Celtic origin, being an abbreviation of Girth-avoriy the enclosure or sanctuary (for the term Gir or Girth may bear either of these two significations) on the river. It is supposed that a village, with a sanctuary attached to it, existed in early times at the pas- sage of the Fleet* The correctness of this derivation. b rendered the more probable from the circumstance, that the neighbouring parish of Anwoth, which is divided from Girthon by the Fleet, was originally Avanwcntk^ the course or channel of the river. (Chdbner^s Caledonia^ Vol. iii. p. 889.) The term Avon, the original name of the river, was afterwards changed by the Anglo-Saxons (who had possession of Galloway for nearly 400 years prerious to 820) to Fleet or Fleet, — ^a word of synony- mous import. Boundaries^ ffc. — Girthon is bounded on the east by Borgue, Twynholm, and Balmaghie ; on the north, by Kells and Minni- gaff; on the west, by Kirkmabreck and Anwoth; and on the south, by the Irish Sea. Its length is 16 miles : its breadth va- ries from 2 miles on the south, to 5 miles towards the north. The number of imperial acres in the parish is 15,480. Topographical Appearances. — The physical appearance of the parish is varied. About three-fourths of it is mountainous, bleak, and heathy, with but few spots devoted to tillage, or capable of producing corn. The remainder, ehiefly on the south, though undulating, is rich, fertile, and susceptible of raising the best crops ; but is chiefly occupied in grazing cattle. Hydrography. — There are several fresh water lochs in the pa- rish, namely, Loch Greanoch, nearly three miles long, by an ave- * Drawn up by Thomas Murray, LL.D. AuUior of <' The Literary HUtory of 292 KlRKCUDfiRlOHTSHltlE. rage of about half a mile in breadth ; Loch Skero, about half a mile square ; the two Lochs Fleet. These lakes are all situated on the high mountain range on the north of the parish. Locb Whinnyan is on the east, on the borders of Twynbolm. From each of the Lochs Fleet a streamlet flows ; and these uniting form what is called the Little Water of Fleet. After a course of a few miles, this stream is joined by a similar small river, termed the Great Water of Fleet. From these the Fleet is formed, wbicb, dividing Girthon from Anwoth, discharges itself, after many wiod- ingSj into the Fleet Bay, an estuary of the Irish Sea. This river is navigable for vessels of 160 tons burden, to the town of Gate- house of Fleet, a distance of about three miles. In order to fiici- litate the navigation to Gatehouse, and to reclaim a considerable portion of land, which, at high water, was covered by the sea, Mr Murray of Broughton has constructed a canal, which, beside gaining the two objects in question, has greatly shortened tke dis* tance between the Fleet Bay and the town. Of this canal, which was begun on the 17th of June 1824, and opened on the 3d of October following, the length is 1400 yards. The cost was cal- culated by an eminent engineer at about L»5000, and the time required for constructing it, to be two summers. But Alexander Craig, Esq., then Mr Murray's factor, and whose ingenuity is well known, setting his local knowledge in opposition to the science of the engineer, cut a narrow trough along the centre of the pro- jected line of the canal, and of nearly the depth to which it was to be excavated, into which he forced the water of the Fleet. The result corresponded with Mr Craig's anticipations ; for, in the course of only two days, the river formed a channel for itself of the exact width and depth required ; and the total expense, in- stead of being L.5000, was greatly under the half of that sum, — being only L.2204, 3s. 5d. ! Nor is this all : no repairs have since been necessary to maintain or secure the banks of the canal so rapidly and singularly formed. There is another remarkable circumstance in connexion with the construction of this work* A rock on each side of its banks, directly opposite to each other, and nearly level with the bottom, jutted out ; and on these rocks the pins of a swing bridge have been erected, which affords great con- venience to the neighbourhood, and has enabled Mr Murray to remove the parish road from his domain. Thirty«six acres inter* vened^between the line of the canal and the bed of the river, of which 15 belonged to Anwoth ; and the quantity of land reclaimed GIRTHON. 293 is no less than 170 acres, now forming one of the most fertile and productive farms in Girthom At the mouth of Fleet Bay are two small islands, uninhabited, but pastured by sheep, commonly call- ed Murray's Isles (in honour of the proprietor), but more pro- perly the Isles of Fleet The shores of Fleet Bay and Irish Sea are generally sandy or alluvial, though, in some places, they are rocky ; but there are, properly speaking, no headlands. Climate. — The air and climate vary with the soil and surface. In the high lands, they are cold and severe ; in the low lands, mild and agreeable. Rain is frequent. But, on the whole, the climate is regarded as salubrious ; dnd instances of longevity are common. There are no diseases peculiar to the locality. Cho* lera made its appearance in 1832 ; but there were only three deaths. Geology and Mineruldgy. — Girthon resembles, in these particu- lars, the adjoining districts, — the upper part of the parish being composed of granite, — the lower part of slaty schistous rock, easily decomposed, having many granite boulders lying on the sur- face, or slightly imbedded in the soiL The junction of the gra- nite and schistous rocks runs across the parish. A slate quarry was opened about twenty-seven years ago on the farm of Culreoch by the proprietor, and the parish church, built in 1817, is covered with slate from that quarry ; but it has not been worked, because slate from Westmoreland, Lancashire, and Wales can be had as cheap, if not cheaper, than from this source. About twenty-five years ago, a vein of copper ore was accidentally opened on the lands of Enrig, of a rich quality. A lease of it was taken by a company from Wales, who expended a considerable sum of mo- ney on works there. No vein of any magnitude has yet been hit upon, but numerous crests of rich ore discovered, several cargoes of which have been sent to Swansea, where it is used as a flux in smelting purer copper ores. Zoology. — Char, a very rare species of fish, abounds in Loch Greanoch. It is not caught either with bait or fly, but with the net Loch Skero is remarkable for pike. Salmon is caught in the Fleet, but only to a trifling extent Flounders abound in the river, and at its mouth. The isles of Fleet are productive of excellent oysters. The cows are of the well-known Galloway breed. The sheep are, with few exceptions, of the small moor kind. Various sorts of game and wild animals abound ; — grouse, blackcocks, partridges, hares, rabbits, woodcocks, badgers, foxes, 294 KiaKCUDBBlOHTSHIRE. and polecats. Pheasants have been introduced at Cally, the^seat of Mr Murray of Broughton, and seem to thrive well. There is a deer park, extending to nearly 500 acres. The water eagle^ or osprey, or bald buzzard (the Fako Haliaehu of LioDaeus), fre- quents Lochs Skero and Greanoch, and builds on the islets which these lochs contain. The crested heron, a species of piscivo- reus water-fowl, haunts the different lochs in the nortbera dis- trict of the parish. Botany. — Under this head, there is nothing peculiar to Girthoo, the botany of the hilly district to which this parish belongs being similar throughout. The qtitintity of wood in the parish extends to nearly 1000 acres; and of this, about a third (namely, tbatoo the south side of Barhill, on Disdow hill, and at KindowD,) b been planted since the beginning of the present century. There is also a considerable quantity of natural wood in Borelaodi S)i- lodoch, Carstammon, and a few other places. II. — CivfL History. Historical NoHce$.— In 1800, Edward I. resided for several da^ at the town of Fleet, probably on or near the site of the pieseot Gatehouse. At this place the inhabitants endeavoured to f^ his progress ; but, being repulsed by a superior force, and b; greater military skill, they fled to the woods and mountains. (^^^ gingham^ Hist. Reg. Anglicty p. 7a) From Heary, the miller* who rented the mill of Gerthon (Girthon), the king exacted 18s. 4d. for some << malversations'' that had been detected Id his mill. He exacted also, from the town of Flete (Fleet), 40s. for their bad measures and other transgressions. This mill of Gir* then is thought to be the same with the ancient ** mill of the lake^ within the farm of Rainton, about three miles south of Gatehouse. But, as if in compensation for these severities, Edward offered, od the 9th August, an oblation of 7s. at the altar of GirthoD, and repeated the offering next day. {Murray's Literary Bi^org of Galloway^ 1st ed. 1622, p. 848.) The inhabitants of Girthon seemed to have been exposed to severe exactions and persecution during the reigns of Charles H* and his successor, James VIL On the Restoration, not onlj^^^^ the people deprived by the Government of their minister, Mr William Erskine, (of whom we shall soon speak more at length}; but they were exposed to severe pecuniary exactions and other sufferings on account of their attachment to Presbytery. In ^^^ for example, " nine poor families" were 6ned in L. 525, 10s. ^ GIRTHON. 295 Scote. (Wodravfs Church Hist. Vol. il. p. 10.) At another time, John Logan of Enrig, and John Cannan, in Gufifockland, were each fined L.240. {lb. i. 278). Graham of Claverhouse, in 1684, surprised six persons who were concealing themselves at Auchencloy, near Loch Skero, and instantly shot four of them. One of them (from Nithsdale) was buried on the spot where he fell; and a humble tombstone, lying flat. on the ground, was subsequently erected to his memory,* bearing the following inscription : — ** Memento Mori. ** Here lies Robert Fergusson, who was surprized and* instantly shot to death on this place, by Graham of Claverhouse, for his adherence to Scotland's Reformation, Covenants, National and Solemn League. 1684.'' In the churchyard of Girthon, in the tomb, formerly of the Lennoxes of Cally, and now of the family of Broughton, was bu- ried Robert Lennox of Drumruck, f who also suffered for con- science sake, as the following inscription, on a small upright stone at the mouth of the vault, testifies : — ** Within this tomb lyes the corps of Robert Lenox, some time in Irelandtown, who was shot to death by Grieer of Lagg, in the paroch of Toungland, for his adherence to Scotland's Reforma- tion Covenants, National Covenants, National and Solemn League. 1685." Eminent Characters. — Mr William Erskine was minister of Gir- thon at the period of the Restoration. Having refused to conform to Prelacy, he was ejected from the parish in 1663, in which year nearly 400 Presbyterian clergymen, whose names are recorded in Wodrow (L p. S24), were ousted from their several charges, from the same cause. He was sentenced to confine himself within the parish of Carsphairn. Having ventured to leave his place of con- finement, and taken refuge in Teviotdale, he was declared a fugi- tive, in 1671; and in the following year, letters of intercomun- ing having been issued against him, he was apprehended, and * On the 16th August I8S5, the late incumbent of the pariah preached a sermon (since publisbed,) in the immediate vicinity of this tombstone, on which occasion a collection was made for erecting a more suitable monument to the memory of the martyr; an olgect which has since been accomplished by means of the collection in question, and public subscriptiona. t This Robert Lennox, in the year previous to bis martyrdom, granted a disposi- tion of Drumruck, which be had inherited from his father, in favour of Oavid Len« nox, merchant in Ktrlccudbright, and retired to Irelandton, in the neighbouring pa. rish of Twynholm. Robert Lennox was great grandson of John Lennox, the fourth of Cally, who died in 1647. iCaie of Margaret Lennox pf Woodhead. Edio. 1619, 4to. P. 80-3.) 29S KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. lodged in Stirling Castle, {rom which, at the end of four yean,W was transported to Dambarton Castle. In 1679, he was liberated. He was again apprehended, and confined a close prisoner in Bhd- Bess Castle ; from which place he sent a petkion to the Prin- Council, stating, among other things, '* that he was now turned valetudinary i therefore craving the Council's compassioD.'' The only redress be obtained* was the liberty of ^ walking aboot the castle, and taking the air with a keeper/' He was ali?e at the Revolution ; but whether he afterwards was iDducted isto a parish charge, is not known. It is certain, at least, that he did not letum to Girthon. {lb. 286, iiL 406, iv. 3a) Captain James Dennistoun of Creetown, author of ^ Legeads of Galloway,'^ and of a poem entitled <* Battle of Craignildery^aod Ur John Faed, an eminent miniature painter, are natives of this pa- rish, — the former having been bom at Cruffock, the latlar at Barlay. Land-owners. — Family of Broughton. — Alexander Mumj ot Broughton, M. P. for the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, is proprie- tor of the entire parish. Cally, about a mile south of Gatehouse, is the residence of the family. The earliest proprietor of Call; that can be correctly ascertained was named Stewart: he de- scended, in the thirteenth century, from the illastrious famil; w the High Steward of Scotland. The title, which this GalioTi- dian branch of the Stewarts bore, was that of Stewart of Kalecbt- Girton, or sometimes of Kalecht, (now Cally,) and GirtoiK This family, after a lapse of nearly two centuries, terminated m a female, Elizabeth, only daughter and heiress of Sir John Stew- art of Cally, and this lady having married Donald de LeveoaSf or Lennox, son to the Earl of Levenax, * the property passed in- to a new family, and the name of Lennox, which was emineDt for upwards of 300 years afterwards, was then first introduced iototbe province.f Donald Lennox, who died in 1454, is termed i^<^ mintts de Girthon et nobilis vir. John, the seventh of Cally) b^<^ * The houses of Lennox and of Stewart were previously connected by assn-ugv* as the wife of Sir John Stewart of Girthon, mentioned in the text, and vbo feu at the siege of Orleans in 1429, was a daughter of the former family.— 0a^^ ^' agcy i. 614) f In addition to the family of Cally, there were Lennoxes of Plunton, Draovi'i* Drumruck, Tannieiad, Disdow, and all of them desoendwl of the Cally brsDeh ; >^^ there has not been, with a single exception, since the year 1706, (when V'"^°' Lennox of Drumwall sold that property to Alexander Murray of BroogbtooO * knded proprietor of the name of Lennox in Galloway. The son of Willisffi Uo"^' of Drumwall became tenant of that farm, and died in 1713, aged forty^eigfat— (^'^^ •fMargartt Lennox^ ni supnh 30-34 GIRTHON. 297 a iamily of one son and daughter, the latter, (Anna,) being mar- ried Co Richard Murray of Broughton. John Lennox* renounced all right and title to his various estates, and conveyed them to his son*in-law, the laird of Broughton, and his son Robert afterwards concurred in the destination. The residence of Richard Murray, which had previously been at Broughton, in Wigtonshire, was transferred to Cally, which has ever since continued the seat of the Murray family. The founder of the family of Murray of Broughton came from Morayshire and settled at Broughton, Wigtonshire, in the twelfth century, since which time they have ranked among the magnates of Galloway. The first lands which they acquired in the stew- artry of Kirkcudbright, were obtained by a marriage with a daughter of Murray of Cockpool, (Dumfries-shire). The lands thus ob<- tained, and which still belong to the family, were Kirkarsel and others in the parish of Rerrick ; and one of the monks of Dun- drennan having been suspected of improper intimacy with *^ f ^ady ' Broughton," her husband slew him at a place called Allan's Cross till this day. Murray was obliged to pay a fine, as a com- pensation for the murder, to the abbey, which fine (L.10,) has continued to be, and is still paid to the Crown since the demoli« tion of the monastery. George Murray of Broughton was one of the Lords of the Bed-chamber to James VL, and, for his fur- ther services, had various grants of land given him in Ireland, (which still belong to the family,) as also several superiorities in Scotland, (Nisbet's Heraldry, i. 256.) Richard Murray, who married the heiress of Cally, died in 1690 ; and Alexander Mur- ray, M. P., the present representative of the family, is his great grandson. There are no collateral descendants of the Lennoxes* of Cally or Murrays of Broughton known to exist. CaUy. — This mansion, one of the most splendid seats in Scot- land belonging to a private gentleman, is built (1763) wholly of granite, being the first attempt of working that kind of stone in the south of Scotland. It was constructed after a design by Milne the architect, but has been modernised and signally im- proved by its present proprietor. It contains a good collection of pictures, and in its unrivalled marble vestibule, are some fine pieces of sculpture, including a noble head of Bonaparte by Thor- * This John Lennox, previously to his succeeding to the Cally estates, was de- signed of Plunton, or more commonly Lennox-Plunton, in the parish ot Uorgue. He was the lineal representative of Thomas Lennox of Plunlon, second son of John^ the (burth of Cally.— (Cdie of Margaret Lennot^ ut #irpra,30-3.) 298 KIRRCUDBBIGHTSHIRE. waldsen. The ruins of the ancient mansion are still pretty eotire, about hair a mile distant to the north from the present boiUiog. The garden occupies about three acres within the walls. The pleasure grounds extend to twenty acres ; but the family bate a private road extending for several miles within the adjoining parks, which are retained either in the hands of the proprietor, or are let as grass parks. The orchard grounds, particularly at the oU mansion-house, are extensive. There is a deer park, nearlja mile square, within less than a mile of Cally, on the south* b addition to herds of deer, it contains a few of the ancient Cale- donian breed of cattle, procured from the stock of the Duke of Hamilton. Antiquities, — There are no antique buildings extant in the pa- rish, with the exception of the old mansion-house of Cally, al- ready mentioned. At Enrig, there was a house depeodeot on the abbacy of Tongland, and which, it is supposed, formed the occasional residence of its abbots ; and, after the Refonnatioo, of the Bishop of Galloway. Its site is still known yet as the *^ V^ lace Yard." Some old plane trees are growing, having a foliage different from those now propagated. The palace had appareoilf been surrounded by a ditch and wall, one of the arched gates having been standing, within the memory of a person iotimatelj known to the present writer. There are several small moats id the parish, locally called ** doons ;" one in Bush Park, aoother in Enrig, and a third in Castrammon. III. — Population. The population of Girthon has greatly increased withio the last eighty-five years. In 1755, it was 367 ; in 1841, it ^ 1872, having been more than quintupled in the interval between these two periods. No village or town existed in the parish 9i the former date; and the then proprietor of Cally, Aieiand^^ Murray, Esq., had not long previously ejected a great number of small tenants occupying a great part of the lower end of the pa- rish, and converted their farms into grazing' ground, in which state they still continue. The existing rural population, as is stated m the following table, is 495, so that the increase under this head is only 12a Number of the population residing in Gatehouse, - 1S77 the country* - 495 Total population of the parish, - 1872 The number of families in the parish is 419, so that theave- GIRTHON. 299 rage proportion of individuals to a family is 4|. The number of inhabited houses is 268; in other words, the average of individuals to a house is l^^^f ^^v& great proportion is owing to the cir- cuaistance that several of the houses in Gatehouse having com- mon stairs, or at least a common entrance, are tenanted by more than one family ; in some few instances by three or four. The following table shows the relative proportion of births, marriages, and deaths, for the three years ending in 1889 : Team Birtba. Marriages. Deaths. 1837, . 58 . 9 . 50 1838, . 56 . 7 . 44 1889, . 44 . 17 . 25 By taking the average of these three years, we find that the births are about 1 to every 86 of the population ; the marriages, J to every 170; and the deaths, 1 to every 48; the proportion of births being greater than the average of England and Wales ; of marriages, less ; and of deaths, less ; a good proof of the sa* lubrity of the climate, and the prudence of the people in their formation of marriage connections, as also of the physical com- forts which they enjoy. (Second Annual Report of the Registrar* General. London, 1840.) But no perfectly sound conclusion, we confess, can be drawn from so limited a population as that of Girthon, particularly when embracing so short a space as three years. Under 20 yean of age, Above Do. Males. Females. Total. 449 450 890 412 670 982 Totals, 861 1011 1872 The excess of females as compared to males, is 150. The number of tradesmen in the parish is 105, exclusive of appren* tices ; of labourers in Gatehouse, 56 ; while the whole rural po- pulation, with the exception of the farmers, may be considered as labourers. The number of illegitimate births within the last three years is 15, or, on an average, 5 annually; but some of the cases, though registered in the session book, do not actually belong to the parish. Character of the People. — There are no customs, games, or amusements peculiar to this parish. The belief in witches, fairies, brownies, dreams, and other superstitions, once universal in Gal-* loway, has not been entirely laid aside ; particularly on the part of the older and more remote inhabitants. The houses of the people, particularly those of the farmers, are, in general, good and substantial. All classes enjoy, in a reasonable degree, the 300 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. comforts and advantages of civilized life, and are contented *ith their situation and circumstances. The duties of morality and religion are, on the whole, scrupulously practised ; and instances of crime or gross immorality are very rare. The people are, io general, intelligent, given to reading, and exert themselves to give the best education to their children. A very considerable number of young men, (many of them of humble origin,) have, daring the last fifty years, after having received a good education, left the parish in order to push their fortunes in England, or abroad, and have, by their excellent conduct and success in life, done honour to the early advantages which they enjoyed. Perhaps no teacher, in a comparatively remote parish, has educated a greater number of such enterprising and respectable persons than Mr John Arm* strong, who, a few years before his death, which took place id 1B41, retired from his situation as parochial schoolmaster, which he had filled with honour to himself and advantage to the commu- nity upwards of forty years, and whom his old scholars have ever regarded with gratitude and afiection, both for his eminent talenu and the blandness of his manners. But while so many Girtho- nians have distinguished themselves in the way to which we have referred, the parish has not, till comparatively recent times, pro- duced any who have prosecuted any of the learned profession& The writer of this account knows of only one instance in the last century, of a native of Girthon having attended a Scotch uni- versity ; but within the last thirty years, no fewer than eight per- sons, natives of the parish, (all educated by Mr Armstrong, ex- cept one,) have studied at the University of Edinburgh. Of these, two are dead, one b in the United States of America, and another is still undergoing his studies ; the remaining four are settled in life in Scotland. Poaching is very strictly prohibited by the proprietor of the pa* rish ; but when game so much abounds, it is hardly possible to eradicate so demoralizing a practice. Smuggling of tea, ardent spirits, wine, and other articles, from the Ise of Man, systemati- cally prevailed here, (as it did along the whole Galloway coast,) to a very great extent, about fifty years ago ; but such a charac- ter as a smuggler does not now exist ; though many traditions as to exploits in this way are still current. Pawnbroking has never obtained in the parish* IV. — Industry. The total number of imperial acres in the parish is 15,480 ; of GIRTHON. 801 I which the quantity cultivated may be about 4000 ; leaving the remainder, or 9480 acres, either as waste or in permanent sheep pasture. There neither is, nor ever has been^ any land in the pa- rish in a state of undivided common. The total rental of Girthon, putting a reasonable value on the house and garden of Cally, may be estimated at L.5000, making an average of about 6s. 6d. per imperial acre. The total old valuation of the parish in the cess book is L.3281, ds. 6d. Scots, or L,273, 8s. 7^d. Sterling. The average rate of grazing is, for a cow, L.*3; for a ewe or full- grown sheep) ds. The following table must be regarded as only an approximation to the truth, as the amounts are necessarily variable, to a greater or less extent, almost every year* Farms. Round fell, Orcban, Barniewater, Grobdale, Lagbead, Cuireocb, Munaycon, Carstamtnon, . Lagg, Laigh Creocb, . High Creocb, Uttle Earlay, . Barlay, Flcrog, Difdow, Cairo, Drumwallf Upper Drumwall, Townbeady Enrig, CUuieban, Girtbon Kirk, . Rainton, Boreland, Syllodocb, OiUy Mains, Cally, Sbeept ID scores. 22 66 25 25 40 60 85 none. 2 3 10 8 2 none. a 8 2 1 2 2 1 1 3 2 none. 3 12 No. of borses. N a of cattle. none. 8 2 20 I 25 2 80 4 40 5 60 5 60 2 5 2 20 4 40 3 30 3 30 3 50 1 10 4 60 4 25 3 30 2 12 3 60 4 70 3 50 2 40 5 90 4 70 2 30 6 100 5 80 Totals, . 388sooresi 84 - 1130 The duration of leases extends to nineteen years ; and the old tenants on Mr Murray's estates generally are seldom removed, the progenitors of several of the existing farmers having held lands on the estate for successive generations. The farm-buildings and inclosures in the parish are generally in a respectable and eflScient state; and the most liberal encouragement is afforded by the proprietor to his tenants. Fisheries. — The Fleet produces salmon and grilse; but the fishery is seldom let ; and, when let, only for a nominal sum. 302 K1RKCUDBRI6HTSHIRB. Manufactures. — The late James Murray, Esq. of Brou^glitoii, who, as shall soon be more particularly stated, exerted himself to make Gatehouse a flourishiDg town, was the means of introdadDg the cotton manufacture into this place in 1790 ; in which year, he held out encouragement to Messrs Birtwhistle and Sons, from Yorkshire, who erected two cotton mills, which, with ao iBterrai of nearly twenty years subsequently to 1810, have ever since bees in active operation. They have, for upwards of twelve years, been held in lease from the representatives of the original firm by Messn James Davidson and Co., who are prosecuting the business with great spirit and enterprise. The mills are driven by water drawD from Loch Whinnyan, which ran into the Dee ; but a tunnel iroiD the lake having been cut through a hill at an expense of 1m,\AW^ the waters of the lake were thereby conveyed in an opposite direct tion to Gatehouse. The number of wheels is two ; the total power is equivalent to fifty-five horse-power. The number of hands employed is above 200, of whom about a half are eigfateea years of age and upwards. The rate of wages averages 9s. a-week to each individual. The quantity of cotton cloth manufactured per annum is about. 60,000 pieces, or, as each piece consists of 24 yards, 1,440,000 yards. We regard these statements as ho- nourable to the Messrs Davidson and Co., particularly when ws reflect on the comparative difficulties under which, from their iso- lated and remote situation, they labour, both as to the purchase and carriage of the raw material, and to the disposal and sale of the manufactured article. But, by dint of energy and ingenuity, they seem to be in a condition to cope in the market with compe- titors who enjoy facilities unknown to them. . The upper mill was destroyed by fire on the morning of the 14th October 1840. The fire originated in the scutching-room, in the lowest flat, in consequence of the fanner of one of the spreading machines giving way, which, coming against its iron encasement, struck fire and ignited the loose cotton around ; and, notwithstanding every effort that could be made to arrest the pro- gress of the flames, the whole factory, with its valuable machines, including seventy-four power-looms, was, in the short space of an hour and a-half, a heap of ruins. The damage done to the build- ing is estimated at from L.900 to L.IOOO, which was only partly covered by insurance. The destruction of machinery, which was fully covered by insurance, is calculated at from L.6000 to L.7000. The mill has now been rebuilt, with various improvements. The GIRTHONi 303 new machinery, with which it is now fitted, is of the most modern and improved description ; and, altogether, the factory, which is again in operation, is in a more efficient state than it was before the conflagration took place. There is a brick manufactory about a quarter of a mile to the north of Gatehouse, belonging to Mrs Hornsby. The quantity of brick made averages about 60,000 per annum* The wages paid to the men, who vary in number at different seasons of the year, are 9s. per week. There is also a brewery carried on by Mr Andrew Kirk, in which 927 bushels of barley are manufactured into ale and beer annually. The number of men employed is three. Their wages are 10s. per week. There is also an extensive nursery belonging to Mr Credte, which has existed for nearly half a century. A tannery exists in a flourishing state on the west of the Fleet ; but as this is in the parish of Anwoth, it does not fall within our sphere. Green hides are manufactured in Gatehouse by Mr Samuel Blyth, to the ex- tent of about L.400 annually. Navigation. — Boat-Green, the port of Gatehouse, is on the Anwoth side of the Fleet ; but as it is not 300 yards from the bridge which here unites the two parishes, and as by far the prin* cipal portion of the trade is connected with this town and parish, we have thought it proper to give here the following table, con- taining an abstract of the shipping, both inward and outward, at the harbour:— Inward. Outward. Year. No. of venela. Tona. Men. Na ofvease la. Too& Men. 1837, . 75 2163 192 31 1186 99 1888, 83 1876 197 31 991 92 1839, 67 1594 160 28 913 79 First 6 months ) ^^ of 1840, . J *-* 931 102 16 395 38 V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Town. — The only village and market- town in the parish is Gatehouse of Fleet, which contains, as previously mentioned, a population of 1377. The town of Fleet, formerly alluded to, and which is supposed to have stood on the site which Gatehouse now occupies, has long disappeared, nor do any traditions respect- ing it exist in the parish. The only traces of its existence con- sists in the eight weekly markets held in successive Fridays, be- ginning on the first Friday of November, annually. Symson, who wrote in the time of Charles II., and before a stone of the present town was laid, says, ** At a place called Gatehouse of Fleet, there is a market for good fat kine kept on the Friday after the first 304 KIRKCUDBEIOHT8HIRB. Thursdayi which is after the firat Monday of November^ and so every Friday thereafter till Christmas.'' (Large Desciiptioo of Galloway, p. 26.) It is well known that, at that dale, not a bouse existed in Gatehouse except an inn ; and it mayt tlierefote, noc improperly be inferred, that the privilege which the place esgoyed of holding markets had been conferred on the town of Fleet, and that it survived though the town ceased to exist. (Gdedooia, iiL 329.) An inn, it is likely, always obtained at this spot, as it kv« on the great line of road between Dumfries and Portpatrick* The first house in the modem village of Gatehouse, in addition to the inn, was erected in 1760, under the auspices of the late Jamei Murray of Broughton; and, in order to insure the stability and prosperity of the town, the same gentleman held out the most li- beral encouragement for the introduction of manu&ctures wd other branches of industry. It was in this way that Messrs Bift- whistle were induced to settle in the place as manufacturers. Messrs Thomas Scott and Co. also erected two cotton mills, oo the oorth*east extremity of the town, which did not long exist, and, unlike the establishment of Messrs Birtwhistle, have not been revived. Mr Murray established a vrine company, a brewery, and a tannery, being all joint-stock. concerns, of which he held a nam- ber of shares himself,* along with many gentlemen of the county, and some from England, particularly Messrs Atkinson of Temple Sowerby, and Messrs Freeland, merchants in Liverpool. Tliese companies were all placed under the management of persons from England ; but they did not turn out lucrative speculations, — none of the partners taking an active interest in them, — and they were eventually dissolved.f Hence it was that numerous &milies from England were encouraged to settle in Gatehouse in connectioQ with these various works. A branch of the Union Bank of Pais« ley was introduced, and for several years carried on an extensive business, but was afterwards withdrawn. About a dozen yean ago, a branch of the Commercial Bank of Scotland was established at Gatehouse ; and, on its discontinuance two years ago, a branch of the Western Bank of Scotland was introduced. In 1795» Mr Murray erected the town into a burgh of barony, to be governed by a provost, two bailies, and four councillors, with the privilege * Mr Murray, howeveri held no shares in either of the cotton manufactories, ^ t The tannery was the most successful of these speculations ; Mr Daritts^ the ori- ginal manager, and afterwards the sole proprietor, having realiied a "'•"'Wwitt fijrtuae by the businesiL 8 6IRTH0N. 305 of holding a weekly market on Saturdays, and an annual fair on the first Monday of June. Mr Murray, who thus induced many English families to take up their residence at Gatehouse, by a deed executed in 1797, and registered in Kirkcudbright in 1799, founded an Episcopal church in the vicinity of the burgh, in order that these persons might en* joy religious worship and ordinances according to the ritual of that Church to which they belonged. With this chapel he connected an academy for the education of their children ; the erection of which buildings cost about L.3000.. These two institutions, how* ever, were not meant for the exclusive advantage of the English settlers, but were open to all who might choose to take advantage of them. Nor is this all. In executing an entail of his whole estate, Mr Murray bound his son, the present proprietor, and all the successors in the entail, to maintain these establishments for all time coming. He appointed the Rev. Matthew Vicars both minister of the chapel and rector of the academy, and prorided that the person holding the living should be a member of the Church of England, and should act both as a clergyman and as teacher of the school connected with the chapel. He allocated twenty*five and a- half acres of land, specially mentioned in the deed of entail, to Mr Vicars and hi» successors, as a glebe, and fixed a permanent stipend of L. 40 yearly. The clergyman bad also a spacious dwelling-house built for his use, possessing ample accommodation for boarders ; and the school, which was attended by many young men from a distance, soon attained to eminence. But Mr Vicars, who is now rector of All- Hallows, in the city of Exeter, left Gatehouse twenty-four years ago; since which time the establishment has remained in abeyance, and the dwelling- house and chapel have been taken down, the latter being nomi* nally attached to the mansion-house of Cally. No assistant has meanwhile been* appointed ; but upon the death of Mr Vicars, and if no successor be appointed within six months thereafter, then the Lord President of the Court of Session, the Lord Chief- Ba- ron of Exchequer, and the Lord Justice- Clerk, for the time being, shall have power to appoint a person, duly qualified, to be joint clergyman and rector, with all the privileges and emoluments be- longing to the office. The town of Gatehouse consists mainly of three streets running nearly at right angles with the river, and parallel to each other. The bridge over the Fleet is on a line with the main or front KIRKCODBHIGHT. U 306 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Street. This bridge, or rather a bridge on the same site, seems to have existed at a remote period ; perhaps at the time when the place was visited, in 1300, by Edward I. Id 1661, Richard Mur- ray of Broughton obtained an Act of the Scottish Parliament for *^ rebuilding the bridge over the Fleet at Gatehouse of Fleet, and authorizing him to levy certain tolls on all horses, cattle, and sheep passing this bridge, to reimburse him for the expense of building and upholding the same." (Act. Parl.vii. 241.) The present bridge, which consists of two ample arches, has been twice widened consider- ably ; the last time was about twenty-five years ago. A portioo (about a fifth part) of the town of Gatehouse lies on the west side of the river, in the parish of Anwoth, principally on the line of the turn- pike road ; but this, as it is situated in another parish, has oat been taken into account in this article, and the population tberetrf not included in this report. Means of Communication, — There is a post-office in Gatehouse. The only turnpike road in Girthon (that which connects Dum- fries and Portpatrick) runs through the parish from Gatehouse to Barharrow, a distance of only two miles. In order to remove this road a little farther from the mansion-house of Cally, a line was cut, in 1820, through the Gallow-Hiil, at the private expense of Mr Murray, which cost upwards of L. 3000. Two mail coaches pass through the town daily, one going to Portpatrick, the other returning from it. There are various parish roads, all of them in pretty good order ; the principal of which is the road leading from Gatehouse northward to the mineral well of Locfaenbreck and Laurieston, both in the parish of Balmaghie. Ecclesiastical State, — The parish church was situated, from the remotest date, about two miles south of Gatehouse, till 1818, when a new and substantial church, capable of containing about 800 sitters, was built at Gatehouse, on a suitable and couTenient site. The former edifice was unroofed, and now' exists as a ruin. It stands in the centre of the only burial-ground in the parish. The family of Broughton bury in a vault underneath the church. The manse was formerly situated in the immediate vicinity of the old church, but a new one was erected about fifty years ago, within less than half a-mile of Gatehouse. It has undei^rone various successive alterations and repairs, and is, on the whole^ a comfort* able building. The glebe extends to 22 acres ; its annual value may be between L.25 and L.30. The stipend, which is paid from Crown teinds, was L.66, 15s. 5d. in 1755; it is now L. 141, ISs. *2d-; GIRTHON. 307 and a sum is paid by the Exchequer to bring it up to the legal iiHDimuin of L.150. The patronage of the church and parish belonged^ of old, to the Bishop of Galloway, who is supposed to have had a residence at En* rig in the parish ; and some venerable trees there are still called the ** Palace trees." Soon after the Reformation, namely, in 1587, the patronage was transferred to the King, but was, next year, be- stowed on William Melville, commendator of Tongland, after* wards a Lord of Session, under the title of Lord Tongland, and who died in 161S.* (Murray's Lit. Hist. ofGalhway^ 2d edit, 1832, p. 23.) On the re^establishment of Episcopacy in 1606| the patronage of Girthon was anew vested in the Bishop of GaU loway, but this was not to take effect till Melville's death ; and at the Revolution it was restored to the Crown, to which it has ever since belonged, (Caledonia, iii. 330.) At the Reformation, the revenues of the parsonage and vicarage of Girthon were let to John Gordon of Kenmure, for L.118^ 6s. 8d. Scots ; but owing ** to the non-payment of the pasch fines, cors present, and umest [uppermost] claithes," the lease was re** duced. (lb.) There is at present a small ** Free Church" congregation in Gatehouse, who assemble in the Mason Lodge, having no sepa^ rate place of worship of their own. The Independents had, for thirty years, an ordained minister here ; but at his death, a few years ago, no successor was appointed. Of the fate of the Epis« copal chapel we have already spoken. The following table shows the relative proportions of the differ* ent sects of Christians in the parish, previously to the late disrup* tion. Sectflu Families. Individually * Established Church. . 373 1631 Reformed Pretbyterinn Church, 3 6 Aaodate Synod, . 7 , 34 Indepeodenta, . 12 . 31 Epiicopalians^ . I . 4 Roman Catholics, 23 . 134 Not ascertained to belong to any Christian sect, 82 Totol, . 1872 Public worship in the parish church is well attended. The number of communicants is upwards of 500* The Roman Ca* * Whether Melnlle had a residence at Enrig does not appear. The Logans (to whom we have already referred) were afterwards proprietors of Enrig, from vbost hands it passed, by pur^htsei into those of the Broughton fitmily. 308 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. tholics are visited periodically by the priest who is settled at Dal- beattie, in the parish of Urr, above twenty miles distant. The stewartry of Kirkcudbright belongs to the diocese of the Bishop, whose residence is in Edinburgh. The following is a list of the ministers of the parish of Gir- thon from the Reformation to the present time, so far as their names can now be ascertained: John Bonar, 1595-1596; Alex- ander Frizel; John M'Lellan, 1638-1655; Simeon Knox;* William Erskine, 1659-1662; Robert Moir, 1690-1693; Wil- liam Gammell, 1693-1697; Patrick Johnstoo,f 1699-1796; Robert Thomson, 1737-1758; Robert Cooper, 1759-1776; John M< Naught, (deposed,) 1778-1793; William Thorburc, (translated to Troqueer,) 1792-1801; Robert Gordon, 1801- 1817; Robert Jeffrey, (resigned,) 1818-1843; George Murray, 1843. Education. — The means of education are ample. The parish school was improved subsequently to the retirement of Mr Arm- strong, and is a large and commodious building. The schoolmas- ter's house, which is not worthy of the parish, is immediately at- tached to it, with a valuable garden immediately behind. The salary is. considerably higher than the maximum, owing to the li- berality of Mr Murray. There are four schools in addition to the parochial one, of which three are unendowed ; the fourth is a charity school, supported by Lady Anne Murray of Broughton, and in which not only education but clothes are given gratuitously. According to an official return made to Government, (Educat. Enquiry, Scotland, Pari. Paper, 1837, Vol. xlvii.) the number of pupils at the parish school was 120 ; in the non-parochial schools, 144 ; total, 264, or about the seventh of the entire population,— a proportion very unusual, and highly honourable to. the character of the parish. The proportions at the different seminaries have since considerably changed, and the aggregate number of scholars has rather increased than diminished, lliere is no need of addi- tional schools. The inhabitants of the northern district of the parish, indeed, labour under great disadvantages as to education, owing to their distance from any school. Nor is it likely that they will ever enjoy greater facilities in this respect, owing to the ex- treme thinness of population. It is not an unusual thing, how- • Son of William Knox, minister of Cockpen, and nephew of John Knox the He- former. t Great-grandfather of the present Right Honourable Sir Alexander Johnston of JDumfriesshirc. GIRTHON. 809 ^ver, for children resident in that quarter to travel three or four miles to school. Poor and Parochial Funds.: — The average number of persons re- ceiving parochial aid averages rather under 50 ; average sum allot- ted to each weekly, Is. 4d. The fund from which the disbursement is made arises from church collections, which, in 1836, was L.55, lis.; in 1837, L.55, 17s.; in 1838^ L.56, 4s. dd.; in 1839, X..58, 98.; in 1840, L.46, 10s.; in 1841, L.46, 16s.; and from a voluntary assessment of L. 168, in 1841, paid by Mr Murray of Broughton ; but these assessments necessarily vary from year to year. Poor^s rates, in the direct sense of the term, are unknown here. Savings Bank* — There is a savings bank in the parish, under the auspices of Mr Kirkpatrick. The amount invested is about sta- tionary at L.1200. There are various friendly societies. /V{i9an.^There has, for some years, been a lock-up-house at Gatehouse, meant to be used in cases of petty crimes or offences ; but it is seldom necessary to have recourse to it Fuel. — At one time, peat was the chief fuel used ; but, except in the middle and higher portions of the parish, coals, got from Whitehaven and Workington, have been all but universally pre« ferred within the last thirty or forty years. The price of coals may be about Ids. per ton of 20 cwt. Miscellaneous Observations. The state of the parish has varied, and, in most instances, has been signally improved, since the former Statistical Account was written in 1 792. There have been a new church and manse built, — the former at Gatehouse, the latter in the vicinity, both in the best situations, in the very centre of the great bulk of the popula- tion of the parish. The income of the minister, including stipend, manse, and glebe, was then estimated at L.120 ; it is now about L.200. The weekly church collections were then L.25 per an- num ; they are now upwards of twice that amount. There was then only one school in the parish ; there are now five. The po- pulation has increased 509, or from 1363 to 1872. The only turnpike road in the parish was rude and almost impracticable, running nearly in a straight line over successive hills, some of them fully 300 feet above the level of the sea. A new turnpike road was constructed about forty years ago, which is one of the best in the kingdom, approaching nearly to a level. A similar improve- ment has been effected along the whole line of road from Dum- SIO KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. fries to Portpatrick. The parish roads have also been greatly im^ proved. The people are more iDtelligent, refined, and cleanly in their habits ; their dress and food are of a higher description ; and their superstitious belief and observances have been greatly weak- ened| if not entirely eradicated, particularly in the case of the younger portion of the population. Almost every iarm-house has been rebuilt ; and instead of rude hovels of one storey, the new tenements are of two stories, and distinguished as much for com- fort and convenience, if not elegance, as the old ones were for meanness, and want of the most obvious accommodations. Houses of all kinds were, with few exceptions, thatched with straw ; nov they are almost all covered with slate. The most modem aod improved systems of husbandry, both as respects rotation of crop^ and agricultural implements, have been introduced ; and the rent of land has risen at least a third ; while the farmers are of a h^er grade, and far more comfortable in their circumstances. The &r- mer, instead of sitting in the same apartment with his servants, and eating at the same table, has now a snug parlour or dining- room appropriated to himself and femily ; takes his meals off a co- vered table ; and the horn or pewter spoon has, in most cases, given way to silver. The hodden-gray and other home-made clothes have disappeared, even in the case of servants, both male and fe- male, and their place has been supplied by broad cloths, cotton, and silks, such as would do credit to the metropolitan county of Scot- land. The only drawback to be placed in opposition to this re- presentation is the failure and disappearance of the wine conapany, tannery, and brewery, forced businesses which could not succeed, and to which we have referred under a former head. The June annual fair, and the various markets at Gatehouse, have also greatly fallen off. The Irish horses and cattle, which formed the staple articles at these marts, instead of being sent through Gal- loway, are almost all transported direct in steam-boats from Bel* fast and the other Irish towns to the leading markets in England. In 1812, for example, 20,000 horses and black-cattle were im« ported at Portpatrick from Ireland. The number in 1837 was only 1080. It is owing to this cause alone that the markets of Gatehouse, as also those of other towns in Galloway, have de* clined. Jpril 1844. PARISH OF KIRKMABRECK. PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON,* SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. JOHN MUIR, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. ^oifi^.— The parish of Kirkmabreck is formed of the old pa* rish of this oame, and the largest portion of the old parish of Kirkdale. The name of Kirkmabreck was composed, says Chal- mers, in his Caledonia, by prefixing the Saxon Cyrc to Mahreck, the previous name of the place where the kirk was built. Ma- breck, or Magh-breck, is a local name, and signifies, in the Irish speech, the variegated plain. In fact, the plain whereon the church stood, abounds with many rocks and stones of granite, which give it a speckled appearance. For the same reason, a large plain in the vicinity of Tarah, in Ireland, is supposed to take the name of Maghbreck.f Symson, however, assures us that Kirkmabreck was so called from some saint whose name was Macbreck, a part of whose statue in wood was, about thirty years before the time he wrote his His- tory of Galloway, in an old chapel at the Ferrytown. Of this statue, however, there is now no trace, and no tradition ; and we search the Martyrologies in vain for such a saint as Macbreck or Mabreck.^ The late Mr McLean of Mark, in the old Statistical Ac« count of this parish, gives a different etymology from either of the preceding. Kirkmabreck, says he, or more properly the church in the brake, is exceedingly descriptive of the place in which the church formerly stood. For, as brake signifies furze, brambles, thorns, heath, ferns, &c., so not only the particular place in which the church stood, but also many other places in the parish, are encumbered with those substances. * Kirkmabreck was at ooe time in Kirkcudbright Presbytery, but was transferred to Wigton in the year 1699. f Vid. Chal Cal. \ Sym. Hist. Gal. 312 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. The name of Kirkdale parish is deriTed from the Anglo-Saxoo Cyrc-dale — signifyiDg the churcli in the vale. The namesi therefore, of Kirkmabreck and Kirkdale faaTe evi- dently a reference to the situation or dedication of their respec* tive churches, an account of which may not here be out of place. The church of Kirkmabreck belonged to the monks of Don- drainan previous to the Reformation, and it was afterwards rested in the Kingf by an Act of General Annexation, in 1587. This church, with the other property of the monastery of Dundraioan, were granted by the King, in 1606^ to John Murray, and the grant was ratiGed in Parliament in 1609 and 1612.* In 1021, this church, with all its tithes and revenues, were, by Act of Par- liament, disjoined from the Abbey of Dundrainan, and granted to Sir Robert Gordon of Lochinvar, and his heirs.f The parish of Kirkmabreck, and the adjacent parish of Kirkdale, were afterwards annexed to the parish of Anwoth ; but this union was dissolved io 1636, .when a new and more convenient arrangement was made, whereby a small part of Kirkdale was annexed to Anwotb, and the greater part was united to Kirkmabreck. These changes were finally ratified by Parliament in 1641, and the boundaries of the parish have continued the same ever since, — though Symson says Skairbourn was the march with Anwoth in 1684. In 1645, how- ever, an Act of Parliament was passed for transplanting the church of Kirkmabreck, and a new church was built for the united parish of Kirkmabreck and Kirkdale, in a more accessible and eoovenient situation, at. what was then called the Ferry Town of Cree, where there had been of old a chapel, and where there is now a prospe- reus village, called Creetown. The ruius of the old church of Kirkmabreck may still be seen standing in the old churchyard, in a very lonely and sequestered spot, near a farm-house of the same name. The old churchyard is still used, and contains many old and curious grave-stones, some of which are the workmanship of « Old Mortality." The patronage of the old parish of Kirkmabreck belonged, in 1684, to the Laird of Rusco. The patronage of the united parish of Kirkmabreck and Kirkdale now belongs to John M^CuU loch, Esq. of Barholm, and the Crown4 • Act. Par. IV. 326, 444, 495. •f* This grant stipulated, that the grantee and his heirs should pay the minister serving the cure the same yearly stipend which Murray was obliged to pay by tb^ previous grant, and that they should furnish the communion elements, and repair the church. $ Symson*» Account of Gallowar. KIRKMABBBCK. 313 Kirkdale, — The old cbarch of this parish, which was dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, stood in the valley of a small stream which falls into Wigton Bay. Chalmers in bis Caledonia says, that even the ruins of the ancient Cyrc have disappeared. This, however, is a mistake ; the time»wom and ivy-clad ruins of thb ancient place of worship still stand in the midst of the old cemetery of Kirkdale ; and what was once a sanctuary for the living, has now become the sepulchre of the dead. Indeed it has long been the burying-place of the ancient family of the M*CuU lochs of Barholm, and, so late as the year 1836, the remains of the most estimable and deeply-lamented lady of the present Mr M^CuUoch of Barholm were buried there. The Kirkdale church- yard is also still preserved as the burying-^place of some •f the oldest families in the parish. The Hannays of Kirkdale and Mochrum have here their iamily vault, which is handsomely and substantially built of granite. The churchyard itself is of small dimensions, and has been originally surrounded, but is now com* pletely overshadowed with trees. It is impossible to conceive a more lonely spot. The situation is solitude itself, — remote — ro- mantic — placed in a dreary vale, in the bosom of a wood sur- rounded by hills — within sight of the troubled ocean, and within hearing of the ceaseless wailings of the stream. Nothing can surpass the solemnity of the scene. In entering the churchyard, the living feel as already in communion with the dead^ and behold, in the most striking manner, ^' How still and peaceful is the grave.'' The church of Kirkdale belonged to the King in the reign of James IV., who transferred it to the priory of Whithorn. It ap- pears that, in July 1505, the King presented Mr Richard Aiken- head to the rectory of Kirkdale, vacant by the decease of Sir Robert Fard.* In November 1508, Henry, the prior of Candi- da Casa, obtained a charter from James IV. of the church of Kirkdale. This charter was granted at the priory, while the King was on a pilgrimage to the ancient seat of St Ninians.t With this priory this church remained till the Reformation, when it was vested in the King by the General Act of Annexation in 1587* At the Reformation, the tithed of Kirkdale were let by the prior and canons for L.24 Scots yearly. % When James VL re-established Episcopacy, he granted, in 1606, to the Bishop of * Pritr. Seal Reg. iii. 10. t ^^K* M>g* Si& C' x^* 78. $ MS. Rental Book, fo. 75. 814 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Galloway, the priory of Whithorn with its pertinents, of which this church was one.* But when Episcopacy was Bnaily abo* lished in 168&, the patronage of Kirkdale reverted to the Crowo, — and the Sovereign, as patron of this church, enjoys a moiety of the patronage of the united parish with M'CuUoch of BarhoInLf Extent and Boundaries, — The united parish of Kirkmabreci and Kirkdale is of an irregular shape, and is about 9 miles loqg, and 5^ miles broad. It is bounded on the north by Minni^; on the east, by Girthon ; on the south, by Anwoth ; and oo Hhe west, by the Cree and Wigton Bay. Topographical Appearances. — The general aspect of the parisli is mountainous, and may be said to be formed of a succession d hills and valleys ; and the ridges of mountains, which rise rapidly from the shore and intersect the parish^ have a very picturesque effect, particularly from Wigtonshire. The hills are in general covered with heath, and present a variegated appearance ; and tbe sloping banks of Kirkdale and Cassencarrie are covered for mQe with beautiful copsewood, which at all times, but especially i> autumn, gives a singular richness to the whole landscape. Mountains. — The principal mountains in this parish are the Glints of Drumore, Craig, Pebble, Cairnharrow, Larg. Thee are all from 800 to 1000 feet above the level of the sea, ai>d are principally composed of granite, greywacke, and clay-slate, and are partially covered with heath. A part of Cairnsmore b ako in this parish. It is the largest as well as the highest of all the mountains in this neighbourhood, and was found by the civil*^ gineers employed by Government many years ago, to be 22*22 feet above the level of the sea. It is wholly of granite, and par- tially covered with heath, and, at a little distance, it has a singu- larly gray and sparkling appearance. There is a plain of consi- derable extent upon its summit, with less heath and more soil and herbage than upon its sides. The top of Cairnsmore commands a most extensive view of many of the counties of Scotland, and .of the Isle of Man, Ailsa Craig, and a part of England and Ireland. Surface and Soil — The surface upon the hills is thin and much broken by projecting rocks. The valleys, again, are green, with a better soil, and have been considerably improved by shelling) and now yield good crops of grain and pasture. The land upon * Act. Par. V. 72. f Chalm. Cal. Vol. Ui. 383. KIRKMABRECK. 315 the Cree, and along the shore the whole length of the parish^ is in general very good. Some table-land very superior. The soil is in some places alluvial, but is in general light ; and there are several fields along the shore covered entirely with shells to a considerable depth. The shells, however, are in such a state of decomposition, that the fields have been long under tillage ; and in the north end of the parish, there is a considerable field of moss at Carsewalloch and M uirfad. Cavesj Cdvemsy and Fissures. — There are several of these along this coast Some of them are very curious, especially op- posite Ravens Hall. They are frequently visited by strangers, and are well worthy of inspection. They seem to have been formed by the ebbing and flowing of the tide, and are of very considerable extent. In some places the sea has forced a pas- sage through the rocks, and at other places it has cloven them like the granitic rocks of Hillswick Ness. There is one very re- markable cave, but being of difficult access, it is seldom visited* Its mouth is like a pit of two fathoms deep, at the bottom of which the cave diverges almost at right angles, and penetrates the rocks towards the north to a considerable distance. It is said that no person has yet explored it to the end. Tradition has claimed this as the cave of Dirk Hatterick ; and the supposition is strengthened by the legends of the parish, and the striking likeness of our coast scenery to the graphic delineations of Guy Mannering. An old tower, not far from this cave, is pointed out as ** Ellangowan Castle," — a curious ravine, as ** Meg Merrilees' Path," — and a mansion on the Cree, as " Woodburn House." • There is a remarkable fissure in the Knock Down of Carsluth. The hill appears to have been split by violence at some remote period. The opposite sides of the ravine are very like, and ap- pear to fit into each other with remarkable precision* Ck>ast. — The coast is about six miles in extent, and is in ge- neral flat, sandy, and shelly. The Kirkdale shore is rocky, bold, high, and precipitous. Meteorology. — Amongst the various prognostics of the weather spoken of in this parish, may be mentioned the peculiar and dis- tant noise of the rising tide, and the flocking of sea-fowl to the * The author is aware that this booour has been claimed for other parts of Gal- loway, but, it is presumed, with leas appearance of prot>ability, especially as the Bay of Wigton is referred to in Guy Mannering itself. 810 RIRKCUDBBIGHTSHIRB. ahore^ — the signs which Virgil so well describes. * These are regarded by many as indications of a change of weather ; and when the foam is floating plentifully upon the rising tide, or wheo the shadows of the trees and houses on the opposite side of the bay are reflected in the sands, these are regarded by sonde as no- Ter*failing signs of approaching rain ; and if, at the same time, the smoke of Wigton is hanging over this town or desoendiog to- wards the bay, it is affirmed that rain is at hand. The barometer generally ranges between 28^ and 90^ inches. By the thermometer, the mean temperature for the year may be about 47^. The prevailing winds are from the south and south-west, and our severest storms of rain and snow are from the south or south-east Climate. — The climate may be considered healthy from the number of old people generally to be found in the parish. The air upon the whole is pure and dry, although for a few years the seasons have been cold and wet. The rain, even when it falls io considerable quantities, is carried off rapidly, and the lands and roads are soon left dry. The diseases most prevalent are catarrh, pleuritis, and rheumatism. From the old Statistical Account it appears that small-pox had prevailed very much at one time io this parish, which was attributed to the prejudice of parents against vaccination. This prejudice has disappeared, although some parents still neglect to get their children vaccinated, which is a most hazardous and culpable omission. In the spring of 183€^ small-pox prevailed in Creetown to a considerable extent. Six adults died who had never been vaccinated ; but those who had, either escaped the disease altogether, or soon recovered from it. Hydrography. — The Bay of Wigton, which forms the western boundary of the parish, may be, in some places, about six miles iride, and nine miles long. By the ebbing of the tide^ it is left nearly dry, and presents a large and smooth surface of sand, intersected by the Cree and Bladenoch. By the flowing of the tide, which oc- casionally rises 22 feet above the level of the river, the whole bay is one beautiful and unbroken sheet of water; and io calm weather, the hills around, and the Heavens above, and the ves- sels upon its surface, are reflected as in a mirror. * " Cum medio celsras revolant ex cquoro mergi, Clamoremque ferunt ad Uttora ; cumqne marins Id aicco ludunt fulicse, notasque pa]udes Deserit, atque alkam supra volat ardea nubem.** ■ ** e pastu decedens," &c. " Ccrtatim largos humeris,'* &c. KIRKMABRECK. 817 The current is considerable, both in the ebbing and flowing of the tide. Rit)er$. — The Cree is the only river connected with this parish. It is said to rise out of Loch-moan, where the three counties* meet, and for miles it forms not only the boundaries of Penninghame and Minnigaff, but also of the two counties, Wigton and Kirkcud* bright, and Bnally falls into the Solway, after a course of about twenty-eight miles. From Newton* Stewart to Creetown, its course is singularly eccentric and serpentine,-*and, as seen from Larg hill, it gives a charm to the whole landscape. It is navi-* gable for small vessels to Carty. A poem, lately published, under the title of ** The Rivers of Gralloway," has made honourable men- tion of the Cree. Springs. — Chalybeate springs are found in many parts of the parish, especially at Muirfad, Cuil, Falbae, Pibble, Ferryburn, Blackmire,-(- &c. The one at Pibble is particularly powerful, and is occasionally frequented by invalids with much advantage. These waters have, perhaps, never been carefully analyzed, although the presence of iron, magnesia, and sulphur, may be easily detected. Geology and Mineralogy, — The lower district of the parish is elay*slate or schist of a recent formation. All the different forma- tions of clay-slate are to be found in che parish. On some of the hills the fleets trap and greywacke supersede the clay-slate^ and on others the gneiss formation, particularly on the south end of Cairns- more. Traces of the whin dike are also found in different places; and the strata that form the basis of all our mountains or hills is granite or syenite. Geologists contend that granite is never stra- tified. Galloway granite, however, is frequently found stratified; and in this parish the stratification is most distinct. When the granite is found in beds, it is perpendicular. In a troubled state, it has considerable dip, and scarcely any appearance of stratifica- tion. In the quarry, the strata vary in thickness from six inches to five feet ;| and as they appear on the surface, they generally re- tain the same thickness below. This feet may be of great use in searching for granite of any particular dimensions ; because, if the tops are bad, as the quarry-men say, it is of no use to seek for good stuff below.§ * Ayr, Wigton, aod Kirkcudbright. t SymsOD faysy ** Near the old kirk of Kirkinabreck there is a well which, at I am infbrmed, proceedb from vitriol.** X Some strata have lately been found in the quarry much thicker. § Rhind says, in bii Oiteehism of the Natural History of the Eartbi that granite 318 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. The alluvial deposits covering the solid rocks of granite are principally gravel and boulders, which are dispersed over the pa* risb ID great numbers. This quarry is worthy of the inspection of geologists. Liead has been discovered in different parts of the parish, par- ticularly at Blair-wood, DrutDore, Glen, and Mark; and fine specimens of pure galena have been found in Monnipool. A copper mine was opened lately at Craigneuk, but did not succeed. Appearances of copper are also occasionally to be found in the quarry. Zoology. — There are no rare species of animals to be found at present in the parish ; but, from organic remains, of a peculiar formation and great size, occasionally found in the Cree, as well as from antlers of very large dimensions, there can be uo doubt that animals of different kinds formerly existed in this district, which have long ago disappeared. In 1684, Symson says, that the fanners of Galloway did not kill any of their calves ; and veal was only seen at the tables of a few gentlemen. And as their wealth consisted chiefly in cattle, they thought it very ill husbandry to sell for a shiUing what b three years would bring them twenty shillinys. The price of Gal« loway cattle has risen very much since Symson's time. In 1794, the three-year-olds sold at L.7 ; and, in 1807, at L.10. In 1814, two-year-olds were as high as L.10, and three-year-olds, L.14 And in 1839, prices were, in some cases, even higher. Of cooise, in the interval of these dates, many changes have taken place^ and prices have been occasionally very low. This parish cannot, perhaps, claim any pre-eminence in the breed- ing of cattle, although some of the farmers have excellent stocks of pure " Galloways." There are also some good Ayrshire cows, which have of late been increasing. At Cassencarrie, Muir£ad, and Glen, there are now pretty extensive dairies, conducted upon the Ayrshire plan. There are a few cattle in the parish of a mixed breed, consist- ing of crosses between the Ayrshire, Galloway, and Irish. Mr McLean estimated that there would be 1600 black cattle in the parish in 1794. This number could not even now be well wintered, but many more might be grazed in summer. The native sheep of Galloway was a small handsome white-fabed '* is liable to be acted upon by the atmosphere, and does not withstand the dements •o well as the softer and more .manageable sandstone.*' It is the rerj rererte vith Galloway granite. KIRKMABRECK 819 breed with very fine wool. It was compared by Lithgow the tra* veller, who walked oyer this country in 1628» to that of Spain. This breed has long ago disajgpeared. The hills are now stocked with smaJl Madi-Taced sheep; and Chalmers, 4Th4iis Caledonia,* states that it has not been ascertained whence this hardy ^^veed came. It is the practice here to keep what is called a running stock, which is sold in regular rotation. Perhaps a well-selected ewe stock would be an improvement, with a little more attention to horns and wool. It was estimated that, in 1794, there were 7500 black»&ced and 300 white-faced sheep in the parish. There are now fewer black-faced and more white*faced ; of the formed there may be about 7000, and of the latter 800. The horses of Galloway are as celebrated as its sheep. They are undoubtedly the descendants of the native breed, whatever may be said of the Spanish Armada having left upon the Gal- loway shore some sheep and horses when the Spanish ships were wrecked. Camden, who published his Britannia in 1586, describes the Galloway horses by their good qualities, be« fore the Armada was heard of. And Galloway horses were well known in Shakspeare's days, who makes Pistol exclaim when insulted by Doll, " Know we not Galloway naggs." Lithgow, who had visited many countries, says, in 1628, that Galloway abounds with little horses, which for mettle and riding may rather be termed bastard barbs. These useful horses continued to be exported from Galloway in great numbers in 1684. This admi- rable breed has by neglect been allowed to degenerate, and it is difficult now to find a genuine Galloway pony. It would scarcely be safe to state, that there is one of the pure breed in this parish. There are, however, some excellent draught horses, particularly at Spittal, Cuil, the Quarry, &c. ; and Mr M^Culloch of Bar- holm has long been in the habit of breeding ponies of a small size and very handsome, which, for mettle, may be as good as those of which Lithgow wrote. The young horses bred in the parish are generally bought up by the dealers for the Glasgow market ; and the demand for horses of a large size has induced the farmers to pay more attention to bulk than beauty. This is much to be re- gretted, because the pasture in general is not fit to rear horses of a large size ; and besides, a horse of fifteen hands, of good pro- portions, is much more useful for all the purposes of husbandry in this part of the country. In 1794 it was estimated there were * Chalm. Cal. Vol. iii. 289. 320 RIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. 200 horses in the parish. There may now be 300, all ages in- cluded. Swine undoubtedly once ran wild in the woodlands of Grallowaj, and many were reared in this district durin^^ the middle ages. Of this there are many intimations in the charters of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Swine were even paid as can to tbe King from Galloway.* This practice has of course been long ago abo- lished, but Galloway still maintains its reputation for breediog swine. In this parish there are a great many reared for the New- ton-Stewart, Castle- Douglas, and Dumfries markets. Some of the old residenters still retain the wild breed, but in general those of a larger size are reared. Those from twelve to eigiiteen stom are found to take the market best, and will bring at present 5& per stone of 14 pounds. In the old Statistical Account it is estimated that there were^ in 1794, 500 goats in the parish. There is now not half that number, although there are still a few upon Drumore, Larg, &c ; and in Creetown a few families keep them for the sake of Uieir milk, which is both wholesome and nutritious. Ichthyology. — The prejudices of the Celtic people did not al- low them to apply to the waters for their subsistence from fishery, aird neither in Ireland nor in Galloway have the inhabitants ever profited as much as they might have done, from the fish which abound upon their shores and in their rivers. Yet Camden speaks at the beginning of the seventeenth century, as if tbe Gal- loway men practised the art of catching fish in the sea, as well as in the lakes and rivulets, and he specifies the incredible number of eels which they took in their creels.-f- Yet, says Chalmers, no professed fishers have ever settled along the shores of the Solway. The fishing of tbe Stewartry in the sea has been carried on hi- therto in a desultory manner. There is now a considerable change for the better in this respect Deep sea fishing is practised upon our shores, and it is hoped that the success which has at- tended the experiments which have been recently made at Kirk- dale, &c. will stimulate both proprietors and tacksmen to still greater exertion to procure for the use of man a much larger share of the treasures of the deep. There is a great variety of fish in the Bay of Wiglon and in the Cree. The following is a list of those known to and found by the fishermen, viz. salmon, sea trout, herling, cod, herring, spur- • Chalincis's Caledonia. f Brit. Ed. 1 607, pngc 692. 6 KlRKMABUBCit. SHI lings, soles, flounders, (plaice and dab,) gray and red gurnard, tur- bot, mackerel, sturgeon, chad, blockan brain, John Dorey, skate, conger, sea devil, jackalator or ink fish, lamprey eel, silver or horn eel, whiting, mullet, porpoises, hen or lump fish, shrimps, lobsters, crabs, oysters, mussels, cockles, periwinkles, sprats, lim- pets. There was even a young whale killed opposite Sutor Croft with an axe, about thirty years ago* The fresh water fish are trout, par, and eel. Some of the fish •mentioned in this list are scarce in the bay ; fortunately, however, those most useful are in greatest abundance ; such as salmon, sea trout, spurling, flounders, &c« These abound in the bay and in the Cree, and are caught in great quantities in their proper sea- sons ; and a great proportion of the salmon and spurling are sent to Carlisle, Liverpool, and Manchester. The spurling is so highly prized in Liverpool and Manchester that the fishermen now receive Is. per pound for all they can send, instead of 4d., the price formerly obtained in this district. This roust now be a con- siderable source of gain to the fishermen, as spurlings can be ob- tained almost at any season of the year, although they are in ge- neral most abundant in March. The salmon fishing season opens here on the 1st January and closes on the 25th September. Conchohgy. — There is a great abundance, and a considerable variety of shells upon the coast. Upon the beach from Creetown to Carsluth, there is an immense number of univalves and bi- valves. From Carsluth to Ravenshall there is found among the rugged rocks another description of shells, principally of the class univalves, but of different orders and families. What is perhaps of greater practical importance to notice under this head, is the vast quantities of shells that have been found upon the shore arid neighbouring fields. The holms.of Cassencarrie, the low lands of the glebe, and Kirkbride and Kirkdale, were at one time covered with shells from four to ten feet deep ; and as these must have been thrown out and left by the tide, it is evident that the tide must at one time have risen at least fifteen feet higher upon this^coast than it has done for many years. The old Statistical Account takes particular notice of these shell banks for agricultural purposes, in the following terms : The principal manure used for improving land is dea-shells, of which there is an almost inexhaustible quantity, not only within the high water mark on this side of Wigton Bay, but also in the dry land, several hundred yards from the shore, particularly in the holms of KIRKCUDBllIGHT. X S22 KIRKCUDBftlOHTSBIRB. Casaenoarrie} where the j are in beds from (our to tea feet of the fioeat shells imaginable} without almost any mixture of sapd. These sbelb are generally sold by the agents of Mr M^Kenzte at 5d. per toii» 25 tons of which are suflBcient for an acre of land, and prove a cheap and excellent manure to this part of the country, and are considered much preferable to either lime or mark Bui the ad- vantages of this valuable treasure of shells is not confined to this part of the country alone, but extends round fifty or sixty miles of a coast as far as the Mull of Galloway^ where they are sold as high as 3si 6d« per too. Many thousand tons of these shells are carried off annually by a number of vessels from twenty to sixt? tons burthen, which are constantly employedi when the weigher wiB permitf in carrying them all round the coasi, and somettmes eves to the Isle of Man, These shells have been used with great ad- vantage for the improvement of barren heathy land, in so moek that many hundreds of acres in this parish originally not woitk more than 2s. per acre, have been made worth from Ids. to 15» l)er acre. These shell-banks, deemed at one time inexhaustible^ have beet greatly reduced. There is still a considerable quantity renaainii^ which might be profitaUy employed in reclaiming the waste land of the parish. The farmers do not seem to appreciate this trea- sure suflSciently, as shells are now but seldom used as a manure. Botany* — In this parish, there is much to interest the botanist Plants, indigenous to some of the highest mountains in Scotland, to some of the richest glens, and also to the sea coast, are to be found in considerable abundance. The maritime plants are prk^ cipally found on the south coast,^and are such as the following: — Seilta vema (two or three var.), Atier JVipMumj StMcio aanMt- nieus^ Inula eriAMoubi, Iris Pieud^Acanu^ BahyAiam Lumaria (very rare). Those found in sheltered glens or well-cultivated districts ars, Evpatarium eamuMnmm^ Galanthus nivalU (in greatest abundance), OrnMopabtm /trfttiiR, CantsaUaria mafalis^ C* muUifiora. There is a high and steep bank, stretching from the village of Creetown, a considerable way beyond the nuinse, literally studded with plants of this description. In the month of April, this bank is covered with one dense sheet of white, consisting of Aa a me m nemoroia and Oxalis AcetoMeUof which give way to all the beauti- ful varieties of HyaeinthuM non^tayttw* At the bottom of this bank, there is a very considerable number of ihe family Orchideae, XIRKMABBECK. 323 such as Orchis maculatoy O. latifolia^ Gymnadenia ccmop$ea. Ha- benaria bifolia^ H. viridU. The alpine plants, which are by far the most oumerousy em- brace several species of the genera Sedum and Saxifraga^ parti- cularly Saxifraga oppositifolia ; all the native heaths — Calluna vulgaris^ Erica TetraKx^ E. ciliaris, as well as Vaccinium Oxy^ coceos. There is a very great variety of the class Cryptogamia, mosses, lichens, and particularly ferns, growing in richest luxuriance on the mountainous districts of this parish, and some even of the rarer kinds. Behind the manse there are beautiful specimens of Poly" podium wdgare^ P. PhegopteriSf Scolopendrium vulgare* And on the old church, and wall round the old church, there, are^ Asple^ nium Ruta-'murariay A. Jdiantum'Tiigrunu Forests or P/on/aAoitj.— There are considerable forests of na- tural wood in this parish, especially upon the banks of Kirkdale and Cassencarrie. These forests extend for several miles, and are principally composed of oak and ash, and are cut down at the end of every twenty- five or thirty years. At Cassencarrie there is a row of fine old sycamores ; and, at the south end of the house, there is a cedar of Lebanon of a large size. There are a few fine old oak trees at Kirkbride ; but these, although of a large size, are small when compared with some that have been found in the Cree. Mr M^CuUoch of Barholm raised one from the bed of the river, a few years ago, which measured about 5 feet in diameter, and about 50 feet in length, and which he sold to Mr Younghusbaud of Whitehaven, for ship-building, at L.25. It is supposed that there are some even larger than this in the river ; but, from the difficulty of raising them, they have hitherto been left undisturbed. At what period these immense trees had grown, or when they were swept into the river, cannot now be known. It must have been, however, at some very remote period. And it is difficult to account for their size, seeing there is now nothing approaching their dimensions growing in the neighbourhood. II. — Civil History. /jam^-otonem.— 'There are twelve heritors or proprietors of land in the parish. The principal are, Miss Hannay of Mochrum and Kirkdale ; John M^Culloch, Esq. of Barholm ; Sir John W. P. Muir M*Kenzie, Bart of Delvine ; Colonel M«Dowal of Logan ; David Anderson, Esq. of St Germains ; Thomas Hughan, Esq. of Airds ; Henry M^Culloch, Esq. of Glenquicken, 324 KIRKCDDBUIGHTSillUE. &c«; Sir David Maxwell, Bart, of Cardoness; James M. M*Cut- loch, Esq. of Ardwell. ^a/uah'on.— ^The ancient valuation of the parish, as it stands in the cess-books of the county, is L.3199, lOs. 8d. Scots- Present valuation of the parish, L.d2l2, 10s. Sterling. The following list shows the valuation of each property, and the names of the respective proprietors : — Property. Valoation. ProprielonL Kirkdale, - - - L.937 10 Miti Hannay. Barbolm, . - - 547 1 I John M'Culloch, Em. Caswnearrie, - - 411 18 7 Sir J. W. P.M. M«Kenne,B>it Glenqutcken, - - d20 Henry M*CuIIoch, Esq. Glen* and Mark, - 270 D. Anderson, Esq St Gcrmairi. Caraewallocb, Blaira, and Muirftd, 230 Colonel M^Dowalof Logan. Falbae, Kilchroncbie, and Kirkbride, 203 12 2 Tbomas Hughan, Esq. of AinJi. Pibbitt and Craignenk,* - 100 Trustees of Mark. Drumore and Little CuUendoch, 82 Sir David Maawell, Bart. Caimholy, - - 75 Js. M'CulIocb, Esq. of Ardwdl Holm Park, > • 20 8 2 Miss Kinnon. Garrocbar, • 15 Mrs Major CainpbelL L.3212 10 Stipend payable by the Heritors of Kirkmabreck. — 1. Barfaoiia pays in money, L.d, 1 Is. iO^d. yearly ; in meal, 25 bolls, 2 stone% and 4x*0 lbs.; in barley, 18 quarters, 3 bushels, 2. Cassencarrie pays in money, L.1, 9s. ll^d. yearly; in meal, 21 bolls, 2 stones, b^xi Ihs.; in barley, 15 quarters, 8 bushels^ 2 pecks, 1 gallon, 3} quarts. 8. Glens, in meal, 13 bolls, 2 stones, 12iV lbs. ; in barley, 9 quarters, 5 bushels, 1 peck, I gallon, | quart. Mark pays in money, 168. 6d. 4. Kirkbride pays in money, L.23^ 2s. I Id. yearly. Falbae and Kilchronie, in meal, 9 bolls, 5^ lbs. ; in barley, 6 quarters, 4 bushels, 2 pecks, 1 gallon, ^ quart 5. Pibble pays in money, L.2, 10s* yearly. Craigneuk, in meat, 1 boll, 7 stones, 10^ lbs.; in barley, 1 quarter, 2 bushels, 1 peck, 3^ quarts. 6. Carsewalloch, Blairs, and Muirfad pay in money, 1^1, 9s. 4Jd.^ yearly ; in meal, 8 bolls, 3iV lbs. ; in barley, 5 quarters, 6 bushels, 2 pecks, 1 gallon, 3^ quarts* 7. Kirkdale pays in money, L.26, Is. 7id. yearly ; in meal, 1 boll, 8 stones ; in barley, 1 quarter, 2 bushels, 6 pecks, 1 gallon, d^ quarts. 6. Holm Park pays in meal, 2 bolls, 8 stones, 6fb lbs. ; in bar- ley, 2 quarters, 2 pecks, 2 quarts. • Cnigneuk baa lately been sold^ conaequently tbere will now be 13 heritora. 4 KIRKMABRECK, 325 9. GlenquickeD pays in money, L.24, I3s. yearly. 10. Garrochar pays in money, L.14 yearly. 1 1. Ardwell pays jn money, L.2, 4s. 5^d. yearly. 12. Drumore, &c. pays in money, L.4, 7s« Tj^d* yearly. In 1794, the real rental of the parish was estimated at L.2750 Sterling. The present rental may be estimated at about L.5450. Parochial Reff liters. — There are three volumes of parish registers. The first volume embraces the time that elapsed between 1703 and 1792. From 1703 to 1739, they have been kept with great regula- rity ; from 1740 to 1756, no entry whatever; 1756 to 1792, kept im- perfectly. Some of the intermediate years have no entry, others only one ; but towards the middle, and onwards to about the end of the above period, they were kept with great regularity. These records are almost solely confined to sessional matters, consisting of dry but succinct details, with little that is interesting to relieve the outline. The following, however, may be cited as a fine instance of the at- tachment which existed to pur national church at the time the cir- cumstance alluded to took place, and which, as the spirit that prompted the gift is now unfortunately somewhat antiquated, w^ present in its antiquated dress. ^* Kirk-session of Kirkmabreek, holden within the church yrof upon the 29th of July 1707, be the minister and eldership then present. The whilk day, William Muir in Peble, hath delivered to Mr Samuel Brown, minister and eldership forsd under-subs.| ane silver cup with this inscriptione yron, (Gifted to the parish of Kilmabreck, by William Muir in Feble, and Janet M^Bryd, his spous, 1707.) And yt for the use of sd church during Presbetry^ as now by law established, and no longer. And the said William Muir heirby appointing the sd Mr Samueli, gif, in his time or any other, his successors in the sd church, being PresbiterianS| with consent of the eldership that may happen to be for the tyme, that in case of any revolutione and alteratione of the present church government, (which God forbid,) to secure the sd cup, and pre- serve the same till the government return Presbiterian again. And this the sd William Muir desires to be recorded in the session books of the said church, ad futuram rei memoriam ; and yt the forsd gift may not be made use of or disposed upon oyrwayes then is above appointed and designed by the gifters. Whilke gift the minister and elders have accepted in the terms gifted, and grants the desire of the gifter. And in testimony of the hail premises, the said William Muir, minister and elders, have all subscribed thir presents.". 326 KIRRCDDBRI0HT8HIRE. The second volume of the parish register commenced with May IdSSy and is carried on with great regularity till May 1834, — though in one instance it is rather mutilated. The third volume begins June 1834| and is carried on to the present date with great regularity, Emmeni Charaeters.^^The history of this parish is reodered more interesting by being connected with the names of a few emi- nent men, both in ancient and modem times, Gilbert BrowD» the last abbot of Sweatheart, was descended of the ancieot family of Carsluth, in this parish, now extinct* He had a seat in that Parliament by which the Confession of Faith was passed.f The celebrity of Gilbert Brown originated in die controversy between him and the famous John Welsh of Ayr, oa the subject of Popery. A communication from Welsh, to a per* son of the Catholic religion, the object of which was to under- mine the principles of that faiths having fiiUen into the hands of Brown, he immediately composed what he regarded as a refuta- tion of it, addressed to Welsh. Welsh was not tardy in makii^ a reply, which, while it is extremely satisfactory and conclusive^ forms one of the most learned and elaborate works written in that age. Nor was Brown without his share of talent; and his erudite treatise, (if a few pages can deserve that name,) is as superior to the works of any of his Catholic brethren of that period, as it is inferior in every useful quality to the elaborate production of Welsh. Welsh wished for a verbal and public disputation on the points at issue, hot this Brown, for his own good name, bad the caution and pnidence to decline. Brown, a rigid and inflexible Catholic, was, says Dr M'Crie, '*a busj trafficker for Rome and Spain, and, a chief instrument of keeping the south of Scotland under ignorance and superstition."! Accordingly the Commissioners of the Assembly, in a list of griev- ances, which, in 1596, they submitted to the King, stated anaong other things, ** that Jesuits and excommunicated Papists were en- tertained within the country.'' Gilbert Brown of New Abbey was specially mentioned, and recommended to be apprehended, and brought before his Majesty for his errors. This recommen- dation, however, was not attended with immediate success ; but, nine years afterwards, he was apprehended by Lord Cranstoun, * This ancient family became extinct about 100 yean aga* Over the annorial bearings above the door of Carsluth, 1364 appears, probably to mark tbe antiquity of the ftmily, — and under them 1581 stands, probably to mark the age of tbe build- ing. t Keith's Cal. 260. f M'Crie's Life of Melville. K1BKMABRBCK. 827 captain of the guard appointed for the Borders, — though not without some difficulty, as the people attempted to rescue him out of bis hands.