THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES J SECOND EDITION. T H E HISTORY OF SANQUHAR BY JAMES BROWN BURGH ASSESSOR AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF THE SANQUHAR CURLING SOCIETY TO WHICH 7.S ADDED THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE DISTRICT' BY DR ANSTRUTHER DAVIDSON DUMFRIES: J. ANDERSON & SON EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW : JOHN MENZIES & CO. 1891 PRINTED AT THE COURIER AND HERALD OFFICES, DUMFRIES. "8. nl. l r if ( i ti i v i It; 8-90 s^ ! n n M {< i , j i f ( r CHAPTER I. TOPOGRAPHY. ^ANQUHAR is situated on the left bank of the Nith, twenty-six miles north-west of Dumfries. The Parish is eighteen miles in length, by five miles in breadth, and embraces an area of above sixty-one square miles. The Nith, which takes its rise in Ayrshire, a few miles above New Cumnock, passes into Dumfriesshire at a point eight miles north-west of Sauquhar, by an opening in the chain of hills which skirts the northern boundary of the county, and terminates in Corsancone, the hills on the west side of the valley being linked with the great Galloway range. Having traversed the parish of Kirkconnel for a distance of seven miles, the river enters the parish of Sanquhar at the point where it is joined by Crawick. This stream forms the boundary between the two parishes on the east side of the valley, while on the west they are divided by Kello, which flows into Nith two miles higher. On the right bank the ground rises gradually to a range of hills which runs parallel to the course of the river. These hills are very uniform in height, and are smooth and green to their summits. They contain two prin- cipal eminences, the Black Lorg, 2890, and Cairnkinnow, 1813 feet in height. At the back of the range, and overlooking Scaur, is the tremendous precipice of Glenwhargen, rising almost perpendicularly to the height of about 1000 feet. The Black Lorg stands at the north-west corner of the county. Forming, as it does, the water-shed of this region, 2 History of Sanquhar. the sources of several streams are to be found here, giving rise to the rhyme " Euchan, Scaur, Kello, and Ken A' rise oot o' ae wee hill-en'. " Kello, as has been said, forms the boundary between Sanquhar and Kirkconnel, while Euchan, taking a more southerly course, drains the west side of Sanquhar parish, and falls into Nith just opposite the town. Near the head of Euchan there is on the summit of the hill above Glenglass, Polvaird Loch, a sheet of water a little over three acres in extent, and unique both in its situation and appearance. It is situated on the top of a hill 1800 feet above sea-level. It is in shape a parallelogram, not quite rectangular, two of the opposite corners being drawn out on the line of the diagonal. Its sides are so regular as to give the impression of its having been the work of man, but it is one of the mountain-tarns, which are so common a feature of Scottish scenery. This loch has no surface feeder except the rainfall which may find its way into the little basin in which it lies. It is, however, undoubtedly fed by springs, as is evidenced by the fact that, notwithstanding its great elevation, it is never quite frozen over even in the severest winter. Nor had it any natural overflow except what trickled through some marshy ground on the north-west side into the head of Polvaird Burn, which flows down to Euchan, till some years ago a ditch was dug connecting it with the burn, whereby its depth was reduced and its area somewhat restricted. This was done by the then tenant of the farm of Barr, on which the loch lies, on account of his having suffered the loss of a sheep by drowning in its waters. Polvaird contains very few fish. Efforts have been made from time to time to stock it with trout, a number having been transferred from the neighbouring Euchan, but they do not appear to thrive ; at all events, the angler's art is plied with scant success. There are several rude curling-stones, with primi- Hitsto'ry of Sattqukwr. 3 tive handles, lying on its banks; and to prevent the credulous antiquary of a future time from constructing some wonderful theory on the existence of these stones, it may be explained that they were carried up by the family of one of the shep- herds on Euchan water, in order that they might have the opportunity of enjoying Scotland's " roaring game " in the only possible place in this region. Towards the end of last century, this country-side was robbed of much of its natural beauty by the despicable policy of the last Duke of Queensberry. He had no issue, and, it is supposed, to spite the collateral branch of the family who were to succeed him, doomed to destruction the woods on the estate. It does seem that the Duke had been animated by some such malicious, spiteful motive, for had the raising of money merely been his object, he would have confined the fell work of destruction to the enclosed woods and plantations, which were of some commercial value, whereas we find that not even the bonnie glens were spared, but that they were robbed of their adornment of natural wood. It was at this time that one of the sides of the Euchan was cleared, but, fortunately, the other had not been overtaken when the old Duke's death occurred, and then the work was promptly put an end to. The following verses were found written on a window-shutter of a small inn on the banks of the Nith soon after this district, one of the finest in the south of Scotland, had been thus disfigured to gratify an unworthy passion. It is not unlikely that they were written, as has been supposed, by Burns, as he was given to scribbling down his effusions in such places : " As on the banks of wandering Nith Ae smiling morn I strayed, And traced its bonnie howes and haughs, Where Unties sang and lambkins played, I sat me down upon a craig, And drank my fill o' fancy's dream, When, from the eddying pool below, Up rose the genius of the stream. 4 History of Sanquhar. Dark, like the frowning rock, his brow, And troubled, like his wintry wave, And deep, as sighs the boding wind Among his caves, the sighs he gave : ' And cam' ye here, my son,' he cried, ' To wander in my birken shade ? To muse some favourite Scottish theme, Or sing some favourite Scottish maid ? There was a time, it's nae lang syne, Ye might hae seen me in my pride ; When a' my weel-clad banks could see Their woody pictures in my tide ; When hanging beech and spreading elms Shaded my streams sae clear and cool, And stately oaks their twisted arms Threw broad and dark across the pool. When, glittering through the trees, appeared The wee white cot aboon the mill, And peaceful rose its ingle reek That slowly curling clamb the hill. But now the cot is bare and cauld, It's branchy shelter's lost and gane, And scarce a stinted birch is left To shiver in the blast its lane. ' ' Alas,' said I, ' what wofu' chance Has tyned ye o' your stately trees ? Has laid your rocky bosom bare 1 Has stripped the cleading aff your braes ? Was it the bitter eastern blast That scatters blight in early spring ? Or was't the wil' fire scorched their boughs, Or canker-worm wi' secret sting ?' ' Nae eastern blast,' the sprite replied ; It blaws nae here sae fierce and fell ; And on my dry and halesome banks Nae canker-worms get leave to dwell. Man ! cruel Man !' the genius sighed, As through the cliffs he sank him down, The worm that gnawed my bonnie trees That reptile wears a Ducal Crown. ' " In spite, however, of the extent to which Euchan was thus disrobed of much of its beauty, it is a bounie glen. A good History of Sanquhar. 5 road runs along almost its entire length, and no pleasanter walk on a summer day could be desired. It is necessary to offer a word of caution to visitors by informing them that this glen is infested with adders. These snakes are frequently to be seen basking themselves on the sunny brae which forms the left bank of the stream. They measure about 18 inches and even more in length. The careless walker might readily step on one of them, for in pails the ground is covered with deep heather, but this would be a case of " caught napping," for the adder at the sound of human footstep glides rapidly out of sight. He will not stand his ground, far less offer attack, unless he be come upon unexpectedly and find his retreat cut off. But the danger is more imaginary than real, for there is no record of any accident through adder-bite there. There is excellent trout fishing in the tributaries of the Nith, and particularly in Euchan. During last year, up to the month of June, one angler alone caught over one hundred dozen of fair size, all the smaller being returned to the water. There is nothing particularly noteworthy about the hills in the upper part of Euchan glen, unless it be what is known as the Banyan Crag, a little above the Bank dyke. This Crag presents a bold, precipitous front several hundred feet in height. While the water of Crawick and Mennock is remarkably clear and limpid, Euchan, particularly when it is in flood, pours down a volume of water embrowned with peat, which forms dark, mysterious pools, and shews a fine rich colour where it tosses impetuously over its rocky bed. For two miles above its outlet the course of this stream is most picturesque. Ceasing at the farm-house of Old Ban- to flow, as it has done from its source, in the open, it enters between walls of rock, through which it has, in the course of ages, worn a deep channel, washing the whinstone perfectly smooth, and into the most fantastic shapes. One cascade after another, with dark, deep narrow pools between, forms a most striking and charming picture. When in flood the Euchan here roars and thunders like a miniature Niagara, 6 History o and a peep of the " Deil's Dungeon " for so this part is named can only be obtained from one point or another of the overhanging crag ; but on a summer day, when the volume of water is small in comparison, a splendid view of the " Dungeon " can be obtained by descending to the bed of the stream by a steep narrow path at the point where that dark gruesome gullet ceases. Here the stream parts into two, leaving a spacious level rock in the centre quite dry. This rock can be easily enough reached from either side by- creeping along the bank till where the parted stream is at the narrowest, and a short step lands one safely. It is well worth the trouble of the descent. The rocks rise up in huge masses on either side, and are crowned with trees, which swing their arms over the overhanging ledge. Looking up, one sees the water sweep round a bend, which forms the limit of the view, turning the whole into a sort of chamber. It tumbles over a large rock, which still obstructs its progress, and then sweeps down as if it would carry one away, but presently, being no longer fretted by any barrier, it finds ample room for itself in a dark pool, and then parting, it glides swiftly and silently past in two black narrow channels. But for the difficulty of access this would form an admirable place for a pic-nic. A little distance below the " Deil's Dungeon " the stream again passes through a long channel of rock not more than three or four feet wide, which bears the name of " The Lover's Loup." The name is probably associated with a long- forgotten tradition ; as it is, the leap across, though not a great one, tries the nerve of him who performs it, for the water, dark as Erebus and of profound depth, fascinates the eye, and is apt to render the head giddy. Immediately under " The Lover's Loup " we come to what are known as the " Drappin' Linns," where the freestone first makes its appearance. These Linns are on the east side of the stream, where the soft rock towers up to a height of forty feet or so, and overhangs the river bed in a picturesque manner ; the History of SanquJiar. 7 name which it has received being derived from the water which continually drips from the roof of this cave-like recess. The footpath up the bank of the stream runs over the top of the linns on a narrow ledge, and the trepidation, caused as one passes along this dangerous path at the sight of the overhanging precipice, would be increased were it known, as it is not to every one, that the whole mass has such an apparently slender hold. The course of the water now reveals the change that has taken place in the rock strata. It runs over beds of freestone, and traces of the coal measures become discernible. The rock on the edge of the field is very soft in texture, yielding readily to the influence of the waters, by which it is worked into the most curious forms, as, for example, at the " Drappin' Linns " above mentioned, and the " Pamphy Linns," a short distance across the moor. The Falls of Euchan, a little farther down, present a face of freestone, fifteen or twenty feet thick ; while a short distance down stream, the rock is found very hard and compact. The colour being a very light grey, it has been quarried on an extensive scale for building purposes. From it the material for the new bridge over the Nith, built in 1855, was obtained. Just opposite Euchan Falls, on the west side, tradition says there was once a waulk-mill. There are certainly traces of what appears to have been a mill-race, whereby the water had been diverted for some industrial purpose. Near the same place, and on the same bank, are the remains of a cottage or cottages, probably in connection with the mill. In the glen of Euchan there are the ruins of quite a number of houses, but this is an example only of what is to be seen in all directions, and affords proof of the extent to which depopulation has been carried on in our country districts. Between the Falls and the quarry stands an object of anti- quarian interest. In the angle formed by the junction of the Barr Burn with Euchan is a ridge, pretty steep on the Barr Burn side, and perfectly inaccessible from the Euchan, the rocks rising there like a wall. A position like this, with 8 History of Sanquhar. exceptional means of defence of a natural kind, could not escape the eye of the dwellers of that early time, and so we find that it was once a stronghold bearing the name of Kemp's Castle. A more detailed description of this spot will be found in the chapter on the antiquities of the district. On the Barr Burn are the " Pamphy Linns " curious and interesting, but not so imposing as the name by which they have been dignified would lead one to expect. They are, however, well worth a visit. There being no road up the barn, the visitor must proceed by the Barr and Barr Moor house. Passing round behind the latter one must strike straight across the field towards the wood in front, where a gate in the dyke gives him entrance to the wood, through which the burn here pursues its course. The Linns are formed by the action, on the soft freestone, of the two small burns, which at the foot join to form the Barr Burn, by which it has been carved into the most grotesque forms. The rock lies near the surface, and the burn having washed away its slight covering of soil has worn a channel narrow and ever deepening. Curiously enough, the lower stratum of rock is much softer than the portion overlying it. Thus it is, that so soon as the water had worn its way through the upper stratum, the lower was scooped out on all sides when the burn was in flood, leaving the harder upper rock over- hanging these subterranean chambers in the most wonderful manner. The rock had originally stretched across the course of both burns, and each had cut its way through, leaving the centre part towering up intact between them. When the wood was enclosed about forty years ago, there was perpe- trated what some will regard as a piece of vandalism, for, with no regard to the romantic beauty of this secluded spot, the rocks were torn down and carted away for the construc- tion of the dyke. It was a wanton act, too, for the same rock lies all round in the fields quite near to the surface, and it stripped the "Pamphy Linns" of much of their former glory. We have been thus particular in giving the approach to History of Sanqukar. 9 these linns because, like many of the natural beauties to be met with in moorland districts, they migh't, being all under the level of the ground, be passed unobserved by any one riot acquainted with their locality. The same natural operation is to be seen on a larger scale at Oichope Linns, near Thornhill, where the rock, being of the same description, like results have been produced by the water's influence. Not a hundred yards from the foot of the road which leads to Euchan quarry, and which thereafter continues up the side of the stream as a footpath, there issues from the face of the rocky bank a spring known as Euchan Well, or Baird's Well Baird, who resided in the little cottage at the opening of the road, being a " character " in his way. That the spring has a deep source is evident from the fact that the quantity of water issuing from it is not affected by the rainfall, nor is its temperature by the season, the latter quality giving rise to the popular notion, which applies to many deep springs, that it is coldest in summer and warmest in winter that being so only in imagination, and caused by the contrast which its equable temperature presents to the prevailing temperature of other objects. Some years ago attention was drawn to the character of this well, which is of the chalybeate class. The analysis will be found at the end of this chapter. Numbers of people professed to having found its water to be valuable in its tonic and other properties. It was opened out, a pipe inserted, by which the water is now discharged, a drinking cup attached to the rock, and a gravelled footpath constructed alongside the road leading past it. Dreams were cherished of the possible revival of the prosperity of Sanquhar, which was in a sadly reduced state, owing, first, to the closing of the carpet works at Crawick Mill, and next, to the decay of the handloom weaving, which was driven to the wall by the introduction of machinery. It was hoped that, with this medicinal spring and all the attractions of pure air and charming scenery, Sanquhar 2 10 History of&anquhar. might become a popular health resort, but that hope has not been realised as yet to any great extent. There are few districts in Scotland which can be compared with that of Upper Nithsdale, of which Sanquhar is the centre, for all that goes to make a desirable summer resort. The description which is here given of its topographical features will give the reader an idea, however imperfect, of its wealth of natural beauty a beauty which embraces every element of mountain and plain, hill and dale, forest glade and dark ravine, lonely moor and cultivated holm- lands, roaring cataract and placid pool, breezy upland and bosky glen the whole invested with an historical interest of no common order. What besides increases the attractions of the district to the visitor is the almost absolute and unre- strained freedom to be enjoyed. Notices of " Trespassers will be prosecuted," " Keep to the road," and others of a like nature, by which a selfish and exclusive landlordism would seek to deprive the general public of enjoyments which are the heritage of humanity, are nowhere to be seen. In this respect the Duke of Buccleuch, and, following his example, the other landed proprietors of the district, have allowed to all the liberty to roam wheresoever they list. In this and other respects the family of Buccleuch have, constantly in their-relations with the public, set an example of unselfishness and kindly feeling, which were it more widely imitated would go far to soften the antagonism that has oftentimes been created between class and class by those petty and irritating restrictions upon the exercise of privi- leges which are the source of the purest delight to the people, and which neither invade the natural rights nor injure the interests of the possessors of the soil in any conceivable way. It is evident that considerable changes have occurred in the course of the River Nith and some of its tributary streams. Gradual changes are common enough in most river courses, and are usually caused by the detrition of the History of Sanqufiar. 1 1 banks from the action of the waters. Within recent times Nith has made serious inroads, for example, on its right hank just below the Bridge, and opposite the Washing Green, the river now running much farther south, and in a deeper channel, than it did within the memory of the present generation ; but we refer to what must have been a sudden and complete change of course, the result, probably, of a more than ordinarily heavy flood. Judging from the con- figuration and the constitution of the soil, which is very gravelly, Crawick, when it had reached the open valley, instead of pursuing a straight westerly course till it was received into the bosom of the larger stream, must at one time have swept round in a more southerly direction, skirting the base of the plateau which is here formed, and on which the Manse stands, and have joined Nith about the farmhouse of Blackaddie, if not farther down. Then, with regard to Nith itself, we conclude on similar grounds that its course opposite Sanquhar has undergone a material alteration. On the left bank, from where the Old Bridge crossed the river at the foot of the Washing Green to the King's Scaur, a distance of a mile, the ground rises quite precipitously to a height of 100 feet. This line of cliffs is known as the Brae- heads, and there can be little doubt that at one time Nith flowed close to their base all the way. The line takes a somewhat sharp bend at a certain point, and here it is that the river, swollen to an unusual height, had burst its southern bank, and pursued its headlong career through the alluvial plain. It was speedily checked, however, in its wayward course, for the cliff at the Mains Pool stood in its way. There it was compelled to turn again towards the east, and after a graceful curve and sweep round the Mains Holm, it regained its ancient course at the King's Scaur. It is on the edge of the cliffs above mentioned that the Castle of Sanquhar stands. The ancient strongholds which are scattered all over the country are generally found built on positions of natural strength, presenting as great 1 2 History of Sanquhar. difficulty of attack as possible. The position of Sanquhar Castle on this, the south-west side was thus well protected, and with the river running at the base of the cliff it would be practically unassailable. Proceeding southwards, the valley contracts, the hills rising abruptly on both sides from the river, which now loses its general character of a broad, smooth-flowing stream, and is confined within a narrow rocky channel, its course for several miles being marked by a succession of rushing rapids and long, deep, dark pools. Its banks are here in many parts densely wooded, and with- out doubt this is the most picturesque part, of the whole of Nithsdale. Indeed, the road from Sanquhar to Thornhill, which runs close to the river the greater part of the way, is one of the most charming walks or drives in the whole South of Scotland. A grand and most commanding view of this part of the valley can be obtained from the railway, which is cut out of the hill-side high above the bed of the river, and travellers whose attention may be drawn to it at the proper moment are enthusiastic in their praise of the charming combination of woodland and stream. In leafy June the trees overhanging its banks oak, birch, and hazel, with many a bush and shrub between spread a mantle of green so thick as almost to entirely screen the river from view, as it tosses and foams down its rocky channel or glides slowly along smooth deep reaches; but in October the scene has a fresh charm, for the trees put on their autumn tints, and the eye is delighted with the glory of the woods with all their endless variety of brown and red. Nowhere is this aspect of nature to be witnessed in greater perfection than on the finely-wooded estate of Eliock, which, in addition to its plantations of larch and spruce, possesses a fair stock of natural woods. The first notable specimens are a pair of Scotch firs growing at the road-side close to the Lodge, which measure nine feet round the base. These are typical specimens of the Scotch fir, being straight and clean for fifty feet from the ground, and surmounted by a shaggy History of Sanquhar. 13 head of dark green branches. Close to them stands a fine example of spruce, of the same girth, and 100 feet in height. A still better grown specimen, of the same height, but measuring twelve feet, stands majestically in front of Eliock House, while another, even more stoutly built, tapes 172 inches round the butt. A splendid ash adorns the avenue, whose wide-spreading branches cover a circle seventy feet in diameter, while a beech is not far distant under whose umbrageous shade a very large party might find shelter from a noon-day sun, the area embraced being 240 feet in circumference. The outlook from the house, of noble trees of this description, has a singular grace lent to it by the magnificent specimens of weeping birch which are scattered over the policies. Individual trees of this variety are to be seen nine feet in girth and 80 feet in height. They are built in elegant and symmetrical fashion, and form a beau- tiful feature of the landscape. These birches with their spreading branches, from which hang pendant long lace- like tendrils, are an engaging sight at any season, but when covered with hoar-frost glistening in the sunlight of a winter morning like a thousand diamond points they form a brilliant spectacle. Perhaps the most notable of all in the whole woods, however, is a magnificent row of silver firs, seventeen in number, which stand in line on the top of a slightly raised bank not far from the house, and flanking the main park. They are, without exception, grand examples of their kind, averaging 100 feet in height, and, standing shoulder to shoulder, show an unbroken mass of foliage from one end to the other. The one which stands at the eastern flank of the line slightly over-tops its neighbours, and measures eighteen feet at the ground. What a pity, one feels, that they had not been planted along the avenue, where a double row would have given to the approach to the house a dignity and character which it lacks. Standing where they .do, however, they look stately and imposing when viewed from a little distance. A little way up 14 History of Sanquhar. the hill brings us into a part of the wood where oaks grow unusually straight and clean. One shoots up like an arrow for twenty feet from the ground, and is fourteen feet ill girth. Strange to say, a large proportion of the finer trees on this estate are planted in out-of-the-way situations, but a lover of forestry will find himself delighted with a ramble through the woods. On the left bank of the river farther down lies dark Auchensell, the terror of all travellers by road in the olden time, with which is associated many a story of highway robbery and of uncanny sights to be there seen in the dark winter nights. These traditions and superstitions (for the most part they were nothing more) have given way before the advance of education and enlightenment ; still his is a stout heart which does not beat faster as he finds himself plunged in its gloomy depths. On the slope of the hill near Auchensell stands the ancient Church of Kirkbride, belonging to the pre-Reformation period. Kirkbride was long a separate parish. It lay mainly on the east side of the Nith, between the parishes of Sanquhar and Durisdeer, but there were also included within its bounds the lands of Craigdar- roch, Twenty-shilling, Hawcleughside, Rowantreeflat, and Little Mark, all on the estate of Eliock, on the opposite side of the water. The old Church is beautifully situated on the western side of the glen of Enterkin, opposite the farm- house of Cosh ogle. From the shoulder of the ridge imme- diately below the Church, just where the Nith takes a sharp bend in its course, the most extensive view possible of the valley is to be obtained. This is the only point, unless one climbs to a great height, whence Corsancone, at the head of the valley, on the borders of Ayrshire, and Criffel overlooking the Solway at the mouth of the river, a stretch of forty miles can be taken in by the eye. Crossing to the opposite side of the Nith, and looking to the north-east from the crest of Drumlanrig Ridge, another grand and most striking view of the ^district is to be had. So abruptly does the Ridge rise History of Sanquhar. 15 from the water's edge, and so narrow is the valley, that one feels as if he might toss a stone across to the other side of the glen. The lower reaches of the ground are spread out beneath the feet ; the comfortable farm-houses and cottages with which the country-side is dotted can be easily picked out, and every little ravine and bosky dell lies plainly revealed to the eye. Immediately opposite, the old Kirk- bride Kirk stands, as has been said, pleasantly situated on the green hill-side, its hoary ruins carrying us back in memory to the Reformation period and the times of the Covenant. The yawning mouth of Enterkin Pass is dark and gloomy, and draws the eye upwards to where the mighty Lowthers lift their broad shoulders to the sky. Eastward, the Durisdeer hills on the one side of the Carron soft and green, and on the other black and frowning show us in the back-ground the opening of the famous Dalveen Pass and the Wall path, while to the south the valley of the Nith is spread out in panoramic beauty, forming a picture that the eye delights to rest upon. Nowhere in the southern highlands can a scene be viewed of such an extensive range, and embrac- ing such contrasts of rugged mountain and gloomy pass, rolling upland and fruitful field, trickling rivulet and burn, fringed with birch and hazel, moss and fern, and broad-bosomed river sweeping through rich woodland and meadow. On the translation in 1727 of Peter Rae, its last minister, and a famous man of his time, to Kirkconnel, Kirkbride was merged by the Lords Commissioners of Teinds in the neighbouring parishes of Sanquhar and Durisdeer. The Water of Mennock having been the boundary between Kirk- bride and Sauquhar, it was at this time that Dalpeddar, Glenim, and a small portion of Coshogle were added to the latter parish. The Auld Kirk of St. Bride had long been regarded by the country folks as a particularly holy spot : the disjunction of the parish, therefore, caused a considerable feeling of resentment, and burials were continued in the Kirkyard long after religious service in the Church had 16 History of Sanquhar. ceased indeed, burials still occur, at rare intervals, of people who have long been connected with the district, and whose ancestors lie in this " bonnie Kirkyard." The ruins of the Kirk continued to be held in great veneration, and according to the superstitious notions of the age no good could come to anyone who interfered with the sacred fabric. As an example of this, it was firmly believed that the untimely death of the redoubtable Abraham Crichton, Provost of Sanquhar, who fell from his horse at Dalpeddar and broke his neck, was to be attributed to the fact that he had impiously threatened to destroy the ancient edifice, declaring " I'll sime ding doon the Whigs' sanctuary." For some time after his burial in Sanquhar Churchyard his troubled spirit moved abroad, and was a terror to the young girls, at whom it grinned over the Kirkyard dyke as they passed to the milking of their cows. At last these cantrips could be no longer endured, and, after a chain had been fixed over his grave to keep him down, but without effect, more spiritual means were adopted, and the services of an eminently godly man, the Rev. Mr Hunter of Penpont, were invoked. This worthy minister had "personal dealings " with the ghost. Whether the restless spirit found peace by a full confession of sins committed while in the body, or whether it was rebuked with authority and power by this man of God, and commanded to forsake for ever the realms of the living, and confine itself to its own native shades, can never be known. No mortal ear listened to the solemn interview, but the palpitating hearts of the maidens were composed, and Abraham's ghost ceased from troubling. For the last twenty years or so, from time to time, an open-air sermon has been preached at Kirkbride on the first Sabbath of July, in commemoration of the Cove- nanters' struggle, and with the object of raising funds for'the repair of the Churchyard wall, which was fast becoming dilapidated. An occasional sermon was preached prior to that period, for Dr (then Mr) Simpson, of Sanquhar, the historian of the Covenanters, did preach at the Auld Kirk History of Sanquhar. 17 about sixty years ago. The choice of a suitable text caused the preacher much concern, and during a walk with Dr Purdie, with whom, being still unmarried, he then lodged, he said that he had searched diligently, but could not fix upon one that satisfied him. ' Aye, man, Robert," answered the Doctor, " there's surely no mickle in yer heid. What do you think of this for your text, " Our fathers worshipped in this mountain ? " " Oh, man," replied the minister, " that's the very thing, Doctor ; " and upon these suggestive words he, when the day came, preached what was then described as a grand sermon, and which was held in remembrance in the countryside for many a day. The Pass of Enterkin, which here runs into the Nith valley, with its wildness and solitude, was visited by Dr John Brown, of Edinburgh, the author of " Rab and His Friends," who wrote the following description of it. It will be well, however, to explain that Dr Brown descended the glen contrary to the usual practice, which is to ascend lest any visitor should, after reading the description, experience the same perplexity that befel a traveller, who ascended, in identifying its features as therein given. He was about to conclude that the paper more correctly represented the fertile imagination of the writer than the actual facts, when the thought flashed upon him that he might be traversing the scene in the opposite direction to that followed by the learned doctor. Having reached the top, he retraced his steps, and then all was plain and intelligible : " We are now nearing the famous Enterkin Pass ; a few steps and you are on its edge, looking down giddy and amazed into its sudden and immense depths. We have seen many of our most remarkable glens and mountain gorges Glencroe and Glencoe Glen Nevis, the noblest of them all the Sma' Glen, Wordsworth's Glen Almain (Gleualmond), where Ossian sleeps, the lower part of Glen Lyon, and many others of all kinds of sublimity and beauty but we know nothing more noticeable, more unlike any other place, more impressive than this short, deep, narrow, and sudden glen. There is only room for its own stream at its bottom, and the sides rise in one smooth and all but perpendicular ascent to the height, on the left, of 1895, Thirstane Hill, and on the right of 1875, the 3 18 History of Sanguhar. exquisitely moulded Stey Gail or Steep Gable so steep that it is no easy matter keeping your feet, and if you slip you might just as well go over a bona-fide mural precipice. This sense of personal fear has a fairly ideal- istic effect upon the mind, makes it impressionable and soft, and greatly promotes the after enjoyment of the visit. The aforesaid Stey Gail makes one dizzy to look at it such an expanse of sheer descent. If a sheep dies when on its side, it never lies still, but tumbles down into the biirn ; and when we were told that Grierson of Lag once rode at full gallop along its slope after a fox, one feels it necessary to believe that either he or his horse were of Satanic lineage. No canny man or horse could do this and live. "After our first surprise, we were greatly struck with the likeness of the place to a picture of it by Mr Harvey, exhibited in our Academy in 1846, and now in Mr Campbell of Blythswood's collection. This was one of this great painter's first landscapes, and gives the spirit, the idea of the place with wonderful truth and beauty its solemnity and loneliness, its still power, its gentle gloom, its depth and height, its unity, its sacred peace. ' It is not quiet, is not ease, But something deeper far than these ; The separation that is here Is of the grave ; and of austere Yet happy feeling of the dead.' We have heard that the artist, who sat alone for hours sketching, got so eerie, so overpowered with the loneliness and silence that he relieved himself from time to time by loud shouts, and was glad to hear his own voice or anything. It must be a wonderful place to be alone in on a mid- summer's midnight, or at its not less bewitching noon. ' In such a glen as this, on such a day, A poet might in solitude recline ; And, while the hours unheeded stole away, Gather rich fancies in the art divine : Great thoughts that float through Nature's silent air, And fill the soul with hope, and love, and prayer.' " This Entevkin Pass is cut deep into the great range of mountains which, encircling the northern border of the County of Dumfries, culminate overhead in the Lowthers, a great and imposing mass. From the summit of the Lowthers, at a height of 2400 feet ; a view is to be obtained unsurpassed in its range and its diversity of feature. It comprehends the greater part of the southern counties of Scotland. The valleys of the Nith arid the Annan lie under the fet, spread out in all their expanse of cultivated beauty ; the head History of Sa nqukar. \ y waters of the Tweed and Clyde are seen starting as little trickling rills on their journey to the sea ; the dark brow of Skiddaw is visible as he stands head and shoulders above the mighty group by which he is surrounded, and which do him reverence ; while to the west the hills of Galloway stretch away like a billowy sea as far as the eye can reach. . The extensive panorama also includes the Firth of Clyde and Goatfell, and the mighty Ben Lomond. The view, whether for extent or magnificence, undoubtedly rivals that to be obtained from any of the loftiest eminences in the whole kingdom. In the superstitious times, reaching down to a compara- tively recent period, the right of Christian burial was denied to suicides, and the corpse was dragged with every circum- stance of ignominy and disgrace to some lonely spot, as if the poor creature were an outcast from both heaven and earth. For this purpose the summit of the Lowthers, which, being on the boundaries of two counties, and also of the lands of three lairds, was regarded as a sort of " No man's land," was a place chosen for the burial of suicides. The scene is depicted with graphic power by Dr John Brown in his interesting paper on " Euterkin " thus : "The bodies were brought from great distances all round, and, in accordance with the dark superstitions of the time, the unblest corpse was treated with curious indignity no dressing with grave-clothes, no atrie.kmy of the pitiful limbs the body was thrust with the clothes it was found in into a rude box, not even shaped like a coffin, and hurried away on some old shattered cart or sledge with ropes for harness. One can imagine the miserable procession as it slunk, often during night, through the villages, and past the farmsteads, every one turning from it as abhorred. Then, arrived at this high and desolate region, the horse was taken out, and the weary burden dragged with pain up to its resting place, carried head- foremost as in despite ; then a shallow hole dug, and the long uncouth box pushed in the cart and harness left to rot as accursed. The white human bones may sometimes be seen among the thick, short grass ; and one that was there more than fifty years ago remembers, with a shudder still, coming when crossing that hill-top upon a small outstretched hand, as of one crying from the ground ; this one little hand, with its thin fingers held up to heaven, as if in agony of supplication or despair. What a sight seen against the spotless sky, or crossing the disc of the waning moon !" 20 History of Sanqukar. And what a commentary upon that harsh, stern time. A very striking example of how, actuated by a supposed religious feeling, men will be guilty of acts which we now hold to be an outrage upon natural feeling and a denial of all Christian charity ; for there is little doubt that a false religious sentiment underlay the harsh and contemptuous treatment to which the corpse of the poor unfortunate who> bereft of reason, took his life into his own hands, was sub- jected. Trained in a hard Calvinistic creed, the men of that age regarded the taking of one's own life as an interference with God's decree, and, therefore, as one of the most impious acts before high heaven of which a human being could be guilty. But they must not be judged too quickly when we consider how short is the time since an enlightened medical science, with a better understanding of the philosophy of the human mind, first taught us that these poor creatures were proper objects, not of hatred and scorn, but of loving and tender consideration, and to turn our lunatic asylums from what they had hitherto been, penal settlements, whose miserable inmates were subjected to cruelties of a fearful kind, into institutions where they should be regarded with Christian pity and sympathy, and no effort spared to irradiate their dark and disordered intellects with light and cheerful- ness. From the summit of the Braeheads, to which reference has been made, the ground stretches back for the distance of half a mile, and on this plateau the town of Sanquhar stands. Immediately behind the town, the ground Takes a sudden rise till it reaches a height of between 700 and 800 feet, .whence it stretches right away to the base of the mountain range which runs along the northern boundary of the county. The tributaries of the Nith on the east side are Crawick ' and Mennock. Mr Glenuie, in his " Arthuriana," which treats of matters connected with the half-mythical, half -real character, King Arthur, thinks that there are traces of his presence in this district. In the " Book of Taliessin " History of Sanqukar. 21 meation is made of Caer Ry we, probably referring to Crawick, a name formed from Caer Rawick. Crawick, as has already been said, forms the boundary between the parishes of Sanquhar and Kirkconnel. It rises among the hills, eight miles or thereby to the north-east. At first a tiny rivulet, it runs only a short distance till it assumes the dimensions of /'&, considerable stream, by the accession at the same point of two tributaries Spango, from the west, and Wanlock from the east. The rocks in the district watered by Crawick and Mennock are blue whinstoue, and as scarcely any of the surrounding lands are cultivated, but are chiefly pastoral hills, the water of both is particularly clear, and where broken and fretted by obstructing rock is lashed into foam of snowy whiteness. While Crawick itself, in its upper part, presents no features of any particular interest, the fall in its course being very gentle and gradual, the glen deserves more than a passing notice, both for its physical features and on histori- cal grounds. In descending the glen, the eye is first arrested by the bold face of Craignorth, a precipitous hill rising from the bed of the stream to a great height. There is a story connected with this hill, which, like many another from that period, makes considerable demands upon one's credulity. It is alleged that, on one occasion, when a Covenanter was being hotly pursued by Claverhouse, " the bloody Clavers," as he was accustomed to be called by the " persecuted flock," and could find no place of retreat where he could secrete him- self, turned his footsteps towards Craiguorth, and sought to put a stop to the pursuit by picking his way around the hill face. Claverhouse, who was pressing him hard, never hesi- tated for a moment, so the story goes, but rode his horse round the perilous slope. A dare-devil ride certainly, and requiring more than human courage, but it is incredible ; only it is just the sort of performance which is likely to be attributed by the Covenanting party to one whom they regarded as in league with the Evil One. The Crawick glen is deep and narrow, as are all the glens 22 History of Sanquhan of this district, there being space at the bottom for nothing but the road and the stream. The hills on either side are of considerable height, and at various points present to the eye combinations at once striking and picturesque. A compre- hensive view of the beauties of the glen is to be obtained from the eastern side of Knockenhair, which is itself one of the most remarkable features of the locality. It is a conical- shaped hill, the sloping edge of both sides being of great regularity and terminating in a sharp peak, which is sur- mounted by a cairn. It stands alone, too, being quite detached from any of the hills by which it is surrounded, its appearance giving the suggestion of volcanic origin. The top of Knockenhair has always been a favourite site for a bonfire on the occasion of public rejoicings. The last instance of the kind was on the'comiug of age of Lord Eskdaill, son and heir of the then Earl of Dalkeith and present Duke of Buccleuch, who lost his life not long after by the accidental discharge of his gun while out deer-stalking in the Lochiel country. This hill is so situated in the valley that from its summit a view can be obtained of the entire course of the Nith through Dumfriesshire, and also, on a favourable day, of the Cumberland hills on the far side of the Solway, with the waters of the Firth gleaming in the sunshine between. On the opposite side of the glen from Knockenhair stands Carco Hill, one of the loftiest eminences, and of almost equal height with the Bale Hill, a little farther west. Along the base of Carco Hill runs the Orchard Burn, where is to be seen an unique specimen of boulder. It is of enormous size, many tons in weight, and is a rare specimen of the boulders or rolling-stones, which are supposed by geologists to have been transported on the ice during the glacial period, and deposited in out-of-the-way places. To use a popular Sanquhar phrase, this is an " in-comer," not belonging originally to the locality, but, if its size and situation be taken into account, it is likely bo remain where it is, undisturbed. From the foot of the Orchard Burn the interest and beautv History of Sanfjuhar. 23 of the glen increase, as the stream flows onward and enters Nithsdale proper. It falls more rapidly as it nears the termination of its course, the channel becomes exceedingly strait and rocky, and the banks are adorned with a profusion of natural wood. The natural beauties of this section have been enhanced, too, by the hand of man. Here the Duke of Buccleuch has rendered a valuable service to the public by filling up with plantations the portions which were bare, thus giving a completeness to the picture. Further, he has constructed footpaths along both banks of the stream ; and bridges at the top and bottom give the freest access to visitors to view a scene, romantic and beautiful. For there is no restriction to these charming walks, known as the ' Holm walks," so called from being in proximity to the Holm house, which, with its grounds, was originally a separate estate from the surrounding lands of His Grace, and was purchased by the Duke from its owner, a Mr Macnab. The lands on the southern bank, mentioned as having been planted, were held in lease by Mr Macnab from the Burgh of Sanqnhar, and this lease was acquired at the same time by the Duke. These Holm walks are justly esteemed the most charming retreat in a district singularly well-favoured in this respect. They wind up and down and in and out on the ledge of the rocky channel, and advantage has been taken of crowning knoll and shady nook to plant seats, where visitors can rest, and, sheltered at once from the scorching sun and from every wind that blows, have eye and ear refreshed with a display of nature's choicest works. In this quiet hiding place, it is said, Lord Douglas lay after his rapid march, with the view of surprising and capturing the Castle of Sanquhar, which was then in the hands of the English. Here he left his gallant band of followers till a little reconnoitring work was done, and a plan of attack was resolved upon. A. fuller treatment of this incident is reserved for its proper place. Descending, the stream makes a sweep round to the left 24 History of Sanquhar. behind the Holm house, which is pleasantly situated at the head of a pretty little stretch of holm land, whence probably it derives its name. The house is shut in from view on all sides by the rising ground, except in the front, where the outlook is through a narrow vista away to the sources of Kello and Euchan, on the other side of the valley of the Nith. Crawick then glides smoothly past the Lawers Braes, and passing on the left the village of Crawick, with its woollen factory, corn-mill, and forge, for which it supplies the motive power, it heads straight for Nith, into which it falls a little farther down. Mennock, the other tributary of Nith, on the left bank, runs almost parallel with Crawick, three miles farther south. It has a course of about six miles, rising near to Wanlock- head, a mining village on the very borders of the parish and the county. The narrow glen through which it finds its way to Nithsdale presents features of a distinctly different type to those of Crawick. While the other glens in the district are soft and pleasing to the eye, the hills being covered with a rich verdure from base to summit, the mountains, for so they must be called, which tower up on either side the narrow goi'ge of Mennock are dark, stern, and rugged, and the scenery is truly of an impressive grandeur. About two miles south of Sanquhar, a country road, leaving the Nithsdale main highway, ascends the Mennock, and crossing the watershed of the two counties of Dumfries and Lanark, proceeds by way of Leadhills, whence falling towards the upper valley of the Clyde, it joins the great road between Carlisle and Edinburgh and Glasgow at Abington. For some distance the road pursues a general level, winding round the base of hill after hill, which slope down to the very bed of the stream, and offer at many points an apparently insuper- able barrier to all further progress. At one place the atten- tion is arrested by a view probably unequalled in its unique peculiarity. Four hills, two on each side of the glen, slope down alternately one behind the other, the outlines of the History of Sanquhar. 25 pair on each side being almost exactly parallel. When the foot of Glenclauch Brae is reached, the toilsome ascent begins, and after the Lang-muir-side a long level track high above the bed of the stream -has been traversed, the rise is rapid and continuous, and, just before Wanlockhead is reached, the road passes through the " Hass," which frequently in winter is blocked up with snow. In truth, so high and wild is this Mennock road that in winter it is no uncommon occurrence for vehicular traffic to be entirely suspended, leaving the tele- graph as the only mode of communication with the outer world available to the inhabitants of Wanlockhead. In the summer season, however, its alpine scenery makes it one of the finest drives in the district, presenting, as it does, features of wild grandeur and peculiar configuration of hill not surpassed even in the western highlands. Some years ago it was visited by one who had travelled much, and his attention was arrested by the wonderful resemblance of this road to that leading up to Jerusalem. The same impression has been made since on the minds of others who had made the toilsome ascent from Joppa to the Holy City. Wanlock- head comes into sight quite suddenly and unexpectedly. For miles no human dwelling has been visible, nor sound heard save the murmur of the stream, the bleating of the sheep, and the whirr of the grouse or blackcock as, on strong wing, he sweeps across the glen and drops out of sight among the deep heather which covers the mountain sides. The existence of a village in such an out-of- the- world region is due entirely to the mineral wealth of the surrounding hills, which, though black and barren on the surface, and sustain- ing only a few sheep, contain within their bowels rich deposits of lead. From behind the Black Hill, which overlooks Wanlock- head, another glen, " Gleudyne," runs down to the upland which lies along the north-east side of the valley of the Nith. This glen also well deserves a visit : indeed, it has often been said that had Dr Brown, instead of descending Enterkin, 4 26 History of Sanquhar. taken Glendyne, he would have been no less impressed with the solemn grandeur of the scene. The only road is a narrow footpath worn along the face of the hill side. So steep is the descent that the utmost care is necessary to prevent serious mishap. If a stone from the path be loosened by the foot it rolls swiftly down, and then, with a succession of mighty bounds, dashes itself into the burn which winds along the bottom like a silver thread. As the traveller descends, the face of the hills on the two sides continues to be quite precipitous, the wonder being that even the sheep can main- tain their foothold ; but suddenly the opening is reached, and with a fine sweep the beautiful glen loses itself in the broad expanse of brown moorland. This moorland is a high table-land stretching along the north-east of the town of Sanquhar, four miles in length and two miles in breadth, and as it is traversed by road and path in various directions, the invigorating breezes which play over its surface draw thither those who are in quest of health. It is pierced by the pretty little glen of Lochburn, a tributary of Mennock, the clear water of which, diverted at a point three miles from the town provide, after it has been filtered, an excellent domestic supply. The portion of the moorland which over- looks Sanquhar is the property of the Corporation, and is reached by a steep ascent called Matthew's Folly, where numerous seats have been provided for the convenience of visitors. These seats, and others placed here and there by the waysides, were erected out of the balance of the fund which was raised for the celebration of the Queen's Jubilee in 1887. From the top of Matthew's Folly a splendid view of the valley for a length of over twenty miles is obtained, and being so close at hand it is much frequented with this object. The Moor farm, belonging to the town, is let on lease. At one time it brought a rent of 190, but like all other land it has fallen of recent years in value, and now the rent is only 112. That, however, forms an important in fact, the only important part of the town's revenue since the History of Sauquhar. 27 abolition of " Customs " in 1889. Any further reference to this and other allied topics is reserved for the chapter deal- ing with the municipal history of the place. The chief eminences in the neighbourhood are Dalpeddar, 1291 ; Brownhill, 1544 ; Lowther, 2377 ; Auchenlone, 2068 ; Oaignorth, 1386 ; Auchinsow, 1378 ; Black Lorg, 2231 feet. EUCHAN WELL. , A sample of the water of this well was sent several years ago to Professor Penney, of the Andersonian Uni- versity, Glasgow, who reported on it as follows : " This water is specially characterised by the notable quantity of iron which it contains. All the substances in- cluded in the analyses exist in the water in a state of perfect solution ; the water is clear, bright, and nearly colourless, shewing that the ferruginous ingredient is per- fectly dissolved. It has a styptic and astringent taste, and affords abundance of evidence of the presence of iron on the application of appropriate tests. The iron exists in the water in the form of the compound called the carbonate of iron, which consists of carbonic acid in combination with the protoxide of the metal. The tonic astringent, and other medical qualities of chalybeate waters, are too well recognised and appreciated by medical men to require notice in a chemical report. These waters are by no means uncommon. In regard to therapeutic strength, or medicinal power, as estimated from the amount of iron it contains, the Sanquhar chalybeate is about one-half the strength of Harrogate, Tunbridge, and Hartfell Spa waters, which, with the excep- tion of Cheltenham water, are the strongest of those above mentioned. This, therefore, is not a strong chalybeate, but from the perfect solution in which the iron exists, and from the purity of the water, it is, in my opinion, well worth the 28 History of Sanquhar. attention of medical men." Professor Christison thus ex- presses his view : " The water is calculated to be service- able in all diseases for which simple chalybeate springs are at present resorted to with success." The following is Professor Penney 's analysis in detail : An imperial gallon of this water contains 14'710 grains of solid matter, consisting of the following ingredients : Grains per Gallon. Carbonate of Iron 2-335 Carbonate of Lime ... ... . . ... ... 5 '650 Carbonate of Magnesia ... .. ... ... 0*650 Sulphate of Lime 0'600 Chlorides of Potassium and Sodium ... ... 1-025 Chloride of Magnesium ... ... ... ... Traces. Phosphates ... ... ... ... ... ... ,, Organic Matter 3'550 Silica... 0-900 14-710 Specific Gravity 1-00044 Degree of Hardness ... ... ... .. 10 Gases Dissolved in the Water Cubic Inches per Gallon. Per Cent Carbonic Acid 10 '020 60 '253 Oxygen T795 10'793 Nitrogen 4-815 28'954 16-630 100 CHAPTER II. ANTIQUITIES. )N setting before the reader the antiquities that have been discovered in the neighbourhood by the industry of persons of antiquarian tastes, chief among whom is Mr J. R. Wilson, of the Royal Bank, it has been thought fitting to put these in the form of a descrip- tive catalogue, as being probably the most convenient. 1. Saen Gaer : The old fort. Perhaps the one object which connects with the very earliest history of the place is this ancient British fort, from which the name of the town, as elsewhere stated, is derived. It is situated on the farm of Broomfield, overlooking Welltrees Meadow and the rail- way embankment, under which lies the old well of St. Bride. The trench on the north side of the fort is distinctly visible, being a small natural ravine, and the circumference can easily be traced, more especially when the land is in crop, for then the circle of luxuriant fertility is distinctly marked. 2. St. Bride's Well. Although this ancient well is no longer visible, it merits a passing notice. Simpson regards the name St. Bride as another form of St. Bridget, an Irish saint, who had for attendants nine virgins. " She was held in veneration by Scots, Picts, Britons, English, and Irish," says Leslie, " and more churches were erected to God in memory of her among all those nations than to any other saint," and if Bride and Bridget are different forms of the same name, as Simpson argues, Kirkbride in Durisdeer was one of them. It is at least a curious coincidence that, 30 History of Sanquhar. according to the testimony of the old people, it was customary for the maidens of Sanquhar to resort on May-day to St. Bride's Well, where each presented nine smooth white stones as an offering to the Saint, which correspond in number with St. Bride's nine virgin attendants. 3. Ryehill Moat. Immediately below the farmhouse of Ryehill there is a remnant of antiquity in the form of a Moat. " There was," says Chalmers, " a moat hill in every district of North Britain, during an age when justice was administered to a coarse people in the open air." These moats belong to the Saxon age, and were of two kinds the folkmote and the wittenagemote the place of assembly for the people and the judgment seat. Grose, in his " Antiquities," says of this moat " Not far from the (Sanquhar) Castle down the river remains the moat, or ancient court hill, of the former Barons of this Castle, where, by their bayliffs and doomsters, they were wont to give decisions upon civil and criminal cases agreeable to the feudal system, the bayliffs determining upon the former, the doomsters upon the latter. The Creightons, Lords of Sanquhar, were heritable Sheriffs of Nithsdale." Whether Ryehill Moat was the place where these courts were first held by the Crichtons is doubtful. The Ryehill portion of the barony of Sanquhar was possessed by the Ross family until the failure of the male line, when, by the marriage of Isabel Ross, the heiress of Ryehill, to William, son of Thomas, Lord Crichton, who flourished in the reign of Robert Brus, the whole of the barony came into the possession of the Crichtons, and it was then, in all likelihood, that Ryehill Moat became their place of judgment- It was close by the moat that the gravestones of the Rosses, elsewhere mentioned, were found. The Gallows Knowe, or place of execution, was situated not far off on the upper side of the road between the Castle and the Moat, but it is now cut through by the railway. In these rude "times they proceeded with their business in an expeditious and uncere- monious manner, and the unlucky wight upon whom doom History of Sanqukar. 31 had been pronounced at the moat would be found in a short space of time dangling at the end of a rope on the top of the knowe. The gallows for male, and the pit for female offenders, were the forms in which capital punishment was then administered. The pit was filled with water, and the woman was put into a sack tied closely at the mouth, and plunged overhead, where she was left till death put an end to her struggles. This was the power of " pit and gallows " possessed by the barons, and conferred by charter upon the civic authorities, and, though clung to tenaciously by the holders, was wrested from them by the abolition of heritable jurisdictions in 1748. In connection with the Deemster or Doomster, attention may be directed to the list of lands, enumerated in the appendix, as belonging to the barony of Sanquhar, on its transfer from the Crichtons to the Douglases in 1630, which contains the Glenmucklochs. Now, one of these was, and still is, termed Deemstertown of Glenmuck- loch ; in all likelihood it was at one time occupied by the Deemster or Doomster as a pendicle of his office. 4. Druidical Circle on Knockerihair hill, of the common type, having no particular history. 5. Kemp's Castle. This is a natural promontory formed at the junction of the Barr Burn with the river Euchan. It is about two acres in extent, and rises to an altitude of thirty or forty feet above the level of the surrounding ground. On three sides it was practically unassailable, and on the fourth the west side it had been well protected by at least three entrenchments. There must have been at this end at some remote period a building, which probably gave its name to the place. The surface here is more elevated, and about thirty years ago a cutting was made through part of the debris, which revealed the fact that the site had been occu- pied by either a vitrified fort or a stronghold which had been destroyed and its walls calcined by fire. Vitreous masses, containing stones of various descriptions fused together, can be picked up on the southern bank at the roots of trees, by 32 History of Sanquhar . which they have been thrown to the surface. The chief attraction to the visitor is the magnificent view down the esplanade, through the vista of trees beyond, which looks direct across the Nith to Sanquhar Castle. No antiquities have been found on its site except a quern of the pot type, which is in Dr Grierson's Museum at Thornhill. 6. Lake Dwelling in Sanquhar Loch. This lacustrine or stockaded island is situated in the centre of the Black Loch on Sanquhar Muir. The loch itself is about three acres in extent, and is very deep, besides being surrounded by fissures in the moss, likewise of great depth. The island attracted no particular attention till about thirty years ago, when a man was drowned in the loch. He had been seen wandering in the vicinity before his disappearance, and it was supposed that he was under the water. It was resolved, therefore, to drain the loch, and on the level of the water being reduced, not only was the object of the search disclosed to view, but also an ancient canoe, dug out in rude fashion from the solid oak. It was removed to a garden in Sanquhar, where, by natural decay, it has shrunk to very small dimensions. The attention of antiquaries was drawn to the place, and the Dumfries Antiquarian Society visited and reported upon it in the year 1865. The following is taken from the report: " The extent of the surface of the island available above the water was forty-nine feet from east to west by forty feet from north to south. It would stand from six to eight feet above the exposed bottom of the loch, and the sides being sloped, the base was considerably wider than the dimensions above given. When first seen, after the bottom was laid dry, a few upright piles were observed, and the curving narrow passage from the mainland appeared somewhat raised, and was hard below the immediate mud deposit, as if a sort of rough causeway had been formed ; and when the water was at its height, or nearly level with the surface of the island, persons acquainted with the turn or winding of the passage could wade to it. The base of the slope of the island was laid or strengthened with stones, some of considerable size, so placed as to protect the wooden structure. Round the island could be seen driven piles, to which were attached strong transverse beams, and upon making a cut six or seven feet wide into the side of the island to ascertain its structure, we found a platform of about four feet in depth raised by transverse beams alternately across each other, Histoi^y of Sanqukar. 33 and kept in position by driven piles. These last were generally self oak trees, but dressed and sharpened by a metal tool, some of them morticed at the heads, where a transverse rail or beam could be fixed. The trans- verse beams, of various sizes, were chiefly of birch wood. It is, therefore, very similar to that of some of the smaller Irish Crannogs, only that in the latter the platform was frequently formed of stones. The wooden platform rested upon a hard foundation, either the natural subsoil in the loch or quarry refuse. The mud prevented this being ascertained correctly, but it was most probably the former, as the hard subsoil was soon struck when deepening the outfall. On the top of the wooden platform was a layer, of from twelve to eighteen inches thick, of, apparently, chips or debris from some neighbouring quarry of white or grey sandstone, upon which the vegetable mould now supporting the rank vegetation had accumulated. On the surface of the island there were some indications of building, but on examination these were found to be only the erection of curlers for fire, or the protection of their channel-stones when not in use. No remains of any kind were found on the island nor around it, but, except on the passage from the mainland, the mud was so deep and soft as to prevent effectual search. Neither have we any record of any other remains being found in or near the loch except the canoe already alluded to. It is formed out of a single oak tree, sixteen feet in length by three feet broad at the widest part, at the prow only one foot ten inches. It is at present lying exposed to weather, and for protection a coating of pitch was lately given to it. It will thus ere long decay and be lost. The burgh of Sauquhar should endeavour to protect their curious and valuable relic. It would easily sling from the roof of one of the public rooms." During the work undertaken by the Town Council a few years ago, with the view of constructing a curling pond there, the passage from the mainland to the island, referred to in the above report, was more thoroughly inspected, and the gangway was found to be supported by piles. There was at the same time laid bare a massive stockade of large trunks of trees, set perpendicularly and secured together at the bottom by mortices, through which were driven smaller trees, which bound the whole together and kept it in position. There is in Grierson's Museum, at Thornhill, a stone celt of rude type which was found on the margin of the Loch. 7. Remains of Ancient Strongholds. These belong to a later than the Roman period, and their sites and their names are Clenrae Castle, near the March with Lanarkshire ; -7 34 History of Sanquhar. Castle Gilmour, Dear to the present farmhouse of Auchen- gruith ; Goosehill Castle, on the march between that farm and South Mains, above the road, where some time ago a number of old gold coins were found ; the remains of the ancient stronghold of Ryehill, in the wood adjoining the farmhouse there ; at Drambuie, in the west of the parish, where traces of ancient buildings exist north of the present house, and a stone bearing the date 1513, and also a coat of arms of ancient design were found. 8. Cairns. There are no cairns of great dimensions in the parish. In the upper reaches of Euchan there is a small cairn near the river which has been cut through, but revealed nothing of interest. About a mile from Corsebank, in a little holm between the road and the stream, the atten- tion of the passer-by is attracted by a stone set up in the form of a pillar or monument. It is about three feet in height, and tradition says it marks the place where a battle was fought between the men of Crawford and Nithsdale. Be that as it may, the notable fact is that this is a boulder of Hornblende, and, with the exception of a large flat speci- men of the same kind on Corsebank-burn, is the only one of the kind that has been observed in Nithsdale. In all proba- bility it, like the Orchard Burn stone mentioned in the Topography, is a glacial stone, whose parent rock lies in the Grampians. 9. The Deil's or Picts' Dyke. This interesting relic of antiquity traverses the whole of the south-west of Scotland from the head of Lochryan, and is supposed to connect with the Catrail, which means the dividing fence, in the border counties. There is little doubt that it is the remains of a great territorial division between the different tribes that inhabited this region. In this parish it enters at Drumbuie farm, on the south side of the Nith, proceeds south-eastward till it leaves the parish at the farm of Burnmouth, in the parish of Durisdeer. There are vestiges of entrenchments or fortifications to be seen at various points along its route, History of Sa/nquhar, 35 particularly at South Mains, and at Kelloside, in Kirkconnel. The former is of a square form, and may have been a Roman encampment at a later period. 10. Mention may here be made of the Chapel Yard of Dalpeddar, which indicates the existence there at one time of a chapel ; and the name of a streamlet in the vicinity, " The Brewster's Burn," is further proof, for the constitution of a Saxon hold was a castle, a kirk or chapel, a mill, a smithy, and a brew-house. The familiar pronunciation of the name " Dapether " points to its ancient origin, carrying us back to the Peithwyr, who were the Picts of Galloway. 11. At the foot of Glenclauch Brae 011 Mennock Road, near the roadside, on a flat piece of land at the base of the hill, there is a relic of antiquity in the shape of a large cross formed on the ground of stones and earth. On the same place is erected a stell or fold for sheep in winter. This is called the Cross Kirk of Mennock, and is believed to mark the site of an ancient chapel. This is only conjecture. Certainly no better site could have been chosen by the monks for practising their holy rites, for in that age there was no road up the pass, and the situation would be one of perfect seclusion of unbroken peace. 12. Domestic Architecture. Some of the houses in Sanquhar are of considerable antiquity. One in the vicinity of the Town Hall bears at the eaves on the west the date 1626 in raised figures, and at the end the initials ^ Another on the Corseknowe shews good examples of bottle moulding of an ancient type ; the walls are about four feet thick, the mortar used having been clay. This house, it is said, at one time served as the jail, and if that be so, it points to a date anterior to the erection of the old Town Hall and Tolbooth. There are other houses in the town shewing mouldings of a later but still ancient date, and the walls of several, when cleared of whitewash and plaster, give indications of the entrance having been obtained to the upper storey by an outside stair. Many houses in Sanquhar 36 History of Sanquhar. are described in their titles as " high and laigh," according to their elevation. One opposite the Royal Bank was called " The Gairland Great House," while the Bank itself stands on the site of what was once the town-house of the Crichtons, and where, as is elsewhere stated, Queen Mary was enter- tained when she was on her flight from the field of Langside. In former days there were many small lairdships in the neighbourhood The Holm, Knockenstob, Carcomains, Carco- side, Orchard, Carco, Castle Robert, and Gairland, among others, having all been separately owned, and some at least of their proprietors possessed town residences. At the demoli- tion of old houses there are frequently seen specimens of ancient masonry, a notable example being the house at Lochanfoot. 13. Sanquhar Cross. The ancient Cross of the burgh, to which the famous declarations were affixed, was situated at the Crossknow, now called the Corseknowe. It was a slender pillar, not more than nine inches in diameter, and was sur- mounted by a plain capital, which now adorns the apex of the porch of the Free Church in St. Mary Street. The stone in front of the Cross, upon which Cameron stood when he read his declaration, was subsequently removed to a slaughter-house in the Back Road, where it was sunk in the floor, and a ring attached for securing the animals. What a profanation ! It has now disappeared probably when the place was converted into a weaving shop, and the floors were sunk to allow room for the play of the "treddles." The following is a catalogue of the principal relics of bye- gone ages which have been picked up in this locality : Stone Axe. Found on Ulziesitle in 1884, with five incised lines on edge, and one ornamental course on face. Length, 10 inches ; weight, 6^ Ibs. Stone Hammer, of diamond shape. Found on South Mains in 1850, beautifully perforated, and believed to be unique in shape. Measures 4 by 3 inches. Stone Hammer, perforated. Found in Crawick in 1875. Measures 3 by 2 inches. History of Sanquhar. 37 Stone Hammer, half perforated. Found in Kello in 1886. Measures 4 by 3 inches. Stone, slightly perforated. Found at Birkburn in 1888. Measures 34 by 3 inches. Celt. Found at Greenhead in 1882. 5 inches long, of Crawick grey stone, beautifully polished. Celt, adze-shaped, of claystone. Found at Eliock Grange in 1881. 5 inches long, with polished, sharp edge. Celt, also of claystone. Found at Wellstrand in 1889. 11 inches long. Stone Maul. Found at Sanquhar Bowling Green in 1889. 8 inches long. Charm King of Shale. Found at Eliock Grange in 1881. 4 inches in diameter. Cannon Ball of Malleable Iron. -Found in Deer Park, Sanquhar, in 1830. 2 Ibs. hi weight. Part of Runic Stone. Found in dyke at New Road, Sanquhar. Groin Stone of Arch in old Parish Church, and several well-preserved pieces of the Mullions of the windows of the old Church. [The above are all in the collection belonging to Mr J. R. Wilson, Royal Bank, Sanquhar.] Stone Celt. Found at Black Loch. In Grierson's Museum, Thornhill. Cannon Ball, same as above. Found also in Deer Park. In the posses- sion of Miss Bramwell, St. Helens. Arrow Head, with barb awanting. Found at Ryehill. In the possession of Mr T. B. Steuart, Auchentaggart. Large Putting-stone, known as "Strong Glenmanna's putting-stone," he having used it at sheep handlings at Glenwhern, whence it was removed to Craigdarroch, and is now in the possession of Mr Paterson. Part of Runic Stone. Found in the district by the late Rev. Dr Simpson. Now in the possession of the Rev. James Hay Scott. Pre- Reformation Tombstone, embellished with cross-and-scissors device ; built into the east wall of the Churchyard. Support of Thruch-stone from Abraham Crichton's burying-place ; also built into the same wall. Carved Head. Built into wall of house known as " The Ark," near the Townfoot ; believed to have been removed from the ancient hospital of Sanquhar. Several Carved Stones in roadside dyke on Castle Farm ; also believed to be from said hospital, together with one at courtyard at Castle Mains. 38 History of Sdnquhar. QUERNS. 1. Portable Type. Specimens are in possession of Mr Wilson, Rev. Mr Scott, and Mr Lewis. 2. Hand Qwrns. Some of these are of considerable size, and are slightly ornamented. The finest specimens are in Mr Wilson's possession, and are yet fit for use. The upper stones of such querns are quite common, but only two of the lower have ever been recovered in the parish. 3. Pot Querm or Kneading Troughs. These were formerly used for detaching the awns from barley and other grains, and Mr Wilson states that in this parish alone he has seen no less than 75 examples. Stone Weights. These were formerly hung on weavers' beams to keep the web on the stretch. There are many to be seen in and around Sanquhar, and are not to be confounded with the round stones with iron rings attached, formerly and still used as weights at farmhouses. These latter still exist, ranging in weight from 7 Ibs. to 70 Ibs., but they are fast disappearing. CHAPTER III EARLY HISTORY. the Roman period, the western clan of the Selgova? inhabited Annandale, Nithsdale, and Eskdale in Dumfriesshire ; the east part of Galloway, as far as the river Dee, which was their western boundary ; and they had the Solway Firth for their southern limit. The British name of the Selgovce is supposed to be descriptive of their country, which lay on a dividing water, and which, by the new settlers who were introduced during the middle ages, was denominated the Solway. The Nid or Nith, like the Nidus or Nith in Wales, derives its appropriate name from the British Nedd, which is pronounced Neth, and which signifies, in the Cambro-British speech, circling or revolving. After the Romans had withdrawn from their occupation of North Britain, as of the remainder of the island, the Danish Vikinger, sallying out from Northumberland in 875 A.D., wasted Galloway, which of old included Dumfriesshire. The Saxon plantation had always been inconsiderable, and the Saxon authority became extinct at the end of the eighth century. This incited the settlement of a new colony from Ireland, and the settlers of this period were followed by fresh swarms from the Irish hive during the ninth and tenth centuries. These Cruithne, as they were called, were joined by the kindred Scots of Kintire, and it was these Irish colonists which, Chalmers is of opinion, assumed the name of Picts, as seen in the chronicles of the eleventh and twelfth 40 History of Sanquhar. centuries, Picts signifying painted, and being the well-known name of the genuine Picts of Scotland. It is curious to remark how much the names of places within the peninsula bounded by the Irish Sea and the Firths of Solway arid the Clyde correspond with the history of the people who successively colonized within its limits. The paucity of Anglo-Saxon names in Dumfriesshire, exclusive of the pure English appellations of modern times, proves that the Saxons never settled within Galloway in any numerous bodies for any length of years. The Irish settlers completely occupied the whole extent of the peninsula, and mingling in every place with the enfeebled Britons, whose speech they understood, and amalgamating with the still fewer Saxons, whose language they rejected as unintelligible, the Scoto- Irish imposed their names on many places which still remain on the county maps. It is perhaps more difficult to settle, with equal precision, the several epochs at which tlie Saxon settlers sat down in Dumfriesshire among the Scoto-Irish. A few Saxons did settle in this district among the British Selgova? during the seventh and eighth centuries, but the most extensive and permanent colonisation in Dumfriesshire took place in a subsequent age. The occupation by the Scoto-Irish must have extended pver several centuries, for we find that in the reign of David I. (1124-1153) Nithsdale still remained in the hands of Dunegal of Stranith, a Scoto-Irish chief, and was then inhabited by a Scoto-Irish people, who long enjoyed their own laws. This Dunegal ruled from the Castle of Morton, the ruins of which still remain, the whole of the strath from Corsancone to Criffel. On his death, his posses- sions were divived among his four sons, of whom only two, Randolph (or Rodolph) and Duvenal, are known to history. Randolph, the eldest, inherited the largest share of the patrimonial estates, and, like his father, had his residence at Morton Castle. He had three sons, the youngest of whom, Dovenald, received from his father Sanchar (so it was History of Sanquhar. 41 then spelt), Ellioc, and other lands, and was slain, while quite a youth, at the ''Battle of the Standard." One of Dovenald's sons was Edgar, who lived in the reigns of William the Lion and Alexander II. The children of this chief adopted the surname of Edgar for the family one of the earliest recorded instances of the adoption of a surname in Nithsdale. One of his sons, Richard, owned the Castle and half of the barony of Sanquhar, together with the lands of Eliock, by charter from Robert Brus, the other half being owned by William de Crichton through marriage with Isobel, daughter of Robert de Ross (who was related to the Lord of the Isles) ; and, to his grandson Donald, David II., who began to reign on the death of his father Robert the Bruce in 1329, granted the captainship of the MacGowans, a numerous clan of the Scoto-Irish then located in the district. The posses- sions of the Edgars in Nithsdale were very extensive, for we find that AfFrica, the daughter of Edgar, in the reign of Alexander II. owned the lands of Dunscore, a place there still bearing the name of Edgarstown. Edgar is still a common name in Dumfriesshire, and from this ancient stock some families in the neighbourhood of Sanquhar can still trace their descent, the common progenitor of all the Edgars having been the son of Dovenald, the Scoto-Irish chief. Chalmers' Caledonia. Prior to the twelfth century, a good deal of obscurity surrounds the history and condition of the country. Except- ing a few leading facts, much of the so-called history is merely the collected opinions of various historians. These opinions rest frequently on very slender foundation, being at the best nothing more than shrewd conjecture, and, to a con- siderable extent, contradictory of each other. The law of the land, too, was an unwritten law, and consisted simply of the established usages and customs of the people. From the date mentioned, "the laws of England and Scotland," Lord Kaimes says, " were originally the same, almost in every particular." The beginning of the twelfth century marks a new era in the 6 42 History of Sanquhar. history of the country. Then it was that the feudal system, which in a modified form still prevails among us, was first established ; the land, which previously had been the subject merely of grants, was now secured to its possessors by charters, and the administration of justice, however rude and imperfect in form, was provided for by the appointment of Sheriffs, whose duties, if not at first, at least afterwards, were military as well as judicial, as we shall see in the Chapter on the Crichton family. " These Sheriffs," we have it on the authority of Caledonia, " the Celtic people, both in Ireland and Scotland, concurred in hating." This is not surprising, however, as human nature at all times is apt to rebel against unaccustomed restraints. The jurisdiction of these Sheriffs was not confined to shires, but extended over certain defined territories, ten in number. The idea of shire, belonging to the Saxons, was unknown to the races that then inhabited Scotland. The Norman colonisation which, beginning in the reign of Edgar, was carried out so extensively in the propitious reign of David I. (1124), exerted a wonderful influence on the settlement of the country. Society now began to assume definite shape and form. The colonists were English barons, who brought with them a host of vassals. These barons were attracted across the border in the year 1124, when David came to the throne. He had been educated at the Court of Henry I., and had married an English countess. The wonder which one would naturally feel at persons of rank and influence migrating from a richer to a poorer from a comparatively civilised to a semi-barbarous country (for the pressure of over population was not then felt) disappears when we consider the connection which the reigning monarch had had with their own Court. David, who was a wise monarch, probably held out such promises and inducements as were sufficiently enticing to lead these settlers to surrender certain social advantages for others of a material kind to make the same kind of sacrifice which History of Sanquhar. 43 colonists in these days have to undertake. The king was most liberal in his treatment of the colonists in the distribution of lands to them and their followers. The most conspicuous of these settlers was Hugh Moreville, who came from Burg, in Cumberland. He acquired vast possessions in both the east and the west country, and was a great favourite with David, who created him Constable of Scotland, which office was hereditary in his family for generations. He was the founder of the monastery of Dryburgh, and died in 1162. His grandson, William, having died without issue, the vast family estates passed into other hands through the marriage of his sister Elena to Roland, the Lord of Galloway. Their son, Alan, was one of the most powerful barons in Britain. He had no son, and his three daughters were married to English nobles Elena to the Earl of Winchester, Christian to the son of the Earl of Albemarle, and Devorgil to John Baliol, the lord of Barnard Castle. By these marriages there was introduced into Galloway a great number of English settlers, much to the discontent of the natives, but greatly to the ultimate advantage of the country. Several persons who were surnamed Ros, from the north of England, settled under the Morevilles in the district of Cunningham. Godfrey de Ros acquired from Richard Moreville the lands of Stewarton, in the possession of which he was succeeded by his son, James de Ros, and these are the progenitors of the Rosses of Halk- head, Ros Lord Ros, Ros of Tarbet in Cunningham, and Ros of Sanquhar in Nithsdale. Here then we have the root of the second of the four great families the Edgars, the Rosses, the Crichtons, and the Douglases who for centuries bore sway in Upper Nithsdale. The Rosses were a family of high distinction. Robert de Ros, who was sent to Scotland by King John, married Isabel, the natural daughter of King William, in 1191, with whom he obtained a manor in Scotland. A descendant of his was one of the unsuccessful competitors for the Scottish crown in 1291. These Rosses owned the lands of Ryehill, about a mile 44 History o/ Sanquhar. to the south-east of Sanquhar, and built a stronghold on their estate, of which traces still remain. In proof of the worthy character of this family, and the esteem in which they were held by their neighbours, Simpson quotes the inscription on one of the gravestones in their ancient burying ground, which ran thus HIR LYS THE GUDE SIR, JOHN Ross OF RYEHILL Hiu LYS THE GUDE, GUDE SlR JOHN ROSS OF RYEHILL HIR LYS THE GUDE, GUDE, GUDE SlK JOHN ROSS OF RYKHILL and further assumes that it refers to three different persons of the same name. Now with regard to the character of Sir John Ross, whether one or three of the name, too much stress need not be laid upon evidence of this kind. In all likelihood the people of that, just as of this, generation had a regard to the adage "De mortuis nil nisi bonum." Besides, this inscription would likely be composed by a member of the family, and its testimony cannot therefore be accepted as quite unbiassed. Neither to our mind is the assumption that it refers to three different persons justified. We incline rather to the belief that it refers to one and the same person, and that the writer of the inscription adopted the well-known figure of a climax to emphasize the gudeness of this Sir John Ross " Their place of interment," Simpson says, " appears to have been exactly to the east side of the moat of Ryehill, and close to the foot of the bank, as it was here the gravestones were found." The Edgars and Rosses were thus contemporaries. The former, the more important of the two families, possessed the Castle and the larger portion of the barony of Sanquhar, the latter having their headquarters at Ryehill, a place of altogether minor importance. By the failure, however, of History of Sanquhar. 45 the male line of the Rosses, and the marriage of Isabel de Ross, the heiress of Ryehil], to William de Crichton, there was introduced into Nithsdale a family which was destined to play an important part in the history of Sanquhar and the surrounding district. So bound up, indeed, was the name of Crichton with Sanquhar during a period of over 300 years, and so distinguished a part did the Crichtous play, that it has been deemed fitting to devote a separate chapter to their career. Inglistown, a corruption, according to Chalmers, of English - town, marked the place where these English colonists at first settled. Now, as there is an Inglestown in Durisdeer, in Moniaive, in Irongray, and elsewhere, it is evident that the vale of Nith enjoyed its full share of the benefits which flowed from the introduction of these settlers. There were thus imported into Scotland the elements of a civilisation to which she had been a stranger the order of society was of a distinctly higher kind than had hitherto obtained, and the native races were taught improved methods of agriculture and other manual arts. Great benefit was likewise received by the settlement throughout the lowlands of Scotland, about the same period, of a large number of Flemings. These Flemings, driven from their own country by force of circumstances, repaired in great numbers to England in the reigns of William Rufus and Henry I. In 1154, however, Henry II. banished the Flemings and other foreigners who had come to England in the previous reign, and th'e banished Flemings fled across the border and settled in the southern parts of Scotland. The skill of this people in weaving and textile industries of all kinds was known all over the Con- tinent, and the trade of the Low countries in manufactured goods of this description was enormous. In this way the foundation was laid of that industrial skill and activity which, in these later times, afford employment to a large proportion of the population, and have developed a large trade in staple goods in the manufacturing towns along the Imiks of the 46 History of Sanquhar. Tweed, Nith, and other rivers in the South of Scotland. But the immigrants from the Low countries embraced not merely handicraftsmen, but also persons of rank soldiers of fortune who had distinguished themselves in the wars, and whose services were rewarded with grants of lands which they well knew how to cultivate. The influence of these settlers must have strengthened that of the Anglo-Normans, who came across the border at an earlier period, in imbuing the minds of the native population with improved ideas of agricultural processes, and thus of advancing the material and social progress of the country. Some of the principal towns of Scotland, as Edinburgh, Berwick, Roxburgh, &c., had their rise prior to this period, but to the Anglo-Norman settlers and their characteristic habits is due the existence of quite a number of smaller towns or villages, which now began to spring up all over the country. Being of a military race they, on settling in any locality, first busied themselves with the erection of a strong- hold, around which their followers gathered, thus forming a hamlet and sometimes a town. Another important factor in the settlement of the country, and the civilisation of its inhabitants, is to be found in the erection of so many religious houses. The monks were drawn chiefly from England. Then were built those magnificent abbeys and ecclesiastical edifices, the ruins of which bear witness to this day of the architectural skill and taste of their founders, and the patient labour bestowed by the monks on the beautification of God's house. The Crown was generous in the gift of lands and revenues for the main- tenance of the religious houses. The common notion of Protestants that the monk was a fat, lazy priest who filled up the measure of an easy-going life between religious duties and observances, performed in a spiritless and perfunctory manner, and the gratification of his fleshly appetites, in what- ever degree it may have correctly described the monk of a later period, is certainly misapplied to those of this early History of Sanquhar. 47 age. It is well known that, besides having a monopoly of the learning of that time, these priests thought it no degrada- tion of their office to learn to become skilled in all the then known arts and industries, and that, into whatever country they penetrated and obtained a footing, they, besides using all diligence in the propagation of the faith of which they were the professed teachers, were equally diligent in spread- ing abroad among the people a knowledge of those arts through which alone they could be raised from the wretched state of semi-barbarism in which they were too often sunk. Such were the influences which co-operated at this early age in introducing into Scotland some measure of civilisation. Still, they have not succeeded in obliterating the proof of the Celtic origin of the early inhabitants, and of the fact that Celtic blood runs in the veins of the Scottish people to this day. As Chalmers remarks " Many children of the Celtic people have been, no doubt, converted from their maternal Celticism to the artificial Gothicism of the Saxon settlers ; they have been induced, by interest, to imitate the Saxon manners ; they may have been obliged, by discipline, to speak the Teutonic language. Yet at the end of seven centuries the Saxon colonists and their descendants have not been able, with the aid of religious prejudice and the influence of predominating policy, to annihilate the Celtic people, to silence the Gaelic tongue within Scotland, nor to obliterate the Celtic topography, which all remain the in- dubitable vouchers of the genuine history of North Britain." The name Sanquhar, or Sanchar as it was formerly spelt, is generally allowed to be a compound of two Celtic words Saen, Caer signifying "old fort," pointing un- doubtedly to the existence of an ancient British stronghold at the time of the Scoto-Irish invasion in the ninth and tenth centuries. The site of this old fort is believed to have been the knoll immediately behind the present farm-house of Broomfield : a few hundred yards north of the town. The town 48 History of Sanquhar. of Sanquhar doubtless owed its origin to the existence of this fort. This was, indeed, the origin of many of the small country towns, both then and during the subsequent Anglo-Norman colonisation in the twelfth century, the people during those rude arid unsettled times gathering for protection under the friendly shadow of a stronghold. In charters and other documents the name receives various forms of spelling Sanchair, Sandier, Sanchar, &c., but in the early part of the seventeenth century the " ch " is changed into " quh," with the same sound, and that form the name has ever since retained. We confess to a wish that this change had never taken place, the older form being simpler, and having the advantage of a closer resemblance to the original. '\ here are other two places, but not towns one in Morayshire and the other in Ayrshire of the same name with the same deri- vation. The town consisted simply of mud hovels and huts of wood, with a covering of thatch. There are old houses still standing which, if not built wholly of such materials, have had in their construction clay used as mortar, and the thatching with straw was up to the present generation a common enough method of covering the roof. To this style of covering succeeded for a time the use of thin layers of freestone called " flags," but, though these were rain-proof and did not, like the thatch, require frequent renewing, they were of great weight, and put a severe strain upon the frame- work of the roof. Both have now given way to slates. The thatched roof was undoubtedly troublesome to keep in order, and was liable in a severe storm of wind to " tirling," but it had the advantage over slates straw being a bad conductor of heat of rendering the houses cool in summer and warm in winter. The thatch, too, gave an air of pictur- esqueness to the cottage, which is lacking in the bare slate, while the sparrow chirped and the swallow twittered beneath its eaves. In the reign of Robert the Bruce, the Castle and half of the barony of Sanquhar were held by the Edgars ; but, as is History of Sanquhar. 49 stated in the chapter on the Crichtons, they were purchased from them by Crichton, and the Castle became the residence of the Crichtons, and continued so during the long period down to 1630, when it was in turn sold to the Douglases of Drurnlanrig. After the battle of Bannockburn, and the establishment of Scotland's independence, the Edgars of Sanquhar, Elliock, &c., were confirmed in their possessions. We infer from this that they had remained true to their country's cause, for many barons who had proved traitors, at this time had their estates forfeited to the Crown. During the war of independence, Sanquhar Castle was captured by the English, who placed a garrison within its walls. The aid of the gallant Douglas was besought, who, in response to the appeal, made a secret and rapid march with his followers down Crawick, where he placed them in ambush in tl}e dark recesses of that glen not far from the Castle until a plan had been devised for its capture. This proved a clever piece of strategy, and was completely successful. The following is the account of the affair as it appears in Godscroft's history of the Douglases, published in 1644 : Of William the Hardie (or Long legge), the fourth William and seventh Lord of Dour/fa*. " To Hugh did succeed his son William, who for his valour and courage is distinguished by the addition of William the hardie ; he is named also William long legge by reason of his tall and goodly stature, having been a very personable man. He was twice married Concerning himself we find in the English Chronicle that when King Edward the first took the town of Berwick (in the year 1295) he was Captain of the Castle there, and not being able to resist and hold out, the Towne being in the enemies' hands, he rendred the place with himself also a prisoner, where he remained until the warres were ended by the yeelding of John Baliol to King Edward. During the time of his captivitie he was moved to marry this English Lady, that so he might be drawn to favour the King's pre- tensions in conquering of Scotland. But his matching did not alter his affection towards his native countrey, nor brake his constancie in per- forming his dutie to it. "Wherefore when he heard that William Wallace was risen up, and had taken open banner against the English, he joyned with him, by which accession of forces Wallace army was much increased and strengthened ; 7 50 History of Sanquhar. yet they were not always together, but according to the occasion and as opportunity did offer they did divide their companies, and went to several places, where they hoped to get best advantage of the enemie, and where they needed no great Annie, but some few companies at once. In these adventures Lord William recovered from the English the Castles of Disdiere and Samvheire. The manner of his taking the Castle of Sanwheire is said to have been thus : There was one Anderson that served the Castle, and furnished them with wood and fewell, who had daily access to it upon that occasion. The Lord Douglas directs one of his trustiest and stoutest servants to him to deale with him, to find some means to betray the Castle to him, and to bring him within the gates onely. Anderson, either perswaded by entreatie or corrupted for money, gave my Lord's servant (called Thomas Dickson) his apparell and carriages, who, comming to the Castle, was let in by the porter for Anderson. Dickson presently stabbed the porter, and giving the signall to his Lord, who lay neere by with his Companies, set open the gates, and received them into the Court. They being entered, killed the Captaine, and the whole English garrison, and so remained master of the place. The Captain's name was Beuford, a kinsman to his own Ladie, who had oppressed the country that lay near to him very insolently. One of the English that had been in the Castle escaping, went to other garrisons that were in other Castles and Townes adjacent, and told them what had befallen his fellowes, and withall informed them how the Castle might be recovered. Whereupon joyning their forces together, they came and besieged it. The Lord Douglas, finding himself straightened and unprovided of necessaries for his defence, did secretly convey his man Dickson out at a postern or some hidden passage, and sent him to William Wallace for aid. Wallace was then in the Lennox, and hearing of the danger Douglas was in made all the haste he could to come to his relief. The English, having notice of Wallace approach, left the siege and retired toward England, yet not so quickly but that Wallace, accompanied with Sir John Grahame, did overtake them, and killed 500 of their number ere they could pass Dalswynton. By these and such like means Wallace, with his assistance, having beaten out the English from most part of their strengths in Scotland, did commit the care and custody of the whole countrey, from Drumlenrigge to Aire, to the charge of the Lord Douglas." The founder of that branch of the Douglases which bore sway in this district and gave rise to the house of Drumlanrig was William, the natural son of Archibald the Grim. He was the first Lord of Nithsdale, and in spite of the taint of illegitimacy, he, by his virtues and bravery, so commended himself to the favour of his Sovereign, Robert II., that he preferred him for a son-in-law over all the other young History of Sanquhar. 51 noblemen of the kingdom, bestowing upon him the hand of his daughter Egidia or Giles, esteemed the most beautiful woman of that age. The King conferred upon Douglas the Lordship of Nithsdale and the Sheriffship of Dumfries, the office of Warden of the Western Border, and those of Justice and Chamberlain, besides an annual pension of three hundred pounds sterling, to be paid out of the great customs of certain burghs. There were minor branches of the Douglas family at Coshogle, Pinyrie, Dalveen, and other places in Nithsdale. This first Lord of Nithsdale was the renowned Black Douglas of Scottish history. " Tall and of commanding presence, he was also unusually bony and muscular, being, however, graceful and well proportioned."* He was a gallant soldier, stout-hearted and resolute in action, and many of the exploits with which he is credited by tradition are so extra- ordinary as to bear an air of romance. He had an arm and hand, a blow from which was like that of a sledge-hammer ; and instances are given of his freeing himself from the custody of his guards by suddenly striking out right and left with his clenched fists. His dark and swarthy complexion gave to his countenance an air of martial sternness, and pro- cured for him the appellation by which he is distinguished from the rest of his illustrious race. In the many encounters which in his time took place between the English and Scots along the Border, the Black Douglas played a conspicuous part. His tall dark figure was to be seen in the forefront of the fight, and so great was his prowess in the field that in time he became a perfect terror to the enemies of his country. The stories of his doughty deeds were told at many a fireside, and so impressed the imaginations of the simple-minded country people that English mothers along the Border were accustomed to frighten their disobedient children into submission by threatening them with the apparition of the Black Douglas. The whole of this district was at this time densely wooded, * Dumfries Magazine. 