* He was first confined in Blackness, and thence, in a few days, conveyed to the castle of Edinburgh. More kindness was shown by the King to hkn than to his amiable and ingenious opponent ; for after having been liberally entertained, while in confiaement) at the public expense, he was permitted to leave the kingdom ; all the apparatus and insignia of Popery belonging to him having been carefully restored before his departure. He died in France in 16l2.t This parish also contained, in the days of persecution, some who were counted worthy and were found willing to suffer for Christ's sake. Of these, the names of Major M^Culloch of Barholm, and the Rev. Patrick Peacock of Kirkmabreck, ought to be held in grateful re- membrance. Mi^or M^Culloch, who had been fined L.800 by Mid- dleton's Parliament in 1662, for his non-conformity, suffered mar- tyrdom at Edinburgh on the 7th of December 1666, for being pre- sent at the battle of Pentland, where he was taken prisoner ; and the Privy Council ordained his head and right band to be cut off ; the former to be stuck up on the market-cross of Kirkcudbright,— the latter, on that of Ayr or Lanark, because it was there the Cove- nant was renewed with uplifted hands. Major M'CuIloch suffered much before the insurrection. Soldiers wei^ quartered on him thirty days at a time, which he had not only to keep, but to pay ; and, after his execution, his son was seized and imprisoned for a whole year. The Barholm estate was forfeited, and con- tinued under forfeiture till the Revolution. In the same year, { 1666,) '* some few fiunilies'' in Kirkmabreck were fined in the aggregate sum of L.568, 68. Scots. Mr Peacock, minister of the parish, was ejected, along with nearly a third of the Presbyte- rian ministers, from his living, in 1662. He was afterwards or- dered to be confined within the parish of Ochiltree in Ayrshire. He subsequently took refoge in the north of Ireland, but return- ed to Kirkmabreck at the Revolution in 1689, and continued mi- nister of the parish till his death in 1Q91.J The famous Samuel Rutherford officiated frequently in this pa- rish during his incumbency at Anwotfa« He was settled in An- woth in 1627. Till this date, Anwoth, Kirkdale, and Kirkma- breck had been as one parish* Indeed, if the authorities I have • Caldenrood^t Hitt. App. 820-496. t Dr Murraj'i Ltteraiy History of Otllovay, 90. t WodTow, i. 927, tl 10, 99, iQ. 928 KIRKCUDBRiaHT8H1llB. consulted, and which I have already quoted, be correct, ibis unioa was not dissolved till 1636, and not ratiBed by Parliameot till 1641. In this case, Anwoth could only have been a separate pa* rish quoad sacral during Rutherford's incumbency, — and most still have been a part o( Kirkdale and Kirkmabreck quoad citnUa. The Rev. William Dalgleish was minister of the united parish of Kirkmabreck, Kirkdale, and Anwoth, till the appointment of Ru- therford to Anwoth ; — ^afterwards he continued minister of Kirk- mabreck and Kirkdale till 1635, when he was deprived of bis liv- ing by the bishop of the diocese. In 1637, he ventured to return to his flock, as Episcopacy began in that year to totter ; and in 1638, he was a member of the famous General Assembly of Glasgow, as minister of Kirkmabreck. In 1639, he was translated to Cramood, near Edinburgh ; but was deposed for non-conformity in 1662. He continued, under all circumstances, the friend and correspon- dent of Rutherford.* In November 1686, Renwick received in this parish the femous protestation of Machutchison and others. And it is a singular fact, which I state on the authority of the present Mr M^Culloch of Barholm, that John Knox bad hii hiding-place in the old tower of Barholm for some time pre- vious to his escape to the continent. This circumstance Mr M^Culloch learned from an old man of the naoae of Andrew Hughan, who was running footman to Mr M^CuUoch's great great grandfather, and who said that he recollected John Knox's signa- ture on the wall of the small arched apartment or bed-room at the head of the staircase. This parish has also the honour of being the birth-place and burial-place of Dr Thomas Brown, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh. This distinguished itidividual was born in the old part of the present manse on the 9th January 1778. His father and grandfather were ministers of this parish. His grandfather was proprietor of Barharrow, and was married to a daughter of Murdoch of Cumloddan, a family that had been in possession of that estate from the time of Robert Bruce. His father was married to a daughter of John Smith, Esq. of the Cus- toms, Wigtown ; and his grandmother, Mrs Smith, was a daughter of a younger son of M^Dowal of Logan and of Miss Hamilton of Dalziel. f Dr Brown was the youngest pf thirteen children. His father * Dr Murray*8 Life of Samuel Rutherford, p. 84. t Or Murray*^ Literary History of palloiray. KIRKMABRECK. 329 ilied about eighteen months after be was born ; but his mother survived her husband nearly forty years, and had the happiness of seeing her son attain to honour and favour. She did not leave the manse till about a year after her widowhood, when she re- moved with her family to Edinburgh, where she .continued to re- side. Thomas h€fre remained for some years under the charge of his widowed mother, a person of great worth. By her he was taught the elements of learning at a singularly early age, acquir- ing the whole alphabet, it is said, at one lesson, and every thing else to which his attention was directed with the same amazing facility. When between four and five years of age, he was able to read the Scriptures, and also, it would appear, partly to under- . stand them. One day at that period of his life, he was found sitting on the floor of his mother's parlour, with a lai^e family Bible on his knee, which he was dividing into different parts with his hand. Being asked jocularly if he intended to preach, and was now choosing a text, he said, ^* No, I am only wishing to see what the Evangelists differ in, for they do not all give the same account of Christ.'* From the kindly tutelage of his mother he was removed in the seventh year of his age, and placed by his maternal uncle. Captain Smith, in a school at Camberwell^ from which, in a short time, he was transferred to one at Cheswick, where he continued for some years. In these and two other aca- demies he spent the years between seven and fourteen, and ac* quired an elegant classical education. In 1792, he returned to his maternal roof at Edinburgh, and commenced a course of at- tendance at the university. At this early period of his life he was deeply read in the English classics, and had even collected a considerable library, which unfortunately was lost at sea in its passage from England to Scotland. At the university he was a most distinguished student, especially in ethics. Dr Welsh, the accomplished biographer of Dr Brown, informs us, that the varied and profound acquirements of this extraordinary young man soon attracted to him the attention and friendship of many other per^ sonages distinguished by academic rank and literary reputation, especially Professors Robison, Playfair, and Black, and Messrs Horner, Leyden, Reddie, and Erskine. Ere he had completed his twentieth year, he wrote *^ Observations upon Dr Darwin's Zoonomia," which obtained for him the highest praise. Dr Welsh justly characterizes it as one of the most remarkable exemplifica- tions of premature intellect which has ever been exhibited, and 880 Kl B KCCDBR1GHT8HIRE. as containing the germs of all bis philosophy* Dr Brown ob* taioed his degree of M. D. in 1803^ on which oecasion he was honoured with the highest encomioms of Dr Gregory. In the winter of 1808-9, he taught the moral phihwoph; class Sot Fh>- fessor Stewart with wooderfiil sneoess,— not only the stodentsi hot distinguished members of the bench, of Ibe bar, and of the pulpit, were daily present to witness the powers of this rising phi* losopher. In 1610, he was appointed Professor Stewart's eot league in the chair of morel philosophy, whidi he filled with the highest honour to himself. In 1814, be published a poem en* titled ^ The Paradise of Coquettes.'' In 1816, he published another, under the title of the ** Wanderer in Norway." b 1816, the «« War Fiend/' In 1818^ he pobliahed a poetical tale, entitled «< Agnes." In 1810, << Emily." But his reputation is this walk of litereture was not equal to his fiune as a philosophe r . In 1819, his health, which was noTer very good, became so pre* carious, and the symptoms of his disease so alarming, that, early in the session of 1819-SO, he was obliged to appoint a sobstitote to deliver his lectures. At the recommendation of his physicians^ he took a voyage to London, and established himself at Bromp- ton. Here he gradually grew weaker until the 2d of April 1820; when he gently breathed bis last His remains were put into a leaden coffin, and, according to hb own wish, were laid beside those of his father and mother in the churehyard of Kirimn- breck* Dr Brown's Lectures on Moral Philosophy were published after his death in four volumes, 8vo, and have deservedly obtained the highest reputation. 'f An admirable account of his life and writings has been published in one volume, 8vo, by the Rev. Dr Webb, Professor of Church History in the University of Edio- burgfa. The biography of Dr Brown also holds a prominent place in the able and elaborate work of Dr Murray on the Literary History of Galloway. It has also found a (dace in Chamben's Scottish Biography. Dr Chalmers has also done homage to the transoendant genius of Dr Brown in his Bridgewater Treatise ; and Sir James Mackintosh, in his masterly Dissertation on the His* tory of Metaphysical Science, pays honour both to the head and heart of Dr Brown. ** His mind,'* says he^ ** soared and roamed * ** One of the most romantic and secluded spots that can posibly be imagined, and, 90 inn I knovr, without a parallel in diis eoantry/'^Or Afsirrwy. f The oharaetar of Dr Brown was given in ** Hie Chrisiian Instnictory" a few months after his death, in the most complimentary terms. KIRKMABRECK. 831 through every region of philosophy and poetry, but his untraTelled heart clung to the hearth of his fathers." Dr Brown, as I have already stiited, was bom in the manse and buried in the churchyard of Kirkmabreck, ^ in the tomb of his fathers.'' A handsome granite pillar has been erected OTor his grave, by his only Bunriving sister. A public monument has long been talked of** A number of subscriptions haye already been obtained ; and it is hoped that the day is at hand when justice shall be done to the memory of one whose &me is as wide as the range of metaphyucal science ; and having thus erected a nwnu^ ment to his country^ it is not too much to expect that his country should now erect a numwnent to him* Samuel Douglas, the founder of ** the Douglas Academ/' at Newton- Stewart, was bom in this parish. Mr Douglas bequeathed about L. 17,000, to build and endow this academy, for the benefit of Kirkmabreck and Newton- Stewart, and appointed the minister of Penninghame and his three senior elders, and the minister of Kirkmabreck and his three senior elders, as trustees over the in- stitution in all time to come. Several individuals who have risen to affluence and honour in the walks of commerce were also born in this parish. Amongst these the names of the late Mr Hughan of Airds, and Mr Kerr of Argrennan, may be mentioned. AfUiquitiet.^^Thete are a number of circles of lai^ standing- stones in this parish, such as those supposed by some to l>e the remains of Druidic temples, by others, courts of justice^ and by not a few, the rude memorials of a battle-field, intended to mark the spot where the slain had (alien and been buried. There is another conjecture concerning some of them, which, although less romantic, and less interesting to the antiquarian, may also be given* In this as well as in many parishes of Galloway, there were, in olden times, almost no fences. Sheep and cattle were on this ac- count more liable to stray from their own pasture. It was com* mon, therefore, to have enclosures or pondt, into which strayed cattle were put or ponded^ till their owners found it convenient Ul send for them. These enclosures were generally of stone^ and contained plenty of water for the use of the cattle when shut up. As fences became mofe abundant, these ponds became less neces« sary, and gradually fell into disuse ; the ruins of which are still to be found in this as well as in many other parishes of Scotland* These ruins are sometimes so far obliterated, as to render it diffi* * To be erected upon the glebe. S32 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. cult to trace their outline^ or to tell what purpose they had onoe served. At Claens Mid-Spittal there are several traces of some ancieot buildiDff, most probably an hospital, — Spittal beiog an abridge- ment of this name« Mr Burnie, a few years ago, io his farming operations near Claens, got the remains of some old windows, with leaden frames, with scarcely two panes of the same size, and a quantity of human bones. It appears also, from the ruins of an old dike, as if a few acres of land had at one time been enclosed here. These things strengthen the supposition, that, at some earij period, an hospital had been erected here, and that the 'dead had been buried within this enclosure* In Cambret Moor, in the days of Symson, there was a stone of four or five feet in diameter, called *< the Penny Stone," under which money was supposed to have been concealed. This sUme had upon it the resemblance of that draught which is commonly called the walls of Troy, It is to be feared some avaricious per- son has destroyed this stone, in the hope of finding the hidden treasure, because it is not now to be found. In the south-east district of the parish, there was anciently a chapel, dedicated to Saint Briget, and named Kilbride. It stood near the shore of Wigtown Bay, not far from the farm of Cais- luth, where a hamlet still bear^ the name of Kirkbride. Of thb chapel, like the statue formerly referred to, there is now no trace, and no tradition. About the year 1809 Mr McLean of Mark, while improving a field in the moor of Glenquicken in Kirkmabreck parish, found it necessary to remove a large cairn, which is said by tradition to have been the tomb of a king of Scotland, who is not in the genuine aeries, Aldus M^Galdus, M'Gillus, or M^Gill. When the cairo had been removed the workmen came to a stone coflBn, of vetj rude workmanship ; and, on removing the lid, they found the ske* leton of a man of uncommon size. The bones were in such a state of decomposition, that the ribs and vertebrae crumbled into dust on attempting to lift them. The remaining bones being more compact, were taken out, when it was discovered that one of the arms had been almost separated from the shoulder by the stroke of a stone axe, and that a fragment of the axe still remained io the bone. The axe had been of green stone, a species of stone (lever found in this part of Scotland. There was also found with this skeleton a ball of flint about three inches in diameter, which was perfectly round, and highly polished, and the head of an ar- KIRKMABRECK* 3^ row, that was also of flint, but not a particle of any metallic sub- stance was found. * About the year 1778^ in removing a quantity of stones for build* ing dikes from a large tumulus in Glenquicken Moor, there was found a stone coffin, containing a human skeleton, which was greatly above the ordinary size. There was also found in this sepulchral monument an urn containing ashes, and an earthen pitcher. The urn seems to evince the antiquity of this tumulus, when the British practised funeral cremation. This tumulus is called Cairny wanie. f Thus we have an account of two skeletons of very large size, found in Glenquicken Moor at different times. These facts seem to confirm the tradition that a battle had taken place here at some very remote period. History informs us of a battle having been fought on the river Cree, about the year a. d. 310, wherein the Picts joined the Romans under Maximus their general, against the Scots under their King Eugenius, but where- in the Scots were overthrown.^ Whether this conflict took place on Glenquicken Moor or not, it seems difficult to determine. But the most memorable place of antiquity in the parish is call- ed Cairnholy. The tumulus of this name, when opened up many years ago,§ was found to contain a large kistvaen of flat stones. The upper stone is so large, that curiosity has not yet removed it, to discover the contents below. On each side of this tomb, at the distance of 100 yards, there are the marks of many graves, and at most of these were placed rude stones of memorial, in the up- right manner of the common grave-stones. It is to be regretted that some of these have been removed, and that others are in a state of dilapidation. The history of this holy cairn is involved in much obscurity. King Galdus, who is supposed to have given his own name to Galloway, is said to be here inhumed* This is no doubt the fabulous Corbredus Galdus of Boece and Buchanan, who, according to their fictions, opposed Agricola in arms. Ad- mitting, however, the existence of King Galdus, and that he was slain in battle in Galloway, it is not probable that he was buried at Cairnholy. It is more probable that he was buried in Torhouse Moor, in the parish of Wigtown, where there is a monumentof three large whinstones, called King Galdus's Tomb. This opinion has obtained the sanction of the celebrated antiquarian, Sir Robert * Captain DeDnitton*8 Letter to Mr Train of Newton-Stewart, dated 22d October 1819. f Cairny wanie* which aiguifiet a green field. $ Statistical Account, p. 551, Vol. xv. I About 100 years ago ;— Symaon's Oeacrlption of Galloway. 334 KIRKCUDBBIOHTSHIRB* Sibbaldy and of Timothy Pont* Although Buchanan aajs that King Galdu8 died a natural death after a glorious re^ of thktv- five years. There is another account given of this cairn which we submit About the year 1150, three years before the deoiise of David L, it is said there was a battle fought on Glenquicken Moor, between the English and Scots, whereb the Scots were defeated and their general killed, — when the Bishop of Wbitbom assumed the command ; but his troops being defeated, immediatelj fled to« wards the shore to their boats, and being overtaken by the efieoj at Cairnholy, the bishop» and many of his men, were slain and buried. From this circumstance^ it was called the Holy Cm. This supposition is apparently strengthened from the fact, that there is a little rivulet or bum, that runs through the place where tke battle is said to have been fought, that still retains the name o( the Englishman's bum«f Chalmers, however, in bis Caledonis, says, that there was no such battle fought between the Scots aiui English on Glenquicken Moor in 1 150. Thus we are compelled to leave the history of Cairnholy in the same state of mystery io which we found it*. Mansian'Hou3e9.^^The principal mansion-houses in the parisli are, Kirkdale House> Barholm Housoi Hill House, and Casseo* Carrie* Kirkdale House, the seat of Miss Hannay, is a magni* ficent building of the Grecian order of architecture, from the design of Mr Adam. It is wholly built of beautiful polished granite of exquisite workmanship ; and, until the late re- pairs upon the princely mansion of Mr Murray of Cally, M. P., it was without a rival in Galloway, It is stated in the old Sta- tistical Account that the Bishop of Derry, on seeing the house of the late Sir S* Hannay» was so much charmed with the stone» that he immediately contracted with the superintendent of that work for the building of the spires of two churches in his diocese, which were all to be executed with this stone. The situation is eveii worthy of the building. The scenery around is of the 6nest de* scription, combbing the charms of the lovely, the picturesque, and the romantic Altogether the house and views of Kirkdale ought to hold a high place among the beauties of Scotland. The views from Kirkdale House are singularly striking and beautiful in moon« light. Barholm House, the seat of John M'CuIIoch, Esq. is a hand- * Sc« his Galloiray Topographited. f Sut. Account, VoL kt. p. 55fiL KIBKMABRECK. 335 some buildiDg, The design is chaste, and the approaches are laid off with much taste. Hill House, the property of Thomas Hughan, Esq. of Airds, is a very substantial building. The front of the house is of polished granite. Cassencarrie it an old building, and oontabs an old tower with- in its walk. IIL— Population- The population of this parish has increased slowly but gradu- ally for many years. In Dr Webster's list in 1 755 the numbers were rated at 858. In the year 1764 the whole population amount* ed to only 680 ; of which the Ferry- Town of Cree, (now Creetown,) contained 104 The landward part of the parish has altered very little in point of population since that period. The principal in- crease has been in Creetown, and the following table will show the increase at different times : — Fami> Un. Ab. Creelown lies. 10 jm. lOyrs. Tot. Bit, Mur. DestlM. & parish. In 1764 Creelowii ooDtainfld 34 20 84 104 4 I 680 1774, Do. Da 120 73 294 d67 11 2 3 913 1784, Da Do. 145 88 854 442 15 3 6 992 1794, Da Do. 183 142 409 551 19 6 23* 1088 In 1794 the whole paruh I 289 249 880 1088 38 9 27 1187 eontained 3 1804, Da Da • . . ... 1256 1821, Da Da . . . • . 1519 1831, Da Da ... . . . 1779 1840, Da Da 397 550 1486 . . • 2036 The population of this parish in 1841, according to the Go- vernment census, was 1854; number of inhabited houses, 404; number of distinct ftimilies, 407 ; number of widows, 76 ; number of widowers, 20. In 1840, numher of flunillca in the pariah, • 397 Da chiefly employed in agriculture, • • .78 trade, manufiurturet^ and handicraft, 1 1 5 Population in Creetown, ... • . 1226 the country, ... . . 810 Belonging to the Church, • • « 1694 Diisentert, including Roman Catholict, fte., 342 Yearly average of marriages for the last seven years,' l5i^ births, • . • . .61 No regular record of burials. Table, showing the population of the wllole parish in 1840 at different ages. Age. No. Under 6. 327 12, • . 650 15, 789 20, 076 30, 1266 40, 1474 * Of the 28 children that di^d in Creetown in 1794, 12 died of small-poz. 336 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRB. Age. . No* Under 50, . 1680 GO, 1807 70, 1033 80, '. 1996 90, . 20a6ToCaL The populatioD has increased considerably since 183 1* in con- sequence of the Liverpool Dock Company having opened a vefj large granite quarry in this parish, at which they have from 60 to 450 men occasionally employed* From this statement it must appear that the population has been very fluctuating since the commencement of the quarry. In 1834, when the greatest num- l)er of workmen was employed, the population was as high as 2300. Character^ ^c. of the People, — In general the people of this parish are industrious, intelligent, and sober. Many of them Ten correct in their morals and sound in their religious principles. The inhabitants are healthy and peaceable, and, as a proof of their sobriety, it may be mentioned that there is a Tee Total Society in Creetown with upwards of 300 members. Poaching and smuggling were at one time But too commoo. The former is now little followed, and the latter is entirely un- known. IV. — Industry* Agriculture. — Number of acres iraperUl that have been cultivated, about 5900 of meadow, about 900 Land that has never been cultivated, quantity unknown. These quantities are partly conjectural, the whole parish never having been accurately measured, so far as I know. With regard to the number of acres that might, with a profitable application of capital, be added to the cultivated land of the parish, there may be a considerable difference of opinion. But I have no doubt, by the use of bone-dust upon the steep and dry land, and the intro- duction of tile-draining into the mossy and wet land, 1000 acres might be reclainied with advantage. The practice of the Duke of Portland, in draining the land for his tenants, and charging them a certain percentage upon the money expended, would prodigiously improve the appearance and fertility of Galloway, and it would be good for the tenants in this parish if the practice of the Earl of Selkirk, in giving lime, were followed by our landlords. There is no land in this parish in a state of undivided common. There are about 1000 acres under wood, two-thirds of which may be natural, and one- third planted. Oak, ash, hazel, alder, and thorn, are indigenous ; and the trees that have been planted are in general a few of the most common varieties of the fir and oak, beech, sycamore, chestnut, and elm. KIRKMABRECK. 337 The woods are in general judiciously managed ; thinning, prun- ing, and felling being all attended to in their proper seasons, and conducted according to the most approved methods. Ment — The average rent of arable land per imperial acre may be about 15s. yearly. The average rent of grazing an ox or cow may be rated at L.2, 15s. yearly. Black- faced sheep, on hill pasture, about L.4 per score ; white-faced, pastured on low land, according to the size, say about L.7, 10s. per score. Wages, — The rate of wages varies here as in other places; but, in general, common labourers receive Is. 6d. per day of ten hours; farm-servants about L.25 yearly, without victuals, or L.11, 10s. with them; women servants, L.6 per annum, with victuals. Rate of wages for masons, carpenters, and smiths, from 2s. 6d. to 3s. per day. At the quarry, the wages are in general higher than these rates, both for labourers and artisans. A table of the rate of wages in this parish in the year 1794 is here subjoined: — Ma- sons and joiners, from Is. 8d. to 2s., without victuals; tailors and shoemakers, from 8d. to lOd., with victuals; an experienced man- servant, from L.8 to L.9 per annum ; women-servants, from L.3 to L.4 per annum. The prices of produce are of course variable. In general they are regulated by the Dumfries and Liverpool markets. The ave- rage may be stated, for wheat, per imperial bushel, at 6s. 6d. ; of barley, 3s. 6d. ; of oats, 2s. 4d. ; of potatoes, per bushel, lOd. ; of rye grass hay, 26 lb., 7d. ; black-faced wool, 6d. per lb. ; white- faced, Is. do. ; butter, lOd. per lb.; cheese, 6d. do.; eggs, 4d. to 6d., seldom more. A good cart, L.S, 8s. ; an iron plough, L.4, 10s.; a double harrow, L.I, 15s.; a drill harrow, L.1, lOs. Shoe- ing df a horse, 2s. 8d. Horses are cheap in this parish. A good sound young horse, fit for country work, may be had for L.16, and sometimes even less. Cattle have been high for the last three years. The best two-year-old Galloways have brought L.9 ; the best three-year-old, L.11 ; good Ayrshire cows, about L.il. Live-Stock, — The live-stock have already been described. Un- der this head it may merely be stated, that the sheep are in ge- neral black-faced, of a small size. The white-faced are Leicester and' Cheviot, and crosses from these, &c. The black-cattle are in general " pure Galloways." Ayrshire cows are increasing veiy much in this parish. * Husbandry, — The system of husbandry in this parish is improving rapidly, by the introduction of bone dust and guano, by greater * Ayrshire cows are already beginning to decrease, (1844.) KIRKCUDBRIGHT. Y 838 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. attention to cleaning the land, and by following the most approt ed rotation of cropping. There are still a few who cling to the old system, and who would do well to imitate the example of tbeir more enterprising neighbours. The rotation that is perhaps best adapted to this parish is» ope grain crop— -a green crop-»a grain crop — and the land sown down in rye grass and clover, not cut, but eaten on the ground, and tore- main in pasture a longer or shorter period according tocircumstaoces. Mr McLean of Mark, many years ago, received the HighlaDd Society's medal for reclaiming waste land. Improvement to the way is still progressing, though slowly. Indeed, some of the te- nants have but little encouragement, being left to struggle with a heavy rent, a short lease, miserable houses, and wretched fences. Shelling land, which at one time was employed to a great ex- tent in this parish, is now but little followed. There have been about fifteen acres of land reclaimed upon the Cassencarrie shore by an embankment of *^ rubbish*^ from the quarry, by the Juiver- pool Dock Trustees. The land is rapidly rising by the depoat that is left by the ebbing and flowing of the tide, and the decom- position of the salt water, and will soon be a field of valuable pas- ture. There are many acres upon the shores of Kirkbride and the glebe capable of being reclaimed hj toarpinfff a system which has been introduced by the Hon. Montgomery Stewart on the other side of the bay with great efiTect, and which is much cheaper than embanking. Indeed, by this process the land is gradually raised, and the tide is made to embank itsel£* Leases, — There are a great many tenants in this parish under yearly leases, a system which operates most powerfully against improvement. Others are more fortunate in having longer leases. They vary from three to nineteen years. There are a few old leases even much longer, although not liferents. Some of the old leases are upon very favourable terms to the occupant; but of late years the competition for farms has become so great, that, it is to be feared, in some of the new leases, the tenants are over- rented* This is an evil which will eventually cure itself, but for which, in the meantime, the tenants have themselves to blame. The farm-houses upon the Kirkdale property are in general good, and kept in excellent repair; and very neat and comfortable farm- houses have been lately built at Cuil, Carsewalloch, &c. ; but upon several properties the houses are miserable. * This tjitem was introduced by Mr Suwart on Lord Galloway's property ; se- veral embankments have also been raised in the bay lately ; and it ii expected that many hundreds of acres will soon be inolosed, and in Taluable pasture. KIRKMABRECK. 389 There are many obstacles to the improvement of land in this parish, and amongst these may be mentioned the high price of lime ; the want of capital in some cases, — the want of encourage- ment in others ; and, in too many, the want of houses and leases. Quarriea and Mines, — There was a copper mine lately opened at Craigneuk, and a lead mine at Glen ; and at one time there was a trial made for lead at Blairs ; but none of them succeeded. " The Quarry.^ — There is a large granite quarry in this pa- rish, immediately behind the glebe. It was opened about ten years ago, by the Trustees of the Liverpool Docks, for the purpose of procuring stones for the docks. The working of this quarry, in 1834, cost nearly L»15,000, including rent, and tonnage of vessels, ftc. At that time there were upwards of 450 men and boys em- ployed. There are only about 60 at present.* This quarry is wrought in three breasts of about 30 feet high each, the one above and behind the other. The operations are conducted with much skill and regularity. At one time powder was very much employed in this work : 50, 60, and as high as 70 pounds were used in one blast. These explosions were felt and heard at a considerable distance, as the slight shocks of an earthquake. The use of pow- der, however, except in opening up corners, has been for some lime entirely given up. Blasting was found to shake and frequent- ly to destroy some of the finest blocks. Drills, wedges, crowbars, sledge-hammers, and cranes, are now principally used in quarry- ing even the largest masses ; and it is truly astonishing to see with what facility even mountains can be removed by handicraft The TfK^us operandi may be shortly described. In the quarry the rocks are stratified. The strata are perpendicular, and vary in thickness from nine inches to five feet. When a mass is to be separated, wedges are introduced between the strata, and are driven down with sledge-hammers until a separation is effected. A large crowbar, well manned, is then applied, to throw down the mass to the bottom of the quarry. This accomplished, the next thing is to cut up the stone into blocks as large as the materials will admit of. And this part of the work is perhaps the most interesting pro<» cess of the whole. The rude and unshapely mass may be 5 feet thick, and 10 or 12 feet long, and must be cut into the form of a parallelogram,f to Gt with mathematical precision its own appoint- ed place in the docks. Holes are bored 4 or 5 inches deep, with a drill or jumper, and 8 or 9 inches apart, in the line the * In 1840 there were only about 60 men employed ; there are now above 160. t Or to any shape that may be required. 340 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Stone is to be split A block of 14 tons is soon cut to the size and shape required, by the power of the ** phig and feather/* As the '* plug and feather" hav^ extraordinary mechanical powers — are of great use in quarrying operations — and are rather a noTeltj ^* in these parts," a description of them may here be given. Wheo a hole has been bored of the required depth, two wedges are in- troduced into the hole, with the thick end down, and a third is introduced between them, with the small end down, and by drir- ing the one in the centre, the combined power of three wedges is thus obtained, and made to bear upon every hole, and thus split the stone* A few holes charged with ^* plug and feather" will be found sufficient to split a very large stone. In splitting granite in this wa*. the quarrymen are careful to place the holes and the wedges parallel with the reed or ffrain of the stone. This arrangement renders the process comparatively easy; and the skilful workmen can shape their blocks and paving-stones with as much comfort as U they were cutting wood in a saw-mill. As a proof of the extraor- dinary power of the ^^ plug and feather," it may be stated, upon the authority of the present skilful overseer, that masses of 500 tons are sometimes lifted or removed by their aid. The cranes^ chains, rails, waggons, " braiks," employed about the quarry are all of the strongest description. There is one very fine traversiog crane. There are several ** inclines." The largest is upwards et 800 yards, and rises about an angle of 40^. The railroad on thU incline is double, so that the loaded waggons in going down the one road draw up the empty waggons on the other. Ftsheries.-'^There are several fisheries in this parish upon the Cree, and in the bay, principally for salmon, spirlings, flounders, herring, &c. ; and the nets employed for taking them are stake- nets, bag' nets, draught*nets, fish-yards, and half-nets. The rental of all. the fisheries in the parish may be about L.100 a-year. , Manufactures, — Kelp was at one time manufactured in thi« parish, but is now given up. This, however, is not to be regret- ted, because the sea-weed may be turned to a much better ac- count in manuring the land. The tan-work, cotton factory, and mill for shot lead,* mentioned in the old Statistical Account as having been in operation in Creetown in 1794, have long been given up. There is at present a small carpet manufactory near Creetown, which lately employed about thirty hands. In the meantime there is little doing. Prices have not been reraunerai- * It was here the first patent shot was made. KIUKMABIIECK. 341 ing. Men, women, and children employed at the mill generally work 8\x days a-week, and twelve or thirteen hours each day, — certainly too long hours, especially for children, and must be inju- rious to their health. There are two saw mills and two grain mills in the parish. Navigation, — There is one smack belonging to Creetown of 47 tons burthen. There are also several vesseb, from 20 to 50 tons burthen, that frequent Palnure and Creetown ports. Besides these there are occasionally foreign vessels with tar and timber. We have also trading and coal vessels from Whitehaven ; and from one to eleven schooners have been regularly employed since the opening of the quarry in carrying granite to the Liverpool docks. Three schooners have been lost in the granite trade, and in two of them all hands perished. The Cree is the only river navigable in this parish, and is so as far as Carty. V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Towiu — The nearest market-town is Newton-Stewart, and is only six miles distant from Creetown. Villages. — On the Cree there was a considerable village iu 1300, when the English army rendezvoused here. It was then called Creth.* It was afterwards called the Ferry Town of Cree, from a common passage ^over the river at this place, and more recently it obtained the present name of Creetown. It is pro- bable that the ancient village had long disappeared before the present one "began, because it is stated-f- that Creetown was be- gun in 1783, and, in 1792, it consisted of 50 dwellings, and 50 more were laid out. There are a few old houses in Creetown, which were built long before 1785. It was erected into a burgh of barony through the influence of John M^Culloch, Esq. of Barholm, on the 13th December 1791, and registered at Edinburgh, 27th January 1792. One bailie and four councillors are elected triennially by the resident feuars according to the charter. About the year 1790, a small cotton manufactory was established, with a tan-yard, and a mill for making shot-lead. These have been discontinued for many years. The old shot-mill has been lately repaired and fitted up with machinery, for the purpose, it is supposed, of making potato-* starch, &c. The old cotton factory has been changed into a carpet manufactory, which has already been noticed under its proper head. A town hall and lock-up have lately been erected in Creetown, which have been found most useful. " Chalmers* Caledonia. t S^^' Account, 255. 842 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. The situation of Creetown is very picturesque. It is built be- tween two rivulets or burns and four bridges. The gardeu are so abundantly stocked with fruit-trees, that in spring, when the blossoms are exuberant, the Tillage appears as if it had been built in an orchard. The scenery around is particularly beauiifuL On the west lies the Bay of Wigton with its boats and ^"r»i>r^g ; on the north, the fine plantations and mansion-house of Barholoi; and above and behind the village stands Hill House, begirt with ornamental trees ; and the new church, with its handsome tower and cathedral roof,^-with the Lai^ hill and the woods of Ca5> sencarrie— close in and enrich the landscape in the south. Tliese beauties did nbt escape the observation of Mr M*Diarmid in his Sketches of Nature. He describes them with much of bis charac- teristic humour and raciness, and numbers among the ecoentrid- ties of our streets, the cherry-trees that adorn the walls of some of the houses, and the blacksmith's sign, who shod horses on the principles of expansion. The drive between Creetown and Gate- house is one of the finest in the south of Scotland. Poit-Office. — There is a post-oflSce in Creetown. The Irish mail comes in at 1 1 o'clock, p. m., and the Dumfries mail at 2 o'clock, A. M. daily. Letters are delivered at the houses of all within the burgh. Turnpike Roads, — The length of the turnpike road that passes through this parish is nine miles. The road is remarkably well kept and thoroughly Macadamized. The Dumfries and Port- patrick mail-coaches travel this road daily. There are also re- gular carriers to Newton* Stewart, Gatehouse, and Dumfries. The bridges are in good repair, and substantially built. There are no railroads in the parish, except at the Quarry. Fences. — The fences in this parish are in general built of stooe. Some of them are well built and in good repair, but too many of them are the very reverse. There are many specimens of both the single and double dike, five and six quarters high.* There are few hedges, although thorns grow remarkably well, and would be a great ornament to the parish. Indeed there is a number of very fine old thorn trees in the parish, of a large size. One hundred years ago, there were few fences of any kind in this part of the country. Now they are very numerous, such as they are, and may measure not less than fifty miles in this parish. The land is stony, and the general plan is to quarry the stones out of the field that is to be enclosed. This answers the double * A quarter Is ten inches. KIBKMABRECK. 843 purpose of clearing the ground and fencing it at the same time» A great deal more might be done in this way with advantage. HaTbouri.—Ki the <* Point of Caskieli" there was a harbour built about ten years ago, by the Liverpool Dock Company, for the purpose of loading their schooners with granite. At Palnure a place has been fitted up for loading and unloading small Yossels, but which is not worthy of the name of a harbour. At Creetown the vessels are moored upon the beach, no other accommodation having as yet been provided. Eecksiastical State, — The church is built upon the Clauchan Croft, near Creetown, and is very conveniently situated for the inhabitants of the village, although not particularly so for the landward part of the population. On the southern and eastern extremities of the parish, some of the people are six^ miles from cbarch. The present church was opened for public worship on the 14th December 18S4. It is in excellent repair, and was reckoned, at the time it was built, the handsomest church in Galloway. It is sieated to hold about 800* The landward population have their sittings free. The inhabitants of Creetown have hitherto paid Is. each sitting yearly, which goes to the poor. Even this small charge will soon be abolished, and the Gospel will be preached to all '* without money and without price." The following table contains a list, so far as can be ascertained, of the ministers of this parish since the Reformation :-^John Mof* fet, (1535 to 1589);* James Donaldson, (1597); John Kallen* der, (1601 to 1603); William Dalgleish; Samuel Row; Patrick Peacock ; Andrew Naughley ; Shaw ; Patrick Peacock again, (1689 to 1691); David Edgar, (1693 to 1701); Samuel Brown, ordained 3l8t March 1703, died 17th May 1751 ; Samuel Brown, ordained 6th August 1752, died 2dd July 1779; Johg Inglis, ordained 12th October 1780, deposed 17th April 1804; John Sibbald, ordained 20th April 1809, died 20th December 1833; John Muir, ordained 19th June 1834. Jtfaiue. — I have not been able to ascertain when the old part of the manse was built. It must have been at least 130 years ago, be* cause the Browns lived in it The antiquity of the building may be conjectured from the thickness of the gable walls.t Repairs * In 1567 Thomat RegnaU vas reader and Tioar of Kirkdaloy and John Moflfelti aihortar of Kirlunabreck— Ai«<. GaU t Four aod a half faet Uiick. 844 KIBKCUDBRIGHTSUIRE. bave been executed and additions built at different periods. The last repairs and additions were made in 1835. The maose is now a handsome and substantial building, and is both comfort^le and commodious. And it is but justice to state, that the heritors have been most liberal. The situation of the manse is much admired. It stands on an eminence about 150 yards from the sea, and commands a most extensive view. Although it is aboct 70 feet above the level of the sea, four churches, twelve parishes, and the Isle of Man may be seen from the front door. Glebe. — The glebe contains nearly thirty acres. About the half of it is arable, the other half is very rough, steep, and rockj, and about seven acres of it are under wood. Some fields bare lately been cleared of stones, and new fences built, and some other improvements made, which will soon render it more valuable. In the meantime it is worth L.20 per annum. As the glebe lies along a flat shore, it is capable of being greatly extended by warp- ing and embanking. There are at least forty acres that might be reclaimed in this way. Stipend. — The stipend of this parish is sixteen chalders, half meal, and half barley ; — a part of it has been commuted (into money) to the amount of L.104, including L.8, 6s. 8d. for com- munion elements. Dissenters, — There is one place of worship in Creetown belong- ing to the Seceders. It will hold about 300. It is reported that the minister's stipend is about L.80, and is paid by the coogre* gation. Divine service is in general well attended at both places of wor- ship ; and^ in addition to the usual service during the day, there is sermon regularly in the parish church on Sabbath evening, and a lecture every Thursday evening at seven o'clock. Tracts are distributed monthly ; and Sabbath schools and prayer meetings in connection with both congregations. The Lord's Supper is dis- pensed twice a-year in each place of worship.* It is hoped by the diligent and prayerful use of all these means much good may be done. There are 27 families belonging to the Seceders ; 27 to the Roman Catholics ; 1 to the Episcopalians ; 1 to the Cameroni- ans; 340 to the Church of Scotland.f The average number of * It is now dispensed Uirice in Uie Seceders. t Dissent has ratlier increased since the unfortunate seeesaon from the Chorsh of Scotland in May 1843. There are a few *^ Free Kirk** adherents in Creetown. KIRKMABRECK. 345 communicants belonging to the Church for the last seven years has been about 500. Last year L.14, 4s. were collected for the General Assembly's four schemes ; besides L.4 for the Sabbath schools; L.5, 10s. for a church in Armagh; Im2^ Os. Sd. for the education of the blind in Edinburgh. I am not aware of the sums collected by the Seceders for religious purposes ; but I believe it is very considerable^ according to their numbers. Education. — There are five schools in the parish, viz. the paro- chial school ; a subscription school of industry for females ; two schools at the teachers' own adventure, all in Creetown ; and one school in the country, partly supported by the heritors and partly at the teacher^s own adventure.* Branches tavghL — Reading, writing, arithmetic, English gram« mar, geography, mathematics, Latin, French, and, in the ^* female school of industry,"! besides the elementary branches of education, sewing, knitting, &c. are also taught Schoolmaster^ s Salary^ Sfc. — The schoolmaster's salary is the maximum, viz. L. 84, 4s. 4^d. per annum. His house has the le- gal accommodation, and the school-fees may amount to about L. 26 yearly. Rate of School' Fees. — Reading, 2s. per quarter; reading and writing, fis. 6d. ; reading, writing, and arithmetic, Ss. All these branches with English grammar, 4s. ; ditto with Latin, 68. ; ditto with French, 78. ; ditto with geografihy, 5s. These are the terms at the parish school. At the private schools they are about the same (in the branches taught.) At the school of industry, 30 girls are taught free ; they have also occasionally received books and a part of their clothing. It is to be regretted that the accommodation in the parochial school is by no means what it ought to be, — an evil which, it is hoped, the heritors will speedily remedy. Literature. — There is a circulating library in Creetown, and also a small library in connection with the Sabbath schools. It would be an improvement, if a well-selected subscription library were established for the benefit of the whole parish. Poor^s Funds. — The average number of regular paupers is about 30, and of occasional paupers 10. The aliment allowed to each varies according to circumstances, and runs from L. 1 to L. 8 per annum. About L.95 are paid out of the poor's funds annually for * This teacher has a free house and garden from Kirkdale, and L. 10 yearly from the heritors, t This school is also under the patronage of Miss Hannay of Kirkdale. 346 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. the relief of the poor, besides a donation of Lb40 a^year from Mrs Hugham of Cotswold House. The poor^s funds are supplied in the following manner : ehurch coUecUonsy L.4d yearly ; pioda^ mation dues, hearse hire, &a, L.7 ; Toluntary assessment from the heritors, L.40; — Li95.* Hiere is now but little dispositioo amoi^ the people to refrain from seeking parochial relief except amongst a few of the old residenters. /Vtsofu.-— There is an excellent lock-up in Creetown, and it k to the praise of the people that it is now but seldom used. Inns and Ale-houses, — There are eight inns and public houses in the parish, which are in general well kept; conseqoently tber are much less injurious to the morals of the people than tfaef otherwise would be ; although half the number would be quite suA ficient for the entertainment of travellers and the convenienoe of the population. Fuel. — Both coals and peats are very much used. Coals aiz in general brought from Whitehaven, and cost about 16&. per ton. Peats are procured from the mosses in the parish, and cost Irom 2s. to 2s. 6d. a*carL The practice referred to in the old Statis- tical Account, of the poor people cutting whins and brushwood for burning, is still common. Coals are now (1844) only ISs. 4d. per ton. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the last Statistical Account was written in 1794, the po- pulation has increased about 500 ; wages and prices have risen about 50 per cent ; the rental of the parish has greatly increased, the style of husbandry has improved, and a great many fences have been built.' Schools have become more numerous, and church ac- commodation more abundant. The quarry has been opened, and new fisheries established ; and although the manufacturing and shipping have diminished, yet the ** political economy" of the pa* rish may be represented as in a prosperous and improving condi- tion ; and my heart's desire and prayer is, that the piety which adorned this corner of the vineyard in the days of Rutberfi>fd, Dalgleish, and Peacock, may adorn it still. * The number of paupers has lately increised considerably. There are at p rucm 57 regular paupers on the roll, and it will now require above LSOO per anouoi to pay their aliment. Drawn up in 1840. Revised April 1844. PARISH OF URR.* PRESBYTBRT OF DUMFRIES, 8T NOD OF DUMFftlKS. THE REV. GEORGE M. BURNSIDE, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Name and Situation. — According to the former Statistical Account of this parish, the ancient orthography was Vr, and the pronunciation Wur or Whur, though it has long been frequently pronounced and spelt Orr. The lake out of which the river Urr, which bounds this parish for a considerable distance on the west side, issues, is called Loch Whur to this day ; and there are still some people in this country whose family name is M'Whir. Botmdaries. — The parish is hounded on the east by the pa* rishes of Lochrutton and Kirkgunzeon ; on the south, by Colvend and Buittle ; on the west, by Crossmichael ; and on the north, by Kirkpatrick-Durham and Kirkpatrick-Irongray. The wind is generally from the south-west, and almost all the heavy gales are also from that direction. Extent and Mountains. — The length of Urr, nearly from north to south, is about 1 6 English miles, and its average breadth about *2^ miles. The total surface of the parish must therefore be about 40 square miles. The only mountains of any considerable altitude are a range at the head of the parish, called the Larg-hills, where it is supposed coal might be obtained. The summit of the Larg-hills is about 600 feet above the level of the sea. Upon these hills lie the remains of four of the Covenanters who fell there, upon the bleak heath, victims to the persecution of Grahame of Claverhouse. A tombstone is erected at the place to their memory, and sur« rounded with a wall enclosing a small plantation. Lakes. — About three miles distant from the Larg hills, and in this parish towards its boundaries, are situated two lakes or lochs, of considerable extent and depth. These are Milton and Achenreoch lochs. The former is about three miles in circum- ference, and the latter about two and a half miles. They abound * Drawn up by the late Rev. John M*Whiri Miaister of Urr. 348 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. with pike and perch, which are caught, at certain seasons, ia coa- siderable numbers. IZtvtfr.— The parish of Urr extends to near the aiouth of the river Urr, which flows into the Solway Frith, and which, in geoe- ral, bounds the parish on the west for the space of about tea miles. Salmon and sundry species of fresh water 6sh are caught in this river. The salmon, however, are much destroyed by night-poach- ing, and, with a few exceptions, the proprietors are culpable h not using means to prevent such an illegal and pernicious practice. Soil. — Except a moorish portion of the upper part of the pa- rish, and intersections of granite rocks, and a portion of moss at the under part of it, the soil of Urr is in general light and kiDdlj, and the arable land in the parish is perhaps in proportion to tkt which cannot be ploughed as 12 to 1. The plantations in the parish cover about 800 acres. II. — Civil History. It would appear that, in the upper part of the parish, there vasi in former times, a place of worship, probably Popish, and on the site of the building (which is on the property of Meikle Kirkland,) there were fuund, several years ago, some human bones Bod a quantity of melted lead. It is supposed that the building wascoo- sumed by fire, soon after the Reformation from Popery in ScotlaciJ- Mr John Hepburn, whose memory is held in great veneration in this country, and in the parish of Urr in particular, was the first Presbyterian minister of this parish, after the RevolutioD of 1688. Three several calls to this parish, the last in 1689, he accepted. Before this time, he had received Presbyterian or- dination at London, though, on account of the persecQtioo against Presbyterians, his ordination was rather of a private nature. He preached also in the parish of Kirkguazeoot which was then vacant Besides his usual labours in this • district, he preached sometimes in several other parishes w the west of Scotland, to many hearers, who^ like himselff were displeased with seme of the proceedings, both of the Church and State, about and after the Revolution of 16B& These adherents of Mr Hepburn published, in the year 1713, a book which they called Humble Pleadings for the Good Old Way, in which they state their principles, with thirty-foar grie^' ances, and the treatment which they and Mr Hepburn receiw from the office-bearers, both of Church and State. In the jesr 1695, he was suspended by the General Assembly from the ex- actings independently ot the sanction and authority of the Uhurch courts, which had many proceedings against him. This suspeo- Bion was removed by the General Assembly in the year 1699, In the year 1696, be was tried by the Privy-Council for using some expressions which were supposed to be treasonable, and for which he suffered imprisonment for about three years', 6rst in the Tolliootb of Edinburgh, and afterwards in the Castle of Stirling. In the year 1704, he was again suspended, and that by the com- mission of the General Assembly, for not appearing to answer the charges brought against him by libel, for certain expressions he had used against the oath of allegiance and assurance ; and, in the year 1705, he was, by the General Assembly, deposed, as being guilty of teaching seditious doctrines, and rdlowing schis- matic courses ; but partly in consequence of a protest by the he- ritors, elders, and the other inhabitants of the parish of Urr against the said sentence, and partly by his conciliating declara- tions, he was reponed by the commission of the General Assem- bly in the year 1707. In some of the proceedings against him, lie was accused of never having administered the ordinance of the- Lord's Supper in the parish of Urr, for which omission he pleaded his peculiar circumstances, in regard to his brethren in the ministry, and the danger of corrupt communion; but he was desirous that these hindrances might be removed. Remark- able^ effects,^ however, were sometimes produced by his minis- try, and especially by his preaching, some crying out " What shall we do to be saved?" and others felling into a swoon. These effecto were salutary to many, but only temporary to others, who soon returned to their sinful courses. Mr Hep- bum and his adherents in the south and west of Scotland were much opposed to the union of the two kingdoms of England and Scotland, to the Act of Toleration, the ambiguous nature of the oath of abjuration and supremacy, and some other public mat- ters, all of which they thought fraught with danger to Presby- terian government and true religious liberty in Scotland, and contrary to the Solemn League and Covenant ; and, upon these subjects, they drew up a memorial, to bo presented to the General Assemblv in the year 1712, praying tbe Assembly to cause a re- ligious fa'st tube held throughout the church, on account ot these sins in Church and State. This memorial though cons»deTe4 m tbe committees both of bills and overtures, was not read »u lh« 350 KIBKCUDBRIGHTSHtRE. Assembly} but a sub-committee was appelated to confer with M Hepburn and his friends concerning the said memoriaL Up. the whole, there is reason to believe that he was a great aiMl gc^*: man, though he may hare, in some instances, manifested fas ml in an indiscreet and intolerant manner. It is reported that M Hepburn collected all the Popish books that he coiiid find io -if parish, and burned them publicly on a hill, called Corse Hill, ner the church ; and tradition adds, that he made the most bigots: Papist in the parish blow the fire. It is more certain* howerr. that, in his zealous adherence to the Protestant succession to tbf Throne of Great Britain, he raised a volunteer corps in thk aa^ some neighbouring parishes, and marched at the head of it, L- the purpose of assisting Government against the Popish rebek x-. the year 1715* llie standard he then used is still in Urr umxbt It is a laige white flag, and upon it is emblazoned, in a kind ?' gilt coloured characters, " For the Lard of HasU/* The dns which was used in his corps, was also long kept in the parish ; biiCt about thirty years ago, it fell into a state of total decay. From the presbytery records, it appears that Mr Hepburn died in March 1723. The presbytery's records give a detailed account of man; ic the parish being attached to Mr Hepburn's peculiar views, anJ the difficulty the presbytery had to settle such a successor to Mr Hepburn, as might be ultimately satisfactory and profitable to all parties. They appointed Mr Patoun, one of their number, to re- quest the Lord Advocate not to issue a presentation in favour of any one, but to allow the presbytery and parish of Urr to manage the matter for the edification of all, and this request seems to have been complied with. Mr Christopher Wright succeeded Mr Hepburn, as minister in the parish of Urr, in October 1723. Mr Thomas M'Rinnel sue* ceeded Mr Wright in 1736. Dr James Muirhead succeeded Mr M'Kinnel in 1770 or 1771. The celebrated oriental scholar, Dr Alexander Murray, afterwards Professor of Oriental Languages in the University of Edinburgh, was ordained assistant minister in this parish in 1806, and to be successor to Dr Muirhead, who died in 1808. John M'Whir succeeded Dr Murray in the year 18ia Registers. — The dncient parochial registers and other sessioo records of Urr are in a very imperfect, mutilated, and almost ille* gible condition. All the volumes to the year 1813 are more or URR. 351 less in this condiiioD. There is one volume from the jear 1640 to 1660, another from 1701 to aboot 1712, another from 1736 to about 1769, and another from 1770 to 18ia From 1813 down- wards, the session records have been kept with great accuracj. Buildings. — The parish church of Urr was rebuflt in the year 1814, and may contain 775 sitters. The manse was built a few years before the church. There are several dissenting meeting- houses in the parish ; and in the tillage of Dalbeattie, there is a Popish chapel which was built above thirty years ago. Land'-cumeri. — The land-owners of Urr are 34 in number, but the greater part of them are proprietors of comparatively small por- tions of the parish. The chief land-owners are at present, John Heron Maxwell, Esq. of Munshes; William Copland, Esq. of Colli- ston ; John Sinclair, Esq. of Redcastle ; William llaitland, Esq. of Achlane ; William Stothert, Esq. of Cargen ; William Young Henries, Esq. of Spottes ; and John Hyndman, Esq. of Milton. Antiquitie$* — Several motes and fortified camps are to be met with, both in Urr and the adjoining parishes of Buittle and Cross- michael. Tradition is silent as to the origin and use of these motes. The mote of Urr is perhaps the largest of the kind in Scotland. It stands on the west side of the river, about half a mile below the church. Though the fossae or ditches, and the general construction of Urr Mote are by no means Roman, yet about seventy years ago, some outworks remained, seemingly erected by that people. At Mill of Buittle, about a mile west from the Mote of Urr, there were found about sixty years ago, three small silver coins, one of Tiberius, one of Hadrian, and one of Commodus. On the estate of Mr Maxwell of Munshes, also, about two miles south-west of the mote, there were found several spears made of a very hard brass. Upon the estate of Edingbam, in this parish, about three miles south-east from the Mote of Urr, there was* found a tripod or three-footed pot of Roman construction, made of a very hard metal, which seems to be a composition of copper and tin. This vessel is in the possession of Mr Train o( Castle Douglas. Other two vessels, nearly of the same form with the one just mentioned, were found a few years ago on the farm of Rickhorn, in this pa- rish, at a considerable depth from the surface. There was also found in a peat moss (cut in the upper part in this parish,) a Ro- man javelin, which was presented to the late Sir Walter Scott, by Mr Train. 352 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. A very amusing account has been given respecting Robert de Bruce's gift of the mote referred to, to a woman named Sprotte. The story, called " King Bruce's Bowl," is related by Simon Sprotte. It was inserted in the Dumfries and Galloway Courier, 1st October 1822. On the estate of Redcastle, and about a mile east from the Mote of Urr, there is a rude block of granite of considerable height, standing upright in a plain field, but tradition is silent as to the purpose of this erection. Auchengibbert was the residence of the Buchanites, before they removed to Crocketford. The sect is now reduced to two individuals. 1 1 1. — Population. The return to Dr Webster in 17i>5 was 1 103 By the census of 1801, 1719 1811, . 2829 1821, 2862 1831, . 3096 1841, 3096 The villages of Dalbeattie and Springholm contain a popula* tion (a great proportion of which is Irish,) which the state of the surrounding country is unable to support by lawful industry. Hence poverty with its generally accompanying evils greatly pre- vails in these two villages. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — Agriculture, in this part of Scotland particularly, laboured long under great disadvantages, and, even after it began to improve, made very little progress for some time. About 150 years ago, some lands in this neighbourhood, which would now bring a rent upwards of L.200 Sterling per annum, wereoflfered to any tenant who would pay the public burdens. From the year 1688 to the year 1740, agriculture seems to have improved very little. In the year 1760, shell-marl was discovered in Gal- loway; and the abundant crops at first produced by the use of this calcareous manure caused a general tillage of large tracts of land, which had been set apart for the purpose of grazing black- cattle. A spirit of industry began then to be diffused among the tenantry and labourers; but it was afterwards discovered, that marl manure was used too copiously, which brought the land into a state of consequent sterility. Honest industry was also greatly cramped by the vicinity of the Isle of Man, with which the inhabitants of Galloway carried on an extensive smuggling trade. But that island having become subject, about the year 1760, to the revenue regulations of Great Britain, it is ioconceivaible liow much the agriculture of ever; parish in the maritime parts of Galloway was thereby benefited. Marl has long gone into desuetude in Galloway, and the calcareous manure substituted in its place is that of lime imported from the coast of Cutnberland, and of late bone-dust for turnip crop imported chiefly from lAverpoo]. A la^e quantity of grain is exported from this and adjacent parishes chiefly to Liverpool, and the farmers are both skiliiil and industrious. Oats, barley, wheat, turnip, and potatoes are the chief agricul- hiral produce of Urr. The annual rent of the parish is supposed to be about L. 16,000 Steriing. Lioe-Steck, — Horses, black-cattle, sheep, and swine are in ge- neral the lire-stocb. Sheep are fed in great numbers, especially of late years, upon the turnip crops, and the facilities now afforded of raising turnip by the recent use of bone manure, and of conveying fat sheep to Liverpool and other English markets, by means of steam-vessels, have greatly tended to increase the system of sheep feeding In this district of country. The rearing of pigs, and feeding them for the market, has long been carried on to a great extent in this country. Manufactories. — There is a paper manufactory in the village of Dalbeattie, where there are falls of water very favourable to the operations of machinery. There are also corn, flax, and saw-mills in different parts of the parish. V. — Parochial Ecohohv. Ecdttiattical Staie. — The situation of ihe parish church is upon the whole pretty central ; but the parish ought to be divided into tvo, with a church in each. Theamountof stipend is atpresent 16 cbalders, half oatmeal and half hariey, paid in money according to the Gars' prices of the country, and 1^,10 allowance for expenses attending the administration of the Lord's Supper. The glebe i» about t2 acres of extent, and worth about L.I6 per annum. Education. — The schools in this parish are at present eight in number, and in all of them the ordinary branches of education are mors or less taught. Three of these are parochial schools, — one in the centre of the parish, with an average attendance of 80 scholars ; another at Dalbeattie, with an attendance of 90 scholars ; and another at Milton, having 50 scholars. The salary, in toto, is L.51, 6s. 6d. Of this L.22, 8s. 9d. goes to the teacher K I RKCUDBBIOHT. Z 354 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. of the central school, which was originally the parish school ; about L.1 8 is allotted to the teacher of the school at Dalbeattie ; and about L. 1 1 is the appointed proportion of salary for the teacher of the school at Milton. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The number of paupers in the parish upon the regular poor's roll is 46 ; the number of those who receive occasional supply is 36. The regular poor receive at the rate of about L.1, 6s. per annum, the occasional poor about 16s. per annum. The rest of the expenditure goes to the support of orphans, salary for session- clerk, salary for church oflBcer, &c. The funds for the poor chiefly consist of the interest of L.lOO of mortified money left by the late Michael Herries, Esq. of Spottes, — a voluntary assessment from the heritors to the amount of L.56, and collections in the church to the amount of about L.40 per annum. 184a PARISH OF RERRICK.* PRESBYTERY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. JAMES THOMSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, Extent^ Boundaries, Sfc — This parish has borne, at dif- ferent periods, the names of Dundrennan, Monkton, and Rerwick, or Rerrick. The first of these appellations is derived from the Irish words Dun Drainan, signifying the Hill of Thorns — while, according to Symson, whose account of Galloway was compiled in 1684, the parish was called Monkton, from the monks who dwelt in the Abbey of Dundrennan. Chalmers again, in his Caledonia, while he admits Rerrick to be a name of difficult etymology, con- siders it as an ** abbreviated pronunciation of Rerwick, which was derived from a wick, or creek of Solway at this place."t 1^'^ can scarcely be considered a satisfactory account of the origin of * Communicated by a correspondent t Chalmers' Caledonia, toI. iii. p. 313. RERRICK. &iS the name of the parish, although it may be difficult to give any more plausible conjecture on the subject. The parish first ob-> tained its present name towards the close of the Eerenleenth cen- tury, when a new church was erected upon the lands of Berwick, forming part of the estate of Orroland, now the property of the infant son and heir of the late Robert Cutlar Fergusson, M. P. for the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. The parish of Rerrick is ten miles in length, and the average breadth is about six miles. It is bounded on the north by the pa- rish of Kelton ; on the east by the parish of Buittle and a Bay of Solway at the mouth of the water of Urr ; on the south by the. Solway ; and on the west by the parish of Kirkcudbright. The surface of Rernck is generally broken and varied. To- wards the north, it assumes a highland appearance, with a frontier of pretty considerable mouotaios, the most remarkable of which, both in height and picturesque character, is Bengairo. This mountain, covered with heath, and surmounted by a Cairn of al- most Druidical antiquity, rises to a height of about 1200 feet above the level of the sea, and overlooks the Solway in all its length, commanding a view, which in variety, magnificence, and extent, is scarcely to be surpassed on the most romantic shores of Scotland. From the base of the hills on the north the parish trends towards the south and west, exhibiting as it approaches the sea a series of bold and lofty headlands, and terminating in an iron- bound coast, of which it is enough to say, that it furnished to the author of Waverley the materials for much of the scenery of Ellangowan. In the romance of Guy Mannering, the reader will find the shores of Rernck delineated by the hand of a. master. The traveller who desires to visit this parish to advantage, should approach it from the village of Dalbeattie on the east. The road, after crossing the Water of Urr, and skirting the gra- nite rocks of Kirkennan, approaches Orchardton, the seat nf Co- lonel Maxwell, through the Holms of Glenyarrick. Few places, in the south of Scotland are richer in natural beauty than this. It is situated upon a deeply indented bay of Solway, and sur-. rounded on the east and west by the wooded promontories of Torr and Almorness. Towards the north, again, it is encompassed by an amphitheatre of hills, the most striking of which are Skreel and Bengaim. If the traveller has time, it will well repay his 356 RIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIIIE. trouble to witness from the summit of either of these mountains, the rising of the summer sun over Skiddaw and the Cumberland range. At such a moment, the broad and still waters of Solway, reflecting the dark and rocky shores of the Scottish coast, form a picture worthy the pencil of Claude. After leaving Orchardton, the road passes for nearly two miles along the shore, fringed with extensive plantations, till it reaches the village of Auchencairn, situated at the head of the bay of that name. This is a thriving place, with much of an English cha- racter in its general aspect. The houses are of a superior de- scription, — interspersed with trees,— built on no regular plan,— -but exhibiting, as a whole, that cheerful and riaui appearance for which the villages of the south are so remarkable. The neigh- bourhood is beautiful, commanding a full view of Orchaniton, and comprehending the mountain scenery already described, with Col- lin, the pleasant residence of Mr Welsh, at the head of the bay. A little to the south of the village stands the old mansion of Auchencairn, long the abode of the family of Culton of Aiicben- abony ; and two miles along the west side of the bay of Auch* encairn is situated the modern mansion of Nutwood, built by the late Major Culton, with its policy overhanging the water. Still farther down, upon the very margin of the bay, stands Bal- cary, the beautiful residence of Mrs Gordon, widow of the late Mr Gordon of Culvennan. The green isle of Heston forms a fine feature in the mouth of the bay« and, as it were^ landlocb it, giving to the whole much of the character of lake scenery. Outside the bay again, the shores of Rerrick, towards the west, and along the Heughi of Rascarrel, Barlocco, Orroland, Port- mary, and Netherlaw, present the boldest and most sublime fea- tures of coast scenery. Two caverns upon the Barlocco shore, call- ed the White and Black Cove, are particularly worthy of notice. The entrance to the former is as lofty as the mast of Mme grtat Ammircit and its vast extent reminds the spectator of the airy and echoing halls of Fingal in Staffa. The Black Cove is of ao opposite and gloomy character, and its dark caverns would form no unfit habitation for the Spirit of the Solway. For five miles to the west of Auchencairn, the road passes along com^ratively an uninteresting ridge of the parish, still, however, commanding fine views of the Solway and the English coast, till at length it opens upon the beautifiil and seclud^ valley of RERRICK. 357 Dundrennan, with the village and ruined Abbey in the fore- ground. It is impossible to tread this classic spot, without carrying back our recollections to the period when the Abbey of Dundrennan afforded a temporary shelter to the unfortunate Mary Stuart, dur* ing the last hours she spent in Scotland. Tradition has traced, probably with more of fancy than of accuracy, her course from Langside to the scene of her embarkation for England. It has been hitherto supposed that, passing through the wildest recesses of the Glenkens, she reached Queenshill, so named from her rest- ing sometime there, and now the seat of Mr Campbell, at the head of the Vale of the Tarf. Proceeding in the direction of Tong- land, she is said to have crossed the Dee by an ancient wooden bridge, which then spanned the river about a mile above that place. But this traditionary account of the QueenV progress from Lang- side to Dundrennan has been recently discredited by the publica- tion of Historical Memoirs of her reign by Lord Herries, the com- panion of her flight His account bears, that '^ so soone as the Queen saw the day lost, she was carried from the field by the Lords Herries, Fleming, and Livistoune. Prettie George Douglas and William the Fundlin escapt also with the Queen. She rode all night, and did not halt until she came to the Sanquhir. From thence she went to Terregles, the Lord Henries' hous, where she rested some few dayes, and then, against her friends' advyce, she resolved to goe to England and commit herselfe to the protection of Queen Elizabeth ; in hopes, by her assistance, to be repossess- ed again in her kingdome. So she embarked at a creek near Dundrennan, in Galloway, and carried the Lord Herries to attend her with his counsel, and landed at Cockermouth in Cumberland. Heer she stayed, and sent the Lord Herries to Londone in hopes to be receaved with honor."* Mary arrived at Dundrennan in the evening, and spent her last night in Scotland beneath the walls of the Monastery, then a mag- nificent and extensive building, and of which Edward Maxwell, a near relative of Lord Herries, was at the time Abbot. The situa- tion of Dundrennan Abbey has much natural beauty, indepen- dent of historical associations, to recommend it to the attention of the traveller. The building is now greatly dilapidated; but • Historical Memoirs of ilic Reign of Mary Queen of Scots, by Lord Hcrricfc. Kiiiu- burgh, 183H,p. 103. 358 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. enough still remains to indicate its former splendour. It is al- most entirely covered with a pale gray-coloured moss, which gives a character of peculiar and airy lightness to the lofty co- lumns and Gothic arches, many of which are entire. Placed upon a gentle eminence, on the bank of a rocky and sparkling burn, and surrounded on all sides, except the south, by a range of hills, Dundrennan forms an esception to the usual aspect of abbey scenery. There is little old wood near it, save in the deep and de- vious glens which intersect the adjacent grounds of Mr Maitland of Dundrennan ; but the neighbouring braes are generally clothed with copse, and afford from many points extensive views of the Solway, and of the mountains of Cumberland. From Newlaw hill, an eminence adjoining the residence of Mr Maitland, and forming part of the HUl of Thorns^ from which the place takes its name, the prospect is still more magnificent, com- manding, in addition to an almost boundless expanse of ocean, a view of the Isle of Man, and of the mountains of Mome iu Ire- land. It is not uncommon from this spot, as noticed in the ori- ginal Statistical Account of the parish, to have upwards of a hun- dred vessels in sight at one time, between St Bee's Head and the Mull of Galloway, which, from a well-known optical deception, seem elevated one above another, according to their distance, till the most remote appears as if actually dropping from the clouds; so that, in a certain state of the atmosphere, the ocean resembles an immense canvass suspended from the heavens, with an in6nit« variety of vessels pictured upon it. But seniiment^ no doubt, gives to Dundrennan its principal charm. These broken arches and tottering columns — these deserted cells and weed-grown aisles— these neglected monuments of belted knights and mitred abbots -^and this wide scene of ruin and desolation, melancholv and si- lent though they be, are all invested with an inexpressible charm, as far superior to that imparted by mere fine scenery, as the plea- sures of mind are to those of sense. For nearly forty years, the late Adam Maitland, Esq. of Dun- drennan was the principal resident heritor in the parish of Rerrick; and during this long period, it may be truly said that, within his sphere as a country gentleman, his life was devoted to objects of public usefulness and private benevolence. He turned his most zealous attention to every subject connected Jwith rural economy ; and the result of this may now be seen in the admirable roads and 360 K1RKCUDBBI0HT8HIRB. fated voyage to Englaod. It is situated in a little creek, surrooaded by vast and precipitous cliffs, and called Portmary in remembreoce of the Queen. Tbe scene is appropriately wild and sublime ; and the contemplative stranger who visits ii in the silliness of evening is apt to imagine that the waves fall here with a more mooroful dash upon the shore, and that the cadence of the autumn wind is more low and melancholy than elsewhere, as if Nature's self were conscious of, and lamented the unhappy event she had seen take place upon the spot* The residence of Portamry is immediately contiguous to the sea. This estate is entailed, and is now the property of Mr James . Lenox of New- York, the only son and heir of a native of Kirk- cudbright who migrated to America upwards of sixty years ago, and who recently died one of the richest men, and most emioeDt merchants in the United States. Along the coast of Solway to ihe east, Kes the estate and ancient mansion of Orroland. The late Mr Cutlar Fergusson, Member of Parliament for tbe Stewartiy, succeeded to this estate about thirty-five years ago, while still prosecuting hb professional pursuits in India. His brother, Mr Henry Fergusson, soon after removed from Crdgdarroch,-^o family residence in Dumfriesshire— to Orroland, where be com- menced an extensive system of improvements-modernising the mansion-house — rebuilding the farm-steadings— draining aod re- newing the fences — laying down extensive plantations in tbe most tasteful manner — and thereby giving a new character to this side of the parish. Still farther east we have Barlocco, the curious residence of Mr Macartney, hanging over the Solway, and Ibs- earrei, the property of Mr Vans Agnew of Sheucban, also conti- guous to the shore. This brings us again to the Bay of Aucbeo- cairn. To return to the valley of Dundrennan. From this point west- ward the parish of Rerrick assumes a pastoral character, till it terminates in Ihe farm of Castlecreavie, forming the western ex- tremity of the estate of Dundrennan, which abounds in Roman an- tiquities, and the higher grounds of which look down upon thedelr- cious scenery of St Mary's Isle and the Bay of Kirkcudbright To the east of Castlecreavie lies Auchengool, the property of Jobo • The substance of some of the preceding observations was furnished some i ^ since by the compiler of tbe present article to the " Picture of Scotland ;" '^*lj'u|.jfc far as they hate been repeated here} it is by permission of the very liberal pub ts of that work. RERRICK, ^1 Ramsay M^Culloch, Esq., the most distinguished political Econo- mistand Statistoftbeday. From this pointto the base of Bengairn, the surface of the parish is of a wild and upland description, thd greater part of it belonging to Mr Murray of Broughton. This seems enough in the way of a general description and survey of the parish. Minerabffy.'^TheTe is much in the parish of Rerrick deserving the attention of the mineralogist and natural philosopher. The range of hills, of which Bengairn is the summit, affords fine ex- amples of the granite formation, while the coast everywhere abounds with freestone of excellent quality, which has of late been moeh in request for building purposes. Upon the shore, in the immediate vicinity of Portmary, there is a remarkable natural arch of Barytes or Terra Ponderosa^ which, from its resemblance to a person in a state of suspension, has long borne the name of ihe HanffU Man. Some of the highest headlands in the parish, and particularly those in the vicinityoftheWhiteand Black Covesof Bar- looco, are composed of puddingstone, resting upon extensive beds of very hard freestone. In the Coves fine specimens may be occa- sionally obtained of jasper which takes a high polish, and rock- crystals of a pale purple colour and of the most perfect prismatic forms, abound in a small stream upon the hill of Screel, within the estate of Colonel Maxwell of Orchardton. In the lands of Auchenleek, in the eastern district of the pa- rish, formerly belonging to Lord Macartney, and now the pro- perty of Mr Henry, an iron mine has been opened under the ma- nagement of an English company. From fifty to seventy tons of ore of superior quality are obtahfied weekly, and it is sent chiefly to Birmingham and the neighbourhood. A mine of copper ore has also for some time been wrought in the Island of Heston, at the mouth of the Bay of Auchencaim. It is at present let on lease to an English tenant, and the ore is shipped to Swansea. PffrtSu — The facilities for shipping produce from Rerrick are considerable ; and three places on the coast have been declared free ports, — Balcarry, on Auchencaim Bay, Burnfoot, at the point where the Abbey burn enters the Solway, and MuUoch Bay, at the south-western extremity of the parish. The first of these is safe and commodious by nature, and the other two ports might be made so at a very inconsiderable expense. • 362 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. IL — Civil History. Parochial Registers — The register for births and marriages at Uerrick commences 22d December 1736, and the minutes of the kirk session of the parish 18th December 1751. The former has been very correctly kept since 1806, but very irregularly previous to that period. Antiquities, — Besides the ancient Cairn on the summit of Ben- gairn, already mentioned, the traces of two Druidical temples, and of no less than twelve camps, Saxon, Danish, and Roman, are extant in the parish. But beyond ail question, the roost re- markable and interesting remain of antiquity in Rerrick, is the Abbey of Dundrennan. Its situation, in valle reduda^ has been already described, and it only remains to give some slight notices of its foundation and history. The reign of David I. has been truly described as *< the great age of religious establishments" in Scotland. Fergus, Lord of Galloway, who was by marriage allied to the throne, emulated royalty in the '^ munificence of his foundations,"* one of the most remarkable of which was Dundrennan. He founded this Abbey in 1142, and filled it with Cistertian monks from the Abbey of Rievall, in England. Sylvanus was the first Abbot of Dundren- nan. He was transferred to Rievall in 1 167, and, according to Spottiswood, he died at Belleland in 1189; but Cardonael assigrns the previous year, 1 188» as the time, and Dundrennan as the place of his death. Those who are curious in such matters may be referred to Cardonnel's Antiquities of Scotland for a list of the successors of Sylvanus, the last of whom was Edward Maxwell, son to John Lord Herries, after whose death King James Sixth annexed the Abbey of Dundreonan to his Royal Chapel of Stir- ling. This annexation took place in 1621, and was ratified by Parliament in that year, and again in 1633. Symson, writing in 1684, says, '^ The Bishop of Dunblaine, asDeaneof the Chapel- Royal, is patron of the parish of Rerick, or Dundranen, and bath a part of his revenue paid out of the lands of that Abbacy; he hath also a bailerie here, heritablie exerc'd by the Earl of Nitbis- dale, whose jurisdiction reacheth over the whole parish, except one baronrie called Kirkcastel, belonging to the Laird of Brough- ton/'t * Caledonia, Vol. Hi. p. 301. f Symson 's Description of Galloway, p. 16. RERRICK. 963 The historical notices of the Abbey are generally extremely meagre. The Chronicle of Melrose^ the compilation of which has been frequently but erroneously ascribed to an Abbot of Dundrennan,* contains only this slight mention of the Abbey : — *^ Anno Jd.c.x.Lii, fundaia est Jbbatia De Dundraynan in Gal' wayaJ' Nor does Dempster's Apparatus give much additional information. " Dun d ran in Galweia* Fundat Cistersiensi or- dini S. Dauidy Rex. Hect Boeth, Lib. xii. Historiae Scotica^, pag. ccLXXiv; ex hoc S. Riehardus Sacruta fuit, et Thomas Abbas Fontificis elector Concilio Constantinensi mccccxxxix, qui Dunduno male ab Onufrio dicitur apud Joannem Gualterium Chron. Chronicorum, Demochares a Dundraina yocat."t Spot- tiswood is equally short and unsatisfactory in his account of Dun- drennan ;% but, according to the better authorities, he gives the honour of founding the Abbey, not to King David, but to his noble kinsman, the Lord of Galloway. Sir Robert Sibbald, in his Manuscript Collections, preserved in the Advocates' Library at Edinburgh, describes Dundrennan merely as a large Abbeys in the parish of Rerrick, *^ wherein the wisard, Michael Scott, lived."§ For this tradition, however, we ai*^ aware of no other or better authority. Although the building has suffered much from the devouring hand of time, and not a little from dilapidation, for the purposes of building cottages in the neighbourhood, the remains are still very considerable, and the original form and extent of the Abbey admits of being easily traced. The church of the monastery was in the form of a cross, with a central spire, which tradition represents to have been 200 feet high. The body of the build- ing was 120 feet in length, and divided into three aisles, by seven clustered columns, supporting arches entering to the side aisles, of great height and beauty. The breadth of each of the side aisles was about 15 feet, and that of the centre aisle 25 feet. The transept measured 120 feet from north to south, and 46 feet from east to west. The east end of the church was of the same breadth with the middle aisle, and only 35 feet in length. On the south side of * Vide Mr StevensoD's Preface to the Edition of Chronica de Mailroe, printed for the Bannatyne Club, pauim. f Dempsteri Apparatuty lib. i, cap. 15. X Religious Houses in Scotland, chap. ix. § 8. § Sibbald MSS., Adv. Lib., W. 5, 17. 364 KIRKCUDBBIOHTSHIRE. the cborch were the cloisters, containing a square area of 94 feet. Still farther south were the lodgings and different oflSces of die Monastery, occupying a space of nearly 300 feet square. At ibe south end, again, of the western side of these . buildings, was a small projecting erection in the shape of a cross, and very similar to the church but inverted-^those portions which fronted the east in the one facing the west in the other. There are still some ancient and curious monuments to be found at Dundrennan. Of these, the most remarkable is the tomb of Alan Lord of Galloway, sirnamed the Great Ck)nstable of Scotland, who was buried within the walls of the Abbey in the year 1233. His mutilated figure is rudely represented in olio relievo^ cross-legged, and in mail armour, with a buff coat above) a belt across the shoulder, and another round the waist h the neighbourhood this figure is generally known by the name of T!ie Belted Knight. There is also^ a tombstone bearing the figure of an Abbot in his canonicals, in tolerable preser?atioo ; but the inscription upon it is so much decayed as to be ille- gible. Although the Abbey of Dundrennan was indisputably annesei to the Crown in 1621, it was long matter of doubt whether it bad not been included in some of the later Crown charters under which the lands and barony of Dundrennan have been long held by the family to which they now belong. This point, however, was set at rest by the late Mr Maitland of Dundrennan, who some years ago presented a memorial to the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, representing strongly the constant dilapida- tion to which the ruins were exposed, and proposing to abandon all right of property in the Abbey, provided it should be placed under the permanent management and protection of the Grown. After due consideration, this proposition was acceded \o', and Mr Nixon, the Master of Works for the Board in Scotland, was authorized and directed to examine and report upon the state of the ruins. The result of this inquiry has been an extensive re- paration of the Abbey, and the enclosure of the building, along with the contiguous burying-ground, within a high stone wait. The accumulated debris of the ruins has been entirely removed, the pavement and precincts of the Abbey restored to their ori- ginal level, and the ancient monuments and many curious frag' ments of the building cleared and most tastefully disposed-^b^ RBRRICK. ^65 viho\e exhibiting one of the most beaiHifuI specimens of monastic antiquity now existing in Scotland. Mr Andrew Carter, school- master at Dundrennan, has been recently appointed Keeper of the Abbey, with an annual salary of L,5. The chartulary of Dundrennan does not appear to be extant ; but one or two charters, granted by the Abbots of this Abbey, are preserved in the Chapter-house at Westminster, with sojals, in a state of very perfect preservation. Principal JLand-owners, — These, with their respective valua- tions, are, — Sir Robert Abercroinby, Bart, of Birkenbog, - L. 1051 Alexander Murray of Brougbton, ... 