52 History of Sanquhar. the inhabitants maintaining themselves more by fishing and the chase than by agricultural husbandry. The style of living was of the most primitive kind, and their wants were few. The remains of the forest which filled the valley are to be seen in the mosses in all directions, but there is reason to believe that in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, and in the vicinity of the Castle, there was an opening which, at a later date, after the Castle had been built, a large portion of it was turned into a " deer park " well stocked with deer. The three large fields on the south of the town are still called the Deer Parks. This deer park, many acres in extent, was surrounded by a beautifully built stone dyke or wall seven feet high, which was surmounted by a loop-holed coping. A large part of this dyke still remains, and, till quite recently, some of the coping had not been removed. The last reference we can find to the deer is contained in a letter from the Earl of Queensberry, addressed to his cousin of Dornock, and dated from Edinburgh, 31st August, 1688, in which directions are given for the killing of two bucks, the one white and the other brown. (See end of Chapter.) In further proof of the existence of the wood and of its termina- tion here may be adduced the name given to houses at the west end of the town, which were only recently demolished. These houses were called the " warld's end " a corruption of the " wold's end " wold in the ancient tongue meaning " wood." The state of society at this period was of a rude and semi- barbarous character. There were, first, the barons, the descendants of individuals who, chiefly by their military services, had commended themselves to the Crown, by whom, in reward for such services, they had had bestowed on them the gift of lands, on condition that they, with their retainers, should render services of a like kind whenever occasion demanded. The possession of the land carried with it an authority absolute and uncontrolled. The barons dispensed what they were pleased to call justice, which, in too many History of Sanquhar. 53 cases, meant only the expression of their own will or caprice. In truth, the common people were simply slaves bondsmen, or " villeyns," as they were called. At the mercy, therefore, of lords, ignorant and intolerant, and of a brutal and savage nature, they were in a most miserable condition. There was, however, a middle class consisting of those who held the land under the barons; some of whom, it appears, paid rent and corresponded to the modern farmer, whilst the bulk were liable to military service with their over-lord. The laws of the Burrows were more favourable. According to them any bondsman, except the King's, who resided for a year and a day within a "burrow" was entitled to his freedom. The chartularies of the period afford numerous proofs of the existence of this condition of servitude, wherein the number of villeyns is given as. belonging to the lands transferred, and they contain notice of cases where some of these villeyns were released from their servitude. The practice was even more general in England than in Scotland. " Some of the greater Abbeys," Walsingham says, " had as many as 2000 villeyus." The system was there happily abolished in Crom- well's time, but it survived in Scotland till a later period under the name of man-rent, and that notwithstanding Acts of Parliament directed against it. In the middle ages, there were erected throughout the country hospitals, generally for the reception and relief of lepers. There were also hospitals established for the care of the sick poor. We know also of establishments for the assist- ance and shelter of travellers such as those maintained by the monks on some of the Alpine passes at the present day. The hospitals in our own country, which may possibly have been made to fulfil not merely one, but all of these various pur- poses, were served by charitable brotherhoods. The members of the brotherhood took upon themselves certain vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, in common with the other brotherhoods of the Roman Catholic Church. One of those hospitals existed in the parish of Sanquhar, being situated 54 History of Sanquhar. near to Kingsburn, about half way between the Castle and Ilyehill. This must have been one of the most ancient of such establishments, for, though the date of its erection is not known, it was in existence so early as 1296, in which year Bartholomew de Eglisham, its chaplain and superintendent, swore fealty to Edward I. (Pryenne iii. 659). Simpson men- tions several relics of the place as having been observed. Hewn stones of Gothic masonry were found on the site ; a variety of human bones had been turned up at various times ; a large key was found near the same spot ; and what was believed to have been the font-stone of the chapel long stood in the open field. It is a fact that several stones, not apparently belonging to the Castle, but to some other build- ing of importance, are to be found built into the dykes in the vicinity. The exact date of the building of Sanquhar Castle cannot be fixed, but there is no reason to doubt that it was the work of the Edgars or their predecessors in the twelfth century. In connection with the Saxon colonisation in the reign of David I., to which reference has been made, the first thing done by these colonists for the defence of the possessions granted them by the Crown was the erection of some place of strength. It does not appear that they obtained a very extensive footing in Nithsdale, the Scoto-Jrish, of whom were the Edgars, keeping their ground. But no doubt their improved methods in the building of fortifications, as in everything else, would be noted by the native tribes, and, anxious like their neighbours to keep their own, the Edgars set about building a stronghold becoming their rank and station, and of greater security than anything of the kind erected at any previous time in the district. At all events, the Castle is mentioned as being held by Richard Edgar during the reign of Robert Bruce. The site of the Castle was a well chosen one. It was built on the verge of the plateau which runs along the valley of the Nith, overlooking what has once been the course of the river. It commanded the passage of Niths- History of Sanquhar. 55 dale, one of the lines of march from England into Scotland, and was, both from its position and construction, a place of great strength. The possession of it was, therefore, of great importance during the long-continued war between the two countries, and frequently it changed hands. Though now in ruins, sufficient remains to enable us to gather a general idea of its size and style of architecture. An examination of the ruins leads to the conclusion that, originally one of those square baronial keeps which were common in the country about the twelfth century, it was enlarged from time to time, till latterly it must have been a fortress of considerable size, capable of accommodating a large garrison. It stands facing the north-west. The original keep, containing the principal gateway, has been, strange to say, the best and most substantially built part of the whole structure. The outer walls are composed of blocks of stone all of the same size, squared and dressed, and laid regularly in courses nine to eighteen inches in height, but they are now bleached and weather worn with the storms of centuries. The heart of the wall has been packed with whinstone and other hard material, into which hot lime has been run, welding the whole into one solid mass. A. close inspection of the lime in the walls reveals the fact that it had been burnt in open fires by the agency of coal, as numerous particles of unburnt coal are to be discerned mixed up with it. The interesting question arises Whence was the coal derived ? It is true that thin seams crop out at the edge of a cleuch on Ryehill near the Castle and elsewhere in the vicinity, and probably the early inhabitants had discovered its applicability for the purpose of fuel. The amount obtain- able, however, by mere open digging could not be great, and other methods would be required to secure the large quantity that would be necessary to burn so great a mass of lime as was evidently poured into the massive Castle walls. The natural and inevitable conclusion, therefore, appears to be that it must have been by mining, probably by driving in a 56 History of Sanquhar. level, that the coal was procured ; if this be so. Sanquhar may claim to shew the earliest example in Scotland of coal- mining. The oldest authentic notice of the use of coals is recorded by the Monks of Newbattle, about 1210, but Sanquhar Castle was built in the twelfth century. This, the ancient Peel, does not appear to have been of any great size, being fit to afford protection to little more than the baron and his household. It would appear to have consisted of probably only one room on the ground floor, access being had to the upper storey or storeys by a spiral stair, traces of which are still visible. There were no offices attached, nor indeed was there the same necessity for accommodation of this kind. The wealth of the baron con- sisted of cattle and horses, which roamed in the woods that grew all around. Probably the first addition that was made in the vicinity of the Peel, for it does not appear at first to have been connected with it, is the square Tower at the south corner of the pile of ruins, and which, for what reason does not appear, was called Wallace's Tower. It measures twenty-three feet over the wall and ten to eleven feet inside. It consisted of three storeys at least, with a dungeon beneath, which, however, is now filled up to the level of the ground with the fallen debris. The chambers in this part have been very small, and the windows little better than loopholes. The stones used in the construction of this Tower are not so massive as those in the Peel. The ground floor was vaulted, as was probably also one of the upper floors. The original Keep and this southern Tower have been subsequently connected by a range of buildings on the southern and western sides. That this is so is plain from the fact that at the junction with the south Tower there is a straight joint from top to bottom of the wall. Next to the Tower is the bakery, with the oven outside the wall. This oven seems to have been an insertion. The kitchen is in the south-west corner. It has had a fire-place about ten feet by nine feet, with a stone drain History o/ Sanquhar. 57 tlirough the wall to the outside. These additions were continued along the north-west or front side till the ancient Peel had been reached. They embraced a large round tower, which would be a prominent feature, and enhance greatly the appearance of the Castle. It likewise played an important part in the internal economy of the place, for it afforded access by a fine spiral stone stair, with steps four feet wide, to the upper floors of the Castle, while it enfolded within its sweep the well of the Castle, which was forty-two feet in depth, and beautifully built. The basement floor, which was vaulted, is at a lower level than the courtyard. The other two sides appear to have been completed at a later period, and when that had been done, Sanquhar Castle would be a fortress of great size and strength. Together, the court- yard and castle form an oblong, measuring about 167 feet from east to west, and 128 from north to south. From the outer courtyard in front, entrance to the Castle was obtained by an arched doorway about seven feet six inches wide, which was protected by the round tower. Through this door the inner courtyard was reached by a vaulted passage. The Castle was approached from the town along an avenue of trees, of which a few still remain, and the burn which runs round the base is carried under the roadway by an arched tunnel regularly built, one of the oldest specimens of work of the kind to be seen in Scotland. At the end of the avenue was the gateway leading into the outer courtyard at the north- west corner. This gateway, of which little remains, is seventeenth century work, and formed the entrance to a handsome quadrangle. It was surrounded on the unpro- tected sides by a double fosse, the common form of defence adopted in our ancient strongholds. An iron gate closed the entrance to the court, and when the ponderous portcullis was lowered, the garrison had little to fear, provided the place was well provisioned, for their supply of water was secured by the well within the round tower. On the death, in 1695, of William, first Duke of Queensberry, when the family 8 58 History of Sanquhar. residence was tranferred to Drumlanrig, the Castle was stripped of its leaden roof and allowed to fall into ruins. Grose, in his " Antiquities," published in the end of last century, says : " Upon the bottom that lies beneath the west side of the castle were formerly the gardens, where the remains of a fish pond, with a square island in the middle, is still visible. On the south side of the castle was the Bowling Green, pretty near entire. The principal entrance was from the north-east, where a bridge was thrown over the fosse." The building has fallen into such a ruinous state that little can be known of the internal arrangements. The prin- cipal rooms, however, including the great hall, were situated in the vicinity of the gateway, on the front side. Much, however, that had long remained in obscurity was cleared up during a course of excavations, undertaken a few years ago, with consent of the Duke of Buccleuch, by the Marquis of Bute, the lineal descendant of the Crichtons, the ancient lords of the manor, whose most ancient title is Baron Crichton of Sanquhar. These excavations revealed the bakery, kitchen, and well, and parts of the internal dividing walls. No trace could be found, however, of the outer wall about the east corner, but it is quite supposable that this part of the wall, even to the foundations, was taken for the building of Sanquhar Town Hall, of which more anon. The bricks were manufactured here, pointing to the fact that brick-making is one of the oldest established industries of the district. It will be noticed that in the Earl of Queens- berry's letter, at the end of this chapter, reference is made to the same effect, the term " tiles " being there used. The mortar was very coarse, but strong, and the arch of the gate- way was pinned with oyster-shells. Teeth of the horse, cow, sheep, and pig were found, together with skulls of various breeds of dogs, and bones of all kinds of fowls, shewing that, in its later days at least, the diet of its inhabitants was of a liberal and varied kind. Two boar tusks were found in the sewer. The collection of curiosities unearthed also included History of Sanqukar. 5!) a massive old key, an antique chisel, an ancient reaping-hook toothed like a common saw, many pieces of glass and earthenware, the heel and sole of a lady's boot, differing but little in size and shape of the heel from the prevailing fashion of the present day. Five tobacco pipes of different patterns were turned up, one of them 'adorned with a rose on the bowl. These pipes were very small in the head so small that the consumption of tobacco by the smoker could not have been great. Another interesting relic was a child's toy in the form of a small boat found in one of the sewers. The greatest and most important discovery of all was the well in the round tower. The well, it was declared by the older people, was in the court ; but the architect argued that if there was a well within the walls, it would be found in the circular tower. This supposition, founded no doubt on the position of the well in other similar fortresses, proved, therefore, to be correct, and it was shown how unreliable an authority mere tradition is in matters of this kind. The well was forty-two feet in depth, lined with beautiful masonr}', which, however, had been removed for several feet at the top. About eighteen inches at the bottom was square, and constructed of wooden piles, upon which the masonry rested. A scabbard of an old sword, several gargoyles or water-spouts, a number of stone window-mullions, the legs of sundry chairs and tables, and the old bucket for drawing the water were found in the well. The bucket lay mouth downwards, and almost entire. There had been a traditional story current in the district that a huge pot of gold was hidden somewhere about the Castle, and this story was known to the workmen. The moment therefore the bucket was disclosed to view in such a condition that it was impos- sible to determine on a mere glance what it was, the story was recalled to the labourer's mind, and instantly his imagination pictured a glorious " find." He shouted in an excited manner " Here's the big pot o' gold. Pull me up, and I'll gie ye the half o't." Up came the man and the 60 History of Sanquhar. bucket, but instead of gold it contained only a mass of broken stones. So much again for tradition. The entrance to the deer park from the avenue approach- ing the Castle, though now built up, is still discernible. The park skirted the gardens of the good burghers on the south side of the town, into which the deer, it is said, were accus- tomed to make plundering raids in winter, when the pasture was bare, and the kitchen vegetables on the other side were altogether too tempting. A curious accident occurred to an old buck in one of these raids. The gardens contained not only vegetables, but fruit trees, and, in jumping, this old reiver, who, from the height of the wall, could not see what was on the other side, drove one of his horns deep into the trunk of a tree in coming down, the horn snapping and leaving a considerable portion imbedded in the wood. The tree was cut and converted into a table, and it is said that the table, containing a section of the horn, is still to be seen in the town. The upper portion of the deer park was on a level with the town and the Castle, the lower lying along the banks of the river. The garden, about two acres in extent, lies at the back of the Castle facing the south. It is ter- raced at the upper end, and is still enclosed within a substan- tial wall, remains of the old fruit trees being visible until quite recently. It is but right to state that in " Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland," M'Gibbon and Ross take a different view of the relative age of several parts of the structure, holding, for example, that the south Tower is the original Keep,, and therefore the most ancient portion, but we have adopted the view, which not only is supported by other anti- quarian authorities of eminence, but accords with the popular opinion founded upon natural conclusions drawn from the appearance of the ruins. Thus stood the Castle in its palmiest days a magnificent pile, towering up in massive strength and grandeur, the watchful guardian of the vale. The scene presented to the History of Sanquhar. 61 noble dames, as they sat in the window of the great hall, would form a charming picture. At their feet lay the fish pond, whose calm and placid bosom was undisturbed save by the splashing of the trout or the white swans as they swam slowly and majestically round the island. The timid deer bounded over the surface of the wide and undulating park, their forms at one moment clearly outlined on the crest of a ridge and anon disappearing in a hollow, their tall antlers, like the masts of a ship at sea, being the last to dip out of sight. Further away, the valley, with its rich adorn- ment of woods, and herds of cattle browsing in the open spaces, stretched back for miles, and was encircled by a long range of hills deeply pierced on either hand by the bosky glens of Crawick and Euchan, and the wild Kello, while the western sun, as he sank behind the brow of distant Corsan- cone, flooded the whole with a rosy light. " The air a solemn stillness holds," unbroken save by the lowing of cattle as they are driven home to milking, the distant bleating of sheep, and the cawing of the rooks, as in great flocks they pursue their weary flight homeward to the woods of Eliock, while jovial shouts and laughter float up from the Bowling-Green where gallant knights for the moment forget the cares of state and bury their mutual jealousies and animosities. Copy Letter from the Earl of Queeusberry to his Cousin, Douglas of Domock. ED., 31 Autjt., 1688. " CUSIN, " Soe soon as possible wreat to David Reid (to whom ther's uoe occasion going from this) that imediatly he meit with Wm. Lukup, and cause him send some of his men to Sanquhar to take in the Chimneyes of my Chamber, the Drawing Roume, and hall, which ar by a great deall too large, and by taking them in as they ought, will both make the Rouines warmer and prevent smoaking. This is to be done with the tile there, and cannot take up much tyme or charges, and I'll not be pleased if I find it not done when I come. Lykewise tell David to take exact notice to the ovens, both in the kitchen and bakehouse, and if they be any way faultie 62 History of Sanquhar. that they be presently helped and made sufficient, for it will not be proper those things be doing when I'm ther. Tell him Lykewise that he and Win. Johnstone consider what useless Broken pouter (pewter) is there and uufitt to be made use off, and that he send it in by the first occasion heir with the weight of it. And new pouther (pewter) shall be sent out in place of it, and that he may do this more exactly, tell him goe throw the wholle Roumes and Wardrobes, and see if they have the keyes of the Wardrob at Drumlangrig, that the old wash-basins and what useless peader (pewter) he finds ther, send it out, and if there be any usefull pewter ther, send it to Sanquhar and keep it ther. James Weir tells me there is ane old Brewing Lead at Sanquhar quyt useless, and that it is not possible to mend it, order David and Wm. Johnstonne to con- sider it, and if it be soe, lett the said Lead be sent heir with one of the Retourued Carts from Drumlanrig, that it may be disposed off. But if it can be usefull at Drumlanrig or Sanquhar, it's still to be keept. Tell David and Wm. Johnstone to cause clear the Bartizans of Sanquhar, and that the doors be made sufficient and locks putt upon them. Tell Wm. Johnstone that I have lost the state of provisions to be sent to Sanquhar that he gave me when he was heir, soe order him by the first occasion to send me ane exact note of everything to be provided and sent from this, and that they have ther thoughts how all things shall be provided to the best advantage in the country, and that they remember former directions and have every thing in order. Tell David that he kill presently both the old Bucks, and send them heir cased up, as James Weir used to doe. I would not putt them to this, bot that David in his letter assured me that they can do it as weill as James Weir, bot tell them I'll take it verrie ill if they kill the wrong deer, soe if they have the least distrust of themselves, tell them not to Medle with it, but send me word and I'll wreat to James Weir to go ther. James Weir tells me one of the bucks to be killed is whyte and the other brown." CHAPTER IV. THE CRICHTONS. the person of the William de Crichton, already mentioned, there came upon the scene a family of power and influence which, though they, at first, played a part subordinate to the older family of the Edgars, kept their ground, and acquired by purchase the remaining part of the barony of Sanquhar which belonged to that family. On his marriage to the heiress of Ryehill, the baronial residence was transferred to the much more important stronghold of Sanquhar Castle, where his family was established for well nigh three hundred years, and continued the leading family in Upper Nithsdale, their history being largely the history of Sanquhar during that long period of time. That being the case, it seems proper to give here a record in a summary form of THE FAMILY OF CRICHTON. According to Holingshed, the first Crichton came over from Hungary with Agatha, widow of the Saxon Prince Edward, when her daughter married Malcolm III., in 1067. Thurstanus de Crichton was a witness to the foundation charter of the Abbey of Holyrood House in 1128, and Thomas de Crichton swore fealty to Edward 1. for lands in Midlothian in 1296. His two sons founded the families of Sanquhar (now represented in the female line by the Marquis of Bute, who is also Earl of Dumfries) and of Frendraught. 64 History of Sanquhar. The elder son became possessed of half the barony of Sanquhar through his wife, Isabelle de Ros, and subsequently purchased the remainder. Sir Robert, afterwards Lord Crichton of Sanquhar, was made Coroner of Nithsdale in 1468, and he received from James III. a grant of the confiscated Douglas lands. His cousin, Sir William Crichton, the Chancellor, was also created Lord Crichton. The Crichtons possessed lands in Dryfesdale, Kirkpatrick, in the barony of Kirkmichael, and in the barony of Crawfordstown, now known as the parish of Crawford in Lanarkshire, which bounds with the parish of Sanquhar. Before the Reformation, the Rectory of Kirkconnel was leased from the Abbey of Holyrood for 20 a year by the Crichtons. In 1494, Ninian Crichton, a layman, was parson of Sanquhar. By the marriage of James, the eldest son of Sir Robert, with Lady Janet Dunbar, the family succeeded to the barony of Frendraught-Gawin. The second son of Lord Crichton and Lady Janet seems to have married a daughter of Johnstone of Elphinstone, as he received with his wife in 1479 the lands of Drumgrey, viz., Moling, Monyge, Rahills, &c., in the barony of Kirkmichael, which had been conferred by David II. on a former Adam Johnstone, and were afterwards confirmed to Sir Gilbert Johnstone of Elphinstone by Crown Charter in 1471. Margaret, the daughter of the second Lord Crichton of Sanquhar and his wife Elizabeth Murray, married William Johnstone of Grait- ney, and was the ancestress of the Johnstones of Galabank and Fulford Hall. Estates, however, were increased or diminished with every generation at that period, from the custom of portioning off daughters and younger sons with land, for entails were not restricted to the senior male heir, but to heirs male generally, or to both heirs male and female, and this led to frequent exchanges between different families. Land that was brought by an heiress to a younger son is sometimes found a few years later in the hands of an elder brother's children, though he may himself have left heirs, History of Sanquhar. 65 An arrangement of this nature was made by the two families of Crichton. The Ninian Crichton, the parson of Sanquhar, above re- ferred to, was tutor or guardian to his nephews and niece, the children of the second Baron Crichton, as appears by various decrees of the Lords in Council, in which a young Robert, Lord Crichton, is mentioned in 1525, who does not appear in any of the published pedigrees of the Crichton family, the presumption being that he died before he came of age. His brother William, who succeeded him, married a daughter of Malcolm, Lord Fleming. He was killed at Edinburgh, about 1556, by Lord Sernple in the house of the Duke of Chatel- herault, who was then Governor of Scotland. Not only was the house of Crichton connected by marriage with other leading families in the country, but they would appear to have been favourites at Court, and were entrusted by the Crown with the discharge of important public offices. Chief among these was the Sheriffship of Dumfries. The duties of this appointment, in those days, were of a somewhat different character to what they have practically become in these times of established order. Whereas now the work of a Sheriff is almost exclusively of a judicial nature, and the military side of the office is only brought into view during the occurrence, happily now very rare, of a riot, in those early times the maintenance of the peace required that the Sheriff of this border county should be a man of some military capacity, and of firmness and resolution of temper. During the long-continued, though intermittent war that took place between England and Scotland through the determined efforts made by the former to bring Scotland into subjection, measures were taken by the lighting of what were termed " bails " that is bonfires on the principal hill tops along the border, and northward towards the heart of the country, to give warning to the barons of any English invasion. These outbreaks often took place without any previous warning. The diplomatic courtesy, which is now 66 History of Sanquhar. observed among civilised nations before a declaration of war is made, was then totally unknown. The outbreak was frequently unpreceded by any apparent cause of quarrel, but was simply a case of unwarrantable, unprovoked aggression. It was gone about, therefore, without ceremony, and prepara- tions were made with as great secrecy as possible. The time chosen for attack was that which best suited the con- venience of the aggressor, and so it commonly happened that the first intimation given that there was mischief in the wind was the sudden appearance of an armed force on the border. Without telegraphs or railways, or even a decent road, the message of warning had to be conveyed in some other way than by telegram, letter, or courier. The means adopted were effectual for the purpose, and very appropriate. Stevenson, who is quoted by Sir Walter Scott, describes the beacon as being constructed of "a long and strong tree, set up with a long iron pole across the head of it, and an iron warder fixed on a stalk in the middle of it for holding a tar barrel." This was raised on the principal eminences, and signalmen were appointed to apply the torch when the light was observed on the next station. In this way the news spread with lightning-like rapidity, and warning was given not only to the barons, but to the whole of their vassals and retainers liable to military service. Fire is a very appropriate symbol of war, and of the " red ruin " which it brings in its train, and we can well imagine when the first ray of fiery light shot up from the mountain peak, kindling the blazing beacon, which shed its ruddy glare across the face of the midnight sky, how picturesque and striking the scene would be. But it struck no terror into the hearts of the people ; it only served to quicken the pulse, and stir the patriotic ardour, of our stout-hearted forefathers. " Theirs the stern joy which warriors feel In foemen worthy of their steel. " In addition to the judicial, it was part of the military duties of the Sheriff of Dumfries the office which Crichton History o/ Sanquhar. 67 held to see that these Bail-fires were lit when occasion demanded. Corsancone was the farthest inland of these beacon peaks. From its top the signal from the far south could be seen, and thence transmitted northwards along the western coast. The office of Sheriff was of ancient origin, but there is no certainty that, prior to 1296, a Sheriffdom had been created in Dumfries. It is true that William the Lion, who died in 1212, in a charter enforcing the payment of tithes to Jocelyn, Bishop of Glasgow, in whose diocese the churches in Nithsdale were long included, addressed it to his "justiciaries, Sheriff, and all other his ministers and bailiffs." But these may have been mere words of form used in such documents, just as we find a set form of words employed in the charters of Royal Burghs at a later time, and can hardly be adduced as proof of the actual existence of such offices in every case where they were used. There is, at all events, no doubt on the point from 1305, in which year Edward I. recognised Dumfries as a Sheriffdom, and appointed Richard Syward to be his Sheriff of Dumfriesshire. The bounds of this officer's jurisdiction, however, were not then what they subsequently became. A different polity prevailed in Annan- dale, where the jus gladii, the law of the sword, was granted by David I. to Robert de Brus. In process of time the Sheriffship of Dumfries became hereditary. Sir William Douglas, natural son of Archibald, lord of Galloway, acquired by his marriage with the Lady Giles, daughter of Robert II., the lordship of Nithsdale, with the Sheriffship of Dumfries, and so strenuously was the hereditary principle upheld, even in the case of an office of this description, that it was vested in a female, Giles, called the Fair Maid of Nithsdale, the only daughter and heiress of the Lord of Nithsdale, who was killed at Dantzic in 1390. This lady sheriff married Henry Sinclair, Karl of Orkney, and left a son, William, who inherited Nithsdale and the Sheriffship of Dumfries, both of which he, in 1455, resigned to James II. for the Earldom of Caithness. 68 History of Sanquhar. In July, 1484, the traitors the Earl of Douglas and the Duke of Albany who had deserted their country's cause and gone over to her English enemies, invaded Dumfriesshire at the head of an English force. The country gentlemen promptly summoned their followers, attacked the base intruders, and defeated them. Douglas was taken prisoner, and Albany fled back to England. Crichton of Sanquhar, who rendered a part in this important service, was rewarded by an addition to his lands. His loyalty, besides being thus recognised in a substantial manner, would appear to have brought him into permanent favour with the King, who, in 1487, created him a peer of Parliament under the title of Lord Sauquhar. He had previously obtained a confirmation of the office of Sheriff in 1464, and in 1468 he acquired a grant of the office of Coroner of Nithsdale. These two offices continued hereditary in the Crichton family for 200 years, till they were disposed of, along with the barony of Sanquhar, to the Earl of Queensberry. The Sheriffdom of Dumfries included Annandale and Nithsdale, with the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, but the local jurisdictions restrained the authority of the Sheriff almost entirely to Nithsdale, and even there it was still further curtailed, in 1497, through Douglas of Drumlanrig obtaining from the King an exemp- tion of himself, his household, and tenants from the jurisdic- tion of the Sheriff of Dumfries, there being a deadly enmity between the two lords. The turbulent barons did not regard the King's authority with any great reverence, and the office of Sheriff was there- fore no sinecure. As an instance of the Jawless and violent habits of these barons, and the disturbed social conditions of that age, we read that at the time when Lord Crichton was holding an assize in the year 1508 a great battle was fought outside the court-house between Maxwell aided by John- stone, and others. M'Dowall, in his history of Dumfries, gives the following account of the affray : " The Crichtons and Maxwells had grown greatly in favour since the fall of the History of Sanquhar. 69 Douglasses. There had long been a deadly feud between the two houses, which was intensified by the circumstance that Lord Sanquhar seemed to be extending his influence over Lower Nithsdale at the expense of Lord Maxwell, who, though Steward of Annandale, did not like to see the neigh- bouring Sheriffdom possessed by his rival. The idea that a district occupied by many of his own adherents should be legally presided over by any other than a Maxwell was the reverse of pleasant to Lord John ; that it should be placed under the sway of a Crichton was deemed by him intolerable. ' We must teach this aspiring chief a lesson let him see who is master of Dumfries,' muttered the wrathful Steward. Lord Sanquhar held a court in the shire town towards the close of July, 1508. On the 30th of that month no trials were proceeded with the ' dittays ' having been deserted the hall of justice abandoned for the Lower Sandbeds, where the warlike vassals of the noble Sheriff stood drawn up in battle array, prepared in some degree for the threatened onset, of which he had received timely notice. Lord Max- well, at the head of a considerable force, and accompanied by William Douglas of Drumlanrig, entered the town by the Annandale road from the south, and attacked the Crichton party with a fury that was irresistible. How long the engagement continued is not known. Sir James Balfour speaks of it as ' a grate feight ' that it was a sanguinary one is beyond any doubt. The same annalist records that ' Lord Sanquhar was overthrown, and many of his frindes killed.' Bishop Lesley, describing it, says ' Lord Creychton was chaissit with his company frae Drumfries, and the Laird of Dalyell and the young laird of Cranchlay slain, with divers uthers, quhairof thair appeared greit deidly feid and bludshed.' " Thoroughly routed, Lord Sanquhar was chased from the town, over which he professed to hold rule in the King's name driven for refuge to his castle among the hills, leaving his exulting rival, if not Sheriff of Nithsdale, undis- puted chief of its principal burgh. Maxwell, however strange it may appear, was allowed to go unpunished." 70 History of Sanquhar. This incident not only illustrates the fierce and violent temper of Maxwell, of which there is other abundant proof, and the jealousy which bred much of the perpetual strife between rival families and afflicted the country for generations, but also the feebleness of James's government, which allowed to go unpunished this flagrant outrage on his own authority in the person of his legal representative, unless we are to believe that he looked on the outcome of the encounter with cynical indifference, if not with secret satisfaction, as it appears that at this time the loyalty of the Crichtons was not free from suspicion. There are some grounds for this belief, for, though Maxwell was not called to account, others who had taken part in the affray, such as Douglas of Drum- lanrig, Ferguson of Craigdarroch, and his son Thomas, had to undergo a form of trial on 30th September, 1512, at Edinburgh, for the murder of Robert Crichton, a nephew of the Sheriff's, and were acquitted, on the ground that the deceased Robert Crichton was " our soverane lordis rebell and at his home " when the conflict occurred. His son Robert was the fourth Lord of Sanquhar, and was married to Margaret Cunningham. He died without issue, and was succeeded by his brother Edward, who married Margaret, daughter of Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig. In 1547, after the disastrous defeat of Pinkie, the shire of Dumfries was reduced to a state of complete submission to the power of the English, and the whole of the border chiefs, with the exception of Douglas of Drumlanricke, swore fealty to England. A record of the transaction has been preserved, and, in the list of lairds and their adherents who thus sub- mitted, is found the name of Edward Crichton, with ten followers. In 1565, when Murray and his partisans broke out into rebellion on account of Queen Mary's marriage with Lord Darnley, they were driven by the Queen's forces into Dum- friesshire, where they received a cool reception. Lord Crichton warmly espoused the Queen's cause, and was honoured with History of Sanquhar. 71 a command in the advanced guard of her army, under the Earl of Lennox. However, he faltered for a time in his loyalty, for we find that in June, 1567, he was one of the only two Dumfriesshire chiefs who drew their treasonous swords against the unhappy Queen, the other being Douglas of Drumlanrig. Nevertheless he returned to his allegiance, for, when Murray, only a few months later, assumed the regency, Lord Sanquhar deserted him, and when the imprisoned Queen escaped from Lochleven Castle, joined her at Hamilton, and fought on her behalf at Langside. On the flight of Mary, after the disastrous defeat of her army, the Regent collected a large force and proceeded south to chastise the Queen's adherents in Dumfriesshire. The first place of strength which he attacked was Sanquhar Castle, which he speedily reduced to submission. While the office of Sheriff of the County was held by Lord Sanquhar, another public office of trust was at this period filled by a member of the family. A Privy Council Minute of 23rd February, 1567, bears that " Maister Robert Creich- toun of Sanquhar, Collector of Wigtoun, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries, and Annanderdaill, is ordered to compeer befoir the Lords Auditouris of Chekker and thair make compt of his intromissions that the ministeris and thair collectouris may understand quhat is taken up and quhat is restand to be taken up by them." It is well known to all who have the slightest know- ledge of Scottish history that, while the more powerful nobles were almost constantly engaged in State intrigues in the struggle for place and power, the minor barons were incessantly employed in mutual plunder and harass- ment. The Borders were, from their geographical situation on the line of march between England and Scotland, in an almost continual state of disturbance. Whatever parts of the rival kingdoms might escape the ravages of the long-continued struggle between the two countries, the Borders were sure to suffer. The description that applies to 72 History of Sanquhar. the Scottish barons in general applies in an especial degree to the Border chiefs. And little wonder that this should have been the case. The necessity which called them from time to time to stand up in defence of their possessions naturally bred a stout-hearted race. None other in such an age, and so situated, could have long kept their ground. Those members of the Maxwell, Johnstone, Douglas, and Scot families of an unwarlike disposition had no resource, it is significantly said, but to leave Dumfriesshire. Many of them repaired to Edinburgh, where they became merchants, and attained to great wealth. In no part of the country was the old rule in more effectual operation ' That they should take who have the power, And they should keep who can." The intervals that occurred between the frequent incursions of the English into Scotland, or the Scottish into England, were usually too brief to allow the borders to fall into a settled state, and so it was that, during these intervals, the border chiefs either, tempted by their proximity to the English lauds, attempted on their own account, singly or in combination, to make reprisals for the losses and injuries they had sustained, or practised the game of plunder upon each other. There was continual strife and jealousy between the barons of the two sides of the county Annan- dale and Nithsdale and many a fierce and bitter encounter was the result. A notable case of the kind occurred in 1593. " The notorious Johnstone of Annandale, who had joined the Earl of Bothwell in an attempt to seize the King's person, had been shut up in prison in Edinburgh Castle for his treasonable act. Succeeding eventually in making his escape, he made his way to Lochwood. He had been only one of several of the redoubtable border chiefs who had been concerned in the plot, and the King, with his accustomed weakness, in place of repressing them with a firm hand, visited Dumfriesshire, and offered by proclamation a pardon to all who would renounce Bothwell and promise loyal behaviour History of Sanquhar. 73 for the future. These merciful conditions were accepted by many, though not by Johnstoue." M'Dowall's History of Dumfries. The latter, with his clan, marched into Niths- dale and ravaged the lands of Lord Sanquhar and of Douglas of Drumlanrig. He was a gay and dissipated character, and was therefore called " The Galliard." He was caught by Crichton's men while in the act of seizing one of their horses, and was unceremoniously hanged in the presence of his nephew, William Johnstone of Kirkhill, notwithstanding the entreaties of the latter. His followers, pursued by the Crichtons with the object of recovering the cattle which had been stolen from them, stood at bay, and, stung doubtless by the humiliating fate of their chief, they fought with despera- tion, so that many of their enemies fell in the skirmish. " This bloody battle is referred to in an old ballad. The appeal of the ' Galliard ' for mercy is thus expressed ' O ! Simmy, Simmy ! ' so he pleaded with his captor, Sirnon of the side ' ! Simmy, Simmy, now let me gang, And I'll ne'er mair a Crichton wrang ; O ! Simmy, Simmy, now let me be, And a peck o' gowd I'll gie to thee.' The appeal was, as we have said, in vain, and the sequel is thus described : ' Back tae Nithsdale they hae gane, And awa the Crichtons' nowt hae taen ; And when they cam to the Wellpath-head, The Crichtons bade them ' Light and lead. ' ' Light and lead,' that is dismount and give battle. ' Then out spoke Willie of Kirkhill, Of fighting, lads, ye'se hae your fill ; And from his horse Willie he lap, And a burnished brand in his hand he gat. ' Out through the Crichtons Willie he ran, And dang them down, baith horse and man, O, but the Johnstones were wondrous rude, When the Biddes Burn ran three days blude. ' 10 74 History of Sanquhar. The Biddes Burn is a brook running between Nithsdale and Annandale, near the head of the Evan." M'DowaWs History. The Crichtons appealed for redress to Lord Maxwell, Warden of the Marches, but more effectual means were taken to bring to the notice of the authorities the dire results of this raid. A remarkable scene was subsequently presented in Edinburgh. " Fifteen poor widows from Sanquhar came to complain to the King that their husbands, sons, and servants were cruelly murdered by the Laird of Johnstone, themselves ' spoiled,' and nothing left them. Finding that they could obtain no satisfaction, the poor women, who had carried with them the bloody shirts of their dead husbands, roused the popular feeling of the city by marching through the streets, carrying the blood-stained clothing. This took place on Monday, the 23rd July. The people were much moved, and cried out for vengeance upon the King and Council."* Ultimately, however, Lord Maxwell, as Warden, was enjoined to execute justice on this turbulent clan. The injured chiefs and others joined to assist Maxwell. Thereupon Johnstone secured the adhesion of the Scotts, Elliots, and Grahams, and a contest ensued which involved the whole of the principal Border clans. A preliminary battle took place at Lochmaben, in which Johnstone was victorious, but the decisive engagement was fought in December at Dryfesands, where Maxwell assembled a body of 2000 men, displaying the King's banner as the royal lieutenant. The Johnstones and their allies, though over- powered in numbers, fought with such desperate valour as to rout the King's lieutenant and the royal army, Maxwell himself being slain.*f The character and habits of the Crichtons, of both the head of the family who ruled from Sanquhar Castle, and the minor branches who possessed little lairdships in the neigh- bourhood, differed in no respect from those of their order * Dumfries Magazine, t M'Dowall's History. History of Sanquhar. 75 throughout the whole south country. They quarrelled fiercely with their neighbours, readily resorting to violence in the gratification of their revenge or in the pursuit of their schemes of plunder and spoliation ; while towards their inferiors they behaved in an insolent and over-bearing manner. Indeed, they were a bold, masterful race, not hesitating to act in defiance of the orders of even the King in Council. Their name frequently appears in the records of the Privy Council, charged with deeds of turbulent law- lessness ; they were bound over in heavy sureties to keep the peace, and, on one occasion, a Crichton was doomed to confinement in Edinburgh Castle during the King's pleasure. The family of Hamilton was contemporary with that of Crichton, and possessed considerable power and influence, as is evidenced by a complaint made in 1579 by Williame D unbar as follows : " William Hammiltoun of Sanquhar, having consavitane deidlie hettreut and malice causles aganis the said Williame Dunbar, upon the xiii. day of Aprile last bipast, come to his place at Enterkin quhairin he dwellis and remains presentlie accumpanyit with tuentie horsmen or hairby, bodin in weirlyke maner, with lang gunnis'and pistolettis prohibit to be worne be oure actis of Parliament and Secreit Couusale, jakis, steilbonnatis, swirdis, and uther wappynins invasive and thair be way of hamesuckin, serchit and socht the said Willieme Dunbar for his slauchter and destruc- tiouri and the said Williame Hammiltoun finding himself be his non appre- hensioun disappointit of his weikit purpois, brak doun his dykis and yettis of his fenssis and hainingis not litill to his hurt and scaith. Farther, the said Williame Hammiltoun for execution of his ewill will aganis the said William Dunbar, dalie be plane force and way of deid oppressis and com- mittis reiffis, spulzeis of horssis, cornis, cattell and utheris guidis upoun his puir tennentis of the landis of Sornis, Mosgavill, Dykesdaill, the mains Grenok and Eistir-Sanquhar, swa that be frequent reiffis and oppressionis foirsaidis the saidis puir tennentis ar allutterlie wrakit. " Hamilton failed to appear on pain of horning, and the penalty was ordered to take effect. Poor Dunbar's plaint describes in quaint and graphic language the manner and circumstance of the regular reiving raids which were being perpetrated daily at this period among the petty chiefs and barons all along the debateable land. 76 History of Sanquhar. The minor branches of the Crichtou family did not fail to imitate the manners of their feudal head. They held petty lairdships in the neighbourhood Ryehill. Ardoch, Gareland Carne, and others, and, possibly emboldened by the fact that the Lord of Sanquhar, the King's Justiciary of the district, was their friend, they carried things with a high hand. In 1566, complaint is made by one William Flemyng, a burgess of Edinburgh " That Ninian Creichtoun in Carne, Robert Creichtoun, Andro Creich- toun, brether german and Robert Creichtoun their bruther naturall invaidit the said William and mutilat him in his rycht arme quhairthrow he is impotent and unabill to work for his leving ; that they on na wayis wald find souertie and thairefter was put to the horne ; that they were reparand dailie in company with Edward Lord Creichtoun, Sheref of Dumfreis ; that the said Sheref had been chargeit sundry tymes to haif usit justice upon thaime, but refusing, he was chargeit to haif compeirit befoir the Lords of Secreit Counsall to answer for his eontemptiouu. Lord Creichton failed to appear, and is commandit and chargeid to present himself before the Soverain and thair Lordships under all hieast pane and offence. " William Creichtoun, in 1579, is bound over not to harm Patrick M'Crerik, burgess of Sanquhar, and, by a separate caution, the said William Creichtoun, in his capacity as Sheriff of Dumfries, is bound over that he will enter M'Crerik peaceably into certain specified " leggis of land with houses lying in the burgh of Sanquhar, and will not molest him in the possession of the same afterwards." Some time before, in 1576, a complaint had been made to the Council against William Creichtoun, Tutor of Sanquhar, by Robert Dalyell of that Ilk, Cristiane Dalyell, Lady Covingtoun, and James Lindesay in Auchintagairt, " tuiching the unbesetting of thair gait within the town of Sanquhar, in the month of October last bipast, and stopping theme to cum to the kirk of Sanquhair besydis the invasiouu of the said James Linde- say for his slauchter." Then in 1579 Creichtoun, described by the same title, " was ordained to find caution of 500 merks, which he did by the hands of Johnne Gordon of Lochinvar, that he shall not impede or trouble Elizabeth and History of Sanquhar. 