820 Thomas Maitland of Dundrcnnati, - - 740 Robert Cutlar Fergusson of Orroland, a minor, - 603 Colonel Maxwell of Orchardton, - - - 347 Miss Culton of Auchnabony, - • - • 291 10 Lady Catherine Halket of Balig, - - 247 David Welsh of Collin, - - . - 192 13 4 Trustees of David Halliday of Mulloch, ^ . 185 Sir Graham Montgomery, Bart of Stanhope, - - 168 Patrick Vans Agnew of Sheuchan, - - 160 William Cairns of Torr, - - - - 150 Mrs Gordon of Balcarry, - - - 140 James Lenox of Port Mary, ... 130 o John Ramsay M'Cttllocb of Auchengool, - 115 Alexander McCartney of Barlocco, - - • 110 Earl of Selkirk, - . . . 93 6 8 James Thomson of Over Hazlefield, . - 90 Robert Cunningham of Nether Linkens, - - 60 John Carter of Castlehill, - - - - 50 David and Joseph Kiasock of Balmangan, - - 50 George and Thomas Uenderaon of Park, - - 40 James Henrv of Aucbenleek, - - - 35 Willkm Affleck of Upper Linkens, • - - 35 William C. Hamilton Blaehill, . . . 30 Margaret Kissock of Thorn, . - - - 13 5 Margaret Tait of Craigmallen, - • - 18 5 Total L.596U Principal Seats. — Orchardton, Dundrennan, Orroland, Nether- law, Balcarry, Collin, Nutwood, and Port Mary. Late in the seTenteenth century, when Sir Robert Sibbald compiled his Z)e- Bcriptian of Scotland^ the considerable houses of the parish of Rerrick are said to have been, ** Duodrainnan Abbay, Ba- loceo, Glenshionock, Orchartottn, and Colnachtyr."^ Glen- fihinnoch is generally understood to haye been the andent name of Orchardton^ while Colnachtyr, under the more modem appel- lation of Cooaightry, is now an outlying farm upon the estate of Mr Murray of Broughton. * Sibbald MSS. Adv. Lib., Jac. v., L 4. 3 866 KIIIKCUDBRIGHTSHIRB. III. — Population. Although population is generally stationary in parishes so purely agricultural and pastoral as Rerrick, there appears to have been a gradual and progressive increase in the number of in* habitants during the last half century. The return to Dr Web* ster in 1775 was only 1061 ; and it is stated in the former Sta- tistical Account, published in 1794| that the population of the parish was then nearly the same. But the more recent Parlia- mentary returns exhibit the following results: — In 1801, the popuUtion wMiiee 1811, • . 1224 1821, • • 1378 1881, • 1635 1841, • > 1692 As to the general character of the inhabitants of the parish it seems sufficient to repeat the kindly language of their late minis- ter, who knew them well. ** The people here/' says Mr Thom- son in the former Statistical Account, *^ are peaceable, humane, and hospitable, have a lively sense of decorum and character, and many of them give indubitable proofs that their minds are deeply imbued with rational piety." This was the character of the peo- ple of Rerrick in 1794, and at the distance of half a century, they have in no respect forfeited their claim to it. IV. — Indttstry. Agriculture. — The parish of Rerrick contains about 20,447 acres, standard imperial measure. Of these, 13,088 acres have been at one time or other under cultivation, while 6798 acres have never been cultivated, or otherwise used than as pasture. The remaining 561 acres are under wood, natural or planted. Of late years agTriculture^ properly so called, has not been ex- tending in the parish ; and, on the contrary, many of the finest farms have been laid down in permanent grass. In this way, black cattle may be considered as truly the staple commodity of the district, by which the farmer pays his rent and makes his livelihood. Bent of Land.— The real rent of the parish somewhat exceeds L.1 0,000 a year. In the poorer districts, the average rent of the Scotch acre runs from 15s. to 25s., but the rich old graxmgs of Dundrennan and Netherlaw yield a much higher rent. There are three corn mills in the parish, which appear to be amply su - ficient for the purposes of the farmer. 4 RERRICK. 367 Fishinffs. — Some years ago, a stake-net salmon fishing was established on the west side of the Bay of Auchencairn, by the proprietors of Balcary and Nutwood. It has been reasonably successful, yielding a steady and increasing rent. More recently, Mr Lenox of Port Mary has let the right of salmon fishing on the shores near to Burnfoot. The take of salmon here has not hitherto been great ; but the fish are of the finest quality. V. — Parochial Economy. Villaffes, — There are two villages in the parish, which have been already described, — the one at the head of the Bay of Auchencaim, and the other in the immediate vicinity of Dun- drennan Abbey. There are three licensed public-houses in Auchencairn, and two at Dundrennan, which are well kept and regulated. Ecclesiastical State. — The greater proportion of the inhabitants of the parish belong to the Established Church, although there is a most respectable congregation of the Free Church at Auchen- cairn, under the ministry of the Rev. Mr Murray. The patronage of the parish belongs to the Crown; and it is a remarkable fact, that there have only been four incumbents of Rerrick since the Revolution. The firist of these was the Rev. Mr Alexander Telfair, who is now chiefly known as the author of a very curious- tract, printed at Edinburgh in 1696, under the following title i^» A True Relation of an Apparition^ Expressions and Actings of a Spirit^ which infested the house of Andrew Mackie^ in Ring-croft of Stocking in the Paroch of Rerrick^ in theStewartrg ofKirkcud- bright^ in Scotland. 1695. It presents a curious picture of the -> times, that the truth of the details of supernatural agency con- tained in this relation *^ is attested, as wliat they saw, heard, and ftW by the ministers of Kells, Borgue, Crossmichael, Parton, and Kelton, and by several of the most respectable parishioners of Rerrick. Mr Telfair was succeeded, as minister of this parish, by Mr William Jameson, author of an ingenious Essay on Virtue and Harmony, published in 1749, and which indicates great metaphysical acuteness on the part of the writer. Mr Jameson died in 1 790, and was succeeded by the late Mr James Thom- son. In 1818, his son, the present incumbent, was appointed helper and successor to his father, who closed a long life of use- fulness and respectability as a parish minister in 1826. 368 KIRKCUDBUIOHTSHIRE* The stipend of Rerrick amounts to 16 chalders,of which LI6 is payable in money. The glebe extends to 16 imperial acres, and may be worth about Li»40 per annum. The manse was built in 1790. An addition was made to it in 181 1, and in the present year 1844, the heritors have again put it into a state of com- plete repair, and have erected a new steading of offices upon a convenient site. The manse is in a beautiful situation, im« mediately contiguous to the ruins of the abbey of Duudrennao, while the parish church is rather inconveniently situated more than a mile to the eastward on the road to Orroland. Education. — There are two parochial schools in the parish, one at the village of Dundrennan, and the other at the village of Au- chencairn. These schools are sufficient for the reception of the whole children in the parish, with the exception of those resident in a small district to the west of Bengairn, which, however, is for* tunately within two miles of one of the parish schools of Keltoo. The schoolmaster at Dundrennan has a salary of L,dO, and the schoolmaster at Auchencairn a salary of L.21, 6s. 8d. per anoum* Each of the schoolmasters has a free dwelling*house, aod the average amount of annual fees in each school may be stated at L.70. Savinffs Banks.— There is one in the parish. The average sum anually invested in it during the last three years has beeo L.169, and the average sum annually withdrawn L.63. Poor. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid IS 34, and the average weekly sum allotted to each individual is ls> 1 4d« The average annual amount of contributions for the reber of the poor has been for some time past L.99, 53., of which L.4i > 5s. is obtained from collections at the church door,-^Li^^ i* ^°' luntarily contributed by the heritors, — and L.5 is drawn from k* gacies and mortifications. There has not hitherto been any 1^ assessment for providing for the poor in Rerrick, although it ^ not improbable this may become necessary in consequence of t recent investigations by the Poor Law Commissioners* Juljf 1844. PARISH OF DALRY. PRESBYTBRY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. GEORGE PATER80N, MINISTER- L — TOPOGEAPHT AND NATURAL HiSTOET. This parish and those of Kells, Balmaclellaoi and Carsphairn, are supposed to have been anciently united. Name.— The name is derived horn Gaelic words signifying a Royal Vale}^>the land being hilly on the north and east, and be- coming beautifully level on the left bank of the Ken, and termi- nating in ground called the Holm of Dairy. Extent^ 4'^-^From north to south, the parish is about 15 miles long, and, from east to west, about 7 broad. It is bounded on the west by Carsphaim and Kells ; on the south, by Balmaclellan and Kells ; on the east, by Glencaim, in the county of Dumfries ; on the north, by New Cumnock in Ayrshire. It contains 26,172 Scottish, or 82,902 English acres. PlantatiofiSj Rivers, |fc. — Along the Ken, which is the boun- dary between this parish and Kells on the west for six miles or more, there are oak trees of considerable size, besides a variety of other species of trees in belts and ornamental clumps. The prin- cipal river is the Ken, which takes its rise near the northern ex- tremity of the parish, and, running south-west eight or nine miles, separates Dairy from Carsphaim, till it is joined by the Deugh. There, taking a new direction, it runs almost south, till it meets with a rivulet in Kells, called Palharrow. Thence it runs nearly south-east through rugged rocks, with many beautiful windings, till it meets with the Garpel, (a rivulet which, for a considerable way, is the boundary between thb parish and Balmaclellan.) From Bridge of Ken to Bridge of Allan- Gibbon, its bed is rock, and in some places of great depth from the top of the banks. The Blackwater, and the rivulets of Earlston, Stronfreggan, and Loch- invar burn in the parish, are tributaries to the Ken ; they all abound in trout, and salmon is frequently caiight in the Ken after speats, KIRKCUDBRIGHT. A a 3 70 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. and opening of the " Satterdaies Slop*' in the cnrives near Kirk- cudbright, where the Ken, after its junction with the Dee, falls into the sea. The lakes or lochs in the parish contain excellent trout, and are much resorted to by fishers. Those of Trostoo, Knocksting, Regland, Ardoch, and Knockman, are small, but that of Lochinvar is of considerable extent, scarce less than three miles in circuit, and containing an area of 50 acres. Geology. — Hard granite or whinstone rock abounds through- out the parish ; which is rarely wrought, from the requisite quan- tity of stone being found in loose and detached blocks on the sur- face of the moor or heath land, and commonly called heathens. In the Hill of Barlae, near the public road, between St John's of Dairy and Bridge of Ken, a slate*quarry, producing blue slate of durable quality, and large dimensions, has been wrought for some years. Zoology, — Most of the common descriptions of small birds are to be found. Red grouse, blackcock and grey-hen, partridges, snipes, pheasants, and hares are in considerable numbers. 11. — Civil History. Antiquities^ ^c, — In Lochinvar are to be seen the remains of an old building with bridges, said to have been a castle belonging to the Gordons, anciently knights of Lochinvar, and now Viscount of Kenmure and Lord of Lochinvar by restoration in 1824 to the titles forfeited in 1716. Not much above a mile from this loch, there is a large pile of stones covered with a whitish moss, from which it has probably got the name of the White Cairn. At a short distance from this, is another of smaller size, which is supposed to be a monument or trophy of an heroic achievement performed by the first Knight of Lochinvar, who on that very spot had the good fortune to kill a wild boar which infested that part of the country. Near the church of Dairy, and just at the brink of the Ken, there is one of those eminences called moats, which is still almost entire, and appears to great advantage from the Kells side of the river. From this moat a fine view of the river is obtained, and of the landscapes on each side of it. There is another moat in Lochrenny, on the border of the parish, but it is not conspicuous, as it stands on low ground. In the churchyard, which has been recently enclosed by a substantial stone and lime wall, there is an aisle of the old church, now quite detached from the new, which is the burial place of Viscount Kenmure. There is also a square piece of ground inclosed, with a blackish waJi DALRY. . 371 about seven feet high, with a bowl supported by a standard at each corner, which is the burying place of the Newalls of Bars- keoch. In the farm of Stronfreggan, there is a lai^e cairn, near to which, in a rivulet that runs by it, are two large stones, some- what resembling human figures : one of them is about ten feet long and quite entire^ the other is a little mutilated. In the farm of Altrye, near the top of a hill, there is a trench which seems to have been dug, capable of containing about 100 people* A person concealed in this trench can see to a considerable dis- tance, without being observed ; and the Whigs or Cameronians, as they are usually styled, are said to have frequently made use of it during the time of the persecution in Scotland, both as a place of refuge and of observation. Hence it obtained the name of the Whig Hole, which it bears to this day. At Benbreck and Manquhill, two contiguous farms, are the remains of buildings, which are said to have been the residence of an ancient branch of the noble family of Galloway. At Earlston there are the remains of a stately residence, in the form of a lofty square tower, which has its compeers in many parts of the country, and bears date over the door 1655, with the initials " W. G. and. M. H.;" supposed to be those of a former proprie- tor of name Gordon. With some repair and expense it might be made inhabitable, a strong oaken roof being in good repair. It is situated near the river Ken, and surrounded by a lawn and ex- tensive plantation of oak trees. *^ Earlston Linn" is an object of curiosity, and the water of the Ken falling over the rocks and then boiling up in the deep pools beneath, is heard at a distance. It is a barrier to the ascent of the salmon, large numbers falling an easy prey to fishermen with bag-nets. Modem Buildings. — The church and manse are situated within a mile of the southern boundary, and contiguous is a village, com- nionly known by the name of the Clachan, though its proper name is St John's Town of Dairy : from its modernized appearance, with its white-washed and slated houses, and neat gardens, it is en- titled more to the latter than the former appellation. Here the inhabitants are numerous compared with the rural population. The accommodation afforded to travellers is but limited. There is a post office, and coaches pass through the village daily, be- tween Ayr and Kirkcudbright. The licensed public houses in the village are six in number. Proprietors^ ^c. — The ancient valuation of the parish is L.7137, 372 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE* es. ed. Scots, and the real rent, L.5682, 18s. Sterling. The pro- prietors are, William Forbes of Callendar, Esq. ; Oswald, Esq. of Auchencruive ; John Eden Spalding, Esq. of Holme; John Shaw Alexander, Esq. of M^Kiktoun ; J. Kennedy, Esq. of Knockknalling ; John M^Turk, Esq. Knocksting ; the Duke of Buccleuch ; Lord Glenlee ; and the successor of Mr Watt, Ken- bank. III. — PoPULATtON. Amount of population in 1801, - 832 1811. - 1061 1821. - 1151 1831, - 1246 1841. - 1215 IV. — Industry. jlffriculture.'^The crops chiefly grown are barley, oats,tarD»p^ potatoes, and some rye. In proportion to the extent of the pansh, which is pastoral, the cultivated land is small, though increasing' Surface drains are made to a considerable extent, and are found to benefit the pasture, and where drains are put in meadows the bay is improved as well as increased. Limeworks are from twenty to thirty miles distant The roads are now generally improved and much extended throughout the parish. Breeding and rearing sheep and black-cattle are chiefly attended to, but there is little or no feed- ing to fat The fences are all made of stone, and dikers and road- makers are numerous. The farm-houses have been generally re- newed of late years, and chiefly slated. The climate is salubnous and snow soon disappears from the hills. Fuel— There are no coal works, nor has coal been discovered in the parish. It is carted from the Dalmellington coal pits, from fifteen to twenty miles distant Peat is a common article of fuel «» the parish, but the mosses of the best quality are nearly exhauste . v.— Parochial Economy. , Eccleriastical State The stipend is fifteen chalders, meal an barley in equal halves, L.9, Ts. lOd. money out of the teindsof t^ parish of Carsphairn, and L.8^ Gs. 8d. for communion «'^®"^ Extent of the glebe, 13 acres. The manse was rebuilt in 1»^^ at the cost of upwards of L. 1000, and in 1831 the churchjifa also rebuilt, at an expense of about L.1400 Sterling. Si* '^"°' dred of the population are attached to the Established Churc , and about 110 to the Dissenters. . . The Rev. Alexander M'Gowan was minister of the P*'^°y^ the period of 43 years, and died at the age of 81 in 18526. J December 1635, and bis successor is the present iDcumbent. Education. — The parochial school salary is the maximum, Lk5I, 6s. 6d., divided between two leachere, one at Smeaton Brid^ and another at Corseglass, with schooUrooms and other apartments in houses recently buill for them. The number of scholars at Smeaton Bridge is SO, and at Corseglass 1'2. There is another school, viz. the Dairy Free Grammar School, erected in 1658, far educating poor scholars for the university. It is at- tended by about 120 pupils. The endowment consists of the in- terest of a mortified sum of L>970, 17s. 6d., ten acres of land, and a dwelling-house and school-room. School fees in certain cases are paid by the pupils at the first two, at the rate of 25. per quarter, but none at the Free School. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of poor of all classes is 50. Average yearly amount of church collections for their behoof, L. 1 1 ; of mortclotb dues, &c. L. I, 3s. ; of assess- ment, L.210. SeptevtAtr 1844. PAEISH OF ANWOTH. rRBSDTTERT OF KIUECDDBUIGBT, SYNOD 07 CALLOWAY. THE REV. THOMAS JOHNSTONE. MINISTER.' I. — TOPOGBAPHT ANB NaTURAL HiSTDSY. Name. — The word Anwoth (anciently written AvonwailJi) means ihecourie or channel of the river. The term Avon, the original name of the Fleet, which bounds the parish on the east, was changed by the Anglo-Saxons (who, for four centuries previ- ously to 840, held possession of Galloway,) into Fleet, a name of synonymous import. ( Caledonia, vol, iii. p. 339.) Boundariei, Extent. — Anwoth is bounded on the south by Wig- ton and Fleet bays; on the east, by the parish of Girthon, from which it is separated by the river Fleet; and on the north and 874 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. west by the parish of Kirkmabreck. It is about six and a-half miles long from north-east to south-west, and three and a-half broad from east to west. The number of acres in the parish, accordiog to Ainslie's map of the Stewartry, is 9023. The ancient parish of Kirkdale, which lay between those of Anwotb and Kirkmabreck, was suppressed in 1635, and apportioned between these two pa- rishes, Kirkmabreck receiving the larger share. Topographical Appearances. — The &ea*board is generally flat, with the exception of one place on the south at Kirkclauch ; but though often rocky, it has no bold headlands. In the interior of the parish, the surface is uneven, broken, and hilly. The roost remarkable hill is Cairnharrow, lying partly in Anwoth and partlv in Kirkmabreck, the height of which is 1100 feet. The soil oo it is of a mossy kind, covered with heath intermixed with grass, and not much encumbered with rock. Cairnharrow is the highest eminence within twenty miles, with the exception of Caimsmore in the parish of Minnigaff ; and its summit commands one of the most interesting and exfensive views imaginable^ — not merely the adjacent country and bays of Wigton and Fleet, but the Isle of Mao, part of Cumberland, and the high land on the coast of Ireland. There are two natural caves in the parish, one on the farm of Kirk- clauch, the other on that of Auchenlarie, both on the sea shore, but neither of them of great extent. Climate. — The parish may be regarded as salubrious; but, while the air is mild and balmy on the sea coast, it is comparatively chilly and sharp on the west and north ; and snow remains od the tops of the hills, while it is unknown throughout the other por- tions of the parish. Hydrography. — Of the river Fleet, which bounds the parish on the east, a description has been already given under the article Girthon. The only other stream in Anwoth is Skyreburn (a Saxon term signifying cZear burn^) which rises in the farm of Ark- land, and, after a course of about four miles, falls into the bay of Fleet. Being a mountain stream, its waters rise with unusual ra- pidity, and swell to an extent that would do honour to a river of ^eater pretensions. " Skyreburn," says Symson, " having "S rise from Cairnsmore and the adjacent northern mountains, wii , even in the summer time, and in a moment almost, by reason o the mists and vapours in those hills, be so great, that it will oe hardly fordable, which occasioned the proverb ol Skyreburn swam- ing^ applicable to any trouble that comes suddenly and unexpe 376 KIRKCUDBRIGUTSHIBE. DO estate has changed proprietors, except by death, since the end of last century. The Gordons of Kenmure and collateral branched of the same fanoily, were for centuries proprietors of almost the whole of the parish ; but it is above a hundred years since any per- son of that name had property in it. Eminent Characters. — The most eminent person connected with this parish is Samuel Rutherford, who was minister of Anwotb from 1627 to 1639, with the exception of about eighteen month's previously to February 1638^ during which he was banished to Aberdeen. Of his numerous writings, the first, namely, Exerd- tationes Apologeticm pro Divina Gratia, was published in 1^9 when he held the cure of Anwoth. It issued from a foreign press (Amsterdam,) and was dedicated to Lord Kenmure, who, as patron of the parish, was the means of bringing him to Gallo- way, and who had a seat (Rusco Castle,) in this parish. Ruther- ford was appointed Professor of Divinity in St Mary's Coll^ St Andrews, in-1639 ; and, about eight years thereafter, he was elected Principal of that College. But the people of Anwotb were so anxious to retain him as their pastor, that they presented a strong petition to the commission of the General Assembly io that effect (See the petition of " the Elderschip and Parraish- enerie of ye paraishen of Anweth," in Murray's Life of Buther- ford, p. 353.) It has appended to it 180 names. Another ap- plication, of a similar tendency, was laid before the same bodyt entitled « The Humble Petition of Galloway,*' signed by ninety- five persons. (lb. 354.) Nor was Rutherford less averse to be se- parated from his flock than they were to retain him, for he pre- sented to the commission an urgent remonstrance from himself against the propriety of his removal. (lb. 151.) These various applications, however, were unsuccessful, and he was removed to St Andrews in the year already mentioned. But, notwithstand- ing the lapse of upwards of two centuries, Rutherford's name is still held in high veneration by the people of Anwoth ; and a mo- nument, consisting of a square granite pyramid, has, within the last three years, been erected to his memory. It is placed on Boreland Hill, is 56 feet high, and cost L.206, 6s. * Of Sir Godfrey M'Culloch of Merton, who resided at/^^ ness, (of which he was the alleged proprietor,) in this parish, and • The Rev. Dr Cooke of Belfast preached a sermon on the f^rm of ^^*^^^^. the 9th September 1938, when a collection was made to assist in raising r^^_^t mant, which amounted to L.5], Is. lOd. So great an interest was '"^^.^^ the Anwoth and the neighbouring parishes, and the object so highly appr€C»»«* people, that no fewer than nearly 5000 persons were present. liam Gordon, an ample account, including his " Last Speech," has been given in this work, under *' General Obserratious on the County of Wigton," (pp. 225-7,) contributed by the present writer. ColoDel William Maxwell, sod of the Rev, Mr Maxwell, mi- nister of Minnigaff, and the founder of the Maxwells of Cardo< ness, was a brave officer. He had the military command of Glas- gow during the Rebellion of 1715, and for bis gallant serrices was presented with a piece of plate by the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, ornamented with the arma of both places. He mar- ried Miss Stewart of Castle- Stewart, niece to William Gordon, designed of Cardoness, murdered by Sir Godfrey M'CuUoch. The late Dr Maxwell Garthshore, of London, has a claim to be mentioned in any account of Ibis parish. His father, (who was a son of Garthshore of GarthAore, a very ancient family,) was minister of Anwoth from 1714 to 1721, when he was translat- ed to IGrkcudbrigbt. Dr Garthshore died in London in 1812, at the age of eighty-two, having led an eminent and successful life as a physidan. He was the author of various papers on professional subjects, published either in medical journals, or in the Transac- tions of the Royal Society of London. He married MissM'Guf- fog, heiress of Rusco, in this parish. His only child, a son, pre- deceased him. The life of Dr Garthshore affords a striking proof of the eminence, wealth, and dignity, to which talents, when pro- perly directed, good principles, and exemplary conduct, cab ele- vate their possessor. (Murray's Literary History of Gtdlovtay, 1st edition, 1822, pp. 235-8 ; and Ewart's Bioyrap/iical Sketchet, London, 1830, pp. 180-232.) Martyr, — John Bell of Whiteside, in the parish, " was the only son," says Wodrow, {History, vol. iv. p. 241,) " of a gentle- woman, heiress of Whiteside, who, after his father's death, was married to the Visconnt of Kenmure." He had been forfeited in 1680, in consequence of bis having been engaged at the battle of Bothwell Bridge. In 1685, Bell, with Halliday of MayBeld, Lennox of Irelandton, and two others, were surprised by Grier- Eon of Lag, on Kirkconnell Muir, parish of Tongland, and bar^ barously shot on the spot, '* without so much as allowing them to pray, though earnestly desired." (Ib.242.) Bell was buried in the churchyard of Anwoth.* ■ The monumcDt erected to bii memory, ud itill earefull; praaened, bean tli* rolloving iiiiciiption : ^^^ KlRKCUOBRIGHTSHiaB. Antiquities, — There are two old baronial buildings in Aowotb, — the Tower of Rusco, and the Castle of Cardoness, — the former on the Fleet at the north-east of the parish, the latter on an abrupt eminence overlooking the bay at the mouth of the river. Both are of a square form, and very ancient ; but the date of their erec- tion cannot be ascertained. Rusco, though old and venerable, has recently been repaired^ and is inhabited, having been let as a shooting residence. Cardoness has been unroofed for nearlja century and a half, having not been inhabited since the time of Sr Godfrey M'Culloch. At the south-west of the parish is a beau- tiful moat, standing on a steep and rocky peninsula. It has beeo completely fortified by a deep trench cut across the narrow piece of ground that joins it with the mainland. Near the moat, stands a thin stone 5 feet 3 inches high, almost perpendicular, engraved oo both sides with the rude figufe of a cross, accompanied with several ornamental strokes, supposed by some antiquarians to be Ruoic in- scriptions. On the top of a hill, situated near the Castle of Cardo- ness, and about 300 feet above the level of the sea, is a vitrified fort, protected on the most accessible places by a double fosse. Tbetopi which forms a level area 30 paces long and 20 broad, b nearly sur- rounded by an irregular ridge of loose stones, which have been twisted and partly fused by the action of fire, and are intermixed with vast quantities of vitrified matter. These loose stones and vitrified matter are scattered irregularly over the top of the forf, and ex- hibit «o appearance of having ever formed a continuous wall. The vitrification is only partial and superficial. On the south of the fort, there is a broad flat stone, inscribed with various waving and spiral lines, of which the meaning is not known. Near it were '^ Here lyes John Bell of Whyteside, who was barbarously shot to death in tbe Farocb of Tonglandy at the command of Grier of Lag, anno 1685. **• This monument shaU tell posterity That blessed Bell of Whitesyde here doth lye. Who at command of bloody Lag was shot* A murder strange which should not be forgot. Douglas of Morton did him quarters give. Yet cruel Lag would not let him survive. This martyr sought some time to recommend His soul to God before his days should end. The tyrant 8atd» What, dev*l yo*ve pray*d enough This long seven years on mountain and in cleuch ; And instanUy causM him, with other four, Be shot to death upon Kirkconnel Moor : So thus did end the lives of these dear saints For there adherence to the Covenants." ANWOTH. 879 found, about sixty years ago, several silver coins; one of Edward VI. ; the rest of Queen Elizabeth. Under the head of antiquities may be named the old church of Anwoth, built in 1626.* It was used as a place of worship till within the last twenty years. Though a new church has been built, the heritors, in good taste, have preserved the ancient build- ing, which is of a barn-like appearance, and is one of the small- est and most humble we have seen ; its length being .64 feet 7 inches; its width, 18 feet 3 inches; the side walls being only 10 feet high. The pulpit is of oak, so perforated that it is probable it had been used for some purpose previously to its being convert- ed to the use which it has so long served. Several of the seats are of the same wood, and most of them that are so are embel- lished with carving. Two may be mentioned ; one bearing the date of 1631, the other of 1633, — a proof that the church had been erected some years before the seating of it had been* completed. The former of these was that of the family of Bell of Hinton, and bears the initials ,F. R The latter has the letters J. W. carv- ed on it above the representation of the family arms. These ini- tials refer to John or James Walker, of whom nothing is known except that their names appear among the signatures to the PetU tionfivm Anwoth in 1639. The church bell is said to have been a present from Lady Kenmure ; and to have been previously used at Rusco Castle as a dinner bell ; a thing not improbable from its dimensions, namely 11 inches in diameter, and 13 inches high. Bushy- Bield, the house in which Rutherford lived at Anwoth, and which, as the name imports, stood in a sheltered situation surrounded with wood, continued standing till the year 1827, when it was pulled down. It was of a baronial character, and was not, it is probable, built for Rutherford, but had previously been the residence of a private gentleman. It was never in the glebe, and the farm on which it was situated is now the property- of Mr Murray of Broughton. A walk close by, which Rutherford was accustomed to fre- * This church was built immediately previous to Rutherford's being brought to Anwoth. There was no manse at thia time ; nor indeed while he remained in the parish. The truth is, the three contiguous parishes of Anwoth, Kirkdale, and Kirk- mabreck, were united quoad aacra^ though distinct quoad eivUia^ for some time at least before Rutherford's induction ; the cure of the three parishes being under the minis- try of one clergyman, (Mr Dalgleish.) The people of Anwoth at that time had ser- mon only '* everie second Sabbath, by reasone of anc moat inconvenient unione with uther twa kirkis." {Life of Rutherford, p. 2a} 380 KiBKCUDBRIGHTSUtRB. quent, is still deDominated Rutherford $ WaXk^ It was here, as tradition bears, where he recognized Archbishop Usher, having overheard him engaged in prayer on behalf of the people of his diocese. The tradition is as follows : — The archbishop on passing through Galloway, urged by the admiration he entertained for Rutherford's character, paid him a yisit in disguise at Anwotb, and was most hospitably received. He arrived at Bushy*Bield on a Saturday, on the evening of which day the minister was in the habit of catechising his family on religious subjects. The stranger is reported to have been asked ^* How many command- ments are there ?" — to which he answered eleven ; and on being reminded that there are only ten, he quoted, in corroboration of the correctness of his reply, the words of our Saviour, **anew commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.** The ability of these answers surprised Rutherford. On the following morning the stranger was accidentally recognised. Being over- heard by his host, (in a thicket adjoining his favourite walk,) en- gaged in prayer, couched in language of uncommon felicity, and containing allusions to the people under his spiritual care, Ru- therford immediately thereafter took an opportunity of stating his suspicion as to the rank and character of his guest. Usher frankly confessed the truth, and explained the circumstance on the ground that, being anxious to see a man of whom he bad heard so much and thought so highly, and suspecting that he might be averse to receive the visit of a bishop if he knew him to be such, he had been induced to assume a disguise to accomplish his object. Rutherford welcomed him with great cordiality, as a man venerable ^equally for learning and piety. He requested him to preach to his people, as it was Sabbath, which Usher readily consented to do, adopting the Presbyterian form of worship^ and laying aside for a time the Episcopal ceremonies. His text was the *^ new commandment*' mentioned above. * There is another tradition connected with this period that can- not be passed over in silence. Between the church of Anwoth and Skyreburn there is a level piece of ground on the farm of Mossrobio, where the people, in Rutherford's days, were wont to assemble after sermon on Sabbath, and play at football ; a practice the minister is said not to have denounced and condemned from the pulpit only, but, following them to the scene of their amuse- ment, solemnly to have reproved them there, calling on the oh- ANWOTH. 881 jects around him, particularly three large stones, to witness be- tween them and him, that, however they might continue to be- have, he had done his duty. Two of these stones still remain, and ate known under the name of ** Rutherford'^s witnesses." The history of the removal of the third is curious, and savours much of superstitious feelings that have not yet entirely disappeared. A person employed in building a fence wished to avail himself of these stones, when a fellow-labourer remonstrated with him on the subject, and warned him of the danger of laying a sacrilegious hand on objects so sacred. This warning he scornfully disregarded, and he removed one of them, uttering expressions little respectful to the earnest piety which had given them distinction. The re- sult is said to have been such as had been feared. The man soon after came to a violent end, which was viewed as a judgment from heaven, in consequence of the alleged unhallowed and profane act of which he had been guilty. One report says, that the person having declared, in answer to. the warning he had received, that he would remove the stone ere he broke his fast, was choked with the first mouthful he attempted to swallow. The tradition, in one shape or another, is pretty generally believed by the less educated portion of the people. The inhabitants of Anwoth still hold these ** witnesses'* in veneration.* It may be mentioned that, in 1574, the well-known Robert Campbell of Kinyeancleuch (Ayrshire,) accompanied by John Davidson, afterwards minister of Prestonpans, paid a visit to Rusco Castle, the residence of Sir John Gordon of Lochinvar, grandfa- therof the first Lord Kenmure. Kinyeancleuch was seized with fever soon after his arrival, and died there in less than a fortnight's illness. Maxwell, laird of Stroquhan, Dumfriesshire; was drowned in the river Fleet, in 1699, under the following circumstances: He had been on a visit to Brown, a gentleman resident in Bushy- Bield, for whose daughter, Jane Brown, he was said to entertain an attachment He is also said to have been unsuccessful in his addresses to the young lady, who afterwards became the wife of the Rev. Patrick Johnston, minister of Girthon, and was the great-grandmother of the present Right Hon. Sir Alexander John- ston of Carnsalloch. At all events, he is represented to have left Bushy- Bield abruptly, and on the evening of the same day, he was * Life of Rutherford, ut tupra^ pp. 348-9, and 358-9. 382 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. drowned in the Fleet at a place called ** Stroquhan's pooli" in com- memoration of the mournful accident.* Mansion-houses. — These are, Cardoness,— ^»ot the castle of that name, which has, for nearly a century and a half, been uoiobabit- able, but a comparatively modern house, built by the Maxwell fa- mily, — Ardwall, Kirkclauch, Rusco House, built about the bogin- ning of the present century, and the Tower of Rusco, which is in- habited, not by the proprietor, but by a tenant* III. — Population. The population in 1841 was 883; in 1831, it was 830; in 1821, 845; in 1811, 740; in 1801, 637; and in 1755,530. Exclusive of Fleet Street, a suburb of Gatehouse extending ioto Anwoth, and which is of recent origin, the number of inhabitants * We shall giTe a quotation firom Terses written on the occasion, and which hate been preserved traditionally for the long space of nearly a century asd a-faalf.t Lately alone as I went on The pleasant banks of Fleet* The sisters nine whispering syne* Invited me to weep. *Twas in November ninety-nine This tragedy befel, Which of Stroquhan, that gentleman. Now ruefully I tell. • « • « • From Bushy- Bield to Rusco Place And Lag without delay, — At all these three kindly he Invited was to stay. But generously promised had he To meet some gentlemen To hunt on Dee, but rather he Was forced unto his en*. He late did ride, without a guide, Along a lanesome stank. His stumbling horse fell from his course Out owre the water's bank. The night was dark, the water stark. And nane to help the man. Till death accoat, and so was lost Brave Maxwell of Stroquhan. • * • « • Ye poets, with your trumps of fame, Now loud and rapidly Proclaim the man, I mean Stroquhan, Of glorious memory. t Mr Nicholson of Kirkcudbright, in his Hittorical and TradUUmal Tales (1843), has published a version of these uncouth verses somewhat different from that which is familiar to the present writer, and has taken no notice of the circumstances above stated. There are other discrepancies between the two versions ; but our informant, a person of a most tenacious memory, a distant relative of Miss Brown, and bom 117 years ago, near the spot where the accident happened, seems to us to be unezoeptioo- able authority. We refer to Elisabeth Coughtrv, who was born at Tannie&d, parish of Girthon, in 1727. ANWOTH. SeS in the landward portion of the parish may be regarded as almost stationary since the period last mentioned, or for the last 80 years. Indeed, in 1792, previously to the existence of Fleet Street, the population was 492 ; so that it had actually diminished between these two periods. In 1841, the population of 883 consisted of 402 males and 481 females. IV. — Industry. AgricuUure.^^Oi the 9023 acres of which the parish consists, about one-fourth is arable and meadow, and the remaining three- fourths woodlands or hill pasture. Leases generally vary in dura- tion from fifteen to nineteen years. The rent of arable land about L.1 per acre; of pasture land, from 5s. to 10s. The farm tene- ments are, on the whole, very commodious and substantial build- ings ; and the most approved system of agriculture prevails. The breed of black cattle are chiefly of the pure Galloway kind, with a few of Highland and Irish descent. The sheep are mostly of the black-faced breed, with a few Leicesters and Southdowns. Mines. — There is a lead mine on the estate of Rusco, which has been in operation at intervals for about thirty years. No great quan- tity of ore has been raised from it; and to most of the companies who have successively undertaken to work it, it has not proved a profit- able speculation. It is at present in the hands of a company from Cumberland, and report speaks favourably of its produce. The vein can be more or less distinctly traced across the whole parish. Both copper and zinc ores have been detected in the mine, but in small quantities. Lead has been found on the farm of Kirkbride, the property of Mr Murray of Broughton, and has been partially wrought, but with little success. Rental — From the assessment for the property-tax, it appears that the total rental of the parish is L.4019, exclusive of the land and wood-land in the possession of the proprietors, which may amount to about L. .526, making the aggregate rental L. 4545. The total rental, according to the old Statistical Account, pub- lished in 1794, was L.2200; so that the value of land in the pa- rish has more than doubled within the last fifty years. Wages* — The annual wages of a good agricultural servant, un-s. married, are between L.10 and L.1 2, including victuals; of a good cot-man, with a house and' garden, but exclusive of victuals, between L.20 and L.24 ; and of a good female servant, between L.5 and L.6 with victuals. The wages of an able labourer, exclusive of victuals, average Is. 6d. per day in summer, and 384 KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. Is. 4d. in winter ; and a female's wages, also without victuals, average about 8d. per day for turnip work, lOd. per day for hay, and Is. 6d. for harvest work. The number of agricultural la- bourers in the parish is about 45 ; of artisans, about 20. There are no able-bodied labourers who cannot find employment. The price of meal is from Is. 6d. to Is. 8d. per imperial stone ; of po- tatoes, 12s. per boll ; of coals, L.1, 8s. per ton of 36 cwt V. — Parochial Economt. Market'4oum* — The market-town of Gatehouse is divided from the parish by the Fleet ; of which, indeed, a considerable portion, called Fleet Street, lies on the Anwoth side of the river. There is no village nor post-office in the parish, Gatehouse being the post town. Roads. — The turnpike road between Dumfries and Portpatrick runs through the parish, nearly along the line of the shore. Pre- viously to its being opened about forty years ago, the public road was most inconvenient, and almost impracticable. It left the shore at Gatehouse, and, regardless of hills or any obstruction, it weot by a somewhat irregular line over the Corse of Slakes, an eminence about 800 feet above the level of the sea. The distance from Gratehouse to Creetown i3 three miles and a-half greater, but the road is nearly a dead level, and is one of the best in Scotland, af- fording one of the most beautiful and picturesque drives that can easily be imagined. Some of the parish roads are good ; others are much neglected. A mail coach passes through the parish daily, to and from Dumfries and Portpatrick respectively. EccksiaUical State. — The parish church is situated rather more than a mile from Gatehouse, and about half a mile inland from the Fleet. It was built about seventeen years ago on a piece of ground about 250 yards from the old venerable structure, and is most substantial and commodious. The manse, which of late has undergone extensive repairs, and is a superior building, is within a quarter of a mile from the church. The glebe contains about 7 acres ; and the stipend, according to the Report of the Com- missioners of Religious Instruction in Scotland, is L. 247, lOs. 7d. leaving a surplus of vacant teinds to the amount of L. 41, Ids. H* The stipend, however, is variable, as all the proprietors, except those of Cardoness and Kirkdale, who pay in money, are assessed according to the Gar's prices.* Sir David Maxwell of Cardoness is * We may state that the stipend, in Rutherford'^ time, consisted of 200 merki Scots, (about L.l I Sterling), derived from the teiods of the parish, and of • ^*'°' tary contribution on the part of hisheareis.— -Z^i/^ of Ruiherji>rd, p. 41 . ANWOTH. 385 the patron. The number of communicants in the parbh church has not of late years been less than 250, nor more than 300. There is a Dissenting chapel in Anwoth at Fleet Streetj belong- ing to the Secession, but only about forty persons in the parish attend it. The number of Roman Catholics is about 20. There are a few ^* Free Church" adherents in the parish, who attend public worship in Gatehouse. The following is a list of the mi- nisters of the parish since the Revolution : Michael Bruce, 1689; Thomas Hay, 1696 ; Greoif^e Grarthshore, 1714 ; William Ainslie, 1724 ; John Welsh, 1727 ; Robert Carson, 1753 ; William Gor- done, 1770; Hugh Gordon, 1790; Thomas TurnbuU, 1809; Thomas Johnstone, 1839. Education.'^There is one parish school with the maximum sa- lai^, besides two Sabbath schools. The salary of the parochial teacher is the maximum. There are 20 children whose parents are unable to pay school fees, who receive their education gratis. Poor. — The number of paupers on the permanent roll is 16 ; on the occasional, 6. There is no legal assessment. The church collections on Sabbath average fully L. 40 yearly ; and there is an annual income of L. 4, 10s. 4d. from a mortification ; in addition to which there is a small sum, varying in amount, from the usual parochial sources. But the heritors voluntarily contribute such a sum additional (generally about L. 30) as may be required for the support of the poor. From the poor's funds are paid the salaries of the precentor, beadle, session- clerk, presbytery and synod clerks and presbytery officer. The total sum disbursed in 1848 was L. 80. Mr Murray of Broughton makes an annual allowance to a medical man for attending the poor, both in Girthon and An- woth. There is no pawnbroker's shop in the parish ; nor is there any begging on the part of the inhabitants. Inns. — There are two inns, both in Fleet Street. Savings Bank, — There is no institution of this kind in the pa- rish ; but not a few of the parishioners take advantage of the sav- ings bank in Gatehouse. Library, — There is one circulating library in the parish. Miscellaneous Observations. Anwoth, from its being chiefly a pastoral parish, has perhaps undergone as few changes within the last fifty years as any other district in the south of Scotland. There are, however, some de- partments in which a favourable contrast may be drawn, within that period. A new turnpike road has been made through the KIRKCUDBRIGHT. Bb 38G KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. parish ; and the old line by the Corse of Slakes (which was b; far the steepest and the longest road-ascent in Galloway)} bas been virtually abandoned ; the Fleet canal has been con- structed ; a new church and manse have been built ; the church collections have risen from L.14 to L.40; the stipend has been tripled; the schoolmaster's salary has advanced from L.11 to L.d4^ 4s. 4^d.; the rental of the parish has been doubled; tbe houses of the farmers, and their general style of living, have been much improved; superstitious opinions aregreatly weakened, if not eradicated, unless on the part of the older portion of the po- pulation, or in the more remote and thinly inhabited districts of the parish ; tbe wages of labour have increased about 25 per cent., while the price of the leading articles of food, meal and potatoes, for example, is about the same as in 1794; butcher* meat being a little higher, but clothing much cheaper* Indeed as to female servants, their wages are stated at L.1, 15s. per half year at that date: They now vary from 1/.2, 10s. to L.3. Peat was the only fuel used in the parish, except by the resident heritors, in 1794 ; about equal quantities of coal (brought from the opposite coast of Cumberland) and peat are now burnt. The number of paupers, however, has risen, within the last 6fly years, from 10 to 21. The church collections, and the usual parochial revenue were, in 1794, sufficient for their relief; now, though all these sources of income have become more ample, the heritors have to advance a yearly sum of about L.dO. On the whole, however, the standard of living and the means of comfort among all classes are greatly elevated, and the character and condition of the people have been improved. Octdber 1844. STEWARTRY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT. This Stewartry is situate betwixt 54° A^ and 55° Id' north lat, and 3° 83' and 4° 84' west long. It ia bounded on the north, by the shires of Dumfries and Ayr ; on the east and south, by the Solway Frith and the Irish Sea ; on the west, by the county of Wigton. It extends from east to west above 48 miles ; and its breadth varies from 17 to 30 miles. It contains about 882 square miles. About two-thirds of the surface is mountainous ; and it is calculated that about 110,000 acres are cultivated. The valued rent is L. 114,637, 2s. Scots. The real rent in 1831 amounted to L.213>308. The Stewartry has a constituency of 1336, and sends one mem- ber to Parliament. The population in 1841 amounted to 41,119. The occupations of the people, according to the census of 1831, were as follows:— Occupiers of land employing lebourers, 87 1 Do. not employing labourers, 4d0 L4ibourers employed in agriculture, 2648 Employed in manufactures, . 529 in retail trade and handicraft, • 2299 Capitalists, bankers, &o. 440 Labourers not agricultural, 1076 Other males 20 years of age, 805 Male serTants, ..... 106 Female terrants, .... 2378 *1 9 09 on I o I I en eg H iJ 9 H IS 4 00 r« 00 g (N O o 3 JO .9o CO _. 00 o (O ooo o oo o 09 ooo O Ot>> O o*9OC0 9« r^O O •^ eii yf ^ C9 eo 00 00 S; S S i S 9 'C • c ^ oX 00 ^ o o ^ oo eo C9 d o o eo o o o i •iBa at "looM^S i 1 IS •sn'S O E « I •OQ -OQ BI«npiAipui '^O ^ o 00 o eioie^oooooooooo :eic4(NoooG«G«ciococoo cooo^«^•Cl^«o»a)0*o•--•o '^^•-^co0^«Q^CO «0»C-^'^'H«l>»«>-t»«."«lf^b»^«»t>»0»-<»-<©OOeOOJ^H^O CiCo« C« ^00 ;:;;=; ij :^ O Oi *o o 'poaag 40 "Sid JOfldlJJIOTi ©4 04 •iWipiAipUI eo CO »o I'* • • *o m uoDiqudOci I— I ^H -^ O 1-4 ^•o> o «o 00 eo 00 eo or 00 *o c«*o w^ 00 00 04 CO •o n o o s C4 "O *Q CO CO CO O » o o I .5 1 i^ 5 O '^ Ci a I JD 3 o i2 en i 'C A* s 1 •a a ■1« ri3 J I »4 o I ill! 3 O o o ©1 o o 9) 9) o :c ;0 C4 9} 3) o o o o s s * e« o o e o o -^ O CO o "* o >-4 GO o o o o O O 00 *o eo ^ ^•^ '^ 0* o o <0 00 9 o o o> -.««* O "^ ^ o O ^ O) o « 00 CO 00 "<<• eo eo -^ CO o o o -^ 00 o e o . 00 o» «o to eo « ^ eo » Ci 00 I •TV 8 h I ^3 .^ ^ ^^^ t E I"! <2 .S^ INDEX. Abbey of Dimdrennan, the, 357, 36*2 — of Lincluden, 232~of Sweetheart, 249 — ofToogland, 88 Abbots tower, niins of, 250 Academy, Kirkcudbright, 33 — Borgue, 61 Achenreoch loch, 347 Achenskeoch, niins of castle at, 216 Agxiculture and rural statistics, 27, 41, 57, 94, 105, 113, 135, 163, 186, 197, 205, 216, 221, 227,233, 239, 252,261, 270, 277, 284, 288, 300, 336, 352, 366, 372, 383 Agricultural Society, Kelton, 167 Agricola in Kirkcudbright, 10 Alan, Lord of Qalloway, monument of, 364 Aldus, King, supposed remains of, 332 " Alwhannie Nowes, the, 277 Antiquities, 19, 39, 53, 87, 103, HI, 128, 153, 181, 195, 203, 216, 220, 227, 232, 238, 249, 258, 277, 283,287, 297,331, 351, 362, 370, 378 Anwotl}, parish of^ 373 Arbigland house, 235, 238 Arch, natural, in Rerrick, 361 Ardoch, loch, 370 Aidwall house, 382 Areeming, ruins of church at, 259 Argrennan house, 89 Arundel house, 226 Auchencaim house and village, 356 AuchencruiTe house, 269 Auchendolly, mineral spring at, 192 Auchengool house, 360 Auchlane bum, 146 Auld bum, 266 Bag nets, fishing for salmon by, 80 Balcarry house, 356, 365 — port of, 361 Balmaclellan, parish of, 98--village, 104 Balmae house, 25 Balnmghie, parish of, 178 — house, 183 Balmangan tower, ruins of, 54 Banks in Castle-Douglas, 169 — in Kirk- cudbright, 32 Barbour, James, of Dunmuir, improve- ments by, 163 Barcloy, fort on* 216 Bargally house, 134 Baigrennan, chapel at, 140 Barhohn, 334 KIRKCUDBRIGHT. Barlae, slate quarry of, 370 Barlocco house, 360 Bamhowrie, sandbank of, 217 Barton, John, burial-place of, 1 7 Barwhinnock house, 40 Bedstead, ancient, 183 Bell, John, a covenanter, death of, 16, 377 — ^monument to, 378 Benbreck, ruins of castle at, 371 Bengaim hill, 145, 355 Bennan hill, 108 Biggar, Jean, bequest by, 27) Bishop^s forest, hill of the, 266 Black cove of Rerrick, the, 356 Black water, the, 369 Blackadder, Rev. Mr, 226 Blacklock, Dr Thomas, 18 Boat green, port of, 375— village of, 303 Bombie, tutor of, death of, 12, 156, 182 Bombie castle, ruins of^ 20 — mains, Ro- man camp at, t6. Bordand, dun of, 53 Bomess, headland of, 48 Borgue, parish of, 47 Borrow point, 235 Boas cairns, the, 131 Botany, 9, 51, 66, 102, 110, 121, 150, 276, 283, 293, 322, 375 Brick &ctory in Qirthon, 303 Bridge of Dee, village of, 188 Bridge of Orr, village of, 260 Bridges, see Roads. British forts in Borgue, 53 — in Kirkcud- br^t, 19->in Twynholm, 39 Bromland house, 226 Brown, Gilbert, 250, 326— Dr Thomas, birth-place, dcetch of the life, and bu- rial-place of, 328 Bruce, traditions regarding, 124, 352 Buchanites, sect of the, 262, 352 Buckland bum, 5 Buittle, parish of^ 200 — castle, remains 0^203 Bumfoot, port of, 361 Bush park, moat at, 298 Bushy Bield, the, 379 Caerbantorgium, fort of, 19 Cairn water, the, 231, 265, 267 Cairns on Bengaim, 355 — in Carsphairn, 277 — in Crossmichael, 195, 196— in C C 392 KIRKCUDBRIGHT. Dairy, 370— in Kelton, 1 53— in Kirk- gunzeon, 2*20 — in Kirkmabreck, 332, 333— in Minnigaff, 128, 131, 132— in Parton, 28^ Cairnharrow hill, 314, 374 Cairaholy, and traditions regarding it, 333, 334 Caimsmuir hill, 118, 274, 314 — house, 134 Cally house, 297 — ^ruins of the old, ib. Campbell, Admiral John, birth-place of, 237— Robert, 381 Camps, ancient, in Rerrick, 362 Canoes found in Carlinwark loch, 155 Cardonness castle, ruins of, 378 — ^liouse, 382 Cargen house, 225— water, 224, 231, 287 Cargenholm house, 226 Carlinels cairn hill, 274 Carlinwark house, 161 — loch, 147 Carpenter, John, 1 7 Carruchan house, 226 Carse, bay of, 235.— British camp At, 20 Carsphaim, parish of, 273 Castle-Douglas, town of, 167 Castle Hayne, ruins' of, 54 Casscncam'e house,' 335 Castrammon, moat at,- 298 Cathcart, Colonel Mrumlawhinnie, cairn o^ 131 Duchrae house, 184 Dullaig, mineral spring at, 282 Dun, James and Robert, death of, 124 Pun of Boreland, the, 53 Dunbar, Mr, bequest by, 141 Duncan, Rev. George, bequest by, 290 Dundrennan abbey, ruins and history of, 367, 362— house, 366— vaUey of, 860 —village of, 357, 859 Dungeon loch, 110 Diuigyle hill, 145— fort on, 153 Dunrod church, ruins of, 22 , Earlston castle, ruins of, 371 — ^house, 56 —linn, 371— water, 369 Ecclesiastical statistics, 28, 44, 60, 96, 106, 114, 140, 170, 188, 198, 212,217, 222, 229, 233, 242, 253, 262, 271, 279, 285, 289, 306, 343, 351, 353, 367,372, 384 — general, of the county, 388 Education, statistics of, 33, 45, 61, 96, 107, 115, 141, 174, 188, 199, 213,222, 229, 233, 242, 254, 263, 271, 279,285, 290, 308, 345, 353, 368, 373, 385— ge- neral, of the county, 388 Edward I., notices of, 11, 39, 294 Eel, habits of the, 86 Enrick, moat at, 298 Emcrags loch, 191 Erskine, Rev. William, 294, 295 Faed, John, 296 Fair Maid of Gallowav, death of the, 158 Falbey, loch, 282 Farm buildings, 27,43, 69, 105, 137, 164, 187, 198, 217, 220, 240, 252, 301, 338, 372, 383 Fences, peculiar, in Galloway, 164 Fergus, Lord of Galloway, 1 1 Fergusson, Mr Cutlar, 860 — Henry, im- provements by, ih, — Robert, martyrdom of, 295 Fisheries, salmon, 27, 52, 76, 138, 193, 210, 227, 257, 275, 321, 340, 367— sea, 52, 320, 340 Fishing for salmon, various modes of, 78 Fleet bay, 373— lochs, 292— water, 291, 292, 374 Fludha house, 25 Forge tree, the, 202 Forts, ancient, in Borgue, 53 — ^in Kelton, 153— in Kirkcudbright, 19 Fossil remains in Buittle, 209 Friendly societies, 199 Fuel, 36, 46, 62, 116, 144, 177, 189,200, 223, 230, 243, 264, 272, 280, 285, 290, 309, 346, 372 Gaff, fishing for salmon by the, 81 Galdus, traditional burial-place of, 333 Gallovidian princes, history of the, 1 1 Gallowshill of Terregles, the, 232 Gallows slot in Kelton, the, 156 Galtway church, ruins of, 22 Garlics castle, ruins of, 128 Garple water, 99 Garroch house, 112 Gartshore, Dr Maxwell, 377 Gatehouse of Fleet, village of, 292, 298,. 303 Gelston castle, ruins of, 161 — church, ruins of, 1 70 G^logy and mineralogy, 6, 49, Q^t 100, 110, 120, 147, 193,216, 225,236, 246, 267, 267, 274, 287, 293, 317, 361, 370 Gerranton, moat at, 195 GillofCree,the, 119 Gillespie, Rev. William, 1 1 1 Girthon, parish of, 291 Glen hill, Waterloo monument on, 248 Glenbennan hill, 266 Glengap bum, 29 Glenkens society, the, 106, 113, 278 Glenlccpatk, 109, 112 Glenquicken moor, cairns in, 332, 333 Gold found in Carsphaim, 274 Goldielea house, 226 Gordon of Lochinvar, fomily of, 370 — the translator of Tacitus, 1 1 1 — Edward, martyrdom of, 269 — John, 16 — Sir John, improvements by, 58 — Mr and Miss, bequests by, 28 — Mrs, of Camp- belton, 92 Grange bum, 5 Granite, mode of working, in Kirkmabreck, 339 Greannoch, loch, 1*79, 291 Greenlaw house, 197 Greig, Henry, execution of, 17 Grey cairn in MinnigafF, the, 132 Grierson of Lag, notices of, 16, 227, 377 Grove house, 2/0 Guy Mannering, scene of, 315 Hallam, John, a covenanter, death of, 1 6 Halliday, David, death of, 184, 377 Hang-nets, fishing for salmon by, JJO. Harbours, Kirkcudbright, 31— Kirkma- breck, 343— New Abbey, 253 Harrow loch, 1 1 Hart burn, 5 Hayne, castle, ruins of, 54 Heather ale of the Picts, the, 130 Hedges, peculiar, in Galloway, 164 Hepburn, Rev. John, 348 Heron, the historian, birthplace of, 1 1 1— Lady, bequest by, 141 Henries, Lord, 357 — Sir John, death of, 12 — Michael, bequest by, 354 Heston isle, 356 Hill house, 335 Hills castle, ruins of, 288 History, civil, 10, 3.9, 53, 87, 103, 111, 123, 150, 181, 195, 203, 216, 219,225, 231, 237, 247, 258, 276, 283, 287, 294, 323, 348, 362, 370, 375 Holy linn, the, 99 Horses of Galloway, the, 319 Hughan, Mr, of Airds, 331 Hunter, William, a covenanter, death of, 16 394 RIRRCUDBRIGHT. Husbandry, systeixu of, 42, 58, 95, 105, i 1 13, 136, 165, 187, 198, 205, 221, 240, 252, 337 Hydrography, 3, 38, 48, 99, 109, 119, 146, 179, 191, 215, 218, 224, 231, 245, 257, 266, 273, 286, 291, 347, 369, 374 Ichthyology of Tongland, 76 Inns and alehouses, 36, 46, 62, 107, 1 16, 143, 177, 189, 200, 243, 255, 264, 290, 346, 371, 385 Ireland, Mr, improvements by, 58 Irish, subjugation of Galloway by the, 150 Iron mine in Rerrick, 361 Irongray, parish of, 265 Islands, artificial, in Kelton, 154 Jackson, professor, birth-place of, 276 Jameson, Rey. William, 367 Janefield house, 25 Johnston, Robert, bequest by, 28 — Wil- liam, t5. Kells, parish of, 108. Kelton, parish of, 144 Ken, loch, 3, 4, 99. 108, 1 10, 192, 273— river, 3, 4, 108, 109, 192,272, 282, 369 Kenmure castle, 108, 11 1 Kernadort well. 111 Kerr, Mr, of Ardgrennan, 331 Kilbride chapel, ruins of, 332 Kilchrist, nunnery in, 40 Kilhelvie house, 245, 251 Kilns, Pictish, in Minnigaff, 130 Kindar, loch, 244, 245 Kinharvey house, 245, 251 Kirkandrew"^ church, ruins of, 54 — vil- lage, 55 Kirkbean, parish of, 234—viIlage of, 242 Kirkclauch house, 382 Kirkconnel house, 225 Kirkcormach church, ruins of, 170 Kirkcudbright, stewaitry of, general sum- mary of its statistics, 387 — parish of, 1 — town of, 30 — its history, 12 — ancient fortifications of, 20 — castle, ruins and history of, 11,20 Kirkdale house, 334— K>ld church and pa- rish of, 313 Kirkgunzeon, parish of, 218— loch, 246 Kirkmabreck, parish of, 311 Kirkpatrick muir, 256 Kirkpatrick-Durham, parish of, 256— village of, 260 Kirkpatrick- Irongray, parish of, 265 Kirouchtree house, 118, 134 Kist vaen, the, 130 Knockman, loch, 370 Knocknalling house, 112 Knocksting loch, 370 Knox, John, 328 Iiairdmannoch linn, 65 Larg castle, ruins of, 126--hills, 314, 347 Laurieston, \illage of, 187 Lawrie, William, bequest by, 28 Lead mines in Anwoth, 383 — in Cars- phaim, 274, 280— in Kirkmaineefi:, 318— in Minnigaff, 138 27, 43, 59, 93, 105, 137, 164, 187, 198, 206, 240, 25?, 288, 301, 338, 883 Lennox, Robert, of Drumruck, death of, 295— of Irelandton, 377 Lenwick church, ruins of, ^4 Libraries and literature, 34, 62, 115, 141, 174, 188, 199, 243, 255, 272, 345, 385 Lighthouse, Little Ross, 31 Limestone quarries, 1 94 Lincluden Abbey, ruins and histoiy of, 232 Little Rots, island and lighthouse of, 31 , 48 Live stock, breeds of, 27, 42, 57, 95, 105, 114, 136, 148, 187, 194, 205, 217,219, 240, 252. 261, 270, 278, 293, 301, 318, 337, 353, 383 Lochend, loch, 246 Lochfergus, nuns of castle at, 20 Lochfoot, village o^ 288 Lochinbreck, spring at, 179 Lochinvar bum, 369— castle, ruins of, 370— loch. ib. Lochrenny, moat at, 370 Lochrutton, parish of, 286 Lochsmaddv, 192 Longevity in Buittle,201— in Kelton, 146 —in Minnigaff, 118 Lowe the poet, birth-place of, 1 1 1 Lowran hill, 108 Lowtis hill, 245 Lurky Patiesthom loch, 282 M'Adam, Sir Loudon, birth-place of, 276 —Mr, bequest by, 277, 279 M*Aulay, Alexander, death of, 124 M'Clement, a covenanter, 87 M*Cubbin, Alexander, martyrdom ofi 269 M*CuUoch, Sir Godfrey, 376-John Bam- say, 360— Major, of Barhohne, death of, 16, 327 M*Culloch'b castle, rains of, 238 M'Ewen, Elspeth, death of, 16 M*Gowan, Rev. Alexander, 372 Machermore house, 134 M*Kie of Laig, family of, 126-Rev. William, 185 M*Kim, a blacksmith, forging of Mons Meg by. 157 .^ M*I.«an, Mr, of Mark, improvementa by, 338 M*Lellan, John, 18— tutor of Bombie, murder of, 12, 156, 182— Sir WiUism, death of, 1 3 M*Lude, John, death of, 124 M'Lurg of Machermore, family of, 126 McMillan, Rev. John, 184— Thomas, ^^ — bequest by, 28 M'Quhan, Adam, 112 M*Taggart, Mr, bequest by, 141 Maitland, Adam, Esq. 358 Manor point, ruins on, 54 Manquhill, ruins of castle at, 371 INDEX. 395 Manu&ctarea, 29, 43, 60, 93, 138, 228, 261, 302, 340, 353 Manxman'ft lake, 31 Markets and Fairs, 30, 36, 60, 116, 139, 143, 167, 177, 262, 264, 289, 303 Markland well, the, 287 Mary, Queen, notices of, 89, 357 Mary's brig, 90 Mavisgrove house, 226 Maxwell of Stroquhan, death of^ 381 — George, improvements by, 208 — John, account of the ancient agriculture of Buittle by, 206— Colonel William, 377 •^improvements by, 163 MaxweUtown, town of, 227 Meiklewood hill and loch, 65 Menteith, Rev. James, 55 Meteorology, see Climate Meyrick hill, 118 MiUcroft, village of, 134 Milligan, Dr Edward, 237 Milton loch, 347— British fort at, 19 Mineralogy, see Geology Mines and Blackcraig, village of, 134 Ministers of Anwoth from 1689, 385— of Girthon from 1595, 308— of Kirkcud- bright from 1689, 19— of Kirkmabreck from 1535, 343— of Lochrutton from 1638, 289— of Urr from 1688, 348 MinnigaflT, parish of^ 1 1 7 — village of, 1 34, 139 Mitchell, Robert, 33 Moan loch, 119 Moats in Borgue, 53 — in Crossmichael, 1 95— in Dairy, 370— in Girthon, 298— in Kirkcudbright, 23 — in Kirkpatrick- Durham, 258— in Minnigaif, 128— in Troqueer, 227— in Urr, 351 Mochnun fell, 282 Mollance house, 197 Mons Meg, forging and history of, 157 Montgomery, Alexander, the poet, 39, 90 Monuments at Dundrennan, 364 Moss of Urr, improvement of the, 208 Mulloch bay, 361— «>bum, 5 Muncraig head, 48 Murder hole, the, 1 31 Murderers' well, tradition regarding, 216 Murdoch of Cumloden, family of, 126 Murray's Isles, 293 Murray of Broughton, fiunily of, 296 — James, Esq. 292, 304, 375— Professor, birth-place of, 126, 348 Needle Veye, the, 215 Nelson, Rol)ert, of Corsock, 283 Netherlaw house, 359, 365 New Abbey, parish of, 244 — village of, 255 New Galloway, town of, 108, 112, 114 Newlahd hill, 358 Nith river, 224 Nithside house, 226 Nunnery of Kilchrist, 40 Nutwood house, 356, 365 Orchardton house, 365 Ornithology of Tongland, 72 Orroland house, 360, 365 Oswald, Lady Mary, 242 Owners, 19, 40, 56, 90, 103, 111, 128, 152, 183, 195, 205,216, 219, 231,238, 250, 269, 277, 283, 284, 287, 296, 323, 351, 359, 365, 371, 375 Palharrow bum, 369 Palnackie, village of, 211,^14 Palnure water, 118, 120 Par, experiments on the, 77 Parish registers of Kirkmabreck, extracts from the, 325 — of Minnigaff, 133 Parton, parish of, 282 Paterson, Bailie, bequest* by, 255 Paul Jones, birthplace of, 237 — attack on StMar}'^l8le by, 17 Pauperism, see Poor Peacock, Rev. Patrick, 327 Pearl mussels found in the Dee, ] 93 Penkill water, 118, 119 Penny stone, the^ 332 Pebble hill, 314— mineral spring, 817 Piper's cove, the, 215 Plantations, 10, 39, 43, 70, 102, 111, 123, 135, 163, 180, 195, 201, 216, 237, 247, 268, 283, 293, 323, 337, 348, 366, 369, 375 Plunton castle, ruins of, 54 Poor, management of the, 35, 45, 62, 97, 107, 115, 143, 176, 189, 199, 213, 217, 222, 230, 243, 255, 264, 272, 279, 286, 290, 309, 345, 353, 368, 373, 385 Population, ancient condition ot the, in Kirkcudbright, 25 — returns of, 25, 41, 56, 93, 104, 112, 134, 161, 186, 197, 204, 216, 220, 227, 233, 239, 252, 259, 270, 277, 284, 288, 298, 335, 352, 366, 372, 382 — language, charac- ter, &c. of, 26, 41, 56, 93, 105, 113, 162, 186, 197, 216, 221, 239, 260. 284, 299, 336, 366 Portmaiy house, 360, 365 Potato, mtrodnction of the, into Gallo- way, 207 Pow bum, 245 Preston, stone cross at, 238 Priory of St Mary^ Isle, the, 22 Prisons, 35, 309, 346 Produce, annual value of, 27, 59, 95, 106, 138, 167, 187, 241, 253, 289 Quarries, granite, 210, 317, 336, 339— limestone, 194 — ^millstone, 217 — slate, 284, 370 Queenshill, origin of the name of, 89 Raeberry castle, rains of, 20 Rainy, Thomas, bequest by, 55 Regland loch, 370 Rent, rates of, 27, 42, 57, 93, 95, 113 135, 164, 187, 198, 207, 216, 217* 239, 252, 261, 270, 284, 288, 30 1! 337, 366; 383 396 KIRKCUDBRIGHT. Renwick the covetumter, 3*28 Herrick, parish of, 364 Rbonehouse, village of, 146 Roads, bridges, &c., 30, 44, 60, 106, 114, 139, 169, 188, 198, 213, 221, 242, 253, 262, 271, 285, 306, 342, 371, 884 Roan loch, 192 Robin rig sandbank, 217 Robb, Rey» Alexander, 63 — bequest by, 97 Rocking stones, in Kells, 112 — ^in New Abbey, 247 Roman remains at Bombie, 20>-in Buit- tle, 209— in Crossmichael, 195, 196— in Kelton, 153— in Kirkcudbright, 24 —in Kirkpatrick-Durham, 258 — in Urr, 351 Romans, notices of the, 10, 129, 150 Rosefield house, 226 Ross bay, 54— hiU, 48 Rottraw tower, ruins of, 55 Routing bridge, the, 266 Rumbling well, the, 203 Rusco tower, ruins of, 378 — house, 382 Rutherford, Rev. Samuel, 327, 376, 880 Rutherfordls witnesses, tradition regard- ing, 380 Rutton loch, 286 Ryedale house, 226 St Cuthbert, 1 St Cuthbert's cottage, 25 St John's town of Dairy, village of, 371 St Mary'b Isle, priory of, 22 — house, 25 St Ninian^ shrine, 132 St Querdon'b well, 225 Salmon, experiments on the, 77 — ^habits, &c. of, 79 — various modes of fishing for, 78, — see also Fisheries Satumess point, 235 Savings banks, 34, 175, 199, 255, 309, 368, 385 Schools, see' Education Scott, Rev. A., 103 Secession, origin of the, 184 Selkirk, Earl of, 19 — improvements by, 58 Semple, Rev. Mr, 258, 276 Seven gray stones, the, 287 Shambelly house, 251 Shipping belonging to Borgue, 60 — to Girthon, 303— to Kirkbean, 241— to Kirkcudbright, 29 — to Kirkmabreck, 341— to Pahiackie, 212— to Southend, 217 Shoulder nets, fishing for salmon by, 81 Simpson, Nicholas, bequest by, 141 Skero loch, 292 Skreel hill, 145,355 Skyre bum, 374 Slack bum, 146 Smith, Robert, a covenanter, death of, 1 6 —Rev. Samuel, 103 Smyth, J. R., bequest by, 28 Societies, religious and charitable, 29, 1 U^ 175 Springholm, village of, 352 Sproat, David, bequest by, 28 Stewait, Anthony, bequest by, 141 — Ge« neral Sir William, 127 Stevenson, John and Thomaa^ deaths of^ 124 Stone, monumental, at Dalanan, 103 Stdne coflins found in Kelton, 153-^iii Kirkcudbright, 24— in Kirkmabreck, 332, 333— in Tw}'nho!m, S9 Stratified granite, quarry of, 318 Stronfr^ggan water, 369 Siunmerville house, 226 Sweetheart abbey, remains of, 249 Symson, Andrew, extracts from his de- scription of Galloway, 123,159, 165,204, 303, 311, 318, 374 Sypland, British fort at, 20 Tarff water, 38, 64, 65 TelMr, Rev. Alexander, 367 Terraughty house, 226 Terregles, parish of, 230 Thirl stane, the, 235 Thomson, Rev. James, 367 Thrieve castle, mins and histoiy of, 181 — ^its destruction, 1 57 Tongland, parish of, 63 — abbey, ruins of, 88 Torrs, Draidical circle at, 153 — cove, 6— lake, 31 Train, Mr, on the antiquities of Bulttle, 209 — of Crossmichael, 195 — of Minni- gafi; 130 Trees, remarkable, in Buittle^ 202— in Minnigaff, 123 Troolloch, 119 Troqueer, parish of, 223 Troqueerholm house, 226 TumtUi in Carsphaim, 277— in Cross- michael, 195, 196— in Dairy, 370-w Kelton, 153— in Itirkmabreck, 3*22, 323— m Minnigaff, 128, 131— in Pa^ ton, 283 Tutor of Bombie, death of the, 12, 156, 182 TwyHholm, parish of, 37— village of, 44 Urns, ancient, found in Kelton, 153— in Minnigaff, 129 Urquhart, captain, death of, 124 Urr, parish of, 247— loch, 193— nver, 191, 193, 210, 211, 257, 282, 347 Usher, Archbishop, anecdote of, 380 Vomer, Rev. Thomas, 103 Vicars, Rev. Mr, 305 , Vitrified fort in Buittle, 203-in South- end, 216 _, Wages, rates of, 27, 57, 95, 106, 13.5, m^ 206, 233, 240, 252, 261, 837, 383 . Walker, Helen, the prototype of Jean^ Deans, 269 ^ I Waterloo monument in New Abbey, * INDEX. 397 Wedderburn, James, Esq. 19 Welsh, lCe7. John, 17, 268 Welshes Life of Dr Thomas Brown, 330 White cairn of Dairy, the, 370 Whig hole, the, 371 Whinnyb'gget, Roman camp at, 20 Whinyeon,loch. 39, 292 White cove of Rerrick, the, 356 Wliithom, biflhop of, traditions regarding, 334 Wigton bay, 316, 373 Woods, see Plantations Woodhall loch, 179 Wreaths castle, ruins of, 238 Yerrick bum, 146 Zoology and natural history, 8, 52, 70, 100, 110, 120, 148, 180, 194, 219,236, 247,275,287,293,318,370. lemi^BUROH : PRINTED BY STARK AND COMFANV, OLD ASSRMBLV CI.08E, WIGTON, CONTENTS. 6LA8SBRT0N, INCH, KIRKHOLM, KIRKINNBB, . KIRKMAIDBN, KIRKOWAN, LBSWALT, LUCB, NEW, LUCE, OLD, MOCHRUM, PENNINORAME, PORTPATRIGK, 80RBIB, STONYKIRK, STRANRAER, WHITHORN, WIOTON, PAGE 36 80 lOS 9 196 199 123 76 66 60 167 129 22 162 94 52 1 PARISH OF WTGTON. IPRESBYTRRY OF WIOTON, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. PETER YOUNG, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — The name is supposed to be compounded of the Saxon words fViCi ^ village, and Ton, a hill, denoting the local situation of the town, which is seated on an eminence, about 200 feet above the level of the sea, commanding an extensive view of the buy of Wigton, of the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, of the distant hills of Cumberland, and of the Isle of Man. The hill on which the town is situated. contains about 200 acres of arable land of the best quality, not surpassed by any hill of the same extent in the south of Scotland. Wigton was made a royal burgh in the reign of David II. This honour was probably conferred on it in the year 1341, when it was established as the chief town of the earl- dom or county of Wigton, conferred on Sir Malcolm Fleming ; whence the noble family of Wigton. The title became extinct in 1747, having terminated in a female. Extent and Boundaries. — The parish, which is between five and 6 miles long, and about 4 miles broad, is supposed to con* tain about 5500 acres. It is bounded on the south by the river Bladenoch, which separates it from the parish of Kirkinner ; on the west, by a small rivulet and a morass, dividing it from the pa^ rish of Penningham ; on the north, by the Bishop Burn, which runs between it and the last mentioned parish ; and on the east, by the bay of Wigton and the Frith of Cree. Geology, — The rocks in this parish belong to the transition class, chiefly greywacke and greywacke slate. II. — Civil History. Land'Otoners, — The chief land-owners are, the Earl of Gallo- way ; Stewart of Physgill ; M' Culloch of Torhouse ; Hagart of Tor- housekie ; and M*Haffie of Torhousemuir. The borough of Wigton has also a considerable property in the parish, and there are several smaller proprietors who possess por- WIGTON. A 2 WIGTONSHIRE, tions of land, called borough-acres, most of whom reside in the town or neighourhood. Parochial Registers, — The earliest bears date 1701, and is brought down to 1740. After this period, it has been irregularly kept, and much neglected until 1800. Antiquities, — One of the most remarkable monuments of antiquity in the parish is the Standing Stones of Torhouse. It is one of those circles of large stones supposed by some to be the remains of Druidic temples, by others courts of justice, and reckoned by not a few to mark the spot where a battle has been fought, and where the chiefs have been slain and buried. The stones are nineteen in number, and of unpolished granite. ^^ In the highway betwixt Wigtonaod Port- Patrick," says Symson in his Description of Galhncayi writ- ten in 1684) ^^ about three miles westward of Wigton, is a plaine, called the ^ Moor of Standing Stones of Torhouse,' in which there is a monument of three lai^e whinstones, (called King Galdus's Tomb,) surrounded, at about twelve feet distance, with nineteen considerable great stones, (but none of them so great as the three first mentioned) erected in a circumference." This opinion, which has obtained the sanction of the celebrated antiquarian, Sir Ro- bert Sibbald, of Timothy Pont, seems the most probable, if not al- together certain, (See his " Galloway Typographized,") and other writers. As these Standing Stones are supposed to constitute a monument to the memory of Galdus, King of the Soots, who con- quered the province from the Romans, so there are several heaps of small stones in the neighbourhood, called Cairns, alleged to mark the burial-place of the common soldiers. There are also several single stones of considerable size erected at different spots in the vicinity, which are regarded as indicating the tombs of the commanders and persons of note that fell in the engagement (Sibhald^s MSS. Adv. Lib. Jac 5/A 1. 4J Of the Castle of Wigton, which was built as early at least as the middle of the thirteenth century, scarcely any traces can now be found. It is understood to have been situated on the banb of the Bladenoch, south of the town, at a place where in ancient times that river fell into the bay. The fosse is quite discernible; and though the foundation of the walls cannot be traced, mortar and other remains, indicative of an ancient building, are still to be observed. So important was this castle, that it was delivered m 1291 into the hands of Edward L, till the claims of the different competitors for the crown were decided. He entrusted it io the WIGTON. 3 charge of Walter de Currie, (Laird of Dunskey,) and successively of others, and ultimately conferred it on John Baliol as the ScjoU tish King. Wigton was the site of a monastery, founded in 1267, for Do- minican or Black Friars by Deryorgille, daughter of Alan, last of the provincial Lords of Galloway, and mother of John Baliol, King of Scotland. This monastery never attained to eminence. (Mur- ray's Literary History of Galloway^ 2d ed. 1832.) It was situated on the east of the burgh, terminating on an abrupt ridge overlook- ing the bay, but no remains of it can now be traced. There was a large cemetery connected with it, where, within these sixty years, bones and other sepulchral remains have been dug up. Even in 1684, when Symson wrote^ ^^ the very ruines thereof are now al- most ruined" In the present churchyard, there is an interesting monument erected to the memory of two female martyrs, who, on the 11th May 1685, were tied to a stake within the flood-mark, at the mouth of the Bladenoch, near Wigton, and drowned, for not ab- juring Presbytery and the National Covenant, and not conforming to Prelacy. They were Margaret Wilson, (aged 18,) daughter of Gilbert Wilson, farmer in Glenvemock, parish of Penningham, and Margaret M^Lauchlan, (aged 63,) widow of John Milligan, wright in Drumjargan, parish of Kirkinner. A younger sister of Wilson was also condemned at the same time, but, owing to her tender age, (being only 13 years old,) she was liberated, her Ei- ther having given a bond of L. 100 Scots that he would produce her when called. The three were tried at Wigton before Sir Ro- bert Grierson of Lagg, Colonel David Graham, (brother to the famous Claverhouse,) Major Windram, and Captain Strachan; persons nominated by the King as a commission to try non-con- formists, with power of life or death. ( Wodrow's Church History^ Vol. iv. p. 6.) Coltron, Provost of Wigton, acted as a constituent member of the commission, {ib. p. 248.) The barbarous sentence to which we have referred was carried into effect on Mai^ret Wilson and Margaret M^Lauchlan ; Major Windram with some soldiers guarding them to the place of execution. The stake to which M'Lauchlan, the elder prisoner, was tied, being a good way beyond the other, she died first. When the water was ne$irly co- vering the younger martyr, she was asked by Windram's or- der, if she would pray for the King. Knowing that an answer in the affirmative would be equivalent to a renouncement of her 4 WIGTONSHIRE. sentiments and a violation of her conscience, she replied, " sbe wished the salvation of all men, and the damnation of none.*' One of the spectators, deeply affected with the death of the one martyr, and the approaching dissolution of the other, said, " Dear Mar- garet, say, God save the King, — say, God save the King." With the greatest firmness and presence of mind, she immediately re- plied, " God save him if he will, for it is his salvation I desire." These words were not regarded by Windram explicit enough ; and though the heroic Christian martyr was again tripd to recant, she mildly but firmly refused. " Upon which," says Wodrow, (ti.) ''she was thrust down again into the water, where she finished her course with joy." At what time the monument to the memory of these two "faith- ful witnesses'' was erected in the church-yard of Wigton cannot be ascertained. But from the orthography and style of the in- scription, it must have been soon after the Revolution. The in- scription is subjoined. " Here lyse Margrat Wilson, Doughter to Gilbert Wilson in Glenvemach, who was drouned Anno 1685, aged 18."* ** Here lys Margrat M^Lauchlan, who was by injust law con- demned to die by Lagg, Strachan, Winram and Grahame, t/d to a stake within the flood for her adherence to Scotland's reforma- tion and national and solem league, aged 63." There is another martyr's tomb in this church-yard. This tomb is to the memory of three individuals belonging to the parish of Penninghame, — William Johnston, gardener to the Laird of Fin- tilloch, John Milroy, chapman, living at Fintilloch, and George Walker, servant in Kirkauly, who being brought to Wigton, and not answering satisfactorily the question put to them by Windram, particularly refusing to attend the ministry of the curate, were, without an assize or trial, caused to be publicly executed next day. The inscription on their monument is subjoined.f * Let earth and stone still witness beawy Thir lys a Virgine martyre here* MurtherM for owning Christ Supreame Head of bis Church, and no more crime. But not abjuring Presbytry, And her not owning Prelacy. Of Heaven nor Hell, they stood no awe ; Within the sea, ty*d to a stake, She suffered for Christ Jesus* sake. The actors of this cruel crime Was Lagg, Strachan, Winram and Ghrame ; Neither young years, nor old age Could stop the fury of their rage. . . t " Here lys William Johnston, John Milroy, and George Walker, who wis, wiw- WIGTON. 5 III. — Population. lu 1801, . 1475 1811. - 1711 1821. - 2042 1831, - 2337 The yearly average of births fur the last ^even ye:irs is • - 50 marriages, .... 14 The number of &milies in the parish is ... 508 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 1 13 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 173 There are seven proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50, and upwards. There are 3 fatuous, and 4 blind persons in the parish. Character of the People. — The inhabitants, with the exception of the Irish settlers, are nearly all natives either of the burgh or county. The names of families that are still most prevalent in Wigton, such as M'Kinnell, M*Kie, &c., were the predomi- nant names so early as the year 1495. (MS. Advocates' Library, Jac. V. 8. 8. ) The condition of the people has been greatly improved since the time of the last Statistical Account. They are now more cleanly in their habits, more comfortably lodged, and in consequence of a more easy communication, and of a more frequent intercourse with other districts of the country, both their diet and their dress are of a better description. Of the moral character of the inhabitants of this parish, a favourable account may justly be given. They are, in general, intelligent and well informed. They have access, upon moderate terms, to a well- selected subscription library, established in 1 794. With the pro- gress of society, and the more extensive diffusion of knowledge, their morality has also kept pace. Their attendance upon the or- dinances of religion is devout and exemplary, and, upon the whole, their habits are regular and temperate. When cases of distress occur, they uniformly evince a liberal and benevolent spirit. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — Since the time of the last Statistical Account much additional ground has been brought into cultivation, and new and impi^ved modes of husbandry have been adopted. The num- ber of acres in the parish, cultivated and uncultivated, the writer cannot precisely ascertain. Produce. — The following table gives a near computation for the year 1833, of the produce of this parish, the rental of which is about L. 4500. out sentence of law, hanged hy Major Winram, for their adherence to Scotland's re- formation, covenants, and national solem league, 1685." 6 WIGTONSHIRE. Acres under Butihelt Total Prodmce produce, per ac. produce. Price, per acre. Total value, Wheirt, . .120 84 4820 6«. L.10 16 L.1296 Barley and bear, 200 40 8000 So. 8d. 7 68 1496 IS 4 Oats, . . 500 84 18000 2s. 8 12 1800 Beans, . 60 86 2160 4s. 7 4 482 Sown hay, 200 150 st. 80000 Os. 8d. 8 15 750 Meadow bay, 200 100 st. 20000 Os. 4d. I 18 4 833 6 8 Potatoes, 190 20 bol. 8800 88. 8 1520 Turnips, .60 6 860 Fallow, . 80 Good pasture land, 2890 15 8612 10 njoor, moss, and )jQQQ 50 250 plantations, \ 5500 L. 11850 10 Manufactures, — At the village of Bladeooch, about a mile from the towDy there is a distillery, which consumes yearly about 16,000 bushels of barley, in the manufacture of whisky. About 20 Ia« bourers are employed in it, exclusive of tradesmen. Navigation. — The harbour is within a quarter of a mile of the town. The harbour dues are let by the magistrates for L. 26 per annum, which is expended in defraying the expenses of buildiog and repairing the same. There were about fourteen vessels be- longing to Wigton, containing about 883 tons burden, for the year endiug January 1, 1832. There were seventy-six vessels outward bound, the amount of their cargoes 5017 tons, and ninety vessels inward, amounting to 6220 tons. The quantity of grain shipped, from 29th September 1829 until 29th September 1830, was 1453 bolls of 12 bushels each, 60 bolls of potatoes, 120 bolls oatmeal. From September 29, 1830 to September 29, 1^31, 780 bolb grain, 12 bushels to the boll. A steam-boat plies betwixt this and Whitehaven, and between this and Liverpool once a fortnight, during the year. V. — Parochial Economy. The town of Wigton has undergone great improvements within the last twenty years. Many new houses have been built, and a large space of an oblong figure, in the middle of the principal street, which is unusually wide, has been enclosed, and planted with shrubs, evergreens, and forest trees. There are spacious gravel walks in it, and a bowling-green in the centre. The Parliamentary constituency amounts to 107. The corporation revenue is about L. 350 per annum. The nuinber of inhabited houses in the town is 403. Ecclesiastical State,— The first church in Wigton was conse- crated to St Machute, an obscure saint, who died in 554. It o"' ginally belonged to the priory of Whithorn^ but was afterwards a ^ WIGTON. 7 free rectory, of which the King was patron. There is a manuscript in the Advocates* Library, (Jac. V. 8. 8,) in which a donation is mentioned (in the year 1495,) from William M^Garvey, vicar of Penningham, of various houses and crofts in or near the burgh, (which are minutely described,) to support " a chaplain in St Ma- chutus in Wigtoun." The celebrated Sir Peter Young, the co- preceptor with Buchanan of James VI. for some time held the rec- tory of Wigton in commendam. At what time the present church was built, we have not ascertained. It is an old mean-looking edi- fice, and has so frequently been repaired that little of the ancient building remains. It is situated in a beautiful retired spot at the east end of the town, and at the extremity of the parish. The sti- pend is 18 chalders, half meal, half barley, and L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. There is no manse, but L. 30 per annum is allowed for a house rent, one-half of which is paid by the he- ritors, and the other by the burgh. The glebe contains 7 acres, and is worth about L. 21 per annum. There is also a meeting-house of the Greneral Associate Sy- nod, in which there is accommodation for about 600 sitters. At an election of a pastor lately, about 120 members were found qualified to vote. The number of Dissenting and Seceding fa- milies in the parish is about 66. The number of families attend- ing the Established Church about 240 ; the number of Roman Catholic families about 25. Education* — There is an excellent grammar-school in this town, conducted by an able teacher and assistant. The emolument arising from salary and school-fees is upwards of L. 100 per an- num. The number of scholars is from 80 to 100. The usual branches of education are taught, viz. English, Latin, Greek, French, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, and mathematics. Be- sides the public schools, there are two unendowed schools, whose teachers depend upon the school fees. There are also two Sun- day schools, attended by nearly 300 children. The total number of scholars attending schools in the parish is about 450. Banks, — The Bank of Scotland first opened a branch in Wig- ton in 1784. There are now a branch of the British Linen Com- pany, and a private banL Charitable Institutions. — A Friendly Society was instituted here in 1795. The terms of admission are 10s. 6d. from the age of 18 until 25. From 25 until 40, 6d. more for every year of their age above 25 ; and no person after the age of 40 is admitted. S WIGTONSHIRE. The monthly contribution is 7d. No member is admitted to the superannuated list so long as he is able to work. Those on the sick list are allowed 4s. per week for the first three months, 3s. for the next three months, and afterwards 2s. per week ; and they are still liable to pay the monthly contributions. The sum of L 4 is allowed for the funeral of each member, or they may draw L. 2 of the above sum when the wife dies. The funds at interest are L. 600. More than a third part of the members reside in the pa- rish. To prevent the funds from being dilapidated, they haTe agreed that every person alimented shall submit to a rateable re- duction if necessary. The funds have hitherto been equal to the demand. This institution has obvious and undoubted advantages. It encourages a spirit of independence, and stimulates to industry, and prevents many from becoming a burden upon the community. Poor. — The average number of poor upon the roll in the year 1837 was 34, and the total amount applied was L. 96. The church collections average for the last three years Lb 52, 6s. 2d. per an- num. There is no assessment, but a voluntary contribution by the heritors for some years averaged L. 72, 6s. 8d., and L. 7 more were received from other parties. The amount from a mortified sum of L. 600 is L. 24 annually. The number of poor receiving occasional relief is 14, and the amount applied to them is L. 60. The great influx of Irish labourers and vagrants into this dis- trict operates heavily upon the poor's funds, and there is little pros- pect of that evil being corrected, while there is no legal provision for the indigent in that country. Prisons. — The prison has long been complained of as insecure and unhealthy. An addition and considerable repairs have been for some time past in contemplation. Fairs. — There are five in the course of the year ; but there is little or no business done in them, and they are now fallen into complete neglect Fuel— The parish is well supplied with fuel— both with peats from a neighbouring moss, and with excellent coals, at a moderate price, from Whitehaven. Revised January/ 1839. PARISH OF KIRKINNER. PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. JAMES ,REID, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The popular tradition respecting the name of the pa- rish is as follows. In former times, the parish of Kirkinner in- cluded in it what now forms the parish of Kirkcowan. The clergy- man preached two Sundays at the church in the southern part of the parish, and the next in another place of worship, in the north- ern part of it. In those days, the one was distinguished as thelnner Kirk, hence the name Kirkinner; the other was called the Outer Kirk, which in course of time was changed into Kirk-cowan, and now forms the parish of that name. Chalmers, in his Caledonia, however, gives a very different account of the matter. He tells us, that the ancient church of Kirkihner was consecrated to Saint Kenneir, Virgin and Martyr, who suffered martyrdom at Cologne, October 29th 450. Hence the name of the parish Kirkinner. This church was grant- ed by Edward Bruce, the Lord of Galloway, to the prior and can- nons of Whithorn, and the grant was confirmed by King Robert L In the charter it is called the church of Saint Kenere of Carnes- moel. This seems to have been the name of a barony, for we learn from Chalmers that, " before the demise of David IL, the Earl of Wigton resigned his whole earldom into the King's hands, except the barony of CarnesmuU, and that after the acces- sion of Robert II. this resignation was repeated and accepted ; whereupon the King, in April 1372, granted a charter to Sir James Lindsay, for the earldom, as the same had been held by the first earl, except the four pleas of the crown, and the barony of Carnes-^ mull. Kirkinner formed the benefice of the subdean of the chapel royal. In Bagimont's roll, as it stood in the reign of James V., Kirkinner was taxed L. 26, 13s. 4d. being a tenth of the estimated value. This was the highest of any parochial benefice in Wig- tonshire. In 1591, James VI. granted the patronage of this 10 WIGTONSHIRE. church to Sir Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch, and this grant was ra- tified by Parliament in June 1592." Kirkinner now consists of the united parishes of Kirkinner and Longcastle. Longcaster or Longcastle parish obtained its name from an ancient castle, the ruins of which are still extant on a small island in a lake called Longcastle Loch. The name ap- pears to have been written Longcaster, at the epoch of the Refor- mation. The church was then a rectory. Longcastle continued to be a separate parish in 1630, but, being of small extent, it was annexed to the adjacent parish of Kirkinner about the middle of the seventeenth century. It forms the south-west corner of the united parish. Extent and Boundaries. — The mean length of the parish is about 5 miles ; its mean breadth about 4^ ; it contains nearly 24 square miles. It is bounded on the north and north-west, by the parishes of Wigton, Penningham, and Kirkcowan ; on the west, by Mocb- rum ; on the south-west, by Glasserton ; on the south, by Sorbie ; on the east and north-east, by the Bay of Wigton. It may be com- pared to a section of a pyramid, the base running nearly from north to south, and the top lying along the bay of Wigton. Topographical Appearance* — In appearance, the country is hilly, but cannot be termed mountainous. With the exception of what are called the low lands, the greater part of the parish con- sists of gently swelling little hills, which, covered with rich verdure, or crowned with plantation, give a pleasing variety to the prospect. Standing on the top of one of these elevations, you may count a dozen others, all rising around ; but none of them are of great height above the level of the sea. The extent of coast along the bay of Wigton is about 3 miles j the shore is flat, of a deep clay soil. Meteorology. — Temperature of the atmosphere for the last two years and a half, taken at Low Balfern, nearly on a level with the bay of Wigton. The calculations are made twice a day, in summer at five o'clock in the morning, in winter at sunrise, and every day at two o'clock afternoon. 