77 Margaret Stewart, daughters of the late James, Earl of Murray, in the uptaking of the maills of the lordship of Sanquhar belonging to them as donators during the time of the ward and nonentres of the said lordschip." It would be interesting to know if this William Creichloun was the same as he who was included in a list of persons ordered to be banished furth the realm by the Act of Parlia- ment passed in 1587. This measure was for the purpose of purging the land of popery, and charges all Jesuits and seminary priests to leave the country within one month, 'under pain of death. Certain Commissioners are appointed, who are enjoined "To apprehend and either present for trial before the justice in the Tollbuith of Edinburgh or themselves try and administer justice upon the following classes of offenders : ( 1 ) Jesuits and seminary priests, including Mr James Gordon, uncle of the Earl of Huntley, Mr Edmund Hay, brother of the goodman of Meginche, Mr William Creichtoun, etc. , in cais they sal not depairt furth of this realm and enter themselffis to the Provost of Edinburgh to be lingut quhile the occasioun serve to transporte thame according to the proclamatioun publist to that effect. (2) Rebels reman- ing at the horn for slauchteris or sic utheris odious crymes. (3) Sinners, brigands, and masterful vagabonds. " The Lords of Sanquhar and Elliock would seem to have eyed each other across the river, from their respective strong- holds, with jealousy and hatred. The Privy Council Records shew that, in 1610, Robert, Lord Creichtoun, on the one part, and Sir Robert Dalyell of that Ilk and Sir Robert Dalyell, his son and apparent heir (the Dalyells were then the lairds of Elliock), were called to answer " for certain mutual challangeis of provocation and defyance." The younger Dalyell is " committit to ward in Edinburgh Castle " for having " utterit some uncomlie and undiscrete speeches im- porting a provocation and brag aganis the Lord Sanquhair;" while Lord Sanquhair and the elder Sir Robert Dalyell are " bound over to find caution to keep the peace, the former 5000 rnerks, the latter 3000 merks." This Lord Robert Creichtoun, though he would appear to have been the 78 History of Saviquhar. aggrieved party in the above instance, was himself a fre- quent offender against public order, and was often cited before the Privy Council on the complaint of his neighbours of his tyrannical conduct, and bound over by heavy sureties to keep the peace. Considering that he held the King's commission as Sheriff and Justiciary of Nithsdale, his con- duct was all the more reprehensible, and constituted a bad example to those who were under his jurisdiction. In 1597, Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn complained to the Council that " Robert, Lord Creichtoun of Sanquhar, Sheriff Principal of Dumfries, intends now under the pretext and cullour of justice and be the authoritie of his office of sheriffship or commissioun of justiciare to utter his haitreut and malice aganis the said Thomas Kirkpatrick, his kin> freindis, tennantis, and servandis," and in particular that he had " putt violent hands on Johnne Wilsoun his tennant and servand quhome be direckit to the said Lord with a missive letter and detanis him in strait firmance." Lord Sanquhar does not appear to have had any reason of quarrel with Kirkpatrick personally, but, having entered into a bond of friendship with Sir James" Douglas of Drumlanrig (they are described in the complaint as " brethir and suster's bairns "), who was Kirkpatrick's mortal enemy, Lord San- quhar conceived that he, too, must quarrel with the latter. The probability is that he was instigated by Sir James, and that he was thus led to prostitute his high judicial office to gratify the revenge of a friend. Lord Sauquhar is also charged in the complaint by Kirkpatrick with " the schame- full and cruel wounding of Johnne Williamson n of Castle Robert, the said Thomas' servand and depeudair," and Kirk- patrick concludes by requesting that redress be given him, and that he and his friends, tenants, servants, &c., should be exempted from the jurisdiction of Lord Creichtoun as Sheriff. The Lords of the Privy Council granted the prayer of the petition in both particulars, but, notwithstanding, Lord Creichtoun, in defiance of both King and Council, " causit History of Sanquhar. 79 execute the said tennant to the deid, quhaw wes a trew man, nevir spotted nor suspect of any sic crymes as he falslie objectit against him, whereby he usurped upon him his Majesties princely power in executiouu of his Majesties subjectis without warrand or power." Both parties were of course called, when Lord Creichtoun's defence was that " He had put the said Johnne to the knowledge of an assize for certain crimes of theft committed by him and that the said Johnne having been found guilty, he had caused him to be executed by virtue of the commis- sion given to him to that effect being then ignorant that the said commission had been before discharged. " The King, with advice of the Council, in respect of the said Lord's " wrongous proceeding aganis the said Johnne AVilsoun eftir he was discharged in manner foirsaid and con- tempt thairthrouch done to his Hieness " ordains him to enter in ward in the Castle of Edinburgh within twenty-four hours hereafter, and remain there till he be freed by his Majesty, and in the meantime suspends and discharges the said commission, of which intimation is ordered to be made by open proclamation at the Market Cross of Dumfries. It must not be concluded from these and other similar incidents in his career that this lord was ignorant and untutored a man of ungovernable passions, belonging to the class of petty barons who had only partially emerged from a state of barbarism. He certainly was not superior to the vices of his age, and was apt to be self-willed and obstinate in maintaining the privileges of his order, but he was a man withal of high natural endowments, and also of cultivation and refinement of manners, the latter the result of residence at Court and of foreign travel. " He was," says the historian, Aikman, " a man of rare courage and wit, and endowed with many excellent gifts as well natural as acquired;" and therefore it was that he took a prominent place in the state, being a favourite with his Sovereign. His name is found in the Convention of Estates in 1596 and 1597, during which years he also sat at many meetings of the Privy Council. When James succeeded to the English throne in 1603, there followed in his train, across the border, a number of Scottish nobles, among them Lord Sanquhar. Creichtoun 80 History of Sanquhar. counted among his many accomplishments that of being a skilful fencer. In a spirit of bravado he sought to give an exhibition of his skill at the expense of a fencing-master named Turner, in his own school, and in the presence of his pupils. Sanquhar pressed the fencing-master so hard that he lost an eye by an unlucky thrust of his opponent's foil. When Creichtoun visited the French Court some time after, the King inquired how he came by the accident, and, on being informed, sarcastically asked " And does the fellow yet live ? " Stung to the quick by the taunt of the King, which implied an imputation on the courage of this high-spirited lord, he, on his return, took counsel with two of his servants, who were brothers, named Robert and William Carlyle. The result was that the fencing-master was assassinated by Robert, just as he was entering his lodging. The murder created a great sensation, more particularly in the state of feeling among the English towards the Scottish nobles, which was one of great jealousy and antipathy. That Lord Sanquhar and the assassin's brother William were accessory to the crime was plain from the fact that all three immediately fled into hiding, in the hope, apparently, that the matter might in time blow over ; but, " hearing that 1000 were offered for his head, Sanquhar," says Crawford in his Peerage of Scot- land, " resigned himself to the King's mercy, and acknow- ledged the murder. But no intercession could prevail. His life satisfied the law, for he was executed before the gates of Westminster, the 29th June, 1612." Aikman remarks " His death excited universal regret. The eloquence of his discourse at his trial, and the civility and discretion of his behaviour there made the people bewail his fall with great grief." Thus perished one of the greatest and most accomplished of all the Crichtons. The crime of which he was guilty could in no case be justified, still there is to be said for him that he had harboured no feeling of malice or revenge. The words of the French King, sounding in his ears as the voice History of Sanquhar. 81 of the tempter, had goaded him on to the perpetration of the dark deed, out of a false sense of what was due to his honour. His was no end of sordid selfishness or private aggrandisement, which, in this comparatively rude age, prompted to many a foul deed. In all likelihood this had been the case with some who now, with a fine affectation of virtue, expressed their horror at his crime and loudly clamoured for his punishment. The code of morality was not in those times so very high ' but that deeds of quite as black a character as Creichtoun's were readily enough con- doned where the offender could, like him, command powerful influence at Court, but he had the misfortune to be convicted at a time when national jealousy between the English and Scots ran high. The English nobility were not reconciled to the accession to their throne of James, the King of Scotland, a small kingdom for which they had a lofty contempt, and whose high-spirited and warlike people had long and success- fully resisted all attempts at subjugation to English rule. They could not, it was true, dispute James's right to the English throne, but all the same they regarded him as an intruder, an idea which, it must be confessed, James's character and manners were not calculated to modify or overcome. Further, the influx of Scots who followed their King across the border, and their bearing, which, in the eyes of these haughty English nobles, savoured of presumption, created a feeling of antipathy which, in process of time, affected the minds of the common people as well. At such a time and in such a condition of feeling, then, it was that Creichtoun's trial took place. We need not be surprised, therefore, that he was sentenced to suffer the extreme penalty of the law, and that all the powerful influence which was put forth at Court on his behalf was unavailing. At the .same time, it is alleged, in Osborne's Secret History of State Trials, vol. I. p. 231, that James bore Lord Sanquhar a grudge "for his love to the King of France, and his not making any reply when he (the French King) said in his presence, to one that 11 82 History of Sanqukar. called our James a second Solomon, that he hoped he was not the son of David the fiddler." Creichtoun may, at all events, be regarded as partly a scapegoat, delivered over to pacify, if that were possible, the feelings of jealousy and resentment entertained by the English nobility towards the Scots in general, and in particular towards those Scottish nobles who were becoming powerful rivals to them at Court. Confirmation of this view is derived from Calderwood, who, writing of the affair, says : " To content the Englishe, the King consented that Sanquhar should be hangit. For the greater contempt of our nobilitie he was hangit among a number of theevs." Crawford also remarks "To understand the reason of the King's exemplary severity in this case, one must remember the extreme antipathy to the Scots that had for some years been prevalent among the English, and especially among the Londoners, and one of the chief causes of which was the insolence and swaggering behaviour of the young Scottish lords and knights about the Court. Under peril of a popular insurrection in London against the Scottish favourites, James did not dare to pardon Lord Sanquhar, whose execution, indeed, did some- what appease the vehemence of the Anti-Scottish clamour." William, the seventh Lord Crichtou, was, it is said, served heir to the preceding Lord Crichton in 1619, and yet there is no doubt that King James was entertained by Crichton at Sanquhar Castle in 1617. It would appear, therefore, that, if the statement be correct that he was not served heir till 1619, he had, on the execution of his predecessor, entered quietly into possession without venturing to make application for the legal instruments connected with his formal entry. He would no doubt be aware that the perpetration of such a crime, and the execution of the guilty noble, frequently resulted in the forfeiture of his title and the confiscation of his estates, and so, with characteristic Scotch caution, he may have resolved to "let sleeping dogs lie" to say nothing so long as he was left undisturbed. If that be the correct explanation of what appears somewhat puzzling, then we can understand how the visit of King James to Scotland would present itself to Crichton's mind as a favourable opportunity for obtaining recognition as the legal as well as the virtual History of Sanquhar. 83 owner of the family patrimony. Besides, the claim which Crichton might seek to establish on the King's favour by his hospitable entertainment of him would be materially strengthened by the fact that he held the King's bond for a large sum of money lent him. This loan may have been raised by the King as a sort of " hush-money," Crichton being, in the circumstances, entirely in his sovereign's power, so far as his title and lands were concerned. Be that as it may, there had been a transaction of borrowing and lending between them. The King's visit to Scotland took place in 1617, fourteen years after he had ascended the English throne. He was accompanied by a splendid train of courtiers, headed by the brilliant and handsome Duke of Buckingham " the glass of fashion and the mould of form." He pro- ceeded by the east coast to Edinburgh, which he reached on the 18th of May (?) and, returning by the west, he passed down Nithsdale, reaching Sanquhar Castle on the 31st July, where he was right royally entertained. Simpson, without disclosing his authority, gives the following traditional account of the festivities, which, notwithstanding the mani- fest touches of exaggeration here and there, has on the whole such an air of probability that it may be quoted : " The King, and Crichton, the lord of the manor, and at the time the occupant of the castle commonly called ' Crichton Peel,' had been very intimate companions, and James, on a tour through Scotland after he had ascended the English throne, came through Ayrshire and down Nithsdale to Sanquhar to visit Crichton in his peel. The occasion was one of great excitement and hilarity, and the rude populace of the strath poured forth in crowds to testify their fealty, and to witness the trappings of royalty. This visit being anticipated, Crichtou had prepared a sumptuous entertain- ment, so that when the King came, the stately avenue which led to the castle gate (and which in the last generation only was hewed down), the lofty trees arching overhead like a fretted gothic dome, was not only lined with people, but it is said with the goodly casks of the " bluid-red wine," which flowed copiously, and so copiously that the hoofs of the horses of the royal cavalcade were bathed in the ruddy stream. Within the peel the festivities were splendid, and such ' dancing and deray ' were never seen in old Sanquhar before nor since. The hall was lighted up with brilliancy, and the large castle lamp, placed in the centre of the festive board, was 84 History of Sanqukar. graced with a wick well-pleasing to the King, but rather costly to his host : for Crichton, stepping forward with a lordly port, in presence of his sovereign and all the guests, extracting the blazing wick from the lamp, inserted another of a cylindrical form, made of parchment, containing a large account of a sum of borrowed money against the King, which the noble-minded baron, in the excess of his loyalty, committed to the flames, and thus extinguished the debt for ever." Another version of the story of the burning of the bond is that Crichton crowned the evening's entertainment by rolling it into the form of a torch and lighting the King to bed with it. Whatever form it took, it was a dramatic display of reck- less loyalty, which could not but be highly gratifying to the King. One naturally wonders, however, what Crichton himself thought of it and of the whole matter of the King's visit, when he had time to reflect and to count up the cost. Then, as well as now, a royal visit to a noble was esteemed a high honour, but there was a reverse side to the shield in the enormous expense to which the host was necessarily put in providing entertainment worthy of a visitor of such high distinction, so that, unless he were possessed of princely resources, the depletion of his coffers effectually prevented him for many a day from forgetting the visit of his sovereign lord. This was emphatically so in Lord Crichton's case. The family was one that had held its ground all through the vicissitudes of a stormy period of our nation's history, during which many a noble house had suffered dire eclipse, if not total extinction. They had proved themselves men of capacity, and, by deeds of heroic and honourable service to the state, had claimed a place among the nobility of the land, and earned the gratitude and favours of sovereigns. They had obtained the marks of the royal confidence in having entrusted to them responsible office, and, having achieved high social rank, they sued, and sued not in vain, for the hand in marriage of ladies of noble houses. On this 31st day of July, 1617, the sun of the house of Crichton may be said to have reached its zenith, but it hasted rapidly to its setting. The very glory of the house led to its extinction. History of Sanquhar. 85 We read that the expense of the royal visit, and the magna- nimous though ostentatious destruction of the King's bond, reduced Lord Sanquhar to such a condition of poverty that he was compelled some dozen years after to sell his estates. " Sic transit gloria mundi." Shortly after this time Lord Sanquhar forsook his baronial residence at Sanquhar Castle, and removed into Ayrshire, to the vicinity of Cunmock. His reason for so doing is not, so far as is known, recorded. It is possible that, finding his resources seriously crippled by the entertainment of the King, and being compelled to adopt a modest style of living and expenditure, this proud-spirited lord could not brook that those about him should contrast his poverty-stricken condi- tion with the former greatness of his estate, and moved into a new locality where this contrast could not be drawn. la- the curtailment of his power of outward display, however, he was not without consolation, for in 1622 he was created Viscount of Ayr, and in 1633 Earl of Dumfries and Lord Kumnock. These marks of his sovereign's favour could not but be exceedingly gratifying, affording proof, as they did, that the King was not forgetful of his ancient and honour- able lineage, and of the services he had himself rendered to his country. Absence seems, however, to have loosened his attachment to his patrimonial estates, or sheer necessity to have compelled their relinquishment. At all events, in 1639, he sold the whole barony of Sanquhar to the Earl of Queensberry. (See Appendix.) Thus terminated the con- nection of the Crichton family with Sanquhar and Upper Nithsdale, an event which, even now, one cannot but regret. It can easily be imagined what a difference it would have made to Sauquhar had the Crichtons remained in possession of their patrimonial estate, and in occupation of their noble seat. Though the Crichtons from this time had no connection with Sanquhar, it seems proper to trace their genealogy down to the present day. In succession to the first Earl of 86 History of Sanquhar. Dumfries, William, second Earl, his son, had one son, Charles, who died before him, leaving a son, William, afterwards third Earl, and four daughters, Penelope, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth. William, second Earl, surrendered all his honours, and obtained a new patent for them, with precedency accord- ing to the former patents, and with limitation to each of the children of Charles, Lord Crichton, and the heirs of their bodies respectively, failing which, to the nearest heirs what- soever of the said Charles, Lord Crichton. The second Earl died in 1691, and William, third Earl, died unmarried in 1694, when he was succeeded by his eldest sister, Penelope. She married the Hon. William Dalrymple, second son of John, first Earl of Stair, by whom she had William, fifth Earl, and also Earl of Stair, who died without surviving issue in 1763, and a daughter, Lady Elizabeth, who married John Macdowall, Esq., and had issue Patrick, who succeeded his uncle as sixth Earl, and assumed the name of Crichton ; he was born 1726 and died in 1803, having married, 1771, Margaret, daughter of ftonald Crawford, of Restalrig, Co. Edinburgh, by whom he had only one surviving child, Lady Elizabeth-Penelope, who was married to John, Viscount Mountstuart, eldest son of John, first Marquis of Bute, by whom she was mother of John, the seventh Earl of Dumfries, and second Marquis of Bute. The present Marquis of Bute is therefore the lineal descendant, by the female line, of the ancient Crichton family of Sanquhar, whose titles are the oldest held by the Marquis, being 1488, Baron Crichton of Sanquhar ; 1622, Viscount of Ayr ; 1633, Earl of Dumfries and Baron Crichton of Cumnock. The following ancient ballad is given by Simpson in his history, but whence derived he does not say, describing one or other of the many thieving raids committed by the famous History of Sanquhar. 87 Annandale reivers, and setting forth in an interesting manner the summoning of the clans and their methods of warfare : heard ye o' that dire affray Befel at Crichton Peel, man ; How the reeving bands o' Annandale, Of a' the border thieves the wale, In heaps fell on the field, man ? A pale light flickered in the copse, Beneath the castle wa', man ; It gleamed a moment like a star, The boding wraith o' coming war, And glintit through the ha', man. The foemen in the wald are hid, They came at dusk o' e'en, man ; And far, far distant is our lord, And no assistance can afford He hunts round dark Lochskeen, man. For Megget's lord and Bodsbeck's chiefs Wi' him wha ne'er had feud, man, Longed to return him friendly cheer, And feast upon the fallow deer Within their castles guid, man. And he has gane wi' horsemen too, All henchmen true and brave, man, And few are left within the hold, Of clansmen leal and warriors bold, To handle lance or glaive, man. The warder blaws his bugle loud, It sounds far o'er the wild, man, Tell Clenrie's clan and Carco's men Their flocks within their folds to pen, And arm and tak' the field, man. The lady in the Peel sits wae, Her heart shakes like the leaf, man, To think her lord is far away, With hounds he keeps the stag at bay, But brings her no relief, man. Rouse up the men o' Yochan fair, The dwellers on the Scar, man, The bravest sons o' Mennick's rills, Frae a' the woods the songster fills, The bowmen frae the Snar, man. 88 History of Sanquhar. Ye doughty sons o' Crawick's sweet vale, Frae where Powcraigy roars, man, In a' yer glens and fairy neuks, In a' yer dells and winding cruicks, Come forth in warlike corps, man. Haste wi' the news to Enoch's lord, . Shout at Drumlanrig's tower, man ; Tell a' the forts in " auld Disdeer," And a' the holds in wooded Keir, Their stalwart force to pour, man. Bleeze up the bales, let the beacons flare On the peak o' ilka cairn, man ; Let the fiery cross the tidings flash, And rouse each chieftain from his marsh, Afar through wild Carsphairn, man. Let all the clans frae Corsaiicone To Kello's bosky stream, man, All from Kirkconnel.s sunny braes, Wha in the sweetest woodland strays, For war resign the team, man. The page, like arrow from the bow, Out by the postern fled, man, And hasting o'er the moorland wastes, Charged with his lady's high behests, To noble Douglas sped, man. He chased his way up winding Crawk, He plunged through Spango's stream, man, And crossed Duneaton's sable flood, And o'er the grassy plain did scud, And through the flowering green, man. At Glespin's peel his horn he blew, The warder heard the toot, man, The page's welcome voice he knew, The iron bolt he quickly drew, And echoed back the shout, man ! Gae, tell Moss-castle's swarthy lord The plight of Sanquhar's dame, man ; For I'm in haste to gude Lord James, Whose aid is prompt in doleful times That knight of fairest fame, man. History of Saiiqukar. 89 Next to the laird of Gilker's-cleuch, Let it not be unknown, man, Rouse every hold of warriors bold, In every fen and every wold In mossy Crawfordjohn, man. Syne pass the haunted auld kirkyard, By lone Glengonar's stream, man, And the dreary glen where the wild winds rave, And the heath-screened mouth of the weird man's cave, And the wheeling linn where the kelpies lave Their limbs by the pale moonbeam, man. The nimble page his way now sped, Through rough Glentaigart's moors, man, Where'many a bewildered wight, Losing his way on misty night, Or lured to follow will-wisp light, Deep in the moss- hag lairs, man. But lair'd not thus the faithful page, For light of foot was he, man ; And on and on his willing road, With ceaseless feet, the heath he trode, As mew skims o'er the sea, man. Ho! stop thee, page, a shepherd cried, What makes thee run-for dread, man ? Hush ! tell your master, Carmacoup, Wha ne'er wi' foe refused to cope, . To haste and join the raid, man. And up the lea of Anershaw, And past the dead man's grave, man, And eerie trode the dread black gait Where erst lone stranger met his fate, And left Earnsalloch cave, man. And now the towers of famed St. Bride Loomed in the vale beneath, man, Where dangled traitor high in air, As shown by lightning's vivid glare, His visage marked by deep despair A sight full grim to see, man. And now he sprang the bastion o'er, As fleet as roe might be, man, The owl was still, the hour was late, He stood before the castle gate, And raised his voice^on high, man. 12 90 History of Sanquhar. ! haste thee for our lady fair ; Brave Douglas, 'fend the right, man, Rouse up your warriors feat and leal, March, march wi' speed to Crichton Peel, Wi' jaque and mail bedight, man. The noble Douglas heard the call, And out his forces drew, man, And all in glee for warlike raid, In armour bright full well arrayed, Through moss and wold they flew, man. Ere dawn of day old Sanquhar heard The Douglas slogan shrill, man, Which soon bade every fear depart, And quick made every drooping heart Wi' martial ardour thrill, man. The clans on every side pour in, Like ravens to the wood, man, And all the gallant band wi' speed, In the dool hour of Crichton's need, The reevers fierce withstood, man. Of all the brave and soothfast friends, The Douglas gained the meed, man ; For none in feats with him might share, Though many a belted knight was there, And wight of noble deed, man. For he, where pressed the thickest foes, The fiercest onslaught made, man, And ne'er retired one foot-breadth back, But forward urged with eager shock, And on the sward them laid, man. Most valiant was that hero's heart, When plunged in densest throng, man, And keen his glaive and from his arm The which with lusty blows did harm On all who sought his wrong, man. But generous was that chieftain brave, When victory to him fell, man ; He ne'er was known his conquered foe To triumph o'er when once laid low, Or him in wrath revile, man, Histoi'y of Saiujuhar. 91 The clansmen all their valour proved, On that eventful morn, man, And many deeds of high renown, The whilk were worthy to hand down From sire to child unborn) man. But Enoch's lord and Carco's chief, 'Mang foremost there were seen, man, And, urging on against the foe, Dealt many a vengeful, deadly blow, And trode the slain their feet below, Upon that blood-stained green, man. The valiant knight of Morton's Tower, A courtly dress he wore, man, With golden belt, his monarch's gift, All glittering round his princely waist But reivers' hands with greedy haste The gorgeous cincture tore, man. But fell reprisals soon were ta'en, When the baron's wrath arose, man, For wildly on the foe he pressed, And yarely he the wrong redressed, And man on man o'erthrows, man. The reivers bold in their assault Most desperate deeds performed man, And fought like lions in the fray, For well they knew a luckless day Would send but few of them away From that proud peel they stormed, man. The warder from the castle high, Wha eager watched the strife, man, Saw in the distance horsemen ride ; Fight on ! our valiant friends, he cried, Fresh succours now I have espied, Brave Thristane's aid is ne'er denied He kens the thieves frae Dryfe, man. 'Twas Crichton's lord who on, with speed, With his brave henchmen came, man, In time, before the clans dispart, To thank each warrior from the heart, Of gude and trusty name, man. 92 History of Sanquhar. And now the wassail in the hall, And revelry began, man ; The minstrel tuned his harp wi' skill, The loud notes soon the hold did fill, While he their warlike deeds did tell, And praised each valorous clan, man. The reivers fierce frae Annandale Were worsted in the fray, man, And few returned to that sweet vale, To tell their friends the waeful tale, Who deeply did their fate bewail, And never sought they to assail Old Crichton Peel for their avail E'en from that dismal day, man. In concluding the chapter on the Crichtons, notice may be taken 'of a curious and interesting relic, the handiwork of one of the ladies of the Castle, Lady Isabel Penelope Crichton. The relic consists of an ancient specimen of what is called a Sampler, or specimen of needlework, not differing greatly in style from those still worked by school girls in country parts, which may frequently be seen framed and hung up in their homes. It bears date 1501, and is quite fresh after the lapse of 390 years. It is sewn on linen canvas, the colours employed being crimson, purple, brown, green, pink, and straw. It contains all the letters of the alphabet, the nine digits, and some ornamental figures. It bears on the one side the pious rnotto " Giv God the first and last of the des thoght ;" and on the reverse side the following verse of Scripture : " Mathov vii. 10 WhatsoiAer I would that men should do to yov, do I eAen so to them ; for this is the la and the profets," together with the initials " I.P." on its face. The figure 5 in the date is not well formed, through the stitching being carried a trifle too high at the one end, but it corresponds in its main outlines with the form of the figure given in printed lists of pattern letters and figures for the guidance of the workers of samplers. If it is not a good 5, it certainly bears no resemblance to a 6 or a 7, and that it could be an 8 is impossible, for its existence History of Sanquhar. 93 prior to 1801 is certain. " The first English translation of the Bible known is supposed to bear the date 1290 ; the next was by Wyckliffe, about 1380. These were in manu- script, and consequently the price was enormous. In the year 1429, a copy of Wyckliffe's New Testament cost about 40. It was probably a manuscript copy of this translation from which Lady Isabel Crichton copied into her sampler the verse from ' Mathov.' It. was the tenth verse in Wyckliffe's copy, and the twelfth in ours. The peculiarity lies in the ancient spelling, and in using the ' v ' in the inverted form." Till the year 1886, the sampler was put together in the form of a bag, the mouth of which was drawn by a silk string. It is in the possession of Miss Bramwell of St. Helen's, Sanquhar, having come into the hands of her grandfather, Mr John Bramwel], in a rather peculiar way. Mr Bramwell was manager of the lead-mines of Waulock- head for the Marquis of Bute, who had them under lease from the Duke of Buccleuch, and the gold from Dumfries House, for the payment of the miners' wages, was, on one occasion, sent to him in this bag. Its present possessor, finding the work giving way under the handling of the curious, unpicked the side seams, fastened it down on a fresh foundation, and had it framed under glass. An open space is left at the back to show the piece of red silk riband inside of the bag, on which is worked " Isabel Pen. s - Y -" corresponding to the initials " I.P." on the face of the sampler. The small letters " S.Y." have been supposed to be the initial letters of Sanquhar and Yochan. That the " S " signifies Sanquhar is probable enough, but we know of no good reason for connecting the " Y " with Yochan. The lands there were never spoken of as a separate or distinct portion of the barony of Sanquhar, nor were the Crichton family identified with it any more than with other parts of the lands which they held. The sampler has been in the possession of Miss Bramwell's family for a hundred years. Miss Bramwell is likewise possessed of a silk handkerchief, 94 History of Sanqukar. the story of which is given by Dr Simpson in the following form. It relates to the period when the Castle was owned by the Queensberry family, that is, subsequent to 1630. " One of the young ladies was, it is said, of a rather delicate constitution, and her medical advisers prescribed the use of the milk of a jet-black cow, as having in it more than ordinary virtue. Accordingly, it was found that a man of the name of Dripps, who lived at the Townhead of Sanquhar, possessed a cow of this description, and immediate application was made to him for the necessary supply of the medicinal article. A little daughter of his was sent one morning to the Castle with the milk for the lady. She came arrayed in a little scarlet cloak, the bright colour of which attracted the attention of a flock of geese and turkeys that were strolling on the green before the Castle, exactly on her way to the gate. On her near approach the congregated fowls set up a loud screaming, spread abroad their wings, and opening wide their bills, assailed the poor girl, who was nearly frightened out of her wits, and would have died through sheer terror had not one of the ladies observed the circumstance from her window, and hastened to her rescue. The poor thing was so agitated that the lady had enough ado to soothe her, and to bring her to her wonted calmness. The lady then presented her with a fine silk handkerchief, a rare thing in those days." It is this identical article which is in Miss Brarnwell's possession. A gruesome story is further told by Simpson of an accident that occurred to one of the ladies of the Castle. " In these early times it was probably more customary than now for females of the higher families to occupy themselves in domestic matters, and the ladies in the Castle were taught to assist in the laundry. It happened that one day one of the ladies was busy dressing her muslins, and for this purpose was using a ' box-iron.' In those days the females wore what were termed ' barrel-breasted ' stays, which implies that they were open at the top. When the young lady had inserted History of Sanquhar. 95 the heater in the box she forgot to fix it, and holding it near her face to feel if it was not too hot for her purpose, the glow- ing iron fell plump into her bosom, between the stays and her breast. Her agony was dreadful. Nothing could save her, and in a brief space she expired." The Barony and Castle of Sanquhar were sold by Lord Crichton to Sir William Douglas, Viscount of Drumlanrig, who was created Earl of Queensberry in 1639. This noble resided in Sanquhar Castle during the building of Drum- lanrig. On its completion, he removed to his new and splendid seat, but it is said he only stayed one night there. He became unwell overnight, but the house being very large, and the internal arrangements apparently not well considered, he was unable to call his servants, and returned, disgusted, to the Peel at Sanquhar for the rest of his days. He was, like- wise, so ashamed of the heavy accounts connected with the erection of the Castle of Drumlanrig, and was so anxious that his folly in incurring such enormous expense should pass into oblivion, that he made a bundle of the same, upon which he wrote on the outside the words " The deil pyke oot his een that looks herein." In the Douglas vault in the Church of Durisdeer there is a coffin with the inscription, " Lord George Douglas." He was third son to William, first Duke, and died unmarried at Sanquhar in July, 1693. Also, a lead coffin with inscription, " James Douglas, Duke of Queensberry and Dover." He was born at Sanquhar Castle, 18th December, 1662, and was educated at Glasgow University. This is the Union Duke, so called because he was mainly instrumental in bringing about the union of the English and Scottish Parliaments in 1707, for which he suffered much obloquy. He died in 1711. CHAPTER V. THE E L L i o c K FAMILY. !)INOR branches of the Crichton family owned several properties in the district. Chief among these was the Elliock family, of whom sprang the first Lord Elliock and his renowned son, The Admirable Crichton. Of Robert Crichton of Elliock, Lord Advocate, we have the following notice in Brunton's " Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice ": "1581, February 1. Robert Crichton of Elliock, Lord Advocate, supposed to have been son of another Robert Crichton, and father of the Admirable Crichton. He was appointed Lord Advocate, jointly with John Spens of Condie, on the 8th of February, 1560. He appears to have been favourable to the Queen's cause in the beginning of her son's reign, and was sent for by that princess into England after the death of the Regent Murray. Lennox, however, prevented this, having made Elliock find caution to the extent of 4000 Scots that he should not leave the city of Edinburgh. This feeling was probably the reason why, on the death of Spens in 1573, he was not appointed to his place on the bench, which was given to David Borthwick of Lochhill, who was at the same time appointed joint Advocate. On the 6th January, 1580, he obtained a letter from the King, declaring it to be the royal pleasure that he should, upon Borthwick 's decease, succeed to his place in the Session, and continue sole Advocate ; and he procured a similar letter History of Sanquhar. 97 on the 7th December preceding, requiring them to admit him during Borthwick's sickness, but it does not appear that he took his seat until the 1st of February, 1581, after the decease of his colleague. He was, in 1581, appointed one of the Parliamentary Commissioners for Reformation of Hospi- tals. He died between the 18th June, 1582, when he made his testament, and the 27th of that month." He was probably a brother of Lord Sanquhar. He was married three times. His first wife was Elizabeth Stewart, a descendant of Robert, Duke of Albany, son of Robert II. King of Scotland, by whom he had two sons, James (the Admirable Crichtou) and Robert. James died in the same year as his father, 1582, and probably it was his brother Robert who sold the estate to Dalyell (afterwards Earl of Carnwath). The Admirable Crichton was, in some respects, the most distinguished of the whole family, shedding, by the splendour of his talents and accomplishments, a lustre upon the name which he bore. Were it not that the extraordinary powers of this intellectual prodigy are fairly well authenticated, we might be disposed to reject the story of his brief and brilliant career as a gross exaggeration. It reads more like a tale of romance than the sober truth. The title which he earned was bestowed upon him by his contemporaries on account of the great brilliancy of his mental gifts arid the versatility of his other accomplishments. He flashed like a splendid meteor across the literary firmament of Europe. The follow- ing account of his career is given by Chambers : " He was educated at St. Andrews University. Before he reached his 20th year, he had, it seems, run through the whole circle of the sciences, mastered ten different languages, and per- fected himself in every knightly accomplishment. Thus panoplied in a suit of intellectual armour, Crichton rode out into the world of letters, and challenged all and sundry to a learned encounter. If we can believe his biographers, the stripling left every adversary who entered the lists against 13 98 History of Sanquhar. him hors-de-combat. At Paris, Rome, Venice, Padua, Mantua, he achieved the most extraordinary victories in disputation on all branches of human knowledge, and excited universal admiration and applause. The beauty of his person and elegance of his manners also made him a great favourite with the fair ; while, as if to leave no excellence unattained, he vanquished in a duel the most famous gladiator in Europe. The Duke of Mantua, in whose city this perilous feat was performed, appointed him preceptor to his son, Vincentio de Gonzago, a dissolute and profligate youth. One night during the carnival, Crichton was attacked in the streets of Mantua by half-a-dozen people in masks. He pushed them so hard that their leader pulled off his mask and disclosed the features of the prince. With an excess of loyalty, which proved his death, Crichton threw himself upon his knees, and begged Vincentio's pardon, at the same time presenting him with his sword. The heartless wretch plunged it into the body of his tutor. Thus perished in the 22nd year of his age ' The Admirable Crichton.' " His birthplace has been disputed, owing to the fact that his father was also owner of the estate of Clunie, in Perthshire, where, one account has it, he was born. It is, however, affirmed that he was born at Elliock, and the chamber is still shewn where he first saw the light. That Elliock House is really entitled to the honour is proved by the fact that the purchase of Clunie by his father did not take place till two years after his birth. The estate of Elliock was sold to the Dalyells in 1592, and continued in the hands of that family down to the year 1725. These Dalyells were typical specimens of Scottish barons, fierce, turbulent, and lawless. Sir Robert lived on bad terms with Lord Sanquhar, his next neighbour. In the chapter on the Crichtons will be found an account of his appearance with his son to answer along with Lord Creichtoun to a charge of threatening. The Dalyells, father and sons, indeed, appear to have been a terror to the neighbourhood, Thus, History of Sanquhar. 99 in 1598, Dalyell himself is bound over on a surety of 1000, and his two sons, Robert and Gawin, in sureties of 1000 merks and 300 merks respectively " not to harm Mr Robert Hunter, minister at Sanquhar." Further, in the year 1602, it is charged against another son, Archibald, that he "having lately with his accomplices come at night to the pail of the lands of Sauchtounhall, belonging to Johnnie Morrisoun, and reft from him certain kye and oxen, and having come since then to the dwelling-house of Nicoll Dalyell, his father-in-law, and most cruelly assaulted him, so that he is yet ' lyand bedfast ' in great hazard of his life, charge had been given to his said father, and to Robert Dalyell, younger of that Ilk, his brother, by whom he is at all times resetted to enter him conform to the general bond. And, now, the said Robert, elder, appearing for himself and for the said Robert, younger, and producing a testimonial subscribed by the baillies of the town of Sanquhar and elders thereof, certifying that the said Robert, younger, is ' heavelie diseasit with sickness, and unable to travell,' the Lords excuse the absence of the said Robert, younger, but as the said Archibald has not been entered by the said Robert, elder, his father, ordain said Robert, elder, to enter in ward in the Castle of Edinburgh." The minister of Sanquhar, Mr Robert Hunter, above referred to, seems to have had a hard time of it at the hands of these masterful lords and barons. He received a rough and unceremonious handling in another part of the county, which is thus described in a complaint to the Council in 1609, at the instance of Sir Thomas Harnmiltoun, for the King's interest, and by Mr Robert Hunter, minister at Sanquhar, as follows : "On Sunday, 3rd instant, Mr Robert having, at the command Arch- bishop of Glasgow, repaired to the Kirk of Kirkpatrick-Fleming, in Annanderdaill, to the ministers to the parishioners thereof according as it sould have pleasit God at his inercie to have niovit him. As soon as he had enterit the Kirkyard of the said Kirk, George Irvine of Woodhous, violent possessor of the teinds of the said Kirk, fearing to be removed from further melling with the said teinds, came armed with certain weapons, 100 History of Sanquhar. and straitly forbade complainer to ' teitch ' the said day, or sould let him see a sicht that sould gar a cold sweitgo over his hairt. Accordinglie in the verie tyme of the sermon, defender gathered the under-named persons in some demit spots close to the Kirk, and as soon as Mr Robert came out of the Kirk, Irvine again accosted him, saying he had done him wrong afoir in slaying of Johne of Lockerbie, and now he was come to reve him of his teyndis, bot he sould at this tyme pay for all. Then he gave a shout, and he and said persons convocated with others to the number of 100, all armed with certain weapons, including hagbuts and pistolets, chased him and them a mile from the Kirk, wounding some." For this outrageous conduct Irving was committed to the ward in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, and other two, who did not appear, were denounced rebels. Conduct of this sort was, however, not unusual in these times, nor was it any permanent bar to the favour of the sovereign, and so we find that Dalyell was, in 1628, created Baron Dalyell, and, in 1639, Earl of Camwath. The family had a town house in Sanquhar, which was called Lord Carnwath's house, the site of which is now covered by the property owned and occupied by the author of this history. In Symson's " Description of Galloway," published in 1684, it is said that " the Duke of Queensberry is superior to the lands of Elliock. It belongs to the Earl of Camwath in property, having the mansion-house Elliock situate in the bounds of it, a goodly fabrick formerly the dwelling place of the Baron of Dalyell, of which the Earles of Camwath are descended. This part of the parish is exceedingly well stored with wood, but now of late, by the cutting down of a great part of it, for the lead mines of Hopetouu in Clidesdale, and not parking of it afterwards, it is much decayed, and probably will decay more if, after the cutting of it, it be not more carefully enclosed for the futtire." The estate was purchased from Lord Camwath by William Veitch in 1725. He was of the family of that name which had flourished in Peeblesshire from a very early period. In Chambers' " History of Peebles " we have the following account of the family origin : " The mythic legend of the History of Sanquhar. 101 Veitches explanatory of their name must not be omitted. The original of our name, says Robert Veitch of Campflat, was Gailard, a native of France, who came over to Scotland in the reign of Robert Bruce. He became a favourite of that king from being an alert hunter. Happening to dis- tinguish himself at a time when Robert was pent up in an encampment near Warkworth Castle, and his army in great want of provisions, Gailard bravely ventured his life by driving a herd of cattle in the night, by which means Robert's men so much revived that they made so vigorous a sally as next day secured them a safe retreat. Robert soon after coming to Peebles, where he had a hunting seat (the vestiges of which are now to be seen adjoining the Church of Peebles), it was then he thought proper to reward Gailard for his bravery by giving him the lands of Dawick upon the Tweed, and for his coat-of-arms three cows' heads, with the motto, ' Famum Extendimus Factis ' (we extend our fame by our deeds). At the same time he took the surname of Vache (French for a cow) by reason of its corresponding with the crest. It came to be different spelled afterwards through ignorance." Papers of Veitch of Campflats. " The originator of this story," Chambers remarks, " does not appear to have been aware that William La Vache, of the County of Peebles, figures in the Ragman Roll consider- ably before the date of the alleged exploit of Warkworth." Chambers' Hist. Peebles. In all probability, the first Veitch was one of the Normans who found their way into the southern part of Scotland in the reign of David. The headquarters of the family were at Dauwic (Dawyck), and we read that " at a later period, at the Union of the Crowns, they, as was the custom with barons whose estates lay near a town, had a town residence in Peebles, known latterly as " The Pillars," and situated on the north east of the site of the town cross." Veitch's Hist, and Poetry of the Border. The Veitches were strong of arm and stout of heart, as it 1 02 History of Sanquhar. behoved all to be who had possessions on the border in those stirring days. Of one of them, Bishop Lesly relates the following tradition : " Veitch of Dawyk, a man of great strength and bravery, who flourished in the 16th century, is said to have been on bad terms with a neighbouring pro- prietor, Tweedie of Drummelzier. By some accident, a flock of Dawyk's sheep strayed over into Drummelzier's grounds, at the time when Dickie of the Den, a Liddesdale outlaw, was making his rounds in Tweeddale. Seeing this flock he drove them off without ceremony. Next morning Veitch, perceiv- ing his loss, summoned his servants and retainers, laid a bloodhound on the traces of the robber, by whom they were guided for many miles, till, on the banks of Liddel, the dog staid upon a very large hay-stack. The pursuers were a good deal surprised at the obstinate pause of the bloodhound, till Dawyk pulled down some of the hay, and discovered a large excavation, containing the robbers and their spoil. He instantly flew upon Dickie, and was about to poniard him, when the marauder, with the address noticed by Lesley, pro- tested that he would never have touched a cloot (hoof) of them had he not taken them for Drummelzier's property. This dexterous appeal to Veitch's passion saved the life of the freebooter." Professor Veitch, in his " History and Poetory of the Scot- tish Border," records that " This deadly feud between the Veitch es and the Tweedies had been kept up for generations, for one of the last acts of James VI., before he left for England, was to visit the district of Upper Tweeddale, with a view to staunch the bloody feud between the two lairds of Dawyck and Drummelzier, and imagined that he had succeeded, but no. At his Court at Greenwich, in 1611, he was disturbed by rumours of continued broils between these two families. He was old enough to remember people speak of the shuddering sensation which the news of a fatal hand- to-hand encounter between Dawyck and Drummelzier had created at the Scottish Court even in those times of atrocious History of Sdiiquhar. 103 deeds. On a morning in early summer the two lairds had met by chance on the haugh of the Tweed. They were alone when they confronted each other. The memories of cen- turies of mutual violence and mutual deeds of blood were quickened in their hearts, and that strange, savage feeling of blood-atonement seemed to thrill in both. They agreed to settle the strife of centuries then and there. And tradi- tion tells us that, as the birds waked the June morn, Drum- melzier was found dead beside a bush, and the blood had stained the white blossoms of the hawthorn spray. Still the feud was carried on, and the King, in March ]611, in a proclamation, calls upon Lord Dunfermline and the other lords of the Privy Council to take steps to suppress this strife." This, then, would appear to have been one of the veiy last of those family quarrels, by which, for genera- tions, the whole of the Scottish Border had been kept in a state of perpetual disturbance and bloodshed. It is of this doughty race that the Veitches of Elliock are descended, of whom, as we shall see, some were distinguished in the arts of peace, as their forbears had been in the art of war. It would be erroneous to suppose that the William Veitch, who purchased from Lord Carnwath, was the first Veitch to figure in the history of Sanquhar, for in the ballad, " The Gallant Grahams" (Sir Walter Scott's Border Minstrelsy), one of the family is thus described " And gallant Veitch upon the field, A braver face was never seen. " This gallant Veitch, Sir Walter takes to be David, brother to Veitch of Dawyk, who, with many others of the Peebles- shire gentry, was taken at Philiphaugh. The following curious incident took place some years afterwards on the high street of Sanquhar, in consequence of his loyal zeal. It is related in Symson's " Description of Galloway" (1684) : " In the year 1653, when the loyal party did arise in arms against the English in the West and North Highlands, some noblemen and loyall gentlemen, with others, came forward to 104 History of Sanquhar. repair to them with such parties as they could make, which the English, with marvellous diligence night and day, did bestir themselves to impede by making their troups of horse and dragoons to pursue the loyal party in all places, that they might not come to such a considerable number as was designed. It happened one night that one Captain Mason, commander of a troup of dragoons that came from Carlisle in England, marching through the town of Sanquhar in the night, was in the town of Sanquhar encountered by one Captain Palmer, commander of a troup of horse that came from Air, marching eastward and meeting at the townhouse or tolbooth, one David Veitch, brother of the Laird of Dawick in Tweddale, and one of the loyall party, being prisoner in irons by the English, did arise and came to the window at their meeting, and cryed out that they should fight valiantly for K. Charles, wherethrough they, taking each other for the loyall party, did begin a brisk fight, which continued for a while, till the dragoons having spent their shot, and finding the horsemen to be too strong for them, did give ground, but yet retired in some order toward the Castle of Sanquhar, being hotly pursued by the troup through the whole town, above a quarter of a mile, till they came to the castle, where both parties did, to their mutual grief, become sensible of their mistake. In this skirmish there were several killed on both sides, and Captain Palmer himself dangerously wounded, with many more wounded in each troup, who did peaceably dwell together afterwards for a time, until their wounds were cured in Sanquhar Castle." Carnwath's expenditure would appear to have been greatly beyond his means, and he had recourse to Veitch for loans of money, and, it is supposed, that in the end he had become so seriously embarrassed in his finances that he lost hope of redeeming the property, and so parted with it to the man to whom he was so heavily indebted. William Veitch 's son, James, was the second Lord Elliock, of whom we have the following account in Brunton's " Historical Account." History of Sanquhar. 105 "1761, March 6th. James Veitch of Elliock, son of William Veitch of Elliock, was admitted advocate loth February, 1738, having previously served an apprenticeship with his father, who was a writer to the signet. Shortly after his admission to the bar, he visited the continent, and, when in Germany, was introduced to Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, and became so great a favourite with that illustrious monarch, that he remained a considerable time at his court, and after his return to Scotland, kept up a correspondence with him. He was constituted Sheriff- Depute of the county of Peebles, 13th July, 1747, elected representative for the county of Dumfries to Parliament in 1755, and continued member for that county till 1760, when he was elevated to the bench, in the room of Andrew M'Dowal of Bankton, and took his seat on the 6th March by the title of Lord Elliock. He died at Edinburgh on the 1st of July, 1793. His Lordship was endowed with mental abilities of the first order, and was generally allowed to be one of the most accomplished scholars of his time." Lord Elliock was a tall, handsome man, and. during his residence at Frederick's Court, was urged to join the regiment of gigantic men which the king was forming. On his leaving the Prussian Court, Frederick presented him with a gold snuff-box as a token of his regard By Lord Elliock the estate of Elliock was entailed, the succession being confined strictly to the heirs male. The first heir of entail was in India at the time of Lord Elliock's death, but he died on his way home. The estate then passed to Colonel Henry Veitch, Commissioner of Customs, a nephew of Lord Elliock, who died in April, 1838. He was suceeded by his son, James, who was Sheriff at Hamilton for many years. The Sheriff was a tall man, but of slender and wiry figure. He was a great walker, and thought nothing of walking on foot in one day from Edinburgh, enjoying a day's shooting at Elliock, and returning on foot on the third day to the Metropolis. He was much respected in the district, and 14 106 History of Sanjuhar. the Town Council of Sanquhar, in 1846, appointed him, un- solicited, to be their commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which appointment he held undisturbed for 21 years. On his death, in 1873, he was succeeded by his younger brother, the Rev. William Douglas Veitch, who died at Elliock in 1884, and was succeeded by his son, the Rev. Henry George John Veitch, the present laird, who is related by marriage to the Buccleuch family, his deceased wife having been a sister of Cameron of Lochiel, who is married to a daughter of the late, and sister of the present Duke. He has a son, George Douglas Veitch. who is heir to the estate. It is gratifying to know that Elliock House has been more regularly occupied by the present owner and his father than during their predecessors' time. Elliock House is a plain, country mansion. The older portion of it would indicate that it had been erected not later than the sixteenth century, if not earlier than that time. The room in which the Admirable Crichton was born has a window facing the north-east. The house was enlarged by Lord Elliock, the second, by the erection of a wing at each end. Orders were given by his lordship that a room should be fitted up as a library. The workmen's conception of a library that would be suitable for Lord Elliock was that its greatness should correspond with the greatness of the man who was to occupy it, and so they constructed an enormous room with a gallery on all four sides, guarded with a plain railing, and reached by a spiral stone stair at the corner of the room. At Lord Elliock's next visit he was taken in to be shewn his new library. He no sooner entered, and saw this huge, cold, draughty room, with its over-hanging gallery, the whole destitute of the slightest attempt at architectural decoration, and conveying not the slightest suggestion of comfort, than he threw up his hands and exclaimed, in a scornful tone, "Good Heavens," and fled, never to enter it again. History of Sarujuhar. 107 The house is mantled over with ivy, and stands beautifully situated on an elevated bank close to the Garple Burn, which flows through the woods. The talented Miss Sophia F. F. Veitch, the authoress of " A Lone Life/' " Angus Graeme," " James Hepburn," " Tho Dean's Daughter," and other works, which reveal powers of no common order, is a sister of the present proprietor of Elliock. CHAPTER VI. THE COVENANTERS. HE chapter of history which, perhaps more than any other, has made the name of Sanquhar famous, and, in the eyes of many, has been regarded as her chief distinction and glory, is the stand made by the pious peasantry of the south-western district of Scotland against the tyrannical dictation in matters ecclesiastical of the later members of the Stuart dynasty. Let us explain that the name the Covenanters borne by these protesters against the tyranny of the Stuarts, was derived from the two Covenants the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant, the first signed in 1638, and the other in 1643. The National Covenant was drawn up by the Presby- terian clergy, and was subscribed by a large number of persons of ail classes, and bound all who signed to spare no effort in the defence of the Presbyterian religion of Scotland against the attempts of Charles I. to enforce Episcopacy, or Prelacy, as the Covenanters preferred to call the system, and the liturgy on Scotland. Those who subscribed the National Covenant promised "to continue in obedience of the doctrine and discipline of the Presbyterian Kirk of Scotland." They also gave assent to various Acts of Parliament of the reign of James VI., which, besides repudiating the jurisdiction of the Pope and all the ritual of the Romish Church, ordain " all sayers, wilful hearers, and concealers of the mass, the maintainers and resettors of the priests, Jesuits, trafficking Papists, to be punished without any exception or restriction." History of Sanquhar. 109 The Solemn League and Covenant was different in charac- ter from, and wider in its scope than, the National Covenant. The latter was a compact, in w.hich the King and the Scottish people alone were concerned (for Charles gave his adhesion to it), and was purely a religious or ecclesiastical movement, whilst the Solemn League and Covenant embraced the people of both the northern and southern kingdoms, and, as it was a compact between the Scottish people and tho English Parliament, it may be said to have had more of a political character than the other. Though Charles had adhered to the National Covenant, he had now broken with the English Parliament, set up his standard at Nottingham (August, 1642), and it was thought he might finally be iu a position to reinstate Episcopacy in Scotland. The Scottish people never were deluded with the belief that Charles's subscription of the National Covenant was a conscientious or willing act was, in truth, anything more than a piece of political strategy, whereby, amid his troubles with his English subjects, he sought to procure peace in the northern part of his kingdom, but believed that he would seize the first favourable opportunity to repudiate the agreement, carried through though it had been in a deliberate and solemn manner, and pursue the traditional policy of his house. The distrust they had of their monarch was confirmed and deepened by the perfidy of his dealings with the English people. Therefore it was, that they so willingly received overtures from the commissioners appointed by the English Parliament, to endeavour to come to an understanding for the common defence of their religious liberties against the designs of a monarch who belonged to a dynasty, several of whose members had shewn themselves of a tyrannical and despotic nature, and one of which proved a narrow-minded and bigoted puppet of Rome, having no sympathy, but a supreme contempt, for the liberties in matters religious, which the Scottish people claimed as a natural right. Hopes were held out by these commissioners that, in the event of 110 History of Sanquhar. success against the King, the Presbyterian might be adopted as the form of Church government on both sides of the border, and in Ireland as well. The prospect thus held out of the triumph, not only in their own country of Scotland, but throughout the whole realm, of the ancient ecclesiastical forms, which alone they thought scriptural, and to which they were therefore devotedly attached, roused the Scottish people to a high pitch of enthusiasm, and so we find that the Solemn League and Covenant was largely signed by all ranks and classes in Scotland, and was ratified by the General Assembly at Edinburgh in August, 1643, and by the Scottish Parliament in July, 1644. One of the provisions of this agreement was that the Scotch should send an army into England in aid of the Parliamentary forces against the King, and this was done in January, 1644. While, therefore, the National Covenant was purely an ecclesiastical compact, and referred to the preservation of the Presbyterian polity in Scotland alone, the Solemn League and Covenant had a political as well as a religious aspect. It was much more comprehensive in its terms than the other. Those who subscribed it make a profession of " attachment to the Church of Scotland, and bind themselves to endeavour a uniformity in religion and church discipline in the three kingdoms ;" and, further " That we shall, in like manner, without respect of persons, endeavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy (that is, church government by archbishops, bishops, their chancellors, and commissaries, deans, deans and chapters, archdeacons, and all other ecclesiastical officers depending on that hier- archy), superstition, heresy, schism, profaneuess, and what- soever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godliness, lest we partake in other men's sins, and thereby be in. danger to receive of their plagues ; and that the Lord may be one, and his name one, in the three kingdoms." Such were the two famous Covenants, enforced at the time by civil penalties, from which their adherents in Scot- History oj Sanquhar. Ill land derived the name of the Covenanters, and in defence of which they contended and suffered during the period between the Restoration and the Revolution, a period during which the arrogant claims of the Romish Church were put forward in their most offensive form, and were sought to be enforced in the most brutal and arbitrary manner. Acting through a monarch, weak and bigoted, between whom and his people the relations were those of mutual distrust and suspicion, the Papists put forth the most strenuous efforts to trample down the religious freedom of a liberty -loving people. With a blind infatuation, this policy of insolent repression was pursued till the cup of iniquity was full. Meanwhile, William of Orange was keeping a watchful eye on the course of events, and choosing well his time he, when his foot touched English soil, was hailed with universal acclamation as a heaven-sent deliverer. In an incredibly short period the revolution was complete, the schemes of a cunning and insolent priesthood were for ever shattered, and the last of a race of tyrants was chased from the throne. In this long struggle between the Crown, backed up and instigated by an alien power and influence, and a high- spirited people, the name of Sanquhar holds a prominent place. It stands, as has been said, in the centre of the district where the stoutest resistance was offered, and where the persecution was carried out in its most relentless form. The principles of the Covenanters were warmly embraced by the dwellers in this pastoral region, largely composed of the shepherd and cottar class, who have been for generations the very cream of the Scottish peasantry. Men they were who lived " quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty," but, on that very account, all the more devoted and determined in the maintenance of what they conceived to be not merely their ordinary rights as citizens of a free country, but the truth of God as contained in the Scriptures, and in the standards of their beloved Kirk. They were inspired, therefore, in their endurance of cruelty and persecution not 112 History of Sanquhar. only by that patriotic ardour which for generations had shewn itself so strong an element in the Scottish character, but by a deep sense of religious obligation. On their faith- ful adherence to the principles of the Covenant depended, in their view, not simply their well-being in this life, but their very hopes of Heaven. Therefore it was that they cheerfully suffered the spoiling of their goods, and surrendered all their worldly prospects and the comforts and joys of domestic life. They answered with a readiness and force which, in many cases, put to silence their accusers, and they bore them- selves in the presence of death with a Christian calmness and fortitude which baffled and enraged their persecutors, and gained favour with the people. For generations their names have been revered and their memories cherished among the Scottish people as those of men of whom the world was not worthy, to whose faithfulness we in large measure owe the religious, and, in a certain degree, the political liberty we now so fully enjoy. Of late years, however, a disposition has manifested itself on the -part of certain writers to disparage the Covenanters as a set of religious fanatics, bigoted quite as much as the papists whom they so cordially hated, and to represent their attitude to the ruling powers as, from the political point of view, treason, which the authorities were quite justified in sup- pressing and punishing. No doubt there are certain acts arid expressions of theirs which it is impossible to palliate or defend, and, to our mind, an error is committed when it is sought to justify their every word and deed. To do so raises the question of the relations between religion and politics the use of the sword in defence of religious opinion and religious privilege. Simpson, the historian of the Covenanters, whose admiration of them was unbounded, in reference to the two famous Declarations at Sanquhar, takes no exception to their terms, but claims that they were " the focus into which were gathered those scattered political doctrines which were formerly avowed in the Covenants, but which had been History of Sanquhar. 113 obscured by a long reign of despotism, and from which again they radiated in every direction, enlightening men's minds, and producing a fuller conviction of their justness and expediency, till at length the nation, as a whole, proceeded to act upon them, and annihilated the wretched usurpation of a tyrant. . . . Within the walls of this little burgh was heard the first blast of that trumpet which eventually roused the attention of the realm, and summoned its energies to the overthrow of a despotism under which it had groaned for nearly thirty years. The earliest tramplings of the feet of the great host which ultimately effected the Revolution were heard in the streets of Sanquhar." He further quotes from a writer that " the Standard of the Covenanters on the mountains of Scotland indicated to the vigilant eye of William that the nation was ripening for a change. They expressed what others thought, uttering the indignations and the groans of a spirited and oppressed people. They investi- gated and taught, under the guidance of feelings, the reciprocal duties of kings and subjects, the duty of self-defence and of resisting tyrants, the generous principle of assisting the oppressed, in their language helping the Lord against the mighty. . . . While Lord Russell and Sydney, and other enlightened patriots of England, were plotting against Charles from a conviction that his right was forfeited, the Covenanters of Scotland, under the same conviction, had courage to declare war against him. Both the plotters and the warriors fell, but their blood watered the plant of renown, and succeeding ages have eaten the pleasant fruit." It is such blind and indiscriminating laudation of the Covenanters and all their works that has provoked the hostile criticism of several subsequent writers. Whether, however, it be admitted or whether it be denied that the Covenanters were justified in their utterances, and in the attitude which they, as a party, assumed towards the civil authority, there is a general agreement as to their private worth as indi- viduals and the godly lives, according to their light, which 15 114 History of Sanquhar. they led ; and the record of the manly struggle in which they engaged forms an interesting chapter in the history of civil and religious freedom. The town of Sanquhar was situated in the very centre of the theatre of persecution during this dark and troubled time. In the eyes of the persecuted remnant it was a place of importance, and Chambers has happily named it the " Canterbury of the Covenanters." Fugitives from the east or west naturally turned to it in their flight, for the passage of the Nith was always open by the bridge opposite the town, and was the only reliable means of escape from their pursuers. It was the only town of any size within a radius of many miles, and, being a royal burgh, it was a place of some political standing. Hence, as Chambers says, " when- ever any remarkable political movement was going on in the country, these peculiar people were pretty sure to come to the cross of Sanquhar and utter a testimony on the subject." It was at Sanquhar cross that Richard Cameron's Declaration was published, which was commonly called " The Sanquhar Declaration," and was a most daring and outspoken expres- sion of the Covenanters' view of the political situation and their attitude thereto. Not content with a declaration of the right of liberty of conscience in the matter of religion, the authors of it, as will be seen by a perusal of the document, foreswear their civil allegiance to the reigning monarch, and protest against the succession to the throne of the Duke of York. And, further, they do not hesitate to declare their readiness to appeal to the use of arms, if need be, in defence of their position. The inevitable result, of course, was that, coming immediately after the affair at Both well Bridge, the attention of the authorities was now more especially attracted to this part of the country, and regarding the manifesto, as it was natural for them to do, as a document of a highly treasonable character, they renewed the work of putting down the " hill-folk " with redoubled zeal and fury. " Do you own the Sanquhar Declaration ?" was a test question, an History of Sanquhar. 115 affirmative answer to which settled the fate of the individual, whether he was caught by the military or arraigned before the council. The following is a copy of this famous docu- ment : - The. Declaration and Testimony of the true Presbyterian, Anti-Prelatic, Anti-Erastian, persecuted party in Scotland. Published at Sanquhar, June 22, 1680. " It is not amongst the smallest of the Lord's mercies to this poor land that there have been always some who have given their testimony against every cause of defection that many are guilty of, which is a token for good, that He doth not as yet intend to cast us off altogether, but that He will leave a remnant in whom He will be glorious, if they, through His grace, keep themselves clean still, and walk in His way and method, as it has been walked in, and owned by Him in our predecessors of truly worthy memory ; in their carrying on of our noble work of reformation, in the several steps thereof, from popery, prelacy, and likewise Erastian supre- macy, so much usurped by him who, it is true, so far as we know, is descended from the race of our kings ; yet he hath so far debased from what he ought to have been, by his perjury and usurpation in Church matters, and tyranny in matters civil, as is known by the whole land, that we have just reason to account it one of the Lord's great controversies against us that we have not disowned him and the men of his practises, whether inferior magistrates or any other, as enemies to our Lord and His crown, and the true Protestant Presbyterian interest in this land, and our Lord's espoused bride and Church. Therefore, though we be for govern- ment and governors, such as the Word of God and our Covenant allow ; yet we, for ourselves, and all that will adhere to us as the representatives of the true Presbyterian Kirk and covenanted nation of Scotland, con- sidering the great hazard of lying under such a sin any longer, do by these presents, disown Charles Stuart, that has been reigning, or rather tyran- nising, as we may say, on the throne of Britain these years bygone, as having any right, title to, or interest in, the said crown of Scotland for government, as forfeited, several years since, by his perjury and breach of covenant both to God and His Kirk, and usurpation of his crown and royal prerogatives therein, and many other breaches in matters ecclesiastical, and by his tyranny and breacli of the very reyes rcgnandi in matters civil. For which reason we declare that several years since he should have been denuded of being king, ruler, or magistrate, or of having any power to act, or to be obeyed as such. As also we, being under the standard of the Lord Jesus Christ, Captain of Salvation, do declare a war with such a tyrant and usurper, and all the men of his practices, as enemies to our Lord Jesus Christ, and His cause and covenants, and against all such as have strengthened him, sided with, or anywise acknowledged any other in like usurpation and tyranny ; far more, against such as would betray or 116 Histoi'y of Sanquhar. deliver up our free, reformed mother Kirk unto the bondage of anti-Christ, the Pope of Rome. And by this we homologate that testimony given at Rutherglen, the 29th of May, 1679, and all the faithful testimonies of those who have gone before, as also of those who have suffered of late ; and we do disclaim that Declaration published at Hamilton, June 1679, chiefly because it takes in the King's interest, which we are, several years since, loosed from, because of the aforesaid reasons, and others which may, after this, if the Lord will, be published. As also we disown, and by this resent, the reception of the Duke of York, that professed Papist, as re- pugnant to our principles and vows to the Most High God, and as that which is the great, though not alone, just reproach of our kirk and nation. We also by this protest against his succeeding to the crown, and whatever has been done, or any are essaying to do, in this land given to the Lord, in prejudice to our work of reformation. And, to conclude, we hope, after this, none will blame us for, or offend at, our rewarding those that are against us as they have done to us, as the Lord gives opportunity. This is not to exclude any that have declined, if they be willing to give satisfaction according to the degree of their offence." On the death of Charles II., and the accession to the throne of his brother, the Duke of York, the Covenanters knew what they had to expect. James was a person who possessed all the vices of the Stuarts in even a worse degree than his immediate predecessor ; he was a narrow-minded and bigoted papist, and his declared intention was to thrust his own religion upon the nation. His is, by no means, the only instance recorded in history of a prince who, in his public acts, affected a great zeal in the interests of religion, whilst paying little regard in his private life to its holy precepts. Possessed of the persecuting spirit of his race, and exasperated doubtless by the reference to his name and character in the Declaration of 1680, he would be goaded into fury by the publication of a fresh Declaration by the same party on his accession to the throne. This was done by Renwick, at the instance of the united societies, who, Shiels says, " could not let go this opportunity of witnessing against the usurpation by a papist of the government of the nation, and his design of overthrowing the covenanted work of reformation and introducing popery." This second Declaration was published with greater pomp History of Sanquhar. 117 and circumstance than the first. Ren wick, as he marched up the street of the old town, was accompanied by about two hundred men. Simpson says that " they were armed with weapons of defence, and that their sudden appearance with- out warning in the heart of the town caused considerable alarm in the townsfolk, at the unceremonious intrusion of so large an armed force. Their purpose, however, was soon apparent. They were not come to pillage the inhabitants, nor to spill one drop of blood, but to testify publicly their adherence to the covenanted cause of the Reformation. Having read their Declaration aloud in the audience of the people, and then attached it to the cross as their avowed testimony against the evils of which they complained, they, in a peaceful and orderly manner, left the place with all convenient speed, lest the enemy, to whom information of their proceedings would instantly be transmitted, should pursue them." This scene occurred on the 28th of May, 1685. The following is a copy of this Declaration : " A few wicked and unprincipled men having proclaimed James, Duke of York though a professed Papist and excommunicated person to be King of Scotland, etc., we, the contending and suffering remnant of the pure Presbyterians of the Church of Scotland, do hereby deliberately, jointly, and unanimously protest against the foresaid proclamation, in regard that it is choosing a murderer to be a governor, who hath shed the blood of the saints ; the height of confederacy with an idolater, which is forbidden in the law of God ; contrary to the Declaration of the Assembly of 1649, and to the many wholesome and laudable Acts of Parliament; and inconsistent with the safety, faith, conscience, and Christian liberty of a Christian people to choose a subject of anti-Christ to be their supreme magistrate. And further, seeing bloody Papists, the subjects of anti-Christ, are become so hopeful, bold, and confident under the perfidy of the said James, Duke of York, and hoping itself like to be intruded again upon those- covenanted lands, and an open door being made thereto by its accursed and abjured harbinger, prelacy, which these three kingdoms are equally sworn against, we do in like manner protest against all kind of popery, in general and particular heads, etc. " Finally, we being misrepresented to many as persons of murdering and assassinating principles, and which principles and practices we do hereby declare, before God, angels, and men, that we abhor, renounce, and detest ; as also all manner of robbing of any, whether open enemies or others, 118 History of Sanquhar. which we are most falsely aspersed with, either in their gold, their silver, or their gear, or any household stuff. Their money perish with them- selves ; the Lord knows that our eyes are not after these things. "And, in like manner, we do hereby disclaim all unwarrantable practices committed by any few persons reputed to be of us, whereby the Lord hath been offended, His cause wronged, and we all made to endure the scourge of tongues, for which things we have desired to make conscience of mourn- ing before the Lord both in public and private." In addition to these two important declarations four others of minor importance were published at Sanquhar after the Revolution the first on 10th August, 1692 ; the second on November 6, 1695 ; the third on May 21, 1703 ; and the fourth in 1707. The beautiful and well-known poem, " The Cameronian's Dream," which describes the affair of Airsmoss, in which Cameron, the Covenanting preacher and leader, fell, was written by James Hyslop, whose collected works, together with an interesting biographical sketch, were published in 1887. Hyslop was born at Damhead, near the mouth of the romantic Glen Aylmer, on the farm of Kirkland, in the neighbouring parish of Kirkconnel, on 23rd July, 1798. Young Hyslop, when at school at Kirkconnel, gave proof of superior intellectual powers. By and bye he went to reside with his paternal grandfather at Wee Carco, on the banks of Crawick, by whom he was sent to Sanquhar School during the winter season. Hyslop chose the calling of a shepherd, and situated as he was in the heart of the Covenanting country, and associating every day of his life with the direct descendants of some of the more famous families, whose members had given an unflinching adherence to the Cove- nanting cause, his mind was imbued with a warm sympathy for the persecuted remnant, and his poetic imagination was fired with the recital of the more stirring incidents of the struggle. That at Airsmoss, a situation of wild solitude in the not distant neighbourhood, had particularly impressed him, and supplied the theme of this poem of exquisite beauty, in which the scene is described in language of singular felicity, History of Sanquhar. 119 while the story of the battle is told with dramatic power, the whole being invested with a fine touch of imagination, and breathing the spirit of reverence with which the Covenanters were, and still are, regarded by the peasantry of the district. Hyslop was employed as a shepherd in " Wellwood's dark valley," and subsequently was engaged as ateacher inGreenock. His income from the latter source was very scanty, and his anxieties were increased by the enfeebled state of his health. His heart yearned for his native Nithsdale, to which he returned, and where he found a warm welcome. He after- wards sought to mend his fortunes abroad, and sailed for South America in July, 1821. He returned to his native country three years after, where he frequently resided with Dr Cringan at Ryehill. He subsequently obtained the appointment of tutor for His Majesty's ship " Tweed," in which he sailed for the Cape of Good Hope in 1827. Hyslop landed in the company of several of the ship's officers on one of the Cape Verd Islands, where, after being drenched in a tropical rain, they lay all night in the open air. The result in Hyslop's case was that he caught fever, and died on the 4th of November. His body was committed to the deep witli naval honours. His death caused deep regret through- out a wide circle of friends. THE CAMERONIAN'S DREAM. Ix a dream of the night I was wafted away To the moorlands of mist where the martyrs lay, Where Cameron's sword and his bible are seen Engraved on the stone where the heather grows green. 'Twas a dream of those ages of darkness and blood, When the minister's home was the mountain ajid wood ; When in Wellwood's dark valley the Standard of Zion, All bloody and torn, 'mong the heather was lying. 'Twas morning, and summer's young sun from the east Lay in loving repose on the green mountain's breast ; On Wardlaw and Cairntable the clear shining dew Glistened sheen 'mong the heath-bells and mountain flowers blue. And far up in heaven, near the white sunny cloud, The song of the lark was melodious and loud, 1 20 History of Sanquhar. And in Glenmuir's wild solitude, lengthened and deep, Were the whistling of plovers and bleating of sheep. And Wellwood's sweet valley breathed music and gladness, The fresh meadow blooms hung in beauty and redness ; Its daughters were happy to hail the returning, And drink the delights of July's sweet morning. But, ah ! there were hearts cherished far other feelings, Illumed by the light of prophetic revealings, Who drank from the scenery of beauty but sorrow, For they knew that their blood would bedew it to-morrow. 'Twas the few faithful ones, who with Cameron were lying Concealed 'mong the mist where the heath-fowl were crying, For the horsemen of Earlshall around them were hovering, And their bridle-reins rang through the thin misty covering. Their faces were pale, and their swords were unsheathed, But the vengeance that darkened their brow was unbreathed ; With eyes turned to heaven, in calm resignation, They sang their last song to the God of salvation. The hills, with the deep, mournful music, were ringing, The curlew and plover in concert were singing ; But the melody died 'mid derision and laughter, As the host of ungodly rushed on to the slaughter. Tho' in mist, and in darkness, and in fire they were shrouded, Yet the souls of the righteous were calm and unclouded ; Their dark eyes flashed lightning, as, firm and unbending, They stood like the rock that the thunder was rending. The muskets were flashing, the blue swords were gleaming, The helmets wei-e cleft, and the red blood was streaming, The heavens grew black, and the thunder was rolling, When in Wellwood'a dark moorlands the mighty were falling. When the righteous had fallen, and combat was ended, A chariot of fire through the dark cloud descended ; Its drivers were angels on horses of whiteness, And its burning wheels turned on axles of brightness. A seraph unfolded its doors bright and shining, All dazzling like gold of the seventh refining, And the souls that came forth out of great tribulation, Have mounted the chariots and steeds of salvation. On the arch of the rainbow the chariot is gliding, Through the path of the thunder the horsemen are riding Glide swiftly, bright spirits, the prize is before ye, A crown never failing, a kingdom of glory. History of Sanquhar. 121 It is not proposed to relate at any length the traditional stories of the sufferings and deliverances of the Covenanters, a work which has been fully accomplished by Dr Simpson, of Sanquhar, whose " Traditions of the Covenanters " is regarded as the greatest authority on the subject. At the same time, there may be culled from his writings a few of the more authentic of those tales, particularly such as refer to persons and families identified with the district, and bear the greatest air of probability. " One of the most prominent of the Covenanters was Alexander Williamson, who lived at Cruffell, up the valley of the Euchan. On a certain Sabbath, Williamson carried his infant over the rugged heights of the Scar, to be baptized at a conventicle held on the water of Deuch, in the wilds of Carsphairn. During his absence, his wife, Marion Haining, who remained at home, observed the troopers wending their way slowly along the banks of Euchan, in the direction of her dwelling. The cradle was standing empty on the floor, in which the infant had been sleeping. It occurred to Marion that questions might probably be asked respecting the infant's absence, which might lead to a discovery, and she made up a bundle of clothes somewhat in the form of a baby, and placed it in the cradle. The device was successful, for the soldiers when they arrived did not happen to discover the circumstance, and hence no ensnaring questions were put to her. They remained a while about the house, and behaved as it best suited them ; and doubtless, according to their custom, regaled themselves with what provisions they could find, and left the place at their own convenience ; and thus this pious household was on this occasion spared from further outrage. " On the south of this the eye rests on the moorlands that lie beyond the braes of Elliock. In this waste there lived in those disastrous days a venerable matron, whose house was an occasional resort to the wanderers who traversed the desert. A soldier of the company that lay at Elliock, it is 16 122 History of Sanquhar. said, often visited this lonely hut by stealth, and conveyed secret information with regard to the movements of the troopers, so that the friends in hiding might look to them- selves, and impart cautious notice to their brethren in other places. A domestic servant in the house of Elliock, it is said, who knew the design of his masters, overhearing in the parlour their communications, used to station himself under the awning of a wide-spreading tree, beside a mountain brook, and tell the tree the secret he wished to convey, while in a cavity beneath the fantastic roots lay one who listened to his words, and who instantly carried the tidings to his suffering brethren. " Not far from this, on the farm of South Mains, opposite the town of Sanquhar, there wonued a worthy man of the name of Hair, who was in the habit of concealing the wanderers in his house. On one occasion he had a few of them in his barn, and some of the troopers of Elliock having arrived before the door, he dreaded that they had come to search the premises, and was greatly concerned for the safety of those he had in concealment. To his agreeable surprise, however, he found that they had come in quest of corn for their horses, which they wished to purchase from him. He led them into the barn to examine the heaps on the floor, and great was the consternation of those who were hidden among the straw when they perceived that the enemy was so near them, and when the incidental removal of a little of the straw or of the sheaves of corn might have revealed their retreat ; but they were eased of the burden of their anxiety when the party peaceably left the place. This man, Hair, belonged to an extensive family of the same name, who were all Covenanters. One of them, together with a friend named Corson, was discovered in a hollow on the farm of Cairn engaged, it is supposed, in devotional exercises. The sound of their voices in prayer, or in the singing of psalms, probably attracted the notice of the soldiers, and drew them to the spot. The circumstances in which they were found were History of Sanquhar. 123 enough to ensure their death, and, therefore, according to the custom of the times, and the license of the troopers, they were without ceremony shot on the spot. They lie interred on the south side of the road leading from Sanquhar to New Cumnock, where a rude stone pillar points out their resting- place. Hair was one of five brothers who occupied the farm of Glenquhary, in the parish of Kirkconnel, of which they were the proprietors. They were ejected from their patri- mony, however, on account of their nonconformity, and forced to wander in the desolate places of the country. One of the five brothers was at the battle of Pentland, which would doubtless render the whole family more obnoxious to the dominant party. It is probable that Hair of Burncrook's, elsewhere mentioned, and who effected his escape from the dragoons at Glen Aylmer, was one of the same family ; and it is equally probable that Hair of Cleuchfoot and William Hair of South Mains were, if not of the household of Glen- quhary, at least related. In the old churchyard of Kirk- connel, which is situated at the base of the mountains, and near the mouth of this romantic glen, there are to be seen, in its north-west corner, six thrugh-stones belonging to this family, indicating the successive generations that have been gathered to their fathers. " At a distance of three miles from Sanquhar, on the east, is the farm of Auchengruith, once the residence of Andrew Clark, a man of some celebrity in this locality in the times of the Covenant. Andrew, it is said, had nine sons, all reared in his own principles, and who were stout defenders of the Nonconformist cause. It was on this farm that Peden had an occasional hiding place, at the mouth of the dark Glendyne ; and it was on the grey hill of Auchen- gruith that the seasonable intervention of the snowy mist, descending from the height above, saved him from his pursuers. " A scene of a tragic kind was enacted at this house at Auchengruith. Some time previously, Adam Clark of History of Sanquhar. Glenim, on the opposite side of Mennock Glen, engaged to guide a party of troopers through the wilds on their way to surprise a conventicle. Arrived in the vicinity of the Stake Moss, Clark pressed forward, leaping the mossy ditches with a nimble bound ; and the horses plunging after, one after another stuck fast in the sinking peat ground. Clark made his escape over the dark heath, leaving the troopers to extricate themselves. It seems that young Andrew Clark of Auchengruith bore a striking resemblance to this Adam Clark of Glenim. One day the dragoons met Andrew in the moors, and believing him to be the person who had led them into the moss, apprehended him, and carried him to his father's house. He protested that he was not the man who had played them this trick, but his protests were unavailing. The troopers affirmed that he was the very individual. In those days the execution of a man after his impeachment was but the work of a moment, and Andrew was immediately brought out to the field before the house to be instantly shot. He was allowed time to pray a favour which in similar circum- stances was not granted to every one. He knelt down on the bent in presence of his enemies, and of all his father's household. Meanwhile a messenger had been instantly despatched to convey the information of what was going on at Auchengruith to an aged and worthy woman who lived at a place not far off, called Howat's Burnfoot, and who had been Andrew's nurse, and for whom she cherished a more than ordinary affection. She was a woman of great sagacity, magnanimity, and piety ; besides, she had seen much, both in her native country and foreign lands, for she had accom- panied her husband for sixteen years in the continental wars, and had experienced a variety of fortune. The woman lost no time in presenting herself before Colonel Douglas and his company. When she arrived, Andrew had ended his prayer, and his execution was about to take place. "Halt, soldiers!" cried the matron ; " halt, and listen to me." She then bore testimony that this was not the man who had been concerned History of Sanquhar. 1 25 in the affair of the Stake Moss. " Sir," she exclaimed, turn- ing to Colonel Douglas, " if you be a true soldier, hearken to the wife of one who warred under the banner of your honoured uncle in countries far from this ; and for your uncle's sake, by whose side my husband fought and bled, and for whose sake he would have sacrificed his life, I beg the life of this man, for whom in his infancy I acted the part of a mother, and for whom, now in his prime of manhood, I cherish all the warmth of a mother's true affection, I beg on my knees the life of this innocent man." " My good woman," the Colonel replied, "his life you shall have. Your appearance is the guarantee for the verity of your statements, and you have mentioned a name that has weight with me. Soldiers ! let him go." In this way was the tragical scene at Auchengruith terminated, and Andrew Clark restored to his friends. This same Andrew, it would appear, who became a smith at Leadhills, at last suffered in the Grassmarket of Edinburgh, along with Thomas Harkness and Samuel M'Ewan. " Auchentaggart, on the opposite side of the Glendyne burn from Auchengruith, was another haunt of the worthies. It was wh'ile a party of the wanderers were in this house, par- taking of refreshment, that a company of soldiers appeared before the door. The poor men saw that there was but little likelihood of escape, and, in combination, they rushed suddenly at one bolt from the door, scared the horses, stupefied the troopers, and fled in the direction of Glendyne, whose steep banks prevented a successful pursuit, and in this way escaped. " It was in this vicinity, too, that it is said Peden, in flight before the horsemen, hid himself under a projecting bank, close by the side of a streamlet, when the horses came on, and passed the rivulet at the very spot where the saintly man lay crouching under his mossy coverlet, and the foot of one of the animals, crushing through the sod, grazed his head, and pressed his bonnet into the soft clay, while he escaped unhurt. 126 History of Sanquhar. " To the north of this is the "Martyrs' Knowe," which must have received this designation from the killing of some one of the worthies on the spot, though tradition has retained neither the name of the person nor the circumstances. It was here that Urumlanrig, while in pursuit of the wanderers, met with a signal defeat by a thunderstorm which broke out suddenly, it is said, among the mountains, and terrified the troopers so that every man fled for shelter, and let go their prisoners in the turmoil, some of whom were, however, afterwards caught and shot on the neighbouring heights. " An anecdote is told of a pious man named Hair, a member of the family above referred to, who lived in a secluded spot called Burncrooks, near Kirklaud, in the neighbouring parish of Kirkconnel. This inoffensive man was seized by his per- secutors, and was doomed to die. The cruel and brutal conduct of the dragoons was peculiarly displayed in his treatment. They rallied him on the subject of his death, and told him that they intended to kill him in a way that would afford them some merriment : that, as his name was Hair, they wished to enjoy something of the same sport in putting an end to his life that they used to enjoy in killing the cowering and timid animal that bore a similar name. Instead, therefore, of shooting him before his own door, they placed him on horseback behind a dragoon, and carried him to the top of a neighbouring hill, that in the most conspicuous and insulting manner they might deprive him of his life. The spot where the cavalcade halted happened to be on the very brink of one of the most romantic glens in the west of Scotland. . Glen Aylmer forms an immense cleft between two high mountains, and opens obliquely towards the meridian sun. The descent on either side, for several hundred feet, is very steep, and in some places is almost perpendicular. The whole valley is clothed with rich verdure, and through its centre flows a gentle stream of many crooks and windings, which, from the summit of the glen, is seen like a silver thread stretching along the deep bottom of the glen. The History of Sanquhar. 127 party of dragoons, having reached the place where they intended to shoot their captive, had made a halt for the purpose of dismounting, and the soldier behind whom our worthy was seated proceeded to unbuckle the belt which, for greater security, we may suppose, bound the prisoner to his person, when Hair, finding himself disengaged, slid from the horse behind, and, alighting on the very edge of the steep declivity, glided with great swiftness down the grassy turf, and, frequently losing his footing, he rebounded from spot to spot, till at last he regained his feet, and ran at his utmost speed till he reached the bottom. The soldiers looked with amazement, but durst not follow ; they fired rapidly, but missed him, and were left to gnaw their tongues in disap- pointment. " Afamilysomewhat famous in the annals of the Covenanters was that of the Laings of Blagannoch, a place situated in a solitary spot beside the burn of that name, which, taking its rise behind the Bale Hill, is joined at Blagannoch by another burn, and the united waters bear the name of Spango, which falls into Crawick four miles further down. The Laings were resident in Blagannoch for well nigh 400 years, and the members sympathised with the covenanting cause. A most prominent member of the family was Patrick, born in 1641. He enlisted in the Scots Greys in his eighteenth year, and proved himself a gallant and intrepid soldier. He was dexterous in the use of the sword, and his officers regarded him as one of the best and bravest soldiers in their troops. Patrick was in the King's service, for he had enlisted in the army prior to the Restoration. His was therefore a most embarrassing situation, and he feared lest he should be called, in the performance of his duty, to take part in any measures against that cause which was dear to his heart. The day he so much dreaded arrived. A party of the Covenanters, to escape the incessant harassing of the enemy, had fled over the Border, arid sought refuge in the northern parts of England, and Patrick Laing, whose regiment, 128 History of Sanquhar. it appears, happened at the time to be stationed in the neighbourhood, was sent with a company to apprehend them. To disobey the orders of his superior was as much as his life was worth, and to lend himself as an instrument in persecut- ing the people of God was what his conscience would not permit. Accordingly he marched with his little troop in search of the reputed rebels, but contrived so to conduct matters as to allow the party apprehended to escape, and the soldiers returned without accomplishing their errand. Laing was suspected. He was accordingly committed to prison, and, being tried, was sentenced to banishment. Through the interposition of his friends, the day of his transportation was put off from time to time. Through confinement and disease he was reduced to a skeleton, and was at last released from his prison in an apparently dying condition. He was permitted to return to his native country, and moving slowly northward, he arrived at last among his native mountains. He gradually recovered, and having brought with him a sum of about thirty pounds, reckoned in those days a considerable fortune, he resolved to settle as the occupant of a little farm in some moorland glen. He found a retreat among the wild Glenkens of Galloway, but Patrick Laing could not long remain in obscurity. The eye of the notorious Griersori of Lag was upon him, and it was not long before he began to meet with annoyance from the adverse party. In order to facilitate his flight from his pursuers, he kept a fleet pony in constant readiness, which, being accustomed to scour hills and mosses, often carried him with great speed out of the way of the heavy troopers. He was on one occasion return- ing home, leading the pony, which carried a load of meal thrown across its back, when he observed a party of dragoons approaching. He tumbled the load on the ground, mounted the nimble animal, and sped for safety along the heath. Patrick, seeing the horsemen following him, hastened with all speed to reach the bottom of a precipice called the Lorg Craig. The dragoons, perceiving his intention, divided into Histot^y of Sanquhar. 