1829. 18d0. 1831. January, 341' fiSfi 35J^» February, 42 . d6| d9| March, 40^ 4^ 434 April, 44| 464 474 May, 55^ 51f 534 June 56| 54 59 July, 59 59 461 KIRKINNER. 11 August, 56^ 544 September, 52^ 52| October, 48| 5l| November, 434 ^ December, d4| 37 'm "471 Rain falls often, and in considerable quantities, but it seldom rains a whole day without intermission. The prevailing winds are the south and south-west Our severest storms of rain, wind, and snow, are from the south-east. We have sometimes a heavy gale from the north-west, but it seldom lasts long, and com- monly falls in the evening, — hence the saying common in the country, ^* that an honest man, and a north-west wind, generally go to sleep together.*" The climate, when compared with that of the north-western counties of Scotland, may be considered rather dry than moist. Before the low lands were drained, the people who lived on them were often affected with ague, but the parish is now very healthy. AlexanderM^Credie died, in 1824, at the very advanced age of 108. Hydrography, — The parish is bounded on the east for about three miles by the bay of Wigton, which separates it from the parish of Kirkmabreck in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright.. At full-tide the bay is 7 or 8 miles in width. The tide also flows up the water of Bladenoch for about two miles. There is a mineral spring on the estate of Barnbarroch, which is often used by the inhabitants for 3tomach complaints. It was formerly considered to be of great use in curing the ague. Another spring of a similar nature has lately been discovered on the same estate. They seem both to be impreg- nated with iron. The parish in general, but particularly about the church, is celebrated for numerous and copious springs of soft and light water, which must contribute much to the health of the in- habitants. On the south-west side of the parish lies the lake or loch of Dowalton, called also Ravenston and Longcastle. It is about two miles long, by one and a-half broad. It contains two small islands, both on the Kirkinner side. The river Bladenoch forms the boundary of the parish for many miles. It takes its rise in Loch Mabearee, on the borders of Ayrshire, receives the tributary streams of Malzie and Mild- riggen in this parish, and, after a winding course of about twenty miles, falls into the bay of Wigton, near that town. Geology and Mineralogy. — The soil is in general gravelly, and 12 WIGTONSHIRE. the subsoil of the same nature. The low lands of Baldoon are an extensive tract of alluvial soil, evidently formed of substances carried down by the river, and thrown back by the tide, mixed with clay, shells, and sand. In winter, after a strong south-east- erly wind, immense quantities of cockle shells are thrown up by the tide. These are often used as manure by the farmers, and when burnt they furnish the only lime which the country affords. It is reckoned whiter for plaster, and also of a more binding nature for building and rough-cast than the common lime, which is imported from England. There is not much moss in the parish, and it con- tains no mines whatever. Good stones for building are very scarce. The stratified rocks in this parish belong to the transition series : the only granite it contains is found in single stones, and these are now seldom to be met with. Zoology. — Many years ago, there were found in the moss of Airies, a pair of immense horns, the tips of which are said to have been six feet separate from each other. These must have be- longed to some animal now unknown here. Salmon, trout, and spirlings are found in the Bladenoch. The loch of Dowalton or Longcastle contains pike and perch, and floun- ders are sometimes caught along the shore of the bay of Wigton. Trees. — Most kinds of forest trees seem to thrive well. The beech, the ash, the plane, and the Huntingdon willow attain to a great size. II. — Civil History. There is an ancient account of the parish in a work by Andrew Symson, minister of Kirkinner, 1684. It is entitled " A laiige Description of Galloway." A few copies have lately been printed from the manuscript in the Advocates' Library. — Mr Symson was Episcopal minister of this parish from 1663 to 1686, when the state of the times obliged him to leave it. He afterwards became a printer in Edinburgh, and died in 1712. He viras the author of several poetical works. (Vide Life prefixed to his Large Descnp' Hon of Galloway : also Murray's Literary History of GaUotoag^ 2d edit 1832.) The family of Barnbarroch have given two bishops to Galloway. Alexander Vaux was consecrated Bishop of Galloway some time before the vear 1426. His name is mentioned 6y Rymer, an Boyce terms him a learned man, and of noble extraction. In 1*"^ » he was appointed by James I. one of the preservers of the P^ on the borders of Scotland ; and he is said to have contributea RIRKINNER. 13 much to the overthrow of the then all-powerful family of Doug- las. — George Vaux, cousin to Alexander, was also Bishop of Gal- loway- It was during the time of this prelate that James IIL having founded a chapel-royal at Stirling, annexed it to the Bi- shoprick of Galloway. Sir Patrick Vaux of Barnbarroch was am- bassador to Denmark in the time of James VL, and a Lord of Session* The inhabitants of this parish seem to have had their full share of trouble and distress in the days of persecution. From the session record, April 15th 1711, we learn that the minister gave in the account of the sufferings of honest, godly people in the late times, which was read, and is as follows : " Margaret Lauchli- son, of known integrity and piety from her youth, aged about eighty, widow of John Millikin, wright in Drumjargan, was, in or about the year 1685, in her own house, taken off her knees itf prayer, and car- ried immediately to prison, and from one prison to another, with- out the benefit of light to read the Scripture ; was barbarouslv treated by dragoons, who were sent to carry her from Machirwpod to Wigtoun, and being sentenced by Sir Robert Grier of Lagg to be drowned at a stake within the flood-mark, just below the town of Wigtoun, for conventicle-keeping, and alleged rebellion, was, according to the said sentence, fixed to the stake till the tide made, and held down within the water, by one of the' town-officers by his halbert at her throat, till she died. ** Her husband, John Millikin, when he lived in Killeal, being frequently quartered on by the soldiers, was obliged to pay to six of them eight shillings Scots to each man, ilk day, for a consider- able time, and afterwards was carried prisoner to Dumfries, where he was fined in a considerable sum. ^^ Andrew M'Cubbinandhis spouse Elizabeth Millikin, daughter to the said John Millikin and Margaret Lauchlison, about 1685, were stript of all their goods, had all their household furniture burnt to ashes by the dragoons, and themselves and their small children banished from house and hold. ** Alexander Vaux of Barwhannie, brother-german to John Vaux of Barnbarroch, and Margaret Maxwell, his lady, (who afterwards became Laird and Lady of Barnbarroch,) from 1666 to 1689, the time of the late happy revolution, were harassed, processed, and fined, though there was nothing could be laid to their charge, but that they would not comply with the times, and did resett godly people and ministers. 14 WIGTONSHIRE, *< William Sprot in Clutoch being, about 16d5, obliged to leave his own house to shun persecution and went to Portpatrick on his way to Ireland, and then at Portpatrick was apprehended and brought back on his feet betwixt two dragoons, exactly by hisovrn house-door to Wigtoun prison ; his wife being big with child, fol- lowed him to the said prison, when she saw him laid on his back, in the cold prison, put in the irons, his ears cut off, his fingers burqt by fiery matches ; and afterwards he was sentenced to be banished to America, and in his voyage thither he died. He was * person eminent for piety. His poor wife for grief miscamed of her child. " John Stuart in Kirkbien, about anno 1685, of known piety, was stript of all his goods and gear* " William Kerr in Borland, anno 1685, was imprisoned with the said Margaret Lauchlison, and made his escape. *^ John Dunn in Stewartown, about the year 1685, of singularpiety, was imprisoned and banished, and in his voyage died at sea ; and Janet Dunn, his daughter, was carried prisoner to Glasgow, and before she was carried there, had her fingers burnt with fieiy matches, and wedged into wimble bores. " Margaret Maxwell, servitrix to Alexander Vaux of Barwhannie was imprisoned at Wigtoun about 1685, and scourged there three several times by the hand of the common hangman, and afterwards carried prisoner to Glasgow, in order to banishment " Margaret Middinel, about the same time imprisoned ; she lived in the Meikle Airies. " Agnes M'Culloch, in Stewartown, spouse to Anthony Ha- thorn, was fined in two or three hundred merks. ** John M^Reikie, in Newton, about the same time was fined. « Andrew Martin of Little Airies, about the year 1679, was de- clared a rebel for going to Bothwell, was forfeited, his house fre- quently plundered, his corns eaten up by dragoons and their horses, till his wife, Margaret Kennedy, who remained in dis house for some years after the forfaulture, was necessit to forbear manureing the ground, in regard that the product was still an er- rand for the soldiers to come there, she could preserve no stocK, save some few sheep, for want of fodder. There was no way i«J the said Margaret Kennedy to support herself and children, by improving the wool and milk of the sheep, which was all / had to subsist on for years. But she refusing to take the oa abjuration, and other oaths then generally imposed on men KIRKINNER. 15 women in their bounds, through the malice and cruelty of those that were in public place, was taken prisoner, and through prudence escaping, was obliged to abscond herself, in regard there was much searching for her in order to get her again apprehended, so that she was obliged to flee from both husband and children : her house being waste for several years, turned ruinous ; her sheep were all carried away, killed and eaten by the Earl of Hume's regiment. The search after these was so accurate, that many hundreds of oaths were taken anent the said Andrew and his spouse, so that they were obliged to more close hiding, until King James' toleration. " Mistress May Dunbar, second daughter to Sir David Dun- bar of Baldoon, of known piety all her life, was forced to abscond and leave her father's house, and live for some time here and there, frequently in herds' houses, where she could not be accom- modated according to her birth and rank. One day she very pro- videntially and narrowly escaped the enemy's fury at the Caldons, about the year 1685." Land-Owners. — The Earl of Galloway possesses one-half of the parish, known as the estate of Baldoon. The chief of the other proprietors are, Colonel Vans Agnew of Bambarroch ; Sir William Maxwell, Bart of Monrieth, who possesses the barony of Longcas- tle ; and James Blair, Esq. of Penninghame, who possesses the estate of Dalreagle. Parochial Registers. — The earliest birth recorded in the paro- chial register is August 27th 1694. At times the register seems to have been very ill kept, as in some years there are very few names inserted. The marriage earliest recorded is November 22, 1694. This record continues to July 13, 1742; but there seems to have been none kept from tliat date till the year 1779. Antiquities. — In former times, at a place called Caimfield, there was a monument resembling that called Galdus' tomb, in the parish of Wigton. It consisted of a circle of standing-stones, with one in the centre. These, however, have long since been removed to make way for the plough. The ruins of the ancient chapel of Longcastle are still to be seen in the parish of that name, about half a mile from the castle. The vestiges of two circular camps may be traced, but there is no tradition connected with them. Ancient coins have, at different times, been turned up by the plough in the farm of Barness. On Caimfield, already allud- ed to, a large cain) of stones being removed to build fences, there 16 WIGTONSIlIttE. was found a collection of half-burnt human bones, in an oblong space, formed of stones set on edge, and covered with a flat stone on the top, but there was no inscription. In 1789, an urn and some bones, partly consumed by tire, were discovered in the same place. The old castle of Baldoon has now become celebrated in romance; — an incident that occurred within its walls having furnished Sir Walter Scott with the tragic subject which he has wrought into the tale of the Bride of Lammermoor. ( Vide In- troduction to that tale, last edition ; also Symson's Elegies, append- ed to his Description of Galloway.) Modem Buildings. — The only modern building in the parish of any note is Barnbarroch House, the seat of Colonel Vans Agnew. Dunbars of Baldoon. — The family of Du nbar of Baldoon was found- ed in the beginning of the sixteenth century, by Archibald Dunbar, a younger son of the Knight of Mochrum. The Baldoon branch con- tinued in the parish for about two centuries, and ultimately ended in a female, Mary, heiress of Sir David Dunbar. This young lady married Lord Basil Hamilton, sixth son of the Duke of Hamilton. His Lordship, having been drowned while crossing the Minnoch, a small stream in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, was succeeded by his son, Basil Hamilton. On the death of the latter in 1742, Dunbar Hamilton succeeded him, and two years afterwards, on the death of his grand-uncle, the Earl of Selkirk, fell heir to Ins title and estates ; on this occasion, he assumed the name of Dou- glas. The Dunbars of Baldoon are now, therefore, represented by the noble family of Selkirk. The estate of Baldoon remained in the family till 1793, when it was sold to the Earl of Galloway. (Murray's Literary Hist of Galloway^ 2d edit. 1832, p. 305-8.) HI. — Population. Of the state of population in ancient times Uttle is known. Some have imagined that, as there are the remains of many old steadings in the parish, the population must at one time have been greater than it is at present It appears from the synod record, that, in the year 1697, the number of examinable persons was 500; the population at that time, therefore, must have been about 1000. According to Dr Webster's returns, it was 792 In 1801, it was, . . .1160 1811, '. . 1433 1821, . . . N88 1831, males, 729; females, 785, 1514 Increase during the last ten years 26 only. To account for this, it may be suflScient to observe, that a great KIRKINNER* 17 number of our young men go to England, where they are engag- ed in the tea trade and other branches of business ; and that many of the young women go out as servants to Edinburgh, but particu- larly to Glasgow and Paisley. Population residing in villages, 900 in the country, 1214 1514 The Seceders and Roman Catholics do not in general insert the births of their children in the parish register, but, calculating them at the same rate with the rest of the parishioners, the average of births for the last seven years will be about 40. There is no register of deaths kept in the parish, but the num- ber annually is about 16* The average number of persons under 15 years of age, 647 between 15 and 30, 358 dO and 50, 290 50 and 70, 174 upwards of 70, 45 1514 There are no noblemen residing in the parish. There is one fa- mily of independent fortune. Hie number of proprietors of land of the yearly value of L. 50 and upwards is 9 unmarried men and bachelors above 50, - - 24 women above 45, • ... 68 Number of fiunilies, - - .... 283 engaged in agriculture^ - - - 132 'in trade, manufiustures, or handicraft, • 39 Average number of children in each family, ... 4 NumlMsr of inhabited houses, - • . - - 261 uninhabited and building, . > - - 7 lliere are at present none insane* blind, deaf or dumb ; 1 fiituous. Number of illegitimate births within the last three years, 12. The native Scots are cleanly in their habits, the Irish part of the population less so. There is nothing peculiar in their style or manner of dress, but they in general dress well. Their ordinary food is porridge and milk to breakfast, broth with bacon and po- tatoes or oat-cake to dinner, and porridge or beat potatoes to sup- per. In Symson's time the people seem to have been remarkable for their love of tobacco. It is still in pretty general use, but not more so than in other parts of the county. The Irish population live mostly on potatoes and milk or salt herrings. The farmers enjoy all the comforts and luxuries that are to be met with in the same class elsewhere ; but I doubt much whether « the comforts of the people are increasing. Irish labourers can subsist on much less than the Scotch ; and, in all cases of compe- tition for work, are sure to underbid them, — hence the wages are lower than they otherwise would have been, and the labouring class WIGTON. B 18 WIQTONSHIttE. are obliged to deny themselves some comforts they might otherwise have enjoyed. On the whole, however, they are contented with their situation and circumstances. The people are in general a shrewd, thinking race ; they are fond of reading, and there are very few of them that are not pos- sessed of a small collection of books, of which at their leisure hours they seem to make a good use. Some of them are really well- informed. With very few exceptions, they are sober and honest, and attentive to their religious duties. There is neither poaching nor smuggling amongst us. IV. — Industry. Agriculture, — The parish contains about 15,000 imperial acres, of which about 13,500 are or have been occasionally m tillage. The remaining 1500 acres consist partly of moss, (a considerable po^ tion of which is now, by paring and burning, made to produce good crops,) partly of broken rocky pasture land, and the rest of upwards of 300 acres in wood. There is no land in the parish which can be termed waste ; neither is there any undivided common. There is no natural wood, and the proprietors seem to me to take sufficient care of their plantations. Bent — The rent of the land varies from L. 2, 1 Os. to 8s. ; the average may be nearly L. 1 per imperial acre. The average rate of grazing may be about L. 3 per ox or cow, and from 12s. to 15s. for a sheep. Wages. — Labourers in summer have about Is. 6d., in winter Is. 4d. ; masons and carpenters have about 2s. 6d. per day. The wages of men-servants living in the farm-houses vary from L. 4 to L. 6, per half-year ; women-servants receive from L. 2 to L. 3^ 10s. Cottagers are paid partly in money and part- ly in what is termed a benefit This consists of a house, garden, and fuel, as much meal and potatoes as are thought necessary for the maintenance of their families, and sometimes pasture for a cow and a sheep, amounting in whole to from L. 26 to U 30 per annum. The price of the dififerent articles of raw produce is re- gulated chiefly by the Liverpool markets, to which there is ready access by means of steam navigation. The breeding of sheep is not carried on to any great extent, the attention of the fanners being directed to the improvement of the far-famed breed of blacK- cattle, known by the name of Galloways. The general system of agriculture pursued on the dry laDCl is white and green crops alternately. If the farmer finds that ne KIRKINNER. 19 will require more manure than his farm can supply, he makes up the deficiency with bone dust ; he consumes part of his tur- nip in the yard, and the rest are fed off on the field with sheep. The land is then sown out with oats or barley, and grass seeds. On the clay lands of Baldoon (the Carse of Gowrieof Galloway,) the farms are large and beautiful, and they are managed in a very superior style. The farmers adopt the most approved modes of husbandry ; their lands are in the highest state of improvement, and their wheat crops are excelled by no district in Scotland. The late Sir Alexander Muir Mackenzie irrigated an extensive meadow on his estate of Dalreagle, since sold to James Blair, Esq. ; but it does not seem to have answered his expectations. Leases are usually granted for nineteen years, though of late many farms have been let for seven, nine, or thirteen years. The farm-steadings are in general good ; many of them very superior. The fields are commonly divided by thorn hedges or stone dikes. The proprietors seem anxious to promote improve- ments on their respective estates, and are disposed to encourage enterprizing tenants. Livc-Stocfu — The black-cattle generally reared in the parish are what are termed the Galloway breed. There are very few sheep kept by the farmers. They purchase large quantities of Highland sheep at Falkirk, and feed them off on turnip during winter and spring. A great quantity of black-cattle are now fat- tened for the Liverpool markets. Produce. — On an average, there are produced in the parish as follows : 10,000 bfishels of wheat, at 78. per bushel, - L. 8,500 2000 acres oats, at L. 5 per acre, « • 10,000 200 do. barley, - i7 do. - - - 1,400 900 do. potatoes, - 6 do. - • 1,800 300 do. turnip, - 5 do. - - - - 1,500 800 do. hay, - 2 do. - - - 1,600 2000 head of cattle, at L. 7 each, ^. . . . 14,000 L. 33,800 There are a few hands employed in linen weaving, and one da- mask weaver. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Town, — The nearest market-town is Wigton, distant about three miles. There is a penny-post daily. The port for ship- ping is Wigton. There is a small harbour at Baldoon, which i > very useful to the parish for grain and coals. Ecclesiastical State. — The church is situated towards the east- I 20 WIGTONSHIRE. era side of the parish, and on that account is a considerable dis- tance, about six miles, from a part of the population. It was built in 1828, and is a very handsome commodious building. It affords accommodation for upwards of 600 people. There are a few free ^t- tin^ allotted to the poor of the parish. The only bene&ction on record is the sum of L. 30, left by the late Sir William Maxwell of Monrieth. The manse was built in 1820. The glebe con- sists of about 10 acres, mostly of a light gravelly soil. The yearly value may be about L. 20. The stipend is 16 chal- ders, half meal, half barley, and Lb 8, . 6s. 8d. for communion elements. There are 205 families belonging to the Established Church, consisting of about 1100 persons; there are 55 families of Dissenters, most of whom attend a meeting-house in Wigton ; and there are 23 families of Roman Catholics. There b at pre- sent a Catholic chapel building at Newtonstewart, in the neighbour- ing parishjof Penninghame. There are upwards of 300 communi- cants in the Established Church, and in general divine service is well attended. Collections are seldom made except for the poor, and these on an average of the last seven years amount to L. 25 per annum. Education. — There are at present 4 schools in the parish, the parochial school, and three private schools. The parish schoolmas- ter has the maximum salary, L. 34, 4s. 4d. a-year, and bis fees may amount to about L. 30. He has the legal acconamoda- tion. All the usual branches of education are taught ; and at a very low rate. English reading and grammar, 8d. per month ; writing, lOd ; arithmetic and geography. Is. ; Latin and Greek, Is. 8d. ; and French, 2s. 6d. There are very few children in the pa- rish who cannot read and write. Many of the Irish part of the po- pulation can do neither, but they in general send their children to school, and the people seem alive to the benefit of education. The school-house, the best in the country, stands near the church. I consider four schools, one a female school, perfectly sufficient for the parish. The scholars attending the public school have the benefit of a small library. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number on the poors roll for the last seven years is 22, and the average sum allotted to each is about L. 3. But besides these regular paupers, there are a number of persons in the parish who stand in need of oc- casional aid, which on an average may amount to about L Id * year. The annual expenditure thus amounts to L« 81, which isp*^ KIRKINNER. 21 vlded for as follows : Average annual collections at church doors, L.25; voluntary contribution by theheritors,L. 50; interest of L.30, L. I9 10s.; proclamations, mortclothy donations, &c. L.4, 10s. I fear the disposition among the poor to refrain from seeking pa- rochial aid is daily becoming less, and I consider the voluntary con- tribution made by the heritors as a very great evil in that respect. Many, I am persuaded, now apply for relief, believing that, what- ever they get, comes from the heritors, and not from the poor's box ; but it is much easier to prevent an evil than to remedy it. Alehouses. — There are 4 alehouses in the parish, and I have no doubt that, in some instances, they are very prejudicial to the morals of the people. Fuel. — The common fuel used in the parish is peat at 2s. 6d. per cart load. Coals are imported from the English coast, and sold at 16s. per ton. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the former Statistical Account was published, a great change has taken place in the parish. Wages and rents are doubled, — the lands are in the highest state of improvement, where they were formerly covered with whins, — and 10,000 bushels of fine wheat arenow annually produced, where it was formerly thought there was something either in the soil or in the climate unfriend- ly to that grain. The blessings of education are now more gene- rally diffused amongst the people ; and I would fondly hope that their character, intellectual, moral, and religious, is greatly im« proved. December 1838. PARISH OF SORBIE. PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALiOWAY- THE REV. ELLIOT W. DAVIDSON, 1 ivrTKri^Tirpq. / THE REV. A. FORRESTER, J ^^^^^^^^^ I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — Sorbie, the moderD name of this parish, was in ancient times written Sourby, — a term of Saxon origin, and indicating Sour-habitation, which has been explained as applying to the old Castle of Sorbie, and to the nature of the cold marshy soil on its western side. * The present parish includes the three old parishes of Sorbie, Kirkmadrine and Cruggleton, each of which had its own separate church till the middle of the seventeenth century, when they were united into one, under the name of the parish of Sorbie. Extent^ Boundaries. — The greatest length of the parish is 6 miles ; its mean length about 4^ miles; its greatest breadth is ^ miles, and its mean breadth about 3^ miles. It contains about 16 square miles. It is bounded on the north, by the parish of Kirk- inner ; on the south, by Whithorn ; on the we'st, by Whithorn and Glasserton ; and on the east, by Wigton Bay. Topographical Appearances. — The figure of the parish is ren- dered very irregular by a conical section of Whithorn, which pe- netrates its southern side, at one point, reducing its length to three miles, and its breadth at another point to one mile. Sorbie con- tains neither mountains nor high hills, but it is beautifully diversi- fied by unequal surface, its little hills and valleys, with their woods and the sea adjoining, forming in many places a richly varied land- scape. There is nothing peculiar in the form or connexions o the valleys, with the exception of one which follows a pretty regular direction from west to east, commencing at Dowalton La*^» and terminating at Garlieston Bay. None of the hills are mucti • Chalmers' Caledonia, Vol. iii. p. 427. SORBIE. 23 raised above the level of the sea, but several of them are sufficient- ly elevated to present a beautiful panorama of the surrounding country, including Wigton Bay, the Solway Frith, with the Cum- berland hills receding behind it, and also the Isle of Man. On the farm of Palmallet, on the south-eastern shore, where the coast is rocky and. abrupt, there are two caves, almost contiguous, which are walled and arched by solid rock, and floored with beautifully va- riegated stones. The one has the appearance of an oblique fis- sure, and is about 120 feet long, 100 feet high, and 36 feet wide. The other is somewhat funnel-shaped, being widest at its en- trance, and maybe about 120 feet long, 40 feet high, and 15 feet wide. The extent of coast, including all its windings, is upwards of two miles. The shore is sandy and flat on the north-east, and in Garlieston and Rigg Bays. At Eggerness point, it is rocky, but not very high. From the south-eastern extremity of Rigg Bay, however, to the point where it joins Whithorn, it is bold and precipitous, rising in some places nearly 200 feet above the level of the sea. The principal bays are Garlieston Bay, Rigg Bay, Innerwell Port, Orchardton Bay, Port Allan, and Port Whapple. The principal sands are those of Orchardton, Culscaddan, and Innerwell ; and the chief headlands are Innerwell Point, Egger- ness Point, and Cruggleton Point. Meteorology, — The monthly or annual temperature of the at- mosphere has not been accurately recorded in this parish, but we may state, what is common elsewhere, that in winter the cold is more moderate, especially along the sea coast, than in the more inland parishes. The thermometer in the shade has, during the present summer of 1831, ranged from 64^ to 74°, and in the sun it has been upwards, of 100°. The pressure of the atmosphere, as indicated by the barometer, ranges from 29 to 30^ inches. Our prevailing winds are from the west, south-west, and south ; but in spring and the latter, end or autumn, we have often a long period of east wind, which is generally accompanied by dry weather. The state of the weather is sometimes prognosticated by a cloud resting on Caimsmoor, a high hill in Kirkcudbrightshire ; which, after a long period of dry weather, affords a pretty sure sign of a change to rain. A dark haze stretching from the south to the west, and studded with small white clouds, is remarked as often preceding rain ; and an appearance in the atmosphere, here called the " wea- 24 WIGTONSHIRE. ther gaw," which resembles the rainbow in colour, but is much short- er, and hangs in a vertical line, is sometimes pointed out as indicat- ing a change. A strange tumbling motion of the crows in the'air, by which they imitate something like the sound of wind, has been said to precede stormy weather, and rain has also been prognose ticated by the more shrill cry of the sea-lHrds which alight on the lands along the south-eastern shore. Our climate is characterized by considerable variety of heat and cold, drought, and humidity, but it is upon the whole good. Perhaps we may say that it has rather a tendency to humidity, which, howeverj is well suited to the nature of the soil, and rarely too abundant in summer. There are no diseases which can be traced to any peculiarity in the cli- mate of this district Hydrography. — The parish, as we have already stated, is bounded on the east by Wigton Bay, which extends upwards of ten miles along the coast The narrowest part of the Bay, as connected with this parish, is about 4^ miles wide. This is from Orchardton to Carsluth Point. From Eggerness Point'to Bomess Head, it is 8 miles wide ; and its greatest width, from Grarlieston Bay, or Cruggleton, to the point of Ross, is 10 miles. The co- lour of the water is bright green, where it is not rendered muddy by flowing over sand. Its transparency is very considerable, es- pecially on the south-eastern shore, where, we are told, the fish have been seen at the bait at the depth of 18 feet Its depth is various. Between Eggerness Point and the Ross, it is from 30 to 50 feet. In Garlieston and Rigg Bays, it runs from 20 to 30 feet The saltness of the water is considerable at Cruggleton, but de- creases as we advance up the bay, in consequence of the fresh wa- ter from the rivers. The tide is derived from the Western OceaD, by way of the North Channel, and may be styled a northern arm of the great tide of the Sol way. It flows about six hours, and ebbs during the other six. There are numerous perennial springs diffused over the parisb, which afford a copious supply of excellent water. On the north- western border of the parish, there is a very fine fresh-water lake, called Dowalton Loch, • firom M*Dowall, the name of a bxn\' ly, who were proprietors of it, and who lived near it It is sbout 3 miles in circumference, and from 6 to 20 feet deep. ^^^ . * Old Sutistical Account. SORBIE. 25 this lake there issues a small stream, which runs from west to east, through a rich valley, and falls into Grarlieston Bay. Geology and Mineralogy. — In many parts of the parish, parti- cularly on the north and north-west, there occur numerous beds of transition rocks, varying in extent and thickness. These are dispos- ed in horizontal and variously inclined positions, and follow a direc- tion from north-east to south-west There is no granite, with the exception of a few detached blocks, from two to three feet long, which present themselves here and there on the surface. We are not aware that any fossil organic remains have been found, belong- ing either to the animal or vegetable kingdom. Neither ores nor any important minerals have been discovered in the parish. T^e soil consists, for the most part, of a dry, brownish earth, mixed more or less with till or gravel. In some of the valleys, a heavy loam occurs, but its extent is inconsiderable. The subsoil con- sists of till, gravel, and whinstone. In several districts marl was once found under beds of moss, from one to three acres in extent, but the greater part of it was exhausted about fifty or sixty years ago, when it was dug up for the purpose of manure. There are no mines of any kind in the parish. Zoology. — Sorbie contains none of the rarer species of animals. Foxes once existed among the rocky cliffs on the sea coast, but they are now believed to be wholly extinct A great many years ago, very large bullock and deer's horns were found in a bed of marl at Palmallet This parish, in common with the other parishes of the Mahers, is distinguished for breeding that peculiar species of black-cattle, denominated Galloways, which are well known ihroughoiit the country. The horses are mostly of the draught kind, but their breed is rather naixed. There is nothing very re- markable in the quality or value of our sheep or hogs. Pike, per- ches, and eels abound in Dowalton Loch, and trouts are found in some of the larger streams. The fishes found in the sea are chief- ly salmon, herrings, cod, and mackerel, all of which are of import- ance in an economical point of view. There are no insects which are not common to other parts of the country. Those which are most destructive to vegetation, in general, are the wire-worm and grub. Those which are most injurious to fruit-trees are the ca- terpillar and the wasp ; the former attacking the flower, and the latter the firuit. A considerable variety of shell-fish is found on the coast, such as the oyster, lobster, crab, &c. but none of these are sought after for economical purposes. 26 WIGTONSHIRE. Botany, — Sorbie was, in 1795, first visited for the purpose of botanical research, by Mr Mackay, then curator of the Botanic Gar- den in Edinburgh. Three years ago, it was again examined by Mr Goldie, who found a number of the rarer species of British plaots, and reckoned it an excellent station, though it had not been previ- ously much noticed. The plantations display a beautiful variety of trees, such as the oak, ash, beech, birch, alder, plane, larch, &c. to all of which the soil seems quite congenial. In Lord Gallo- way's pleasure grounds, there are some beautiful specimens of lau- rel, evergreen oak, horse-chestnut, and Turkey oak. Some of the laurels rise to the height of 31 feet, and are considered among the finest in Scotland. There is one Turkey oak, planted not more than fifly years ago, which deserves to be particularly noticed for its beauty, and for the rapidity of its growth. The circumference of its branches is about 156 feet, and the girth of its stem mea- sures 9 feet 5 inches. The soil here is also peculiarly adapted to the growth of evergreen shrubs. In his Lordship's garden, peach- es and figs are successfully cultivated on the open wall, even upon south-west aspects. Here, also, there is a vine which meriU notice for its size, and the quantity and quality of its fruit. 1^ stem measures 13 inches in circumference, and the spread of its branches is 40 feet It produces about 346 bunches, each averag- ing 1^ lbs. and some of the individual berries are 3| inches in cir- cumference. II. — Civil History. The only ancient or modern historical accounts of Sorbie which we have seen, are contained in Symson's Description of Gal- loway, the Old Statistical Account, and Chalmers' Caledonia. From none of these does it appear that there are any historical events of great importance connected with this district We have not seen any maps, plans, or surveys of Sorbie ; nor are we aware that any resident individuals possess letters, papers, pictures, or any other documents of interest, tending to illustrate the biographyj history, or antiquities of the parish. Eminent Men, — The only literary character connected witn Sorbie by birth is Patrick Hannay, the poet, who lived in tjie seventeenth century. We copy the following account of hini from Murray's Literary History of Galloway.* " Patrick Han- nay was a younger son of Donald Hannay of Sorbie. i^ "^^^ be inferred that he had received an academical education : f^^ ^° * Literary History, &c. page 269. 4 SORBIE. 27 the title-page of his Elegies, he styles himself A. M." Mr Ellis, in his Specimens of the early English Poets, has remarked, that he appears to have served in a military capacity, under Sir Andrew Gray, a Colonel of foot, and General of Artillery to the King of Bo- hemia. One of his publications bears the following title, ^^ Two £legies on the Death of our late Soveraigne Queene Anne, with Epitaphes, written by Patrick Hannay, Master of Arts." Another is entitled ^* A Happy Husband ; or Directions for a Maid to chuse her Mate, together with a Wive's Behaviour after Marriage. By Patrick Hannay, Gent." Lend. 1619. 8vo. This composition is appended, with a separate title-page, to Brathwyte's Description of a Good Wife. It was afterwards inserted in a collection of Hannay's Poems, published in the year 1622, and containing ** Philomela, the Nightingale, Theretine, and Mariana, Elegies, Songs, and Sonnets.'^ We have been informed that, within these three years, a copy of his poetical works was sold in London for L. 42, 10s. 6d., and that there was prefixed to it, a portrait of the author, which was regarded as a valuable illustration of the state of the arts at the period when it was taken. Land-otoners, — The chief proprietors of Sorbie are, the Earl of Galloway (to whom the greater part of the parish belongs) ; Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw, Bart. ; the Earl of Stair ; and Mr Ha- thom of Castlewigg. Parochial Registers, — The parochial registers are not volumi- nous. The date of their earliest entry is 1700. They were pro- perly attended to for some time at first, but afterwards not so care- fully conducted. Of late, however, they have been regularly kept Ancient Ecclesiastical State. — We have already stated that the present parish of Sorbie includes the three old parishes of Sorbie, Kirkmadrine, and Cruggleton ; but we are told by Chalmers,* that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Sorbie itself formed two divisions ; Gre£it Sourby and Little Sourby, each of which had its own church. The union of these two churches was after- wards authorized by Gilbert, the Bishop of Candida Casa, and took place betwixt the years 1235 and 1253. The cure of Sorbie, thus united, was served by a vicar, and belonged to the monks of Dry- burgh, till the Reformation, at which period it was let for L. 20 a year.f Of the ancient churches of Great and Little Sourby no vestige is now remaining, but the sites of two churches are still • Caledonia, Vol. iil p. 427. t Ibid. p. 42?. 28 WIGTONSHIRE. pointed out, the one at Culnoag, on the north-west, and the other at Gilfillan, near the middle of the parish, and on these we think they must have been built. The ancient parish of Kirkmadrine forms the eastern district of the present parish of Sorbie. The church of this parish be- longed to the prior and canons of St Mary's Isle, and the cure was served by a vicar. About the year 1562, the vicarage was reported to be worth only L#. 10 yearly.* The church appears to have been rather small, exceedingly plain, and without window«i. Its ruins are still to be seen on the farm of Penkiln, surrounded by a clump of trees, which also incloses the church-yard. Here some families in the parish still bury ; and it may be noticed that some of the bones, occasionally dug up at the opening of a gra?e^ are remarkably large. The ancient parish of Cruggleton forms the south*eastem district of the present parish. Its church belonged to the priory of Whit- horn, and the cure was served by a vicar. In 1562, the vicarage of Cruggleton was said to be worth L. 16. After the Reformation, the Bishops of Galloway received the patronage of this and the other two parishes ; and after Kirkmadrine and Cruggleton were joined to Sorbie, they held the patronage of the united parish, till the abolition of Episcopacy in 1 689, when it was vested in the crown.-f The church of Cruggleton appears to have been laiger, and'belter built than that of Kirkmadrine. The greater part of the walls is still extant ; and the interior of it is occasionally used as burying ground. Antiquities. — The Castle of Cruggleton, which gave name to the parish in which it stood, was built on the verge of a precipitous part of the sea coast Nothing now remains of it, save part of an arch, and the foundations of some of the walls ; but there is enough to shew that, in ancient times, it must have been a place of great size and strength. The spot on which it stood is a kind of promon- tory, formed by a small bay on each side, and is elevated about 200 feet perpendicular above the level of the sea. The fosse encloses upwards of an acre of ground, and is still quite distinct I^ '^ 183 yards long, and about 12 yards wide. We have not been able to ascertain the precise period at which the castle was bw«> but we are told by Chalmers that it certainly existed in the thir- teenth century, and that it was the property and domicile o! ionu • Caledonia, Vol. iii. p. 429. f Il>id- P- 428-9. SORBIE. 29 Oomyn, the Earl of Buchan, as one of the heirs parceners of the LfOrds of Galloway. The same author farther informs us,* that in 1292, John Comyn, the Earl of Buchan, obtained from Edward L a license to dig in the ruins of the Calf of Man, for lead,'to cover eight towers of his castle of Cruggleton, in Galloway ; that John Comyn was afterwards totally defeated by King Robert Bruce, who seiz- ed his estates and castles ; and that the castle of Cruggleton was involved in the ruin of his family. It existed as a ruin before the year 1684. The castle is now on the estate of Sir Andrew Ag- new of Lochnaw, Bart The old Castle of Eggern'ess stood upon a bold part of the coast, on a head-land of the same name, and must have been a place of considerable strength. Scarcely any vestige of it now remains, except a part of the fosse, and its history is involved in entire ob- scurity. The old place or tower of Sorbie is a beautiful ruin, surround- ed by wood, and situated about three quarters of a mile from the parish church. It appears to have been a place of strength. There are the remains of a fosse on the eastern side, where the land is rising ; but from the nature of the ground on every other side, we think its chief defence must have been formed by a sheet of water. The Hannays possessed this estate and Castle of Sor- bie, together with other lands in Wigtonshire, in the reign of James IV., and continued here during the seventeenth century.f The estate of Sorbie now belongs to the Earl of Galloway. Modem Edifices. — The only modern edifice in Sorbie worthy of particular notice is Galloway House, the seat of the Earl of Galloway, which was built about seventy or eighty years ago. We quote the following account of it from the Old Statistical Account << Galloway House forms part of a landscape truly beautiful and grand. Garlieston Bay is on the north, and Rigg Bay is on the south of it. From its windows are seen the richest fields ; an in- dented coast, adorned with growing improvements ; a cluster of isles, and the lofty mountains of Cumberland and Man, appearing at a proper distance. The principal rooms are spacious, and the library is stored with many thousand valuable volumes." The houses of the villages are in general^well built There are three mills in the parish. The materials generally employed in building are whinstone (of which Sorbie furnishes an abundant sup- ply), and American pine, which is annually imported. • Caledonia, Vol. Ui. p. 372. f Ibid. p. 889. 30 WIGTONSHIRE. III. — Population. From the records of the synod of Galloway it appeared that, in 1697, the population of Sorbie was 480. In 1755, it was 986. The amount of population as shown by the census of 1791, was 1071 1801, 1091 1811, 1265 1821, 1319 1831, 1412 The number of males being 656, females, 756 The gradual increase of the population is to be attributed mainly to improvements in agriculture and shipping, but it must be observed that, within the last forty or fifty years, a considerable number of Irish families have settled in the parish, and have con- tributed to augment the labouring classes beyond what these causes could have otherwise effected. Their existence in the pa- rish is therefore to be attributed more to their capacity of subsist- ing on an inferior scale of comforts, than to the healthy stimulus of an increase in the means of subsistence. The number of the population at present residing in Tillages, is 757 in the country is 655 The yearly ayerage of births for the last 7 years may be reckoned about 37 deaths, - - - 24 marriages, . . 8 The average number of persons under 15 years of age is about 497 betwixt 15 and 30 - 316 30 and 50 - 317 50 and 70 - 175 upwards of 70 - 43 ' The Earl of Galloway is the only nobleman who has a place of residence in Sorbie ; and there are no families or individuals of independent fortune living in the parish. The number of proprietors of land of the yearly value of I^ 50 and upwards, is 4 unmarried men, bachelors, and widowers, upwards of 50, is 22 unmarried women upwards of 45, - 22 Number of families, .... 299 chiefly employed in agriculture, - 140 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 90 Average number of children in each family, 4 Number of inhabited houses, - 239 houses uninhabited or now building, 2 Number of illegitimate births during the last three years, 7. The people, on the whole, enjoy, in a reasonable degree, the comforts and advantages of society, and are contented with their situation and circumstances. Their intellectual, moral, and reli- gious character is good. There is no poaching in game, or in the salmon- fisheries, and no smuggling carried on in the parish. IV. — Industry. Agriculture, — Number of acres standard imperial measure in the parish, which are either cultivated or occasionally in tilbge, - 7772 SORBI£. 31 Number of acres which have never been cultivated, and which remain constantly waste* or in pasture, - . 744 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, - - - 90 Number of acres in a state of undivided common, - under wood, - • 490 We have already mentioned the variety of trees planted, and it may here be noticed that the yearly thinning and periodical fel- ling of these is judiciously conducted. Rent. — The average rent of arable land per imperial acre is L. !• The average rent of grazing may be rated at L. 3 per ox or cow grazed, and at 15s. per ewe or full-grown sheep pastured for the year. Waffes. — The rate of wages for a farm«labourer per day is Is. 6d. ; do. per year without victuals, L. 25 ; do. per year with victuals, L. 11. Rate of wages for a mason, house-carpenter, or mechanic, per day, 2s. 6d. ; do. for a ship-carpenter, ds. Prices,-^ The average price of wheat per imperial bushel is 6s. 9d. ; of barley, do. 4s. ; of oats, do. 2s. 4d. ; of potatoes, do. 7d«*; of turnips per cart, Ss. ; of hay per stone of 26 lbs. 7d. The price of a good cart, L. 10 ; of an iron plough, L. 4, 10s.; of a couple of harrows, L. 1, 15s. ; of a drill-harrow, L. 1, 10s. ; shoeing of a horse, 2s. 6d. Live-Stock, — Our common breed of sheep is rather large, but considerably mixed. The cattle, as we have already stated, are of the Galloway breed, and much attention has been paid to their im- provement Their colour is mostly black, and they are without horns. They are generally sold when two or three years old, and taken to the Dumfries market, where they are again sold for the English markets. Husbandry. — The state of husbandry, in this parish, is highly im- proved. Oats and barley are the grains usually cultivated. Wheat is raised only in small quantity. Within the last ten or twelve years, turnips have been extensively and profitably cultivated for feeding sheep. The sheep, for this purpose, are purchased at the Falkirk trysts, and, when fat, are generally sent to the Liverpool market, with which the parish enjoys the advantage of a regular steam communication. Bone-dust was introduced as a manure, about two years ago, and the green crops raised on it, as well as the following crop of grain, have been of superior quality. It costs 2s. 6d. per bushel, and from twenty-five to thirty-five of them are laid on the acre. 32 WIGTONSHIRE. The general duration of leases is nineteen years, which term is generally believed to be favourable to the occupier. The.state of iarm-buildings and enclosures, in the parish, is exceedingly good ; and we cannot say that any serious obstacles to improvement arise either from the want of capital, or the want of encouragement from proprietors. Fisheries. — There is a salmon-fishery at Innerwell Port, the rent of which is about L. 200 per annum. At this place, herrings, mackerel, cod, and other kinds of fish are also frequently caught About three years ago, herrings were caught, in considerable quantity, off Garlieston and Cruggleton. Some of the boats made nearly L. 30 each by their fishings, during the season, which in- duced the people of Garlieston to build about twenty little boats for the purpose of following the fishing ; but the want of success expe- rienced during the two last seasons, renders it doubtful whether this branch of industry will continue to be prosecuted for economi- cal purposes. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce annually raised in the parish, may be rated as follows : Produce ofgrain of aU kinds, - . . L. 5175 of potatoes, turnips, and other plants, - - 1778 of hay, meadow and cultivated, ... 1094 ofUnd in pasture, . ... 4062 of the annual thinning and periodical felline of woods, - 187 offisheries, - - . . - 350 Total yearly value of raw produce, L. 12,686 Manufactures. — There are two branches of manufacture esta- blished in the parish ; the one, a damask manufactory, in the village of Sorbie ; and the other, a rope and sail manufactory, at the vil- lage of Garlieston. The former employs about 91 hands, includ- ing those who spin ; the latter employs about 10. At both of these, the men usually work ten or twelve hours per day, and six days per week. The damask manufactory is of nearly fifty y^^' standing, and is much famed for the superiority of its fabrics and patterns of double damask. The goods are all used by families of the highest rank, as they are wholly made from the best Dutch flax, hand-spun ; and the nobility of the county take such an in- terest in the success of the manufactory, that the quality of the goods is known through the most of Scotland and England. In 1800, a suit of damask was sent (for the first time) to the Bnnuni competition in Edinburgh, before the Board of Trustees, and it gained the highest premium. The articles produced at the rope SORBIE. 33 and sail manufactory are used both for shipping/ and for the diffe- rent purposes of rural economy. Both branches of manufacture afford a fair remuneration and support to those engaged in them, and produce no bad effects on health and morals. Navigation. — Garlieston is the only shipping-port in the parish which vessels usually frequent. The harbour was very much en- larged and otherwise improved some years ago, and is now ca- pable of affording shelter for thirty vessels. At high tides it con- tains about eighteen or twenty feet of water. There are fifteen vessels belonging to the port. Four of these carry 100 tons each ; and the remaining eleven average 48 tons eacL Besides these, two or three foreign vessels occasionally trade to the port. Ship- building has been carried on rather actively at Garlieston during the last fifteen years. We may state, that, in the course of that time, fourteen vessels have been built, some of which carry 100 tons. V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Toum. — Sorbie contains no market-town ; and there are no fairs of any kind held in the parish. The nearest market- town is Whithorn, which is about four and a-half miles distant Villages. — There are two villages in the parish ; Sorbie, which is about two miles from the sea ; and Garlieston, which is beauti- fully situated on a bay of the same name. The former contains 170, and the latter 587 inhabitants. In these two villages there are thirteen public-houses ; and the effects of these on the morals of the people are uniformly injurious. Means of Communication. — The parish enjoys ample means of communication, both by sea and land. There is a penny-post established at Garlieston. Sorbie village has daily communica- tion with the post-ofiice of Wigton. Good roads traverse the country in every direction ; and Garlieston harbour opens up an important avenue to the markets of Liverpool, Whitehaven, and other places on the western coast of England. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is situated at the village of Sorbie, andi is about four miles distant from the extremity of the parish. Its situation may be said to be convenient for the greater number of the inhabitants, the populous village of Garlieston be- ing only two and a-half miles distant. It was rebuilt about the year 1750, and thoroughly repaired in 1826. It affords accom* modation for nearly 500 persons. Most of the seats in the lower WIGTON. c 34 WIGTONSHIBE. part of the church are apportioned to the fannerB ; the remainder below and the galleries are free to the other inhabitants of the parish. The manse was rebuilt in 1778» and enlarged about the year 1813. The glebe contains 9 acres, and its yearly value is about L. 12. The amount of the stipend is L. 242, 4s. lOH in money ; and 2 firlots, 1 peck, 2| lippies of meal, and the same of bear. No communion elements are allowed, the teinds being exhausted. There are no chapels of ease attached to the Esta- blished Church. There is one Independent chapel in the parish. The minister of this is paid by his hearers, and receives about L. 60 per annum. There are no Episcopalian or Catholic chapels in Sorbie. The number of families attending the Established Church is 152; number of persons of all ages attending Established Church, 671; number attending the chapels of Dissenters, 214; number attending Catholic chapel at Newton- Stewart (thirteen miles distant), 55. Divine service at the Established Church is generally well at- tended. The average number of communicants at the Establish- ed Church is about 240. There is one Bible Society in the pa- rish, the yearly contributions of which may average about L 15. The yearly average of church collections for the poor is about L.dO. Education. — Total number of Schools in the parish, 5; pa- rochial schools, 1 ; unendowed schools, 4. Among these there are two female schools, one of which is supported by haAj Galloway, and conducted upon the Lancasterian system. The branches of instruction generally taught in the parochial school are, reading, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, geography, l^' tin, and Greek. One of the schools of Garlieston has been long famous for navigation, and the practical branches of ma- thematics. The parochial teacher possesses the legal accom- modations. His salary is L. 25, Ids. 3|d. ; and the amount of school fees may be rated at L. 64 per annum. The yearly ex- pense of education at the parochial school is as follows: — Reading of English, 12s.; reading and writing, 14s.; arithmetic, 16s.; Latin or Greek, 20s. ; book-keeping by single entry, 20s. ; book- keeping by double entry, L. 2, 2s. ; mensuration, 7s. 6d. ; trigo- nometry, 7s. 6d. ; navigation, 21s. The number of the young betwixt six and fifteen, who cannot read or write, may be about six, and these we believe to be mostly of the lower Irish. We know of none in the parish upwards of fifteen who cannot read or. SORBIE. 35 write. The people are in genersd alive to the benefits of educa* tion, and manifest a strong desire to have their children well taught We do not think that any additional schools are required in Sor« bie. The increased facilities of education have certainly effected a corresponding increase in the knowledge and refinement of the people, but the state of morality is much the same as it has been for many years. Among some of the lower classes, indeed, the native virtues of our character have been invaded by the contami- nating influence of the lower Irish, whose poverty and degradation, in no instance, contribute to elevate the standard of morality. Po(nr and Parochial Fundi. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid is about 30, and the average sum allotted to each per year is about L. 2. The annual amount of contribu- tions for their support is about L. 60. Of this sum L. 30 are col- lected in the church, and about L. 30 received as donations from the proprietors. There is no other regular mode of procuring funds for the poor, but the inhabitants of the parish are in the habit of giving them additional charity in meal, and other articles of food, two or three times a-year ; and the relief afforded in this way is more than equal to that obtained by the annual contribu- tions. There is a disposition among the poor to refrain from seek- ing parochial aid ; but this feeling is by no means so marked as it once was, and its deterioration we ascribe partly to the hurtful ex- ample of the lower Irish, and partly to the ready relief afforded to the poor, in times of unusual scarcity and distress. FiieL — The fuel used in Sorbie consists of peat and coal. The peat is procured chiefly from the neighbouring parish of Kirkinner^ at 2s. 6d. per cart-load ; and the coal is obtained from Whitehaven, Workington, or Maryport, at 16s. per ton. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the date of the last Statistical Account, agriculture has undergone a very marked improvement. Green crops are now generally raised, and are found to be advantageous, both for the profits which they yield, and for the improvement which they ope- rate upon the land. Turnips, especially when eaten off by sheep, are followed by superior crops of grain. The general rule of farm- ing is still what it formerly was ; that is, to have one-third of the land in tillage, and two-thirds in pasture. The average rent of land per acre is now more than double of what it was forty years ago, and almost all the arable land has been under cultivation. Upon the whole, the system of husbandry pursued in this parish 36 WIGTONSHIRE. is fully as much improved as the present state of things will admit of, and our facilities of internal communication are as great as caa possibly be desired. The villages have increased in size and po- pulation. Garlieston, from its ship-building and the improvemeDt of its harbour, has increased in commercial importance. The knowledge, taste, manners, and dress of the great body of the peo- ple, have all been obviously much improved within the last forty years; and the happiness and comfort of the labouring classes might be still farther promoted by an enlightened co-operation of landlord and tenant, to prevent the influx of Irish labourers, and preserve the rate of wages from sinking too low. This would ad- vance even the lowest classes in the parish to a point in the scale of living, which, in seasons of dearth, would admit of their making some retrenchments in order to subsist on the proBts of their own industry ; whereas, at present, in times of scarcity, they are either reduced to want, or compelled to subsist on the voluntary contn- butions of their more fortunate neighbours, — a state of things, which, in so far as it prevails, exerts the most debasing influence on the genuine spirit of independence* Revised December 1838. PARISH OF GLASSERTON. PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALLOWAIT. THE REV. SAMUEL CLANAGHAN, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The word Glasserton, it is said, is derived from the ancient Saxon, and signifles a bare hill. No doubt there are seve- ral bare hills in the parish : but the appellation is so far from being a distinctive one, that half the parishes in Scotland might have had the same name. Boundaries^ Sfc. — The parish is bounded by Mochrum pa"*" on the west; Sorbie and Kirkinner on the north; Whithorn on east ; and the Bay of Luce oa the south* It is one of the most southerly parishes in Scotland. It begins two miles from Borougn- head, and stretches along the sea coast till within twomiks of P<^" William, a distance of seven miles, which is part of fte space be- GLASSERTON. 37 tween Borough-h«ad and the Mull of Gralloway, — two points about which it has sometimes been disputed which is really the south- ermost. The maps, however, have decided in favour of the Mull, and I believe correctly. Topographical Appearances. — The parish is long and narrow, being at least eight miles in length, and varying from one to three miles in breadth. It is most irregular in its outline and shape, and so intersected by the neighbouring parishes, that some of the inhabitants of the parish of Whithorn, in going to their parish church, have to pass through part of the parish of Glasserton ; and, vice versa, the people of Glasserton, in more points than one, have to pass through the parish of Whithorn in going to their church. The sea coast of this parish and the north coast of the Isle of Man lie parallel to each other, the island bearing nearly south or south-south-west from Glasserton, at a distance of sixteen or eighteen miles. The coast is generally bold and rocky. The hills, or heughs^ as they are called, which terminate the land, are of various heights, green at top and half-way or more down the declivity. But from that down to the beach they are precipitous rocks, grey, black, or weather-beaten, as they are more or less washed by the waves. They are broken and rugged, often perpendicular, and sometimes Jianging over. In other places, they slope away into the sea, show- ing here and there their black and pointed tops above the surface. The sea beach and all within water-mark is a rocky bottom, co< vered with loose stones of various sizes, some of them rounded and polished by the motion of the sea, whilst others are shapeless masses, covered with shells and marine plants. There are two three ports where sloops can unload in fine wea- ther; but there is nothing like a safe harbour in any part of the parish. There are some caves at the bottom of the cliffs, but they are not of much depth, nor do they penetrate far backwards. There is nothing remarkable in their history, nor any particular tradition concerning them, with the exception of one on the Physgill shore, in which St Ninian is said to hs^ve taken up his residence for a time ; but whether he lived in a cave through choice or necessity does not appear. St Ninian is said to have been the founder of Whithorn Priory, and the first Bishop of Galloway. It is proba- ble he was a man of abstemious habits, an anchorite in disposition, and one who, like a true Catholic, believed that, if self-denial was 38 WIGTONSHIRE. good, penance was still better. The people in this part of the country have corrupted his name into St Ringan ; and the hole where he lived is known by the name of St Ringan's Cave. It is a place of small dimensions, and does not penetrate more than twenty feet into the rock. Its roof is about eight or ten feet high. The stones in the roof are wedged like an arch, and water drops from the crevices. It stands a few feet above the level of the sea, and looks towards the east. It is a cool enough re- treat in a warm summer day ; but in winter, with an easterly wind, it would be exceedingly cold quarters. General Aspect and Surface of the Country. — It is broken and uneven, with scarcely anything like a level field to be seen ; and yet there is little of what could be called hill and dale, but small knolls, and a constant succession of heights and hollows. Almost every field has more or less waste land in it; and yet some are excellent either for crop or pasture. Indeed, there are fields in this parish equal to any in the county fer feed- ing cattle ; and yet they would find no favour in the eyes of a stranger, merely from their broken and uneven surface. But the richness of soil in the hollows, and the shelter afforded by the knoUs, sometimes covered with furze, which still adds to their shel- ter, are advantages which make up for the apparent waste. These heights, when not covered with furze, are thickly clothed with a coarser sort of grass, which, not being eaten in summer, affords a great deal of excellent foggage for the vdnter. * The south side of the parish, along the shore, is the highest ground, and may properly^ be called hilly. The Hill of Glas- serton, the Fell of Carlton, and the Fell of BarhuUion, are hills of considerable magnitude. As to their height above the level of the sea, I have not the means of ascertaining it with precision. I should suppose it to be from 400 to 600 feet They are mostly green, with rocks occasionally breaking through the green surface. Such is the sea shore on the south side of the parish. On the northern boundaries, there are hills also, but they are of a different description, and consist of different. materials. They are till from top to bottom, with a smoother surface, more curved and regular io their shape. The soil, however, is poor and spongy. They are always wettest at top, with a subsoil so dose and impervious, that it is very difficult if not impossible to drain them. These hills are arable but not fertile, on account of their tilly subsoil. Both grain and grass is chilled and stunted by the moisture, which can- GLA8SERTON. 39 not escape downward, but b constantly oozing up through the sur- face. The hills on the sea shore are only partly arable, from the thin* ness of the soil, and being interspersed with bare rocks towards their summits. But none of hills, either on the south or north, are covered with heath, as described in the Old Statistical Ac- count of this parish. In as far, then, as that Account was correct^ so far has improvement advanced. But I suspect, that, if ever there were heath-clad hills, it must have been much earlier than the date of that report. There are, to be sure, spots and patches of moorland and mosses of considerable extent in the north-western parts, but even the moory parts are but lightly sprinkled with heath. They are covered with sprit and other coarse grasses and plants common to moory soils. The mosses formerly supplied the inhabitants with peats for fuel ; and even yet these are used in some places, but not commonly, for coals are procured with less trouble, and at a moderate expense. Of late, both proprietors and farmers have been more anxious to bring the mosses into cultivation than to encourage peat cut- ting. They are more desirous to level the surface and drain off the water, than to dig pits to retain it, which is the consequence of the peat system. Ihdeed, if the moss is upon a rocky bottom, and of no great depth, cutting it away in peats is destroying so much land altogether. It is demolishing in a single day what na- ture required some thousand years to produce. The cultivation of moss has been carried as far perhaps as is profitable. What has already been subjected to tillage might be susceptible of still farther improvement in draining, levelling, and manuring, or in top-dressing with cross soils, which is always ex* ceedingly beneficial ; but any farther encroachments into the cen- tre of the mosses, that is, into the flow-moss or soft spongy part, would not be advisable, at least for a long time to come. Besides^ there is no great extent of such moss in the parish. There is no natural wood in this parish. Furze abounds, and, if not kept in check, would soon cover the whole suriGsMie. There are bushes of hazel, sloe-thorn, and broom to be met with, but not in such quantity as to give the farmer much concern ; but furze costs him a great deal of labour to keep it from over*spread- ing the fields. From this description of the surface of the land, it may be sup- posed that there is much variety in the soil, which is the case. J 40 WIGTONSHIRE. for, in the compass of a field of even small dimensions, we find three or four different soils. This, no doubt, is a great disadvan- tage in ripening the crops, for the same ridge, perhaps has light dry soil, loam and moss, in different parts ; consequently, the grain is green or ripe, according as the soil is heavy or light, damper dry. The subsoil is equally various, and perhaps more so. It consists of clay, till, gravel, and rock. The rocks are of different kinds, but chiefly a kind of transition slate, full of joints and fissures, which has sometimes been used for gravelling roads, though it is certainly the worst road-metal possible ; for the feet of horses or cattle immediately pound it into clay. Its only recommendation is cheap- ness at first. But at last, it is the dearest and the worst A road made of this is never good, but constantly in need of repairs. But the 'subsoil in some places is of greywacke (whinstone.) This is now used for Macadamizing the roads ; but it is difficult to break, and does not cut in any direction which the workmen desire ; it is what they call *< cross-grain'd," and breaks into ir- regular pieces. It does not appear that granite forms 'any part of the subsoil in this parish, nor are there any strata of it, either on the sea shore or inland parts, as stated in the Old Statistical Account. There are sometimes detached pieces of granite to be found. They are ge- nerally bedded in the surface. They are round in shape, as if they had been rolled among the other elements, like pebbles which are rounded by the motion of the sea* Meteorology. — The climate is exceedingly good, and favourable to health and longevity. Typhus, scarlet fever, pleurisy, and consumption, do occasionally make their appearance amongst us^ but never prevail to any alarming extent The atmosphere b mud and moist The soil in Galloway is generally light and thiiH and, of course, easily scorched by dry weather. But the sou and climate are well adapted to each other, for if the soil require frequent showers, it generally receives them. The prefalling winds are the westerly. The greatest storms and heaviest rams are frpm the south-west The wind ranges fipom south-east to west, I should suppose, at least two-thirds of the whole year. The winter is very mild, without much frost or snow. From the mud- ness of the winter in Galloway, it has been called the Devonshire of Scotland ; along the sea coast, especially, snow never lies for any length of time, and a week or two of uninterrupted fros' is * very rare occurrence, ;_As a proof of this, there are many wint^'' GLASSERTON. 41 during which the curlers are entirely deprived of their favourite sport for want of ice. Hydrography. — There are no rivers in this parish nor lakes of importance. The Loch of Dowalton, however, is surrounded by Kirkinner, Sorbie, and this parish. But it forms only a small part of our boundary. This lake is perhaps a mile and a half in length, and from half a mile to three quarters in breadth. There is ano- ther small lake near the House of Castlestewart ; but there is no- thing remarkable in the appearance or history of either of these lakes. Pike, perch, trout, and eels, are found in them, but not in great abundance. In Castlestewart Loch, there are leeches of a su- perior sort, but not numerous. II. — Civil History. Mansion^Houses. — There are three mansion-houses in the pa- rish; but only one residing heritor, Mr Stewart of Physgill, who constantly resides at Glasserton. Physgill is tenanted by two la- dies ; and in Castlestewart no gentleman's family has resided for upwards of forty years, — it is therefore getting fast into disrepair. Land-oumers, — The parish belongs to five heritors, — Sir Wil- liam Maxwell, Bart, of Monrieth ; Stair H. Stewart, Esq. of Physgill ; the Earl of Galloway ; the Earl of Stair ; and John Pringle, Esq. of Craigdow. This latter gentleman resides occa- sionally on his property here. Antiquities. — It is worthy of notice that the head of a Urus was not long ago found in a marl-pit on the estate of Castlewig, in this parish. It was sent by Mr Train of Castle- Douglas, to Sir Walter Scott, — and, it is supposed, yet to be seen immediately over the door at Abbotsford. It is of the following dimensions : From the top of the head to the point of the nose, 28 inches ; between the sockets of the eyes, 13 inches ; diameter of the sockets of the eyes, 4 inches ; round the flint of the horn, 13 inches. III. — Population. Papulation in i 801, - 860 1811, - 1047 1821, - 1057 1631, . 1194 Number of fiunilies in the parish, .... 231 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 124 in trade, manu&etures, or handicrafr, - 28 IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The parish contains about 10,688 Scotch acres ; of which about 3000 are waste, and betwixt 200 and 300 planted. The rental is about L. 8570. As many of the farms have their rents re<9 42 WIGT0N8HIRE. gulated by the fiars price of grain, of course these rents vary more or less every year, and some of the lands being possessed by the proprie- tors themselves, can only be reported at an estimated value ; in many cases, also, there is considerable difference betwixt what is promised and what is really paid. Some of the lands I was under the neces- sity of stating at rents promised in the original contracts, whilst from other tenants I obtained a statement of the reductions of rent which had been allowed for some time past, and which were ex- pected to be continued. The following is nearly the value and measurement of the properties separately, — Monrieth estate, • 5908 acres, L* 3500 Glasserton and Physgill, 2700 3000 Earl of Galloway's, 740 800 Castlestewart, 1440 920 Craigdow, . 500 350 Agriculture has been much improved in this parish during the last twenty or thirty years. Both landlords and tenants are on the alert to carry into practice every improvement which promises beneficial results. Those improvements su^ested by Sir John Sinclair have been carried much farther than he could have anticipated at that time ; and many new plans have been adopted, and experiments made which Sir John did not think of, but which he would have highly approved, had he been consulted as to tKeir propriety. The system of green cropping which he recom- mended has become quite general. The moors have thoroughly been brought into cultivation, if ever there was much land of that description in the parish. They have all vanished at the touch of cultivation, and Ihose lands which were, forty years ago, covered with heath, now wave with barley, or are covered with rye*grass and clover ; they are now cultivated fields, shorn with the scythe, and levelled with the roller. But still it must be observed that, unless a fac-simile of the land in its original state could be preserved, it is impossible after- wards to estimate either the extent of the improvement, or the lar hour and expenses which it required. This remark is particular- ly applicable to draining, which is one of our greatest improve' ments. All the lands in this parish are now well enclosed and dirided, and the rotation of crops strictly adhered ta Bone manure has lately been introduced and applied to raising turnips, which are i<^ off with sheep. This promises to be the greatest improvement which has been discovered for many years, and will probably be GLASSERTON. 43 looked upon hereafter as the beginning of a new era in the his- tory of fanning. Change of manure seems to be as essential as change of crops. Lime, when often repeated, loses much of its efficacy. It acts only as a stimulant at best, and, after two or three repetitions, the land can be stimulated no longer, being exhausted, unless new strength is supplied by dung, or some other substan- tial manure ; and the quantity of dung which can be raised on a farm is very limited, and inadequate for keeping the land in proper condition ; — then it is too heavy and bulky a substance to be im- ported or carried from a distance ; consequently, farmers had the greatest difficulty in obtaining a sufficient quantity of manure for their green crop fields. Indeed, this difficulty was so great, that the land seldom got half the manure which it required. This dif- ficulty is now completely obviated by the application of bone dust. This is the most portable of all manures. Twenty or thirty im- perial bushels of it are the allowance for an acre of turnips. The carriage of this quantity from England or Ireland does not come to more than 2s. 6d. or 3s. : and a single horse caft will carry thirty bushels from the sea -port to the farm. Steep hills can now be manured with bone-dust, without subjecting horses to labour so hard and oppressive, that they were often wind-broken, and ren- dered nearly useless for life, — for this was a frequent occurrence in drawing dung and compost up to the tops of the mountains. Under these advantages, a greater quantity of grain will no doubt be raised in this part of the country ; and steam navigation being introduced about the same time, affords greater facility in carrying produce to mlirket, than the farmers in this neighbourhood have been hitherto accustomed to enjoy. But to say the truth, all these advantages were required to support the drooping spirits of the Gralloway fermers, for, notwithstanding all the indulgence of their landlords, which has been very great indeed, they have been struggling with difficulties for at least these twenty years. They were difficulties too, of such magnitude, that several have sunk under them, and very few have been able to fulfil the engagements entered into with their landlords. The system of tillage generally followed in this place is one crop of oats in opening up a field ; next year, a green crop, either of potatoes or turnips ; the third, it is sown out with rye-grass and clover, along with wheat, barley or oats ; then a hay crop is taken ; and after that, the field returns to pasture, for a longer or shorter period, according to the number of divisions in the farm. Three 44 WIGTONSHIRE. or four years pasture is Ihe general practice, but circumstances may occur which may warrant a change in this rotation. Landlords always lay down a specific plan of management in their contracts with tenants ; but they are very indulgent, and seldom interfere with a tenant's management Indeed, the interests of landlord and tenant lie quite in the same direction, and what is good for the one, is seldom bad for the other. It is unnecessary to describe the various instruments of husban- dry used in this place, for they are quite the same here as in any place where an improved system of agriculture has been introdu- ced. Everything which can shorten labour or save expense is as readily adopte^l here as the best friends of improvement could de- sire. There is now nothing of prejudice, and no obstinate adhe- rence to old customs and habits in these matters. It might be inferred from the preceding observalignS) that this is a cropping district, and entirely under the dominion of the plough : the south side of the parish, in fact, is nearly all arable. Yet a considerable proportion of the best land in the parish is permanently in grass, at least it has not been disturbed by the ploughshare for the last sixty or seventy years. Indeed, some of the finest pasture land in Galloway is in this parish, and its excel- lence is generally known and acknowledged by all the graziers and cattle-dealers in the south of Scotland. ^' Until within the last seventy or eighty years, the quantity of land under tillage was trifling in comparison to its present extent. This was the case not only in this parish, but through the whole of this part of the country. The iarm-houses were generally placed on a spot of fine dry land, the richest and best which the larm contained, and in the neighbourhood of a clear perennial spring ; for that was an object to which the people then strictly attended. Having thus chosen the most &vourable situation they could find for their farm-steading, they enclosed round about it ten, twenty, or thirty acres, more or less, in proportion to the size of the farm. This field was called the Feyy and was cropped al- most without intermission. It received all the manure which could be collected about the place. Hence the distinction between fey-land and out-field land : the out-field being either not en- closed, or but partially enclosed, was used mostly for pasture, and the fey for cropping. This arrangement was the more convenient, because, in these times, there was no such thing as a cart The dung was carried in two creeU or hampers, slung across a horses GLASSERTON. 45 back. The boUom of the hamper was fastened with a pin put through a staple or iron loop, and when they wanted to disload their cargo they had only to take out the pin, when the bottom of the hamper opened, and the contents fell out without removal of the creels from the horse's back. This, to be sure, was but a slow and troublesome method of carrying out manure, but, not unfre - quently, a still more laborious and tedious process was submitted to, for the people sometimes carried the creel upon their own backs, and the writer of this Report is old enough to remember having seen this method practised in the moorland parts of this county. When the wearisomeness and drudgery of these operations are taken iifto consideration, it is not very wonderful that manure was not carried to a greater distance, or that the fey, as they called it, should have the benefit of the whole manure collected in the &rm. This, then, was the origin of what is now called rich old fey*land. A field of a good natural soil being selected, it received the whole of the dung for very many years. Among the other good qualities of rich fey-land, this is one, that it dqi^ not deteriorate by remain-* ing in pasture ; but, on the contrary, continues to improve. This will account for the above assertion, that the best pasture in the county is to be found in this parish, for there §ire several fields <^ fey-land in pasture, which have not been ploughed for upwards of eighty years. Breeds of Live-Stock. — The breed of Galloway cattle here has hitherto been preserved' pure and genuine ; and this parish has al- ways been considered as forming part of that particular district in the county, where the Gralloway breed of cattle is to be found in its utmost perfection. But I am afraid the time is approaching, when it shall only be said that such things tcere, and when it may be even necessary to appeal to such a record as this to prove the fact The dairy system is now beginning to be considered more pro- fitable than breeding. This is an opinion which is fast gaining ground. And we have already in this parish three or four farms stocked with Ayrshire cows. This of course will contaminate the Galloway breed, perhaps displace it altogether. For the progress of contamination will be more rapid here, than almost any where else : for this reason, that feeding calves for veal is never practised in this part of the country. Besides, in order to unite the two systems together, (I mean breeding and cheese-niaking,) Galloway bulls are used, which produce black stock. This first cross isgrowthy, and feeds well. Some think that they even come to maturity sooner than the true Galloway breed : — of course the bullocks of this descrip- 46 WIGTONSHIRE. tion bring nearly as much money as the native breed, and the cross- bred queys are often kept, from a notion that they will prove good milkers ; and sometimes they are passed off for true Gal- loways. The consequence of this will be, the introduction of a spurious, thin-haired, degenerate race of cattle. The causes which we have now mentioned are quite sufficient to produce that result; but some believe that there are other less obvious causes which have a tendency to increase the evil, and to accelerate the progress of deterioration. They believe that the very sight of Ayrshire cows in the neighbourhood corrupts the native breed, and that it oftpo causes Gsdloways of the purest breed, and blackest colour, to pro- duce red, speckled, and spotted calves. There is nothing remarkable in our breed of horses now. -For- merly Galloway was celebrated for its horses, which were small io size, beautifully symmetrical, and possessed of a great deal of ac- tion. So famous were they in these respects, that a handsome active little horse, useful for all purposes, has generally obtained the name of a Galloway, But this native breed is nearly, if not altogether, ex* tinct ; what has mostly been bred here for many years, is the com- mon cart-horse, of no very superior qualities. An attempt, indeed, was lately made to breed from blood-horses with cart mares, bj way of getting a more lightsome, active sort of horse, and more convertible to different purposes. But this project seems to have failed, as many of this breed were not very suitable for any purpose whatever ; and farmers have now mostly turned their attention to improving the breed of strong draught horses. The sheep bred in this parish are but few. They seldom ex- ceed 12 or 16 breeding ewes to each farm, and these are gene- rally Leicesters. Those who fatten sheep on turnips during the winter, purchase them at Falkirk in October; but they are brought from Minigail also, or any place in the neighbourhood where the; can be found. The farmers do not conGne themselves to any p&f' ticular place or sort of sheep, but the Highland sheep seem to be preferred. Their inlaid cost may average about L. 1 a head, and theii* value when fattened about L. 1, 16s., or rather from L. l> ^^ to L. 2 ; for their price is subject to considerable fluctuations. Fisheries. — There are no fisheries on the Glasserton coast Stnw* two-oared boats in the summer season take a few cod and other kinds of white-fish with bait I believe there are not half a dpxen such boats in the parish, and they are employed sometimes as an ^^^ ment, and as a bye-job, when there is little else to do, or by o^^ GLA8SEUTON. 