129 different parties, pursuing separate routes, with a view, if possible, to circumvent him, and intercept his progress to the Craig. He reached the rock, however, before the soldiers came up, and having scrambled to the middle of the precipice, he was standing still for a moment to take breath when the troopers approached the base. He was aware that they would leave their horses and climb after him. There was now no way of escape left for him but to mount, if possible, to the top of the rock ; and the danger with which this was attended was to be preferred to the danger of being exposed to the fire of the musketry. He made the attempt, and succeeded ; and when he reached the highest point, where he stood in security, he gave three loud cheers in mockery of his pursuers, who, he knew, durst not follow in his track. Forced to flee from his home, he took refuge in the darkly- wooded retreats of the Euchan,and found hospitable entertain- ment among the pious people who inhabited its banks. The farm-house of Barr is particularly mentioned as receiving him kindly ; in Cleuchfoot, a mile to the west of Sanquhar, he also found a resting-place. This latter place was situated near to the highway between Ayrshire and Nithsdale, along which troops of soldiers frequently passed, but near the house was a dense thicket, into the heart of which he could plunge at any time, and two ravines where he could secrete himself in perfect safety. In this way, he wandered about secretly from place to place till the Revolution, which, though it brought a welcome relief to others, made but little alteration in his circumstances, at least for a while. Grierson of Lag, who bore him no good-will, well knowing that he belonged to the despised sect, had received a commission to enlist, or otherwise impress into the service, what men he could find in Galloway and Nithsdale. He reported Laing as a deserter, and received authority to apprehend him. One of the last attempts made by Lag to get hold of him was one day when he was quietly angling in the Euchan. He saw three men slowly advancing up the stream. To test their designs he 17 130 History of Sanquhar. left the stream, and ascended the brow of the hill. They immediately followed, separating themselves in order to cut oft his retreat. His strength was fast failing when he reached a hollow space of spretty ground, in which he resolved to hide himself, and abide the will of Providence. When he reached the place he sank to the waist. As he was struggling to extricate himself, he observed a place scooped out by the little brook beneath the bank, into which he crept, and his pursuers, though they passed near to the spot, failed to discover his hiding place. He then moved to the north of Scotland, where lived one of his old officers, a pious man. Shortly after his return he was present at a meeting of the Society people at Cairntable. The procedure of that con- vention did not please him, and he withdrew from their connection. He died at the house of Cleuchfoot, at the age of 85 years. His dust lies in the Churchyard of Kirkconnel, without a stone to mark his resting-place. " In the summer of 1685, six men fled from their persecutors in Douglasdale namely, David Dun, Simon Patersori, John Richard, William Brown, Robert Morris, and James Welsh. They took refuge among the more inaccessible heights of Upper Nithsdale, at a place called Glenshilloch, a little to the west of Wanlockhead, and not far from the old house of Cogshead. They were probably drawn to this particular locality by the fact that Brown was related to the family at Cogshead, by whom they were amply supplied with provisions. A strict search was made for the refugees, and at length it was reported to Drumlanrig that they were believed to be in hiding somewhere in the wilds between the Mennock and the Crawick. On this information, Drumlanrig collected his troops, whom he divided into three divisions, one of which traversed the glen of Mennock, another that of Crawick, while the third pursued the middle route by way of Glendyne. This last division was commanded by Drumlanrig himself, who, having led them over the height on the north side of Glendyne, descended on the water of Cog, and stationed History of Sanquhar. 131 himself on the " Martyrs' Knowe." Meanwhile some of the dragoons, who had been scouring the neighbouring hills, seized a boy who was returning from Glenshilloch to Cogs- head carrying an empty wooden vessel, called by the peasantry a kit, in which were several horn- spoons a proof that he had been conveying provisions to some individuals among the hills, whom they naturally suspected to be the men of whom they were in quest. They carried the boy to their commander, who strictly interrogated him, but without eliciting anything from him. The boy's firmness so enraged Drumlanrig that he threatened to run him through the body with his sword, but on second thoughts it occurred to him that, by using other means, he might succeed in obtaining all the information he desired. He sent the troopers out in the direction from which the boy had been seen returning over the hills. It was not long before they, in descending the north side of the mountain, found the men in their hiding-place. They pounced on them as a falcon on his quarry. Dun, Paterson, and Richard were captured, while Brown, Morris, and Welsh made their escape. A sudden and terrific thunderstorm, no uncommon occurrence in this region, overtook the whole party, from which Drumlanrig fled, regardless of his men or his prisoners. In the darkness and panic that ensued, the prisoners slipped out of the hands of their captors and fled. As they passed the " Martyrs' Knowe," they found the boy lying bound on the ground, not dead, but stunned with terror. Having liberated him, they informed him of what had occurred, and directed him to keep in concealment till the troopers had cleared out of the district. They themselves made their way to the wilds in the upper parts of Galloway. The three men who escaped at Glenshilloch namely, Brown, Morris, and Welsh fled northward, but were intercepted by the party who had gone up the vale of the Crawick. Brown and Morris were shot at the back of Craignorth, where they lie interred in the places respectively where they fell, at Brown Cleuch and Morris Cleuch, while Welsh managed to effect his escape. 132 History of Sanquhar. "The dwelling-house at Glenglass, near the source of the Euchan, is said to have been partly constructed with the view to affording a hiding-place to the destitute Covenanters. At the one end it had a double gable, the one wall at a distance of a few feet from the other, leaving a considerable space between, extending the whole breadth of the building. This narrow apartment was without windows, unless it may have been a small sky-light on the roof. The entrance to this asylum was not by a door, but by a small square aperture in the inner wall, called by the country people a bole. This opening was generally filled with the " big Ha' Bible," and other books commonly perused by the household. When instant danger was dreaded, or when it was known that the dragoons were out, this chamber was immediately resorted to by those who had reason to be apprehensive of their safety. The books in the bole were removed till the indi- vidual crept into the interior, and then they were carefully replaced, in such a way as to lead to no suspicion. Like the prophet's chamber in the wall, this place could admit " a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick," and in the cold of winter it had a sufficiency of heat imparted to it by means of the fire that blazed continually close by the inner wall. These reminiscences may be brought to a fitting close with the story of THE RESCUE AT ENTERKINE PASS. This glen is peculiar in being closed in, to all appearance, as much at the lower as the upper end you feel utterly shut in and shut out. Half way down is a wild cascade, called Kelte's Linn from Captain Kelte, one of Claver- house's dragoons, who was killed there. Defoe's account of the affair and of its Avild scene, in his Memoirs of the Church of Scotland, is so homely and to the quick that we give it in full. It is not unworthy of Robinson Crusoe, and is unexaggerated in local description : " This Entrekein is a very steep and dangerous mountain ; History of Sanquhar. 133 nor could such another place have been easily found in the whole country for their purpose ; and, had not the dragoons been infatuated from Heaven, they would never have entered such a Pass without well discovering the hill above them. The road for above a mile goes winding, with a moderate ascent on the side of a very high and very steep hill, till on the latter part, still ascending, and the height on the left above them being still vastly great, the depth on their right below them makes a prodigious precipice, descending steep and ghastly into a narrow deep bottom, only broad enough for the current of water to run that descends upon hasty rain ; from this bottom the mountain rises instantly again steep as a precipice on the other side of a stupendous height. The passage on the side of the first hill, by which, as I said, the way creeps gradually up is narrow, so that two horsemen can but ill pass in front ; and if any disorder should happen to tjiem, so as that they step but a little awry, they are in danger in falling down the said precipice on their right, where there would be no stopping till they came to the bottom. And the writer of this has seen, by the accident only of a sudden frost, which had made the way slippery, three or four horses at a time of travellers or carriers lying in that dismal bottom, which slipping in their way, have not been able to recover themselves, but have fallen down the precipice, and rolled to the bottom, perhaps tumbling twenty times over, by which it is impossible but they must be broken to pieces ere they come to stop. In this way the dragoons were blindly marching two and two with the minister and five countrymen, whom they had taken prisoners, and were hauling them along to Edinburgh, the front of them being near the top of the hill, and the rest reaching all along the steep part, when on a sudden they heard a man's voice calling to them from the side of the hill on their left a great height above them. " It was misty, as indeed it is seldom otherwise on the height of that mountain, so that no body was seen at first ; 131 History of Sanquhar. but the Commanding Officer, hearing somebody call, halted, and called aloud ' What d'ye want, and who are ye ?' He had no sooner spoke, but twelve men came in sight upon the side of the hill above them, and the officer called again ' What are ye ?' and bad stand. One of the twelve answer'd by giving the word of command to his men ' Make ready' and then calling to the officer, said ' Sir, will ye deliver our Minister?' The officer answer'd with an oath 'No, sir, an ye were to be damn'd.' At which the leader of the countrymen fir'd immediately, and airn'd so true at him, tho the distance was pretty great, that he shot him thro' the head, and immediately he fell from his horse ; his horse, flattering a little with the fall of his rider, fell over the precipice, rolling to the bottom, and was dash'd to pieces. " The rest of the twelve men were stooping to give fire upon the body, when the next commanding officer call'd to them to hold their hands, and desir'd a Truce. It was apparent that the whole body was in a dreadful consterna- tion ; not a man of them durst stir a foot, or offer to fire a shot. And had the twelve men given fire upon them, the first volley, in all probability, would have driven twenty of them down the side of the mountain into that dredd gulph at the bottom. " To add to their consternation, their two scouts who rode before gave them notice that there appeared another body o/ arm'd countrymen at the top of the hill in their front ; which, however, was nothing but some travellers who, seeing troops of horse coming up, stood there to let them pass, the way being too narrow to go by them. It's true, there were about twenty-five more of the countrymen in arms, tho' they had not appeared, and they had been sufficient, if they had thought fit, to have cut this whole body of horse into pieces. " But the officer having asked a parley, and demanded ' What it was they would have?' they again replied, 'Deliver our minister.' ' Well, sir,' says the officer, ' ye's get your minister an ye will promise to forbear firiny' ' Indeed History of Sanquhar. 135 we'll forbear,' says the good man. ' We desire to hurt none of ye. But, sir,' says he, ' belike ye have more prisoners.' 'Indeed have ive,' says the officer. ' And ye mon deliver them all,' says the honest man. ' Well,' says the officer ' ye shall have them then.' Immediately the officer calls to ' Bring forward the minister.' But the way was so narrow and crooked he could not be brought up by a horseman without danger of putting them into disorder, so that the officer bad them 'Loose him, and let him go,' which was done. So the minister stept up the hill a step or two, and stood still. Then the officer said to him 'Sir, an I let you go, I expect you promise to oblige your people to offer no hindrance to our march.' The minister promised them *Hi would do so.' ' Then go, sir,' said he. ' You owe your life to this damn'd mountain.' ' Rather, sir,' said the minister, ' to that God that made this mountain.' When their minister was come to them, their leader call'd again to the officer. ' Sir, we want yet the other prisoners.' The officer gave orders to the rear, where they were, and they were also deliver'd. Upon which the leader began to march away, when the officer call'd again ' But hold, sir,' says he. ' Ye promised to be satisfied if ye had your prisoners. I expect you'll be as good as your word.' ' Indeed shall I,' says the leader. ' I am just marching away.' It seems he did not rightly understand the officer. ' Well, sir, but,' says the officer, ' / expect you will call off those fellows you have posted at the head of the way.' ' They belong not to us,' says the honest man. ' They are unarmed people, waiting till you pass by.' 'Say you so,' said the officer. 'Had I known that, you had not gotten your men so cheap, or have come off so free.' Says the countryman ' A n ye are for battle, sir, we are ready for you still ; if you think you are able for us, ye may try your hand. We'll quit the truce if you like.' ' No' says the officer ; / think ye be brave fellows ; e'en gang your gate' This was in the year 1686." Besides these recorded instances of the persecution to 136 History of Sanquhar. which the nonconforming party were subjected, there are doubtless many others connected with this district that have dropped into oblivion. We find graves in the moors, or what at all events look very like graves, and are supposed to be the resting-place of Covenanters, who had either suffered death at the hands of a brutal soldiery who were continually scouring the country, or who had died of diseases caused by exposure to cold, hunger, and fatigue. The two little mounds on Coniick Meadow have always been regarded as the graves of two such sufferers. At the same time it is noticeable that the number who were victims during the " killing time " in the parish of Sanquhar was in comparison few, considering that it was in the very centre of the district where the fire of persecution burned most fiercely, and the pursuit of suspected persons was carried on with the greatest activity. We do not believe that this was due to the number of the nonconformists being few, for the parish, being largely pastoral, contained many of that very class by whom the principles of the Covenants were most widely embraced. It is known to all who have studied this chapter of history, that the degree of annoyance and persecution to which the people in any district were subjected, depended on the character and temper of the resident curate. Some of these curates kept a close eye on all those who absented themselves from their ministrations, and, being of a vindictive disposition, gave information to the authorities, thus making themselves the willing tools of an intolerant party. Others of a different stamp had none of this intolerance, respected the conscientious scruples of those who differed from them, and, in their hearts, sympathised with them in the sufferings and trials they had to endure. Of this latter class was the curate of Sanquhar, James Kirkwood by name, a good-natured, e.asy-going sort of man, who contrived to give his parishioners little trouble, and at the same time to keep on good terms with the governing party. Tradition says that, instead of seeking occasion against those who refused to attend his History of Sanquhar. 137 ministry, he publicly announced that, if on a given day they would assemble within the churchyard, though they did not enter the church, he would give a favourable report of the whole parish, and screen the nonconformists from the ven- geance of their persecutors. The generosity of this good- hearted curate is further illustrated by an incident related by Simpson. "It was current among the people of the neigh- bourhood," he says, " that two of the Covenanting brethren from the wilds of Carsphairn, in full flight before the dragoons, dashed into the river Nith, and reached the oppo- site bank a few yards below the manse. It happened that a number of individuals, among whom was the curate, were playing at quoits on the green. ' Where shall we run," cried the men. ' Doff your coats/ said the curate, ' and play a game with me.' They did so. The dragoons imme- diately followed ; they passed the curate and rode on in pursuit, and the men, through his generous interference, escaped." Another good story is told by the same author of Kirkwood, which shows that he was not only on good terms with the powers, but that, though tainted with one of the vices of the age. he was also a man of independence and courage. "During Lord Airlie's stay at the Castle of Sanquhar sumptuojus entertainments were given, and it happened that on a Saturday afternoon the curate, whose humorous and quaint manners had often amused the circle in the ancient peel, was sent for to entertain Airlie in the midst of their festivities. He was introduced in his appropriate character to Airlie, who found him in every respect to his liking. Having dined, the company continued at wine and wassail till supper, at which late hour Kirkwood probably found that it would have been more to his purpose had he been at home and in his study, but he was induced to remain, the party finding that he was indispensable to their entertain- ment. Airlie, it seems, used a great many freedoms with Kirkwood, who was in all his glory in the midst of the 18 138 History of Sanquhar. merriment and carousals, and forgot that the Sabbath was stealing on apace, and that he had to officiate on the hallowed day. When he found that it was past midnight, he made sundry efforts to withdraw ; but Airlie as uniformly prevented him, by exclaiming, 'Come, Mr Kirkwood, another glass, and then,' till daylight began to dawn, when he succeeded in releasing himself from the besotted party, and retreated homeward by the south side of the town, through the fields next the river, and reached his house undiscovered. Being now safely lodged in his own domicile, he began to bethink himself what was to be done against the approaching hour of Divine worship ; not that he, perhaps, cared much for public opinion, but he felt himself unfitted for everything but sleep. Kirkwood, it would appear, was a man of ability, and a ready speaker, who found no difficulty in addressing his congregation at any time. It was probably because he was a man of this cast that Queensberry had located him in his present situation. On this occasion the curate thought it probable that the party from the Castle might attend the church that day, the more especially as there might exist among them a certain curiosity on their part to see how he would acquit himself after the night's debauch; and so after a brief repose, he addressed himself to his studies, if so be he might be able to command something appropriate to the occasion. It fell out exactly as he opined, for Airlie mani- fested an unwonted curiosity to see how his facetious friend would acquit himself as a preacher, and, accordingly, he repaired to the church to witness the exhibition. When the hour arrived, the curate, being now refreshed, and having fixed on what he deemed a suitable subject, proceeded to the church with as much coolness as if nothing had happened. He had no sooner entered the pulpit than, according to his anticipations, the company from the castle took their seats in what was called the loft, straight before the preacher, and Airlie, with some of his troopers behind him, placed himself conspicuously in the front. All this might have daunted History of Sanquhar. 139 another man, but on Kirkwood it made no impression, other than to rouse him to greater effort, and to nerve him with greater firmness. " In those days the kirks were each furnished with a sand- glass, instead of a clock, to measure the time, that the minister might know how to calculate the length of his discourse, and this instrument was placed near the precentor's hand, whose duty it was to turn it when the sand had run down. These glasses were of various sizes, from an hour to half-an-hour. The curate had chosen for his text ' The Lord shall destroy the wicked, and that right early.' This, it seems, he did for the purpose of accommodating the word early, in its sound at least, to one of his principal auditors, who on the previous night had teased him most, and entangled him in its bewitching festivities. As he proceeded with his discourse, and waxed warm on the subject, he made frequent use of the words ' The Lord shall destroy the wicked, and that right early,' laying emphasis on the word early, and pointing with his ringer to the Earl, as if the subject had its whole bearing on him personally. ' The Lord will destroy the wicked, and that early, too," again he vociferated, 'and that early,' till he drew the entire attention of the audience to Airlie, who sat boldly confronting him, a few yards from the pulpit. The people were both astonished and amused at the freedom which their preacher dared to use in the presence of his superiors and these redoubted men, who were a terror to the country. If the people were astonished, Airlie was no less so, when the curate, borrowing his lordship's expression which he had used at the board of revelry ' One glass more, and then, Mr Kirkwood,' when he wished to detain him a little longer. ' Jasper,' said he to the precentor, ' the sand has run down ; turn it, for we want one glass more, and then.' This done, he proceeded, in his dash- ing and impetuous way, and with great vehemence of action, to declaim against the wickedness of the world, and to denounce the Divine judgments on those who persisted in 140 History of Sanquhar. their sins ; and, casting a glance over the congregation, he cried out ' The Lord shall destroy the wicked,' and then, directing his eyes to where Airlie sat, he added, ' and that early, and that right early.' In this fashion he continued till the upper storey of the sand-glass was again emptied, when he called on the precentor, ' another glass, and then/ and on he went as before, pouring forth a torrent of declama- tion as continuous as the sand poured its stream through the smooth throat of the glass, with this difference that, while the sand ceased to flow when it had exhausted itself, he never seemed to fail, nor to empty himself of his subject. How long he proceeded is not said, but certes, the party from the castle had their patience taxed quite as much as their detention of the preacher on the preceding night had taxed his ; and they were taught that he could ply his glass as freely as they could ply theirs." There was a proverb long current in this district which took its rise from the following occurrence : The worthy curate had occasion to traverse a rugged moor in the depth of winter. It was an intense frost, and the face of the moor- land was as hard as a board. He directed his mare into a track in which she had on a former occasion sunk, but all his efforts could not induce her to advance. On finding that his endeavours were fruitless, he turned her head away, with the remark, " You brute, you have a better memory than a judgment," which passed into the proverb, "You have a better memory than a judgment, like Kirk wood's mare." We cannot but cherish a reverential regard for the memory of this worthy curate. It is but little that we have recorded of him, but that little is highly suggestive. He stands boldly out in the history of the time, a figure notable in more respects than one. Evidently a man of high intellectual endowments, he was likewise possessed of those qualities of wit and humour which made his society much prized and sought after, and led him into situations similar to those which have proved the undoing of many a one, and which History of Sanquhar. 141 in his own case did not conduce to that decent sobriety of demeanour which so well becomes those who hold his sacred office. On this side lay the principal danger to his character and usefulness, and he may not have been sufficiently on his guard against the temptations of social intercourse and friendly hospitality ; but, though he may have occasionally stepped aside from the path of dignified self-respect, those occasional errors could not corrupt the true greatness of the man. His repentance, we doubt not, was deep and sincere. We do not regard the famous scene in the church as a piece of bravado the taking of his revenge upon those who had lowered him in his own eyes but as the outpouring of his righteous indignation at the thought how he had been entrapped into degrading both himself and his holy calling ; and that, whilst he hurled his denunciations and warnings at the head of the wicked and licentious noble, the thunder of his rebuke shook his own soul. His was a Knox-like spirit free, courageous, and bold and we can well conceive how such a man in a different age, and in other surroundings, would have proved a very tower of strength to the cause of righteousness and truth. He was no miserable time-server or crawling sycophant, who would condone or excuse the prevailing wickedness of his time, or speak with bated breath of the private vices of his patrons, or of those with whom it was his interest, in a worldly sense, to stand well. Lord Airlie, judging by his first and only experience of him, had in all probability formed a false conception of his character, but he was not allowed to remain long deceived. He left the church with a very different opinion of the curate from that with which he entered it. Such words had probably never before been addressed to him, but to-day he was in the presence of a man. This worthy curate likewise possessed that combination of strength and gentleness of force of conviction and toler- ance of spirit, which is so rarely found in the same person. In spite of the bitterness which the nonconforming party felt and expressed towards all of his class, he yet, with singular 142 History of Sanqukar. large-heartedness, returned them only good for evil. With a garrison at his very door, eager and ready for the work, he had but to raise his little ringer, and the lives and liberties of his nonconforming parishioners would have been in instant jeopardy ; but, no ! the generosity of his soul would not permit him to touch a hair of their heads. In the hour of danger he threw the mantle of protection over a harassed and persecuted people. Foolish they must have appeared in his eyes, but the charity which covereth a multitude of sins gently swayed his heart. We may conclude that, though from their point of view the Covenanters regarded him as an intruder into God's heritage, and in league with wicked and sinful men, they could not fail to be impressed with his true goodness as a man, and the practical exhibition of Christian virtue which he daily set before them. Verily he shall not lose his reward. " Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me." Though the memory of the Covenanters was warmly cherished, as has been said, by their descendants and succes- sors in Upper Nithsdale, no public demonstration had ever been made, nor any memorial raised, prior to the year 1859, in commemoration of this eventful period of our history. Then, however, a proposal in this direction was made, and was taken up with enthusiasm by the inhabitants. Dr Simpson, the historian of the Covenanters, was of course the leading spirit of the movement. The Demonstration took place at Sanquhar on the 22nd July, I860, one hundred and eighty years from the time when Cameron made his famous Declaration. We take the following from an account of the proceedings published at the time : " A great concourse of people from all quarters convened in the ancient burgh to carry out the demonstration deter- mined on. The day fortunately was favourable, being warm and bright, though latterly the sky became overcast with clouds, which, later in the evening, fell in heavy rain. A large number of strangers had arrived by early trains from History of Sanquhar. 143 considerable distances ; and, as the hour of noon approached, all sorts of conveyances brought in a multitude of people from the surrounding districts, attired in holiday garb, and lending to the usually quiet main street of the burgh an appearance of great bustle and pleasing excitement. From the Town Hall an ancient banner waved, and at the site of the Old Cross in the centre of the town was to be seen a flag, tattered and stained, yet still in good repair, which had been at Drumclog and Bothwell Bridge, and bearing the white cross of St. Andrew, on a blue ground, in one part, with the motto in another of ' Pro Religio et Liberatio ' (sic.) This flag is now in the possession of Mr M'Geachan, of Cumnock, a lineal descendant of one of the martyrs. At the Old Cross had been erected a triple triumphal arch, composed of evergreens and the beautiful wild flowers of Scotland, and a printed notice indicated that that was the identical spot where Cameron had made his famous Declaration on the 22nd June, 1680. The provost, magistrates, and town council, the clergy of various denominations, and the local corps of volunteers, mustering to the number of between fifty and sixty, all efficiently and cordially assisted in the demonstra- tion ; and three brass bands, two belonging to Sanquhar and one to Wanlockhead, supplied appropriate music for the procession. At twelve o'clock a concourse of people, num- bering probably between two and three thousand, assembled in Queensberry Square. Provost Whigham ascended a plat- form and took the chair. He was accompanied by Professor Blackie, Edinburgh ; Rev. Dr Simpson, Sanquhar ; Rev. Robert Noble, Muirkirk ; Rev. Thomas Easton, Stranraer ; Lieut.-Col. Shaw, of Ayr ; Rev. Messrs Logan and Crawford, Sanquhar, &c., &c. The Provost narrated the proceedings that had led up to the demonstration of that day, and called upon Dr Simpson, who delivered a characteristic and telling speech, in which he recounted briefly the struggle between the government of Charles II. and James VII. and the Scottish people in regard to their religious rights, the devo- 1 44 History of Sanquhar. tion of the peasantry of the south-west to the cause of the Covenant, and the brutal persecution to which they were subjected. He vindicated the attitude of the Covenanters, both in the resistance they offered to the attempts to thrust episcopacy upon them and the renunciation of their civil allegiance to the Crown. He said the commemoration was intended to keep alive the spirit of their ancestry in opposi- tion to oppression and popery, and enjoined upon the young people to imbibe their Christian and heroic spirit. "The people then formed in order of procession, five or six deep, and moved off. Arrived at the first arch, a copy of Cameron's Declaration was read by Rev. Mr Crawford near the spot where it was first given to the world. The cross stood opposite where he then was ; there was no dwelling- house near, but a green slope came down towards the street, and there it was that Richard Cameron, having read his Declaration, affixed it to the cross. He ended by proposing three cheers to the memory of the Covenanters, which were cordially given. "The march was resumed till the ruins of Sanquhar Castle were reached, where the assemblage was addressed by Professor Blackie. The learned Professor had a congenial theme, and having referred to the beauties of Scottish scenery, and in particular of the district in which they were assembled, he proceeded to an eloquent eulogy of the courage and independence of the Covenanters, pointing out the bear- ing which the stand they made had in helping on the greater struggle which was then being waged in both England and Scotland against the tyranny of the later Stuarts. He sharply criticised the manner in which Sir Walter Scott had caricatured the Covenanters a proceeding unworthy of his great genius. Unfortunately this had been accepted in many quarters as a just representation of these worthy men. As a set off he quoted the testimony borne to their personal worth and the value of their self-denying sufferings by Burns, Carlyle, and Froude, and others well competent to History of Saiiquhar. 145 form a correct estimate of the men and their work. He concluded with a vigorous denunciation of the character and government of Charles II. and James II., and held that the Covenanters were amply justified in the attitude they took up, though he doubted the expediency in the Declaration of declaring the King a traitor ; but the best of men were imprudent, and to be imprudent on a great occasion is to be capable of great and sublime virtue. The Covenanters were the prophets of all that we now enjoy ; the pioneers of constitutional government, the men who were the first to move in planting that tree of liberty of which we now possess the fruits ; they laid down their lives in that struggle, while we have little else to do than make speeches about them, cry ' God save the Queen,' and pay our taxes now and then. " The assemblage then moved in procession back to the square, where they were again addressed in a similar strain by Colonel Shaw, of Ayr ; the Rev. Mr Easton, Stranraer ; and the Rev. Mr Anderson, Loanhead. " A soiree was held in the evening in the Crichton School grounds, at which the Rev. Dr Simpson presided. The Chairman recited the ' Cameronian's Dream,' and addresses followed. A demand was then made by the audience for Professor Blackie, who said he had got all kinds of usage in his day, but he had never till then been asked to do anything so unreasonable as to make two speeches on the same subject on the same day to the same audience. He was prepared to meet this dodge of the Sanquharians by another dodge. Instead of addressing them, he would read two pieces from a book of his, which had been greatly cut up by some London snobs, but which nevertheless he considered contained very good poetry. The Professor then read a poem on the martyr- dom of the two Wigtown maidens, and, in dramatic style, a song entitled ' Jenny Geddes and the three-legged stool.' Both pieces were received with rapturous applause. " The Chairman here read the following beautiful sonnet, composed by the Professor about two years before in the inn 10 146 History of Sanquhar. at Sanquhar, after a journey of about twenty miles over the hill from Carsphairn : ' Scotland, thou art full of holy ground ! From every glen, I hear a prophet preacli ; Thy sods are voiceful. No grey book can teach Like the green grass that swathes a martyr's mound. And here, where Nith's clear mountain waters flow, With murmurous sweep round Sanquhar's hoary tower, The place constrains me, and with sacred power, What Scotland is to Scottish men I know. Here first the youthful hero-preacher raised The public banner of a nation's creed : Far o'er the land the spoken virtue blazed, But he who dared to voice the truth must bleed. Men called it rash perhaps it was a crime His deed flashed out God's will an hour before the time.' " The Chairman, at a later stage, gave the following particulars regarding the conflict at Airsmoss. It took place on a Thursday, at four o'clock in the afternoon, and that at the time the moorlands, it is said, were visited with a thunderstorm, which circumstance is alluded to in ' The Cameronian's Dream '- ' The heavens grew black, and the thunder was rolling, When in Well wood's dark valley the mighty were falling.' With Cameron there were in all sixty-three, of whom twenty- three were horsemen, and the remainder on foot. With Earlshall the number was more than double. The contest was severe ; the Covenanters fought most valiantly, and while only nine of their number were killed, more than three times that number of the enemy fell. Sir John Cochrane of Ochiltree was the person who revealed the hiding-place of the worthies in the rnoss to Earlshall, who came upon them in the afternoon, as the sky was lowering into a storm. It is said that Earlshall got 500, and Ochiltree 10,000 merks for their conduct in this affair. A short time after this the house of Ochiltree was burned to the ground, and while the fierce flames were consuming the edifice, Ochiltree's son exclaimed ' This is the vengeance of Cameron's blood.' History of Sanquhar. 147 That house was never rebuilt. A throughstone was placed over the nine martyrs, who were laid together in one grave in the moor, with the following inscription : ' Hair, curious passenger : come here and read. Our souls triumph with Christ, our glorious head. In self-defence we murdered here do lie, To witness 'gainst the nation's perjury.' " Professor Blackie, at this stage of the proceedings, pro- posed that steps should forthwith be taken to secure the erection of a monument, or other suitable memorial, at Sanquhar, for the commemoration of the Sanquhar Declara- tion. " The proposal of Professor Blackie was not lost sight of, and on the llth May, 1864, the monument was erected. At the site of the ancient cross, where it was put up, the road- way has been cut through a knoll of ground five feet high on the north side of the street. The foundation of the monument consists of square blocks of granite to the level of the brae-face, and on that rises the monument itself, consist- ing of a square pannelled pedestal, ornamented with mould- ings, and polished on the four sides, above which a tapering column rises to the height of 22 feet. On the side facing the street it bears the following inscription : - IN COMMEMORATION OF THE TWO FAMOUS SANQUHAR DECLARATIONS, WHICH WERE PUBLISHED ON THIS SPOT, WHERE STOOD THE ANCIENT CROSS OF THK BURGH : THE ONE BY THE REV. RICHARD CAMERON, ON THE 22o JUNE, 1680 ; THE OTHER BY THE REV. JAMES R E N w i c K, ON THE 29TH MAY, 1685. THE KILLING TIME.' ' If you would know the nature of their crime, Then read the story of that killing time.' 1864. 148 History of Sanqu h ar. " In a cavity near the base of the column was deposited a bottle containing : A copy of the Dumfries Courier ; another of the Glasgow Morning Journal ; pamphlet con- taining an account of the Demonstration of 22nd June, 1860 ; a handbill of the same ; a copy of Simpson's History of Sanquhar ; the Register of the Scottish Temperance League of 1863 ; a list of the paupers of the parish of Sanquhar ; a list of the voters in the burgh ; and an abstract of the burgh accounts for 1863 ; a copy of the Illustrated Sanquhar Magazine of 1857 ; together with a collection of coins." CHAPTER VII. MUNICIPAL. 1. EARLY HISTORY OF THE BURGH. jROM early times there existed in Scotland burghs of four different kinds burghs of regality, burghs free, burghs of barony, and royal burghs. In the year 1484, Sanquhar was created a burgh of barony, a corporation, that is, embracing the inhabitants thereof, and governed by magistrates. These magistrates were, however, in many cases, under the control of the lord of the barony. The dignity and privileges of royal burghs were superior to those of any other order of burgh ; it was, there- fore, a matter of pride and ambition on the part of other burghs to attain the rank of a burgh royal. That could only be accomplished by a royal charter, granted on applica- tion by the inhabitants. One essential condition of the erection of a free royal burgh is set forth in the Stornoway case in 1628. The attention of the Convention of Royal Burghs of that year was directed to the fact that the King, at the instigation of the Earl of Seyfort, had granted his sign manual to the erection of Stornoway as " ane frie brugh royall." The Convention resolved to petition his Majesty to cancel the charter, on this ground among others : " The said burgh of Stronway can not be erected an frie brugh royall efter the maner conteynit in the signature thairof, becaus it is against the daylie prac- tique and lawis of this cuntrey, quhairby thair aucht to be 150 History of Sanquhar. no burgh royall hot whair the haill hounds and lands quher- vpone the same is buildit, with the biggings and borrow ruids thairof is of his Maiesties propertie allanerlie, and being erected in ane frie royaltie sould hold of his Maiestie in frie burgage ... so that the inhabitants can have no vthers overs lord or mediat superior bot his Maiestie allanerlie, &c." The objection to Stornoway was that it was held in feu from the Earl of Seyfort, and we find that, after negotiation on the subject, the King granted the petition of the Convention, and cancelled the charter which he had been induced to grant. The usual form of charter was of such a kind as to confer upon the burgesses or citizens the exclusive right of trading within the burgh, and (what must have been highly prized in those times, when the general population was so thoroughly at the mercy of the feudal barons) the right of criminal juris- diction. A perusal of the Sanquhar Charter which follows will shew how extensive this jurisdiction was, embracing, as it did, the trial of all offences, even those of the gravest character, and carrying with it the power of inflicting capital punishment. It can be readily understood how highly the citizens would regard the right of being tried, not by a petty tyrant, ignorant, capricious, and cruel, but by the magistrates of their own town. The fact is, that these royal burghs were fostered and encouraged by the Scottish sovereigns as a counterpoise to the feudal power possessed by the nobles and barons, which was so great as to render them almost, and at certain times altogether, independent of the crown. It was in the burghs, too, that arts and manufactures were first practised, and exclusive privileges of trading were conferred on the burgesses or citizens. The idea of citizenship was derived from the Roman occupation, and reminds us of the occasion when St. Paul, threatened with scourging, claimed exemption on the ground of his citizenship. " Civis Momanus sum " was a claim which no outside authority dared to dis- regard or treat otherwise than with the highest respect. In History of Sanquhar. 151 addition to the vatuable local privileges and immunities enjoyed by royal burghs, they also, from a very early time, were possessed of political rights, through their representa- tion in the Scottish Parliament. This representation is mentioned for the first time in the Parliament of King Robert the Bruce, held at Cambuskenneth in 1326. There is reason to believe, however, that they may have been present at the Parliaments of 1314 and 1315, and 1318, and certainly some of the burghs were parties to the treaty with France in 1295. The Royal Burghs in Scotland in early times entered into combinations for mutual advice and support, one of these, known as the House, comprising the burghs north of the Grampians ; those in the south being presided over by the Great Chamberlain of the kingdom. This association in- cluded at first only Edinburgh, Stirling, Berwick, and Roxburgh, the place of the two last-named, which had fallen into the hands of the English, being taken, in 1368, by Lanark and Linlithgow. The four burghs met annually for the purpose of disposing of appeals from judgments of the Great Chamberlain in his circuit. In 1405 their con- stitution was extended to include two or three burgesses of each Royal Burgh on the south of the river Spey " to corn- pear yearly at their convention, wheresoever held, to treat, ordain, and determine upon all things concerning the utility of the common weal of all the King's burghs, their liberties and court." Edinburgh was then the place of annual meet- ing, and James I. ordained, with consent of the Three Estates of his realm, that it should continue thenceforward to be so, and this ordinance was confirmed by James II. in 1454. An Act of the Scottish Parliament, held at Edinburgh in 1487, enacted that " yearly in time to come commissioners of all burghs, both south and north, should convene and gather together in the burgh of Inverkeithing, on the morning after St. James's day (25th July)," each burgh failing to send a commissioner being subjected to a fine of 5, to be applied 152 History of Sa nquha r. to the expenses of the Convention. For some reason or other this enactment seems, for a time, to have been disregarded, for, so late as 1500, these assemblies, still meeting in Edin- burgh, retained the designation of "the Parliament of the Four Burghs," and continued to be presided over by the Lord Chamberlain. However, the minute of 1529, and all subsequent minutes, refer to the acts set forth in them as having been passed by the Commissioners of the Burghs alone, and make no mention of the Lord Chamberlain. To ensure attendance, the fine to be exacted from burghs which did not appear by their commissioners was raised by an Act of Convention in 1555 to 10. The meetings of Convention appear to have been very irregular, due, probably, to the unsettled condition of the country, and also to neglect on the part of the burgh in which the Convention was to be held to despatch the notices of meeting to the other burghs. That this latter was, in several instances, the cause of irregularity, is clear from the fact that an appointment to hold a Convention in St. Andrew's in 1570 is accompanied by the threat that " gif thai failze, thar sail nocht be ony convention appoyntit to be in thair toun at ony tyme heir- efter, becaus thair was syndrie conventions appoyntit to be in the said toun abefoir, and nocht keipit in thair defalt." In 1578, the burghs were authorised by an Act of Parliament of James VI. held at Stirling, " to convene four times a year in such burgh as might be most convenient to the rest, whereat each burgh should be represented by one commis- sioner, except the town of Edinburgh, which should have two." The burghs continued, however, as hitherto to meet at such times and places as they thought fit, determined frequently with reference to the meetings of Parliament, of which the representatives of the burghs formed a constituent part. The Act of 1581, c. 26, ratified and approved the former Acts of Parliament, relative to the Convention of Burghs, and likewise confirmed the increase of the penalty for non- History of Sanqvliar. 153 appearance at the Convention to 20, to which sum it had been raised by an Act of the Convention held in 1579, and which fine was imposed on absentees from the Convention held at Aberdeen in the following year. This Act of 1581 is still in observance, excepting with regard to the recovery of penalties, proceedings being now taken at the instance of the agent of the Convention, in place of the letters of horn- ing at the instance of the burgh of Edinburgh. During the greater part of the seventeenth century, the Convention had no particular place of meeting, sederuuts having been held during that period in most of the principal towns viz., Edin- burgh, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Stirling, Cupar, Haddington, Queensferry, Jedburgh, Culross, Ayr, and Dunbar. Since 1704, Edinburgh has invariably been the meeting-place of the Convention. It was the function of the ancient Parliament of the Four Burghs, the proto-type of the more modern Convention, to decide questions involving the usages of the burghs, and the rights arid privileges of the burgesses, and it even legislated in regard to such matters as the principles of moveable succession. An instance of this is to be found in the proceedings of a Parliament of Edward I. in 1292, where, in a private suit depending on the law and practice of the Burghs of Scotland, the Four Burghs were consulted, and judgment was pronounced in conformity with their record and verdict. Further, as has already been mentioned, they were in use to determine appeals from the judgment of the Great Chamberlain of the kingdom. The Court of the Four Burghs held at Stirling, in 1405, also enacted a series of regulations of a general character, affecting the rights, duties, and privileges of the burgesses. As it is put in the quaint language of the time, they met " to commune and trete apoun the welefare of merchandes, the glide rewle and statutis for the commoun proffit of burrowis, and to provide for remede apoun the scaith and injuris sustenet within burrowis;" or, in the more modern language of Sir Jamps Marwick 20 154 History of Sanquhar. in his preface to the " Records of the Convention of Royal Burghs of Scotland," it defined the rights, privileges, and duties of burghs; it regulated the merchandise, manufactures, and shipping of the country; it exercised control over the Scottish merchants in France, Flanders, and other countries in Europe, with which from time to time commercial rela- tions existed ; it sent commissioners to foreign powers and to great commercial communities, entered into treaties with them, and established the staple trade of Scotland, wherever this could be most advantageously done ; it claimed the right, independently of the Crown, to nominate the Conservator, and it certainly did regulate his emoluments and control his conduct ; it sometimes defrayed, and sometimes contributed towards, the expenses of ambassadors from the Scottish Court to that of France and other foreign powers in matters affecting the Burghs and the common weal ; it allocated among the whole Burghs of the kingdom their proportions of all extents and taxes granted by the Three Estates of the realm ; it adjudicated upon the claims of burghs to be admitted to the privilege of free Burghs, and to be added to its roll ; it took cognisance of weights and measures ; it submitted proposi- tions to Parliament in regard to all matters affecting the interests of the country, and influenced to an incalculable extent the national legislation. In a word, it formed a complete and powerful organisation for the protection of burghal rights and privileges, and for the promotion of what- ever the Burghs conceived to be for their own interest and that of the country generally." The foregoing summary of the history and functions of the Convention of Royal Burghs covers a period anterior to the creation of Sanquhar as a Royal Burgh. Although, there- fore, it has no direct relation to the history of Sanquhar in particular, yet it has been thought well to give the reader an idea, however imperfect, of the place occupied by the burghs in Scotland in the body politic, and the part which they played in our national history, and of the functions dis- History of Sanquhar. 