47 people who are unfit for harder labour. It has been attempted to take salmon with a draw-net at a place opposite the little village of Monrieth ; but the plan does not succeed well, and can only be practised in fine weather, and for a few days at a time during the spring tides. The coast is too rocky for fishing in this way, at least to any extent. Wages. — Men-servants by the half-year, with victuals, L. 5 or guineas; women-servants from L.2 to L.2, 10s.; harvest wages for men from L.2 to L.2, 5s., for women about L. 1, 10s. The day's wages is Is. 4d. in summer, and Is. 2d. in winter ; day's wages in harvest about 2s. without victuals. V. — Pauochial Economy. Means of Communication. — I have already mentioned the intro- duction of steam navigation as one of our very recent improvements. Since I commenced writing this report, I understand that the prin« cipal land proprietors in the county have made an arrangement with Government for a mail-coach to run from Newtonstewart by Wig- ton, Garliestown, Whithorn, Port- William, and Glenluce,to Stran- raer. This road passes through the parish of Glasserton ; entering this parish about half a mile from the burgh of Whithorn, it conti- nues in it to the village of Monrieth, within two miles of Port- William, which is eight miles from Whithorn. Hitherto, New- tonstewart was the nearest point at which the mail could be reach- ed, which is twenty-two miles from the church of Glasserton. This arrangement, therefore, may be considered as a great advan- tage to this part of the country. Villages^ Sfc — This parish contains no towns, and only one village. The nearest market-town is Whithorn. There is no public or pri- vate associations of any description, and neither trade nor manufac- tures. It is entirely an agricultural parish ; and the few mechanics which belong to it are dependent on or connected with agriculture, such as smiths, joiners, shoemakers, tailors; but weavers have nearly vanished, and the inhabitants chiefly depend upon the manufactures of other places for their clothing. Spinning and knitting, which formerly was the employment of old and infirm women, is no longer practised. Indeed, that class have been the greatest suf- ferers from the introduction of machinery, for it has taken from them the only employment which they had strength to perform, and their sole means of subsistence. Ecclesiastical State, — The church stands at the distance of about 600 yards north of Glasserton House. It is surrounded >>;at 48 WIGTONSHIEE. with wood. It 18 nearly in the centre of Glasserton pleasure- grounds, which Mr Stewart of Physgill, the present proprietor, has greatly enlarged. The lawn or park in which the church stands f^ is exceedingly beautiful, and the most extensive of any in this part of the country, containing upwards of 150 acres of the richest pasture ground, ornamented with plantations, as well as an immense number of single trees scattered over its whole surface, tastefully and judiciously arranged, so as to produce the finest ef- fect in passing along the approaches to Glasserton. Many of the single trees were transplanted on Sir Henry Steuart's plan. The church was built in the year 1732, exactly in the same style in which all country churches were built about that period. It is still strong and substantial both in walls and roof, but too small for the increasing population ; for at present it contains ooly about 270 sittings in the under part of the church. The galleries are private property, belonging to the family of Physgill and Glas- serton ; each of these estates having a gallery, but they both be- long to the same family. The heritors, however, have agreed to make an addition, by adding an aisle to the old .church : and at the end of the aisle, is to be erected a handsome tower, 68 feet ia height Tlie work is contracted for, materials provided, and oo the 19th May 1836, the tradesmen commenced building.^ The old church also is to be seated anew, and otherwise repaired. There have been no free sittings in the church hitherto, but it is proposed that some part of the addition shall be free. The church is much nearer the east than the west end of the pa« rish. The parish appears to have been formed by the junctioD of two parishes, Glasserton and Kirkmaiden. But there are no docu- ments to show at what time this annexation had taken place. A part of the walls of Kirkmaiden church still remain pretty entire. It is situated near the sea shore, not &r from Monrieth. It lies close to the bottom of the Heughs, or rather it is embosomed in a kind of recess formed by these steep hills. The road to it winds down the brow of the hill, and at last ends in a flight of steps leading into the church-yard. The slope of the surrounding hill is covered with young wood. Altogether it is scarcely possible to conceive that a church could be placed in a more romantic situation. It is indeed a beautiful sequestered spot, but never could have been a convenient situation for a church, for it lies in a corner where even The addition and repairs here alluded to have since been completed : wd the church now contains 400 sittings. GLASSBRTON. 49 now the population is smal], and must have been much smaller in those times, when it was frequented as a place of worship. It is still used as burial ground by some of the old residenters in this parish ; and Sir William Maxwell's family, though not residing in the parish, have their burial-place within the walls of the old church of Kirkmaiden. The attendance on public worship in this parish is regular, notwithstanding of many disadvantages, such as the length of the parish, the church not being in the centre. Besides, there is no village near it, and the population in the neighbourhood is small, as the gres^ter part of Glasserton estate is in pasture ground. A very handsome house and stable has been built by Mr Stewart of Physgill, at the church gate, entirely for the accommodation of the parish, — which certainly has removed many of the inconve- niences to which we allude. More accommodation at times would, DO doubt, be desirable. " The manse was built in 1818, is commodious, substantial, and in good repair. The glebe contains about 15 Scotch acre^ and might, perhaps, be valued at L. 20 a-year. The minister's stipend ^averages about L. 190. The original valuation being mostly in money, it is subject to no great variation. The teinds are ex- hausted by the present stipend. Dissenters have changed their tactics very much lately. In my younger days, they were proud to be considered, or rather to consider themselves, the chosen few. Now, there is no possibility of satisfying them with numbers. They are determined to be con- sidered as the many^ and that distinction, which they were for- merly so proud of, they are now extremely desirous should be conferred upon the Established Church. And as I should be sorry to disturb them, even in their dreams, I shall refrain from saying how few they are, though truth will not permit me to say that they are many. But, what is far more to the purpose, the Dissenting families which are old residenters in the parish are both prudent and respectable ; they maintain their own opinions^ and worship God according to the dictates # their own conscience, without giving the least offence to any of their neighbours. We have no voluntaries, at least as far as I know ; but it is really dif- ficult to speak with precision, from the fact of the farm-servants^ bound-workers, and day-labourers being in a state of continual fluptuation ; they change from parish to parish so frequently, that WIOTON. D 50 WIGTONSHIRE. a clergyman has not the means of knowing their religious tenets ' and their speculative opinions. Education, — There is an excellent school-house and school- master's house. The schoolmaster's salary is the maximum, that is, L. 34 a-year. The school fees may amount to L. 25 a-year. The school-house is not at the church, but two miles west, upon the road leading to Monrieth and Port- William. It stands nearly in the centre of the parish, but certainly not in the middle of the population, for a circle drawn round it with the radius of a mile would not contain many houses. There is another school in the north-west end of the parish, at Ravenstone, to which there is annexed, besides the school-fees, a salary of L. 15 per annum, — L. 10 of which are contributed by Mrs Stewart of Physgill, and L. 5 by Mrs Hathorn of Castle- wigg, who also joined in a general subscription for erecting the school-house and schoolmaster's house. These are built on the property of the Earl of Stair, who granted the ground rent-free for that purpose. Education at these schools costs from 2s. to 3s. a quarter for reading, writing, and arithmetic. The children of the poor are taught free at the parish school, at the recommendation of the heritors and kirk-session. And when applications of this kind are so numerous, that the session consider them too burdensome to the schoolmaster, they pay him from the poor's funds, at a lower rate than the usual wages ; and not unfrequently poor children are sent to school at the expense of charitable individuals in the neighbourhood. Altogether, the means of instruction are per* fectly accessible to the poorest individuals ; and there is do such thing to be found in this parish as children of six or seven years of age who cannot read. The population, however, is too thinly scattered to admit of infant schools, consequently, their first instructions are received from their parents at home, chiefly from their mother ; and then, whenever they have strength enough io travel two or three miles, they are sent to school. The people are perfectly alive to tie advantages of education, and make every eflPort to have their children suitably instructed. Schoolmasters sometimes complain of the difficulties of collect- ing their fees ; but I believe there is less foundation for this com- plaint than is generally believed. I have known many who are exceedingly poor, that would rather want some of their own ne- cessary sustenance than have their children's education neglected ,* GLASSERTON. 51 and they consider school wages as a debt of honour, which they would pay» though they had nothing left, or though other debts should not be discharged. I must, however, admit, that these honourable feelings were more general thirty years ago than they are now. The habit of receiving assistance diminishes exertion ; and the habit of receiving charity destroys the spirit of independence. Poor. — The number of poor in this parish is not great, vary- ing perhaps from 15 to 20 ; but not more than a half of these are supported entirely from the church funds. Some of them receive from ds. to 10s. per quarter ; and their other wants are supplied by their own industry, or the aid and assistance of their relatives, and the private charity of their neighbours. But though the number of poor is not great, and the allowance for their support very little, yet the demand upon the poor funds exceeds the sup- ply, and requires to be eked out by a voluntary contribution of L. 13 per annum from the heritors. This is rendered necessary at present by having on our list two helpless idiots, and an indi- vidual who was born without either legs or arms, now about twenty* two years of age, and in perfect health. In such extraordinary icases as these we have recourse to the heritors. The collections at the church on Sundays may amount to L. 20 or L. 25 yearly ; interest of money belonging to the funds to about L. 6 ; and fines, proclamations, and mortcloth-money may come to L. 6 or L. 8 more. This is the whole of our revenue, which cannot afford much to every one, — and, indeed, would be no very extravagant aliment for a single individual ; and yet these poor people are con- tented and wonderfully happy. But still the tendency of pau- perism here, as almost everywhere else, is to increase. The poor list has been nearly doubled since I came to this parish in IS'ld; and the collections more than doubled. Drawn up 1836, Revised December 1838. PARISH OF WHITHORN. PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALIX>WAY. THE REV. CHRISTOPHER NICHOLSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name^ Boundaries, S^c. — The ancient names of Candida Ca- so, Leucophibia or Leucopibia, by which this town and parish were formerly described, and the name Whithern or Whithorn, by which it is now known, seem to have had the same origin. In Bedels history, mention is made of a church built of stone and lime io this place, which is generally admitted to have been the 6rst that was erected in Scotland of these materials, and which, of ooursci was denominated in the Roman language Candida Casa, I^eucophibuh or LeucopibiOf seems to be a corruption of Xsux-o/x/^o, the Greek for a white house ; and Hwitaem, which transcribers have changed into Whithern, and now into Whithorn, is compounded of two Saxon words, both signifying the same thing, as the Greek word. This parish is upwards of 8 miles in its extreme length from north to south, and 5 in its extreme breadth from east to west. It is so irregular as a whole, that there is no mathematical figure by which it can be described. It is bounded on the north and east by the parish of Sorbie; on the south-east by Wigton Bay; on the south by the Irish Sea; and on the west by the parish of Glasse^ ton : and contains about 10,000 imperial acres. Topographical Appearances. — In point of scenery, this parish has nothing to boast of; the surface is almost level, and has neither mountain nor glen, hill nor dale, wood nor forest, to interrupt its uniformity. At the same time, it is abundantly diversified by a great variety of knolls of all shapes and sizes, generally consisting of gravel or rock, covered with a thin layer of earth sufficient io nourish whins, sloe-bushes, and briers, with which they are usuall; covered, — the only shrubs that seem to grow spontaneously, — and which, viewed at a distance, give the most fertile parts of the parish a very barren appearance. Hydrography, — There is nothing in this parish deserving the WHITHORN. 53 name of a river, as might be supposed from the narrow peninsular country in which it is situated. There are three burns, each of which turns a corn and barley-mill, where it falls into the sea. But though there are no rivers and few bums, the parish is well watered with innumerable perennial limpid rills, which are of the utmost beneBt to the comfort of the inhabitants, and the health and im- provement of the cattle. There is a weak chalybeate spring at the Isle of Whithorn, occasionally resorted to by invalids. The lakes that were formerly in the parish have been drained, and all of that description that remains is a few mosses and marl pits. Meteorology. — The soil in this parish and district is, in general, dry, — the air pure, mild, and temperate. Epidemic diseases and malignant fevers are of rare occurrence. There has been no in- stance of spasmodic cholera in this parish. Many of the inhabi- tants attain the age of eighty^years ; a few ninety and upwards. The medium temperature of the atmosphere is about 48?. The pre- vailing winds are the south-west and west, excepting in the spring months, when the parish is frequently visited with gales from the east, which are extremely hurtful to vegetation. The heaviest rains are from the south, south-east, and south-west The win- ters for several years have been so extremely mild, that many black- cattle have been wintered in the pastures without fodder. Frost and snow have been of such rare occurrence, and of such short continuance, that the children in Whithorn run the risk of becom- ing as incredulous about the effect of cold upon water as the Em- peror of China. Geology and Mineralogy. — The soil of a considerable portion of this parish consists of a rich vegetable mould of no great depth, but exceedingly fertile, affording the most succulent and nutritious pasture and excellent crops, when there is a sufficiency of mois- ture in the month of May. When there is a deficiency of mois- ture at that season, the pastures are but scanty, and the crops light The most productive soil rests upon rock ; where the subsoil is till, the ground is less fertile, and the pastures and crops much later. The rocks invariably dip to the west, and generally belong to the grey wacke series. There are no continued beds of granite, but large detached blocks are met with here and there. The shore is everywhere rugged and rocky. At Burrowhead, the coast is particularly bold, and the rocks, from their perpendicular height, magnificent and sublime, rising to a height of 200 feet, and per- forated here and there with deep caves. Trial has been repeat- 54 WIGTON8HIRE. edly made for coal, but hitherto without success. Upon the estate of ToDderghie, close by the shore, a mining company, belonging to Wales, sunk a shaft; to a considerable depth in quest of copper, and succeeded in discovering a small scattered vein, and procured a few very rich specimens of ore^ The attempt was discontinued at a time when every interest in the country was involved in ge- neral distress. II. — Civil Htstort. Burgh. — Whithorn, which was constituted a royal buigh by James IV. in 1511, is governed by a provost, two bailies, and fif- teen councillors, and one of four that return a Member to Parlia- ment. The burgh of Whithorn consists chiefly of one street, running from north to south, which is very irr^ular, being inconve- niently narrow at both extremities, and uselessly wide in the middlei The town-house and gaol were removed about twenty years ago from the middle of the street, where they formerly stood, and are nov erected upon the west side of the street, about the centre of the town, and ornamented with a steeple. The dwelling-houses \ast been much improved since the termination of the war with France, many old ones having been pulled down, and new ones erected oo the same site. This change seems rather to have been owing to the reduction of interest than the demand for better dwellings, as many who had money in the banks were of opinion that it could be invested in houses to more advantage, — which experience seems not to justify. The burgh has a small revenue, about L. 100 yearly) arising from harbour-dues and fees. Eminent Men. — St Ninian was bom in this place or neighbour- hood during the fourth century ; and to that circumstance it seems to have owed its celebrity as a religious establishment This emi- nent individual went to Rome about the year 370, where be was ordained Bishop of Britons. Upon his return to his native place, he there founded a church, which he dedicated to his uncle, St Martin of Tours in France, and within the walls of which he was afterwards buried. This church has been so completely dilapi* dated by the lapse of time and the ruthless hand of man, Uiat only a few old arches remain to tell of its original grandeur. There was also erected here a famous priory of the Premonstratensian order, by Fergus, Lord of Gralloway, who flourished in the reign oi David L, in which some of the innumerable relics of St Ninian were deposited. Hither pilgrims resorted from distant places^ notouly of Scotland but of England and Ireland, attracted by i\i'^ remark WHITHORN. 55 able veneration in which the very name and memory of St Ninian were held. Even royalty itself paid honours to his memory ; for in the summer of 1473, Margaret, Queen of James IIL, made a pilgrimage to Whithorn, and James IV., during his reign, made not only one but several pilgrimages to the sepulchre of St Ninian. There were belonging- to this place two famous priors, the one called Gavin Dunbar, afterwards Archbishop of Glasgow, the other James Beton, Archbishop of Glasgow, next of St Andrews, and Chancellor of Scotland. (For more minute information, consult Murray's Lit. Hist of GaUou>ay.) Antiquities. — In this parish, there are the remains of a Roman camp about half a mile to the west of the town of Whithorn, on the lands of Stair H. Stewart, Esq. There are likewise several forts or castles upon the shore, all looking towards the Isle of Man, — which had possibly been erected to protect the country against the inroads of the Scandinavians, who made that island the place of their rendezvous. One of the old arches in the church- yard, purely of the Saxon order, and almost entire, is much ad« mired, as the most perfect of its kind that exists in the country^ There is also in the churchyard a large vault, and others have lately been discovered apparently of great extent, and which there is no doubt were attached to the priory. Roman coins also are not unfrequently found in the grounds adjoining the site of the priory. At the Isle of Whithorn, a marine village, about three miles south of the burgh, there are the remains of the walls of an old church of very small dimensions, which is reported (not with- out probability) to have been the first place of Christian worship built in North Britain. Land'Oumers. — The chief land-owners in the parish are, the Earl of Galloway; Hugh Hathorn, Esq. of Castlewigg; Stair H. Stewart, Esq. of Physgill and (jrlasserton ; Alexander Murray, Esq. of Broughton; Hugh D. Stewart, Esq. of Tonderghie; Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw, Bart. ; and two or three small crofters. Two of the principal heritors reside in the parish, namely, Hugh Ha- thorn, Esq. of Castlewigg, and Hugh D. Stewart, Esq. of Ton- dei^hie. Parochial Registers. — The earliest parochial register, containing births, baptisms, marriages, poor-roll, and funds, goes no farther back than 1796. The register of births and baptisms has been very irregularly kept, owing to the negligence of parents. 56 WIGTONSHIRE. IIL — Population. The population of this parish in 1881, amounted to 2415» viz. In the burgh of Whithorn .... 1305 In the Isle of Whithorn, - .... 413 In the country, - - - ... 697 Number of families in the parish, - • . - ^ employed in agriculture, . . 102 in trade, numufactures, and handicraft, 1^1 all other fimiilies, - •> * - • 333 Charader^ 4rc. of the Peopk^^^The chief occupation is agricul- ture, and such pursuits as are requisite for the improvement of the soil. The families originally belonging to the parish are gene- rally sober, honest, and industrious ; the families which haye im- migrated from Ireland are not deserving of such a character. Po- tatoes are the principal food of the Irish families during three- quarters of the year, and even in labourers' families of Scottisb descent, occupy a chief place both at dinner and supper. IV. — Industry. Agriculture* — The whole surface of the parish is arable, except- ing a small extent of peat-moss, a few marl bogs, and the knolls with which the surface is occasionally broken. The extent of meadow land is small, not exceeding 200 acres. Plantations are confined to a few rows and clumps, excepting around the mansion- house of Castlewigg, where forest trees cover a larger extent of ground. Bent of Land. — The rent varies much according to locaUty and quality. Crofts in the immediate vicinity of the burgh and the Isle of Whithorn, which are let out in small extent for the accom- modation of the inhabitants, rent on an average as high as L 3 per imperial acre ; large farms of the best description of soil at L. 1, 10s. and inferior farms from 12s. to 16s. per imperial acre. The rent of the parish is about L. 9000 yearly. Bate of Wages. — Ploughmen of the first excellence, living in the farmer's house, receive from L. l6, 10s. to L. 12, 125. yearly. Workmen living in their own families generally receive a benefit, which prevents the amount of their wages from being accurately ascertained,-— as that to a certain extent depends on the price of provisions ; but it may be fixed somewhere betwixt L. SO and L 25 yearly. Female servants receive from L. 2, 5s. to L. 3 the half year ; male labourers in the summer is. 4d. to Is. 6d. ; and fe- males 8d. to 9d. a-day. During the harvest, males and females earn the same wages ; in ordinary harvests about 2s. per day with- out meat, and Is. 6d. with food ; occasionally 2s. 6d. and evenSs. without food ; masons, 2s. 6d., and joiners, 2s. dd. without board. WHITHORN. 57 Breed of Live-Stock. — Formerly the Galloway breed of cattle was universally reared in this parish, and the greatest attention was paid to its improvement. Farmers from other parts of the country, desirous of improving their breeding stock, regularly applied to the farmers in this parish for young bulls and queys. Of late years, dairies have been introduced, and the Ayrshire breed is threatening to supplant the Galloway. The young cattle that were formerly reared in this country, and driven into England to be ted for the London market, are now to a considerable extent kept in the country until they are fit for the butcher market, and others shipped to Liverpool. The favourite breed of horses for the cart and plough is a low, flat, heavy-bodied, and rough legged breed : sheep, a cross betwixt the Leicester ram and the Mug and Cheviot ewe. Husbandry, — Farming in this district is every day arriving at higher excellence. The bone manure has given such an impetus to green crop, that turnip husbandry during the last ten years has increased at least tenfold. The turnips are partly eaten off with sheep, and partly lifted for cattle fed in stalls. The rotation general- ly practised by crofters is the six year shifit, a white crop, a green crop, a white crop with grass seeds, a hay crop, and two years in pasture. Upon large farms, the nine or ten years shift, — two white crops, a green crop, a white crop with grass seeds, a hay crop, and four or five years in pasture. Wheat is not cultivated to any extent, as it exhausts the strength of the land, and is very detri- mental to both hay and pasture. As to the produce of the parish, — that depends upon so many circumstances, and is so various, one year differing so much from another, that any attempt at ascertain- ing its extent would be mere conjecture. A &rmer, for instance, one year fatted upwards of fourscore swine ; other years, much fewer. An acre of wheat one year may yield 20 bushels; and the same extent of ground next year, 40. The farmers in general are very comfortably lodged, with £Eirm-steadings suitable for the dimen- sions of the &rms, and both dwelling-houses and offices covered with slate. The duration of leases is from twelve to nineteen years. The crofts around the town are usually let for twelve years, and the large farms for nineteen. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of CommunicaHon^^—The parish is easy of access both by land and water. At the isle, there is a very safe and commodious harbour, where a quay or pier was erected above forty years ago by WIGTONSHIRE. ! assistance of the Convention of Royal Burghs; from which, small sets sail every week to Whitehaven and other English ports, I which is occasionally visited by the Galloway steamer on her f to and from Liverpool. There are public roads from Wig- and Garliestown to the Isle of Whithorn, and from Whit- 'n to Port William and Stranraer. A mail-coach traverses the ish, passing through the burgh from west to east in the fore- m, and from east to west in the evening. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is very happily situat- upon a rising ground to the west of the burgh, in its immediate inity, and no situation more convenient for the country population lid be found. A few years ago, this place of worship was in a y ruinous condition. In 1822, the heritors erected a very suh- itial, commodious new church, with ample accommodation for ) sitters, besides free seats for a very considerable number of se who have no room in the church, and no means of procuring . The church is regularly well attended, and the number of imunicants is about 600. Besides the church, there are three other places of worship, one onging to the Associate Synod, another to the Reformed Pres« srian Synod, and a third to the Roman Catholics. Two of »e have no settled pastor ; the congregations attending them are ely dispersed over different parishes, and very inconsiderable lumber, compared with the congregation attending the Esta- hed Church. rhe number of families belongmg to the Established Church is > ; of &milies belonging to the Associate Synod, 45 ; to the Ca- onians, 27 ; Roman Catholic families, 12. There are a con- irable number of poor Irish families that belong to no place worship. rhe manse was built twenty-four years ago, and is spacious and imodious. The glebe contains about 6 acres of rich arable md, and would give a rent of about L. 20 per annum. The 3nd is 17 chalders, half meal and half barley, with L. 10 Ster- for communion elements; and was augmented in 1826. )ducatiorL — There are two parochial schools, and not fewer \ nine other schools. The salary of one parochial schoolmas- s two chalders of meal and L. 6 for house rent The salary of )ther is one chalder of meal. Their school wages do not exceed per annum. They have no other emoluments. The num- of children attending the different schools during the winter ^oleiucalion are taught; ij"^ ^^^ts, xnue^ to I , ^ to thp , ^*Ufeh ^^ WHITHORN. 59 season, cannot be less than between 300 and 400. All the usual branches of education are taught in both the parochial schools ; and in the other schools English reading, arithmetic, and writing. There are none in the parish descended from Scottish parents, that have attained the years of discretion uneducated. There are four Sabbath schools in the parish, well attended by children, who also receive family instruction in their own dwellings. Such as are neglected by their parents, seldom seek religious instruction from teachers. Samngs Dank, — An institution of this kind has existed for near- ly twenty years, much to the benefit of individuals and families. The money deposited in it, is seldom below L. 2400, or above L.2600. The money deposited and drawn during the year amounts to about L. 800. Po&r and Parochial Funds. — There are 70 paupers upon the poor's roll at present, who receive assistance every quarter of the year, a few to the extent of L. 4 yearly, and the rest betwixt L. 1 and L. 2. The funds for the poor arise out of collections in the church, proclamation dues, mortcloth hire, and voluntary contributions from the heritors. The heritors* contributions amount to about L. 50 a-year. The kirk-session in ordinary years distri- bute about L. 120, and the collections in the church average about L, 60 yearly. Fuel. — The parish is supplied with peats to a considerable ex- tent, and where peats are too distant to be sought after, with Whitehaven coals discharged from sloops at the Isle of Whithorn, and sold at Is. per bushel of three Winchesters. Irish families generally depend upon whins and brambles, which they carry in burdens upon their backs, to the no small annoyance of proprie- tors and farmers through whose grounds they travel. Fairs and Markets. — There are two feirs in the year, — the one at Midsummer, and the other at Lammas ; and a monthly cattle market from April to January. Friendly Societies.— A few years ago, there were two Friendly Societies ; but the disbursements did not correspond with the con- tributions, and they are now both extinct. Public-Houses. — These are all situated in the Burgh and Isle of Whithorn, and are at the very least five times more numerous than they ought to be. Every one that asks a license obtains it ; and the magistrates justify their conduct in granting licenses by saying it is an evil that will cure itself. 60 WIGTONSHIRE. Miscellaneous Obsbrvations. The greatest grievance that is felt in this parish at present, and which is most detrimental to its respectability and improvementy is the extent of emigration, and the description of people that emi- grate. Our native labourers and artisans, with their little proper- ty and many virtues, are drifting across the Atlantic, and Ireland, from her exhaustless store, is supplying their place. The num- ber of Irish families that every year take up their abode in this place is almost incredible. These are possessed of nothing but a number of naked, starving children. The supply of labourers usually exceeds the demand, and wages are thereby reduced so low, that Scottish labourers who wish to feed, clothe, and educate their children, have it not in their power, and are compelled to seek in a foreign country what is denied them in their own. The children of Irish parents are driven out to seek food where they can find it ; and if clad and educ&ted they are so at the expense of others. Unless means are immediately devised for arresting the progress of such a national calamity, the labourers in Scotland will soon be reduced to the level of the lowest of the Irish ; and the only means of accomplishing this is a legal provision for the poor Irish in their own country. January 1839. PARISH OF MOCHRUM. PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. ALEXANDER YOUNG, MINISTER.* I. — Topography and Natural History. Extent^ Boundaries. — The greatest length of the parish from east to west is about 10 miles, and the greatest breadth between 4 and 5 miles. It is bounded on the south, by the Bay of Luce ; on the west, by the parish of Old Luce ; on the north, by Kirk- owan and Kirkinner; and on the east, by Glasserton. Surface^ Soil^ and Climate. — *' The general appearance of the surface cannot be denominated either level ormountainous; itis part- ly both. The fiats, however, are not extensive, nor are the hills of * From Notes ftirnished by the parochial Schoolmaster of Moohrum. 3 r MOCURUM. 61 great elevation ; but^ being intermixed with each other, at mode- rate distances, thej exhibit a variety of prospect not unpleasin^ to the traveller, nor unprofitable to the owner. From the eastern boundary, along the Bay of Luce, for several miles, the soil, with a few exceptions, is excellent, being mostly of a fine light, and in some places, a strong deep loam. Approaching towards the centre of the parish, it becomes gradually more thin and stony, while a large extent, on the east and west sides, mostly consisting of rocky eminences, or mossy swamps and lakes, exhibits a bleak and bar- ren prospect, and is chiefly used for pasture. There are, how- ever, scattered up and down in this bleak region, some small pieces of good dry arable land. Owing, perhaps, to the general dryness of the soil, the openness of the country, and its fine expo- sure to the sea air, the climate is remarkably healthful. *^ Sea Coast. — A flat smooth gravel beach, mostly about 50 yards vride, runs along from the eastern, till within a mile of the west- ern extremity of the parish, where it is intercepted by a steep rocky hill projecting into the sea, and forming a bold inaccessible shore. '* Parallel to the beach, the land, rising suddenly, forms a steep bank or precipice, which renders the access from the shore into the country, in many places, rather difiicult"* Geology. — Here, as in the county generally, the rocks belong to the Neptunian series of the transition class. II. — Civiii History. Ijmd'oum/ers. — The chief land-owners in the parish are. Sir William Maxwell, Bart, and the Marquis of Bute. The real rental of the parish is about L. 8000 per annum. Parochial Registers. — In these, births, marriages, and all mat- ters of church discipUne are recorded ; but until the settlement of the present incumbent in 1822, there were no parochial ^registers regularly kept. ^ Antiquities. — Near by the church, which is situated about a mile right into the parish from Port- William, there is a pretty large earthen mound, quite entire, with a deep ditch or fosse round it. ^' On the eastern extremity of the sea coast, at the summit of a steep bank, there are very distinct remains of an Anglo-Saxon camp. And, within two miles of the western extremity, also hard by the shore, stand the ruins of a small manse and church, called Si Finiaiis Chapel^ probably from the famous Saint of that name. * Vide Old Stat. Account. 62 WIGTONSHIRE. ** In the middle of the moor-land appears an old tower or castle, whose walls are very strong, and almost entire ; and being nearly surrounded by lakes, when viewed at a distance it has a most curious and picturesque appearance, resembling much a large ship at sea. *< It is called the old Place ofModvnan ; and formerly belonged, together with a considerable estate contiguous to it, to an ancient fJEunily, of the name of Dunbar^ who resided in it, were created Knights of Mochrum about a century ago, and still enjoy that title. But the castle and the property have now, for about one hundred years, been in possession of the Earl of Dumfries, now Marquis of Bute."* Mansion-Houses, — The principal mansion-house in the parish is that of Monreith, belonging to Sir William Maxwell. There are five or six smaller mansions. Eminent Characters. — The Dunbars settled in Mochrum so early as the year 1368, Thomas Dunbar, the first of Mochrum, who was second son of Patrick, Earl of March, having got a grant of the lands in question and others in that year. The Mochrum branch of the Dunbars were long eminent, and cadets of this house founded the families of Dunbar of Baldoon, (now represent* ed by the Earl of Selkirk,) and Dunbar of Clugston. But the most eminent person of this name was Gavin Dunbar, son of Sir John Dunbar of Mochrum, and ultimately Archbishop of Glasgow, and Lord Chancellor of Scotland. Gavin having studied at Glas- gow, was appointed Prior of Whithorn about the year 1504, as successor to James Beaton, whom he afterwards succeeded in the see of Glasgow. Dunbar, being, says Keith, *< a man of polite letters," was appointed preceptor to the young King James V.;. a trust which he discharged so satisfactorily, that on the see of Glas- gow becoming vacant in 1522, he was nominated to that dignity. In 1526, he was appointed Lord Chancellor; and in 1536, when the King went to France, on his marriage to Magdalene, daugh- ter of Francis L his Lordship was chosen one of the Lords of the Regency. When Lord Maxwell, in the year 1542, made a mo- tion in Parliament to the effect that the Bible be allowed to be read in our vernacular tongue. Archbishop Dunbar opposed it. The motion was, however, carried, but he entered the dissent against the decision in his own name, and in that of ^^ all the pre- lates of the realm." He died in 1547. The family of Moch- * Vide Old Statistical Acoouut. 4 MOCHRUM. 63 rum was raised to the baronetage in 1694, and is now represented by Sir William Rowe Dunbar, Bart ( Murray's Literary Hist, of Galloway^ 2d edit 1832, p. 14-17.) The Maxwells, Baronets of Monreith, have been settled in the parish for about two centuries. John Maxwell, younger of Monreith, having joined the Covenan- ters, and having been present at the battle of Pentland, in 1666, was exposed to much suffering and persecution. Though not in custody, he with many others were tried for treason and rebellion, and were condemned '^ to be executed to death, and demeaned as traitors, when they shall be apprehended." (Wodrow's Church Hist Vol. iL p. 73-5.) But Maxwell, though he made several narrow escapes, never fell into the hands of his enemies. He was pronounced by the famous Colonel Wallace " the greatest Chris- tian that he knew in his station ;" and his name is honourably con- nected with the ecclesiastical history of his times. {Memoirs of Veitch and Bryssarij p. 381.) The Maxwells of Monreith can also boast of having given birth to a family, several of whom have distinguished themselves. We refer to the family of Captain James Maxwell, youngest son of Sir William Maxwell of Mon- reith. Captain Maxwell had eight sons, of whom the following attained to distmction ; Major Stewart Maxwell, author of an ex- cellent poem, entitled ** The Battle of the Bridge, or Pisa De< fended, in ten cantos," who died in 1824; Captains Keith and John Maxwells, who both distinguished themselves in the naval service, (James's Naval Hist. Vol. iii. p. 214); and Sir Murray Maxwell, the commander of the Alceste which conveyed Lord Amherst as Ambassador to China. The Chinese having insulted the officers and crew of the Alceste, Captain Maxwell resolved to chastise them for their temerity. He chastised them accordingly, having himself fired the first gun, thus rendering himself personal- ly responsible for the consequences of the attack. The Alceste was wrecked by striking on a sunken rock on her return home ; a misfortune from which Captain Maxwell's character received even an additional brilliancy. The naratives of Captain Basil Hall and Mr M^Leod, surgeon of the Alceste, descriptive of this calamity, as well as illustrative of the expedition generally, form about the most interesting works of the kind known to us. On the accession of his late Majesty William IV. Sir Murray was nominated one of his naval aide-de-camps ; and in 1831 he was appointed Governor of Prince Edward's Island. On receiving no- tice of this appointment, he left Scotland in a vessel for London ; 64 WIGTONSHIRE. but being seized with fever, and there being no medical man on board, he died soon after his arrival in London, leaving behind him a name for professional merit, general honour, and integrity of character inferior to none. (Murray's Literary History of Gal^ lowayy 2d ed. 1832, pp. 283-92, d4a-4.) II I. — PoPULATIO K. In the former Statistical Account, it is observed, '* there is, perhaps, no country parish in the county that has increased so much in population as Mochrum for these last twenty years. The inha- bitants, who now amount to 1400, it is certain, did not exceed half the number previous to that period. This increase has been al- most entirely effected on Sir William Maxwell's estate, who, car- rying on extensive plans of improvement upon the lands which he held in his own natural possession, had occasion to employ a num- ber of additional labourers, and these happening to consist mostly of young, stout, newly married Irishmen, this prolific race soon contributed largely to the human stock." Amount of population, as per Government ceoBus in 1801, - 1113 1811, - ia45 1821, - 1871 1831, - 2105 Population in villages, ..... 1000 in the country, . - - . 1100 Number of fiunilies in the parish in 1831, ... 641 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 394 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 65 Number of illegitimate births in the parish during last three years, 12. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The number of imperial acres in the parish, either cultivated or occasionally in tillage, is 26,880 ; the number of acres under wood is about 200 ; the number of acres that might, with a profitable application of capital, be added to the cultivated land, probably 1000. In matters of agriculture there has been a great increase of practical knowledge in this parish within the last forty years : and the effect has been a corresponding increase in the amount of agricultural produce. Navigation. — The number of vessels of all burthens belonging to the parish is 12 ; and the number of tons burthen of all such vessels 746. V. — Parochial Economy. Means of Communication.^ K mail-coach passes and repasses through the parish eaeh lawful day : and letters, newspapers, &c. MOCHUUM. 65 are received and delivered at Port-William, the principal village and only sea-port of the parish. The market- towns of Whithorn and Wigton are equidistant from the parish. EcdesicLstical State. — The number of families in the parish at- tending the Established Church is about 300 : of Dissenting or Seceding families, 40 : of Roman Catholic families, 35. The stipend of the parochial minister amounts to L. 157, 14s. Id. The value of the glebe may be about L. 25 per annum. There is a small chapel in the parish belonging to the Relief persuasion, but abundantly large for those of that denomination belonging to the parishes of Mochrum, Glasserton, and Kirkinner. A large addition was built to the manse of the parochial minis- ter, \p] the heritors, when the present incumbent succeeded in 1822 ; and it is at present in excellent repair. Education. — Number of schools in the parish, 5, and no more are required. All the native inhabitants of the parish above six years of age can read ; but about thirty natives of Ireland residing in the parish cannot read. The amount of the parochial school- master's salary is L.26 per annum ; and L. 5 are allowed him for house and garden. His fees may amount to Ji. 12 per annum, and his other emoluments to L. 2. Poor. — The number of persons receiving parochial aid is 40, and the average sum allotted to each is about L. 2 per annum. The sum collected for the poor in the church amounts on an ave- rage to L. 69, 15s. There is no legal assessment. The amount received from alms or legacies may be about L. 15 per annum. January 1839. WIGTON. PARISH OF OLD LUCE. PRESBYTERY OF STRANRAER, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. JOHN M*DOWALL, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — It appears that this parish was anciently denominated Leuce ; but the northern district having been cut oJ9f and formed into a separate parish in 1646, was afterwards called New Luce; and the southern district Old Luce. In some old Latin docu- ments, dated in the year J 560, it is called Vallis Lucisj (the valley of light,) — a name probably assigned it, because the whole origin il parish was intersected^ by a deep and wide valley, nm- ning from the northern to the southern extremity, and in the middle of which an abbey or monastery was situated, — the light of the valley. Extent^ Boundaries, 4'arisb in 1831, • 430 chiefly employed in agriculture, • 267 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft* 117 Number of illegitimate births in the parish during the last three years, 17. 72 WIGTONSHIRE. Character of the People* — There is nothing which respects the personal qualities, prevailing customs, or habits of the inhabitants of this parish that deserves particular notice. The people gener- ally are sober, honest, industrious, and attentive to religious du- ties, contented with their situation, and hospitable and friendly. Such, at least, is the prevailing character of the native inhabitants ; but a continual influx of Irish immigrants, who obtain settlements in the parish, may in some degree prove unfavourable to the moral and religious character of the gross population. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — Numbet of imperial acres in the parish, either cultivated or occasionallj in tillage, - - 80,000 Number of acres which never have been cultivatedi but remain con- stantly waste or in pasture, - - 10,000 Number of acres under wood, of which 120 are under natural wood. 350 Perhaps some thousands of acres, in the moorland districts, which have hitherto remained untitled, might be reclaimed and profitably cultivated, if the tenants possessed sufficient capital, or had any prospect of being remunerated for the expense incurred. Live-stock. — In the moorland and pastoral parts of the parish, the breeding of black Galloway cattle has long been extensively adopted, on account of their superior value. For these cattle a higher price has always been obtained than for others of equal age and size, their beef being considered of finer quality. A breed of white and grey-faced sheep, with fine short wool and horns, has been gradually exchanged, within the last twenty years, for a larger species (black-faced, horned, with long coarse wool,) brought from Ayrshire and the Highlands. Falue of Land. — The average value of good arable land is probably about L. 1, 10s. per acre ; but its value varies in differ- ent parts, according to the depth and nature of the soil. Acres under Crop. — There are annually about 400 acres of wheat under crop; 1350 of oats ; 454 of ryegrass ; 259 of mea* dpw hay; 60 of peas and beans; 467 of potatoes; and 160 of turnips. Dairies. — In the southward part of the parish, dairies have of late become very general, and upwards of 6000 stones of cheese are annually produced. Rabbits. — On the sandy coast of the Bay of Luce rabbits ex- ist in great numbers; and about 1500 dozen are killed yearly. Wages. — Male servants, capable of performing all kinds of iarm- work, receive each about L. 9 in cash, 3 bolls and 4 stones of OLD LUCE. 73 oatmea], aod 5 boUs of potatoes per year ; besides being furnished with a house, ^rden, and fuel. Male servants unmarried, living in farm-houses, and doing the same work, receive each for the same term of service about L. 10 ; common labourers usually receive Is. 2d. per day in summer, and Is. in winter. Female servants in farm-houses receive each about L* 5 per year. ImprotemetUs. — Twenty years ago, the whole arable land in the parish of Old Luce was comparatively in an uncultivated state. Scarcely any wheat, barley, beans, peas, or turnips were pro- duced, even in the cultivated districts, and not more than one« fifth of the annual quantity of potatoes which is now raised. The high price of cattle and sheep, previous to that period, retarded the progress of cultivation, and turned the attention of the farmers chiefly to pasturage. Only a small proportion of the land actu- ally devoted to tillage received any manure, and little attention was paid to the reclaiming of waste land, or improving the general soil. Since that time, however, a different system of husbandry has been introduced and extensively prosecuted, which has greatly increas- ed the amount of raw produce, and changed the whole aspect of the southern parts of the parish. The continued low price of cat- tle for several years past has led, in all the more cultivated dis- tricts, to a change of stock, and an improved system of agriculture. The increase of dairies, and the scheme of management connect- ed with them, have tended much to improve the general state of the land, inasmuch as a greater quantity of manure is thereby procured, and a greater proportion of the soil annually enriched. In particular, the system oi green-cropping^ upon a more extensive scale, recently introduced by an eminent practical fanner (Mr Gib- son, factor to Sir James D. Hay,) and now generally adopted, has greatly increased both the natural value of the land, and the quan- tity of farm produce. This system, besides having increased the average extent of crop on all farms where it is pursued, has na- turally turned the attention of the &rn)ers to all practicable means of improving their lands; and by draining, levelling, removing stones, and applying proper manure, they have effected of late an extensive improvement Some parts of the land which were for- meriy waste and useless, have, under this system of management, been rendered the most productive and valuable ; and the gene- pal aspect of the parish presents in consequence a very melior- ated appearance. It is presumed that the mode of husbandry 74 WIGTONSHIRE. prosecuted in the parts of this parish best suited for tillage, is not inferior to that of any other parish in Scotland. On these parts which are less suitable for tillage, and solely re- served for pasturage, about 100 scores of sheep, and a correspond- ing number of black Galloway cattle, are kept as stock. The general duration of leases is nineteen years. Farm-BaildinffSj §*c. — The dwelling-houses and office-houses of the tenantry are in general good, commodious, and advantageous- ly situated, and form a pleasing contrast with what they were but a few years ago. Enclosures also are generally sufficient, and in good state of repair. Manufactures. — No extensive manufactures have yet been es- tablished in this parish. There are, however, two corn-mills, two carding-mills ; one dye-mill, and one flax-mill ; but in none of these establishments are many hands employed, nor is any great amount of work executed. V. — Parochial EcoNOMy. Markets. — A cattle-market is held near Glenluce, on the first Friday of every month from April to December. Villages. — The only village in this parish is Glenluce, which lies on the side of a little glen or valley, about one mile and a half from the most inland point of the Bay of Luce, and on the public road leading from Newton- Stewart to Stranraer. A re- gular post-office has long been established in this village, and the mail-coach, running between Dumfries and Portpatrick, passes through it daily. Means of Cummunicationj Sfc. — There is but one turnpike road in the parish, which measures about ten miles. The only bridge of importance is that over the river of Luce, about one quarter of a mile west from the village, which at present is in course of .being enlaiged by an adjunct of 22 feet in breadth. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is situated on the north-west side of the village, and in its immediate neighbourhood. Its distance from the remotest extremity of the parish is about seven miles ; but it could not be more conveniently situated for the great body of the population. It was built in ^1814, and is in good state of repair. It affords accommodation for 800 persons. The manse stands beside the old Abbey. It was built about sixty-five years ago, and was thoroughly repaired in 1830. The glebe contains 16 acres, and averages in value L. 2, 10s. per acre. The stipend of the present incumbent is the minimum. A OLD LUCE. 75 There is one DisseDting chapel in this parish connected with the United Secession Church. The stipend of the minister is L. 80, raised chiefly from seat*rents and sabbatical contributions. The number of actual members is about 80 ; the average attendance about 150. Public worship in the Established Church is remarkably well at- tended. The average number of communicants amounts to up- wards of 600. The number of families attending the Establish- ed Church is 321 ; of Roman Catholic families, 19 ; of Dissenting or Seceding families, 25, whereof 9 are Cameronians, who attend Divine service, some in Stranraer, and others in Newtonstewart. Education. — There are five schools at present in this parish, four of which are supported chiefly by the fees. The parish school- master receives the minimum salary, with the legal accommoda- tions. His fees may amount to L. 40 a year : and he has about L. 4 a year from other sources. The branches of education taught in the parish school, and the rates of these branches per quarter, are as follows : English reading and grammar, ds. ; Latin, 4s. ; arithmetic, 4s. ; practical mathematics, 4s. ; geography and history, 4s. ; writing and book-keeping, 4s. The more common branches of education only are taught in the other four schools; and the average attendance at each may be about 30. Poor and Parochial Funds. — About 30 persons annually re- ceive parochial aid ; but the sum allotted per week varies accord- ing to the peculiar circumstances of the difierent persons receiving relief. The amount of contributions for the poor is about L. 80 annually. No assessment for the relief of such persons has at any- time taken place in this parish. The late Earl of Stair mortified L. 270 in behalf of the poor in this parish. A strong aversion from seeking parochial aid exists among the native inhabitants of the parish. Fairs. — One fair is held in the month of May, in the village of Glenluce, for the purpose of engaging servants to work during the seasons of hay-making and harvest ; but for several years it has been attended by few, and all business of importance is transacted on Fridays at the neighbouring market-town of Stranraer. Inns and Ale-houses. — There are 3 inns and 6 or 7 ale-houses in this parish ; but nothing remarkable is observed as to their effects on the moral character of the people. Fuel — The fuel generally used in this parish is peat, obtained from extensive tracts of moss. January 1839. PARISH OF NEW LUCE. PRESBYTERY OF STRANRAER, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. WILLIAM M'KERGO, MINISTER. L — Topography and Natural History. Extent, Sfc — Thb parish of New Luce is situated in a moor- land district of Wigtonshire, extending about 10 miles in length, from north to south ; and 6 miles in breadth, from east to west. It is bounded on the south by the parish of Old Glenluce, from which it was taken, and erected into a separate parish in the year 1628. It is bounded on the east by the parish of Kirkowan, from which it is separated by the Water of Tarf ; on the north, by the parishes of Colmonell and Ballantrae ; and on the west, by the parish of Inch, from which it is divided by the main water of Luce, which rises among the hills in Ballantrae, and runs south until it falls into the sea in Glenluce Bay. The Cross-water of Luce rises among the said hills, runs in a south-east direction until it reaches the middle of the parish, where it turns to the west, and runs into the main water at right angles, where the parish church and village are situated, at the distance of five miles from the vil- lage of Glenluce, and nine miles from the town of Stranraer. The salmon-fishing in the main water belongs to Sir James Dalrymple Hay, of Park Place, Bart. ; that in the Cross-water has hitherto been reckoned free. Geology. — The rocks of this parish belong to the stratified series of the transition class. 11. — Civil History. Parochial Registers. — The oldest parish register is dated 1695. Until about twenty-five years ago they were not regularly kept. Land'Otoners. — The heritors are four in number, none of whom reside within this parish. They are named below, as proprietors of the different farms. There are no mansion-houses of any consequence in the parish* Eminent Characters. — The only eminent character connected with this parish is the celebrated Alexander Peden, *^ the pro- NEW LUCE. 77 phet,'' as he is still commoDly designated, who was minister of New Luce for three years previously to 1662, when he was eject- ed from his office, Charles- II. having, in the preceding year, re- stored Episcopacy as the national religion. Pedeo, on retiring from the parish, skulked about from place to place, instructing and encouraging the people. He was at length apprehended and confined a close prisoner to the Bass. He afte]^wards received sentence of banishment to Virginia, but the captain of the ves- sel which was meant to carry him and others to their place of transportation, having refused to convey them, he was liberated But his sufferings were not yet over. He was again obliged to conceal himself. He found a retreat sometimes in Ireland, some- times in Scotland, till at length in 1686, death put an end to his sufferings in the sixtieth year of his age. " Peden's Prophecies,'* a pamphlet published after his death, and which even yet has be- lievers in its statements, ^^ were palmed," says Wodrow, ^' on this great man. By all the rules of charity, I reckon myself obliged to take these prophecies to have been most injuriously fathered on Mr Peden." His name, we may state, is still held in high ve- neration among the common people. IIL — Population. Population in 1801, d68 1811, . 457 1821, . 609 1831, . 628 Number of fiimiHeB in 1831, - - . - 117 chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 59 trade, manufactures, or h.-indicraft, 16 Number of illegitimate births in the parish during the last three years, 8, IV. — Industry. Affrictdture, — This parish contains thirty-two farms; three of these belong to Sir James D. Hay; two to Thomas M^Mick* ing, Esq. of Miltonise ; one to Captain Macdowall of Logan ; and all the rest to the Earl of Stair. The above farms have been considerably improved, within these last thirty years, by new houses, march- dikes, and fences dividing the meadow and arable land from the moor pasture ; and likewise by new roads from this vil- lage to Glenluce and Stranraer, and towards the toll-bar at the head of Glenap, in Ballantrae, and towards Barhill, in Colmonell. There are not above ten acres of land planted in this parish, although trees thrive well ; and there are some hundreds of acres upon the banks of rivers well adapted for planting, and Gt for little else, which would beautify the country, afford shelter, and turn to good account in point of gain. 78 WIGTONSHIRE. The writer regrets he cannot ascertain exactly the proportions of arable and waste land in the parish. There is about as much grain raised in this parish as is suffi- cient for its inhabitants ; and the principal produce of the soil is sheep and black-cattle. IlerU, — The present rental of the parish is Lb 3200 Sterling per annum. There are three shops and three public-houses, all situated in the village of New Luce, which contains about 180 inhabitants, some of whom are labourers, and some tradesmen, employed by the country people in the neighbourhood. There are no manufactories in this quarter. The road money is upwards of L. 30 yearly. Several roads have been made since the last Account, and a considerable quanti- ty of land has been fenced by stone dikes and manured with lime* Farm^Houses, Leases, Sfc, — Suitable houses have been built upon most of the farms during these last twenty-five years. Leases are generally granted for the space of nineteen years ; and although the present low price of wool and of all other farm produce is se- verely felt, yet the farmers are, upon the whole, comfortably situ- ated. V. — Parochial Economy. The nearest post-office is Glenluce, which is five miles distant, and the nearest market-town is Stranraer, above nine miles distant. Means of Commwticationt — There is a new line of road from Glenluce to the toll-bar of Curloch in Ballantrae parish, which passes through the village of New Luce ; and also a line of road from the said village, which passes through the farm of Miltonise to the village of Barhill, in Colmonell parish. There is a bridge upon the Cross water of Luce, about four miles from this village. Both these lines of road will be of great use in opening up this duU^country. Ecclesiastical State. — There is plenty of church accommodation here, the church being seated for 400 people ; and, by putting up galleries, it could be easily made to contain 200 more As the in- habitants of six or eight farms in the parish of Inch are more than six miles from their own church, and near to New Luce, they generally attend sermon in the latter place. The church was built about eighteen years ago. The stipend is L. 150 Sterling per annum, (with L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements,) — of which sum the heritors pay L. 69, NEW LUCE. 79 17s. 6d., and tbe remaining L. 88» 9s. 2d. is paid by the Ex- chequer. The manse was built about thirty-six years ago. The number of communicants is about 200. The people at- tend sermon as well as can be expected from the bad roads, and the distance at which several of them are placed. There is no chapel or meeting-house in this parish. There are four families of Dissenters, and three families of Roman Catholics in the parish. All the vest belong to the Esta- blished Church. ^ Educatiofh- — A sufficient school-house and schoolmaster's house were erected in this parish lately; but more than, one-half of the farmers' children receive no benefit from the parochial school (the only school in the parish) on account of their distance, and they are generally taught by young lads, who are hired to live in their families through the winter season. There is a Sabbath school taught in this village by the parochial schoolmaster, except during four months in the depth of winter. The education of the young is generally attended to ; and there are no grown-up per- sons in this parish who cannot read. The salary of the parochial schoolmaster is L. 25, Ids. 4d. a year. His fees may amount to L. 5 per annum. He has also the interest of a mortified sum of L. 50 for the education of poor children, and L. 2 for acting as precentor, session-clerk, &c. Poor. — There are no assessments in this parish. The poor are supported by collections in the church, which amount to about L. 15 a-year ; and the interest of L. 300 left as a donation by the late Earl of Stair, princif>al heritor of the parish. , The ave* rage number of persons receiving parochial aid is 16. FueL — The fuel used is moss or turf, and easily procured. Jnns. — There are three inns in the village. January 1839. PARISH OF INCH. PRESBYTERY OF STRANRAER, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. JAMES FERGUSSON, A. M. MINISTER, I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, — The name of the parish is evidently Celtic. Inis^ Ynis or Inch signifies island. In the Loch of Castle-Kennedy, op* posite the present church, is an island supposed to have been the site of a religious house prior to the Reformation. This island was called the Inch, and hence the name of the parish. Extent and Boundaries. — The parish is about ten miles long, and in some places nearly the same in breadth. It is bounded on the north by the parish of Ballantrae ; on the east by the parishes of New Luce and Glenluce ; on the south by the parishes of Stonykirk and Portpatrick ; and on the west by the parishes of Leswalt and Stranraer, and the Bay of Lochryan. Topographical Appearances. The north part of the parish con- sists of high lands partly arable, but chiefly covered with heath, rugged and not susceptible of culture. The highest elevation is 812 feet above the level of the sea. The south part of the parish is low ; and, when viewed from the hills, has the appearance of a plain ; but it is gently undulating in its surface. This part of the parish lies in ah isthmus between the bays of Lochryan and Luce. The soil is in general light, resting on a bed of sand or gravel. There are some curious hollows here, called by the country peo- ple pots^ perhaps formed by the retiring sea, which is supposed to have overflowed at one period the whole isthmus. One of these, situated on the fiurm of Aird, near the church, is of an oval form, and is about 1000 feet in circumference, and about 100 in depth. Coast, — There is an extent of shore of about eight miles along Lochryan. The shore is fiat, sandy or gravelly, except where it joins the parish of Ballantrae ; it there acquires a rocky and pre- cipitous character. INCH. 81 Bays. — Lochryan is situated at what may be considered the entrance of the Frith of Clyde, being about 60 miles south-west of Greenock, 40 miles south south-east of Campbelton, 52 south- east of the north channel opening into the western ocean, and 40 miles north-east of the entrance of Belfast Loch. At its entrance it is about three miles across from east to west, with from four to five fathoms water, which gradually deepens to seven or eight as you proceed up. The loch lies north and south, and is between eight and nine miles long from the entrance to the town of Stran- raer, situated at the head of it Its breadth varies from two to five miles. Meteorology, — The accompanying table will give the monthly temperature during the year 1837, also the pressure of the at- mosphere, as ascertained by the barometer, and the quantity of rain fallen, as ascertained by the rain-guage, &c. The observations have been made and kept with great regularity and accuracy by Mr Burnet, gardener to the Earl of Stair at Castle- Kennedy. An Abstract of the Heat, Rain, and Barometer for the year 1837. Bar Bar. Ther. Highest. Lowest. Rain. Dry Days: Rain. Snow. Frost. Jan. 37.0690 30 375 28.625 -3.500 24 6 114 Feb. 41. 990 30.350 28.240 4.600 13 14 1 5 Marr 36. 840 90..300 29. 740 26 2 3 20 Apr. 40. 860 30.350 28.700 3.250 20 8 2 17 Way, 50. 510 29.850 29.1.50 1.400 18 12 1 — June, 59. 180 30.110 29 1.800 24 6 — 2 July, 60.400 30.125 28 610 3 500 16 15 — — Aug. 57. 480 30.175 29. 2.320 18 13 — 1 Sept. 53. 070 30.175 28.875 1.500 20 8 11 Oct. 50. 2.50 30.500 28.400 3.560 15 16—5 Nov. 43. 750 30.025 28.400 4750 6 24—4 Dec. 44 440 30.275 28.150 5.840 13 18—3 Medium 48. 410 36.760 214 143 9 72 In July and August two heavy showers of hail. Seventy-two nights on which frost fell. Prevailinff Winds. — The prevailing winds are south and west In November and December 1833, we had gales of great and un- usual violence. The plantations suffered severely. The storm was preceded by a great depression of the barometer. A dreadful storm took place on the morning of the 7th January 1839, un- roofing houses, and levelling with the ground the largest trees. Prognostics. — I have often observed the correctness of the prog- nostics of the weather described by Virgil. There is to be storm, " Cum medio celeres revolant ex aequore mergi^ Clamoremque ferunt ad litora ; curaque marina; In sicco ludunt fulica ; notasque paludes Deaerity atque altam supra volat ardea nubem.** WIGTON. F 82 WIGTONSHUIE. When there is to be rain, «< c pastu decedens agminc m^gno Corvorum increpuit densis exercitus alls,'* and various sea birds may be seen, " Certattm largos humeris infundere rores.** Climate. — The climate of the parish is variable. The inha- bitants, however, enjoy much health » and live to a good old age. Rheumatic distempers prevail, occasioned, probably, by the change- fulness of the climate. The accompanying table will show the commencement of seed- time and harvest in the highland district of the parish, for a series of years. It is extracted from the journal of an intelligent farmer. Cotnmenoement of Seed-time and Harvest in the Parish of Inch. Year. 1818, 1814, 1815, 1816, 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1826. 1827, 1828, 1829, i8ao, lasi, 1832, 1833, 1834, Commencement of Seed-time. March 25, April 1, March 27, im 31, 15, 13, 21, 15, 28, 22, 20, 26, 25, 11, 26, 22, 13, 19, 17, Commencement of Harvest. August 31 September 9 October 7, finished Nov. 9 September 29 August 24 __27 September 2 August 28 _i_.19 September 19 August 31 September 4 July 31 August 22 19 26 22 16 25 26 19 Hydrography — There are several chalybeate springs in the pa- rish, some also slightly sulphuretted. I am not aware that any of these have been analyzed. There are no less than twelve fresh water lochs in the parish. The lochs of Castle- Kennedy and Soulseat are remarkable for their beauty, and are well worthy of a visit from the lover of lake scenery. The loch of Soulseat was called in former times the Green Lake^ and an outlet is still called the Green Ford. At certain seasons the loch is overspread with a green seed*like substance, but whether of a vegetable or animal nature, I have not ascertained. There are no rivers of any magnitude in the parish. The Luce, a stream which rises in Carrick, and flowing with much rapidity over a rocky bed, discharges itself into the Bay of Luce, is the boundary line between this parish and New Luce. The Piltanton, INCH. 83 a smaller and more sluggish stream, which discharges itself into the same bay, divides this parish from StoDykirk. Geology. — There is not much interesting in the geology of the parish. The hills are chiefly composed of stratified transition rocks, as greywacke, &c There is an excellent slate-quarry on the lands of Lochryan. Granite is never found except in detach* ed blocks. Tradition speaks of lead mines having been wrought Probably an attempt was made to find lead ore, but without any suc- cess. Attempts have been repeatedly made to discover coal, but they have all hitherto failed. There are extensive tracts of peat moss, which supply abundant fuel. There is great diversity of soil, gravelly, sandy, clayey, loamy, and mossy. Throughout the lower part of the parish, the soil is in general light and sandy. Zooloffy. — The parish abounds in different sorts of game ; part- ridge, grouse, snipe, woodcock, hares, &c. I have heard it al- leged that the ptarmigan once existed in the district. The bit- tern is sometimes, but not very often, found. Curlews and plo- vers abound. Troops of wild geese may be seen pasturing by the brooks on the highlands, or, when severe weather is setting in, wing- ing their way to the sea shore. A great variety of water-fowl . frequent the lakes — ducks, coots, widgeon, teal, cormorant, &c In winter, we are frequently visited by swans. Sea-mews visit us in spring, to bring forth their young by the sedgy shores of our lochs. There are two rookeries in the parish, — one at Castle- Ken- nedy, the seat of the Earl of Stair, and one at Lochryan House, the seat of Sir Alexander Wallace. There is also a heronry at Castle- Kennedy. Birds of prey, such as hawks, kites, owls, ravens, Sec are not so numerous as they once were. Of beasts of prey, we have the polecat and weasel. Foxes, wild-cats, badgers, and otters once abounded, but have now disappeared. Serpents, lizards, &c. are not uncommon. The lochs abound in pike, perch, trout, roach, and eel. Pike have been caught twenty-four pounds in weight. There are salmon in the River Luce, and in the estuaries of Lochryan. There are cod, haddock, whiting, herring, flounder, &c in Lochryan. Excellent oysters, too, abound in Lochryan. The fishery belongs to Sir Alexander Wallace of Lochryan, by a charter from the Crown. On a calm summer evening, the banks of the Loch of Soulseat present an appearance not a little curious. What seem to be pillars of cloud, appear here and there, rising to a height of fifty £eet or more. A stranger viewing them at a distance might sup- 84 WIGTONSHIRE. pose them to consist of vapour or smoke ; but on a nearer approach, they are found to consist of living creatures, engaged in ceaseless action, performing the most graceful evolutions ; and, on listening, will be heard the rush of their little wings and the piping of their tiny voices. These flies have, I believe, their nativity in the water, from which they emerge to an ephemeral existence in the region of air. Onespecies of them go through a very singular process — throw- ing off the skin. They fix themselves to a tree or bush, or any resting- place, and literally crawl out of their skin, and, having left behind them their exuviae, hie themselves off with freshened agility to their aerial dance. On remaining for a short time by the water edge, I have found myself covered with the filmy skins of these gay ephemerae. Botany. — The parish is not remarkable for the production of any rare plants. The plantations consist of beech, ash, elm, oak, plane, birch, alder, Scotch, larch, and spruce firs. The beech, ash, and plane thrive best. There are some large and beautiful ash trees at Castle- Kennedy. The larch only thrives in sheltered situations. 11. — Civil History. Ancient Accounts of the Parish. — In 1684, Mr Andrew Symson, minister of Kirkinner, drew up what he calls *^ a large Description of Galloway." In that work there is an account of each parish in Wigtonshire. In it will be found some notices regarding the geo- graphical position, antiquities, and remarkable objects of the parish of Inch. Mr Symson's " Description" remained in MS. in the Ad- vocates' Library, till 1623, when it was printed for the first time. The parish of Inch comprehended at one time the modem pa- * rish of Portpatrick, and part of the parish of Stranraer. In 1628, Portpatrick, which had been popularly called the black quarter of Inch, was erected into a distinct parish. About the same time, or soon after, a part of Inch was detached to form, with a part of Leswalt, the new parish of Stranraer. To compensate for these disjunctions, the whole of the old parish of Soulseat was annexed to Inch. The manse and glebe remain at Soulseat ; the parish church is at Inch. Eminent Men. — The celebrated Marshal Stair was connected with this parish by property and residence. His military talents and achievements, and the part he took in the political proceedings of bis day, are matters of history. When out of place this dis- tinguished nobleman resided much in the country, and delighted INCH. 85 in agricultural pursuits. To him the parish was indebted for the introduction of some improvements in husbandry. He was fond of draining bogs and lochs. Several of his works in this way are still to be seen. General Sir Alexander J. Wallace, a distinguished military officer, resides in the parish. He has seen much service in In- dia, Egypt, the Peninsula, &c. He obtained the commenda- tion of his Sovereign for his gallant conduct in the actions of Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor, and Salamanca. Having executed a gallant charge with his regiment, the 88th, or Connaught Rangers, in the Battle of Busaco, Lord Wellington, who had been a near spectator, bestowed the warmest encomiums. Riding up, he took Lieut.- Col. Wallace by the hand,"and said, *^ Wallace, I never saw a more gallant charge than that just now made by your regiment." When any difficult or dangerous service was to be executed, the post of honour was frequently assigned to Lieut.- Col. Wallace and the brave 88th. Sir John Ross, the intrepid Arctic Navigator, is a native of the parish. He is the youngest son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, former- ly minister of Inch. He was born at Soulseat 24th June 1777. He has a residence in the parish. North- West Castle. General Andrew Ross is another distinguished member of the same family. His promising career was closed by an early death. Land-owners. — The land -owners of the parish are, the Earl of Stair; General Sir Alexander J. Wallace, Bart, of Lochryan.; Colonel Vans Agnew of Sheuchan ; Patrick Maitland, Esq. ; Sir James Dalrymple Hay, Bart. ; Colonel Blair; W. Craig, Esq.; Sir Adolphus Dalrymple, at present M. P. for Brighton. The only resident proprietor is General Sir Alexander J. Wallace. Antiquities. — At Glenterra, in this parish, at a little distance from the road leading to New Luce, there are four large unpolish- ed stones placed erect, and forming a circle. At the distance of some yards from the circle stands a single stone. They are cal- led by the country people ^* the Standing Stones of Glentarra." This may be a small specimen of the Druidical Temple. What are called " the Stepping-Stones of Glenterra" are not a little curious. About three feet deep, in a peat moss, there is a regular file of stepping-stones, extending about a quarter of a mile. These must have been placed to form a passage through - a swamp previous to the growth of the peat moss. Stone axes have been found in the parish. These were proba- 86 WIGTONSHIRE. bly the rude military implements of the ancient Novantes — the pri- mitive inhabitants of Galloway. Sepulchral stone cairns abound in the parish. They are com- monly called ^^ the Auld Grey Cairns.'^ Some of them are in a situation where the stones must have been brought from a consi- derable distance, there being no stones in the neighbourhood. They consist of a circular heap of stones, from 50 to 70 feet in diameter, and from 6 to 8 feet high in the centre. In the interior there is a cavity formed with large flat stones, 4, 5, or 6 feet in length, and 2 or 3 feet in breadth. In this cavity, is generally found an urn, with fragments of bone, burned wood, and ashes ; but sometimes the fragments of bone, burned wood, and ashes, oc- cur without an urn. At Caimyaran, a moorland farm in this pa- rish, there are nine of these cairns within the extent of a Scots mile. These cairns' occur in the high part of the parish. In the lower district, burrows or tumuli of earth occur, having the same sort of cavity, and generally containing an urn with fragments of bone, burned wood, and ashes. Whether the age, or the locality, or whether the rank of the individual interred, made the diflerence between the stone cairn and the earthen tumulus, I cannot say. Both are no doubt the monuments of the ancient Novantes. At Innermessan, a farm in this parish, is a large circular mound called the Mont Its circumference at the base is 336 feet, anoK from the foundation to the top is 78 feet It appears to have been ^ surrounded by a fosse. Such erections may have served various ^ purposes. The name Moaty a Saxon word, would seem to indicate / that it was a place of judicial assembly. The Fosse would lead us to believe that it had been used as a fortlet or place of defence. \ But whatever other purposes it may have served, I have no doubt ^^ that it was used as a place for burning the dead, or depositing the ashes, of the dead. On the 24th November 1834, I caused a hole, three feet deep, to be dug in the centre of the plain on the top. After passing through a fine rich mould, we came to a stratum consisting of ashes, charred wood, and fragments of bone. In the days of the ancient Novantes, this was probaby the public cemetery of the adjacent town Rerigonium. May not this mound have been used also for such religious observances as " the kindling of lights on hills," the Beltan or Baltien, which, according to Ja- mieson's Scottish Dictionary, signifies BeFa Fire. This Innermessan was the site of the ancient Rerigonium, a INCH. 87 town of the NovaDtes. It was situated on the Rerigonius sinusj the modern Lochryan. In subsequent times there was the town and Castle of Innermessan. The castle belonged to Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw. The town of Innermessan seems to have been the most considerable place in the Rhins of Galloway, as Symson, in his " Description of Galloway," says, " the greatest town thereabouts till Stranraer was built" Every vestige of the town and castle is now obliterated, unless it be a sewer, about three feet under ground, which may still be seen. Innermessan is pro- perly Inver Messcuij signifying the influx of the M essan. Close by the present manse may be traced some of the founda- tions of the Abbey of Soulseat or Saulseat. It was founded by Fergus, Lord of Galloway, in the twelfth century, for Premonstra- tensian monks. It was called in Latin, sedes ^nimarum and Monas- terium viridis stagnU This latter name it acquired from being si- toated on a peninsula formed by a fresh water loch, the waters of which at certain seasons have a green hue. Chalmers, in his Caledonia, says, ^^ it was the mother of the more celebrated and opulent Priory of Whithorn, as well as the Abbey of Holy wood, both of which were planted by monks of the same order. It ap- pears to have been the original establishment of the Premonstra- tensian monks in Scotland ; and the abbots of Soulseat were the superiors of that order in this kingdom." Not much is known of the history of this abbey. It is mentioned in an act of Parlia- ment ]487, against purchasing livings at Rome, as one of the Scottish abbeys, " that were not of old at the Court of Rome," u e. the Pope had no right to dispose of it, the King having the appointment. In 1532, David, Abbot of Soulseat, obtained a precept from the King, commanding obedience to him, in visiting and reforming all the houses in Scotland of the Premonstratensian order. In 1568, the Abbot of Soulseat, along with others, sub- scribed a bond, obliging themselves to defend the Queen. These are all the notices I have been able to collect regarding the his- tory of this abbey. It was in ruins in 1684, when Symson wrote his Description of Galloway. Only a few of the remains are now visible. An extensive burying-ground seems to have surrounded the abbey. Human bones and pieces of coffins have been often dug up. Part of the burying-ground still remains, and is occa- sionally used as a place of interment. There are, however, no very ancient inscriptions. The oldest inscription is the following : — " Here lies ane honest man, Gilbert Mure, Marchand, burgess 88 WIGTONSHIRE. of Wigtown, quha departed this lyf, 16 September 1616« spouse to Agnes Cunningbam." A deep fosse or trench, drawn from the two wings of the loch, seems to have shut in the peninsula of Soulseat Symson makes mention of this trench, and traces o^ it may still be seen. Sym- son also speaks of a wonderful stone here. ^^ At this mause/* he says, 'Ms a stone, pretty large, which I have seen, to the par- ticles whereof broken off the country people attribute great virtue for curing the gravel ; and tell a long story concerning the pro- gress of that stone, and hpw it came there, concerning which, if you think fit, you may inquire at Mr James Hutchinson, minister of North Leith, who was a considerable space minister of this parish." In that part of the parish of Inch which was detached to form the parish of Stranraer, stood St John's Chapel. A piece of land which belonged to the chapel was called St John's CrofL Ad- joining was the Castle of the Chapel, which Symson calls ** a good house, pertaining to Sir John Dalrymple, younger of Stair." This castle now forms the jail of Stranraer. Castle- Kennedy is the most notable place in this parish. The castle has been a large and stately edifice. It was probably built in the reign of James VI. It was the seat of the Earls of Cassilis, who once possessed large estates in Wigtonshire. The great power of this family in this part of the country occasioned the fol- lowing rhyme : « 'Twixt Wigton and the town of Ayr, Portpatrick, and the Cruives of Cree» No man needs think for to bide therei Unless he court with Kennedie.** In the reign of Charles II., Castle- Kennedy, with the adjacent lands, passed to Sir John Dalrymple, younger of Stair, and to that family it has since belonged. The castle was accidentally burned in 1715, and has never since been habitable. The walls, which are still standing, are 70 feet high. The castle is beautifully si- tuated between two fresh water lochs. The grounds and planta- tions were laid off by Marshal Stair, and are said to be a kind of military picture, in which that distbguished soldier ^' fought his battles o'er again." On the island near the church, the Earl of Cassilis had a small house, where he was wont, as Symson says, ^' to retire himself be- twixt sermons, having a boat for that purpose." The remains of a castle may still be seen at Liarg, a farm in this INCH. 89 parish, near the River Luce. It w^s the^ property and residence of the Lyns of Larg. * The Castle of Craig-caffie is still entire. It is not a large building, and has been converted into a farm-house. It has been surrounded by a fosse, but' could never have been a place of much strength. It was the residence and property of the Nelsons of Craig-caffie, a family now extinct. IIL — Population. The population by the return to Dr Webster was 1513 In the Old Statistical Account, . . . 1450 By census 1821, ..... 2386 By census 1831,— males, 1164— femaaes, 1357, . 2521 The population is still on the increase. By a census taken by myself, it now amounts to 2684. The increase chiefly arises from the town of Stanraer extending its suburbs within the bounds of this parish. About 600 reside in villages, the rest in the country. The yearly average of births, as far as inserted in the parish register, is 52 The average of marriages for the same time, . • . 19 No register of deaths has been kept in the parish. By the census taken by myself, there are of the Population under 15 years of age, . 1076 betwixt 15 and 30, . . 616 30 and 50, . . .582 50 and 70, . . 312 upwards of 70, . . 98 Total, 2684 The number of unmarried men upwards of 50 years of age, is . 35 women upwards of 45, . . 117 of families is . ... 466 chiefly employed in agriculture, . . 362 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 83 Number of &tuous persons, 5; of blind, 3k ... 8 Number of illegitimate births during the last three years, 22. Amusements. — In the winter season, curling and skating are very common amusements. During hard frost, some of our lochs pre- sent a very gay and animating appearance. The skater performs his evolutions, — the stone thunders along the ice amid the cheers of the spectators, — the graceful forms of the fair move up and down on the slippery promenade, giving additional interest to the scene. Curling levels all distinctions, — the laird and the labourer, the master and the servant, the clergyman and the clown, are all on an equality at this game. The late mild winters have render- ed less frequent the enjoyment of these amusements. Character of the People. — The tenantry of Inch enjoy, in a considerable degree, the comforts and advantages of society. They are, in general, well-informed, moral and religious. Some of them are well versed in historic lore. I recollect of one man, 90 WIGTONSHIRE. long an elder iu this parish, who for a minute acquaintance with all matters of history, surpassed any man I ever knew. A large per* tion of the working-clashes, are Irish. They are by no means cleanly in their habits and style of living. Their habitations are too frequently scenes of filth. The pig often shares the same do- micile with his owner. The Scotch part of the labouring popu- lation are much more cleanly in their habits, — superior also in character and intelligence. The ordinary food of the peasantry consists chiefly of oatmeal porridge, and bread, milk, cheese, po- tatoes, pork, and herring. Tea and tobacco are in too general use. It would be better that what is expended on these luxuries would go to improve the comforts of the people in other respects. 