155 charged by the Convention prior to the time when the burgh of Sanquhar was admitted within the sacred circle. The Convention had ever been a thoroughly loyal body, and it seems, even in the most troubled times, to have suc- ceeded in maintaining good relations with the crown and the government. In 1660, on the representation of the Lord Chancellor (Glencairne), it passed a resolution debarring any person guilty of disloyalty to his Majesty's government, or who had deserted any charge in his Majesty's armies, from being admitted to any place of " magistracie, counsall, or office of deaconrie within burgh." The Charter erectiig Sanquhar into a Royal Burgh was granted by James VI. in 1598, and we find that steps were taken without delay to have its name enrolled in the Con- vention of "Royal Burghs of Scotland. It will be observed that in the royal charter Sanquhar is described as being at that time " anciently a free burgh of barony." The Deed relating to its creation as a burgh of barony is of date 1484, but that was a re-erection. The standing of Sanquhar as a burgh is even more ancient than that, but the precise date cannot be fixed. TRANSLATION OF THE BURGH CHARTER. James, by the grace of God, King of the Scots, to the Sheriff of Dumf reis, and his substitutes, also to my lovites ....... and each of them conjunctly and separately, my Sheriffs of Dumfreis in that part, greeting, because we, understanding the burgh of Sanquhar, lying within the Sheriffdom of Dumfries, anciently a free bnrgh of barony, to have been endowed and infeft by us and our noble predecessors, with all liberties, privileges, and immunities whatsoever belonging to a free burgh of barony within this kingdom ; also recalling to memory the good, faithful, and gratuitous service done and performed constantly, in all times past, to us and our predecessors by the burgesses and inhabitants of the said burgh, according to their power and ability, and because our beloved cousin Robert, Lord Crichton of Sanquhar, by this special deed subscribed with his own hand, dated the 14th day of the mouth of Decem- ber, in the year of our Lord, 1596, lias agreed that the said burgh of Sanquhar (which formerly had been a free burgh of barony) be now, and in all times to come, erected and created a free Royal Burgh, with all the other immunities and privileges which it shall please us to grant to the 156 History of Sanquhar. same, we therefore, in order to place hi a better situation the burgesses and inhabitants of the foresaid burgh, that they may continue their faith- ful service and wonted obedience in time to come, also for the construction and building of houses and establishing police within the said burgh, and for the accommodation of our lieges repairing there and establishing inns, have made, created, and erected, and by the tenor of these presents, do make, create, and erect the said burgh of Sanquhar, with the lands and others belonging to the same, into one free Royal Burgh, to be held of us and our successors, and also we have given, granted, and disponed, and by the tenor of these presents, do give, grant, and dispone to the provost, bailies, councillors, community, and inhabitants of our foresaid burgh of Sanquhar, and their successors for ever, heritably All and Whole the same burgh of Sanqiihar, together with all lands, tenements, annual rents, mills, mill lands, multures, woods, fishings, coals, coal-heughs, muirs, marshes, rocks, mountains, commonty and others, whatsoever belonging to the before-named burgh and liberty of the same, with the bridge of the said burgh, and with the customs, liberties, privileges, and immunities pertain- ing to any other of our free Royal Burghs within the kingdom, and granted in any time past preceding the date of these presents, and with full, free, and express power to the aforesaid provost, bailies, councillors, community, and inhabitants of the said burgh, and their successors, of building water-mills and wind-mills, one or more upon any part within the bounds of the foresaid burgh, and lands belonging to the same, where it shall seem most proper to them, and of having in the said burgh one chief prison, with a market-place and market-cross, with throne and throne-weights ; also, of having in the same two weekly market days in every week, viz., Wednesday and the Sabbath day, and annually in every year three fairs, to wit, one of them annually at the feast of St. Felix, being the second last day of May ; another of^them at the feast of Mary Magdalene, being the twenty-second of the month of July ; and the third of them annually at the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, being the eighth day of the month of October annually, and of keeping, and continuing each of the said fairs for the space of eight days, during these eight days, with all liberties, customs, tolls, and profits belonging and pertaining to the foresaid markets and fairs ; and with power, privilege, and liberty, within our said burgh of creating and constituting free burgesses ; also to the foresaid burgesses and inhabitants in the said burgh of electing and creating annually, once in the year, or as often as need shall be, two, three, or more bailies, a treasurer, dean of guild, common clerk, and other officers necessary for the administration of justice within our said burgh, and in the same to loiss laid packet peill all goods of staple and other free merchandise, and of sailing to any free ports with the same, in the same manner, and as freely, in all respects, as any other free burgess or free burgesses within any other free royal burgh within this our realm, and with power to the foresaid provost and baillies of the foresaid burgh, in all time History of Sanquhar. 157 to come, of receiving resignations, of proclaiming and serving the brieves of our Chancery, and of granting infeftments upon the lands, tenetnen ts, and annual rents lying within our said burgh, and liberty of the same : Also, of framing acts and statutes for the regulation of the same, of fencing, holding, and continuing a court and courts, as often as need shall be, of levying the sentences, fines, bloodwitts, and escheats of the said courts, and applying the same to the common good of the said burgh, and, if it shall be necessary, of seizing and distraining for the same, of taking, apprehending, attaching, arresting transgressors and offenders, and of punishing with death those legally convicted according to ou> law, with gallows, pit, sok, sak, thole, theme, infangthieff, outfangthieff, pit and gallows, with all other and singular liberties, privileges, and immunities belonging to any other free Royal Burgh within this our kingdom, as in our charter made thereupon is more fully contained ; we charge and order you that you cause sasineto be justly given to the foresaid provost, baillies, counsellors, and community, or their certain attornies, bearers thereof, of all and whole the foresaid burgh of Sanquhar and others, above recited, according to the form of our aforesaid charter, which they hold from us, and without delay ; and this you in no ways omitt, for doing which we committ power to you, and each of you,*conjunctly and severally, our Sheriffs of Dumfreis in that part. Given under the testimony of our great seal at Falkland, the 18th day of the month of August, 1598, and of our reign the thirty -second year. Upon this precept infeftment was taken the 2nd day of October, 1598. In the latter portion of the charter, which deals with matters connected with criminal jurisdiction, very extensive powers are conferred, it will be observed, on the magistrates, in terms of modern phraseology, but there follow others, which are now obsolete and scarcely understood. They are " sok, sak, thole, theme, infangthieff, outfangthieff." The following is a brief explanation of their meaning. These are terms regularly used for hundreds of years previous to the date of the Sanquhar charter. So far back as 1182, Cosmo Inues informs us, the powers conveyed by them were conferred by William the Lion on the Monks of Arbroath ; and they became part of the regular phraseology of burgh charters in later times. We quote from the above writer, who was a high authority on such questions. " Sac is the abbreviation of Sacu, and means the jurisdiction or right of 158 History of Sanquhar. judging litigious suits. Soc strictly denotes the district included within such a jurisdiction ; and Socen, from which it is derived, means the right of investigating cognate to the word seek." Soc and Sac are spelt Sok and Sak in the Sanquhar charter, but they are manifestly the same words. Thol or Thole has sometimes been supposed to mean exemption from toll or custom, and that was one of the exemptions of the Arbroath monks ; but Innes prefers the interpretation which makes thol the definite technical privilege the right of exacting the duty rather than the right of refusing to pay it. " In this way," he says, " I hold it to mean, and to grant to the holder of the charter the right to exact custom or customary payment for goods passing through his land." We think he is right in so interpreting it, in the case of burgh charters at least, and that here we have the origin of those petty customs .which it was the right, down to a very recen.t,date, of all royal burghs to exact. Them or Theme is explained as warranty, a word which has a very great variety of meanings in connection with jurisdictions and forms of process of old. It indicates a system of pledge or warranty, as applied to the recovery of stolen goods. Infang-thieff or thef is a word expressing the right to judge and punish a thief caught " with the fang" within the charter-holder's jurisdiction. Outfang-thieff or thef gave the same power over a thief caught beyond the jurisdiction of the lord, he being followed and caught with the fang. Such a grant gave the holder of the charter a right to the amercements, the escheats, all the goods and chattels which the thief could forfeit; hence it was that these rights of baronial jurisdiction were so much coveted. The two first words, Gallows and Pit, in the enumeration of the powers and rights conferred by the charter are sufficiently well understood, and are referred to elsewhere as the form of inflicting capital punishment the gallows or History of Fanquhar. 159 hanging for male, and the pit or drowning for female offenders. Other writers, it may be noted, attach different meanings to one or two of these old words, but Innes, whom we have followed, is, as has been already stated, one of the highest authorities on questions of this kind. Though it bears a much later date, there follows here for the sake of connection a copy of the Sett or Constitution of the burgh. EXTRACT SETT OF THE ROYAL BURGH OF SANQUHAR, 1708. " In the Generall Convention of the Royal Burrows, holden at the Burgli of Edinburgh, upon the fifteen day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eight years, by the commissioners therein convened. "The which day the Convention finding by experience that nothing doth creat more trouble to them than irregularities and abuses com- mitted by particular burghs in electing their Magistrates and touu counsell contrare to their sett and ancient constitution : Therefore, the Convention, to obviat this inconvenience in time comeing, statut and appoint that each royall burgh within this kingdom send up their sett to the clerks of the burrows to be recorded in a particular book to be keeped for that purpose, to the end that any question about their res'cive setts may be quickly discust upon producing the said book, and that betwixt and the next convention, certifying such as shall faill herein, they shall be fined by the next annual convention in the sum of Two hundred pounds Scots money," and the sett of the royal burgh of Sanquhar is of the following tenor : " Set of the burgh of Sanquhar, made by recommendation in the sixth act Gn'al Convention, 1713 Whereas, the last general convention having recommended to the commissioners of the burghs of Dumfrice, Kirkcudbright, Annan, and Lochmaben, to ascertain a set for the burgh of Sanquhar, and we having, conform to that recom- mendation, considered duly the chartours and custom of the said burgh : wee are of opinion that for all time hereafter their set should be that they shall have a provost, three bailies, dean of gild, and treasurer, witli eleven councilors, making in all seventeen, and that these shall bs of heretors, merchants, or tradesmen, burgesses, residenters within the said burgh ; and that these, nor any of them, shall continue longer than one year, unless they be choiced again, and at least that there be four new councilors yearly, and that the old council shall still choice the new annually at Michalmass, if it fall on a Munday, if otherways, then the first Munday after Michalmass. In witness whereof, we and the provost of the said burgh of Sanquhar, have subscribed these presents at Edinburgh, the ninth day of July, one thousand, seven hundred and fourteen years Sic sub- 160 History of Sanquhar. scribilur, John Corsbic, for Dumfrice ; Wm. Johnston, for Annan ; John Kirkpatrick, for Kirkudbright ; Geo. Kennedy, Lochmaben ; Ab. Crichton, provost of Sanquhar. " The following is extracted from the Minutes of the Con- vention of 1600, when Sanquhar was enrolled among the Royal Burghs of Scotland : EXTRACT FROM RECORDS OF CONVENTION OF ROYAL BURGHS, 1600. Extract from Minute of Meeting of General Convention of the Royal Burghs of Scotland, holden at Kinrjhorn, the thirteenth and subsequent days of June, 1600. Decimo sexto Janii, 1600. " The samyn day, comperit Jhone Creychtouu and Robert Phillop, induellaris in the toun of Sanquhar, and gawe in thair supplicatioun desyring the said toun to be inrollit and admitit in the societie and number of fre burrows as aue brugh regall, and offerit thair concurrence in all thingis with the rest of the burrowis and obedience to the lawis thairof, and producit the erectioun of thair said toun be our souerane lord in ane brugh regall, to be holdin of our souerane lord and his successouris iu fre burgage, for payment of fyve pundis of borrow male, as at mair lenthe is contenit in the said erectioun vnder his maiesteis Grit Seill, daitit at Falkland the xviij day of August 1598, quhilk being red in oppin awdience of the saidis Commissioneris and considerit be thame, thay be thir presentis INROLLIS and ADMITTIS the said touu of Sanquhar in ane fre brugh regall, nvmber and societie thairof, conforme to his maiesties erectioun, and ordanis the saidis persouns to caus thair said brugh send thair commissioneris sufficientle instrucit to the next conventioun general), with speciall powir to ratefy and approve the lawis and constitutiouus of the conventioun of burrowis, with thair promeis to fulfill and obey the samyn, beir burding with the burrowis in all thair commoun effairis, concur, fortefe, and assist them in manteyneing the liberte and preueledgeis of fre burrowis according to thair powir, and to keep thair conventioun generall and particular as thai salbe warnet thairto, and this to be ane heid of the next missiue : quhairof thai ordane ane copy thairoff to be send to the said brugh for keiping and holding the said conventioun generall, and Rodger Maknacht become sourety for the said John Creychtoun and Robert Phillop that thai sail reporte to the nixt conventioun generall the consent of the said brugh to the premessis, and of thair suite to their inrollment, vnder the pane of xx li." While valuable privileges were conferred upon the burghs they, at the same time, had certain burdens laid upon them for various public purposes. We find that, on emergency, the Histo ry of Sanquhai : 161 King looked to them for necessary materials in time of war ; for, on one occasion, the Convention made arrangements for supplying soap and candles to the King's troops. Contribu- tions were also made, on important occasions, for the main- tenance of the dignity of the Crown, and the expenses of the royal household after the manner of a Parliamentary vote of the present day. For example, the sum of 20,000 Scots was allowed to James V. in 1535, on his visit to France, " for sustaining his honourable expenses in the parts of France;" and in 1557 10,000 was granted towards the expenses of Queen Mary's marriage with the Dauphin of France. (J rants, too, were made towards the expenses of ambassadors sent abroad on important diplomatic missions. All this conveys an impression of the dignity and power of the burghs, and the important services which they rendered as a set off to the favours bestowed upon them by the Crown. For the purpose of allocating these burdens, the Convention framed what would in our day be called a valuation roll, but was then styled the " Taxt Roll," which contained the names of all the burghs which had been duly " iurollit," with the proportion of any charge which each should bear, taking 100 as the unit. In the year 1601, therefore, we find that at the Convention held at Sanctandrois (St. Andrews) the following minute was passed relative to the sum at which Sanquhar should be assessed on the extent roll : " The samyn day, in consideration!! that the brugh of Sanquhar is inrollit in the nvmber of fre burrowis and as zit nocht put in the extent roll, theirfor thai haue thocht guid to set and extent the said brugh to the soume of thre schillingis foure pennies of ilk hundrethe pundis of the soumes quhairin the remanent burrowis salbe extentit heirefter, and this to indure quhill the nixt alteratioun of the taxt rollis." There was a re-adjustment from time to time of this taxt- roll. These changes were due, of course, to the discovery of hitherto unknown natural resources, to the establishment of new industries, with the consequent increase of population 21 162 History of Sanquitar. and of the volume of trade, and, in those rude and unsettled times, to the fortunes of war. It is interesting to note how comparatively unimportant then were certain towns, which have since risen to the position of principal cities in the kingdom, while many have remained almost stagnant, and some have shrunk into comparative obscurity. Glasgow is the most notable example of the first-mentioned class, for in a re-adjustment of the taxt-roll made in 1670, on the report of a committee which had made " exact tryell of the trade, comon good, and floorishing estate of severall burghis, impartiallie," that town was taxed at 12 for every 100 of assessment, while Edinburgh stood at 33 6s 8d, Aberdeen at 7, and Dundee at 6 2s. On the other hand, Kirkcaldy's share was fixed at 2 6s, and St. Andrews at 2 6s 4d. Were a valuation on the same principle made now, what a complete revolution there would be ! The Convention, as a rule, was very exacting in the attend- ance of every burgh at its meetings, and we are sorry to observe that in 1601, the very first year after its admission, Sanquhar offended against the law in this regard, and was adjudged to pay " ane vnlaw of tuentie pundis for nocht compearance to this present conventioun, being lauchfulle warnet be the generall missiue to have comperit and com- perit nocht." The " unlavv " or penalty of twenty pounds Scots for non- compearance was in 1665 raised to the sum of "one hundreth punds Scots, because the Commissioners found that the greater part of the burghs absented themselves of purpose,'' preferring to pay the fine rather than incur the expense of attending the Convention. This can be well understood con- sidering the difficulty of communication at a time when there were scarcely any roads except mere bridle-paths. However, the stringency of this rule of regular attendance was relaxed on good cause shewn, such as the distance of the burgh from the place of meeting, or its temporary poverty, and so the Convention was in the habit, on application made, of grant- History of Sanqii h ar. 163 ing dispensation to burghs so situated. In 1689 a dispen- sation of this kind was granted to Sanquhar, which was exempted from sending a commissioner to conventions for three years, "in respect of the poverty of that burgh, and that they live at a great distance." The burghs were held strictly bound to see that the privi- leges of burgesses were not granted to any except such persons as resided within the bounds of the royalty. Upon the rigid maintenance of this rule the whole svstem mani- O th October, 1836. The Council resolved to present the freedom of the burgh to the youthful Duke of Buccleuch. On the 28th inst. he was admitted, and a Burgess Ticket, written on a stamp of 1 (his Grace's father having been a Burgess), was extended accordingly. The Council purposed presenting the Burgess Ticket to His Grace at the Holm, before he left the country, but that arrangement was not found convenient to the Duke, and a deputation consisting of two bailies and the clerk proceeded to the Castle with that object. On their return, they reported that " His Grace had been pleased to receive the Ticket in a very kind and affable and condescending manner ; that the deputation had been treated with every mark of attention and respect ; and that the Duke had expressed his satisfaction and gratification at receiving such a token of respect from the Sanquhar Town Council." 6th June, 1854. The Provost laid on the table the invita- tion he had received to attend the opening of the Crystal Palace, London, by the Queen, on the 10th inst., and "the Council grant the sum of five guineas to the Provost to assist in defraying his travelling and other expenses." 232 History of Sanquhar. HONORARY BURGESSES. The practice, now so common in the larger towns, of pre- senting the freedom of the burgh to men of distinction as a mark of honour and respect, had been practised by the Town Council of Sanquhar from the earliest times down to the year 1813. From that date, however, there is no instance of the freedom being conferred till 1854, when a descendant of the ancient Crichtons, the lords of the Castle, was a recipient of this honour. The Provost called a meeting of the Council " in consequence of hearing that to-morrow Lord Patrick James Herbert Crichton Stuart is to visit Sanquhar for the purpose of seeing this Locality, where his ancestors in ancient times resided, owned extensive possessions, and held influential sway, and under whose fostering auspices this Burgh was originally created a Burgh, and obtained all its rights, privileges, and immunities." The Council unani- mously resolved to present " Lord James Stuart with an Honorary Burgess Ticket, as the only mark of respect which it is in their power, in their corporate capacity, to bestow.'' This is the last entry on the roll of Hon. Burgesses, which will be found in the Appendix. A reference to the paragraph on the town lands will shew that it was about this time that these were laid out in a farm, fenced, drained, and a steading built. In these important works, the Council were guided and advised by Messrs Dalziel, Auchengruith, and Kennedy, Brandleys, in agricul- tural matters, and by Mr Archibald Brown in regard to all buildings. These gentlemen, having declined to accept any remuneration, were entertained to dinner by the Council on 22nd March, 1858, " in acknowledgment for their very useful services." In addition to the settlement of their land, the Town Council at this period promoted other works of public utility In 1857, they resolved to procure 'a new bell for the Town Hall, the Town's funds to provide one-half of the sum neces- History of Sanquhar. 233 sary, the remainder to be raised by subscription. At next meeting a subscription of 25 from the Duke of Buccleuch towards this object was intimated, and the Council acknow- ledge their grateful sense of the Duke's liberality in a matter in which they take a lively interest. The Council had previously in the same year erected a new clock in the Town Hall at a cost of 50, the face of the old clock being nailed up on the end of the Town Hall to be used as an advertising board ; and likewise built a new stair with iron railing, while they had the interior thoroughly repaired and painted at a cost of 70. They had also obtained a satisfactory settle- ment of the Custom question with the Railway Company. This energetic and enterprising Council was composed of the following members : Provost John Williamson ; Bailies Samuel Whigham and William Kerr ; Dean of Guild Walter Scott ; Treasurer (Jeo. Osborne ; Councillors Archd. Brown, Thomas Shaw, Alexander Simpson, and Robert Stoddart. In 1858, the last attempt to work coal in the vicinity of the town was made by Mr George Clennell above the railway, close to Matthew's Folly road, but without success. The attempt was speedily abandoned. It was in connection with a claim by the Council against Clennell for coal abstracted from underneath the road, which they claimed, that the ominous discovery was first made that the Charter was lost. This announcement was made at a meeting held in February, 1860, and created the utmost consternation, not only in the Council, but outside. The Town Clerk, Mr J. W. Macqueeu, stated that the Charter had never been in his possession, and produced a list of documents which he had received from his predecessor, Mr Smith, in which it did not appear, but several copies of translation were in his possession. This was a vital matter, and the Council instituted a search in every quarter where there was the faintest hope of its recovery, but in vain. The wildest conjectures were indulged in by the townspeople as to how the precious document had been spirited away, but these did not assist in any way to its 30 234 History of Sa nqit Ji ar. finding. At length, after fruitless inquiries, the hope of its recovery was abandoned, and an action was raised in the Court of Session, in 1862, to prove its tenor, with the view of obtaining a new Charter. The case for the Council was as follows : I. A manuscript volume exhibited by Samuel Halkett, Keeper of the Advocates' Library, entitled " Juridical and Historical Collections," contained a writing intituled "Copie of the Charter of Erection of the Toune of Sanquhar in a Brugh Royall, dated in 1598." II. Deposition of David Laing, Librarian to the Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet, to the following effect I am well acquainted with the handwriting of Lord Fountain- hall, who was one of the Senators of the College of Justice from 1689 till about the time of his death in 1722. I know his handwriting from having edited three printed volumes of historical notices, selected from his manuscripts. This was done for the Bannatyne Club. Being shewn the manuscript volume exhibited by the preceding witness, Mr Halkett, and the before-mentioned writing therein contained, depones The title of this writing and the marginal note at the commence- ment thereof are both in Lord Fountainhall's hand-writing. The following docquet at the close of the Charter is likewise, I am satisfied, in Lord Fountainhall's hand-writing : " I have likewise seen the proecept furth of the Chancery of the same date w t- this Charter, for infefting the said toune of Sanquhar, item, their seasine following thirupon. The license granted by my Lord Sanquhar, mentioned in this Charter, is only this : I, Robert, Lord Creighton of Sanquhar, wills and consents that the brugh of Sanquhar (which was of before ane brugh of barony), be erected now in a free Brugh regall, with all immunities and privileges His Maty, shall think fit to give thirto. In witness whereof, written, &c. Other licenses bear a reserva'on to the former baron of his few-duties and casualities, but this contains no such clause, vide pag. seq." History of Sanqtihar. 235 III. W. 0. Macqueen, town-clerk of Sauquhar, gave evidence that the Charter of erection of the burgh of Sanquhar as a royal burgh, the relative precept for infeft- ment, and the instrument of sasine, had gone amissing, and that it was a tradition in the town-clerk's office that these writings had for some particular purpose, unknown, been sent out of the custody of the town-clerk. The time when this was believed to have occurred was in the latter part of the eighteenth century, during the clerkship of John Crichton, who held office from 1789 to 1807. This opinion is founded on the fact that, in an inventory drawn up by the said John Crichton, while he was town clerk, of the principal papers, books, and others kept as records for the burgh of Sanquhar, there is an entry of the original Charter as in his possession at the time, but there is no mention of the said Charter in the inventory of papers delivered by him in 1808 to his successor in office, Joseph Gillou. Not only did Mr M'Queen testify that the whole archives of the burgh had been diligently searched, but that the whole papers of the said John Crichton, and also of James Crichton, his predecessor in office, which were then in the possession of Mrs Otto, Newark, near Sanquhar, had likewise been examined without a trace of the missing documents being found. Further, a search of the papers at Eliock House had been made in 1827, by Sheriff Veitch of Lanark- shire, for the benefit of a friend engaged in writing a history of Dumfriesshire, but no trace had been found of the said charter or precept. The tenor of the original charter having in this way fortunately been preserved by the diligence of Lord Fountainhall, the Council were successful in obtaining a Charter of Novodamus on the same lines at the hands of the Supreme Court, and were thus relieved from the position of embarrassment in which they found themselves when the loss of the original charter was made known. The process of proving cost 328 5s 3d. This was an anxious time for the town, for a serious claim 236 History of Sanquhar. was made in 1860 by the Duke of Bucclench as Titular for arrears of stipend and interest due by the Town on their lands. How this had been allowed to fall into arrears is not stated, but similar claims were made upon all the small heritors, and the sum being in each case pretty considerable, a feeling of soreness was created in the minds of those who had this claim unexpectedly sprung upon them. The Town Council gave instructions to negotiate, on the basis of the claim not reaching further back than .the division of the Muir in 1830, and of the interest being at the rate of three per cent, per annum. The Duke lodged a claim for 225 15s 7d. At the same time, a counter claim was made by the Council against the Duke for arrears of feu-rents for lands held by His Grace from the town. After laboured negotiations, and a proposal to settle the respective claims by arbitration having fallen through owing to a failure to agree as to the terms of the submission, directions were given in 1863 to the Town's agent "to proceed with their action against the Duke of Buccleuch, leaving it to His Grace to constitute his counter claims as he may be advised." The Court of Session granted decree in favour of the town, finding it entitled to receive from the Duke one thousand, one hundred and fifty-six pounds, one shilling and eightpence sterling, being amount of rents and interest due to them. Agents' expenses amounted to 159. On the other hand, the Duke was successful in his plea against the town for stipend, the sum to which he was found entitled being 110 5s lid. The expenses incurred were 338 14s 2d. The business of the town was now in a greatly improved condition. Their property was all in good order. The Council had procured a new Charter, the heavy litigation, which had caused them many an anxious thought for years, was now happily brought to a close, and they could therefore breathe more freely. 7th October, 1868. The Council passed a minute expres- sing their abhorrence of the assassination of President History of Sanquhar. 237 Lincoln, and their sympathy with the American people and Mrs Lincoln. They received, in return, from the United States Legation in London, a copy of the appendix to the diplomatic correspondence of the United States of 1865, as a testimonial of the grateful appreciation of that country. November, 1868. The introduction of a regular system of sewerage gave rise to a preliminary controversy of a very bitter kind. The subject is not a savoury one, and we will therefore not dwell upon it. The opposition was directed, not against the policy, but against the method of proceeding, in which the promoters of the scheme were not altogether prudent. At the next occurring election this was made a test question, the result being that the Common-sewer party, as it was called, were defeated, and the proposal received for a time its quietus. It was renewed some years later, under happier auspices, and Mr Gilchrist-Clark, for the Duke of Buccleuch, agreed most generously to co-operate in this desirable reform. He offered to construct the drain from the South U.P. Church, whence His Grace's property occupies one side of the street, to the townfoot, and thence to the river Nith, a system of filters, near the old castle, being also con- structed at His Grace's expense. This offer so much reduced the cost of the undertaking as to make it practicable for the Council to pay their part out of the common good of the burgh. In this way it was carried through at last with general consent. 2nd September, 1872. We have seen what a large revenue was enjoyed by the Council in the early years of the present century from their lordship on coal, and ever since that time many of the inhabitants had cherished dreams of fabulous wealth still lying beneath the surface of their lauds, forgetful of the fact that, in its later stages when it was being worked, the coal had proved altogether unremunerative, and had been ultimately abandoned owing to the " troubles " which were encountered in the workings, and entailed no end of loss and disappointment. The belief in profitable mining 238 History of Sanquhar. being still possible was given voice to in the Council in this year, and it was resolved to take the opinion of an expert on the subject. That opinion was favourable, and the field was advertised. Two offers were received. It was ultimately agreed that trial bores be put down by one of the offerers at the mutual expense of himself and the Council. The boring failed to find a workable coal, and operations ceased. The amount spent in this venture was about 100. A proposal was made to continue the work, and the sense of the inhabitants was taken by a plebiscite, when out of 150 papers sent in only 34 voted for further boring. The journal of the bore was subsequently submitted to a skilled engineer in Edinburgh for his opinion. He advised the discontinuance of further search, whereupon the project was abandoned. March, 1879. Another unfortunate enterprise was that of attempting to convert the Green Loch into a meadow. The authors were very sanguine. So confident were they of success that they were content to propose the treatment of only about an acre at first. This proved the proverbial thin end of the wedge. Gradually the scheme developed till the whole area was included. And all this in face of the unani- mous opinion of several of the most prominent farmers in the district that the nature of the ground was such as to make its conversion into a meadow hopeless. The keen controversy that had arisen over this scheme was now embit- tered by the refusal of the dominant party in the Council to allow the curlers to darn the loch during the winter months, on the plea that to flood the ground would jeopardise the working of the drains, and, therefore, the success of the whole experiment. The curlers pleaded in vain that they had received guarantees from the Council that nothing would be done to limit their privileges. The ground upon which so much had been spent shewed no signs of becoming much more productive than it had previously been, and what between the dissatisfaction of the inhabitants over so much money wasted and the indignation of the curlers over the History of Sanquhar. 239 loss of their ancient privileges, the Council had a hot time of it. With the view of pacifying the latter, various schemes were proposed for providing them with a substitute for the Green Loch, but they kept clamouring for their old loch, and prophesied failure to each successive proposal of the Council. The opinion of five farmers of the neighbourhood was asked by the Council as to whether the flooding of the loch by the curlers would injure the improvements. Their answer was that it would not, with the exception of the lime that had been laid on the ground. Determined not to yield, but conscious that the curlers had claims upon them which they could not ignore, the Council set to construct an embankment and sluice so as to enlarge the Black Loch, and spent a considerable sum in so doing. The attempt proved a failure, the area of that loch being only slightly enlarged for the time, and ultimately, in spite of the engineering works, it shrunk to its former size. With the annual election of Coun- cillors came the day of reckoning. The indictment included the boring for the coal as well as these agricultural experi- ments. Lively election meetings were held beforehand, and the election was keen and bitter. The old party was turned out. Some did not care to face the ordeal of election, and retired, and the bolder spirits who went to the poll were decisively defeated. Another stormy period of municipal history thus terminated. Still another question which caused some, excitement and bad feeling during this period was the powers of the Dean of Guild, which arose in connection with the unroofing of a small house at the Corseburn, which stood out on the line of street beyond those on either side of it. The Dean con- sidered that he was entitled to prevent the proprietor from improving the house, and increasing its stability ; in fact, that the roof having been taken off, the house should be taken back to the general line. He brought the matter before the Council for advice and direction, but they left it to him to act on his own discretion. Interdict was applied 240 History of Sanqukar. for, but the Sheriff's decision was against the Dean. The respondent then raised a claim for damages. 4 Lanark, Haddington, Springburn, and Sanquhar. Ordained 26th January, 1858. Called to Pollokshaws 1861, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, 1864, Brad- ford 1865, but he declined these calls. Translated to Duke Street, Glas- gow, 18th March, 1869. 8th Minister. John Sellar, from Keith. Called to Barrow, Leith, Stirling (Viewfield), and Sanquhar. Ordained 26th April, 1870. Trans- lated to Portobello in 1878. 9th Minister. Matthew Dickie, M.A., from Irvine. Called to Paisley, Birkenhead, Freuchy, Banchory, and Sanquhar. Ordained 28th October, 1879. The annual income of this congregation is a little over 300. The Minister's stipend is 203, together with a small glebe, but in 1886 he received an important addition to his income by an endowment amounting to the sum of 4180, which was bequeathed by the late John Wysilaski, of Australia, a native of Sanquhar, the interest of Avhich he directed to be paid to the minister of the South Church over and above the stipend which he received from the congrega- tion. Membership, 206. NORTH U.P. CHURCH. This congregation was formed by persons connected with the Associate (Burgher) Synod, who had come to reside in the district. Supply of sermon was afforded them by the Presbytery of Annan and Carlisle, 1815. Church built in 1818. New church built on another site in 1830 ; sittings, 500. The congregation first called a Mr Inglis, who had another call at the same time from Stockbridge, in Berwick- shire. According to the rules of the Church, the Synod assigned Mr Inglis to the latter charge. 1st Minister. Robert Simpson, D.D., from Bristo Street, Edinburgh. Called to Dunse and Sanquhar. The Synod gave the preference in this case to Sanquhar. Ordained 16th May, 1820. Received the degree of D.D. from Princeton, U.S., 1853. Died 8th July, 1867, in the 72nd year of his age and 48th of his ministry. Author of " The Traditions of the Covenanters," 3 vols. ; " Marty rland," "The Times of Claverhouse or Sketches of the Persecution," " Life of James Renwick," " The Minister History of Sanquhar. 391 and his Hearer," "The Two Shepherds," "Gleanings among the Moun- tains," " A Voice from the Desert," " Memorials of Pious Persons lately deceased," " The History of Sanquhar," &c. 2nd Minister. James Hay Scott, from Melrose. Called to Leeds, Biggar, Saiiquhar, and Wolverhampton. Ordained 2nd June, 1868. The annual income of the congregation is about 233. The Minister's stipend is 200 ; membership, 193. FREE CHURCH. During the conflict that ended in the Disruption in May, 1843, the cause of the Evangelicals was warmly espoused in this quarter. The Rev. Thomas Montgomery, then minister of the parish, at first adhered to the protesting party, but his wife, who had been the mainspring of her husband's enthusiasm in the cause, having died in the spring of that year, the minister faltered in his course, shewed signs of wavering, and, finally, when the day of decision arrived, he, like many others, lacked the courage to make the sacrifice involved, and retained his comfortable stipend and manse, but at a large sacrifice of public respect. A number of the parishioners who had, like their minister, declared their sympathy with the protesters, followed his example, and stayed in. There had been a good deal of feeling displayed between the parties, and this feeling was greatly embittered by what the seceders regarded as the traitorous conduct of the minister and those who changed front with him. The whole society of the parish was convulsed ; members of the same household were ready to rend each other in angry strife, and it was long before the asperity caused by this bitter controversy was smoothed, and the formerly existing friendly relations were resumed. Notwithstanding the defection of the minister and his followers, the secession was a large and important one, and left the Established congregation but a shadow of its former self. The Com- munion Roll of the Free Church at first numbered about 450 members. Till a church could be built, they were 392 History of Sanquhar. afforded accommodation for worship in the South U.P. Church, the Free Church congregation assembling in the afternoon. The troubles that were encountered in connec- tion with the building of the church will be found narrated in the municipal chapter. These were, however, overcome, and the church was finished and occupied before the close of the year 1844. This was followed by a manse, which was erected in 1849. The top of the old cross of Sanquhar is placed on the apex of the roof of the church porch. The first minister was the Rev. William Logan, who, at the time of the Disruption, was minister of a quoad sacra charge in the parish of Lesmahagow. He was first ordained by the Original Secession Church at Lesmahagow in 1820. In 1838 he joined the Established Church along with the main body of the " Auld Licht." His congregation went with him. He came out with the Free Church in 1843, and was, in the latter end of that year, called to Sanquhar. He died 2nd February, 1863, in the 65th year of his age, and 43rd of his ministry. 2nd Minister. Stevenson Smith, from Glasgow. Ordained September, 1863. Resigned his charge in 1883. Died in Edinburgh in 1884. 3rd Minister. John Fleming, from Edinburgh. Ordained September, 1884. The average income of the congregation is 197. The minister receives 160 out of the Sustentation Fund. Membership, 211. EVANGELICAL UNION CHURCH. This Church had its origin in a secession, in 1863, of several office-bearers and members of the North U.P. congregation on a matter of doctrine. They first constituted themselves as a separate congregation for Divine worship in a large room in Queensberry Square, and as a considerable number, of whom were many who had been non-church goers, adhered to them, steps were taken for the erection of a church and for obtaining a settled ministry. In 1864 the church was built. It is a brick erection, with sittings for 300, and has a session-house attached, which contains a library presented to the congregation by Mr Thomas Hyslop, Leadhills, by History of Sanquhar. 393 whom additions to it have been made from time to time since. 1st Minister. George Gladstone, ordained January, 1865. Translated to Govan, July, 1871. Now colleague and successor to Dr James Morrison, of Dundas Street Church, Glasgow, who was the founder of this denomina- tion. 2nd Minister. George Bell, M.A., ordained October, 1871. Translated to Falkirk, Nov., 1874. Now minister of E.U. Church, Hamilton. 3rd Minister. George Blair, ordained Oct., 1876; resigned Feb., 1877. He subsequently joined the Established Church, and is now minister of a quoad sacra charge at Quarter, near Hamilton. 4th Minister. Oliver Dryer, ordained Oct., 1878 Translated to Airdrie, July, 1883. 5th Minister. George l)avies. Was ordained to the ministry in 1883. He was minister at Newcastleton, whence he was translated to Sanquhar in Oct., 1886, when he was admitted by the E.U. conference as a minister of that body. He was translated in Dec., 1889, to the Baptist Church at Red hill, Surrey. 6th Minister. John E. Christie, ordained April, 1890. BAPTISTS. A small body of Anabaptists met for worship for many years in a chapel which they built, but they received no fresh accession of numbers, and through deaths and removals they gradually diminished to a mere handful of worshippers. Last year, owing to the death of the elder, who conducted the service, their weekly meetings were abandoned, and the chapel was sold and converted into a dwelling-house. MISSION HALL. A Mission is conducted in a Hall atCorseknowe by certain members of the various Christian congregations, by whom numerous meetings are held both on Sabbath and week- days. In addition to the ministrations of the brethren, the Gospel is frequently preached both on the streets and in the Mission Hall bv itinerant evangelists. 50 CHAPTER XII. PAROCHIAL ECONOMY REGISTERS. REGISTER of births and baptisms, and also of marriages, has been kept from the year 1757, but it is most irregular and imperfect, there being found on the same page a record of events which occurred at wide intervals of time, those of an earlier being entered after those of a later date. Not only has this old register been irregularly kept, but the number of entries is small considering what must have been o the birth-rate, on a reasonable calculation, founded on popu- lation. The people generally were insensible to the benefits of such a register, and grudged the trifling registration fee of sixpence, and only the more enlightened portion of them took advantage of it. Another influence which prevented it becoming anything like a general parochial register was that of sectarian jealousy. The keeping of this register was insti- tuted by the Rev. Mr Ranken, the parish minister, who, in the article on the parish contributed to Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, published in 1793, says " Soon after the ordination of the present incumbent, he desired the schoolmaster to begin a register of births, and proposed, for his encouragement, to collect sixpence from every parent who came to obtain baptism for a child. This being an innovation, the multitude disliked it, on account of the six- pence, and many refused to registrate the names of their children for that reason. But by persevering, and pointing out the propriety of the plan, those of the Established Church History of Saivjuhar. 395 now registrate universally. The Seceders, however, do not insert the names of their children in the public register." Moved in this way by ecclesiastical bigotry unwilling to countenance a most desirable reform because it emanated from the kirk minister the Seceders of that generation entailed upon their descendants a loss and inconvenience they never dreamt of. They felt doubtless that faithfulness to their principles demanded that they should thus " lift up their testimony." The register contains one name which, for length, rivals that of the most illustrious princess. It runs thus Caroline Amelia Eleanora Frances Culy Ferguson Gibson Tomlinson Thomson. The opportunity that was given at the passing of the Act for the Compulsory Registra- tion of Births, &c., to supply omissions in the old register was largely taken advantage of, and many pages were filled at that time, before the book was closed, with whole families, not one of whose births had been recorded, shewing the gross carelessness in this matter that had prevailed. The population of the parish was, in 1755 1998 1786 2600 1800 2350 1811 2709 1821 3026 1831 3268 1841 1851 Burgh. Landward. Wanlockhead. Total. 1861 2074 685 811 3570 1871 1576 625 837 3038 1881 1599 656 854 3109 1891 1574 591 745 2910 Under the Registration Act of 1854, Wanlockhead was created a separate registration district. The following statistics refer to the district of Sanquhar, and are based on an average of the last ten years : The average number of births is 59*8, being at the rate of 26'8 per thousand of the population, the average of Scotland 396 History of Sanquhar. being 29. Of these 10'4 per cent, are illegitimate, the average of Scotland being 7'5. Sanquhar has thus to bear its own share of the evil repute of the south-western division in connection with this national vice. The total number of deaths was 424, or an average of 42'4 per annum. Of these, 85 died under 10 years of age, 28 between 10 and 20, 25 between 20 and 30, 29 between 30 and 40, 30 between 40 and 50, 36 between 50 and 60, 54 between 60 and 70, 83 between 70 and 80, 48" between 80 arid 90, 4 between 90 and 100, while two centenarians died, the one at the age of 100|, and the other at 101 ; so that, on an average, of every 3 persons born in the parish 1 will die before 30, another between 30 and 70, and the third will exceed the allotted span of three-score-and-ten. The average age of the whole was 46J years. The average number of marriages was 12. The number of inhabited houses in 1841 was 575, and in 1891, 499. Education. The first Statistical Account, speaking of the educational provisions here in 1793, says " There is an established public school in the town of Sanquhar, and, which is a singular felicity, furnished with an excellent teacher, well qualified in every respect to instruct the youth in the art of penmanship, arithmetic, and all the necessary branches of classical education. The salary and other emoluments amount to about 40 per annum. Writing and arithmetic are taught at 2s, and Latin and Greek at 2s 6d per quarter. The character and abilities of the teacher render Sanquhar an eligible spot for the education of those who are destined to fill the higher ranks of life. There are at a medium about 60 scholars at the school." It is evident that, although the fees were so low, the scholars consisted exclusively of the children of the well-to-do people ; whatever ambition in this direction working people may have had was effectually kept in check by their extremely small wages. History of Sanquhar. 397 Almost nowhere in Scotland has better provision been made in recent times for the education of children than in this parish. The parish school was supplemented by private adventure schools, held in a room of the Town Hall, the free use of which was given for this purpose by the Town Council " as an encouragement to teachers to settle in the town." A reference to the municipal chapter will shew that in other ways the Council evinced their interest in the cause of education by providing for the free education of poor children ; but the principal aid given in this direction was derived under the will of the late Mrs Crichton of Friars' Carse, who died in 1838, and left a large sum of money for the building and endowment of a school in Sanquhar, to be called the Crichton School. Provision was made for the free education of 20 poor children, and for a farther number being taught at half-fees. The first teacher was Mr Josiah Lorimer, who at the time had a private adventure school in the town. He was succeeded by Mr James Laurie, who retired in 1879, and was followed by Mr R. W. Carson. These were the educational provisions in existence at the passing of the Education Act in 1872. The Parish School was, of course, transferred from the management of the Heritors to the School Board, but the Crichton School continued to be managed by the Governors constituted under the Trust. The Parish School buildings consisted of a two-storey block in Queensberry Square, with the Square as the play-ground. The ground-storey was occupied as the school, the upper storey being the schoolmaster's house. Neither in accommodation nor equipment, however, did it meet the requirements of the Education Department, and the School Board had the house gutted, the schoolmaster being provided with a residence elsewhere. The floor was taken out, and the whole converted into one room, with a ceiling the whole height of the house. A large wing was built to the back, with offices, sheds, &c., and the whole class-rooms fitted with the most approved furniture, thus 398 History of Sanquhar. converting the establishment into one of the finest of the kind in the county. In process of time, the Crichton School came to be dealt with by the Commissioners appointed under the Educational Endowments Act of 1883, and in the year 1885 a scheme was drawn up by the Commissioners, of which the following were the chief points : 1. The Governing Body was made to consist of five persons one nominated by the Duke of Buccleuch, one by the Presbytery of Penpont, two by the School Board, and one by the Town Council of Sauquhar. 