1 have often wished that the labourer could enjoy the wholesome and invigorating beverage of home-brewed ale. Poaching pre- vails much in the parish, but the poachers generally come from other parishes. IV. — Industrv. Agriculture, — The land cultivated, or occasionally in tillage, may amount to 12,600 acres ; the land never cultivated, constant- ly wasite or in pasture, 18,000 acres. About 800 acres of the highland district of the parish might be added to the cultivated land ; the climate, however, would have to be ameliorated by belts of plantation. There is no land in the parish in a state of un- divided common. About 655 acres are under wood, all planted and enclosed. There is some natural wood in the glens in the higher district, but not of much extent or value. The oldest plantations were made about a century ago by Marshal Stair, and consist chiefly of beech. At that time, and till lately, beech was considered the only tree that would suit the soil and climate of Wigtonshire. This is now found to be a mistake. Beech also is very unprofitable timber. Ash, oak, elm, plane, and larch are now generally planted. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land in the parish is L. 1 per acre. The average rent of grazing is about L. ^ 15s. for each cow, and 3s. 6d. for each sheep per annum. Wages. — The wages of a common labourer in summer, Is. 2d.; in winter. Is. The wages of a joiner in summer and winter, 2s. ; of a mason, do. 2s. 6d. Sheep. — The common breed of sheep in the parish is theUacA- faced. The sheep-walks not being very good, the stock are ge- nerally small, and the breed not much studied. The diseases INCH. 91 which prevail among sheep in this district are the braxy^ a kind of flatulent distemper, which speedily proves fiital ; the sturdy^ or water in the head, and gruppingy a kind of palsy. The latter is sometimes cured by putting the sheep into a clover or turnip- field. Sheep are clipped in the month of June, and smeared in November. Live-Stock. — The breed of cattle long common in this district is the well known Galloway breed. They feed well, and are preferred in the English market to any other cattle of the same weight. Much attention has been paid by our farmers to the improvement of this kind of stock. Of late years, however, the purity of the breed has been much contaminated by the introduction of Irish cattle. In consequence of the low price of Galloways in the Eng- lish market, many of our farmers have introduced the Ayrshire cow, and turned their attention to cheese-making. Turnips were introduced into the parish more than a century ago by Marshal Stair, but their cultivation did not become general till lately. Turnip cultivation, and feeding off with sheep, are ex- tremely suitable to our light soils, and are now generally adopted. There is a bone-mill in the parish, and bone manure is in great demand. Reclaiming Waste Land^ jfc. — There are several considerable bogs or mosses in the lower district of the parish, which might be reclaimed and improved ; but as the price of coal is high, (being all imported) these are required for a supply of fuel. George Guthrie, Esq. factor to the Earl of Stair, the most spirit- ed agriculturist in the district, has reclaimed many acres of bog land ; and splendid crops of corn are now raised on what was be- fore *^ a possession for the bittern and pools of water." The ex- ample of Mr Guthrie has given a stimulus to agricultural improve- ment in the parish. Leases. — The general duration of leases is nineteen years. Farm^Buildingsy Sfc, — The farm-houses about fifty years ago were very miserable, but they are now very comfortable dwellings. The general fence in the lowland part of the parish is the turf- dike sown with whins. The thorn hedge is not very common, and does not thrive well in all situations. In the highland district the common fence is the Galloway dike, built of dry stones. It is built 5 feet 2 inches high for sheep, and 4 feet 2 inches for cat- tle. ' The first can be built for Is. 4d. per rood, and the latter for Is. 92 WIGTONSHIRE. The principal obstacle to improvement arises from the want of capital among the tenantry. Raw Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce rais- ed in the parish may probably be as under : Produce of grain of all kinds, - L. 15,200 of green crop, potatoes, turnip, &c. - 6,500 of bay, . - 1,500 of crops cultivated for the arts, as flax, 40 uf land in pasture, - 7,000 Total, - L. a0,240 Manufactures* — Manufactures have never been introduced inta the parish to any extent. Navigation. — Lochryan affords great facilities for shipping. There is excellent shelter and excellent anchorage opposite the village of Cairnryan. Here, with proper ground tackle, a vessel may ride out the heaviest gale. Lochryan has long been a place of refuge for the shipping of the Clyde, and vessels navigating the Irish Channel. It has often been suggested as the best station for the mail-packets between Scotland and Ireland. A Govern- ment survey was lately made with reference to this object, and it is understood to have been the opinion of the distinguished naval of&cer employed in that service, that Lochryan is the fittest sta- tion. * V. — Parochial Economy. Market'Town. — The nearest market-town is Stranraer. It is three miles distant from the parish church. Villagts, — The principal village is Cairnryan. Its population is about 300. It is seven miles distant from the parish church. Another village contains about 200. A suburb of Stranraer has been lately built within the parish of Inch, containing nearly 100. Means of Communication. — The great road from London to Portpatrick passes through the parish ; also the road from Glas- gow to Portpatrick. Three mail-coaches travel daily through the parish. The Stranraer and Glasgow steamer, and the Stran- raer and Belfast steamer call regularly at Cairnryan, and receive and land passengers and goods. The parish thus enjoys facility of communication with all parts of the world. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is the only place of worship within the parish. It is eight or ten miles distant from some of the extremities of the parish. Many of the parishioners are situated at an inconvenient distance. It is proposed, however, to remedy this evil by the erection of a church at Cairnryan. The parish church was built in 1770. It is not in good repair, and is 3 INCH. 93 too small. It only contains 400. Its situation is very beautifuL The woods and lakes of Castle- Kennedy are close adjoining. On a fine summer evening the scene is exquisitely sweet The manse was pulled down and rebuilt during the summer of i8da The glebe is about 18 acres in extent, and may be valued at about 15s. or 20s. per acre. I am adding four acres more by drain- ing a loch. The stipend is L. 258, 12s. dd. The number of persons professedly belonging to the Established Church is 1965. The number of persons belonging to other re- ligious denominations is 689. The number not known to belong to any religious denomination is 30. Divine service at the Established Church is well attended in proportion to the size of the church, but not in proportion to the population. The number of communicants is 400. There is an association in the parish for the purpose of pro- moting the General Assembly's four schemes. From L. 12 to L. 20 may be raised annually. Education. — There are generally four schools in the parish, sometimes a fifth during the winter months. One of these is pa- rochial, the rest are on the teachers' own adventure. The branches taught in the parochial school are, Latin, Greek, English, writing, arithmetic, practical mathematics, geography. In the private schools, the branches taught are chiefly English, writing, and arithmetic. The parochial teacher has the minimum salary, house and garden. The school fees are 2s. 6d. or 3s. for reading; 5s. for the higher branches. The fees may amount to L. 20 per an- num. The teacher receives about L. 6 as session-clerk. The num- ber of persons between six and fifteen years of age who cannot read or write may be 16. The number upwards of fifteen years of age who cannot read or write 20. The people are in general ajive to the benefits of education. There is one part of the parish three or four miles distant from any school, but the population there is very scanty. Poor and Parochial Funds, — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid is 50. The average sum allotted to each per annum is L. 1, 12s. About L. 90 is annually disbursed by the session for the support of the poor, for coffins and funeral ex- penses for the poor, and for paying precentor, session-clerk, pres- bytery-clerk, synod-clerk, beadle, &c. The amount of contribu- 94 WIGTONSHIRE. lions may be stated as follows : Church collections, L. 43 ; pro- clamations, L. d, 2s. 6d. ; mortcloth, L. 4, 16s. ; fines, L. 5, 4s. ; donations, L. 12, 1 ds. ; interest of funds left for the poor, L. 20, 16s. 8d. ; total, L. 89, 14s. 2d. There is a disposition among the Scottish poor to refrain from seeking parochial aid. There is no disposition of this kind among the Irish settlers. Fairs. — There is a monthly cattle-market from April to Octo- ber, held within the bounds of the parish. Though held in the parish of Inch, it is called the Stranraer cattle-market Inns^ Sfc. — There are nine inns or public-houses within the pa- rish. Three would be suflBcient The part of the parish where public-houses are nK>st numerous is the lowest in point of morals. Fuel — The fuel in general use in the parish is peat Peats can be cut and prepared for from 5d. to 7d. per cart-load. What- ever coal is used in the parish is imported from Ayrshire. January 1839. PARISH OF STRANRAER. PRESBYTERY OF STRANRAER, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY THE REV. DAVID WILSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name, Boundaries, Ifc — According to Chalmers, in his ac- count of this parish, the name is of difficult derivation. Of old the name appeared under different forms, Stranrever, Stranraver, and Stronrawer. He says, ^^ this name is obviously Celtic" Stran appears as the prefix of many appellations in the Scoto-Irish language of North Briton, and is from the Gaelic Sran or Stran, which signi* fies a nose or promontory, and is usually applied to projections from rising grounds. There is here such a projection, or nose, to which the Stron was probably applied. The annex raer may be the Gaelic Reamhar, which is pronounced Reavar, signifying thick, clumsy. So Stronreaver would signify the ^^ thick nose or clumsy projection." The general opinion, however, and perhaps the best founded, is, that it derives its name from the strand or rivulet which divides the row, raw, of houses on its banks. Strandraw became in time to be named and spelt Stranrawer, and afterwards Stranraer. STRANRAER. 95 The parish consists entirely of the burgh, the buildings of which cover a space of ground extending to about forty acres. In the year 1617, it was erected and created a royal burgh by authority of the Crown, and a portion of the parish of Leswalt, as also of Soulseat, now called Inch, were disponed to the burgh. The corporation consists of a provost, two bailies, a dean of guild, and fifteen coun- cillors. Stranraer is the seat of the presbytery of the same name. The Parliamentary constituency at present is 217. The revenue of the corporation in 1833 was L. 225. It is bounded on the east and south by the parish of Inch ; on the west by the parish of Leswalt ; and on the north by Lochryan, a very beautiful bay, about 10 miles in length. The villages of Clayhole and Hillhead, in the parish of Leswalt and Tradeston, in the parish of Inch, being separated from Stranraer by an ideal line, are usually considered by strangers, and even by the inhabitants, as part of the town. They contain a population of about 1000. Climate. — The climate is temperate, and has always been con- sidered healthy. The atmosphere is pure and free from fogs. The winters in general are mild, except when north or north-east winds prevail, which they seldom do for any length of time. Zoology. — Various kinds of fish abound in Lochryan, such as skate, flounders, turbot, halibut, cod, haddocks, whitings, crabs, and lobsters. I sometimes hear it said, that, if the fishermen were more industrious, our fish-market would be better supplied than it is. Lochryan at one time was famous for its herring-fishery. I have heard old people say that they have known 300 sail -boats in the bay at one time, which had come from the Highlands and other places, in order to fish or purchase herrings. For many years past the shoals of herrings may be said to have deserted the loch. Oysters, of an excellent quality, and in great abundance, are to be found in the bay, particularly on a sand-bank called the Scar, which runs a considerable way across the loch from south-west to north- east. IL — Civil History. Land'-owners. — As above-mentioned, the parish is entirely bur- gal, but the whole property is not directly held burgage, — part, be- longing to the Earl of Stair, is let in long leases of 99 and 999 years, and part is subfeued by Vans Agnew of Sheuchan. The remainder is held burgage, and the magistrates exercise jurisdic- tion over the whole parish. Eminent Characters. — The famous John Livingstone was mi- 96 WIGTONSHIRE. nister of Stranraer for ten years previously to 1648, in which year he was translated by the General Assembly to the parish of Ancnim, in Roxburghshire. On the accession of Charles IL, sentence of banishment was passed upon him : he was ordered to leave Scotland in two months, and until his departure to remain north of the Tay. He removed to Rotterdam, where he after- wards continued to reside till his death, which took place in 1672. He was one of the leading clergymen of his day ; and is also well known for the valuable papers, particularly a MS. account of his own life, s^nd *^ Remarkable Observations upon the Lives of the most eminent Ministers and Professors," both of which throw great light on the history of the times. — (Murray's Lit Hist of Galloway f 2d edit. pp. 96 — 106.) Mr Livingstone was succeed- ed at Stranraer by Mr John Park, previously minister of Moch- rum. Mr Park was ejected from his charge at the Restoration ; and though having accepted the Indulgence^ he was anxious to re- turn to Stranraer, the people also ^^ as one man," says Wodrow, *^ adhering to him ; yet a Mr Naismith, a minion of the bishop of the diocese, was put in his place Mr Park," says Wodrow, *^ was a man of great solidity, very sufficient learning, and is the author of the treatise on Patronages, so well known in this church. The book was published, and, as I am well informed, consider- ably enlarged by his son, Mr Robert Park, Clerk to the General Assembly, after the Revolution, and town-clerk of Glasgow, who was basely murdered in the Clerk's Chamber at Glasgow, a little after the Revolution." — Church History^ ii. p. 147. III. — Population. In the Old Statistical Account of this parish, it is stated, that, by the return from this parish made to Dr Webster about forty years prior to 1790, the amount was 649 souls, and at the beginning of 1791 it was 1602; according to the census of 1831 it was 3329. The increase of the population for the last forty years may be accounted for by the improvement of the agriculture of the neighbouring parishes. Stranraer being the principal sea-port, and having vessels which trade between it, Glas- gow, Liverpool, and other large towns, they import the necessaries and comforts of life. The population of the neighbouring parishes having increased in consequence of the increased culture of the land, more shops have been opened to supply them with these ne- cessaries. Besides, of late years, a great many of the natives of the sister island, having left their country in quest of food and employ- STRANRAER. 97 tnent) have located themselves in hovels erected in the lanes and outskirts of the town, and depend, in a great measure, for subsist- ence, on the charity of the inhabitants. Number of fiunilkt in the parish, .... TSt chiefly employed in agriculturef - - - 7 trade, manufacturca, or handicraft, &c, 720 The average number of births yearly for the seven years pre* ceding 1831 Is 4^ as entered in the register of births and bap«> tisms. To this must be added at least one-third more baptized by Dissenting clergymen, and not entered into the parish register. As there is no register of deaths kept in the parish, I cannot ascertain the average number of deaths for the last seven years. Average number of marriages is •> '. • 17 peiaons under 15 years of age, - 1094 betwixt 15 and aO, - - 992 aOandSO, - . 707 50 and 70, - - 478 upwards of 70, - .118 Number of illegitimate births during the last three years, 17. Inhabited houses, 489. There is no family of noble blood residing in the parish. There are a few individuals of independent fortune, but the bulk of the population depend for their subsistence upon some line of business. There is at present residing within the burgh 1 insane person ; I fiituous ; 2 blind ; 1 deaf and dumb. language. — The language generally spoken is tolerably good. The lower orders (of whom a great many are natives of Ireland) have a good deal of the accent of that country. Indeed, strangei^ allege that all classes of the inhabitants have a good deal of the Irish accent This, no doubt, arises from our proximity to Ireland, and our very frequent intercourse with the Irish. There are no customs, games, or amusements, so far as I know, peculiar to this part of the country. Habits of the People. — The habits of the people, I believe, are pretty much the same as in towns of the same description. Ther6 is a good deal of poverty, want of cleanliness, and wretchedness among the population in the outskirts and lanes of the town, who are mostly the lower orders of Irish. Smuggling, though carried on to a great extent formerly, if at all, is not carried on now to any ex- tent It is to the vigilance of the officers of the C!oast^ Guard that this is in a great measure owing. Pawnbroking is carried on among the Irish residents, but not to a great extent IV. — iKDUStAY. Manufactures.— The high price of ftiel prevents the establish- WIGTON. O 98 WIGTONSHIRE. tnent of any extensive manufactures in the parish. There are a number of individuals engaged in weaving, in the employment of Glasgow houses. The wages allowed are extremely low, and total* ly insufficient to support a family in a comfortable manner. Navigation. — There are thirty-eight vessels at present belong- ing to this port. Tonnage of 37 vessels in the year 1835, 1789. A pier was built about twenty years ago, at which tolerably large vessels may lay ; but they can only approach at high water. Public Associations. — There is an agricultural Society, and a So- ciety for the encouragement of fishermen ; but they have been so lately established, that any beneficial influence they may have cannot yet be judged of. V. — Parochial Economy. Ecclesiastical State. — At present, the only place of worship in the parish to accommodate the population attached to the Esta- blishment is a wooden building erected about three years ago at the expense of the clergyman, at the risk of getting the seats let, — the burgh being entirely without public funds. The old church was condemned by the presbytery in 1833, as ruinous and irrepara- ble. It was built in the year 1766, and was calculated to contain about 700 sitters. There were no free sittings in the Old Church, but the sittings were so low as to be within the power of the poor-* est in the community. Manse, — The minister has no manse; but, by an act of Parlia- ment of George IV., he has L. 30 in lieu thereof. Strictly speak- ing he has no glebe, but about one hundred years ago, one of his predecessors in office, Mr Laurie of Reid Castle, a man of fortune, in order to encourage his successors in office in all time coming, mortified to them about thirty acres of land in the adjoining pa^ rish of Leswalt, in order to supply the want of a glebe. As by the act of Parliament above alluded to, every clergymen whose living is under L. 200 per annum, and has no glebe, is allowed L. 20 in lieu thereof, immediately after the passing of that act, I made application to be ranked in the list of those who have not legal glebes ; for it appeared to me, as well as to others whom I consulted, that it could not be the intention of the Legislature to consider any private benefaction to a living, (and particularly that of a clergyman to his successors in' office,) as part of that living. The Officers of State, however, opposed my claim, and the Court of Session, by a majority, decided against me, on the plea, that, though the mortifi^ed lands do not legally constitute a glebe, they STRANRAER. 99 are at least equal to a glebe. It was evidently the intention of the benevolent donor to place his successors in oflSce on a footing with their neighbours, or, to use his own words, *^ to encourage my suc- cessors in office in all time coming." Although it would be pre- sumption in me to call in question the legality of the decision of the Supreme Court of Scotland, I cannot avoid saying, that it to- tally defeats the generous intention of the donor, and holds out but little encouragement to such benevolent individuals, as, knowing the peculiar state of any particular parish, may contribute of his private fortune to better the circumstances of the officiating cler- gyman of that parish. The lands mortified to supply the place of a glebe were valued by the Court of Session, in the year 1821) at L. 56, when farm produce was double the value that it has been for some years. The same benevolent clergyman who mortified the lands, left a house and garden in the town to supply the want of a manse ; but as it was condemned by the presbytery about twenty years ago, and as the funds which Mr Laurie had in view to repair it (the vacant stipend,) have not, for many years, been available, the house is in a state of ruin. Stipend, — My present emoluments are L. 150 per annum, the mi- nimum. That portion of stipend, L. !24, 10s. 8d. per year, payable by the magistrates, has now been four years in arrear. The magis- trates have proposed to assess the inhabitants for the amount, but hitherto the assessment has been resisted. I believe that Stran- raer is the only instance in Scotland of a royal burgh, the seat of a presbytery, having only one minister, and that minister on the snsall stipend list. Ckapeb rfEase. — There are no chapels of ease attached to the Established Church, nor any missionaries or catechists. The fol- lowing are the places of worship within the parish not connected with the Establishment : I Reformed Presbyterian ; 2 United Se- cession ; ] Relief; and 1 Catholic chapel. The ministers of the above churches are chiefly paid by seat rents. None of their stipends exceed L. 150 ; and they average from L. 100 to L. 120 per annum. Of the population (in 1835) 1729 belonged to the Established Church ; 1033 to the Protestant Dissenting congregations ; and 161 to the Catholics; 151 not known to belong to any religious denomination. From the above statement, it would appear that, since the census taken in 183], the population has decreased from 3829 to 3074. This is to be accounted for in the following man- 100 WIGTONSHIRE. ner, viz. : A number of new houses have been built in the sub- urbs, within the Parliamentary boundary, since the passing of the Reform Bill, and which are occupied by persons who lately resid* ed in the town, and who still consider themselves as belonging to the town, though not, strictly speaking, in the parish, and such of them as belonged to the Established Church, still attend it All the seats in the temporary building for the accommodation of the Established congregation are let, and the congregation is very regular in attendance. I believe that the Dissenting chapels are well attended also. The communicants on the roll last year were 447 : the average number may be about 400. The average amount of the collections at the church-door for religious and cha- ritable purposes, may be about L. 60 per annum. Religious Societies, ��� A Bible Society was instituted in 1809 ; amount of funds about L. 55. There is also a Sabbath School So- ciety. Education. — The schools in the parish are, one parochial ; one supported by a Society ; and six unendowed. The branches taught in the parochial school are, English, French, Latin^ Greek, practical mathematics, writing, and accounts. In the other schools, English, writing, and accounts. The salary of the parochial schoolmaster is L. 20 per annum, and the amount of school fees about L. 50. He has no allowance for a house or garden. The average salaries of the other teachers may be about L. 25. The general expense of education per year is from 128. to L. 1. Of the young betwixt six and fifteen years of age, there are few who cannot either read or write. Few, if any, bom in the parish, above fifteen years of age, but can both read and write. Libraries, — There are two excellent public subscription libra- ries in the parish, — the one containing works of general literature, the other chiefly of theological works. The members of both re- side in the town and neighbourhood. There is a very good public reading-room, at which several Scotch, English, and Irish news- papers are received. There is a periodical published in the town monthly. It has been about eighteen months in existence. Charitable Institutions.— A Dispensary for giving advice and medicines to the poor (called the Stranraer and Rhins of Cxallo- way Public Dispensary,) was instituted about twenty years aga It is supported by subscriptions among the inhabitants of the town and neighbouring parishes. The funds have hitherto been ade- STRANRAER. IQl quate to the expenditure. The ayerage number of patients is from 50 to 60 yearly. Friendly Societies. — There are three Friendly Societies, which have been about twenty years in existence. They certainly have been attended with good effects in promoting industry, and a de- sire of independence among their members. Savings* Bank. — There is a Savings' bank in the parish, which was established in the year 1826. The average- amount deposited yearly is L. 500, and withdrawn about Lf 100. The investments are generally made by mechanics and servant girls. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons receiving parochial aid may be about forty. There is no stated sum allowed to each per week or year, except to such as are con- fined to bed. The funds from which the poor are supplied, consist of the collections at the church, averaging about 1^50 per annum, exclusive of occasional extraordinary collections in aid of the funds ; the interest of L.450 bequeathed by the late Earl of Stair; and about L. 30 from legacies. Hitherto, there has been no legal as- sessment for the poor, but it is feared it must ere long be resorted to. The bulk of the poor are natives of Ireland, who have left their native country in quest of food and employment, and who, probably, having in their native country been brought up beg- gars, have no disinclination to beg. There are many of the poor natives of the parish who have a disinclination to ask parochial relief; but it is most gratifying to think that there are also many humane persons to whom Providence has been more liberal, who seek out such objects and relieve them. Prisons, — There is a prison in the parish, in which about 40 prisoners were confined during last year, — some for debt, others for theft and assault The prison is well secured. Proper means are observed for preserving the health of the prisoners, in diet, &c. It is under the superintendence of a jailor and two assistants. Fairs. — There are, in the course of fhe year, five or six fairs for black-cattle, and three or four for horses. Innsj Ale^kousesy ^c. — There are two very good inns in the pa- rish,, besides many others where spirits and ale are sold. Puel. — Coals brought by sea, and turf, are the principal fuel. CJoals are very high in price. Miscellaneous Observations. Since the last Statistical Account was published, there have been a great many new houses built in the town. The necessa* 102 WIGTONSHIHE. ries of life are much higher than they were at that period, beiog, with very few exceptions, as high as in the larger towns. January 1839. PARISH OF KIRKCOLM. PRESBYTERY OF STRANRAER, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. REV. WILLIAM ROSE, MINISTER. ♦ I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — Thb word Kirkcolm is a corruption of Kirk Columba, the parish having been named after St Columba, who flourished in the sixth century. It is uncertain whether this celebrated per- son was bom in Ireland or Scotland, but, according to Buchanan and Spottiswood, he was held in great repute in the latter coun- try. He established himself in one of the western islands, called from him Icolmkill, or the chapel of Columba, and devoted his life to the conversion of the natives to Christianity. Mi^jsionaries emanated from that island to preach the Gospel in various parts of the west of Scotland ; and the church built in this district was dedicated to him. Extenty Boundariesj ^c. — This parish is a small peninsula, sur- rounded by the sea on all sides except the south, where it is bounded by the parish of Leswalt Its average breadth, from the bay of (loch Ryan to the Irish Channel, is 4 miles : its length, along the west coast of Loch Ryan, from 5 to 5^ miles. On this coast there is a shelving bank of sand, called the Scar, running oblique- ly into the loch about a mile, not entirely covered by the sea at the highest spring tides : it forms a natural basin called the Wig, which affords a secure anchorage in severe weather for small ves- sels, while ships of larger size 6nd a safe retreat on the opposite coast of the loch, where there is greater depth of water. Topograpkical Appearances. — The parish generally presents to the eye an undulating surface. The hills partake of the charac- ter of the adjoining parts of the country ; they are never high nor steep, and the absence of abrupt or rocky acclivities has en- * Drawn up, at the request of the Minister of the Parish, by Graham F. Moore, £sq« Barrister at Law, of the Temple, London. KIUKCOLM. 103 abled them to be cultivated to their summits. The greater part of the land slopes gradually towards the west. For more than three miles from the southern boundary of the parish, the coast of Loch Ryan is a sandy beach ; there is next a rocky pro- montory, Clachan Heugh : to the north of it is the Bay of Port- more, affording good anchorage for large vessels : from this bay, round Corswall Point and along the Irish Channel, the land is bounded by a ridge of rocks, presenting bold and striking features. Towards the mouth of Loch Ryan there are several caves and fis- sures in the rocks ; one of which affords an entrance to the extent of 145 feet, as ascertained by measurement. MeUoTohgy. — It appears from the returns of observations made at Corswall Lighthouse, and kindly furnished for this work by Mr Stevenson, the engineer, that for the ten years ending with 1834, the mean height of the barometer at 9 a. m. is 29.806 in., and at 9 p. M. 29.806 in. : that the mean height of the thermometer at the same time is 49° 942 and 49"" 189 : and that the quantity of rain indicated by the guage is 34.10 inches. The prevailing winds are from the north-west to the south-west, which blow over the whole western part of the parish with great violence, especially during the winter months ; but where the hills or the few plantations that exist, break the force of these winds, the climate may be ranked among the mildest in Scotland, and the proximity to the sea on all sides prevents the continuance of frost or snow. Less rain falls here than on the opposite coast of Ayrshire, where the hills are much higher. The most frequent maladies are consumption, rheumatism, and inflanunatory disorders caused by exposure to cold, epilepsy, and paralysis. Hydrography. — Springs of pure water abound in almost every part of the parish. There is only one stream of any consequence : it serves to turn the mill of Corswall, where nearly half of the grain of the parish is ground. A mile from the Bay of Lochryan, towards the centre of the parish, there is a lake called Loch Con- nel, fed by several streams flowing from the adjoining marshy lands : it is about a mile in circumference : there is nothing strik- ing in the scenery around it. A stream issues from it, which, joined by some small rivulets, enters the parish of Leswalt, where it turns two mills above two miles distant from each other ; but both close to the southern boundary of Kirkcolm, at which the grain of the adjacent parts of Kirkcolm is ground. 104 WIGTON8HIRE. Geology. * — The geology of Kirkcolm is not without iDterest* Professor Jameson was the first who traced out the geological stmo- ture of the great southern high land of Scotland, and ascertained that its predominating rocks belong to the transition class. Afiterwards his celebrated pupil, Dr Bou£, and a good observer, Dr Grierson of New Galloway, now minister of Cockpen, ki Mid-Lothian, went oyer the same ground, and obtained similar results. Dr Thomson, in the second volume of his Outlines of Mineralogy, at pp. 181, 182, sums up what was previously known in the following terms : *' There is a range of transition mountains in Scotland, which begins at St Abb's head, the southern termination of the Frith of Forth, and extends with little interruption till it terminates in the Irish sea, on the north side of Loch Ryan in Galloway. This range ex- tends in length about 120 miles, and includes the mountains of Galloway, Dumfries, Lanark, Peebles, Mid-Lothian, and Ber- wick. The highest part of the tract is near Moflfat, where Hart* fell rises to the height of 3300 feet above the level of the sea. Lowther, near Lead-hills, is 3130 feet high. This mountainous tract is composed of transition rocks," p. 182. The Doctor adds, *^ Good sections of this greywacke may also be seen in the moun* tains north from Loch Ryan. The road from Glasgow to Portpa- trick crosses these mountains. It is steep and inconvenient for the traveller, but admirably contrived to furnish the geologist with sec- tions of transition rocks. The hill behind General Wallace's house at Cairn is composed of clay-slate, and this slate, alternating with greywacke, may be traced for several miles north till the moun- tainous country suddenly terminates a little to the south of Girvan." Now, to satisfy any observer that the northern part of the pe- ninsula, which forms the parish of Kirkcolm, is merely a continua- tion of the great transition range just noticed, rising from the western shore of Loch Ryan on the eastern boundary of the pa* rish, and terminating in the Irish Channel on its western boun- dary, it is only necessary to inspect the rocks, as they are visible at the following points : at Lady Bay and Sloughnagarry, near Cors- wall House, at the parish school-house, at Portmoolin, near Cors- wall Lighthouse, at Aires, which lies south-west from it, and at Cairnbrook, on the south-west extremity of the parish. At all these points, strata of greywacke, alternating with greywacke * The compiler of Uiis Statistical Account has been favoured with the view here S'venofthe geology, and of the tesuceology, of Kirkcolm, by his friend George *Intosb, Esq. Dumbritton, Glasgow. 4 KIRKCOLM. 105 slate and clay-slate, are distinctly visible: their position nearly vertical, their direction nearly east and west by the compass, and their being destitute of organic remains demonstrate their identity with the strata of the great southern high land above referred to. There are some minor points in reference to these strata which may be noticed. When a rivulet flows into the sea^ whether it traverses the strata across the direction of their cleavage, or parallel to it, some disturbance in their direction is observable. At Portmoulin, the strata run in a direction nearly parallel to the sea, which here washes the northern boundary of the parish ; on the east side of a rivulet, the strata run in a direction nearly from north-east to south-west ; while on the western side of the rivulet, their direc- tion is nearly from south-west to north-east. At Cairnbrook, where the western termination of the strata sinks nearly at right angles into the sea, the rivulet does not cut the strata as at Port- nooulin, but flows nearly parallel to their direction ; a slight dis- turbance, however, is also here observable ; on the north side of the brook, they run in a direction nearly from north-west to south-east, while on its south side they run nearly due east and west. When- ever these strata are exposed to the action of the sea, the clay- slate is decomposed much more rapidly than the other materials. Deep and well-defined chasms are thus left, which the motion of the waters is rapidly filling in some situations with the shingle of the coast, consisting of water-worn fragments of granite, green- stone, porphyry, basaltic amygdaloid, sand, and sea-weeds. From this coast the sea seems to have everywhere receded, and, after having for a time acted upon these strata, to have left them free from its influence. In this case the site of the clay-slate strata may be observed at some distance from the shore, to form green swarded intervals, while the greywacke, &c. may be detected in their original position in rocky relief. On the beach, the spaces be- tween the greywacke strata vacated by the clay-slate, are used by fishermen as small harbours or rather docks, into which they drag aod secure their boats. The tide fills these chasms, while the ' greywacke strata are elevated above its influence. These appear- ances are chiefly to be observed on the eastern and western shores of the peninsula ; on the northern shore, where a stratum of grey- wacke is exposed to the ocean in a lateral position, they are less to be noticed. Where exposed to the action of rain and the at- mosphere, these strata become nearly of a white colour ; where- ever they are exposed to the action of the sea, they become al- 106 WIGTONSHIRB. most filack ; Algae and Testacea adhere to them very sparingly^ while on the conglomerate rock at Corswall, these substances are found covering it everywhere in the greatest profusion. The ef- fect produced by the sea upon the colour of rocks is curious. Greywacke becomes from the action of the water of an uniform blacky while the boulders of greenstone found on the shores of Loch Ryan assume an appearance exactly resembling the sur- face of some of the more massive corallines, of a paler colour than the fracture of the stone, and of regular figures and shades. On a close inspection of the surface of such rocks, no incipient process of vegetation, or of chemical decomposition, can be detected. In the greywacke strata are numerous thin veins of quarts : thin veins of carbonate of lime, and carbonate of barytes also occurs in them ; and throughout these in most places a regular system of cleavage prevails, which causes vents to ascend through them at an angle of about 45^ from the surface of the ocean. Extending from the beach near Corswall House, to Slough nagarry, a distance of about two miles, there is what miners would term the outcrop of a con- glomerate rock, which evidently lies in an unconformable position over the greywacke strata, and, like the conglomerate of Oban, si- milarly situated, it seems composed chiefly of fragments of those rocks, varying in size from a circumference of several feet to the fifth and sixth part of an inch. Some of these fragments are water -worn, but the greater part of them retain a sharp fracture, and are but little abraded. The smallest fragments are generally the finest grained, and the whole are cemented by a friable sub- stance, resembling old red sandstone. This conglomerate is tra- versed in veins, strata, and masses, by the old red sandstone, and covered by a coating of sandy light soil, mixed with gravel, form* ed chiefly of fragments of water-worn chlorite slate, quartz rock, and granite. On this soil, some of the most thriving plantations of forest trees on the Corswall estate are situated. The extent of this deposit is not accurately ascertained. It seems identical with the conglomerate of Oban and Kerrera, described by geo- logists. It ought not to escape the attention of the geologist, how rapidly the old red sandstone, wherever it occurs in strata in this deposit, is decomposed, and floated ofl* by the action of the sea, nor how rapidly the chasms thus left are filled by such influx of the tide, with sand and shingle of a difierent composition, which seems destined to consolidate in place of the sandstone strata. In a small ravine near Lady Bay, there oc- KIRKCOLM. 107 curs, on the sides of a brook, a sandstone stratum of considerable thickness, immediately under a stratum, about two feet thick, of a clayey schistus. The latter breaks easily into rhomboidal fragments, and both strata dip in a gentle slope to the west, cropping out to the bay about a quarter of a mile from the grey wacke strata, as seen at Lady Bay. The sandstone stratum splits into laminated fragments, and has been used as a building stone ; and might, perhaps, in some situations be useful for paving stones. These strata evidently re- pose in an unconformable position over the greywacke strata, and seem to take the place of the conglomerate, which terminates abruptly at Slough nagarry, where a small ravine divides it from this laminated sandstone stratum. The latter is evidently but of limited extent« From the foregoing observations, it is obvious that the geologi- cal position to be assigned to Kirkcolm is that of the greywacke and old red sandstone formation. It is in such formations that the metalliferous veins, particularly those of copper ore, are generally most prevalent From Corswall House to the southern extremi* ty of the parish, the red sandstone conglomerate formation recedes in its outcrop from the beach, which is low and flat, and strewed with shingle and boulder-stones of granite, sienite, greywacke, greenstone, basaltic amygdaloid, chlorite slate, greywacke slate, clay slate, &c. Several boulders of indurated chalk (the. Irish limestone) have also been found on this beach ; but it seems pro* bable that these have served for ballast to vessels. Their surface is curiously perforated, as if eaten by some insect, probably some marine species preserving characteristics analogous to the pholas. It was in this part of the parish that Sir Andrew Agnew, some years ago, put down a bore in search of coal ; but the undertaking was abandoned. The following were the strata passed : Surface soil, - 3 feet. inches. Red sandstone conglomerate, 19 Red freestone, . 6 White freestone, . 90 Stone of clay, - 14 Black freestone. • 10 Upon the estate of Corswall a stratum of clay occurs very near the surface, and very abundant It possesses the characters of potter's clay ; and, in the expectation that it might be found to answer as a body clay, in lieu of the Derbyshire clay, it has been tried by practical persons, who report it to afford but little refuse, and to work sweetly. The ware, however, made from it, was dis- coloured by the iron in the clay, in a way which was not approved 108 WIGTONSHIRE. of; but since the trials of it were madey some clay has been found of much superior whiteness and purity. This stratum b about two feet in depth. In the more elevated situations in the parish, there are several tracts of peat moss. As is frequent in such situations, the stems and trunks of forest trees are found in these mosses, of different spe- cies, and of large size. Zoology. — Under this head there is little to distinguish Kirkcolai from the rest of the west coast of Scotland. As to quadrupeds, foxes and badgers have not been seen here for the last thirty years. There are still polecats in some places. Rabbits, of which there are some everywhere, are not nearly so plenty as they once were. There are many hares, though they have not now strong cover everywhere to protect them. Moles are much diminished in num-^ ber by the employment of mole-catchers on many farms. Of birds, the heath-fowl have long iefl this parish ; grouse very sel- dom are seen in it ; partridges are in abundance ; pheasants have been lately introduced into the plantations of Corswall, and mul- tiply rapidly. Along the shores, or in the interior of the parish, wild goose and wild duck, teal and widgeon, the green and the gray plover, the large and the small curlew, the snipe, woodcock, and rail, may, at the proper seasons, be found. Starlings and field- fares now come in much larger flocks than formerly ; and some of both species build their nests here. There are a few wood-pigeons. Many of the small blue pigeons build in some of the caves on the shore ; in other caves, rooks and hawks, and owls of different kinds, bring out their young. Of singing birds, the lark and goldfinch are less abundant ; the thrush and blackbird much more abundant than formerly. The species of fishes most prevalent on the shores of this parish are salmon, sea-trout, herring, cod, haddock, whiting, ling, mackarel, mullet, sea-eel, sole, flounder, skate, turbot, hali- but, gurnard, lobster, and crab. The sea-urchin is also often found> but mostly destitute of its inhabitant. Testaceology. — The following list contains the shells most com- monly found in Loch Ryan, many of them destitute of the animals originally inhabiting them, which have perished ; but the list may not be without interest : Solen ensis, Solen siliquoj Ostrea edu^ lisy Turbo neritoideSf Pecten maximus^ Pecten vari^ts, Venempis pullastra^ Fenerupis perforansy Turbo Utioreus. This testacea is very abundant, adhering in a live state to the conglomerate rocks near Corswall House, where they are washed by the sea ; Bulla KIRKCOLM. 109 Hffnaria, Balanus sukaiusy Cardium eehinatum, Cardium levi- patumy Lucina radula^ Turritella ierebra^ Psammobia Ferraenaisy laitraria elliptical TVochus magusy Trochus ttmbilicatusj Traehus zizyphinusj Cytherea ezoleioy Anomia ephippiumy Purpura lapittus. This latter testacea is found alive in considerable abundance, ad- hering to the red sandstone conglomerate of Corswall. It is from a vein in this animal that the liquid substance which imparts a brilliant and lasting purple dye to linens and cottons, is obtained. When first extracted from the animal, this liquid is of a muddy yel* low tint, but becomes purple on exposure to the atmosphere. It is known by the fetid smell of garlic, which it has when the vein is first opened, but this speedily disappears. Modiola vulgaris^ Fusus comeusy Fusus antiquus, Rastellaria pes^pelecanij Mactra solidoy Mya truneatoj Mya arenarioy Nassa reticulata^ Venus gallina. Patella vulyata, the limpet, adhering in great abund- ance to the red sandstone conglomerate on the shore of Cors^ wall, wherever exposed to the flux and influx of the tide. When the limpet is first detached from the rock, its inhabitant contains abundantly a liquid resembling in hue the yellow of raw Terra Sienna, which may be used as a pigment in water colours. The extraordinary quantities in which the limpety whelky lepas, &c. adhere to this conglomerate deposit, are very remarkable, especi- ally when the boulder stones with which the shore is strewed, con- sisting of masses of granite, sienite, greywacke^ basaltic amygda- loid, greenstone, serpentine, &c are observed to be wholly desti- tute of them. The same remark applies in regard to the sea-weed ; and where the conglomerate is not exposed to the action of the tides, the different species of lichens and other stone plants are much more abundantly spread on its sur&ce than on the greywacke and slate rocks of the same locality. Botany.* — From the extent and variety of coast by which the greater part of Kirkcolm is surrounded, we should naturally ex- pect to find a considerable variety of those plants which grow in maritime districts. In this we are not disappointed ; for, besides the common species usually found in such situations, we find abun- dantly Scirpus maritimus and Savii ; Aiplenium marinumy Juucus maritimusy Oenanthe pimpineUoides ; more sparingly, Carex ex- tensoy Sagina maritimay Pinguicula Lusitamcoy ErythrtBa littoralisy Criihmum maritimuniy Daueus maritimus ; also, Hypericum Atir * For this account of the botany of Kirkcolm, the author is indebted to the kind- ness of Mr Gilbert M'Nab of Edinburgh, who has ▼isited this distriet. 110 WIGTONSHIRE. droicsmum* On the grassy banks and rocks on the coast, and in dry barren pastures throughout the parish, we find Ulex nanuSf Jasiane montana^ Sedum Anglicum ; and rarely, Symphytum offi' cinale^ vsur, ^fiore Jerri nigro. In the bays and ditches, Anagallis tenelhy Helomnadium nodifioruniy Jjythrum saKcaria. In a loch near the boundary of this parish with Leswalt, there is abundance of Lobelia Dartmanna, In the cultivated fields and waste grounds, Lepidium campestrej Stachys arvensisy Lamium intermedium and tYicimin, grow in profiision. IL — Civil History. This parish is singularly deficient in antiquities, records, and traditions. The only account of it to be found, except in the Old Statistical Account, is that contained in Sympson's Description of Galloway, written in 1684, and published in 18291 Land'Owners. — The chief land-owners, placed in the order of their valuations are, the Proprietors of the Ship Bank, Glasgow, who have acquired the lands of West Corswall and Bansalloch ; James Carrick Moor^ Esq. of East Corswall ; Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw, Bart., M. P. for the eouii^. The other land-owners are, David Ritchie, Esq. of Aires ; John Fef|pi8aoa» Esq. of Cairn- brook ; Charles Wallace, John Forsyth, and Alexander M'Neill, Esqs., who have acquired parts of the lands of Aires and Knock- brake; and Mr James M'Meihan of M'Meihan's crof^. Parochial Registers. — No parochial register has been preserved here of an earlier date than 1775. In that year a register of births and baptisms, but with many omissions, commenced : a raster oi proclamations conimenced in 1791, and soon after, a record of the ordinary business of the kirk* session : a register of burials com- menced in 1796. Since the beginning of the year 1822, the births and proclamations, except in the case of Dissenters, have been pretty regularly entered. Burials are entered as given in by the kirk-officer to the session-clerk : and this register, as kept at pre- sent, appears to be nearly correct. Antiquities. — In the northern part of the parish, within a mile of the sea, stand the remains of Corswall Castle, " once," says Symp- son, " a considerable house,'' but when he wrote, " wholly rumous. It is a tower, with walls of great thickness, built of irregular stones, with mortar, now as hard as the stones, and with small slits lo windows. It is now not more than 20 feet high. As the hign^^ parts of the wall fell down, the stones were taken by the people id the neighbourhood to build their dikes. About fifty years agOi KIRKCOLM. Ill a cannon seven feet in length, with a bore of three inches diame- ter, was discovered in the ruins ; and a few years ago, a silver plate with an inscription, a gold ring, and some coins were found. About a mile from this castle, on a farm called Kirkbride, therd was once a church dedicated to St Bride. Its foundations may still be traced. A part of the church-yard wall forms the side of a cot- tage. A tenant on (he adjoining lands remembers, that, forty years ago, he dug up decayed pieces of coffins, with the iron handles^ skulls, and other bones. The site was evidently chosen from the proximity of a well of remarkably pure water, which never fails in the driest seasons. There was anciently another chapel, called Kilmorie, or the Chapel of the Virgin, about a mile and a half from the present parish church, on the coast of Loch Ryan to- wards the south ; it was ruinous 150 years ago, and nothing is now visible but some fragments of a wall. The site of this chapel al- so appears to have been suggested by a spring of excellent water near it, of old esteemed beneficial in many disorders. Supersti-* tion attached to it the discriminating power of becoming dry, if the patient for whom its water was sought had a mortal malady, but of appearing in abundance if the disease was curable. From this chapel of Kilmorie, said to have been destroyed at the Refor- mation, a stone was brought, which, when the late parish church of Kirkcolm was repaired, 118 years ago, was placed as a lintel over its west door. In 1821, when that church was pulled down, this stone was left in the church- yard, and it has since been re« moved to the garden of Mr Carrick Moore. It is of grey whin- stone, carved on one side with armorial bearings, in so rude and primitive a style, that the figures can only be conjectured. There is the appearance of a shield, on which an animal is sculptured, surrounded by a cornucopia. A large cross^ with some resemblance to the Maltese cross, surmounts the shield, on the lower part of which there appear to be two supporters, one resembling a fish, the other a serpent. On the other side of the stone is a figure whose arms are extended on a cross, and beneath it another figure, with the scarcely discernible appearance of an animal by its side. Modem Buildings. — The present parish church, built, not upon the site of the late church, but within less than a quarter of a mile from it, is a neat and commodious building, without a tower, but ornamented with buttresses. The only modern mansion deserving notice is Corswall House, the residence of Dr Carrick Moore, beautifully situated on a rising ground on the west bank of Loch 112 WIGTONSHIRK. Ryaii) commanding a view of the loch and of the adjoining coun- try, and surrounded by thriving young plantations. CorswaU Ligkihouse. — The building in this parish which chiefly claims a detailed notice, is Cornwall Ughihouse.^ — It is hardly pos- sible to allude to any of the maritime establishments in the Frith of Clyde, without alluding also to the noble estuary itself, which is per- haps connected with fewer dangers to the mariner than any other navigable tract of similar extent in the united kingdom. If, for exam- ple, we look at the Thames and the Mersey, which lead to London and Liverpool, we find them encumbered to a perilous extent with sand-banks, while they are wholly unconnected with harbours of refuge ; whereas in the Clyde, from Greenock to its entrance be- tween Ireland and the opposite shores of Scotland, a distance of about 100 miles, there is eveiy where an ample depth of water, with scarcely a snare to be met with ; while it is connected vrith the spacious natural harbours of Campbelltown and Lamlash on the north ; and of Loch Ryan on the south, at the entrance of which Corswall Lighthouse is situated. The erection of this very- useful lighthouse was first brought under the notice of the Commis* sioners of the Northern Lighthouses by the late Mr Quintin Leitch, chief magistrate of Greenock ; a gentleman who, in early life, was distinguished as a mariner, and took much interest in every im- provement of the navigation of the Clyde. The first stone of the lighthouse was laid by Mr Leitch, on the 17th of June 1815, and the light was exhibited for the first time on the 15th of Septem- ber 1816. The building is situated on a projecting rocky part of Corswall point. It consists of a tower of masonry 86 feet in height, on the top of which the lantern is placed. The dwellings- house for the light-keepers is built apart from the tower, and con- sists of two floors, with cellars for the oil and other stores below. At some distance on either side of the lighthouse, there is a boat- creek, with roads leading from thence to the lighthouse, one of which also joins the parish road at some distance. The steps of the stair, and the other sandstone materials were brought from quarries in Ayrshire and the Isle of Arran ; but the rubble walls are built of the whinstone rock of the neighbourhood. As this description of stone does not readily adhere to mortar, much trou- ble was experienced in making the walls perfectly water-tight * For the flccount of CorswAll Ligbtix>u8e, the compiler begs Xetne to make his grateful acknowledgements to Robert Stevenson, Esq. Engineer to the Northern light- houses. KIRKCOLM. 113 Pointing the joints carefully with mortar, and coating them with unboiled linseed oil, over which clean sharp sand, carefully screen- ed and dried, and in some instances, even used in a moderately hot state, was immediately cast, proved to be a perfect remedy. Since this was done, about fourteen years ago, the walls, which before were so moist as to threaten the rotting of the lath, were rendered com- pletely tight The light-room consists of a frame of 16 sashes, and measures about 7 feet in height, and 12 feet in diameter. It is glazed with polished plate glass, in squares measuring about 27 inches each, £lnd of the thickness of a quarter of an inch ; and is covered with a dome-shaped roof, consisting of an outer and innner shell of strong copper, with a space of an inch and a half left between them, to prevent condensation in the interior of the roof. With- out such precaution, the reflectors are apt to be destroyed by the dropping of the water from the roof, especially before the light- room has been heated by the lamps. The light is from sperma- ceti oil, with argand burners placed in the focus of 12 parabolic reflectors of silvered copper. So powerful is the effect of these reflectors, that they require to be screened during the day from the sun's rays, to prevent the ignition of the lamps. The fittings of the reflecting apparatus and light-room generally, together with the arrangements of this establishment, are very complete. The compact and neat state of the machinery and its brass case, and the very simple and complete manner in which the burners are withdrawn from the reflectors for the purpose of cleaning them, are particularly worthy of notice. The light- room is kept remark- ably clean, and not a drop of oil is to be seen on the floor, while the roof is entirely free from the effects of condensed water or smoke. To distinguish Corswall light from other lights] on the coast, the reflectors here are fitted upon an upright shaf); and a frame or chandelier, constructed with four faces, which are made to revolve by a train of machinery. On two of the opposite faces of this frame, the light is of the natural appearance, but on the other two sides, shades of red glass are placed before the reflec- tors. The revolution of this apparatus " exhibits a light resem- bling a star of the first magnitude, and one of a brilliant red colour, alternately. Each light appears in its brightest state at intervals of every two minutes, and gradually becoming less luminous, is eclipsed."^ This characteristic effect, produced by the alternate • British Phwros, p, 67. WIGTON. H 114 WIGTON8HIRE. red and white light, with intervals of darkness, is similar to the light at the Bell Rock, which is so beautifully alluded to in the following lines of Sir Walter Scott, written in the Album of that edifice, in his visit to it in the year 1814. '* Pharos loquitur.** " Far in the bosom of the deep, On these wild shelves my watch I keep, A ruddy gem of changeful light Bound on the dusky brow of night : The seaman bids my lustre hail. And scorns to strike his timorous saiL" Each of the Northern Light-houses is furnished witli a barometer, thermometer, andrain-guage, and observations are made apon their state every morning and evening, when the results are registered in the columns of the returns made every month to the engineer. A train of such observations cannot fail to be highly interesting in the course of time, when it is considered that the same system is observed in all the Northern Light>houses, extending to the Isle of Man, the Hebrides, Orkneys, and Zetland Isles, and the eastern coast of Scotland. The returns made to the engineer contain also an account of the expenditure of oil and other stores, and notice of any shipwrecks which occur on the neighbouring coast There are two light-keepers at Corswall, who alternately mount guard through the night, keeping watch as on shipboard. The view from the light-house tower is extensive and striking; comprehending a large tract of the coast of Ireland, terminating in the Fair- Head, Rachlin Island, the Mull and Peninsula of Cantire, Ailsa Craig, the Isle of Arran, and the Cumbraes. III. — Population. There is no account of the population of this parish previous to 1755, when it was 765 ; in 1796, it was 945. The increase from the census in 1821 to th«it in 1831, which was only 75, was in the village of Steuart-town : the rural population had not in- creased. The yearly average for the last seven years is, of births, 50, of deaths, 80, of marriages, 14. The following is a return of the present number of persons of differ^t ages in the village, the population of which is 426. Under 15 years of age» 185 Between 15 and 30, . . 115 dO and 50, no 50 and 70, 42 Upwards of 70 24 Unmarried women above 45, 7 men above 50, 2 Widowers above 50, 6 One of the principal heritors resides in the parish for the KIRKCOLM. 1 15 greater part of the year : Two proprietors of land of the yearly * value of L. 50 and upwards reside in it always. Of the labouring population of the whole parish, nearly one-third are Irish, or de- scended of Irish parents. The number of persons who are now, or at some period of their lives have been, subject to insanity is 9 ; of idiots, 5 ; of deaf and dumb persons, 2. Character of the People. — The people are in general sober, in- dustrious, and regular in their conduct The excessive use of spirits by many is to be lamented : but this evil does not appear to have increased in proportion to the increase of population dur- ing the last forty years. Petty thefts are not unfrequent, and there is some poaching ; but smuggling, which once existed to considerable extent, has long ceased. There has been, especial- ly during the last twenty years, a marked improvement in the ha- bits of living, and the general advancement in the country has been fully participated. The people are contented with their cir- cumstances, and cheerfuL Every winter there is a farmer's ball, attended by a very respectable company ; there is also a small farmer's ball, a ploughman's ball, and sometimes a sailor's ball. The neatness of the appearance of the congregation at church has long been noticed by strangers. From the situation of the pa- rish, many of the natives become sailors. Their character as sea- men is held in estimation ; and in the Regattas at Stranraer for the last three years, the Kirkcolm boatmen have always gained the prize as rowers. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — No. of acres, imperial measure, in Uie parish, which are either cultivated, or occasionally in tillage, ..... 10,364 No. of acres which have never been cultivated, and remain constantly waste or in pasture, including 260 acres of meadow, is about . . 1,261 These pasture lands are steep banks, some extent of moss, and a narrow selvage, extending along the rock-bound shore which surrounds the greater part of the parish, consisting of a poor thin soil, scarcely covering the rocks. The mosses are at present chiefly used for fuel. About 120 acres of moss might be brought profitably into cultivation for cropping or meadow ground. Of the remaining pasture lands, from their quality and exposure, only a few patches could be brought into cultivation. It is conceived that the most profitable application of agricultural capital in this parish, would be in draining and -cultivating in a better manner 116 WIGTONSUIBE. the lands already in tillage. There is no land in a state of undi- vided common. Plantations. — There are two old and neglected plantations in the western part of the parish. On the east side of it, Mr Car- rick Moore has, 'within the last fifteen years, planted nearly 70 acres. The sycamore and ash are the most hardy trees in re- sisting strong winds. The pinaster is by far the most hardy of the fir tribe. It was first planted in this county about seventy years ago by the Earl of Galloway, who recommended it as re- sisting the sea breeze better than any other tree ; and experience has justified his recommendation. The prevailing error in this country respecting the management of trees is the idea that the exposure renders it necessary to keep them very close. This plan is equally fatal to their beauty and health. From the exclu- sion of light and air, no lateral branches can grow, and the plan- tation assumes the appearance of a clump of leafless poles. Whereas, if the plantations were regularly thinned in time, each tree would expand its branches laterally, and the excess of upward growth would be discouraged. There are young plantations, which show with what facility trees will grow here, when sheltered from the immediate blast Rent of Land, — The average rent of arable land per acre is about i7s. 4jd. There are no grazing farms, nor sheep farms. Wages. — The general rates of labour are as follows : A plough- man receives in money L. 8^ 65 stones of meal, 5 boUs of potatoes, and a house and yard : a day-labourer Is. 2d. in summer, and Is* in winter : a mason 2s. 6d. in summer, and 2s. in winter : a joiner 2s. per day. Live-Stock. — The native cattle are the well known Gralloways, an excellent breed, almost entirely black, and without horns. They are usually reared to two or three years old, and then sold to be fed for the London market The purest and best Gallo-* ways in the Rhins district are bred in this parish. The introduction of the Ayrshire dairy system into this parish above thirty years ago, by Mr James Ralston of Fineview, and the details of the management of his dairy, consisting of sixty Kyle cows, may be found in the Rev. Mr Smith's General View of the Agriculture of Galloway, and in other similar publications. That dairy has long ceased, and no dairy so large exists here now ; but the low price of Galloway stock has led to the adoption of the dairy system in many farms. There are at present thirteen dairies 4 KIRKCOLM. 117 of Kyle cows in the parish, the largest having 42 cows, the small- est 15 : the total number of cows at these dairies is 357. In breeding, however, from this stock, the Galloway bull is always used The cows are renewed by queys brought from Ayrshire. The cross of the Ayrshire cow with a Galloway bull is ^found to be good. They are generally black, resembling very much the Galloways, though their hair is not so long and rough ; and they are said to fatten at an earlier age. A bad description of cattle has lately been introduced from Ireland into this district. Tliey are landed at the neighbouring harbours of Portpatrick and Portnessack, and the fermers are tempted by the low prices to buy them, but they are not kept as breeding stock. Hudnindry. — The general character of the husbandry of this district is good. Fifty years ago, the greater part of the lands were covered with heather and whins. About that time the Earl of Galloway, then proprietor of the principal part of the parish, granted leases for twenty-one years certain, and the life of the tenant if he survived that period. The effect of the tenant having this long interest in the lands was very important. The pro- prietor got a much higher rent than he had previously received, and the tenants were induced to apply an exertion to the improve- ment of their farms, that would not otherwise have been called forth. The command of shells from banks near the shore jn one part of the parish, of shell-sand, and sea«weed on the shores, the facility of importing lime, and the rise in the price of farmfpro- duce from the year 1796, &voured the exertions created by long leases, and enabled the tenants, who were distinguished by their intelligence and respectability, not only to fulfil their engagements, but to increase their own comforts. They were also early enabled to adopt the green crop husbandry, so far as practised in the west of Scotland : and they have latterly, with the aid of bone manure, introduced a considerable extent of drill-turnip husbandry, for which the lands are well adapted. The general rotation of crop- ping is, 1. oats ; 2d year, oats ; Sd. potatoes and turnips ; 4. barley, oats, or wheat ; 5. hay and some years pasture ; but in many of the best managed farms, no two white crops are now taken in suc- cession. The advance in agricultural skill in this district has of late been, as over all the west of Scotland, very considerable ; but it is some time before the prejudices in favour of old systems pass altogether away. The principal obstacle to farther improvement is the climate ; but it is conceived that broad belts of plantations 118 WIGTONSHIRE. judiciously planted on the western side of the peninsula, would have, in course of time, a most important effect in ameliorating the climate of this district. The value of the adjoining lands would thus be materially increased. Irrigation is not practised here. The general subsoil is an open rock or gravel; and spring or deep draining is more generally applicable than shallow or fre- quent draining: much, however, of both is wanted. Though there are no hills of considerable elevation, the surface is very ir- regular ; the bogs or deep soil at the bottom of declivities are often wet ; on such land, deep draining would be very profitable. From the present agricultural spirit both in proprietors and te- nants, considerable improvement by draining may be expected. The general duration of leases is nineteen years ; a period suffi- cient for the encouragement of the tenant The usual entry to the houses and grass is at Whitsunday, the outgoing tenant hav- ing the crop of that year. The first half-year's rent being paya- ble at Martinmas, makes a hard entry to the tenant, and in a country where agricultural capital is scarce, is a bar to improve- ment. The farm-buildings are in general substantially built, and comfortable. The fences are usually dtone dikes; but within the last few years hedges have been planted on some farms, and the tenants seem fully sensible of the benefit to be derived from them. Inconvenience is felt by the tenants in the north-east quarter of the parish from the want of a harbour or landing-place, for receiving and exporting produce. The erection of a small landing place in Lady Bay would be of great utility to the neigh- bouring farmers. Produce. — It is difficult to estimate accurately the gross pro- duce of the parish. The following is a rough estimate, from the extent of the parish, and supposed average produce per acre : Produce of grain of all kinds, about L. 8800 Potatoes, turnips, &c. -> 9000 Hay, whether meadow or cultivated, 1800 Land in pasture, - • 6000 L. 19,600 Fisheries. — About eighty years ago, there was a great herring fishery in Loch Ryan. Since that time, and especially during the last twenty years, the herring fishery has not, excepting a year now and then, been very productive. Herrings, however, visit the Loch every year ; and every year are more or less beneficial to this parish. The quantity of white fish in the loch, has, upon the whole, decreased. Haddocks, which about twenty-five years ago KIRKCOLM. 119 were in great quantity, and of excellent quality, are now rare ^ while the quantity of small whitings is much greater than former- ly. Small cod, and in the beginning of the year, large cod, are still sometimes caught in abundance ; and the price of such fish has never exceeded a penny a pound. Though the quantity of fish in the loch has decreased, the quantity in the sea adjoiningy appears to continue the same ; and if the fishermen here had ca- pital sufficient to provide smacks of ten tons burden or more, and were thus enabled to go out and fish in the open sea, such fishing, it is conceived, might, from the numbers of fish, and the facility of going to market, become very profitable. There are oysters in Loch Ryan of the best quality. Sir Alexander Wallace, a pro- prietor on the opposite coast of the loch, has, by Royal Charter, an exclusive right to them. The fishermen of the village of Stew- artown pay him a rent of L. 20 a-year for the oysters they can gather on the Scar, the sand-bank already mentioned. The fisher- men who pay him for leave to dredge for oysters, belong to other parishes. Crabs and lobsters, which were known to be obtainable at the mouth of Loch Ryan, were neglected by the fishermen here. Within the last few years, fishermen from the opposite xsoast of Ayrshire, and from Ireland, have had much success in catching them, and have found a ready market at Glasgow, Bel- fast, and Dublin. In the latter city, they at one time received Ss. 6d. for each lobster. This encouragement tempted them to fish at improper seasons, during the time of spawning ; and the result was a great falling off in the quantity caught. It is hoped that this imprudence will not occur again, and that the catching of lobsters may yet become a source of profit to the native fisher- men. Manufactures^ — The only thing worth mentioning under this head is, that in almost every house in the village, and indeed through the parish generally, young women are much employed in embroidering muslin webs, obtained from Glasgow or Ayrshire. By embroidering they earn, according to their expertness, and the time they can devote to this work, from 8d. to Is. dd. a day, and sometimes more. Navigation. — There are at present three small vessels belong- ing to this parish, under 40 tons burden, employed in the coasting trade. V. — Parochial Economy. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is placed, not in the J 120 WIGTONSHlR£. centre of tbe parish, but at one side of it, about half a-mile from Loch Ryan, equidistant from the north and south ends of the pa- rish, and near the village of Stewartown. A great majority of the population are within three miles of it : few houses are more than four miles from it It was built thirteen years ago, was very substantially executed, and is in good repair. It was calcu- lated by measurement to accommodate 650 persons ; it has no gal- leries. If three galleries were erected, which the plan admits, it would accommodate 300 more ; but the accommodation originally provided has as yet been sufficient. The feuars in the village have no property in the kirk : seventy sittings were reserved for them by the heritors, which are let to them at Is. dd. each sittings and the proceeds go to the poor^s funds. Besides those thus ac- commodated, many of the villagers have sittings in the kirk as small tenants, or as farm-servants. There are a few free sittings* It is believed that every person desirous to have a sitting in the kirk can obtain it somewhere. * The want of a sitting is an excuse for not attending church, made very rarely : the want of decent clothes in a parish where so large a proportion of the population are Irish, is an excuse made very often, and with too much truth. Divine service is in general well attended. The number o^ com- municants at the Established Church is 450. The manse was built above thirty years ago, and is in good repair ; the offices are bad. The glebe is in extent 10 acres. It might be let for about L. 15. The stipend is 15 chalders, half barley, half oatmeal and L. 8, 6s. 8d. element money. There are no Dissenting cha- pels ; the Dissenters go to the Dissenting meeting-houses of their several persuasions in Stranraer. There are forty families of Dis- senters; They belong chiefly to the two congregations of the United Secession, and to the Reformed Presbyterian congrega- tion ; a few belong to the Relief congregation. Heads of families professing themselves to be Dissenters, their children of all ages who have not conformed to the Established Church, a few indi- viduals who live alone, a few who live in families that are not Dissenters, and those families of poor Catholics, make a total of 191 persons not belonging to tbe Established Church. Education. — There is one parochial school : there are at pre- sent three unendowed schools ; sometimes there are more. The branches of instruction generally taught in them are, reading and writing, English grammar, arithmetic, book-keeping, mensuration, and navigation; Latin is also taught in the parochial school. KIRKCOLM. 121 The parish school-house b placed, not near the kirk, but about a mile from it, in the interior of the parish, so as to accommodate the existing population as well as one schoothouse could do. The schoolmaster^s salary is L. 27, with the legal accommodations of dwelling-house and garden ; the school fees he actually receives (for all schoolmasters here lose by bad payments) average from L. 15 to L. 18 a-year. The other schools are supported wholly by the school fees. The fees at all the schools are the same* The general expense of education is Is* a month. No part of the parish is more than four miles distant from the parochial school. The people are generally much alive to the benefits of education* Children usually enter school about six years of age. There are few young persons under fifteen years of age who cannot read and write ; but there are Irish labourers in the parish who can neither read nor write. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of poor re* ceiving parish aid is 60. Of these 20 receive, at the stated times for dividing the poor's money, 16s. each,^ the remaining 40, 12s. each, per annum ; but some of both classes, in addition to these sums, receive, when necessary, additional relief. The times of di* viding the poor's money are Whitsunday and Martinmas, and after the sacrament, when what has been collected on that occa- sion is distributed. Sometimes two of the aliments above men- tioned go to one family ; as to husband and wife, to mother and daughter; or to two sisters, or to any two paupers living together* The parish poor are persons of advanced age or of infirm health, or widows. By fitr the greater part of them are able to do more or less for their own support, and willing to do what they can. A few of them go about begging within the parish, but seldom else- where. Many of them receive assistance from their friends, or from other charitable persons, chiefly from the farmers on whose lands they live, or in whose service they have been* The ali* ments given from the poor's funds are small ; but to a person in a state of general indigence 16s., or even 12s. a year, to assist in paying house rent, or in buying meal or potatoes, is felt to be a great relief; and certainly there is now very rarely any reluctance in applying for it. The funds for the relief of the parish poor are, at an average, about L. 40 per annum, firom collections in the church, and about L. 16 from other sources : making a total of L. 56: which, after deduction of L. 6, 10s. paid to the session- clerk, precentor, and kirk-officer, and to the clerks and oflBcers of 122 WIQTONSHIRE. the presbytery and synod, of a donation of Lu 1 to the Dumfries and Galloway Infirmary, and of about L. 3, 7s. paid for coffins for the poor, leaves to be divided yearly among the poor about L. 45, 3s. There never has been any compulsory assessment here : a voluntary assessment, which in some years has amounted to L. 30, but has more frequently been under L. 20, is paid by the heritors, to pro- vide for cases different from general indigence. Such are cases of poor persons completely disabled by disease, or accident, lunatics or idiots, who have no funds of their own, and whose friends are unable to provide for their children that have fallen to be supported by the parish, and aged persons left destitute, and unable to take care of themselves. Fuel. — Peats are the ordinary fuel in this district In places near the Bay of Loch Ryan, some coals brought from Ayrshire are also used. Ale-houses. — There are four houses licensed to sell ale and spirits : they are all in the village. MiSCBLLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. In addition to what has been mentioned under the heads of po- pulation and agriculture, to shew the difference betwixt the pre^ sent state of the parish, and that which existed at the time of the former Statistical Account, the following fact may be noticed, as sufficiently indicating the general progress : When the former Sta- tistical Account was drawn up, there was only one slated farm- bouse ; now, on all the considerable farms, in number about 40, the farm-houses are slated, and in general are handsomely fur- nished. Their offices are for the most part slated also. From the neighbouring port of Stranraer, the farmers here have the advantage of communication by steam-boats with Glasgow and Belfast, and sometimes with Whitehaven and Liverpool. The parish roads, however, in some parts of the interior, and in the south- west quarter generally, are still very bad. Mardi 1837. PARISH OF LESWALT. PRESBYTERY OF STRANRAER, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. ANDREW M'CUBBIN, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — Leswalt signifies the meadow along the burn. The rivulety on the bank of which stands the old church, takes its rise out of a large moss of nearly 1000 acres, and forms a beautiful cascade where it enters the romantic glen of Altdowran, which sig- nifies the Otter's Bum. Extent and Boundaries. — The parish is bounded on the east, by the Irish Channel ; on the west, by Lochryan ; on the north, by Kirkcolm parish ; and on the south, by Portpatrick. It is nearly 8 square miles. Topographical Appearances. — This parish is very hilly, and there are large tracts of moss in the upper district. They abound in grouse and black game. There are many fine meadows and rich pasture grounds. The meadow which gives name to the pa* rish is now cultivated, and produces very fine wheat crops. That part of the parish next Lochryan is partly flat ; but the greater part is hilly, and for four miles the soil is very fine, and produces crops of all kinds, which return very fair profits to the farmers. The part lying along Lochryan has many advantages: vessels lie in great safety in Soleburn Bay. They import lime from Ire- land, and sometimes shells ; and along the coast, the shell sand has been of real advantage to those who have used it, particular- ly upon damp soils. Towards the south the ground is more adapt- ed for pasture than cultivation. It is wet, hilly, and interspersed with tracts of moss. Yet of late years, this side of the parish has undergone a great change. The coarse kind has been limed, and rewarded the farmers for their hard labour. The push-plough has been successfully used upon the unequal soils; and when the sod is burnt, and the ashes spread upon the soil with lime, there are 124 WIQTONSHIRE. many instances of seven or eight seeds in return. Towards the west, upon the Irish Channel, some parts are fertile, but generally the ground is of a barren nature, and abounds very much in a sandy soil alongst the coast. Large tracts are kept solely for sheep and young cattle. The coast presents awful chasms of broken rocks, as if some convulsion of nature had torn them asunder. Alongst this coast, there is not one safe harbour ; although, at no considerable expense, one might be formed at the bay called Salt- pan, which would be of mighty advantage for this part of the pa- rish. Since the present incumbent came to the parish, the salt- pan was in operation, and produced very excellent salt from sea water. Along the coast, which extends about eight miles, there are excellent fish, particularly cod ; but no fishing station. The fish- ermen from Portpatrick scruple not to come along the coast and take the fine red cod. The middle of the parish|has of late been mightily improved, be- ing at no great distance from Lochryan^ and lime easily obtained at Soleburn about Is. 4d. per barrel. A fine road passes through the parish about the centre, and sweeps round Lochnaw, and passes on to Portpatrick, and another branch turns to the north, and passes alongst the north of Kirkcolm parish, and terminates at Stranraer. Sir Andrew Agnew, who succeeded his grandfather. Sir Stair Agnew, in 1809, has improved the face of the lands around his castle in a very tasteful manner. Every stranger considers him- self highly gratified with the prospect about Lochnaw. Climate. — This parish being situated along the Irish Chan- nel, the weather is very changeable, and dreadful storms visit it^ particularly from the west. At certain periods, a creeping mist, assuming various forms, approaches from the Atlantic Sometimes this presages a long tract of dry weather, and at other times, rain in abundance. There is a high wooded hill above Lochnaw Castle ; Take care when Lady Craigh hill puts on her mantle. The Lady looks high and knows what is coining ; Delay not one moment to get under ooteriog. Although the climate is moist, few parishes can produce instances of longevity similar to what occur here. The beadle died a few years ago, aged one hundred and two years, and his wife eighty-two. Some are living at the advanced ages of ninety^^six, eighty<-six, and eighty-seven years. The people are generally of a very healthy L^SWALT. 125 and souad constitution^ and the labouring classes can perform a very fair day's work at seventy years of age. Hydrography. — The only loch worthy of notice is Lochnaw, which signifies '^ the loch with the ford." One of the knights, a Sir James, drained this fine loch in order to have a meadow. The late Sir Stair often said, that some of his successors would again throw it into a lake, which prophecy has been fulfilled by Sir An- drew Agnew, the present proprietor. The water covers above thirty acres of land, and, at the end next Lochnaw Castle, is of considerable depth. Nothing can exceed the beauty of^the scenery around this loch, and many strangers come to behold it. There are no rivers in this parish, but two considerable bums, viz. Sole- burn and Pooltanton. The former emf^ies itself into Lochryan, having an eastern course ; the latter runs south, and empties itself into the Bay of Luce, after a course of ten miles. Geology and Mineralogy. — There are no mines in the parish. The greywacke, called erroneously whinstone, is the common stone found, and some quarries thereof are of a beautiful texture and ap« pearance. The new addition to Lochnaw, lately finished, has been built of this stone. There are also quarries of red sand- stone. 2!oo/o^y.«— This parish was famed, informer times, for goat- whey ; but it is now very rare to meet with one of these animals. Salmon come up the two burns before-mentioned, during the first flood in the month of August, or early in September, for spawning, and they return when the frost commences. The Bay of Lochryan is famed for oysters, which, at low water, are gathered in abundance along the shore. Plantations. — The only plantations-are about Lochnaw Castle ; some of the trees are very old, but none remarkable for size* The fir, the ash, the sycamore, and beech, are all in a very thriving state. The greater part have been planted, within these thirty years, by Sir Andrew Agnew. II. — Civil History. Leswalt belonged to the monks of Tongland in the reign of James V. The vicarage was taxed L. 12, Ids. 4d., being a tenth of the estimated value. At the Reformation, the tax was L. 26, 18s. 4d. In 1587, the church was vested in the King, and re- turned to the Bishops of Galloway, by a grant from the King in 1689. On the abolition of Episcopacy, it was vested in the Crown. 126 WIGTONSHIRE. Land-awners. — There are four priDcipal heritors in this parish : The Right Honourable the Earl of Stair; Sir Andrew Agnew, Bart of Lochnaw ; Colonel Vans Agnew, Esq. of Sheuchan ; and the Rev. David Wilson, Stranraer. There are four other proprie- tors who pay a small part of the stipend. Sir Andrew Agnew is the principal heritor, and the only residing heritor. Modem Buildings* — Liochnaw Castle is the only considerable building in the parish. It is built on an elevated hill, and appears to have been intended for a place of defence. Towards the south, traces of a deep fosse may still be seen, and on the north it is de- fended by a lake. A fine new church was built in 182b» which contains about 800 people. 1 11. — Population. Population in 1801, - 1829 1811, . 1705 182U - 2332 I83I, . 9696 The number of persons of both sexes in Hillhead is SS8^ and in Clayhole, 462 ; both of which places form a part of the town of Stranraer, but are situated in this parish, and are included in its census. The yearly ayerage number of baptisms is about 60 deaths, between 90 and 40 marriages, about 15 The number of inhabited bouses, 448 houses uninhabited or building, 92 The number of frmilies, is . • . 5S9 chiefly employed in agriculture, . 2S9 tnde, manufiustures, or handicraft, 153 There are three fatuous males, and one fatuous female in the parish ; and two persons dumb. The number of illegitimate births during last three years, 5. Character of the People. — The people in general live in a very comfortable manner, and have of late improved much both in Ian** guage and manners. They have a strong sense of religion, and their conduct becomes their profession. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — It is impossible to say what number of acres are under tillage, as the land has not been mea- sured* It may, however, be stated, that a very considerable quan- tity of land has of late years been under tillage, which before was never cultivated. When that coarse land is limed and laid under summer fallow, eight or ten seeds are generally produced. There 3 LESWALT. ' 127 are very considerable tracts of land wholly in pasture, and very little probability that these will ever reward the farmer by tillage. Rent of Land. — There are no grounds in undivided common in the parish, but the whole is laid out in farms. Some of these rent at L. 200 Sterling per annum, and upwards. The rent of some parts of the parish per acre is as high as L. 3 per annum ; and L. 2 per acre is common. Farms let on a lease of nineteen years may average about L. 1 per acre. The common rate for grazing a cow or ox for the year is about L. 3, 10s. ; a ewe, 5s. Wages. — The common rate for a farm-servant is L. 10 per an- num ¥rith victuals ; a mud-servant L. 4, 4s. ; meal per stone may be said to average 2s. 6d. per stone, potatoes lOd. per bushel ; a mason or carpenter 2s. per day with victuals. Live-Stack. — The breed of cattle being Galloways, they are well known and much sought after. Large droves are annually sent to England, which bring fair prices. The sheep are various ; the Cheviot, the black-faced and various mixed breeds, — all of which reward the farmer, perhaps, better than black-cattle. The general duration of leases is nineteen years, bat there are some life tacks. The farm-houses are all good, and well adapted for their respective purposes ; and the fences have, of late years, been greatly improved, and add very much to the beauty of the country. Produce. — There are raised in the parish about 4000 Gal- loway bolls of oats, average value about L. 6000. Wheat has been of late cultivated ; but what the real amount is cannot be ascertained ; average price per bushel, 6s. There are rais- ed about 2000 bolls of potatoes annually ; average price about 13s. 4d. V. — Parochial Economy. Market-Towfu—'So market-town in the parish, but one in Stranraer, which is in the neighbourhood. The post-office is in Stranraer. Ecclesiastical State.— The parish church, built in J 828, stands in a very convenient situation for the parishioners, and is about eight miles from the farthest extremities of the parish, and aflFords accommodation for 800 sitters. No free sittings. The manse was built in 1811. The glebe contains nearly 20 acres ; value about L. 30 annually. The stipend is the minimum. The only other place of worship in the parish is a parochial 128 WIGTONSHIUE. preaching station in the suburb adjoining to Stranraer, where a district church is about to be erected. The church is well at- tended, and the number of communicants about 400. The church collections and other donations average about L. 40 an- nually. The number of families attending the Established Church is 411 ; of families attending chapels of Dissenters or Seceders, 111 ; of Roman Catholic families, 17. Education. — There are, at present, four schools in the parish, the parochial and three private. The parochial schoolmaster has the minimum salary, a house and garden, and the school fees, — the amount of which I cannot ascertain. There are no children in the parish so distant but they may attend some of the schools; and there are none belonging to the parish who cannot both read and write, as the parents, in general, seem anxious to have their children educated. About 200 children attend the Sabbath even- ing schools. LU>rary. — There is a parochial library, which contains nearly 400 volumes, and the people have a taste for reading. Poor and Parochial Funds* — The average number of poor re* ceiving aid is about 60, eleven of whom receive on an average per annum, L. 6. The rest of the paupers receive parochial aid from the church collections, which amount to betwixt L. 50 and L. 60. There are no legal assessments : but contributions are voluntarily made by the heritors. The poor have also the interest of L. 200 left by the Jate Earl of Stair. The greater part of the poor, be* ing Irish, are very frequent and importunate in their demands. /nn«.— There are six inns or ale-houses in the parish. Fuel — Both coal and turf are used as fuel in the parish. A cart load of turf costs 2s. ; coals, 15s. per ton. February 1839. PARISH OF PORTPATRICK. PRESBYTERY OF STRANRAER, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. ANDREW URQUHART, A. M. MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Nmnt of the Parish. — The lands which at present constitute the parish of Portpatrick were formerly called the Black Quarter of the Inchy and till 1628, formed a part of the parish of Inch, haying pertained to the ancient Abbacy of Saulset or Soulseat, For some time before and after this date, the harbour and adjoin- ing village were very commonly called Portmontgomery, in ho- nour of the Montgomeries, Lords of Ardes in Ireland, who were the proprietors for a considerable period. But when the parish was erected, it received the ancient name of the harbour, which it has ever since retained, and which has completely superseded the name of Portmontgomery. A marvellous story used to be told here of the famous Irish Saint Patrick having crossed the channel at a single stride, and the mark of his foot was shown on a rock, that has been removed in the operations connected with the construction of the present harbour. Whether this superstition is of Scotch or Irish origin does not appear ; but it is probably con- nected with some historical fact, and with the origin of the name Portpatrick. Another story, undoubtedly Irish, bears that St Patrick, having been beheaded somewhere north of Glenap, took his head under his arm, and walked to Portpatrick, where, being unable to find a boat, he took his head in his teeth and swam across to Ireland. Boundaries, — The parish occupies about four miles of the coast of the Irish Channel, rather nearer the northern than the southern extremity of the peninsula, which, extending from north north-west to south south-east, about 28 miles in length, and 5^ in its great- est breadth, and containing the parishes of Kirkcolm, Leswalt, Portpatrick, Stonykirk, and Kirkmaiden, is joined to the mainland, wigton. I 130 WIGTONSHIRE. a little northward of its middle, by an isthmus 6 mfles in breadth, formed by Loch- Ryan on the north, and the Bay of Luce on the south. Towards this isthmus, the parish of Portpatrick stretches about 4^ miles from its western shore. It contains about 18 square miles, and exhibits an outline of four sides, of which that towards the east is nearly parallel to the opposite side, bounded by the sea on the west. The only natural boundary between this and the adjoining parishes is a small stream called the Piltantou burn, separating it on the east from the parishes of Leswalt and Inch. It is separated from Leswalt on the north-west, and from Stonykirk on the south-east, by stone dikes, ditches, and other enclosures of the boundary farms. Topographical Appearances^ S^c. — The sur&ce of the whole pa- rish is elevated. From the coastto the distance of.about three miles, where it reaches its greatest elevation, it is irregularly undulated, exhibiting almost no entirely level ground, except in a few places where there is peat moss, the subsoil of which has probably the same slopes as the adjacent hills. The slopes are generally gra- dual, and in few places are so steep as to hinder the use of the plough : *but on many of them, especially the more elevated, the rock frequently shows itself uncovered. The hills are mostly flat. Some of them have assumed a form approaching to conical. The higher and more remarkable ones are called the Fells of the farms to which they respectively belong, with the exception of one to- wards the south-east of the parish, which is called Caimpat, and sometimes Cairnpiot This hill is the highest in the whole peninsula* Here the eastern part of the parish may be seen, sloping down rapidly to the Piltanton bum, with a surface generally irregular, and towards the north exceedingly rough and broken vrith the projecting rock. From the summit of the hill, in clear weather, we may command an extensive prospect on all sides. Northward our view extends to the hills and mountains of Argyleshire and of Arran. The majestic blue rocks of Ailsa appear surrounded by the sea be- tween them and the nearer view of the beautiful Loch-Ryan, which opens towards them between the bold hills of its eastern shore and the more gently sloping fields of Kirkcolm, and Leswalt, and sends back its quiet waves to the level shores of Stranraer. Turn- ing eastward, our eye is caught by the distant blue mountains of Kirkcudbright, seen over the wild but less elevated country beyond Glenluce, and then descends on the almost level plain, about five i POBTPATBICK. 131 -miles in breadth, and stretching six miles in length between Loch- Ryan and the wide open Bay of Luce. This tract of country is beautified by stripes and masses of plantation, chiefly belonging to the Earl of Stair. It is enlivened by the near view of Stranraer, immediately under our left, at the nearest angle of Loch- Ryan, — by a peep of Castle Kennedy and its lakes, about a mile inland from the more remote angle, — by the small village of Lochans, imme- diately below, — and by the parish church of Stonykirk, near to the bay of Luce, and seen over the plantations of Garthland to our right. Whether the English coast of Cumberland can be seen under a clear sky in the horizon beyond the Bay of Luce is doubt- ful ; but several curious black rocks rise distinctly from the sea in the distance. To the right, the southern limit of the peninsula stretches out from below us, in a long narrow but hilly stripe to the Mull of Galloway, over which, and extending to the east and west of it) the high mountains of the Isle of Man appear. As we continue our survey towards the right and look westward, the very beautiful panorama is completed by the Irish Channel, with the Irish coast seen extending for seventy miles on the farther side, and varied by the Mourne mountains to the south, by the lower lying lands of Downshire, and the town of Donaghadee right opposite to us, and by the bold continuous mass of the Antrim hills, stretch- ing to the north. The fore-ground of this view is the wildest part of Portpatrick parish. The high ground, which dips abruptly close to the shore, conceals the harbour and the town. Any one, who desires to obtain a correct idea of the geography of the parish, and of the Rhins of Galloway, and, at the same time, to enjoy a pleasant prospect, ought not to omit, when the weather is clear, to visit the top of Caimpat, which is not half a mile from the turnpike road leading from Portpatrick to Stranraer. 7%€ Coast J 8fc. — Along the whole line of sea coast included in this parish, rugged rocks and cliffs (commonly called heughsy) rise abruptly from deep water, and are, in some places, perpendi- cular to the height of 130 feet Down the less precipitous of these, very young children often scramble to perilous fishing seaU^ which they select according to the time of the tide, and which have been long known by names, such as Slogan a glassin, Greggary, Eilena garroch, Catevennan, Catelig, Ringwee, Eilafitz, Slogan a baa, &C. In front of the cliffs, and opening in deep water, are seve- ral caves or vaulted fissures, but of no great extent, in which wild t 132 WIGTONSHIRE. pigeons, jackdaws, &c. build their nests. There is no beach ex- cept in four or five small bays, which are accessible from the land, the hills sloping back from thera. In one of these, which is very rocky, and dangerous for shipwrecks, and is named Morroch Bay, the southern boundary of the parish meets the sea : and the north- ern boundary terminates in another, called Killantringan Bay, which is sandy, and enclosed by beautiful and bold green hills. The bay in which is the harbour of Portpatrick is nearly equally distant from both of these. High cliffs approach close to it on both sides, and, receding from the shore, are lost in steep hills of earth. These, gradually approaching towards each other, enclose the space on which the town is built, and at length form the banks of a small stream, along which the turnpike road leads by a mode- rate ascent towards Stranraer. Along the line of this road the newest street extends for about 850 yards down to the harbour, opening nearly on the centre of the basin, and passing on its right the church, manse, and church-yard. Another street, nearly equal- ly divided by the former,'and built with a slight curve, looks on the harbour. A few other small streets fill up the angles formed by these. The whole appearance of the place, when it is viewed from the heights on the south side, or from the sea, suggests the idea of a town built in a large quarry ; a considerable space of ground on the north side being occupied as a hewing field for the harbour works, and at present covered with enormous blocks of stone. About a quarter of a mile to the south of the harbour, and seen from the projecting pier head, are the ruins of the old Castle of Dunskey, situated on the summit of the rocky steep, about 90 or 100 feet above the level of the sea. A deep chasm renders the castle nearly inaccessible on the side nearest the harbour. On the opposite side the rock is quite perpendicular, and overlooks a small bay, called the Castle Bay. At the base of the rock on this side, and directly under the castle, is a cave, accessible at half-tide, the dark rugged entrance of which adds to the wildness of the im- posing cliff crested by the ruins. About the same distance to the north of the harbour, are two small bays separated by a small promontory of table-land, and remarkable for the difference of their strand : for though they are so close that it might be sup- posed the tide would alternately wash the contents of the one into the other, the one, nearest Portpatrick, called Portmurray, contains only pure yellow sand, whence it is called also the Sandy Bay, or PORTPATKICK. 133 the Sand-eel-Bay, whilst the other, called Port Kale, contains only coarse gravel, the debris of the neighbouring rocks, which are blue whinstone. In the rocky side of the sandy bay, beyond the reach of the tide, is a cave obscurely reported to have been the residence of a hermit or monk. Adjoining to it is a smaller cave, over the entrance of which a small rill constantly pours itself. If the in- dulgence of bathing had been permitted to the hermit, he might here have enjoyed the benefit of a shower-bath with a dressing room, besides the excellent plunge bath in the bay. The banks of a small stream which enters the other bay form a small glen, the most picturesque in Galloway, through which walks, very taste- fully cut, lead past a very pretty wild waterfall, and connect the two bays with the present mansion-house of Dunskey, situated about a mile distant on the height Meteorology. — The range of the thermometer is less by several degrees in the town than in the higher grounds ; and the tempe- rature of the parish, generally, is reckoned to be neither so hot in summer, nor so cold in winter, as that of the inland parishes ; but no accurate register is kept either of the barometer or thermo- meter. Occasionally dense fogs cover the channel of the coast, espe- cially in the months of May and September or October. They usually come from the sea with the south-west wind, and seldom last above a few hours at most ; frequently not more than a quar- ter of an hour. The prevailing winds vary from south to west. Those which raise the heaviest seas are from the south-west. It is considered a favourable sign of the weather, when the light breezes of sum- mer change during the day, followed by the sun. The climate is generally moist ; and hence cold is often felt in a greater degree than is indicated by the thermometer. Upon the whole, it is a healthful climate; if we may judge from the ro- bustness of the population, notwithstanding poor living and much exposure fo the weather. But rheumatism, dyspepsia, consump- tion, fevers, and cancers are not unfrequent Vegetation is slow in the early spring, but rapid in summer, so that the harvests are usually completed about the middle of October. But in Novem- ber, the young shoots of trees are often found unprepared for the storms which bedew them with spray firom the sea, and cause them to die from the top to a considerable length down. 134 WIGTONSHIRE. Hydrography. — The sea, receiving but a scanty tribqte of fresh water from the narrow peninsula, is very salt all along the shore. The depth close to the rocks is from five to six fathoms. Oppo- site Old Dunskey Castle, a bank of clay and gravel runs out for about three miles into the channel. On this bank, near the extre- mity, the depth of water is from 25 to 30 fathoms, whilst a mile north and south of this it is 50 fathoms. The deepest part of the channel opposite to Portpatrick is between 6 and 7 miles from the Scotch coast From the greatest depth, (about 90 fathoms,) the water shoals gradually towards the coast of Ireland. Accord- ing to the tide-table in the New Edinburgh Almanack, the tides at Portpatrick are 3 hours and SO minutes later than at Leith. They are reckoned about an hour earlier than at Stranraer. But near the shore they are from an hour to an hour and a half earlier than a mile off, and they are generally reckoned an hour later than at the opposite port of Donaghadee. Spring-tides rise from 14 to 17 feet, and neap-tides from 8 to 11 feet The currents near the shore often run more than 3 miles an hour. South-east of the Copland Island, near the Irish coast, there are strong and ever-varying currents, on which the most experienced fishermea cannot calculate with certainty, and which they cannot explain. It is to this place that the Statistical Account of 1791, thus refers : *^ Within three or four miles of the Irish shore, when the flood returns, there is a regular current, which sets off strongly for the Mull of Galloway. It runs at the rate of seven knots an hour, and is so forcible, that when the wind opposes it, it exhibits for a great way the appearance of breakers. It is called the Race ofStrangersy and is a very curious spectacle.^' On the south side of the town, there is a spring of strong chaly- beate water, which flows at all seasons in a small but regular stream from the rock. It is much esteemed by the people for its medi- cinal virtue. There is no natural lake in the parish : but one of four acres in extent has been recently formed north of the Fell, which rises behind the mansion-house of Dunskey. This artifi- cial lake has been stocked with trout, chiefly from a small stream in the parish called Craigoch-burn. It is of an irregular form. The banks are quite bare, but are being tastefully planted by the proprietor, by whom a carriage drive has also been lately formed along the margin and leading from the house with a wide sweep round the hill. This carriage drive, as it passes round the west side of the hill, crosses the walks leading from the mansion house PORTPATRICK. 135 to the glen fonnerly mentioDed, with its waterfall. This water- fall is formed by a small stream called Auchtrematane burn. When this stream is swollen with rains, it pours a copious tor- rent over rugged rocks into a narrow ravine, about 50 or 60 feet deep, whence it flows with a peaceful current for a quarter of a mile along the bottom of the glen, which opens on Port Kale Bay* The scenery about this cascade and from it to the sea is exceed- ingly fine. The rugged rocks near the waterfall are enriched with furze and heath, or overrun with ivy and honeysuckle ; and the boldly sloping sides of the glen are well covered with thriving wood. The streams in this parish are all very small and rapid. They are generally named from the principal farms through which they pass. Their whole length lies within the parish, with the exc^p* tion of the Piltanton-burn, forming the eastern boundary of the parish, and running thence for about six miles into the Bay of Luce. Geology and Mineralogy. — It is impossible to say what is the ge- neral direction and dip of the strata of rock on the coast. In the cliffs north of the harbour, it may be said to be most commonly north-west, and to the south of the harbour south-east. In ge- neral the strata are very much inclined to the plane of the hori- zon, and in some cases almost perpendicular. All the rocks in this parish are understood to belong to the transition class. They become more slaty towards the southern boundary, but not so much so as on adjoining coast of Stonykirk parish, from which slates have been cut for the roofing of houses. On the strand of a small bay, near the northern boundary, a stratum almost perpen- dicular shows itself, composed of a transition rock. No. 1, * with frequently intersecting small veins of No. 1, a, calcspar. The sub- stance of the ordinary strata along the coast is represented by No. 2, a variety of greywacke, strata of which, varying from one to five or six feet, frequently alternate with others of nearly the ^same sub- stance, but thin and of a more slaty appearance. In.the Morroch Bay, at the southern boundary of the parish, the following strata, of from 20 to 30 feet in thickness, and near- ly perpendicular, but dipping towards the south-east, succeed one another from aorth to south, in the order of the numbers, and se- parated by strata of greywacke. No. 2, about the same thickness ; No. 3, greywacke slate; No. 4, greywacke; No. 5, transition * The numbers refer to the collection of specimens in our possession. 136 WIGTONSHIRE. « clay slate ; No. 6, coarse alum slate ; No. 7, coarse alum slate ; No. 8, decomposed greywacke; No. 9, Lydian stone; No. 10, coarse alum slate ; No. 1 1, clay slate of various tints, as greenish- P^Yi purple, and reddish-brown. Beside No. 6, on the shore, is a fixed mass of No. 6 a,* which appears to be decayed greywacke, in Nos. 7, and 10, masses of No. 7 a, which is common iron py- rites, about the size of a man's hand, are frequently found. Along^ side of No. 1 1, and at the height of 100 feet up in the face of the cliff, there is a stratum of No. 11a, of a decomposed rock. No- dules of coarse jasper and agate, quartz in nodules and layers, and thin veins of carbonate of lime, are found not unfrequently in the rocks. No organic remains have hitherto been found* The soil in the parish is in some places pure brown earth, ge*- nerally with a considerable proportion of sand ; in other places it is black, being chiefly reduced moss, with a small proportion of the clay of the subsoil. Where it does not rest on the rock, it lies generally either on layers of gravel apparently laid by water, or on a light brown clay, or on reddish till. There are no rolled stones in the parish, except a few of the same substance with the variety of greywacke. No. 2. There is a layer of clay-slate near the Piltanton burn, on the eastern boundary, such as soft slate pencils are made of. Zoology. — It is believed that there is little remarkable in the zoology of this parish. The seal (Phoca vitulina) has sometimes been seen on the rocks of the shore, and the otter (Lutra vufyarisj frequently. The brown rat fMus decumanuSfJ which infests almost every house and stack- yard in the parish, abounds in the rocks along the shore, and is believed to feed there on shell-fish and the carrion cast up by the sea. The black rat (Mus rattusj is not found in the parish. Among the loose rocks, about the roots of furze, and in stone dikes everywhere, but especially near the coast, may be found abundantly the hedge-hog, (Erinaceus Europ€BU3yJ the weasel (Mustela vulgaris^) the ermine (Mustela erminea^) and the fou- mart (Mustela putorius.) The gamekeeper at Dunskey thinks there are two distinct species called weasel here, the one much smaller than the other, and seldom attacking animals larger than mice or small birds ; the other attacks rabbits. Foxes have been killed in the parish, but none have been known to breed in it for at least three years past Hares are not so abundant as in many other districts. A young one was found last year nearly quite PORTPATIUCK. 137 white. Rabbits abound within a mile of the coast The grey rabbit is the most common, but the black are numerous. Some have been killed partly grey and partly white, and one was recent- ly killed partly black and partly white. The progress of cultivation has greatly diminished the numbers of the red grouse (Lagopus Scoticm.) Of the black-cock (Tetrao ietrixj a few are killed every year by the regular sportsmen, and many more, it is to be feared, by the poacher. The common par- tridge (Perdix cinereaj is rather thinly distributed. The game- keeper at Dunskey has remarked that, during the absence of the mother from the nest, the damp seems to affect the eggs, so as, frequently to cause induration of the membrane which lines the interior surface of the shell, so that the young birds cannot escape and die. The quail (Coturnix vulgaris) is an occasional visitant from Ireland. The pheasant (Phananus Colchictis) has been in- troduced, and thrives tolerably well in the more sheltered planta- tions around Dunskey. They have been found both young and old, nearly pure white. The heron (Ardea cinereaj frequents the coast, but does not breed here. The smaller birds that engage the interest of the sportsman are the woodcock (Scolopax rusticolajj the common snipe f Scolopax gallinagojy and the jack-snipe (Soh lopax gallinula.) The starling (Sturnus vulgaris) appears in considerable numbers once a year, and sometimes twice^ and has been known to breed. Whilst the ring-dove (Columba Palumbus) is frequently met with in the woods, the rock-dove (C. anas) abounds among the cliffs and in the caves of the shore, along with the booded-crow (Corvus comix;) and the jack-daw fC. mone- dida.) A bird frequent among the jackdaws, which the game- keeper has not seen elsewhere, is described by him as rather larger, with very fine jet-black plumage, bill and legs red, build- ing its nest in dry holes in rocks and caves. The peregrine fal- con (Falco peregrinus) breeds in the neighbourhood, and may be seen in the parish during the whole year. The wind-hover or stannel (F. tinnunculus) breeds, and is seen plentifully the whole year. The merlin fF. JEsalon) breeds, and is also plenti- ful at all seasons. The kite fMilvus vulgaris) may be seen some- times in the winter, but is not common. The hen-harrier f Circus cyaneus) appears at the end of the harvest but rarely. The spar- row-hawk (Accipiter fringillaritis) breeds and ^is very common everywhere. The short horn owl ( Otus hrachyotos) breeds, and may be found at all seasons, but not plentifully. The barn-owl (Aluco 138 WIGTONSHIRE. Jlammeui ) is not rare, and remains all year. The European goal- sucker (Caprimtdgus Europ There are six other families deriving from L. 200 to L. 400 each, from their official duties and other sources. Of proprietors of land in the parish of the yearly value of up- wards of L. 50 there are three, among whom all the land in the pa- rish is divided in the proportion of 1026f , d46|, and 190, accord- ing to their valuation. There are 25 unmarried men upiyards of fifty years of age, of whom 6 have not been married, and 19 are widowers. There are 82 unmarried women upwards of 45 years of age, of whom 20 have * It is remarkable that, about twenty years ago, the birth of an illegitimate child in the parish was considered a very rare occurrence, 4 PORTPATRICK. 146 not been married, and 62 are widows. Of 317 men who have been married, 30 have been twice married, and 287 only onoe married; of 363 women, 21 have been twice married, and 342 only once married. Of married persons, male and female, who have had no children, there are 23 in the town, 8 in the country, 31 in the whole parish. Number of families in the town, 238 ; in the country, 182 ; in the whole parish, 420. The average num- ber of individuals for each family is very nearly 4 j^ in the town, 5y\ in the country, and 4| in the whole parish. For the families in which all or some of the children reside with their parents, the average number of children of all ages thus residing is rather less than 2/5 in the town, rather more than d| in the country, and ra- ther less than 2^^ in the whole parish. There are 120 inhabited houses in the town, 177 in the coun- try, and 297 in the whole parish ; 4 uninhabited houses in the town, 2 in the country, and 6 in the whole parish. There are no houses being built at present None have been built in the coun- try for a year past, and none in the town for ten years past. The people are generally hardy and naturally robust. But, upon the whole, they do not ^eem to perform so much labour as the inhabi- tants of many other districts. This difference may be chiefly owing to irregular employment and poor 1 ving. There are in the whole parish 4 persons insane, 9 fatuous, 4 blind, 4 deaf and dumb ; and besides these, there are 2 persons, a man and his sister, he aged sixty-six, and she aged seventy-three, both of whom are at once blind, deaf and dumb. Both could once see, but have been blind for between 20 and 30 years. They can be made to understand by means of touch, what their friends find it necessary to communicate to them for their bodily comfort and personal safety. He can attend to the fire to supply it with fuel when it is required. She is remarkably particular as to her dress. Both can be made to understand when any one is present with whom they have formerly been acquainted ; and when they are in- formed that the minister is present, they compose themselves, and assume a grave and serious aspect. This is especially the case with the woman. Language. — English is spoken in this parish, with less of pro- vincial accent and less mixture of Scotch than in the more central and populous districts of Scotland. There are few games or regulated amusements followed, and none peculiar to the parish. Curling in the hard frosts of winter WIGTON. K 146 WIGTONSHIRE. is the favourite game. Quoits and hand-ball are occasionally re* sorted to at other seasons, but rarely by grown persons. Hand- ball and marbles are the only games in favour with the boys. The girls seem to have no games at all peculiar to themselves. Character and Habits of the People. — The poorer class, constitute ing the majority of the population, are very far from being cleanly or tidy in their habits ; but it is quite the reverse with those in better circumstances, especially in the town. The diet of the or- dinary labourer is often very poor. The smallness of his wages, and still more his improvident habits, allow him but a rare supply and scanty proportion of animal food. Many, especially of the labourers resident in the town or in the country, and of the small cottars in the country, are miserably clothed, miserably fed, mi- serably lodged, and miserably provided with furniture in their dwellings. But these evils have undoubtedly, in most instances, a moral cause. For others, with precisely the same advantages, contrive to make themselves tolerably comfortable. The agricul- tural population are generally much poorer, and do not live so well as in the better cultivated and more populous districts of Scotland. Farmers, in circumstances of moderate comfort, do not use animal food above once in a day, and that not always. The ordinary comforts and advantages of society may generally be enjoyed by the prudent and industrious. In the queries, to which this Statistical Account is an answer, it is asked whether '^ the people, on the whole, are contented with their situation and circumstances ?'' Here it is necessary to distinguish between two kinds of what is commonly called contentment. There is in the majority by far too much of that sort of contentment which con- sists in preferring the present condition to the exertion and pru- dent management by which it might be improved. But, as inse- parable from this species of contentment, there is a lamentable de* iiciency of that just and thankful recognition of comforts and advantages enjoyed or attainable, which, mingling with a sense of the salutary discipline of unavoidable evils, constitutes true con- tentment. Although there is not so much of the restless and mischievous spirit of discontent openly displayed, as would be hail- ed by the unprincipled demagogue, enough may be observed to suggest and enforce the lesson, that, unless the hearts of men be imbued with the spirit of the Gospel, we shall look everywhere in vain for such contentment as is truly conducive to the well-being of society, or to its permanent security. POUTPATRICK. 147 The people are generally characterized by intellect naturally vigorous, but uncultivated. They are capable of being excited to very great violence of feeling : and vindictive feelings usually 6nd with them a free and instant expression. But withal, they dis- play more external courtesy towards one another, and more re- spectful manners in addressing their superiors, than may be observ- ed in the more populous districts. In common with the other in- habitants of Galloway they are distinguished by a ready and un- grudging hospitality. Among the crimes ordinarily falling Under the cognizance of the civil magistrate, assaults, rioting and fighting on the public streets, are much to be complained of, but are not so frequent as at one time, when it used to be said at Donaghadee, *^ I'll not meddle with you just now ; but stop till I get you at Portpatrick, where there is no law." Petty thefts are prevalent. They are often attributed to the bands of tinkers who encamp on the common on their way to and from Ireland ; but these un- doubtedly deserve but a small share of the blame. The facilities afforded by the wild coast for plundering the goods cast ashore in shipwrecks, have always presented a strong temptation. The des- perate cupidity exhibited in recent cases by many, even with the grim spectacles of death before them, and the impossibility of de- tecting the numerous depredators, sufficiently prove that the tone of public morality on the question of " mine or thine" is not very high. Profane swearing is lamentably frequent ; but probably not more so than in other parts of the country. If it be true, as has been said, that drunkenness prevails to a more than ordinary de- gree in Portpatrick, the assertion, which is probably incorrect, must, at all events, be confined to the town. And here the most favourable conclusion that observation will warrant is, that the ha- bits of the people in this respect are, upon the whole, better than we find in other sea-ports, and that a great improvement has taken pl^ce of late years. The Sabbath is usually observed with out- ward quietness. Idleness and wandering are the principal forms of its desecration, if we overlook the national profanity of the sailing of the mail packets, and the running of the mail-coaches, by which many well disposed men are laid under the necessity of labouring, and of absenting themselves frequently both from pub- lic and domestic religious duties. An observer of the peculiar character of the people would probably remark a natural suscep- tibility of solemn impressions, which, however, through igno?- ranee and spiritual blindness, often degenerates into superstition. 148 WIGTONSHIRE. consistent with various immoralities. If the experience of a few years of ministerial duty might justify the author of these pages in hazarding the opinion, he would say that those who know and love the Bible in this parish seem to draw from it a deeper tone of religious feeling than is generally to be remarked in the same class of men in several other districts with which he has been acquaint- ed. The number of these, alas ! bears but a small proportion to the whole population. Perhaps the following well ascertained statement respecting family worship, taken together with other facts to be stated under the heads of ^^ Ecclesiastical State'* and ** Educor tiofif*' may illustrate the religious character of the population more satisfactorily than any mere general statement of opinion : Of the Protestant families in the whole parish, there are sixty in which there is femily worship usually every day, and sixty-one in which it is usual to have family worship only on Sabbaths. Poaching in game prevails to a considerable extent, and is not confined, as in most other parts of the country, to a few worthless and desperate characters. Small quantities of soap are frequently brought from Ireland and sold among the families in the parish by poor people. This seems to be the only remaining vestige of smuggling. There is no regular pawnbroker nearer than Stranraer, and probably not very many persons from this parish have recourse to him. Those who would, have little to pawn. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The statements under this head are given with confidence on the authority of John Murdoch, Esq. J. P. factor to the principal heritor. No. of acres, standard imperial measure which are either culttTated or oc- casionally in tillage is .... 690O No. of acres which haTe' never been cultivated, and which remain constant- ly waste, or in pasture, . , • 2068 which 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 per- manent pasture, - - - - 500 in a state of undivided common • - 12 under wood, all planted, ... dOO The kinds of trees which have been generally planted^ are, oak, ash, sycamore, beech, elm, chestnut, larch, spruce and silver fir, and pinaster. The almost only wood in the parish is around Dunskey, the residence of the principal proprietor. It has been planted chiefly within the last thirty years. The annual thinning and pruning is conducted by experienced foresters under the di* PORTPATRICK. 149 rection of the proprietor and his factor, according to the most ap- proved method of the present day. Rent, — The average rent of arable land in the parish is lOs. per imperial acre. The average rent of grazing is at the rate of L. 1, lOs. per ox or cow grazed, and at the rate of L. 5 per ewe or full- grown sheep pastured for the year. Wages, — The rate of labour, winter and summer, for different kinds of farm-labourers, varies from lOd. to Is. 6d. per day, and for country artisans, it is 2s. 6d. per day. The price of the several kinds of raw produce, grain, &c. is that of the Glasgow and Liverpool markets, deducting the ex* pense of carriage. The rates of mason, carpenter, and other me- chanical work are also regulated by the more populous parts of Scotland. Live-Stock. — The sheep, of which comparatively few are kept, are chiefly of the black-faced breed. The cattle are principally of the Galloway breed, to the improvement of which greater attention has been lately devoted by crossing with bulls of the same breeds selected from improved stocks of the neighbouring districts. The peculiar excellence of this breed consisting in the smallness of the bone, and the greater proportion of lean when the animals are thoroughly fattened, is well known in the London Smithfield mar- ket, where the Galloway spayed heifer sells at l|d. per lb. higher than any other beef. Husbandry. — The general character of the husbandry pursued, although not the best, is tolerably good, being alternate pasture and oats, with the intervention of a hoed green crop, chiefly potatoes in the drier soils. The general tendency, however, is to over-cropping. Draining and an undeviating rotation of crops are improvements of which the present husbandry of the parish is very susceptible. The general duration of leases is nineteen years. In this respect they are favourable at once to the improvement of the soil and to the occupier, giving him a sufficient time for a return of outlay. The farm-houses and buildings are, for the most part, pretty good ; as are also the fences, which are chiefly of stone, or of sod with furze sown on the top. The latter makes a tolerably good fence when the fiirze is properly dressed. Within the last twenty years, considerable improvements have been made by the occupiers generally, in reclaiming mossy and formerly waste lands, by paring and burning, and by a better system of cultivation, although in this last respect much remains 150 WIGTONSHIRE. yet to be done. .Within the same period, the principal proprietor has effected very striking improvements by extensive plantations, tastefully arranged for landscape effect, and by draining and laying down for permanent pasturage about 400 acres around his re- sidence. The great extent of private gravel walks and well- dressed thorn hedges, although, strictly speakmg, they do not come under the head of agriculture, may be mentioned here as re- markable improvements. The chief obstacles to improvement are what may be supposed to have arisen from the want of improving leases as to farm-build- ings, &C. and from the laws 9f entail, under which there is about one-third of the landward part of the parish. There are no mines in the parish. Coal has been lately sought for, but in vain. Fisheries. — Till the year 1813, there was no regular fishery at Portpatrick, except for the supply of the inhabitants. The fish caught were generally of small size, such as are still caught for the same purpose during the summer months near the shore, either with rods or hand-lines baited with limpets or crabs. From 1813 to 1821, about 20 boats and 100 men were employed in fishing herrings. Each boat used from 1200 to 1600 yards of net, and the average profit of each was about L. 80 ; the price of herrings varying from 30s. to 40s. per barrel. The average number of barrels of her- rings caught by the Portpatrick boats during each of the above years must have been about 900. From six to eight of these boats fished with the Government bounty of L. 3 per ton, and averaged about twenty tons. The other boats employed were from five to eight tons. After the Government bounty was withdrawn, the fishery was abandoned as unprofitable : for, although the great- er number of the boats employed had not enjoyed the bounty they did not put to sea till the bounty boats had discovered the shoals of herrings, and so were saved much expense. The great- er number of herrings were caught between Portpatrick and Port- nessock to the south, and at the distance of from two to three miles from the shore. The usual fishing season for the Portpatrick boats was from the beginning of June till the beginning of August The herrings came from the north, and proceeded south to the Isle of Man, where the fishery began about the 10th of August. Be- sides the Portpatrick boats, many from other places fished on the coast, and 120 have been seen in the harbour at once. The want of PORTPATRICK. 151 the bounty is the only reason assigned by the fishermen for no at« tempt being now made to resume this fishery. Immediately after the herring fishery was abandoned, it was found that a profitable fishery of cod might be carried on during the five months, from the beginning of November to the beginning of April. This has continued ever since to be the only fishery car- ried on at Portpatrick. During last season, the fish were very abundant. Ten boats with three men, or two men and a boy in each, were employed ; and each boat realized at an average about L. 20 of clear profit. The fish above 12 pounds were sold at an average of 9d. each during the season. The average weight of such fish as taken from the water was about 16 pounds. The largest were from 86 pounds to 40 pounds. The cod come from the north and proceed southward. It is the opinion of the fisher- men, that they go round the south coast of Ireland, and return northward along the west coast. In the beginning of the fishing- season, they are caught in water about 30 fathoms deep, and to- wards the end of the season in water about 60 fathoms. They are supposed to seek the deeper water, in order to avoid the strong current, as they become weaker from the approach of the time of spawning, which is in April and May. The distance of the cod fishing ground from the^shore is from two to three miles. The lines used in fishing are from 800 to 1000 fathoms, having hooks along the whole length, at the distance of two fathoms, and are stretch- ed along the bottom by large stones let down at each end, and fastened by a cord to a buoy on the surface of the water. The bait used is the shell-fish, Buccinum undatum^ called here buckie, which is caught for the purpose in baskets containing pieces of fish, which are let down in about 1 fathoms water about a quarter of a mile off from the harbour or the old castle, and are drawn up daily to be emptied of the shell-fish which have crept into them to feed on the dead fish. Each shell-fish serves to bait two hooks ; so that reckoning the number of hooks used by all the boats at 4500, about 2250 of these large shell-fish must be destroyed every time the lines are shot, anfl probably not fewer than 70,000 every year. Yet the supply chiefly obtained from a space of no great extent seems to be even more abundant than ever. Produce. — The average gross amount of raw produce raised in the parish, as nearly as that can be ascertained, has been calculat- ed as follows, by the gentleman to whose authority the facts stat- ed under the head of Agriculture have been referred. 152 WIGTONSHIBE. Produce of grain of all kiaib eiiltiTated tor the food of xnsn and of the do- mestic aaimals, - - - - • L. 6900 potatoes, turnips, and other plants cultivated in the fields for fbod, 950 hay, meadow and cultivated, - - • 9dO flax, -- -----50 land in pasture, rating it at 90s. per cow, or full-grown ox gras* ed, or that may be grazed for the season ; at 5s. per ewe, or full-grown sheep, pastured, or that may be pastured for the year, - - - - - 1950 gardens and orchard, . . . • . 25 ' the annual thinning of plantations, - - - * 25 the cod fishery, • . - . . 200 Total yearly value of raw produce, L. 9250 Manufactures. — There are no manufactures for the general mar- ket in this parish, except the embroidering of muslin with the needle by women. Twelve weavers, called customer weavers, are employed in working up the produce of the domestic spinning-wheels for the use of the families by whom they are employed. Naviffation. — There are, at present, only four sail-vessek belonging to this port Of these one is of 80 tons burthen, two of 40 tons, and one of 20 tons. All of these are frequently employed in bringing coals for the use of the steam-packets, or of the inhabitants. The largest sometimes also brings stone for the harbour-works, and the others sometimes import lime for the pur- poses of agriculture. About fifty years ago, six vessels of the ave*- rage of 60 tons belonged to the people and the harbour of Port- patrick, and were employed in the coasting-trade, chiefly in the importation of cattle from Ireland. It appears from the Statisti- cal Account of 1791, that, sometime previous to that date, a com- pany of shipwrights had been formed under the auspices of Sir James Hunter Blair. But only four vessels of any considerable size seem to have been built here. The last of these was built in 1790. Besides the sail-vessels belonging to this harbour, two steam- ers are stationed here by the Admiralty as mail-packets. Agricultural Association. — There is no public or private Asso- ciation iu this parish for the encouragement or improvement of any branch of industry : but several of the farmers are members of the Stranraer and Rhins of Galloway Agriculture Society, which is of recent origin, but is believed to have excited considerable interest in the improvement of the breeds of cattle and of the art of ploughing. V. — Parochial Economy. The nearest market-town is Stranraer, where there is a general weekly market on Fridays, besides other stated markets during the year. PORTPATRICK. 153 T&um. — The town of Portpatrick was '^erected into a burgh of ba* rony in theend ofthe reign of James VI., or beginning of the reign of Charles L before 162a" (Chalmers* Caledonia, Vol. iii. p. 408) : but the charter seems to have remained a dead letter, so far as re- spects the establishment of a burgh magistracy or police. There is only one justice of the peace in the parish. There has recently been stationed in the town, in connection with the police of the county, a sub-constable, whose district comprehends the parishes of Port- patrick, Leswalt, and Kirkcolm, and who acts under a superinten- dent residing at Stranraer. There is no trade worth mentioning. Lime from Ireland and coals from Ayrshire are imported for the use of the parish, and occasionally the agricultural produce of the district is exported ; but rarely, as the greater part is sold at Stran- raer, either for consumpt there or for exportation. The number of cattle and horses imported here from Ireland is now very incon- siderable. It appears from the Statistical Account of 1791, that the number of cattle and horses imported in the preceding year was 17,275; in 1812, it reached 20,000: but last year (1837) it amounted to no more than 1080. Both cattle and horses from Ireland are now conveyed so easily and safely by steamers to Li- verpool or Glasgow, that the short sea passage at Portpatrick is not so desirable for them as when steam navigation was unknown or in its infancy. There was alarge custom-house establishment not very many years ago at Portpatrick, with a collector, comptroller, &c. connected with the custom-house at Stranraer. There is now only a single tide- surveyor. The eastern boundary ofthe parish takes in a few houses ofthe small village of Lochans. Through this village the turnpike-road passes from Portpatrick to Stranraer. About five miles of this road lie within the parish, and are kept in admirable repair. Post-Office. — There is a post-office in the town, at which letters from Ireland are sorted for the Scotch and English mails, and through whit'h the number of letters and newspapers that pass to and from Ireland is supposed to amount to between 8000 and 10,000 daily. A mail-coach between Portpatrick and Glasgow, and another between Portpatrick and Dumfries, arrive and depart every day, each drawn by two horses, and calculated to carry, besides the guard and driver, four passengers inside, and four outside. The fares to Glas- gow inside are L. 1, 8s., and outside, 18s. ; to Dumfries inside, L 1, 10s., and outside, L. 1, Is. ; to Stranraer inside, 3s., and outside, 2s. 154 WIGTONSHIRE. Packets. — Of the two steam-packets supplied by the Admiralty for the service of the post-office, one sails to Ireland, and the other returns daily. These packets carry cabin-passengers for a fare o f 5s., and deck-passengers for 2s. The following table, supplied by the packet agent, shows the number of cabin and deck-passen* gers who have crossed the channel in these packets from 4th May 1825 to 1st August 183a During i'o Ireland From Ireland. During To Ireland. From iretaiid. the year. Cabin. Deck. Cabin. Deck. the year. Cabin. Deck. Cabin. Deck. 1825 from 4th May 569 653 595 3481 1832 1833 554 427 5399 4348 430 435 3849 3847 1826 556 6430 557 5385 1834 470 5171 483 4593 1827 457 6962 450 5178 1835 429 4525 397 4249 - 1828 536 6202 539 4857 1836 543 3566 519 4059I 1829 459 6543 483 466^ 1837 531 3443 455 41031 1830 1831 529 572 7057 5706 516 513 6013 6136 1838 to 1st August. 222 1670 213 2683 Total numb er of pai 1 • ' Bsengers during all thes « yi«ar». 6,854 67,705 6.585 63.301 1 " Portpatrick," says Chalmers, (Caledonia, Vol. iii. p. 409,) '^ owes its increase to its having become the port of communica- tion with Ireland. It was only in 1662 that a regular post was established between Scotland and Ireland through Portpatrick ; and then only once a week. Formerly the harbour at Portpatrick, in its natural state, was a mere inlet between two ridges of rocks that advanced into the sea ; and as there is a prodigious swell from the west, upon the mouth of this creek, without any elbow to protect a vessel, it was then only practicable for small flat-bot- tomed vessels to navigate here ; and it was necessary for every one that arrived to take the ground ; and all the people of the place collected and drew the vessel on the beach, out of the influence of the waves. In order to remedy this inconvenience, a very fine pier was built; but this having also been found insufiicient, a pro- ject is now in operation, under the authority of Parliament, (1820,) for 'Very greatly improving the harbour of Portpatrick ; so as to afford perfect security and convenience at this frequented passage* There is a reflecting light-house at Portpatrick, and another a Donaghadee on the Irish side, both which were built before 1790. Portpatrick forms one of the creeks of the port of Stranraer." The *^ project" referred to in the above extract began to be executed in March 1821, under the superintendence of a board of commissioners appointed by act of Parliament, and consisting chiefly of gentlemen belonging to the neighbouring district. A harbour greatly more extensive than the former, and comprehend- PORTPATBICK. 155 ing it ill its arms, was planned by the justly celebrated engineer, the late Mr Rennie, and the work was carried on for some time by a resident engineer under his direction. Subsequently to his death, the direction was transferred to his son, the present Sir John Rennie. The whole plan was originally designed for sail-vessels, and was admirably adapted for their warping out into the current of the channel in any weather, when it was possible for them to go to sea. After the substitution of steam-vessels as mail-packets, it was found necessary to excavate to a greater extent than was con- templated in Mr Rennie's plan, in consequence of which the ori- ginal estimate (about L. 120,000,) became deficient, and an ad- ditional grant was made by Parliament, which it is believed will complete the work. The form of the new harbour very much resem- bles a horse shoe. From the south side of it, the old quay, a pier showing the date 1774, points inward, nearer the land than the centre of the basin, whilst the other side embraces a large rock, by which it is partly sheltered from the sea that enters the mouth of the harbour, fioth sides run out into piers, inclining slightly towards each other, and furnished with jetties near their extremi- ties, bv which the entrance is contracted to 180 feet. The north pier is not yet finished ; but the south one was completed about three years ago, and is a very handsome building. The parapet is wrought in massive grey limestone from Wales, and terminates in a semi- circular curve, half embracing and protecting a handsome light- house 46 feet in height, and built of the same material. The back of this pier is protected by a glacis of rubble-work. From the extent of a quarry to the south, some idea may be formed of the enormous quantity of stone that has been poured into the deep in the construction of this harbour. But no one who did not see the work at its commencement, or in the early stages of its progress, can estimate the labour expended in excavating rock under water in the basin, partly by means of puddle dikes, and partly with the diving-bell. An animated description of these operations has been given by Mr M'Diarmid in his *^ Sketches of Nature." Although much opposition has been raised of late to this harbour as the station for the mail-packets between Scotland and Ireland, there seems to be very little reason to doubt of its possessing many very great advantages, in which no other station that has yet been sug- gested can compete with it It is the nearest point to Ireland^ be- ing only 21 miles distant, which during nine-tenths of the whole year, gives it an undeniable superiority. Steamers can go out here 156 WIGTONSHIRE. in any weather, and effect a safe passage, and there is ^peculiarity in the currents of the channrl, whichy in connexion with the prevail'- ing winds, contributes to the facility of the passage. Notwithstanding all the disadvantages resulting from the un- finished state of the harbour, and the limited power of the ves- sels employed, the regularity and expedition with which the mails have been conveyed to and from Ireland at this station is remark- able. It appears from the report of Mr Napier of Glasgow, that steamers of 80 horse power could be built capable of entering the harbour of Portpatrick in its present state, whereas those at pre- sent used, have only 50 horse power. Notwithstanding much that has been said through ignorance, it is not to be believed that any enlightened and patriotic man, who shall rightly estimate not only the commercial but all of the many other advantages of by far the shortest sea passige between Scotland and Ireland, will blame the expense that has already been incurred, or even grudge more if necessary, to render this passage as secure and easy in all sailing weather as a good harbour on both sides of the channel, with steamers of the highest available power, could make it Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church being in the town, which contains more than half of the population of the whole pa- rish, could not be more conveniently situated, although it is nearly fiv^ miles from the extremities of the parish. It was built in 1628 and 1629. It is at present in indifferent repair; but it has been resolved by the heritors to erect a new one, of sufficient size to ac- commodate the parish. The present building, which is in the form of a cross, with a round tower as a belfry, contains 300 sit- tings, none of wliich are free except those on a form placed in the middle passage. The manse was built probably more than sixty years ago. It received an addition of two rooms in 1824, and was thoroughly and comfortably repaired in the beginning of this year (1838) for the reception of the present incumbent. At the same time the garden was enclosed with an excellent six feet wall. The glebe consists of 12 acres of arable land close to the town on the south, and worth about L. 30 per annum. The stipend of the minister in 1755 was L. 55, 5s. lOd., and in 1798, L. 130, 12s. 3d. Some years ago a part of the stipend previously paid to the minister of Portpatrick was sued for by the minister of Inch as belonging to him, and recovered by him. The amount at present paid by the heritors to the minister of Portpatrick is L. 88, 10s. 5d., of which PORTPATRICK. 157 Colonel Hunter Blair pays L. 67, 1 Is. 2d., Colonel Vans Agnew, L. 1 5, 19s. 9d., and the Earl of Stair, L. 4, 19s. 6d. After deduct- ing from this sum the allowance for communion elements, the difference between the remainder and L. 150 is paid by the Ex- chequer under the act for augmenting small stipends. There are no places of stated public worship in the parish be- sides the Established Church. As this church contains only 300, the members of church-going families attached to the Establish- ment are under the necessity of attending by turns, and few chil- dren are to be seen in church. In these circumstances, it is im- possible to say how many individuals are in the habit of attending ; but the number who attend either regularly or occasionally, as they can be assured of finding seats, may probably amount to about 600. Divine service in the parish church is usually well attended. The following table shows the number of the population be- longing, or professing to belong, to each of the several religious de- nominations known in the parish, with the number of communi- cauts in each, and the number of sittings paid for by members of each denomination in the Catholic or in Dissenting congregations in Stranraer. Denomination. No. of Members No. of No. of sittings io Con- of all ages. Communicants, gregations in Stranraer, g g Establishment, - 1591 . 437 tL, 3 Episcopalians attending Q I tbe Established Church, *C^^ Catholics, ^^S ( Reformed Presbyterians, *« 1 \ United Secession, S| (Relief, There are five elders in the kirk-session besides the minister ; and three others have been lately elected. A parochial associa- tion in aid of the General Assembly's four schemes, viz. Church Extension, School Extension, Foreign Missions, and Colonial Churches, was formed in August last ; the committee of manage- ment consisting of a president and vice-president, the members of kirk-session, thirteen collectors, a secretary, and a treasurer. Pre- viously to the formation of this association, the average amount of church collections yearly for religious and charitable objects, be- sides the regular and ordinary weekly collections for the poor, may be stated at L. 7. Education. — The number of schools in the parish, and the number of scholars in each, varies so much not only from year to year, but during -every year, that the purpose of this Statistical Account will be best served by the following report made to the 24 3 114 32 «■ 15 46 23 . 22 161 52 . 53 55 . 18 . 12 158 WIGTONSHIRE. presbytery in 1835, and exhibiting nearly the average of the last seven years. There is one parochial and seven private schools, the teachers of which, with one exception, belong to the Establish- ed Church. The branches taught are, English reading, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, mensuration and navigation ; and the school fees vary from 2s. to ds. per quarter. The parochial school- master has a salary of L. 30, besides the school fees. The year- ly average number of scholars attending these schools is 225. At present, there are four schools in the town, and three in the country. Of those in the town, one with six scholars has, for a year past, been under a teacher employed by the gentlemen of the parish, at the rate of L. 12, 12s. per annum for each scholar ; and another, with about 70 scholars, at the ordinary rate, has, for the same time, been under a teacher, appointed by«a committee of the inhabitants, who secure to him either 60 scholars, or the wages for that number. Both of these schools are well taught. The present parochial teacher was the first who enjoyed a re- gular salary from the heritors. He was appointed in 1804. For about eight or ten years he taught in a room of the old barracks, above a lodging-house, whence all sorts of noise, and language of the worst description, might often be heard in the school. For about a year after this time he taught in his own dwelling-house, which had been erected for him about three years after his ap- pointment. He was then accommodated with the present school- house. The school-house and schoolmaster's house afford the legal accommodations ; but they are in indifferent repair. The number of the young between six and fifteen who cannot read, is 103, who cannot write, 210. The number of persons upwards of fifteen who cannot read is 83, who cannot write, 383. The Bible and the Assembly's Shorter Catechism have always been used as ordinary class-books in the schools of this parish ; but it does not appear that the daily exercises have commenced with prayer. The superintendence of the presbytery has never amounted to more than simple inspection annually by a committee of two or three ministers. The standard of education is very low in the parish generally ; but there seems to be an increasing desire of improvement in this respect. There is no part of the parish so distant from a school as to prevent attendance. The great evil here is the desire to have schools in every quarter, rather than to secure the services of two or at the most three good teachers, which would be a sufiicient 3 PORTPATRICK. 159 Dumber for the necessities of the whole parish. In one district a teacher was recently employed by a committee of the inhabitants, who could hardly write, and who could not spell the most common English words. He lived in the school-house with his wife and two children ; and they begged in the neighbourhood whilst he was teaching. This was certainly an extreme case ; but it occur- red only three years ago. It may be safely affirmed that, during the last six years, three-fourths of the teachers in the parish have not earned the wages of a good ordinary labourer. A considerable sum has been subscribed, chiefly by the principal heritor and his sister, Miss Jemima Hunter Blair, for the erection of a comfort- able school-house and schoolmaster's house in a central position of the country part of the parish. It is hoped that this school will supply the greater part of the deficiency, which is altogether a deficiency in the quality, and not in the number of the schools. There has been a visible improvement in the general conduct and morals of the people since the facilities of education were increas- ed. But a considerable share of the credit, so iar as educa- tion is concerned in it, is due to Sabbath schools, originally esta* blished by a committee composed of Dissenters and members of the Established Church, patronized by the late minister, and assidu- ously cherished by his daughters, who taught in one of them. These Sabbath schools have been recently united in one, under the superintendence of the kirk-session, and having on its lists 210 scholars, of whom about 180 may be reckoned to attend every Sabbath. Only religious instruction is given in this school, and it forms also a congregation of the young, in which prayer and praise are united with frequent addresses from the minister. Twen- ty-one teachers, male and female, give their services gratuitously. Literature. — There is a small library connected with the Sab- bath school, and consisting of 250 small volumes, which are lent out to those scholars who pay 2d. during three months for the use of them. There is a parish library consisting of 352 volumes, which are lent out to subscribers in the parish at the rate of 2s. per annum. This library was founded about nine years ago, by a donation of 108 volumes from Miss Hunter Blair, of whom men- tion has already been made, and who, though residing in Edin- burgh, has ever shown the liveliest interest in the spiritual welfare of the parish. A Friendly Society , instituted in 1817, for the support of mem- bers in sickness, has done some good. It would have been of more 160 • WIGTONSHIRE. general benefit, but that the surplus funds, having increased to a large amount under a too cautious management, and the entry- money bearing a fixed proportion to the amount of the iiinds hav- ing risen to a large sum, for a long time operated to the entire exclusion of new members. This evil has been lately remedied, and the number of members is increasing every month. A Savings Bank was commenced about nine years ago, by the then assistant minister, Rev. Mr Campbell, with the countenance and assistance of the late Forbes Hunter Blair, Esq. of Dunskey. But the attempt to promote the design of this most desirable in- stitution proved entirely abortive, chiefly in consequence, as it now appears, of an ungenerous and most absurd suspicion among the labouring classes, that their wages would be reduced if it were dis- covered that they could save money from their earnings to depo- sit in a bank. Poor*s Funds. — The average number of names on the list of regular paupers during the last seven years is 32. The allow- ances are paid on the first lawful day of each month, and have va- ried from Is. 6d. to 17s. 2d. The average allowance may be stated at 4s. 6d. per month. But, besides the regular paupers, many receive occasional relief, and the sums thus given may amount to L. 20 in the year. The collections at the church door on Sabbaths have amounted to about L. 40 per annum at an average. A legacy of L. 180, left to the poor of the parish by the late Earl of Stair, yields L. 7, 4s. of interest per annum. The remainder of the sum necessary for the support of the poor and for other pa- rochial charges ordinarily made on the poor's funds, has hitherto been contributed voluntarily by the heritors, in the proportion of their respective valuations. There is no aversion among the poor generally to accept of parochial relief, but quite the contrary. Prisons. — There is a lock*up-house in the town, where prison- ers may be confined securely enough, though not very comfortably, for a night or two ; but it is very rarely used. Fairs have never been held in this parish. Innsj Ale^hottsesy Sfc. — There is a large and commodious Inn in the town, where nobility and travellers of rank frequently lodge in passing to and from Ireland. There are 8 other smaller inns and ale-houses, and a spirit store where liquors are retailed. The number of houses licensed for retailing spirits is beyond all doubt injurious to the morals of the people here as elsewhere. Three well regulated inns in Portpatrick would be amply sufficient for all 4 PORTPATRICK. • 161 the purposes of orderly refreshment and comfortable accommo* dation. Fuel. — About 300 tons of coal, chiefly from Troon and Ayr, are consumed yearly by the inhabitants, at the rate of about 14s. or 1 5s. per ton. The fuel chiefly used is peat, procured from mosses in the parish, and usually sold in the town at from Is. 8d. to 2s. per cart load. Miscellaneous Observations. The more striking variations betwixt the present state of the pa- rish and that which existed at the time of the last Statistical Ac- count, have been already adverted to. The want of coal must pre- vent the introduction of manufactures to any considerable extent: but the condition of the working*classes would undoubtedly be im- proved if it were found profitable to introduce hand-loom weaving. The purity of the sea water here would render Portpatrick a de- sirable watering-place in the summer months, if baths were erect- ed, and pains were taken to improve the bathing-ground, which could be easily done by quarrying a little of the rock in various places where nature has already almost formed plunge-baths on the shore. There is a very pure and mild summer atmosphere ; the purest fresh water ; one chalybeate spring ; an admirable prome- nade on the piers, which are paved and dry in all weather; abun- dance of fish ; easy communication with the markets of Stranraer, Donaghadee, or Belfast; excellent houses for lodging; a daily post ; and, in good weather, facilities for travelling to all parts of the three kingdoms. December ld3a WIC4T0N. PARISH OF STONYKIRK. PRESBYTERY OF. STRANRAER, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY.* THE REV. JAMES ANDERSON, MINISTER. L— Topography and Natural History. Name^ Situation, Extent, §-c. — The parish of Stonykirk, more properly called Stephenkirk, comprisingthe united parishes of Stony- Kirk, Clay shank, and Toscarton, is situated on the west of the Bay of Luce. It is bounded on the south by the parish of Kirkmaideo ; on the west by the Irish Channel, and the parish of Portpatrick ; and by the parishes of Inch and Glenluceon the north. The parish is of an irregular figure, extending about 7 miles in breadth, on the north, and then continuing to contract towards the south, until its breadth does not exceed 3 miles. It measures about Q!Qi\ square miles, and contains 21,420 imperial acres, of which not about 650, stretching along the bay of Luce, of a sandy soil, and 60 acres on the west, may now be reported as incapable of improve- ment. The soil of the rest, particularly of the eastern and south- ern district, is in general light and dry, and affords an early har- vest A tract, extending along the western district, and reclaimed, in a great part, from a mossy and heathy state, consists of a heavier and wetter soil, and is in consequence later in the maturity of its produce. The surface is varied by many inequalities ; but scarcely any of these deserves the name of a hill. There are about 1400 acres in detached spots, scattered over its surface, mostly considered ca* pable of improvement. Topographical Appearances. — The coast, on the north-west, is ra- ther bold and rocky, and precipitous in some places, becoming less so as it approaches the south. It is indented by three bays, affording moorings to the fishermen's small craft. The eastern coast is rather sinuous and stony, and varied by two bays: that of Sandhead is capa- cious, andaffords anchorage for lime and coal sloops. The lands extending from the Sandhead eastward, and joining the sands of Luce, (of which they are a continuation,) are marked with the ruins of many a vessel stranded on them, before the erection of the • Drawn up from Notes furnished by the parish Schoolmaster. STONYKIRK. 163 light-house on the Mull of Galloway. On the north and west shores, the land rises rapidly from the sea ; but on the east and south-west, it slopes with a very gentle elevation. , Climate, — Perhaps it is from the almost peninsular situation of the parish, that the sky is, generally speaking, rather cloudy, and the atmosphere moist ; and waterspouts are of occasional occur- rence. The most prevalent winds are from the west and north- west, which are generally accompanied with showers, and squally in winter ; and it is from the latter point that we experience our vernal and equinoctial gales. Our continued dry weather, how- ever, and frosts, are accompanied with east wind, and the heaviest rains are always preceded by the south wind. The climate, upon the whole, is rather salubrious, and the inhabitants generally at- tain longevity. Hydrography. — The little fresh water river which separates the parish on the north from the parish of Inch is not above 20 feet wide when it leaves this parish ; and continuing its course in an easterly direction, it flows into the sea at the Bay of Luce. Its name is Pol tan ton, and it is frequented by the par, the pike, and salmon and sea-trout from the bay of Luce. The sands on the Bay of Luce abound with a shell-fish vulgarly called muskins, or razor-fish, from its resemblance to that instrument: it is taken as an article of domestic food during the months of March and April We may remark, that the cod-fishery mentioned in the old Statistical Account, as prosecuted with various success, sup- ports its former character, affording nothing for exportation. Plantations, — The parish contains about 370 acres of planta- tion. Some of the planting is considered to be above 160 years old; There are about five acres of natural wood. II. — Civil History. Parochial Registers. — There is a register of baptisms and mar- riages kept, which contains also the accounts of disbursements, and the minutes of the session. There is no register of deaths ; and the births are by no means regularly entered. Land-owners. — The landed proprietors are, John M*Taggart, Esq. of Ardwell, M. P. ; Patrick Maitland, Esq. of Freugh ; Ma- jor James M*Dowall, Esq. of Logan ; Colonel Thomas Hunter Blair, C. B., of Dunskey ; Vans Agnew, C. B., of Barnbar- roch; Vans Hathorn, Esq. of Garthland; and the Honourable John William H. Dalrymple, Earl of Stair, Caldons. The es- tates of each of these gentlemen yield more than L. 600 Sterling 164 WIGTONSHIRE. of annual rent. — The two principal heritors, John M^Taggart, Esq. of Ardwell, and Patrick Maitland, Esq. reside generally on their es- tates in the parish, unless when the former is attending his duties in Parliament. Antiquities, — The parish contains three earthen mounds of a conical form ; the moist remarkable of which is near Balgreg- gan House, (the residence of Patrick Maitland of Freugh), which is 460 feet in circumference, and 60 feet in height, with an ex- cavation on its summit, and defended by a circular fosse. — On the lands of Garthland, is a square tower 45 feet in height, and exhi- biting on its battlements the date 1274 ; it was formerly the resi- dence of the Thanes of Galloway. The Bay of Floats is, in this parish, so called from a belief that some of the vessels composing the Spanish Flota were wrecked there. On the lands of Ard- well are some remains of Druid temples and Pictish castles. Two gold lachrymatories, weighing three and a half ounces each, were found on the lands of Garthland in 1783. It may be ad- ded, that there are the ruins of an old church, on the &rm of Clayshank, distinctly visible above the surface. And Kirkmadrine, with its church- yard, still preserved as a burying-place, contains some grave-stones, with antique inscriptions. Modem Buildings. — A new church, on a magnificent scale, and of the Gothic order of architecture, was erected in the year 1827, the expenses of which amounted to L. 2000 Sterling ; and in 1831, a new school-house and schoolmaster's dwelling-house, on a neat and commodious plan, were built. Within the last twenty- five years, a great number of farm-houses have been erected, all of which are very commodious and handsome, many of them consisting of two stories, and tastefully designed. III. — Population. Amount of population in 1801, • 1848 1811, • 2964 1821, • 3133 1831, • 2966 The increase in the population of 1821 was attributed to the ingress of Irish as servants and labourers ; and the decrease in 1831 is attributed to the efforts of the heritors to check such ingress, with a view to the relief of the poor's funds. There is no town in this parish, and the only villages are the Sandhead, containing at last census a population of 121 ; and the little village beside the church, with a population of 72. STONYKIUF. 165 Number of houses inhabited, - . 552 fiirailies in the parish, - . 571 families chiefly engaged in agriculture, . 435 trade, maou&;:tures, or handicraft, 99 There are three persons in the parish fatuous. IV. — Industry. Agriculture. — The number of acres cultirated or occasionally in tillage, b . 19100 constantly wiste, - 2900 under wood, • - 375 supposed capable of being brought under cultivation with a profitable application of capital, . 1115 The farm-steadings in the parish, with few exceptions, are in a very commodious state. * The farmers prefer the cultivation of wheat to that of barley. They practise the system of grain-crop- ping, and a farmer who, at the time of the old Statistical Ac- count, could not produce three square yards of turnips in his gar- den, can now have a field of 20 acres. Upon the whole, the modern system of farming, including re- claiming waste land, draining, &c. is practised in the parish and on the most approved plan ; and for respectability, politeness, and intelligence, the farmers of Stonykirk need not shrink from a com- parison with those of any parish in this district of Scotland. Rental. — The rental of the parish amounts to L. 12,000 per annum. QuarrieSi Mines, 8fc. — There are none of these worked in the parish ; and the salt manufacture noticed in last account is quite neglected, as is the cultivation of flax. V. — Parochial Economy. The nearest market-town is Stranraer, about six miles distant from the church. It is also the nearest post-town ; but, under the new post-office regulations, we have a petty office at the village beside the kirk, one at Sandhead, and another between that and Kirkmaiden, — ^also an intermediate station between this parish and Stranraer. Ecclesiastical State. — The parish church is situated about two miles from the Bay of Luce. It stands about six miles distant from the southern boundary, and nearly the same distance from the north-western limits of the parish. Though capable of ac- commodating nearly 1000, it is still too limited for the popula- tion when the inhabitants are disposed to attend. It was erected in 1827. The sittings may be considered as all free. The in^se was erected sibout fifty years ago. It since received a new kit- 166 WIGTONSHIRE. chen and dining-room, and repairs are still required. The glebe is about eight acres in extent. The grain stipend consists of 4 chalders of meal and 4 chalders of barley. The number of families attending the Established Church is 410; of Dissenting or Seceding families, 74; of Episcopalian fa- milies, 2 ; of Roman Catholic families, 10. Education. — There are, besides the parochial school, five others not endowed. Only the common branches of education are or can be taught in the private schools. The branches taught in the parochial school are, English, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, Latin, Greek, and French, with book-keeping, and practical ma- thematics. The rate of wages at the parochial school, which may be said to regulate those of the others, is 2s. 6d. per quarter for reading English ; Ss. wlien writing is learnt with it ; ds. 6d. for English grammar and arithmetic ; Latin, Greek, and French, with book-keeping, 5s. The parochial schoolmaster's salary is L. 25, 13s. dd. ; and his school fees do not exceed L. 10 a year. The number of the young between six and fifteen years of age who cannot read or write is 23, and the number above fifteen who can- not read or write is 4. Poor and Parochial Funds. — The average number of persons re- ceiving parochial aid amounts to about 60. The amount of contri- butions, on an average, may be stated thus : From church collec- tions, L. 55 ; legal assessments, Lb 58. Ale-houses, — There are 5 licensed ale-houses or inns in the parish. Fuel — The fiiel generally used is peat, cut from mosses on the estates of Freugh and Port of Spittal. Miscellaneous Observations. The parish presents, undoubtedly, striking changes since the date of the Old Account — in the mode of farming, and in the ge- neral aspect of the parish. Besides the parochial road from Stran- raer to Kirkmaiden, passing through this parish, about eight miles along which the mail is carried thrice every week, — another road, almost parallel, runs through the western district, and opens a communication with Kirkmaiden and Portpatrick on the west. These roads are again intersected with three others, which afford a communication through the whole parish, and great accommoda- tion to the farmers. Still, there is a want of roads in the northern district of the parish. The public are in daily expectation of en- PENNINGUAME. 167 joying the advantages of a new posting car, to ply every lawful day between Kirkmaiden and Stranraer. Since the time of the old Statistical Accotint, the rental of this parish has been nearly quadrupled. January 1839. PARISH OF PENIS INGHAME. PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY. THE REV. SAMUEL RICHARDSON, MINISTER. I. — Topography and Natural History. Name. — The origin and import of the name Penninghame have been variously explained. The word appears in different forms, — Penighame, Penyghame, and Penninghame, and in each form sometimes without the final «. Chalmers, in his Caledonia, seems unfortunate in his derivation of this name from the Anglo- Saxon penig or penirtg^ a penny, or penny land, and Aam, a ham- let or village, — the hamlet on the penny land. There has been another derivation proposed from the Celtic, pennati'^aemi the head or hill, or extremity of the ridge, which term is appropriate enough to the character of the parish, and the situation of the old church. The Rev. Dr M*Leod of St Columba, Glasgow, has no doubt that the name is Gaelic, and made up of two words, signify- ing either the laud for grazing young cattle, or the penny land (the lot or portion) of the smith. That view of the derivation is sup- ported by the circumstance of a pendicle of land, denominated the Smith's Croft, lying within a short distance of the ruins of the old church* Extent. — The average length of the parish of Penninghame is nearly 14 miles, and the average breadth about 4. From the windings of the rivers which bound it, the breadth is very un- equal, so that the average is not easily ascertained with any de- gree of accuracy ; and the number of acres on the different farms amounts to scarcely the preceding measurement ; but as some of the moss and moor pasture has perhaps not been measured very accu- rately, the probable average of miles may be as correct an estimate. Boundaries. — The parish of Penninghame is bounded on the east by the river Cree, whichseparates it from Minnigaff toward 168 WIGTONSHIRE. the north, and, from Kirkmabreck toward the south. The river Cree separates also the county of Wigton from the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright ; on the south, Penninghame is bounded by the parish of Wigton, from which it is divided by the Bishop-burn, to- wards the east side ; and towards the westbva small rivulet, which rises in the moorlands and runs into the Blaaenoch ; on the south- west and west, Penninghame is bounded by Kirkinner and Kirk- owen, from which it is separated by the River Bladenoch ; on the north, it is bounded by the parish of Colmonell, in Ayrshire. The parishes of Penninghame and Wigton occupy the ridge formed by the Rivers Bladenoch and Cree ; of which ridge about four miles from the southern extremity belong to Wigton. Topographical Appearances. — Penninghame is much narrower towards the northern than towards the southern end ; it increases much in breadth below Newtonstewart, particularly where it com- prehends the moss of Cree. There is a range of higher land from north to south, nearly in the middle of the parish, sloping towards the rivers on each side. There are no mountains nor hills of any height at all considerable ; and I am not aware that the elevation of the higher land above the level of the sea has ever been accu- rately ascertained. The. moss of Cree is a tract of low flat land, on the south-east corner of the parish, extending to 1500 or 2000 acres. It is co- vered deeply with moss ; but a portion of it on the east side, next the river, has been long reclaimed, and produces excellent crops of wheat, oats, and beans. Some progress has been made in re- claiming the west side also, and with much success. Meteorology, — The range of the barometer is from 28^ to 30^ inches. It does sometimes exceed those points, but not often. In December 1838, it fell below 28 inches. The prevailing winds are from the south, south*east, and south- west ; and from those points are the heaviest rains. There are sometimes rains from the east of long continuance, but generally lighter than those mentioned. With the exception of marshy spots, the climate of Penning- hame is rather dry, and it is healthful. The air is, upon the whole, mild, and the cold in winter is mitigated by the sea breeze. Hydrography. — The tide flows up .the river Cree by the side of the moss to within a short distance of Newtonstewart. The shore is flat and clayey, and the clay is generally covered more or less deeply with sand. PENNINGHAME. l69 There is a harbour at Carty, about a mile and a half below NewtoDStewart, at which vessels of from 35 to 45 tons burden arrive regularly ; and occasionally vessels of a larger size arrive. The only frith contiguous to the parish of Penninghame is the mouth, of the River Cree, which flows into the Solway. The depth of the water varies, but at ebb-tide it is in no place con- siderable. As far as the parish of Penninghame extends, there is a current fresh stream, when there is no tide. The degree of salt- ness in the frith is not great, and it is much affected by the floods in the River Cree, and the streams which flow into it. The current is pretty strong, both on the flowing and ebbing of the tide. The depth of the water at Carty on the flowing of spring-tides is about twelve feet ; sometimes a little more. There is nothing remarkable in the springs in this parish, which are generally very pure, excepting one, that contains so much iron as to be useful to invalids in a dry season. Were it duly attend- ed to, it might probably be made much more useful. There are several small lakes in the north end of this parish, without any peculiarities. The loch of Cree is merely a portion of the river, which spreads out into a lake of about four miles in length ; the breadth is various, but not great in any place. In some places, the water is pretty deep. The loch was much lai^er before the cutting of a rock, and deepening of the channel of the river, at the bottom of it, about forty years ago. That cutting gained a quantity of excellent meadow on each side of the water. The only rivers contiguous to this parish are the Cree and the Bladenoch, which bound it, as has been stated, and unite below Wigton. The Bladenoch flows from Loch Mabery on the bor- der of Ayrshire, and its course to the Frith of Cree is about twenty- four miles in length. The Cree rises in Ayrshire, not far from the boundary of this county, and falls into the Solway, after a course of about thirty miles. Geology i Sfc, — There are no strata of rocks of any extent in Pen- ninghame. The common stone of the parish, the greywacke of geologists, exists in several varieties, and is found almost every- where. In one place, it is partially stratifled, of no uniform dip, and of excellent quality for building ; it forms walls, beautiful, strong, and, with due care, perfectly dry. It occurs in some places deeply tinged with iron ore. It is found in great and small quan- tities, and is quarried, sometimes with ease, and sometimes with considerable difiiculty, and at much expense. 170 WIQTONSHIRE. Greystone, or Galloway granite, is found in many places of Pen- ningfaame, but in masses, not stratified as in the neighbouring parish of Kirkmabreck« The masses of granite in this parish are from a few pounds to many tons in weight. Sometime84t is found mixed with red, and sometimes with green sienite. It is much used in building, and can be cut with wedges to any dimensions. It is commonly used instead of freestone, but when dressed to a smooth sur&ce, it becomes expensive, though it forms a beautiful and durable build- ing. In common cheap buildings, it is coarsely dressed with picks, and in that case the expense is less than that of freestone, — ^much time and labour are necessary for smoothing it with«a kind of axe- shaped pikes and chissels, made for the purpose. The soil of the parish is very various : — by the moss of Cree it is heavy, being a clayey loam. The moss itself i& deep, and rests on clay : it contains trees, but where they grew, or how they became imbedded in it, is not known. On the higher land, the soil, where improved, is either dry, or may be easily made so, and bears good crops, especially barley, oats, turnips, and potatoes. The soil is particularly adapted for barley. The subsoil in those lands is generally either gravelly or sandy ; sometimes it is a close kind of clayey till. In the northern end of the parish, the land is much inferior in value, and there is much variety of soils. The surface is generally uneven. The larger and smaller eminences are dry, while the land among them is frequently wet and marshy. A great portion of the parish is capable of being dramed, and as there are stones to be found very generally, much of it might be drained at no great expense. Excepting in the south end of the patish, the soil is not in general very deep, and it requires a considerable quantity of manure, especially where the subsoil is sandy, or of a dry sharp gravel. The fields abound with detached masses of stone, as well as with small loose stones. The clearing of an acre of those masses, some of them several tons in weight, is frequently attended with much expense; but as the fences on the hard land are common- ly stone dikes, and as drains are often necessary, the stones may, in most instances, be turned to a good account. Ichthyology, — Salmon are numerous in the Gree. The dis- trict is fully supplied with them, and many are sent to Carlisle and Liverpool. The upper part of the river has been carefully pro- tected for some years, and the number of fishes has greatly increas- ed. Under the term salmon I have comprehended grilse, which PENNINGHAME. 171 are very abundant in thd advanced period of the season. The fishing season extends from the 1st of January to the 25th of Sep- tember. The salmon spawn from the end of November to Janu- ary, and the fry begin to run towards the sea in March. There are also sea-trouts in the Cree, which are caught in considerable numbers in the summer season ; and fresh-water, yellow, or burn- trouts, as they are termed, are caught at all times. They are found of a larger size, and in great numbers also in the lakes, and in the small streams that fall into the Cree from the mountains. Pike are numerous in some parts of the river and in the lakes. They are believed to be very destructive to other kinds of fish. They are not much caught, nor are they highly esteemed. Common eels are everywhere m the river and in the lakes, but they are not caught, except by boys for amusement. Smelts or spirlins run up the Cree in great numbers, particularly in March. Sometimes the water at the flow of the tide, about the mixing of the salt and the fresh, swarms with them. They are taken in great quantities, and many of them are sent to England. Botany. — Among the exogenous plants, the natural order Ra- nunculace6Bi besides the Ficarioj the Caltha^ and several species oi Ranunculus^ affords us the smaller meadow-rue (Thalictrum minus J^ which grows from about a mile northward from Nevrton- stewart, on the bank of the River Cree, up the course of the stream to Penninghame House. Of the order Nt/mpkceacetSy we have both the white and the yellow water-lilies, {NympfuBa alba and Nuphar lutea») It may be remarked, that no species of the Papaverace€B occur here, excepting, perhaps, the larger celandine {Chelidonium majus.) I pass over several orders, which present nothing uncommon : but I cannot avoid mentioning the Drosera" cecBy as furnishing the interesting sun -dew (^Drosera rotundifolia^) and the very curious Parnassia palustris. Of the Polyyalecgj Ca- tyophyUecBj LinecBj HypericinecB^ and GeraniaceiSf the common species are to be found in many places. Besides the common spe- cies of Vicia and Lathyrus^ the important order Leyuminosce pre- sents to us the rare and beautiful Orobns sylvestris^ which grows in small quantity on the bank of the Cree, a little to the north of Newtonstewart. Of the Rosaceas we possess the common ge- nera and species. It is, however, worthy of remark, that the Scotch rose (Rosa spinosissima) is not, so far as I know, to be found here, or in any of the contiguous parishes ; though it is abundant within the Rbinns of Galloway, and on the shores of 172 WIOTONSUIRE. Mochrum and Luce. The rock-bramble (Rnbtis saxoHlis) I have seen nowhere in this county but in one spot near the Cree, where it displays in autumn its pleasantly acid berries. The orders Ona" grarieas and Lythrariem have their representatives in this parish ; and species of the numerous order UmbeUiferce are but too com- mon everywhere. I need scarcely name the CaprifoUaceie and the RubiacecBj but to note, that the northern bed-straw (Ga^ Hum boreale) is abundant on the banks of the Cree, and of the neighbouring stream, the Pinkill, in Minnigaff. I pass over the ValerianietB and the Dipsacea, as offering nothing remarkable. To these I may add the great order ComposUce^ the genera of which, though numerous, are such only as are found in the great- er part of Scotland. The Cumpanulacece and the Ericece are in a similar predicament The most distinguished plant of the order Boraginece is the Omphalodes senipervirenM, which exhibits its bright blue flowers in one or two places under the hedges on the road side. The only plant of the dangerous SolanecB which is indigenous in Penninghame is the bitter-sweet (Solanum Dul^ camara)y a deadly poison, but a valuable medicine. It grows in a hedge which borders the road leading from Newton- Stewart to Wigton. The Scrophularinece and Labiaitg demand no special notice. But the LentibidariiB must be mentioned, for the sake of the pretty, curious, and rare Pinguicula lusiianica (Portugal butterwort,) a few plants of which may be found in a single spot within the parish of Wigton, near the south-western boundary of Penninghame. The same species occurs more abun- dantly a few miles beyond the western limits of this parish, in Kirkowen, on the great road leading to Portpatrick. Of the Mo- nochlamydeous plants, the most interesting orders to be found here are the Chenopodece and the Polygonae. The former af- fords us, besides the common species, the curious and useful CAe- nopodium ' bonus- Henricus (good Henry), which grows only on the sides of the road which leads from the hamlet of Penning- hame to the main road leading to Wigton. The most interesting species of the Polygoneas is the Polygonum Bistorta (Bistort or snake-root), which is found, not in this parish, but in Minnigaff, on the eastern bank of the Pinkell, a little way below Cumlodun cottage. Of the endogenous orders the most remarkable is the OrchidecBf the most frequent of which are the Orchis macula- ta, which adorns our moist meadows with its bright spotted leaves and its tufts of purple flowers ; the Platanfhera bifoUay the deli- 3 PENNINGHAMB. 173 cate smell of which is dissipated by the sua, and is therefore sen- sible only in the morning and evening; and the Gymnadenia co^ nopseoj which at all hours impregnates the air with its grateful odour. The other orders of this great division of plants do not seem to call for particular remark. There are no forests in the parish, but there are several plan* tations ; of the latter the greater part b not very old. Trees of many kinds are planted: the most common are, larch, Scotch pine, Norway spruce, oak, ash, and elm. On the dry land, the larch, Scotch pine, and trees of the spruce species, with oat, ash, elm, and beech, grow well. Evergreens of all kinds grow on damp ground, when the stagnant water has been drained off. Some of the plantations are on land not veiry valuable for other purposes ; and even on the high cold exposed parts of the parish, the trees soon form a shelter to one another, and grow more quickly than could be expected. The effect of the shelter afforded by them becomes very soon perceptible on the adjoining fields. It is pro« babie that there was a little natural wood near to the River Cree in the northern end of the parish, but the ground on which it must have grown seems all to have been planted. 11. — Civil History. I have not learned that any authenticated historical events of importance have occurred in Penninghame. There are traces of a battle having been fought at Killiemore, not far from the tomb of King Galdus, in the neighbouring parish of Wigton ; but what credit we should give to the history of that personage I do not pre- sume to determine. Eminent Characters. — Penninghame was the usual residence of the Bishops of Galloway, so that in one sense the persons, some of them very eminent, who successively held that see, may be re- garded as having been connected with this parish {Symson^ p. 88.) But the celebrated Bishop Alexander Gordon, (titular Archbishop of Athens,) who died in 1 576, was connected with this parish by being proprietor of the estate of Clary, (afterwards the seat and still the property of the noble family of Galloway,) which estate he conferred on his only daughter, who was married to Anthony Stewart, Rector of Penninghame. ( Gordon's History of the House of Gordon. Murray's Literay History of Galloway, 2d. edition, p. 40.) But Penninghame has produced more than one distinguish- ed character in more modern times. The Rev. Robert Rowan, 174 WIGTONSHIRE. the first clerj^man of the parish after the final establishment of Presbytery as the national religion in 1690, was an eminent man in his time. He was the friend and correspondent of Wodrow, the historian of the Church) to whom he communicated minute accounts of the heavy persecutions inflicted on the parish of Pen-> ninghame, both as respected life and property; which accounts, while they appear in an abbreviated form in the work of that ce- lebrated historian, Rowan also engrossed in the parish records, where they still remain. Rowan seems to have acted an emi- nent part as a member of the church courts ; and several learn- ed letters are addressed to him by the Rev. James Webster of Edinburgh, respecting the alleged heresy of John Simson, Pro- fessor of Theology in the College of Glasgow, whose case was so long before the ecclesiastical courts, and who was ultimately sus- pended from his office on account of having taught erroneous doc- trine. A correspondence was also carried on between Rowan and Simson, on the same subject. Rowan died in 1714. The Rev. John Miller, minister of this parish from 1716 to 1746, had a son, George, who attained to considerable eminence. Having been settled as a planter in Virginia, he attached himself to the cause of the Royalists on the breaking out of the American Revolution in 1775. He was, in consequence, obliged to leave the country, and to forfeit his whole property. But on the return of peace, the English government, aware both of his eminent abili- ties, and of the sacrifices he had made, appointed him successively British Consul at Charleston, South Carolina, and Consul-Ge- neral for the whole of the United States. He died in 179a But perhaps the most distinguished person that Penninghame ever produced was the late Dr William M«Gill, one of the ministers of Ayr, and author of" A Practical Essay on the Death of Jesus Christ." DrM*Gill was born of respectable parents at Carsenestock, in this parish, in the year 1731. His " Practical Essay,'' being sup- posed to inculcate principles both of an Arianand Socinian character, created a strong sensation, not only among the orthodox clergy of the Established Church, but also among Dissenters. Various pam- phlets were published in answer to the work ; and not a few cleigymen thought it their duty to warn their hearers from the pulpit against its pernicious tendency. The whole west of Scotland, indeed, was involved in a religious ferment, which was perhaps heiglitened by the wanton attacks of the poet Burns. At last the matter was brought before the church courts. Dr M» lin market. Botany. — Forming the south-west point of Scotland, this pa- rish is of great interest to the Scottish botanist, as presenting a vegetation differing considerably from that of the east coast, and closely resembling that of the neighbouring coasts of England and Ireland. From the crumbling nature of the rocks, they are covered with vegetation. On the cliffs along the west side, especially south of Dunman, the highest, we meet with abundantly. Euphorbia Portlandics Limbarda crithmoides A triplex portulacoides Crithmuin maritimum Pyrethrum maritimum Apium gra%coleD8; Carlina yulgaris Statice spathulata ' And at one place among the debris at tbe foot of the cliffs, Dr Graham, Professor of Botany in Edinburgh, discovered in Au John Lamb, ^j^.^^ jq26, N. B. Those mtrked A. and S. were settled as Assistant and Successor. The earliest of the session records commences in 1699, in the time of Mr Monteith. In Mr Anderson's booky reference is made to that of Mr TurnbuU, who was the second minister; but that book, though it appears to have been in existence in Mr Anderson's time, (1716), has been long since lost. From Mr Anderson's settlement to the present time, the session records, and registers of births, deaths, and marriages are continuous. They are, in some instan- ces, written by the minister, but generally by the session-clerk. Antiquities. — The traces of ancient buildings are numerous ; but their history is' either altogether lost or involved in traditionary fable. Dunman, a high rocky hill overhanging the sea, at the south- west corner of the parish, has on its summit the remains and dis- tinct traces of a fortification. It is said to have been a place of great strength in the days of the Picts. On another less elevated promontory, half a mile north of Dunman, are also distinct traces of a place of strength. A round tower, of about 57 feet, has formed the principal building. In front of this building, there has been a fosse or ditch, and at a little distance outside of this a cir- cular wall. A short way south of Dunman, are two small green eminences, called " the avid Kilns^* situated amid surrounding heath. These, tradition says, were used by the Picts in preparing their mysterious beverage heather crap ale. Farther to the south, there is another green spot named the Peat Knowe^ where it is said some ceremony was gone through for banishing an epidemic dis- ease called burying the peat. The promontory forming the Mull- head is said to have been the last retreat of the Picts ; and here, when no longer able to withstand their enemies, the last feeble re- mains of them are said to have leapt or been forced into the sea ; and a tradition, illustrative of the tenacity with which they kept the secret of brewing their ale, still exists in the parish. When all were in the sea, except a father and son,* they were offered their lives, on condition they would reveal this secret. The father promised to consider of this proposal, after they had precipitated the son over the rocks. This was done, and he then said the secret remains with me alone, and will die with me, and immediately leapt over. At 208 WIGTONSHIRE. the neck or isthmus of this promontory are the traces of a double line of fortification, extending from sea to sea. There is a small cave, though one of no little note formerly in the parish, on the south-east coast, between the bays of Port-ankill and East Tarbet, called by Chalmers St Medan*s Cave ; together with a pool in the adjoining rock, called the well of the Co', or the chapel well,— for the place often goes under the name of the Chapel. From the su- perstitious observances connected with this spot, it seems likely that it was the abode of some Druid or rechise, in times prior to Christianity ; and in later times, it might also have been the re- ^ treat of some monk, or disciple of St Medan, who would proba- bly take advantage of its locality and reputation to serve his own interested views. To bathe in the well, as the sun rose on the first Sun- J day of May, was considered an infallible cure for almost any disease, i but was particularly efficacious in the recovery of '^ back-gane bairns." And till no very remote period, it was ctistomary for al- most the whole population of the parish to collect at this spot, on the first Sabbath of May, which was called Co' Sunday, to bathe in the well ; to leave their gifts in the cave, and to spend the day in gossiping: or amusements. The well is a natural cylindrical hole in the solid rock, about four feet in diameter, and six feet deep, filled with loose stones, to about half its depth. Round its mouth are three or four small holes, which were used for bathing the hands and eyes, while the large one was used for the body generally. There is no spring ; the well is kept full by the surf breaking over the rock at full flood and spring-tides. The inner apartment of the chapel or Co' is a natural cavity of the rock. The outer is of rude mason work, with a door and window. The walls are now greatly dilapidated, and the roof long gone. At its best, it must have been a mortifying residence. Strangers, on a first visit, are still reminded of the custom of leaving a pre- sent or gift at departure. A pin, a blade of grass, or a pebble from the beach, are now considered sufficient — though, no doubt, in the days of our hermit, more substantial ofierings were looked for and bestowed. The ruins of buildings of a more recent period are of those mentioned by Symson, namely, the old house of Logan ; Castle Clan- yard and Drumore. Among the antiquities of the parish, may be in- cluded the church-bell, said to have been at one time the dinner-bell of Castle Clanyard, and to have been brought to that place from Ken- mure. The inscription upon it is, " Nicolaius Bamsa Dominus KIRKMAIDEN. 209 de DalhttisH me JUri fecit Ano Dni MiUesimo quingenterimQ xxxiiji. IHS Maria Jhone Morison'* — from which it appears that it was made in the year 1534, for Nicholas Ramsay, the grandfa- ther of the first Earl of Dalhousie. Modem Buildings. — The only modern buildings worthy of remark are the quay at Portlogan, erected by the late proprietor of LiOgan, at a very considerable expense ; and the Light-house, erected a few years ago, at the extreme point of the Mull of Galloway. Ves- sels bound from the English coast to the north sometimes mis- took the Bav of Luce for the Channel, and did not discover their mistake till they were aground on the sands at its head, where it is not always practicable to get off. This mistake, except in very foggy weather, the light effectually prevents. III. — Population. The number of the inhabitants in 1790 was 1380; of families, 285. In 1801, the number was 1613, of whom 742 were males^ and 871 females ; families, 335. In 1811, the number was 1788, of whom 834 were males, and 954 females ; fiimilies, 357. In 1821, the number was 2210, of whom 1090 were males, and 1120 females; families, 442. In 1831, the population was 2051, of whom 973 were males, and 1078 females ; families, 429.* The population residing in villages is about, - - 500 in the country, ... 1550 The average number of births for the last 7 years is, - 4Q deaths, - - - ~ - 20 marriages, - . - 10 The average number of persons under 15 years, was - 813 No. of &xnilies chiefly employed in agriculture, - - 192 trade, manufactures, or handicraft, 94 The average number of persons betwixt 15 and 90, - - 527 30and50, - - 396 50 and 70, - - 249 upwards of 70, - - - 65 Children in each fiimily, , - - - - - d Number of houses inhabited, ... . 407 Number of fatuous persons 4— deaf and dumb 4. The inhabitants who are descended from native ancestors are rather remarkable for size and strength. This was said to hare been conspicuous, when the Kirkmaiden company of volunteers was reviewed along with those of other parishes. The habits of the people with regard to the cleanliness of their cottages, cannot be much commended. There is little peculiar in their dress. The home-spun linsey woolsey gown, and blue cloth coat, are still pro- duced by a few thrifty housewives ; and although linen webs are * The cause of the decrease at the last date was that, in 1821, the quay at Port Logan was being built, where upwards of 200 people, not belonging to the parish, were employed. WIGTON. O 210 WIGTONSHIRE. not now, as formerly, made up for the market, they are still manu- factured in considerable quantity for home use. Their style and manner of dress, on the whole, is decent, neat, and substantial. The ordinary food of the peasantry is oatmeal porridge and milk, when milk can be got, for breakfast ; for dinner, potatoes and salt- herrings, or other kinds of fish, — and with the better economists, pork or bacon differently prepared ; and potatoes and milk or her- rings to supper. The bread is oatcakes or scones, composed of potatoes and oatmeal, or more rarely, of potatoes and wheaten or barley-flour. The difficulty of procuring milk where the dairy system prevails, has perhaps been the principal cause of the too frequent use of tea and its accompaniment loaf breads — coij^iderable quantities of both being consumed even by the poor- est ; and it is to be feared too many forego the more substantial fare which the pig they feed would furnish, to indulge in this favourite repast. The people enjoy in a considerable degree the comforts and ad- vantages of society, and seem contented with their situation and circumstances. Their secluded situation does not present many opportunities of cultivating their intellectual powers. Their attain- ments in religious knowledge are respectable, and their general demeanour is peaceable and orderly. Poaching in game is occa- sionally followed by a few individuals. Smuggling, which at one time was almost the sole occupation of many of the principal in- habitants, is now entirely abandoned. IV. — Industry. Agriculture and Rural Economy. — The parish may contain about 11,971 imperial acres, which may be thus classed, and the value of the gross annual produce stated. Imp. ac« 240 wood, - . . L. 40 129 roads, about 48 miles, 1400 rooky moor and moss, 6312 pasture, ... 512 wheat, 1867 oats, .... 155 bear 375 rye-grass hay, 50 meadow hay, 815 potatoes, ... 116 turnips, - - n,971 L. 17541 15 All the land is already in tillage or laid down in pasture that could be profitably cultivated, except a considerable breadth of moss, now almost unproductive of peats. This, if drained and sub- 350 4365 2662 4032 557 335 10 75 4665 5 460 KIRKMAIDEN. 211 jected to a proper rotation of crops, might, at least, in the form of meadow or permanent pasture, be made to assume a more seemly aspect There was at one time a small common attached to the churchyard ; but it has long ago merged into the surrounding pro- perty. The woods aie under the management of a judicious and experienced forester. The yearly thinnings are very useful for many farming purposes. They consist principally of ash, beecb, and larch. Rent of Land. — The average rent of arable land may be about 14s. per acre. The farmers are not in the practice of grazing cattle and sheep, except what belong to themselves. BateofWctges — Prices.— The wages of ploughmen are at the rate of L. 9per annum; of maid-servants, L. 2, 5s. for the half-year, with boanl. Married men servants, or benefit men, get L. 9 of money ; 5 Gralloway bolls of potatoes, and two bushels planted ; 52 stones of 17^ lbs. oatmeal ; 2 tons or 48 cwt. coals, with house and gar-* den. A day-labourer's wages in summer are Is. 2d. — in winter Is. Females employed at out-door work receive 6d. or 7d. per day. Reapers' wages are Is. 6d. per day without victuals ; men are fre- quently hired for the harvest season, and receive L. 2 with board. Masons' wages are 2s. or 2s. 6d. ; joiners 2s. per day, without victuals. A rood of mason work, furnishing all materials, will cost at an ave- rage about L. 3, for labour only L. 1, lOs. A good box-cart costs about L. 7, 10s. ; an iron ploagh from L. 3, 10s. to L. 4; an iron drill plough about L. 3. Live-stock, — The few sheep-walks in the parish are stocked with the black-faced breed of sheep. The farmers generally keep a few of the Leicester breed for their domestic use. The cattle reared are principally of the Galloway breed, and more attention seems to have been lately given to its purity. There are in the parish several large dairies, in which the Ayrshire breed are kept and reared, or a cross between that and the Galloway bull, whose progeny generally take his likeness. Husbandry, — Although the agriculture of the parish cannot be said to be behind that of the neighbouring districts, it has made little progress, except on a few farms, during the last twenty years, and is susceptible of great improvement. What the land chiefly requires, is thorough draining, followed up with the subsoil plough. A great proportion of the soil, resting on a stiff retentive till^ is soaked, or, as the farmers express it, soured, with stagnant water during winter ; and in dry summers, where clayey, it becomes un- 212 WIOTONSHIRE. productively hard, — where light and peaty, too loose for the roots of grain to retain their hold during high winds. Were the till broken up, and the water allowed to sink and run off by drains, the clayey soils would become more friable, the peaty, with a gradual admix- ture of the subsoil, would acquire a more adhesive texture, lime and manures would tell with more effect, and all would undoubtedly be rendered doubly productive. This improvement, though great and permanent, would also be expensive, and would be most effectually promoted by the landlord defraying the greater part of the ex- pense, — seeing it judiciously executed, and receiving interest for the outlaid capital in the shape of additional rent. Thorough draining, consisting of shallow drains running pa- rallel to each other, at the distance of 15 or 16 feet, has been in- troduced to a limited extent with the most beneficial results. The drains are cut about 2^ feet deep, and filled to within 14 or 16 inches from the surface with small stones. The expense of open- ing and filling such, exclusive of the stones, is about 6d. per rood. The land in tillage is managed in different rotations of cropping ; the six-shift seems to be the best. The order is as follows : 1. oats after grass; 2. green crop of turnip or potatoes; 3. wheat or other white crop; 4. grass for hay or pasture, and the remain- ing years in pasture. The duration of leases, where these exist, is generally nineteen years. Those last given seem favourable to the occupiers ; who are furnished with suitable farm-buildings, and receive a liberal al- lowance of lime ; and whatever drainings they judge necessary are opened to them, free of expense. With regard to farm-buildings, there is great room for improve- ment. Very few contain accommodation sufficient to allow of the most profitable farm management, and many of them are in a do* cayed and ruinous condition. The greater part of the parish is enclosed, but, except in the vicinity of Logan, with insufficient fences. These consist of stone walls, turf with whins on the top, hedge and ditch. Many of the first are badly built, or built with bad materials ; the second are not kept closely furnished with furze ; the last, when properly executed, are by far the best, effectually securing the enclosure from the first, and soon af- ter affording shelter besides. The quicks, consisting of thorn and beech, are planted in a facing of stone about three feet in height, banked behind with the earth taken out of the ditch, — which bank is also planted with sets of the hardier willows. Timber trees arc KIRKMAIDEN. 213 planted in the hedgerows, but seldom with good effect ; unless where sheltered, they rarely get beyond the stature of a bush, and are injurious to the fence, without being ornamental to the landscape. The greatest and most striking improvement that has recently been made in the parish, is on the roads. These, only a few years ago, were in a scandalous state, carelessly formed, or in many places not formed at all, and as carelessly kept. Many old lines have lately been improved, new lines of considerable length have been or are in the course of being formed, and almost all kept compa- ratively in excellent repair. The fund for upholding the roads is derived from the conversion of Statute labour. The assessment for this purpose is L. 1, 10s. Scots in the hundred pounds Scots of valued rent, and 2s. 6d. from householders and mechanics, amounting in whole to L. 75 Sterling. There is no turnpike road in the parish. There are many obstacles existing to agricultural improvement. These arise from want of capital or enterprise in some instances, — the want of encouragement by the principal proprietors, — the want of sufficient fences and suitable accommodation in farm^'buildings, — and, above all, the want of leases, or of such as last longer than a year ; for it will generally be found that *^ short tacks make thrift- less tenants.** The most of these obstacles, however, arise from peculiar circumstances in which the principal proprietors are placed, and it is con6dently expected, that, along with these circumstances, they will soon be removed. Quarries, — There is an extensive body of slate-rock in the pa- rish, which has been wrought in several places to a considerable extent, but not perhaps to a depth sufficient to obtain the article so good as it might otherwise yield. These quarries have, for some years past, been abandoned. Fisheries. — Fishing is not followed after with that industry and enterprise which the favourable locality would lead one to expect Few make it their regular occupation ; although many of the in- habitants engage in it occasionally, both with net and line, and sometimes with very encouraging success. As many as fifteen cart loads of blockins or of coal-fish h^ve been taken with the drag-net, during a single tide. The herrings, after having nearly abandoned the coast for years, are again promising to revisit it, and the people are now well prepared with nets to receive them. In connection with fisheries, Logan fish-pond deserves notice, as it is an object of attraction to all strangers visiting the parish. It is situated on 214 WtGTONSHIUe. the north side of the bay of Portnessock, and is formed by a circu-* lar excavation from the solid rock, connected, by a natural archway, with the sea. This opening is shut up with an uncemented stone- wall, which effectually secures the prisoners, and allows a free en- trance and exit to the tide. The pond is always kept well-stock- ed, especially with cod, lythe and coal-fish, and a few flounders. A salmon, red and grey gurnard, and some other small species have sometimes, by way of ornament and variety, been introduced; but the salmon lives only a very limited period, and the smaller soon become the prey of the larger inmates. On descending by a rude stair to the surface of the water at a large stone-flag, the fishes forthwith repair to this spot, where many of them, with their heads above water, are eager to receive from the hand of their keeper their usual treat of limpets. On such occasions, thekeeper may be seen lifb^ ing one into her lap, putting a limpet into its mouth, patting it on the head, and returning it to its native element It appears somewhat uncomfortable and impatient when put through this ceremony, but does not resent the liberty she takes with it, by any subsequent pet or shyness. She firmly believes that they not only hearj but that they can distinguish her voice from that of a stranger, and she re- lates the following oceurrence as one of her proofe : During a very high tide lately, the sea so injured her house, that she was obliged to leave it, and reside for some days in the village of Port- Logan. Part of the wall surrounding the pond was forced into it, several of the fishes were killed or hurt, and the rest so alarmed, that they re- mained at the bottom, and would not venture to the surface, till she uttered her wonted call, when they immediately repaired to their feeding station as before. Being on such a familiar footing with her finny charge, it is not to be wondered, that she should have a struggle with her feelings, when consigning one of them to the care of the cook. Manufactures. — Kelp was formerly manufactured in consider- able quantities, but, owing to its low price, is now entirely given up. Navigation, — There are four small sloops belonging to Dru- more, of 16, 25, 29, and 37 tons burthen respectively. They are employed in exporting farm-produce, and importing lime and coals, or otherwise engaged in the coasting trade. V. — Parochial Economy/ Market'Town. — There is no market-town in the parish. The nearest is Stranraer, at a distance of about 18 miles from the KIRKMAIDEN. 215 cburch. A carrier from each of the villages of Drumore and Port- Logan goes regularly to Stranraer, once and sometimes twice weekly. Penny post-offices are established, at regular distances, on the road between Stranraer and Drumore. The mail is conveyed daily by a car, carrying also passengers, to Port^ Logan, and is for- warded by a person on foot to Drumore. Ecdesiastical State. — The church is situated in the centre of the parish ; but, being six miles distant from the extremities, it is incon- veniently placed for the aged, infirm, and even the hard-working la- bourer. The building of it was commenced in 1638, but owing, it is said, to some dispute amongthe heritors, it was not cx)mpleted till se- veral years afterwards. The walls and roof are substantially good, the seating is in astate of great disrepair; butas it accommodates on- ly 275 sitters, its worst fault is its want of room. None of the seats are rented. There is a small gallery occupied by the residing heritor and his immediate dependents ; the rest of the seats are apportion- ed to the different farms. Few of the farmers, however, have sufficient accommodation for their own families exclusive of their servants and labourers ; and there is none whatever for the inhabi- tants of the two villages. The manse, having become partly ruinous and very uncomfort^ able, was taken down, and a commodious and substantial one was built in 1837. The extent of the glebe, including garden and site of houses, is 6 acres, and its value about L. 1, 6s. per acre. The amount of stipend is L. 137, 13s. 6d. Sterling in money, 5| Galloway bolls of bear, and 75 imperial stones of oatmeal. L. 5, 7s. 8d. is received from the Exchequer, to raise it to the minimum amount. There is no Dissenting or other chapel in the parish. It is proposed to erect a church, somewhere be-r tween this and the neighbouring parish of Stonykirk, — to which a parish, containing a population of 1000, may be attached. There are about 88 Roman Catholics, and 28 Protestant Dis- senters in the parish ; the remaining 1935 of the population be- long, professedly at least, to the Established Church. The attendance upon public worship at the Established Church has been improving for a considerable time past, and would un- doubtedly be greater were the church larger. The inhabitants may not be a church-going people; but this arises principally from the want of accommodation ; few who have sittings for them- selves have sittings for their children also. They are thus prevent- ed from bringing them to church, and training them up to church- 216 WIGTONSHIRE. going habits. The average number of communicants is about 400. There is, at present, no Society for religious purposes. A pa- rochial Association is on the eve of being formed for promoting the four schemes of the General Assembly. The average amount of yearly collections for religious purposes is L. 5. Education, — There are three schools regularly kept in the pa- rish ; two situated for the accommodation of the children at the extremities ; one on the parochial establishment in the centre of the parish. English, writing, and arithmetic, are taught in alL Geography and mathematics are also taught in the school, at the north end of the parish ; and these branches, with French and Latin, are taught in the parochial school. The parochial teacher's salary is L.25, Ids. — with the legalaccommodationofdwelling house, school- house, and garden. One of the other teachers receives L. 4, be- ing the interest of a sum bequeathed for the education of poor chil- dren. The third teacher is entirely dependent on school fees. The expense of education is 2s. per quarter for English reading and writing, and ds. for the higher branches. The children of paupers are taught gratis. The average number attending the paro- chial school is about 65 ; and 90 at the other two. There are no parts of the parish so distant from the schools as to prevent attend- ance ; and the people are so alive to the benefits of educatioD^ that there are none above six years of age who cannot read, or above 15 who cannot also write. There are, indeed, four or five adult individuals who cannot read, or who read but imperfectly; but these are all from Ireland. No additional schools are required ; but the amount of fees, where this is the only remuneration, is quite too small to secure the services of an efficient teacher. Great bene- fits have undoubtedly resulted from the facilities of procuring education. Literature, — A parochial library was instituted in 1836. It al- ready contains upwards of 600 volumes in religion and general li- terature. Poor^ ^c— There is no legal assessment for the poor. They are supported by church collections and other contributions; by the interest on sums bequeathed for their behoof; but principally by the alms of the charitable, which they are in the habit of collecting quarterly. The average number of persons receiving parochid aid, including eight who are relieved occasionally, is 57 ; and the average yearly sum allotted to each is about L. 1, 10s. The an- KIRKMAIDEN. 217 nual amount of contributions for their relief is about L. 90. Of this sum, L. 31, 12s. consists of church collections; L. 30 of in- terests from legacies ; and L. 30 of voluntary contributions by he- ritors and others, mortcloth dues, &c Parochial relief is not, in general, considered degrading ; and there is, consequently, little reluctance in seeking it. Alehouses. — There are no fewer than ten ale-houses or public- houses in the parish ; and their influence on the morals and comfort of the people is most pernicious. Fuel — The fuel used in the parish consists of coal imported from England, Glasgow, and Ayrshire, and sold at the rate of 16s. to 18s. per 24 cwt. Peat also is used : and poor people are frequent- ly obliged to have recourse to furze and heath. Miscellaneous Observations. The most striking variations betwixt the present state of the pa« rish, and that which existed at the time of the last Statistical Ac* count, are observable in the introduction of the modern system of husbandry ; the more extensive cultivation of green crops, espe- cially potatoes ; the substitution of wheat for bear ; and the now improved state of the roads. February 1839. ^5 * GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE COUNTY OF WIQTON. Etymology — Of the etymology of the name Wigton, it is diffi- cult to give an account The resi)ectable minister of the parish of Wigton derives the word from ti^ic^ a village, and ton^ a hill ; a de- rivation descriptive of the local situation of the town, which is seat- ed on a considerable eminence, overlooking the bay of Wigton. But the word is susceptible of a very different etymology ; name- ly, wic or waeg^ a wave, a billow, a sea, and ton or tun^ a dwelling, or village. This derivation is as appropriate as the other, and bears a better analogy to the names of many other places in the same province. The word ton or tun is universal throughout Scotland, as signifying a village or dwelling ; hence, indeed, the English word town. A farm-steading is to this day, in many districts, called in the current speech a farmrtown. And as to the syllable uTtc, or, as it is generally spelled, U7tcA, it is used as descriptive of a place that is washed by the sea, such as Senwick, Rerwick, SouthwicL Hence we define Wigton as a village washed by the sea ; a defini- tion which is corroborated by the fact, as mentioned by Symson in his Ltorge Account ofGaUoway^ and as is known from other sour- ces, that Wigton, instead of having been at first built on an emi- nence, as the former etymology would lead us to believe, original- ly occupied a level site, which was gradually abraded by the sea, and is now a full quarter of a mile within tide-mark. The county would necessarily take its name from the chief town within its bounds; and Wigton was, at the time (1341) when the county was formed, if not the only, at least the chief town in the district. Wigtonshire is sometimes called West Galloway, or the shire of Galloway, or more briefly, the shire ; the Stewartry of Kirkcud- bright being denominated East Galloway ; the two are known by the conmion name of Galloway. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 219 Boundaries, — The county is bounded on the east by Wigton Bay, and the river Cree, which separate it from the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright ; on the north, by Ayrshire ; on the west, by the Irish Channel ; and on the^ south, by the Irish sea. It is bounded by water, therefore, on every side, except the north. It lies between 54® 38^ and 55'' 4^ north latitude, and between 4° W and 5° 6' west longitude. It is divided into three districts, — the Rhynns (peninsula), which lies west of a line drawn between Luce Bay and Lochryan ; the Machers (flat country), lying between the Wigton and Luce Bays ; and the Moors, which includes the re- mainder, being more than the third of the whole county. No part of the shire is above 13 miles from the sea. Population. — The following table shews the state of the popu- lation at different periods : 1831. 1755. 1801. 1811. 1821. Males. Females. Totol. 16,466 22,918 26,891 39,240 17,078 19,180 36,258 The number of square miles in the county being 459, there are 79 inhabitants to each square mile. Taking Scotland altogether the average is 80 to a square mile. The following table may not be uninteresting. Population returns in 1831, No. of persons corresponding to Persons. Families. Inhabited houses. Each family. Each house. 36.258 7.514 6.404 4.825 5.661 We may state that, with the exception of Irish settlers, who form a numerous class, the greater number of the inhabitants can trace back their descent through many generations. They are of Celtic descent ; and it is a curious circumstance that, even so late as the time of. Queen Mary, Graelic was the vernacular dialect of the district. Nor was this speech entirely disused in the more re- mote parishes of the county, till about the beginning of the seven- teenth century. It may accordingly be supposed, what is really the case, that the feudal feeling predominates in Wigtonshire to a greater extent than in any other county in the south of Scotland ; and that superstitious observances and traditionary legends abound. These, however, are now confined chiefly to the more remote pa- rishes, and are fast giving way even there. Physical Appearance. — The physical appearance of Wigton- shire is not striking or varied. Though there are eminences and hills of considerable height, yet it has been remarked, that there is no county in Scotland that rises so little above the level of the sea. There are^ properly speaking, no navigable rivers, if we 220 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE except the Cree, which is navigable for vessels of very small ton- nage for about four miles, and Bladenoch navigable not so far. But though not possessed of large and navigable rivers, this county abounds with the most spacious bays and harbours ; Wigton Bay, which lies on the east, gradually varying from eight miles in width, till it terminates in the Cree, a distance of about ten miles; and Luce Bay forming an indentation on the south of the county, to about the extent of fifteen miles, stretching inward till it reaches the town of Glenluce, where it terminates. These bays form two remarkable promontories, — the Borough Head on the south-east, and the Mull of Galloway on the south-west, — the two most southerly points in Scotland, the latter being about a mile and a-half farther south than the former. Lochryan, on the north-west, extends into the coun- ty about 9 miles, till it reach Stranraer, its breadth varying from 2 to 4 miles. The most important harbours are Carty, Wigton, and Garlieston, on the Wigton Bay; Isle of Whithorn, near the Borough Head; Port William and Sandhead, on the opposite sides of the Luce Bay ; Portnessock and Portpatrick, on the Irish Channel ; and Stranraer and Cairnryan, on Lochryan. The fresh water lochs, though pretty numerous, are small. Dowalton, on Longcastle, in the Machers, the largest, is only about 2 miles long, by 1^ broad. The lakes in the county occupy 7^ square miles. Soil and AgricuUure. — The soil in the three districts, — the Ma- chers, the Rhynns, and the Moors, into which Wigton is divided,— is very different The soil of the two first districts is, for the most part, a hazelly loam, dry and well adapted for the turnip husbandry; but on the barony of Baldoon, in the parish of Kirkinner, and along the Cree for several miles, between Newtonstewart and Wig- ton, there is a considerable extent of rich alluvial soil. The moors are bleak and barren, and in many instances constitute what is called ^/Ztnr, that is, mossy land partially covered with water. The most improved system of agriculture is everywhere pursued, though perhaps the best specimens may be found on the estate of Baldoon, which is reckoned the Carse of Gowrie of the south. Of the re- lative proportions of land in crop and in pasture, a correct idea may be formed from the &ct, that out of 288^960 English acres which the county contains, 101,136, or about 35 per cent., are under cultivation ; 187,824, or about 65 per cent., in pasture. Land in Wigtonshire is very little subdivided, and is mostly under en- tail, it is let in farms of middle size, and generally for a lease of acre ; now, however, it must be about a fourth less. The valued rental of the county is L. 67,643 Scotch, old valuatioD. Annua value of real property in 1815, was L. 143,425. Agriculture, though now practised on the most modem and en- lightened principles was, till within a century, in & very rude state. Marshal Stair was thefirst to introduceagriculturalimprovementsinto this county, as his sister, the Countess of Loudon, (who died in 1770, aged 100,) did into Ayrshire. This celebrated nobleman retired from public business in 1728, and spent the remainder of his days either in the counties of Wigton or Linlithgow, (in each of which he had a residence,) in the quiet pursuits of private life. He in- troduced into both these counties, the most approved modes of agriculture he had witnessed either in England or on the Continent. He practised the horse-hoeing system : he introduced the Lucerne and St Foin grasses: in addition to potatoes, which then (1726) first began to be cultivated in the open fields, he cultivated tur- nips, carrots, and cabbages, with the plough ; he subdivided and inclosed his lands, drained swamps and marshes; and altogether exhibited a skill and an enlerprise such as to efTect a revolution in agriculture in the two counties in question. Lord Stair died in 1747; but the beneficial influence of his example continued ; and since his death, Wigton has enjoyed the advantage of posses- sing various skilful agriculturists, both landlords and tenants, to whom her progress is deeply indebted. Two agricultural societies have been long erected in the county ; and the existing race of farmers are highly respectable in point both of general intelligence and professional skill. Steam- Navigation. — But Wigtonshire, from the general progress of the arts of peace, now enjoys advantages unknown there even ten years ago. Remote as is her situation, she is reaping all the benefits which steam navigation is so eminently calculated to confer. Two steam-boats regularly ply between her leading ports and Liverpool and Whitehaven ; so that a ready and advantageous market is open- ed up for her black-cattle and agricultural produce. A farmer can now send his stock or his corn to Liverpool, and get it dis- posed of in the shortest time, at the market-price, and for ready money. Formerly, the case was quite otherwise. Corn-dealers travelled the country, buying up grain, with the view of shipping it to an English market. Their purchases were seldom, if ever, made with cash. On the contrary, it was almost tVio invariabW 222 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE practice to grant bills for payment, at four or six months' date. These persons were not always men of capital ; and the business which they followed was, from its nature, a very precarious one ; so that, in proportion to their numbers, a greater proportion of such provincial corn*dealers are known to have become bankrupt than any other class of men. A similar remark is applicable to the drovers, or those persons who purchased black-cattle in Wigton- shire, with the view of driving them for sale to some English mar- ket These persons also followed a trade liable to as much ca- price and fluctuation as that of the corn-dealers ; and, like them^ they seldom, if ever, paid in cash, but by a bill drawn at four or six months. Hence the great risk and eventual losses to which the formers in Wigtonshire were continually exposed, and the ge- neral bankruptcy and distress that ensued. When the agricultu- ral interests were suffering so much for some years previously to 1823, it is a fact well known to the present writer, that all the more extensive corn^dealers and drovers became bankrupt ; so that the county of which we are speaking, as well as the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, experienced an extent of loss and misery equally general and lamentable. But the introduction of steam navigation has put an end to this wretched system, and now affords to the farmer a ready and a safe market for effecting the largest sales, either of cattle or of corn. In addition to the steam-boats which ply regularly between Wigtonshire and England, there are two steamers which weekly sail between Stranraer and Glasgow ; so that the inhabitants of this remote county have now the ready and frequent command of the best markets, both in England and Scot- land, either for buying or selling. But while steam navigation has been productive of such important advantages as we have de- scribed, it has been attended with other results, which, though fa- vourable in a national point of view, are unfavourable to this pro- vince. The traffic and travelling that had previously prevailed between Ireland and England, via Portpatrick and Donaghadee, have been, in a great measure, turned into a new channel, and this county has in consequence proportionally suffered. GaU loway formed at one time the great high road between the north- ern and north-western counties of Ireland and England. There is now very little travelling by this route. The steamers plying from almost every Irish port to Liverpool or Holyhead, engross almost the whole of the travelling, of which Galloway formerly enjoyed the advantage. Hence, posting in this county has nearly COUNTY OF WIGTON. 223 disappeared ; the number of post-chaises being supposed to be now only a fourth of what they were twenty or thirty years ago. Nor is this all. The importation of Irish horses and black-cattle at Portpatrick has diminished to a similar extent. It appears from the account of the parish of Portpatrick, that whereas the number of such stock imported at Portpatrick, was 17/275 in J 790, and 20,000 in 1812, it was, in 1837, only 1080. «< Both cattle and horses from Ireland," says the reverend writer of that account, ^* are now conveyed so easily and safely by steamers to Liverpool or Glasgow, that the short sea-passage at Portpatrick is not so desirable for them as when steam navigation was unknown, or in its infancy." We may here state that the mail-coach was first in- troduced into Galloway in 1804, and that it has since continued to run daily between Dumfries and Portpatrick. An additional mail-coach commenced two years ago to run between Newton- stewart and Stranraer via Wigton, Whithorn, Portpatrick, and Glenluce ; but as the speculation, we believe, is a losing concern, it is thought it will be discontinued, and the mail between these places carried, as before, on horsebacL There is not, nor ever was, an opposition coach in Wigtonshire. Religious Houses and Ecclesiastical State. — Wigtonshire was distinguished for the number of monasteries which it contained ; namely, those of Whithorn, Wigton, Glenluce, and Soulseat, of each of which an account will be found under the parishes to which « they severally belong. The oldest church in Scotland, founded by St Ninian, was built near the site of the present Whithorn. This county, at the Reformation, contained 21 parishes, with va- rious subsidiary chapels, built either for the private use of some baronial family, or for the advantage of the remote inhabitants of a large parish. These chapels have long been disused ; and in some cases even their ruins have disappeared. Parishes have been more judiciously arranged : in some instances, that of Sorbie, for example, three, being annexed, form one ; and though three new parishes have been erected, (Kirkcowan, Stranraer, and Port- patrick,) the number is reduced to 17. History. — As the civil history of Galloway, of which province Wigtonshire formed a part, is curious and interesting, a brief sketch of it, as connected with the county, may not be inappropriate in this place. The aborigines, who were of Celtic origin, were the Novantes : their chief towns were Berigonium on the Rerigonius SinuSf or Lochryan, — and Leucophibia^ the present Whithorn, 324 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE The Mull of Galloway they called Promontorium Novaniium ; the Luce Bay Abravannus Sinus ; the Wigton Bay Jena Jluoius. Galloway was invaded by the Romans; but no Roman colony seems to have been established there ; nor were the original in- habitants driven away. On the abdication of the Romans in 448, this province was over-run by the Anglo-Saxons of Northumbria; to whom it remained partially subject till the beginning of the ninth century. The inhabitants, owing to the extinction of the Northumbrian dynasty in 820, having gained their independence, fell a prey to the Picts ; a race of men, who, whatever was their origin, flourished and became eminent in Galloway, after their name had been forgotten in other districts.' But notwithstanding of their successively falling under the dominion of these various tribes, the original Celtic inhabitants of Galloway were never en- tirely displaced. On the contrary, they contrived to retain their customs and manners, and, in many respects, to preserve, if we may so speak, their nationality. They were distinguished for dar- ing heroism and intrepidity, insomuch that they obtained the ap- pellation of ^' the wild Scots of Galloway," and were granted, by the Scottish Kings, the privilege of forming the van in every bat- tle at which they might be present* Of their leaders or rulers we have, for a long time, but little account. Jacobus, ^^ the ruler of Galloway," is mentioned as one of the eight reguli who met at Chester in 97«^ Ulrigand Dovenald (M^Dowall, still represented by the M'Dowalls of Logan, in the parish of Kirkmaiden, in Wig- tonshire,) the leaders of the Grallovidians, acted a conspicuous part, with their followers, at the battle of the Standard in 1 138^ in which they were both slain. But the first " Lord of Galloway" was Fergus, of whose parentage nothing is known, though there is no doubt that he represented a family who had long been powerful in the province. The Gallovidians were, for about a century, ruled over by their own independent princes or ^' Lords," the descen- dants of Fergus. They frequently revolted against the ^H^ottish King, and carried on war against their sovereign with various suc- cess. On the death of Allan, the last Lord of Galloway, his power and domains were, in 1234, subdivided among his three daugh- ters, — which introduced new families and new customs. He had been twice married : his second wife was Margaret, daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon. His daughter, Elena, was mar- ried to the Earl of Winchester ; Christian, to the Earl of Albe- marle ; and Devorgille, to John Baliol of Bernard Castle. The two last daughters vere bora to him by his second wife, tbe daughter of the Ekrl of HuDtingdoc Devorgille's marriage vas pmductive of live children ; a dau^ter, married to Joho Cumyn of BadeDocb, — uid four sons, one of whom, John Baliol, succeeded to die Scottish throne, as the descendant of David of Huntingdoa. John Baliol, King of Scotland, who was grandson of Allan, the last of the Lords of Galloway, possessed great estates in both Wig. lonshire and the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, the chief seat of the family being BuiUle Castle, in the latter. The county of Wig- ton, with the title of Earl, was conferred by David IL in 1341, on Sir Malcolm Fleming ; but Fleming, amid the distraction of tbe times, was obliged, in 1372, to dispose of his estates (thougli he retained the title) to Archibald Douglas. From this date, the Douglases ruled supreme till their forfeiture in 1453. The county was then parcelled out among different families ; many of which still remain ; and the Agnews of Lochnaw were created heritable sheriffs. This office remaiDed in their family till the abolition of hereditary jurisdiction in 1747, with the exception of seventeen years previous to the Revolution, when Graham of Claverhouse, and his brother, Colonel David Graham, were ap- pointed joint-sheriffs. (Chalmers's Caledonia, VoL I. passinL Murray's Literary History of Gallmcay, 2d edlL pp. 330-2). Antiquity of Famiiiea. — Whether any femily in Wigtonshire can claim descent from the ancient Lords of Galloway, is a ques- tion that 'has long been agitated, and, from its nature, will never probably be ascertained; but it seems to be generally allowed that the M'Dowalls, if not lineally descended from them, are of the same race and lineage. (Caledonia, iiL 379.^ The M'Dowalls have always been a powerful race in this country, and their origin is lost in its antiquity, — ultra memoriam homimm, to quote the words of one of their earliest charters. The name is still eminent; but the number that bear it is reduced. — The M'Cullochs, of whom the laird of Merton, in the parish of Mo- chruiD, was the chief, are perhaps nest in point of antiquity to the M'Dowalls. Both families, during the successive wars, espoused the cause of the Baliols ; and Edward I. appointed Thomas M'Culloch sheriff of the province. In 1337, Edward IIL granted Patrick M'Culloch an annual pension of L. 20 for his good ser- vices in Scotland. The last of the Merton line. Sir Godfrey M'Culloch, a dissolute character, who squandered and sold bis estates, was beheaded at the Cross of Edinburgh for murder in 226 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE many cases secure. Sir Godfrey, and a person of the name of Gordon, claimed the estate of Cardoness, in the Stewartry of Kirk- cudbright The former had possession ; and the latter lived at Bushybield, in the neighbourhood. They were personal enemies to each other; and Sir Godfrey having come to Bushy bield to assist in removing some cattle that had been poinded, and having thus met Gordon, discharged a loaded gun at him, and inflicted wounds which afterwards proved fatal Sir Godfrey fled to Eng- land, but having afterwards returned to Scotland, he was appre- hended in a church on a Sunday in Edinburgh, while attending public worship. At the end of the service, a gentleman from Galloway, who was present, and who, it is said, had a pecuniary interest in the death of M^Culloch, cried out with an air of authori- ty, " Shut the doors, — there's a murderer in the house !" Sir Grod« frey was thus apprehended ; and having been tried, he was executed on the 26th of March 1697. His << Last Speech," (printed from the only copy known to exist, and which is in the handsof the writer of this notice,) is given below. * He had never been married, though * " The Last Speech of Sir Godfrey M'Culloch of Myreton, Knight and Baronet, who wa*« beheaded at the Cross of Edinburgh, the twenty six day of March 1697. *' I am brought here, good people, to give satisfaction to justice for the slaughter of WVlHtm Gordon, designed of Cardines, and therefore I am obliged, as a dying BKUt, to give a faithful and true account of the matter. *' I do declare in the sight of God I had no design against his life, nor did I ex- pect to see him when 1 came where the accident happened : I came there contrair to my inclination, being pressed by these two persons who were the principal witnesses against me (they declaring he was not out of l>ed), that I might relieve their goods be had poinded : I do freely forgive them, and I pray heartily God may forgive them, for bringing me to that place. *' When I was in England, I was oft*times urged by several persons who declared they had commission from CatUC'SUwart and her Lady|t (now the pursuers for my blood), that I might give up the papers of these lands of Cardinet, whereupon they promised not only a piece of money but also to concur for procuring me a Remission ; and I have been several times since in the country, where the misfortune happened, and where they lived, but never troubled by any of them ; although now after they had gut themselves secured in these lands without me, they have been very active in the pursuitc, unttll at last they have got me brought to this place. <• I do acknowledge my sentence is just, and does not repine; for albeit it was on- ly a single wound in the leg, by a shot of small hail, which was neither intended nor could be foreseen to be detully ; yet I do believe that God in his justice hath suffer- ed me to fall in that miserable accident, for which 1 am now to suffer because of my many other great and grievous unrepented for sins ; I do therefore heartily forgive my judges, accusers, witnesses, and all others who have now, or at any time injured me, as I wish to be forgiven. « I recommend my wife and poor children to tbe protection of the Almighty God« who doth lake care of and provide for the widow and fatherless ; and prays that God may stir up and enable their friends and mine to be careful of them. " 1 have been branded as being a Roman Catholick, which I altogether disown, and declare, as the words of a dying man, who am instantly to make my appearance before the Great Tribuml of the Great God, that I die in the true Catholick reformed Protett- t The lady was Gordon's daughter, and married to William Stewart of Castle^ Stewart. lie avers the contrary ; but lie left behind him several illegitimate cbildreti, who, with their mother, removed to Ireland on the death of their father. One of hisgrandchildren suffered capital punish- mentin that country for robbery, about the year 1760. These two families, theM'Dowallsand the M'Cullocbs, are the oldest in Wig- tonshire; but there are many others of nearljr equal standing; such as the Agnews, the Kennedys, the Adairs, all of Irish ex- traction ; the Dunbars (descended from the Earls of March,) the Hannays, the Gordons of Balmeg, Craichlavr, and Culvennan, the M'Kies, all of which settled in this county about 500 years ago. The 6rst charter in favour of the Vanses was in 1451. The Maxwells (from the house of Nilhsdale,) were established here in the same century. The Murrays of Broughton, (of honourable descent in Dumfries-shire, and now representing in the Stewartrr the Stewarts of Cally and the Lennoxes of Plunton,) the Hays of Park, the Stewarts, the Rosses, the Blairs of Dunskey, the Dalrymples of Stair, the Cathcarts of Genoch, the Hawthorns, first appear in the annals of Wigton in the I6th or 17th century. The Ramsays of Boghouse, the Nelsons of Craigcaffie, the Chris- tians or Christies of Monkhill and Drummaston, the Houstons of Cutreoch, the Martins of Cutcloy and Airies, the Baillies of Dud- ragget, have either become extinct, or have terminated in females, or have now no property in Wiglonshire. There are, also, M'Kerlies, a name common here since the days of Wallace, but which, so far as we know, occurs in no other district in Scotland. The M*Taggarta (represented by John M'Taggart of Ardwell, M. P. for the Stranraer burghs,) have been settled in Wigtonshire m( TtBgii oome and ree^ie my soul. Amen. " Kc SutMsribituT Sia Goorur M-CnLvoca." 228 GENERAL OBSERTATIONS ON THE for a century and a half ; but, though of respectable rank, wenfr not land-owners till about forty years ago. The oldest names, in addition to those already mentioned, are M^Guffie, M^Kinnell^ M'Keand, M'Gowan, M^Geoch, M'Gill, M'Nish, M'Cracken» Broadfoot, Donnan, almost all of which are eTidently Qeltic, and must have come down from the remotest antiquity. While old names and old families thus predominate, very few new ones» owing to the remote nature of the proyince, have been introduced* The chief immigration is from Ireland ; and this is generally not of a very desirable kind ; though some of the oldest and best fa- milies in the county were originally of Irish extraction. Miscellaneous ObservaHans.-^-There is one important infer- ence to be made from the various parochial accounts; name- ly, the great number of Irish settlers, and the inferior rank they hold, both as to education, a spirit of independence, and other respects. A third of the whole labourers of the parish of Kirk- oolm, it is stated, are either Irish, or descended of Irish pa- rents ; while in the* parish of Portpatrick it appears that, out of a population of 21239, no fewer than 421 are natives of Ire- land, exclusive, of course, of those who, though bom in the parish, are descended of Irish parents ; so that, taking this view of the case, the Irish proportion of the labourers will not be less than a third. The parishes nearest to Portpatrick will of course be more occupied with immigrants from the sister island than those in the middle or east of the province ; but, taking the average of the whole county, we have little doubts that a ^th of the aggregate population will consist either of native Irish, or of persons bom of Irish parents. It will also appear from the accounts, as hinted above, that, proportionally to their numbers, the lists of paupers in the different parishes contain more Irish than native Scotch. But though the county be thus overmn with adventurers from Ireland, who, while they bring no money along with them, have a tendency, by fietctitiously adding to the supply of labour, to lower wageS) and thus to deteriorate the general condition of the indus- trious classes, — yet pauperism prevails but to a small extent in this county ; a fact highly honourable to the character of the excellent classes in question. Out of a population of 36,258, there are only about 700 persons receiving parochial aid, and some of these re- ceiving only the smallest sum, sometimes less than L. 1 a-year, in order to pay, or help to pay, their house-rent ; that is, only 1 in 52 persons is a pauper, being less than the third of the average relief less remarkable than the paucity of the number of paupers. The aggregate anaual amount distributed among these 700 poor is only about L. 1375, being rather less than L. 2 for each indivi- dual, or at the estraardioarily low rate of 6d- per head of popula- tion. The lowness of this rate will be best appreciated when we •tate that the average buiden in England, previously to the new poor law in 1634, was twenty-three times greater, or Ha. and dd. per head of population. There are no poor-rales or legal assess- ments in the whole county except in one parish. Wigton, Whithorn^ and Stranraer unite with the small burgh of New Galloway in returning a Member to Parliament. The constitu- ency ofthe first is 101 ; of the second 54 ; of the third 217 ; and New Galloway SO; the aggregate being 392. John M'Taggurt of Ardwell, Esq. is the present member. Constituency of the county 942, — represented by James Blair of Penninghame, Esq. 230 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE Table L Showing Ecclesiastical State, &c. Parish. Iation in 831. Kicltfsiastical 5tate. s • Par. fiichoolmastert' belonging Church ^Is belong* Church h Amount of paro- S^' Sx chial Ministers' § ^ Salary. Fees 1 i • Is 240 -9 « ... O V 91 II ... Stipend. r 3 • •» W'lgUm, 2387 18 ch. half meal half barley. • a. • 2 Kirkinner, 1514 205 1100 .78 ... 16 cb. half meal half barley. 4 L. 34, 48. 4d. L.30 3 Sorbie, 1412 152 §71 ... 269 L.242. 2 fir. &c. meal, 2 do. bear. 5 L. 25, 138. Sd. 64 4 Glasserton, 1194 ••• ... ... ... L. 190. 2 L.34. 25 5 Whithorn, 2415 420 ... 84 ... 17 ch. half meal half barley. 11 2 ch. meal, & L.6, 1 c. meal 60 6 Mochrum, 2105 300 ... 75 ... L.157. 5 L.31. 12 7 Old Luce, 2180 321 ... 44 ... L. 150. 5 L. 25. 40 8 New Luce, 628 110 ... 7 ... L.150. 1 L. 25, 138. 4d. 5 9 Inch, 2521 ... 1965 ... 689^ L. 258» 128. 3d. 4 L.25. 20 10 Stranraer, 3929 ... 1729 ... 1194 L.I50. 8 L.20. 50 11 Kirkcokn, ••■ 343 • •• 40 ... 15 ch. half meal half barley. 4 L. 27. 16 12 Leswalt, 2636 411 • • • li28 ... L. 150. 4 L.25. • • • 13 Portpatrick, 2239 ... 1591 ... 400 L. 150. 8 L.30. • «• 14 Stonykirk, 2966 410 ... 86 ••. Grain stip. 4 ch. meal, 4 barley. 6 L. 25, 138. 3d. 10 15 Penninghame, 3461 530 2723 ... 833 16 ch. half meal half barley. L.292,ll8.8d. 9 L. 34, 4b. 4d. ... 16 Kirkowan, 1374 263 ... 41 ... 2 L.25. 35 17 Kirkmaiden, 12051 • . * 1935 ... 116 L.150. 3 L. 25, 138. • ■ • 1 lEMA RK8. iV. S 7%e emoluments of the Parochial Schoolmasters stated in this table do not include what they derive from other sources than the salary and schoolfees, * The total number of Roman Catholic families included in this column is 157 ; and the enumerations in the subsequent column include 547 Roman Catholic in- dividuals. See below. 1. Wigton ; 25 of the families classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic fami- lies. The total number of scholars stated in the Report as attending schools in the parish, does not include those attending the Sabbath schools : and the number of schools stated in the table does not include the number of Sab- bath schools, but only one public school and two private. The sum total in the column for the Parochial Schoolmasters* emoluments, expresses the sum total of the emoluments of the teacher of the grammar school 2. Kirkinner ; 23 of the families classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic fa- milies. 5. Whithorn ; 12 of the fiunilies classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic fa^ milies. 6. Mochrum ; 35 of the families classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic fa- milies. 7. Old Luce ; 19 of the families classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic fa- milies. COUNTY OF WIGTON. 331 of Parishes in the County of Wigton. Emoiunients. Savings* Banks. Annual amount of contributions for the Poor. | • uiuunt early ivested. • From assess- n OICMII] early idraw ment or vo- From church From Alms, Total. luntary contri- Collections. Legacies, &c. TotaL < ^.fe <^•2 bution by 1 • •• ^ Heritors. L. 100. ... ... L. 72, 6s. 8d. L.7. L. 52, 6b. 2d. L.24. L.156 2 L. 64» 4s. 4d. ■ •• ... ... L.50, L.25. L.6. 81 8 L. 89, Ids. 3d. • •• ... ... L.30. L.30. ... 60 4 L.59. • • • ... ... L. 13. L.25. L. 12. 50 5 .. 1 L.800 L,800 L.50. L.60. • • • 120 6 L.43. • • • ... ... ... L. 69, 15s. L. 15. 84 7 L.65. ■ • • ... ... No assessment- • • a Int. of L. 270. 80 8 L.30. • « • ... ... ... L. 15. Int. of L. 300. ... 9 L.45. L. 12, 15s. do- L.43. L. 20, 168. int. 90 • • • ... ... nations. L.ia2s.6d. pr 10 ... 1 L.500 L.100 ... L.50. L. '30 legacies, int. of L. 450. ... 11 L.43. • a. ..• • •• ... L. 40. L. 16. 56 12 ... ... ... • • • ... L. 55. Int. of L. 200. ... 13 ... *• • ... • •• Vol. contrib. by heritors. L.40. Int.of L. 180. ••. 14 L. 35. • • • ... • • • L.58. L.55. ... 113 15 ... ... ... • • • No assess, but vol; cootrib. L.75, 188. L. 10. ... 16 L.60. . . . ... • • • L.25. L.35. L. 3, Is. 63 17 • • • • •• ... • ■ • L.30. lL.31,12s. L.30. 90{ 8. New Luce ; 3 of the families classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic fa- milies. 10. Stranraer; 161 of the individuals classed as Dissenting are Roman Catho- lics. 1 1. Kirkcolm. The total number of families in the parish is 383 ; of these, 255 are chiefly employed in agriculture, and 50 in trade, manufactures, or handi- craft. 12. Leswalt ; 17 of the families classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic fami- lies. 13. Portpatrick ; 1 1 4 of the individuals classed in the column for Dissenters, or Seccders, are Roman Catholics ; and 24 Episcopalians. 14. Stonykirk ; 10 of the families classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic; and 2 Episcopalian. 15. Penninghame. The 833 classed as Dissenters include 9 Episcopalians, and 184 Roman Catholics. 16. Kirkowan ; 13 of the families classed as Dissenting are Roman Catholic. 17. Ktrkroaiden ; 88 of the individuals classed as Dissenters are Roman Catholics. 932 GBNERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE Table IL— Showing Extent, &c. of Parishes in County of Wigton Parish. 1. \r»ton, 2. Kiminner, 3. Sorbie, 4. Glasserton, 5. Whithorn, 6. Mochrum, 7. Old Lace» 8. New Luce, 9. Inch,' 10. Stranraer, 11. Kirkcolm, 12. Le8walt,1 13. Portpatrick, 14. Stonykirk, 15. Penninghame, 16. Kirkowan, 17. Kirkroaiden. Acres in parish. 5500 15,000 90?6 13,477 10,000 40,350 31,255 11,645 21,420 33,600 30,861 11,971 Acres culti- vated or oc- casionally in tillage. 13,500 7772 9379 10,000 26,880 30,000 12,600 10,384 6300 19,100 12,000 6802 3890 Acres un cultiva- ted. 1500 1264 4098 10,350 18,655 1261 2888 2300 21,600 24,059 8081 Ac. suppos^ capable of cultivation with profit 30 1000 120 500 1115 1200 628 Acres under wood. 300 490 315 200 350 655 300 375 600 280 240 N.B.— The acres uncultivated include those capable of cultivation and those under wood. 17. Kirkmaiden. The number of acres here stated as uncultivated in- clude those at present in pasture, amounting to 6312. The following communication on the interesting antiquity called the Deil's Dike, has been received from Mr Joseph Train, Castle- Douglas, a zealous and distinguished antiquary. '^ My attention was, for several years, occasionally occupied in tra« cing the vast rampart called the Deil's Dike through Galloway and Nithsdale. It commences at Liochryan in the farm of Beoch, near the site of the ancient city of Berigorium, where Agricola, the Roman General, had a station. * Thence it extends through the farms of Braid, Auchenvane, Kirnevarn, and Kilfedder. From Kilfedder, it takes an easterly direction from th^ farm of Derry, and passes by the north end of Loch Maberrie. It passed the old Kirk-yard of Kirkcalla; but about the commencement of the present century, the stones were carried away to make Ring Fences in the neighbourhood. In the adjoining farm of Ocheltree, this ancient structure runs from the east side of the loch to the summit of the hill, where there are the remains of a watch-tower made of very large stones. Along the whole line of the Deil's Dike, there is no other place from which a sentinel could have had such a command- ing view of the surrounding country. From the hill of Ocheltree, the dike extends along the farm of Glenvernock. Immediately * I have seen the head of a Roman spear which was found there. In Uie year 1825, this remnant of antiquity was in the possession of Mr Maokenaie of Stmnraar* 190 yards in diameter. This is evidently a hill-fort of large di- tnensioDs. In tbe fann of Knockvill, which adjoins that of Glen- dochart, the dike runs into the loch of Cree. From the opposite side of the loch, it passes through the Cumberwood, and appears again in Cordorken, in the parish of Minnigaff ; thence stretches along the hill of Blair, in the farm of Torregan, and across the moor of Dranandow, between the standing stones, called the Thieves and the Nappers. As it passes from Torregan to Dran- andow, it runs through a bog, and is only perceptible by the hea- ther growing long and close on the top of it ; whereas, on each side the soil only produces rushes and moss. Near the centre of the bog, I caused the peat to be cleared away close to the dike, and thereby found the foundation to be several feet below the surface, which appeared to me a sure indication of its great antiquity. " From the CrawSlane of Dranandow, the dike passes along the south side of the Garlick,'through the farm of Auchinleck, oTer the south side of Drigmorn, and by the foot of Tonergee. It crosses the burn of Filnure, and appears again on the sooth side of Talnetrie. It goes up Craignelder, on the farm of Corwar, passes to Craigencallie, and is yery entire in the Garrory, Clanry, Duckieston, Largrave, and Knockreach. Near the old bridge of Deuch, it appears again, and continues through the forms of Moonkaig, Aucbinsbinnoch, and hill-end of Keroch. It passes through Glencaim, Tynron, Penpont, and is nearly entire in the farm of Southmains, in the parish of Sanquhar. " Keeping the course of the great dike, Southmains is upwards of 6fty miles from Lochryan. In this distance, there are so many connecting links as to leave no doubt of this vast ruin having been conjoined. Where there is any breach in it, I was fortunate enough, in almost every instance, to 6nd old people who remember- ed the stones having been carried away from that part of the dike, to make enclosures in the neighbourhood. " From Southmains, it is said to have taken an easterly direction till it joined the lai^e dike, yet so entire at Thornithwaite, and at Hightae Flow, in the parish of Lochmaben. Thence it extended to Britton Wall, in the parish of Annan, and ran into the Solway, nearly opposite Bowness, in Cumberland, where the great wall of Adrian commenced. " Dr Clapperton of Annan, the father of the celebrated traveller of that name, traced the Deil's Dike far to the westward of 234 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. which is to be regretted, as in Dumfries-shire agriculture has made larger inroads on this old structure, than in Galloway, where the greater part of the lands through which it passes, are less suscep- tible of being disturbed by the plough. *^ This ancient fence is invariably eight feet broad at the base, with a fosse on the north or inland side of it, and seemingly, as far as stones could be procured conveniently, it is built of blocks of common moorstone, which bear no mark of either chisel or ham- mer. As it recedes from the stony district, it is built of an ad- mixture of stones and earth, or wholly of earth as at Hightae Flow. The builders of this vast rampart, have not taken advantage of na- tural barriers, such as lochs, rivers, and glens to strengthen its po- sition as a line of defence, but in Galloway it uniformly includes the fertile land to the south of it, from which circumstance, and from the fosse being on the opposite side, it appears to have been built by a people inhabiting the lower and more southern part of the district. ** The era and use of all the other great walls in the kingdom being well known, it is a singular circumstance that a work of such magnitude as the Deil's Dike should have been overlooked by historians : consequently every thing connected with its erection is involved in the darkest obscurity. It is not mentioned in the charter of any of the lands through which it passes, so far as I have been able to ascertain. Mr Chalmers, the author of Cale- donia, in a letter which I received from him, dated 16th April 1820, says, " I wish you to understand, my good Sir,' that there are questions which arise out of your communications, which jus^ tify the observations of Mr Hume, that there are questions in his- tory as difficult of solution as any in the sciences. Such is the Deil's Dike. Considering all its circumstances, it is extremely difficult to assign its age, its object, or its builders. In Ireland, there is nothing like the Deil's Dike ; the inference is, that it was not made by Irish hands. I am disposed to think that this work is several centuries older than the arrival of the Irish Cruithne or Picts in Galloway." In Caledonia, Vol. iii. page 237, alluding to the same subject, he adds, " It is obviously a very ancient work, and was probably formed by the Romanized Britons after the de- parture of the Roman armies." ^' The name of this ancient structure is an additional proof of its great antiquity, as, down to a late period in Scotland, any work of unknown origin which seemed to exceed the ordinary limits of hu- man exertion, was commonly ascribed to either the Picts, to Mi- chael Scott the wizard, or to the Master Fiend himself," INDEX. Abbey of Luce, ruins of, 68 A^ciilCure and rural «onomf, 5, 18, aO, 41, 56, 64, 72, 77, 90, 115, 126, 148, 164, 181, 197, 210— improve- nenCs in, 42, 183— of the county, ge- neral observaCiona on, 220 Alldowran glen, 123 AntiquiUeB, 2, 1£, 28, 41, 55, 61, 68, 85, 110,142, 164, 176,207 AucbUematane bum uid cascade, 135 Baldoon, caatle of, 16 Balgo»nbay,201 Balgreggao bouie, 164 Banks. 7— savings, M, 101, 160 Bankton, Lord, birth-place of, 206 BarhuUion fell, S8 Bambarrock, faniily of, 12— house, 16 Beton, Archbishop, 55 Bishop burn, the, 168 BladencKh, riiBtilleries of, 6 — village of, 6— water, 2, 11, 169, 196 Blair, Sir James Hunter. 140 Botany, 12, 26, 84, 109, 138, 171, 203 Bunman hill, 201 Bumfoot harbour, 66 Durroughead, the, 53 Coimfield, remains found at, 16 Caimhill, the, 201 Cairnpat Mil, view from, 130 CainuTan, village and harbour of, 92 Camp:, ancient, at Kirkinner, 15 — Ito- niBii, 55— Saxon, 61 Canoe, ancient, dug up at Barnkirk, 1 78 Carsecreuch castle, tuIds of, 68 Carlton feU, 38 Carty harbour, 169, 187 Castle bey, the, 132 Castle Kennedy loch, B2, 88 Castle Stewart house and loch, 41 Castle Stewart, rains of, 177 5, 16, 17, 56, 72, 89, 97, 115, 126, 145, 146, 180, 209 Church, the first Cbristian, in Scot- land, 55 Churches, Est^Hshed, see EccledaMi* ca! Statistics Clachan heugb, Ibe, 103 Clanyard castle, ruins of, 200 Clary house, ruins of, 176 Clayholc, village of, 94 Clayshank, ruins of church at, 164 Climate, see Meteorology Co', chapel and well of. 206 Coins, ancient, found at Bamees, 15 Connell locb. 103 Corrisel house, 1 79 Conbie bouse, 179 Convrall cattle, ruins of, 1 10— house, 111— point and lighthouse, 103, 112 Covenanters, persecution of the, 3, 13 Ciaig-Caffie castle, B9 Crwghlaw house, 197 Craigoch burn and loch, 134 Crammag point, 201 Cree water, the, 168 — mots, 168 Cross water of Luce, the, 66 Craggleton castte and church, ruins of, 28— point, 23 — suppressed parish of, 28 Curling, prevalence of, 89 Dairy husbandry and produce, 72 Damasks, manufactory ot, at Sorbie, 32 Deil-s dyke, account of the, 232 Dissenters and Dissenting chapels, 7, 20, 34, 49, 58, 65, 75, 79, 03, 99, 1^0, 128, 157, 166, 189, 198, 215 Distilleries, the Bladenoch, 6 Douglas, Samuel, bequest by, 190 Do Walton loch, 24 Druidical remains at Ardwell, 164— u( Catinfield, 15— at Glentcrra, 85— at 236 WIGTONSHIRE. Ecdesiaatical statistics, 6, 19, SS, 47, 68, 66, 74, 78. 92,98, 119, 127, 166, 165, 1H8, 198, 215— of the county, general view of, 228, 280 Education, statistics of, 7, 20, 34, 60, 68, 66, 76, 79, 93, 100, 123, 128, 167, 166, 190, 198, 216 Eggerness castle, 29 — point, 28 Fairs and markets, 8, 69, 76, 94, 101, 193 Fisheries, herring and sea, 8, 46, 95, 1 18, 160, 213— salmon, 32, 68, 76, 170, 186 Float*s Bay, tradition regarding origin of the name, 164 Friendly societies, 7, 69, 101, 169 Galloway house, 29--mull of, 201 Garliestbn Bay, 23— village and harbour of, 33 Garthland tower, ruins of, 164 General observationa on the county, 218 Geology and mineralogy, 11, 26,63, 67, 83, 104, 126, 136, 169 GJasserton hill, 38— house, 41— parish of, 36 Glenluce, 6^— village of, 71, 74 Glenterra, standing stones of, 86 Gordon, Bishop of Galloway, 69, 173 — Dean of Salisbury, 69^---of Gordon- stone, the historian, 69 Gounies* point, 201 Grennan bay, 201— hill, 201 Habits, see Character Herring and sea fLsheries, 8, 46, 96, 1 18, 160, 213 HiUhead, village of, 94 Hollows, remarkable, in parish of Inch, 80 Husbandry, systems of, 18, 31, 67, 117, 149, 183,211 Inch parish of, 80 Innermessan castle, 87 — moat, remains of, 86 Innerwell point and port, 23 Inns and alehouses, 21, 69, 76, 94, 101, 122, 128, 160, 166, 193,217 Isle of Whithorn, village of, 66 — har- bour 68 Johnston, William, martyr, 4 Keir chapel, site of, 176 Killantringan bay, 132 Killiemore, tradition of battle fought at, 173 — remains found at, 177 Killiness point, 201 Kilmorie chapel, ruins of, 111 Kirkbride church, ruins of. 111 Kirkinner, parish of, 9 Kirkmadrine, ancient church-yard at, 164— suppressed parish of, 22, 28 Kirkmaiden church, ruins o(, 48 — pa- risb of, 199— ministers of, from the Reformation, 206 Kirkcolm, parish of, 102 Kirkowan. parish of, 196 Laig castle, ruins of, 88 Leswalt, parish of, 123 Libraries and literature, 100, 128, 169, 191,216 Live-stock, breeds of, 19, 31, 46, 67, 72, 90, 1 16, 127, 149, 183, 197, 21 1 Livingston, Rev. John, 96 Lochnaw, 126 — castle, 126 Lochryan, 81 Lochs— Castle Kennedy, 82, 88 — Cas- tie Stewart, 41 — Connell, 103 — Craigocb, 134 — Dowalton,24 — Locb- naw, 126-— Lochryan, 81 — Logan,213 — Longcastle, 10, 1I~ Macbeary, 196 — Ravenstone, ll^Soulseat, 82 Logan fish-pond, 213 — house, 200 — ruins of, 208— mull of, 201 Longcaatle, mins of the, 10, 16, — ^loch, 10, 1 1 — suppressed pariah of, 10 Longevity, instances of, in Kiridnner, 1 1 — ^in Leiwalt, 124 Luce Abbey, 68-bay of, 61 , 66~water,67 Luce, New, parish of, 76 Luce, Old, parish of, 66 — ^improvementa in, 73 Macartney, Rev \^liam, 176 — Alexan- der, banker, 176 ^ Macbeary loch, 196 M*Creddie, Archibald, bequest by, 19^ M*CuUoch, family of, 226— Sir Godfrey, execution of, for murder, 226 M*Douall, Admiral, 206 M'Dowall, family of, 226 M'Gill, Dr William, 176 Mackenzie, Rev. Dr, of Portpatrick, 14 M'LauchUm, martyrdom of, 3, 13 M*Ward, Rev. Robert, 70 Manufactures, 6 — at Kirkowan, 198 — at Newton- Stewart, 186— in Soibie, 32 Markets, see Fairs Marriages, irregular, at Portpatrick, 140 Martyrs* tombs at Wigton, 3, 4 Maxwell of Monreith, family of, 63 Merton hall, 179 Meteorology and Climate, 10, 2d» 40, 63,81, 96, 103, 124, 133, 163, 168 Meteorologiod tables kept at Inch, 81 Miller, Georg€, 174 Milroy, John, martyrdom of, 4 Mineralogy, see Geology Minigaff chapel, 189 Mochrum, parish of, 60 — place, ruins of, 62 Monastery, Wigton, 3 Monreith house, 62-~vilIage, 47 Montlokowre hill, 201 Morroch bay, 1^ DiDunmins Ilia niui, Dtrhullion Fell, 3S — Biuiman, 201 _ Cumhill, 201 — Caimpat, ISO— Carlton FeU, 38— Gksserton, 38 — Orennan, 201 — Hontlokowre, 2G1 Mull qf OMovnj, and lifthtbouK there- on, 201-^f Logsn, 201 M;r«:^ bajr, 201 Names prevalent in Vfigum, 5 NavigsCion, sec Shipping New Luce, parish of, 76 NewtOEstewart, town of, 187 Novantes. reUcs of the. 85, 86 Old Luce, parinh of, 66 Organic remains found in the moaa, 12 Orcbardton bay, 23 Packetn, the mail, at Portpotriek, 154 Pallnialiet, extensive caves at, 23 Paik castle, ruins of, 68 Park, Rev. Jobn, 96 Paupen, sse Poor Peat cutting, efiectt of, on the «oil, 39 Peden, Alexander, the Covenanter, 76 PenninKhame house, 177, 179— parish of, 167— as compared with penod of former Account, 194 Petseculion of the 0«™_i.,^.„, is- -u,^ ^A' -, ihereudenceof St Ninian, ol — house, 41 ■ptish remains and traditions, 207 mtanton water, 67, 82, 125 Planlationi and planting, 18, 48, 90, 116, 125, 148, 163, 173,204 Poaching, prevalence of, 18 Poltanton, see Piltanton Poor, management of the, S, 20, 35, 51, 59, 65, 75. 79, 93, 100, 121, 128, 160. 166, 192, 198,216 Population retunia, 5, 16, 30, 41, 56, 64, 71, 77. 89, 96, 114, 126, 143, 164, 179, 197,209 Population of tbe county, 219 — charac- ter of, see Character Port Kale, 133 Portlogan village, 200— harbour of, 201 Portmore bay, 103 Portmurray, 132 Portnessock bay, 200, 201 Portpalrick bay, 132 — its depth and tides, 134 — harbour, 155— packets, 154— parish of, 129— town of, 153— prison, 160 Priory of Whttbom, 54 Quarries, slate, at Kiricmaidcn, 213— — Bishopbum, 168— Bladenoch,2, 1 1, 189, 196-Craigoch, 134— Cree, 168 — CrosB,66— Luce, 67— Pillanton, 67, 62, 125— Solebum, 125^Tarf, 196 Roman camp at Whithorn, 55— remains at Herton and Cree, 177 Ross, Sir John, birthplace of, 85 Rowan, Rev. Robert, 173 Rural economy, see Agriculture St Columba, 102 St Finian's chapel, rtiins of, 61 St Martin's church, 54 St Medan'g cav^ 208 St Ninian, birth-place of, 54— residence of, 97 St Ninian'i chapel, ruina of, 176 St nurick, traditionB regarding, 129 Salmon fisheries, 32, 63, 76, 170, 186 Sandhead bay, 162 Sandy bay, the, 132 Savings banks, 59, 101, 160 Scar, the, of Lochryan, 103 School, Lancasterion at Sorlne, 34 Schools, see Education Shells of Lochryan, list of the, 108 Shipping belonging to Drumore, 214 - Oarlieaton, 33 — Mochnim, 64 Port Patrick, 152— Stranraer, 98 Wiit- ton, 6 " Slate quarries, 83, 213 Societies — the agricultural of Penning- hame, 187— friendly, 7, 59, 101, 159 — the horticulluial of Penninghame, 187— religious, lOI Solebum bay, 123 — water, 125 Sorbie casUe, ruins of, 29— parish of, 22 — ancient ecclesiastical history of, 27— village, 33 Soulseat abbey, ruins of, 87— loch, 82 —suppressed parish of, 84 Springs, minenil, of Bambamich, 11 Stair family, origin of their connection with Wiglon, 69— Earl of, bctiuesl by, for the poor of Stranraer, 101— Mar- shal, 84 Stoneykirk, parish of, 162 Slmnraer, parish of, 04 — town of, 96 its shipping, 98 Symson, Rev. Andrew, 12 Synnineis castle, ruins of, 68 Tarf water, the, 106 Tides, the, in PortpatHck bay, 134 Tirally bay, 201 Torhouse, Druidical remains at, 2 238 WIGTONSHIRE. Tradeston. 94— Whithorn, 54— Wig- ton, 6 Trees, remarkable, at Sorbie, 26 Urns, head of, found in the marl, 41 Vaux, Alexander, Bishop of Galloway, la— Sir Patrick, 13 Wages, rates of, 18, 31, 47, 56, 72, 90, 116, 127, 149, 182,211 Walker, George, martyr, 4 Wallace, General Sir Alexander, 85 Weather, prognostics of the, 28, St Whithorn, parish of, 52 — ^priory, 54 — town, 54 Wigtonshire, general observations oh, 218 — ^bays of, 220 — ecclesiastical sta- tistics, 223, 230— families of, 2*2&- history, 223— origin of the name, 1, 223 Wigton bay, 11, 24 — castle, ruins of, 2 — ^monastery, 3 — ^parish of, 1 — town, 6.8 Wilson, Margaret, martyrdom of, 3* Woods, see Plantations Young, Sir Peter, 7 Zoology, 12, 25. 67, 83, 95, 108, 125, 136, 170,202 < ^ PHIKTED BY JOBK STABK, OJ.D A88EKBLY CLOSE, EDINBURGH. mm