2. The Governors were directed to close the school, and to sell or let the buildings. 3. The sum of 10 was set aside annually for paying the school fees of poor and deserving children, with books and stationery, the scholarships to be awarded by competitive examination ; or as a reward for regularity of attendance, industry, general merit, and good conduct Two Bursaries, to be called " The Crichton School Bursaries," of the yearly value of not less than 5, nor more than 10, were established, which should be open to com- petition by scholars attending any public or state-aided school in the parish, and to be tenable for two years. 4. The remaining free income was to be paid over to the School Board, on condition that the Board undertook the following obligations, viz.: (a) To provide a sufficient salary to the head teacher of a school in Sanquhar, who should be a graduate of some University of the United Kingdom, the salary to be not less than the sum paid to the head-master of the parish school ; (b) To give free education to five scholars who had passed the Fifth Standard, said free educa- tion to continue for three years. The School Board accepted under the conditions, and at once arranged to reorganise the school, so as to effectually carry out the intention of the Commissioners that is, to promote higher education. They arranged to take on lease from the Crichton Governors their premises, both school and schoolmaster's house. They resolved to constitute a graded History of Sanquhar. 399 school of two departments Standards V. and VI. and the higher branches being taught in the Crichton School, and the Infants and Standards I. to IV. at the Parish School. The former schoolmaster was continued head-master of the elementary department. The Board, having regard to the excellent work done by the master of the Crichton School, in the higher as well as the lower branches, applied for a relax- ation of the condition requiring that the teacher of the higher department should be a University graduate, and proposed the alternative qualification of " a teacher of seven years' standing, of whose qualifications to teach the higher branches the Board are satisfied." The point was conceded by the Commissioners, and Mr Carson was thereupon unanimously appointed. The staff of the school was fixed at Two head- masters, two male and one female certificated assistants, a sewing-mistress, and two pupil teachers. By offering a high salary, and taking special care in the selection of an assistant for the senior department, the School Board shewed their interest in the higher education. The present assistant, Mr Templeton, conducts science classes in the afternoon and evening, and the results have been of the most satisfactory kind, no failures having ever occurred at the annual examina- tions under the Science and Art Department, and the average quality of the passes is much above that of the whole country. The School is also a Centre for St. Andrews University Local Examinations, and the students, taught by the head -master, have taken a high place in the list. Recently an Infant Department has been constituted, where Musical Drill and Kindergarten Work are being taught in such a manner as to have earned the high commendation of H. M. Inspector. Sanquhar has long enjoyed the advantage of efficient teachers, and in few parishes, it may be safely affirmed, has the School Board pursued a more liberal and enlightened policy. No fees are now charged except for the specific subjects. Salaries The two head-masters, 200 each ; the two male assistants, 100 and 90 ; the infant mistress, 60 ; and the sewing-mistress, 30. 400 History of Sanquhar. There are also schools maintained by the Duke of Buc- cleuch at Wanlockhead for the families of the miners, and at Mennock Bridge, both of which are under Government inspection ; and in order to meet the necessities of the families in Euchanhead district, the School Boards of Sanquhar, Kirkconnel, and New Cumnock combine in the maintenance of a teacher there ; while, in other cases, grants are made to individual shepherds to enable them to board their children during winter within walking distance of a school. The following is the latest return of these schools : Name of School Average Attendance. Amount of Annual Grant. Sanquhar Public 288 30312 6 Mennock Bridge 38 34 6 Wanlockhead 138 140 3 For many years Sanquhar possessed the double advantage of having both the schools the Parochial and the Crichton taught by notable examples of the old type of teacher, Mi- James Orr at the former and Mr James Laurie at the latter, to whose exceptional powers of teaching many of their scholars, who have risen to eminence in all parts of the world, and in various spheres of life, bear grateful testimony. They led laborious lives, and the amount of work they went through was astonishing. Mr Orr, a native of Ayrshire, was appointed to the parish school in 1842, in succession to Mi- Henderson, a famous Latin scholar, whose portrait in oil, presented to him by his pupils, adorns the walls of the school. The new teacher soon showed that he was destined to make his mark in his profession. An excellent scholar, he was likewise possessed of the qualities necessary to success in teaching a broad grasp of principles, a clear, lucid style of exposition, a steady, persistent application of the best teaching methods, and he ruled his scholars with a firm hand. This last was specially needful, where no less than from 150 to 170 boys and girls were crowded together into a room 45 by 27 feet, the greater number sitting on high benches without backs. The fame of the History of Sanquhar. 401 Sanquhar " Academy," as it was called, spread far and wide, and attracted to it scholars from a great distance. Some of these boarded with the master. The training and oversight of these boarders was an addition to his daily labours, which might well have been spared, but he was tempted to thus over- burden himself in order that he might eke out an otherwise slender income. The authority which he exercised over his scholars within doors was also felt outside and beyond school hours. He was seldom seen in the town in the evening, but sometimes he did walk down the " crown of the causeway'' when the children were all at play. The first boy or girl who espied him as he came round the turn at the Council House called out to his companion in tones of fear and reverence, " Here's the maister," whereupon they disappeared in haste within doors or up closes. The word was passed from group to group all down the long street, with the result that their games were instantly abandoned ; the merry voices which a moment before filled the air were hushed, and the street was silent and deserted. When an interval had elapsed, sufficient to allow him to pass, young faces might be seen peeping round this corner and that, and so soon as his figure had disappeared, the crowds of boys and girls returned to their games, and the shouting and merriment went on as before. Were the conclusion to be drawn from this behaviour that his scholars regarded him with a feeling of terror and aversion, nothing could be further from the truth. Their true feeling towards him was that of deep reverence a feeling constantly cherished by youngsters to one who both teaches and rules them well ; they knew for they had frequent proof of the fact that their old master had a kindly heart, and, young though they were, they seemed to understand that the strict discipline which he maintained was necessary and indispensable. On certain occasions this stern rule was relaxed. This was done, not in a hesitating, half-hearted fashion, but freely and ungrudgingly, and then the true kindliness of the man, and his attachment and even 51 402 History of Sanquhar. affection for his boys and girls, were abundantly displayed. Nothing delighted him moi'e than to be able to arrange for their attending one of the big " shows " that travelled the country, or sharing in whatever special amusements might occur at intervals. One particular occasion of this kind that which was the great school festival of the year was the celebration of " Candlemas Bleeze," on the 2nd day of February. On that day there were no lessons. Each scholar came, dressed in his best suit, one of the pockets of which contained a sum of money, greater or less according to his parents' means, to be offered as a Candlemas gift to the teacher. The possession, though only for an hour, of a silver coin inspired each one with a feeling of self-importance. It was taken out time after time on the way to school, examined minutely, and thrust back again into the pocket. Each scholar, as he entered, passed up to the desk and deposited his gift in the master's hand, who, of course, looked pleased and grateful whether it was great or small. When all had entered and had passed the desk the announcement was made who were King and Queen, a distinction bestowed on the boy and girl respectively who had made the largest gift. Two chairs, brought downstairs from the master's dining-room, had been placed in the middle of the room. To these the fortunate pair were conducted, and thereon they were enthroned. The whole school crowded round and signified their approval by hurrahing and clapping their hands in a boisterous manner. The only exception might be the disappointed aspirants, who had missed the coveted position when they thought it within their reach, but they, notwithstanding the momentary pang of disappointment, were carried away with the tide of popular feeling, and, like the others, saluted their rightful king and queen in a loyal and becoming manner. The ceremony was soon over, and it was followed by a distribution of oranges and long snaps, specially made by the baker, and called " parleys." At one time the coronation was followed bv the History of Sanquhar. 403 royal pair being carried upstairs iu their chairs to a banquet, which consisted of a glass of weak whisky-toddy, the master and the bearers being the only witnesses present at this high state function, the former acting as cup-bearer and the latter standing behind the chairs, the whole party inspired with a solemn joy. That part of the programme was, however, in later years omitted. Nothing remained to be done but to proclaim a holiday for the remainder of the day, whereupon a rush was made for the door, and all scampered off, but before they reached home both oranges and parleys had disappeared. At other times, too, it happened that an unwonted scene of excitement and merriment occurred within the school. The master had a strong vein of humour in him, and this led sometimes to his inflicting punishment upon a " mis- behaver " in a form which led to the demoralisation of the school to such an extent that " the game of law and order was up," so far a.s the remainder of that day was concerned. Causing the delinquent to mount the back of another boy, who was made to carry him round and round the room, the master followed, armed with the instrument of punishment, a thick cane, which he vigorously plied. It was observed that the boy chosen to carry the offender was one whom the master strongly suspected of mischief, but had been unable to detect in the act, and, as he took care that the strokes were pretty impartially divided between the hips of the rider and the legs of his bearer, he so contrived that the evil doings of the latter should not lose their reward. The march, under the quickening influence of the cane, developed into a run, and the spectacle of the panting fugitives, as they made their hurried flight pursued by the avenger of the law, was one which tickled the fancy of the school, and produced roars of laughter, to which even the master in the end gave himself up. It was, however, no laughing matter for the unhappy pair, but this was reserved for cases of exceptionally bad conduct, and, both by reason of the thorough thrashing 404 History of Sanquhar. which they received, and the shame of being made a laugh- ing-stock to their whole schoolfellows, it exercised a deterrent effect on the worst forms of misconduct. Another example of a similar kind may be given which illustrates the same traits of the master's character and temper. A Latin class which had not their lessons well prepared were " kept in " after school-hours, while the master went up stairs for tea. After waiting a long time, with no appearance of the latter returning to liberate them, they held a council of war to consider what measures could be taken to remind him of their presence, which he had manifestly altogether forgotten. The means agreed upon was certainly very effectual, and, knowing the man with whom they had to deal, they first bound themselves in a conspiracy of silence. Whatever might happen not a word was to be spoken. It was agreed that one should go to the door at the foot of the stair, open it, and there remain on sentry to listen for the first footstep of the master overhead. So soon as he was posted, another member of the class proceeded to the desk, which he opened, and seized the handle of the bell by both hands, which he then rung in a furious manner. No sooner had the ringing begun than the master was heard rushing along the lobby upstairs. The sentry shut the door, the bell was replaced in the desk, the whole class resumed their places in a row, book in hand, and apparently absorbed in study. A moment or two, and the storm burst upon them. Swinging the door wide open, the master sped swiftly across the floor, and took up a position in front of the class. His whole frame quivering, and his voice hoarse with passion " Who has had the audacity to ring my bell ?" he demanded. No answer. " Was it you ?" he asked the first boy. No answer. And so,,, down through the whole class, but all, true to their word, remained silent, though terrified at the effects of their " audacity." The master seemed the very embodiment of the indignation of outraged authority. Such an act of flagrant insubordination he had never dreamt of, History of Sanquhar. 405 but, bad though it was, this conspiracy to defeat the ends of justice was if possible worse. Repressing his rage, he too was silent for a few moments, while the poor delinquents positively shook with fear ; then, in tones which indicated that a sharp retribution of some kind was to follow, he addressed the boy next him " James, stand ; take the end of this seat," the other end of which he had meanwhile seized. It was carried to an open space on the floor. The same was done with another seat and with a third, the three being placed parallel to each other at an interval of a yard or so between each. " Stand," he then called to the whole class, in a very determined voice. The boys stood, and were then directed to place themselves in Indian file behind the row of seats. Their curiosity regarding the arrangements and what was to follow, had made them temporarily forget their fears, but they were not long left in doubt, for the master, strip- ping his coat, stepped to the desk, from which he took the cane, and, having placed himself at the end of the seats, he buckled back his sleeves, and planted himself firmly on his legs. " Now then, come along," he shouted. " Come along '' meant springing over the three seats in succession, a sharp cut from the cane being administered as each spring was made. " Next, next," he called, till all were over. They stood trying to soothe their injured feelings by the application of their hands to the back of their legs, and congratulating themselves that, though a sharp, it had proved a short pun- ishment, when they heard the call "Come along, over again." Over again they went, but more quickly than before, thereby escaping part of the strokes. Round behind the master they ran, and over the seats like a steeplechase, hard after each other. Realising the humour of the situation, in spite of the stinging strokes of the cane, they leapt, and ran, and shouted. Faster and faster they flew till, breathless and exhausted, the master, flinging down the cane and sinking on one of the benches, cried " Go home, you scoundrels." They picked up their books, and, as they ran across the square, they heard 406 History of Sanquhar. the peals of laughter with which the old mail made the schoolroom ring. He was a short, stout-built man, and his countenance bore the impress of a kindly nature. His figure, as he sat in his arm-chair, with the short-tailed coat of shepherd-plaid pattern which he constantly wore, his broad black waistcoat and ample expanse of linen, within the creases of which there lay little wreaths of snufF which had slipped from his fingers, and the stiff, black stock and stand-up collar within which his finely-formed head was firmly set, is one which will never fade from the recollection of his scholars wherever they may be. He spoke with pride of his " old boys," and his old boys will, so long as life lasts, hold him in loving memory, and never forget their obligations to one who gave them so thorough a training for the duties of life. He died very suddenly on the morning of 25th September, 1861. He had been seen late the night before, apparently cheerful and in good health. Next morning the tidings of his death caused a profound sensation throughout the whole community, and far beyond the limits of the place. His body was borne by eight of his scholars (boys), and both they and the large company assembled were deeply moved as he was laid in the grave. A handsome monument was raised by public subscription and placed over his last resting-place. In Mr Laurie of the Crichton School, Mr Orr had a worthy coadjutor in the work of public education. Mr Laurie was, like him, a ripe scholar. He had been taught in the Parish School at Burnhead, Dunscore, under a succession of able men Alexander Ferguson, who was afterwards parochial teacher at Lockerbie ; George Ferguson, subsequently Pro- fessor of Humanity in St. Andrews University ; Alexander Keid, author of " Reid's Dictionary " and a number of school- books ; and William Moffat, who was translated to Heriot's School, arid again to the High School, Edinburgh. These young men all belonged to the neighbouring parish of Close- burn, and had been trained by Dr Mundell, a great teacher History of Sanquhar. 407 of his day, at Wallace Hall, there. Mr Laurie pursued his literary studies at Edinburgh University, and likewise studied and took his diploma in medicine, after he had received the appointment of teacher in the school where he had been himself taught, under an arrangement whereby he was allowed to put a locum-tenens during his absence. In this remote parish he rendered valuable service by practising as doctor during his leisure hours. On a vacancy occurring in the Crichton School at Sanquhar on the death of Mr Josiah Lorimer, in 1844, Mr Laurie was offered the appointment by Mrs Crichton, the founder of the school, who resided at Friars' Carse, in Uunscore parish, and knew well his high qualifica- tions. Mr Laurie's success as a teacher in Sanquhar was likewise conspicuous. In truth, in few towns of the same size could two teachers of such scholarship and ability have been found as he arid Mr Orr, and Sanquhar was justly counted particularly fortunate in the matter of education. As in Mr Orr, so in Mr Laurie were found an intellect keen and robust, which had been assiduously cultivated, a singular clearness and power in imparting instruction, and an enthu- siasm in his work, together with an authority and influence over his scholars, which made his long professional life one of honour and usefulness. As has been said, he retired in 1879, but, though now burdened with the weight of more than fourscore years, he continues to beguile his leisure hours with classical and mathematical studies, encountering and solving problems in geometry which would baffle younger but less able men. Mr Laurie, in addition to his proper work of schoolmaster here also, as previously in Dunscore, rendered public services of some value. His knowledge of the healing art was exercised for the benefit of the poor of the, town, and of these services many a family cherish a grateful recollec- tion. As a mark of public respect, and to perpetuate his memory in the town, the Police Commissioners, at the recent naming of the streets, called the lane which leads to the Crichton School Laurie's Wynd. 408 History of Sanquhar. Poor. From the following, it will be seen that, when statutory provision was first made for the relief of the poor, the applicants admitted were very numerous, though a con- siderable number had only small sums allowed to them to pay their house-rents. Before many years, the roll had been reduced to reasonable limits, and a corresponding fall in the rate took place. It has varied very little since, and the number of paupers is smaller now than it has ever been, while the rate of allowance has been increased very materi- ally. The great increase in agricultural rents that has taken place within the last thirty years prevented any consequent increase of the rate that might have been necessary, owing to the larger deductions allowed from the gross valuation of lands and heritages in fixing the assessable value. Till recently, these deductions were On the railway property, 25 per cent. ; and on all other classes of property, 10 per cent. Now they are On railway property, 35 per cent. ; house property, factories, &c., 25 per cent. ; agricultural lands, woods, shootings, &c., 20 per cent. The enormous advance that has been made during the last hundred years, by the improvement of the land and the general expansion of trade, is seen in the increased value of property. In 1793 the total valuation of the parish, exclusive of the burgh and Wanlockhead, was only 2500 per annum ; in 1890 it amounted to Burgh, 4043 ; parish, 14,284 ; total, 18,327. The valuation of Wanlockhead is 1768. Grand Total, 20,095. Average Year. 1849 1859 1869 1879 1889 Lieutenant-General M'Adam, who had been married to a daughter of Rev. Mr Ranken, the minister of Sanquhar, died in the year 1859, and intimation was received from his No. of Paupers. Weekly Aliment. Poor-Rate per . 81 Is lOd Is. 57 Is 4d 8d. 66 2s 7d lOd. 74 3s 9d. 52 3s 2d 9d. History of Sanquhar. 409 agents that, by his will, he had directed that the residue of his estate, after providing for certain bequests, should be put into " The Poor's-box of Sanquhar." The phrase being a rather ambiguous one, a contention arose between the Parochial Board and the Kirk-Session as to the right of administration, but they wisely, to avoid the expense of litigation in determining the dispute, entered into an arrange- ment for a joint-administration of the fund by the Kirk- Session and representatives appointed by the Parochial Board, the Moderator of the Session and the Chairman of the Board being the Chairman of the Trust in alternate years. The bequest amounted to 350, the interest of which is distributed annually among the deserving poor, whether paupers or not. The natural tendency of a statutory relief of the poor is to dry up the springs of private charity ; notwithstanding, there is a good deal of seasonable benevolence shewn by wealthy people in the district and by Sanquharians abroad ; and a long-standing and commendable custom among the curlers is, during a protracted frost, to play matches for gifts oatmeal, potatoes, bread, tea for the poor. During one of the severe winters of recent years no less than 400 stones of oatmeal, and a large quantity of other commodities, were bestowed upon the poor from this source. Further, each congregation makes an annual collection for behoof of its own poor. Library. A good subscription library has been in exist- ence since the year 1800. It is accommodated, free of rent, in the Council Chamber. It contains 2800 volumes, repre- senting the whole field of literature, and additions are constantly being made to the shelves. Meetings are held once a week for the exchange of books. The annual sub- scription is 4s. Savings Bank. A savings bank for Sanquhar and the 52 410 History of Sanquhar. surrounding district was established in the year 1818. The amount of deposits was as follows : 1840, 5000 ; 1851, 5732 ; 1861, 6803 ; 1870, 10,151 ; 1880, 16,557 ; 1890, 18,895. Number of depositors at this date, 530. These figures bear testimony to the prudent and thrifty habits of many of the inhabitants. Till the year 1860, the progress was rather slow, owing to the decaying condition of the weaving trade, and the closing of the carpet work at Crawick Mill ; but, from that time, as n result of the high tide of agricultural prosperity, and the rapid rise of wages generally, the progress of the bank has been by leaps and bounds, and now it will bear comparison with almost any institution of the kind in the country. The sum of 10,700 is invested in land and other securities, and the balance lodged with the British Linen Company Bank. The rate of interest is generally about one per cent, above that allowed in the public banks. A Choral Union was instituted in 1889, and is composed of about fifty voices. The two past sessions were each brought to a close with a very successful concert, and the Society promises to do something to raise the tone of musical culture in the town. The revenue of Sanquhar Post Office in 1793 was 112. In 1890 (from stamps alone) it amounted to 724 6s 4d. Socizl Economics. The general condition of the popula- tion has, in common with other parts of the country, experi- enced a wonderful improvement during the course of the present century. This amelioration had, indeed, already commenced towards the end of the previous century, for, in the article on the parish in Sinclair's " Statistical Account " we have the following report on wages : " Men servants about 1760, 2 10s per annum, and 3 was the maximum. Female servants, 1 15s and 1 10s per annum. Now (1793), the former are from 7 to 8 and 9, the latter from 3 to 4 per annum. The wages of handicraftsmen of every History of Sanquhar. 411 description are likewise increased in the same proportion." These figures give the reader a vivid conception of the grind- ing poverty of the working classes in that age. It becomes a subject of wonder to the present generation that they managed to keep body and soul together. Their food must have been both coarse and scanty, and, housed as they were in low-roofed, ill-ventilated hovels, their lives must have been miserable in the extreme. And yet, we find their parish minister remarking in the following terms on the improve- ment in their condition they had begun to experience : " If the wages of servants ought to keep pace with the influx of wealth, the improvement of land, and the introduction of manufactures, a principle which seems founded in reason and equity, and if the influx of wealth depends in a great measure on the improvement of land and the flourishing state of manufactures, there is no just proportion between the wages of servants and these two sources of wealth : the former having risen to an enormous pitch, while the latter are only in a state of infancy. Admitting the principle, however, on the ground of equity that servants' wages ought to rise in proportion to the wealth of a country, the same principle ought certainly to extend universally to all other descriptions of men in the various departments of life. This appears necessary to the very existence and preservation of civil society, that the various orders of men may not jostle each other, but keep their proper ranks." One is amused with the writer's crude notions of the principles of political economy, and the confusion into which he falls in seeking to give them expression ; but not less is one moved with a feeling of indignant surprise that he should shew so little sympathy with the betterment of at least the material condition of his flock. It is evident that the question is in his mind one of " the masses against the classes." He is fearful lest the broad distinction between the two should be lessened in the smallest degree anxious " that the various orders of men may not jostle each other, 412 History of Sanquhar. but keep their proper ranks ;" that is to say, that the poor may not, on the ground of their elevation in the social scale, rebel against the subserviency imposed upon them by long- established custom, but continue dutifully submissive to the wealthy and governing classes. A form of advice this which came with rather a bad grace from the lips of one who enjoyed an income of 105, together with a very fine glebe of 20 acres of the very fat of the land a comfortable provision in times when beef and mutton sold at 3d and 3|d per lb., and eggs at 2|d to 3|d per dozen. He thus looks with a jealous eye on his parishioners, notwithstanding that he feels constrained to acknowledge that " they are, with a few exceptions which are to be found in every age and in every society, an industrious, rational, and religious set of people, regular in attendance upon divine ordinances, and pay a proper regard to the duties of social life. It must be acknowledged that the frequent collision of political influence in the burgh is an enemy to their peace, and tends to relax every social, moral, and religious obligation, and as these are relaxed corruption spreads its baneful influence. No doubt the substitution of dram instead of ale-houses has the same pernicious tendency. But, upon the whole, their character is respectable, hospitable to strangers, humane to the distressed, active in their station, decent in their apparel, and generally contented with the allotments of providence. Agriculture, and especially the pastoral life, are favourable to that integrity and simplicity of manners which characterise them." CHAPTER XIII. WANLOCKHEAD. H E village of Wanlockhead lies at the north-east corner of the parish of Sanquhar, from which town it is distant eight miles. The road leading to it is described in the Chapter on Topography. The village derives its existence from the lead-mines belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch, which have been worked from a remote period. A detailed account of these will be found at the end of this chapter. The miners' houses are built in the most charmingly irregular order. They lie for the most part round the base of the Dod Hill, from which the inhabi- tants are frequently nick-named " The Dodders." Originally all thatched with heather, a large number are now of modern construction, and are roofed with slate. They consist, for the most part, of a " but and a ben," are low-roofed, and many of them are furnished with box-beds. They are very cosy and comfortable, and are inhabited by a remarkably strapping, fine-looking body of miners. In another situation, objection might be taken to the want of ventilation, but, built at such an altitude, in small rows, with wide spaces between, the same necessity for space within doors does not exist. There are several good and commodious houses in the village the company's house, as it is called, and those of the manager, the doctor, the clerk, and the schoolmaster, besides the two manses, the Established and the Free Church. " Social habits are, to some extent, cultivated. Friends assemble to eat the ' blythe meat ' at births and christenings. Formerly, but not now, a pound of tea was known to suffice for a large party at the marriage-table, 414 History of Sanquhar. blythe meat christening, and during the interval. When any accident occurs, all private differences are laid aside ; sympathy and willing assist- ance are universal. Coffins for the dead are supplied from the workshop, partners dig the grave and perform other last offices, so that a trifle to the keeper of the mortcloth is the only absolute expense incurred. " A marriage at the village is generally an occasion of rejoicing, and is the chief topic discussed for a length of time. When a member of the [instrumental] band is married, the whole population turns out to witness the procession. Sounds of martial music are heard in the distance, and then more plainly reverberating amongst the hills, until, preceded by the brass baud of the village, the bridegroom and his party of friends are conducted to the cottage of the bride's friends. By her side the bride- groom takes his place ; and, in reply to the questioning of the village pastor, and in the presence of as tnany friends as can be crowded into the little kitchen, he vows to be unto her a faithful and loving husband until death should part them. The necessary document being duly signed and attested, congratulations over, refreshments partaken of there and in the other cottages filled with friends, pence collected and handed to the minister, the best-man then comes forward and offers his arm to the bride to head the procession, which, two and two, goes forward, the bridegroom being brought on at the end by the father, along with the minister. The band, in their smart uniform, having formed at the door, precedes, playing their liveliest tunes. The bride, of course, is the centre of attraction, especially to the wives and daughters, who, plaids over head, press forward to get a close inspection ; and such notes of admiration are heard as ' Eh ! but she is braw and bonnie !' Arrived at the new dwelling, which has been plenished with drawers, cupboard, presents and necessaries, the new wife, wh'o is saluted with a shower of oatcakes, is led to the lireside to ' poke the ribs ' with the tongs in proof that she has taken possession ; and then the company are seated at tables laden with good things in a room or rooms (no proper hall being as yet possessed). These having been partaken of, the company, crossing their arms and joining hands, sing : ' W eel may we a' be, 111 may we never see ; God bless the Queen, And this companie.' Three times this is repeated ' to fl'ie the rattens ' with rounds of applause, and then the ceremonies being concluded in truly orthodox fashion, the minister retires, and the ladies prepare for the evening enjoy- ment. Marriages are generally among themselves ; seldom does a young miner, in selecting his bride, go beyond the circle of the belles of the village." Porteouts' God's Treasure House. The miners are a strong, healthy body of men, and, unlike miners generally, reach to a good average age. In their History of Sanqvliar. 415 underground work, the position of the body is not so cramped as in many coal-mines, nor have they to breathe the same vitiated atmosphere. Besides, their working-hours per week are not excessive. They work largely in small partnerships on the " bargain " system, and make good wages. The miners have also the right to the pasturage of about 500 acres of mountain-land, small plots of which are cultivated on the crofter system, a cow and pet sheep being kept by each ; while the meadow land provides hay for winter fodder, which is cut and made in the intervals of work. This privilege adds largely to the resources of the households. They are an intelligent body of men, and provision is made for their mental culture. A reading society has existed since 1756, which possesses a well-stocked library containing nearly 3000 volumes representing all sorts of literature. Wanlockhead is a place with a burying-ground of its own, but it has no grave-digger. This last office is performed for the dead by the miners themselves. Working in partner- ships of usually four members, when any partner or his relation dies (and the people are all closely inter-married and related at Wanlockhead), the grave is dug by the other members of the partnership, This custom enabled a native to have his joke at the expense of a friend in the lower part of the county whom he was visiting. His friend, who had never been at Wanlockhead, inquired what sort of a place it was. " Was it big ?" " Oh ! it's no vera big," answered the native, " but it's a wunnerfu' bit bit, tae. There's three bedlers (Wanlockhead for beadles) in it." The application of steam to the purposes of navigation, which took place about 100 years ago, marked a new era in the progress of the human race, and in particular contributed in no small degree to the development of the industrial and commercial prosperity of this country. The daring and skill of her great naval commanders of that and previous genera- tions had raised our little sea-girt isle to the rank of mistress of the sea. The application of steam to navigation afforded 416 History of Sanqukar. the opportunity of still further enhancing the reputation of this country in shipbuilding, and enabled her to secure and retain a commanding hold of the carrying trade of the world, which now advanced by rapid and gigantic strides as the result of this new method of propulsion. The sailing of the sea was from this time completely revolutionised. Vessels had no longer to wait for a favourable breeze ; they were no longer the sport of fitful wind and wave, and their crews had not now their dreams disturbed with the terror of being becalmed, and of lying under an equatorial sun doomed to a horrible and lingering fate. International commerce has, since the time of this great discovery, advanced by leaps and bounds, the horrors which too often accompanied a sea voyage long ago have almost entirely disappeared, and the time occupied has now been reduced to a minimum. Even the passage to America, short though it was, in comparison to the long, tedious voyages round the Cape to India or Australia, was a serious matter. Tumbling about the Atlantic for a month, in what was often no better than a tub, involved a considerable degree of bodily discomfort and misery, and the chance of shipwreck was a contingency, the possibility of which could by no means be left out of account. The emigrant, as he passed up the street of his native village, with his slender outfit tied on a barrow, was regarded by his neighbours with a mixed feeling of wonder and pity, and the partings that took place had all the element of sadness and bitterness which belong to a final leave-taking. All that is now, happily, changed. The fleets of vessels that now conduct the carrying trade between this country and every quarter of the globe that presents an outlet for the colonizing spirit of the Anglo-Saxon race, have been brought to such a state of perfection, that the emigrant is no longer an object of commiseration. The Transatlantic passage is now con- fined within the week, and, provided the weather be at all moderate, the passenger, if he be fortunate enough to avoid the acquaintance of the dreaded mal-de-mer, enjoys all the History of Sanquhar. 417 luxuries of a floating hotel of the firct-class. It now involves no greater time and less risk than attached in former days to the journey between Scotland and London. A halo of romance surrounded the very names of India, Australia, and the South Seas, and the stories of stirring life under eastern and southern skies came to the ear like tidings from another world. But now, the conditions of travelling by both land and sea have been so completely changed that the inhabi- tants of the Antipodes have become in a sense our near neighbours. The development of international commerce, establishing business and friendly relations between different peoples, has had an influence beyond any other in destroying racial hatreds and jealousies, and guaranteeing the peace of the world. Such being the effects of the introduction of steam navigation, it would be difficult to over-estimate the benefits which it has conferred upon mankind. It is, therefore, a proud distinction which this village enjoys of having been the birth-place of steam naviga- tion. When the world-wide importance of the discovery had begun to be realised, a controversy arose among the several persons who appear to have been associated in the original experiments culminating in the first successful voyage under steam which took place on the little loch at Dalswin- ton on October 14th, 1788 as to which of them was entitled to the honour of having first made this great and momentous discovery. So eager has each been to snatch the coveted fame that probably no one has done justice to the claims of the others. The story, drawn from the whole ascer- tained facts and circumstances, seems to be this : Mr Miller of Dalswinton, in the year 178-5, engaged as tutor for his family a Mr James Taylor, of Leadhills, a gentleman who had received a liberal education in the University of Edinburgh. Mr Miller, who was of a speculative turn of mind, was at the time engaged in a series of experiments on shipping, and had designed paddle-wheels as a motive power. These paddles were turned by a capstan which kept four men laboriously 53 418 History of SanquJ/ar. employed. It was plain, however, that this method would never be applicable to large vessels or to long voyages, and Miller, at his wits'-end, begged Mr Taylor to set his ingenuity to work to supply, if possible, the desideratum. After anxious thought, Mr Taylor suggested the steam-engine. Miller was incredulous, but Taylor firmly believed in the feasibility of the idea, and, having overcome Miller's objection, it was decided to make a trial. Taylor, in search of a practical engineer to construct an engine suitable for the purpose, had recourse to one William Symington, an old friend and school- fellow, who, with his brother George, had previously invented a steam-carriage described as " like an ordinary-sized kist." An old man, John Black, who was living when the Cale- donian Railway was opened, on being invited to go to Elvan- foot to see the wonderful new steam-carriage, replied, " I need hardly travel sae far for sich a purpose, for I hae seen a steam-carriage mony a year syne rinnin' in the Aul' Manse there." The tradition is that this steam-carriage was first run on the floor of the kitchen of the Old Manse at Wan- lockhead, which the Symingtons inhabited. It was to these brothers, then, that Taylor turned in the hope of solving the difficulty of applying steam to the navigation of vessels. They laid their heads together, the Symingtons and he, the result being that a small engine was designed and con- structed, by means of which the celebrated trip was made on Dalswinton Loch. It was between Taylor and the Symingtons chiefly that the contention arose as to the merit of the invention, but it should not be difficult for any unprejudiced person to determine in his own mind the share which each probably had in it. But, indeed, a claim is also made in the same connection on behalf of one John Hutchison, an old smith, as having con- tributed something to the perfecting of the engine. The story is told in two forms. Old John had been engaged in the work of constructing the engine. A hitch had occurred with some part of the machine, which hindered its working, History of Sanquhar. 419 aud which formed a puzzle to the inventors. One form of the subsequent story is that he was lying in bed on Sunday morning, pondering the difficulty, when the idea how it could be overcome flashed into his mind. Jumping out of bed, he drew the plan on the hearthstone, and subsequently, on the same day to Symington, on the road, when out walking ; on his return, it was worked out in a practical way in the smithy, the remark being passed between them " The better day the better deed." Another version has it that it was while Syming- ton and Hutchison were walking together on the Stake-Moss hill on the Sunday, discussing the subject, when the latter con- ceived the plan, and at once made a rough drawing of it on the road. To whatever extent we may be indebted to each of the claimants for this invention, with such stupendous and far-reaching results, there can be no doubt, at all events, that Wanlockhead was its birth-place. It does seem strange that it should have originated in perhaps the most inland place in all Scotland, and that, as it has been happily put, "as the source of the noble Clyde can be traced to our very neigh- bourhood, so can the origin of that majestic fleet which walks its waters like a thing of life be traced to our very doors." It may be mentioned that this year (1891) a monument, raised by subscription, has been erected at Leadhills in honour of Symington. The miners find their recreation aud amusement out of doors in such games as running, quoiting, and curling. They are also keen anglers. Saturday being an off-day at the works affords them the opportunity of fishing the head- waters of the Clyde, which are reached by passing round the slope of the Lowthers, and are at no great distance, being their favourite ground, though they pay frequent visits to Crawick and its tributary Spango. Situated so high above sea-level, the Waulockhead miners enjoy the game of curling much more frequently than their confreres anywhere else, and better curlers can nowhere be found. A reference to their prowess in the game, and their connection with the Sanquhar curlers, will be found in the chapter on " Curling." 420 History of Sanquhar. It must not be supposed, because there is no public-house in the village, that teetotalism is universal or even general. That is far from the case. At the New-Year season, and on all occasions of merry-making, drinking is one of their social habits, the wherewithal being readily procurable at Leadhills, only two miles distant. But the drinking that is indulged in is only periodical, and that is due, doubtless, to the fact that the public-house and its temptations are not constantly obtruded upon the notice of the inhabitants. Were the pay- days more frequent, and were there a public-house at their doors, the state of the village would probably be very different. As it is, the miners are a respectable, moral-living com- munity. Co-Operative Society. The principle of association for mutual benefit has been given effect to among them. In 1871, a Co-Operative Society was instituted, and has proved a flourishing and beneficial institution. The follow- ing is the last annual return made to the Registrar : Number of members, 329 ; share capital, 1774 8s ; nett sales for the year, 6206 9s 5|d ; stock-in-trade, 1166 10s 10'd; liabilities, 2298 8s 9|d ; assets, 2584 9s Id ; value of fixtures, 19 12s 0|-d ; dividend paid to members for the year, 952 6s lid ; interest paid on shares at 10M per , 70 14s 4|d. " The Heather Bell" Lodge of the Oddfellows' Society was established here in 1867, and has proved most prosperous and useful. It embraces practically the whole body of the miners. The membership on 31st December, 1890, was 239, and the accumulated funds amounted to 1188 9s 2d. The branch is affiliated to the Manchester Friendly Society. A society also exists for the relief of the aged and infirm, which was established in 1879. Previous to that time there was a kindly custom among the miners that, if one of a part- nership died, his widow was allowed to enjoy the proceeds of History of Sanquhar. 421 what would have been her husband's share, after certain necessary deductions ; if he left a son, the lad succeeded to his father's partnership. In this way, without parochial aid, the poor of the village were saved from feeling the pinch of poverty and hardship. The system, however, was discon- tinued immediately after the village and works were first called upon by the Parochial Board to pay the statutory assessment for the relief of the poor, and this society was set up, which enables many to avoid the stigma of pauperism. The membership is 157 ; the capital, 200 7s Id ; and the contribution of members, 4s per quarter. Relief is given amounting to 8s per week for the first three months ; there- after, 6s per week for a further period of six months ; 2s per week for another twelve months ; and a permanent allow- ance of Is for any extended period. The funeral gift is 1. The relief given almost balances the contributions, owing to the younger men preferring to join the Oddfellows' or Foresters' Society. The chapel was built in 1755 by the Mining Company, and cost only 70 or 80. It was rebuilt and enlarged in 1848. The stipend was only from 60 to 65, with a house and an acre of land. Wanlockhead was erected by the Court of Teinds as a quoad sacra parish on 27th January, 1861, at the sole expense of the proprietor, the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. The deed by His Grace conveying two farms in perpetuity for the endowment of this quoad sacra church, and accepted by the Court, says : " The petitioner will give security over the lands of Carcoside and Orchard, both belonging to him, in fee simple, and lying in the barony of Sanquhar, and parish of Kirkconnel." The sittings in Wanlockhead Established Church number 325. Communi- cants, 140. MINISTERS. 173S. Alexander Henderson, preacher. 1750. Laurie. 1772. John Williamson, afterwards of Tinwald. 422 History of Sanquhar. 1777. Bryce Little, afterwards of Coviiigtou. 1789. John Williamson, afterwards of Durisdeer 1794. John Henderson, afterwards of Dryfesdale. 1800. James Ritchie. 1803. William Osburn, formerly of Tillicoultry, who died 25th June, 1812, in the 68th year of his age, and 39th of his ministry. 1813. John Henderson, formerly of Middleburgh, who died 14th Septem- ber, 1814, in the 62nd year of his age, and 29th of his ministry. 1814. Robert Swan, of Cockermouth. 1835. Thomas Hastings, Holywood, who joined the Free Church in 1843. 1843. Patrick Ross, Birkenhead. 1847. John Inches Dickson, Kirkbean, afterwards of Paisley and Kirk- bean. 1848. James Laidlaw, formerly of Bewcastle, who retired in 1883, and died in 1887. 1883. Donald M'Millan, trans, to Auchtertool, Fife, and now (1891) to Kelvinhaugh, Glasgow. 1886. C. Patrick Blair, formerly assistant in Crailing, Roxburgh. FREE CHURCH. At the Disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843 the Rev. Thomas Hastings, then minister of Wanlockhead, cast in his lot with the Free Church party, and in going out took with him 200 communicants. . . . He was thus for eight years chaplain or minister in the Established Church. The Duke of Buccleuch was one of the many landlords of Scot- land who not only gave no countenance to the secession, but refused to grant land whereon to build a church or manse. This policy of site-refusing resulted, in many cases, only in a less convenient or less suitable one being chosen than might otherwise have been obtained ; but, at Wanlock- head, where every inch of land belonged to one individual, his refusal constituted a greater act of oppression. But the great healing power of time obtained fresh proof in this case, and at length a site for a church, and subsequently for a manse, was granted. Meanwhile the greatest hardships had to be endured in this high and stormy region. The circum- stances of the people evoked a wide-spread feeling of interest, and they were encouraged in their noble endurance by the History of Sanqul tar. 423 visits and ministrations of some of the foremost men of the Free Church. Dr Porteous thus describes the incidents that occurred : " The Rev. Dr Chalmers preached in the tent on the hillside of Wanlockhead Hass in the summer of 1846. There never had been such a gathering of worshippers at that place. It was computed that there were at least 2500 persons present. When the venerable man of God looked around, and had given out his text, his first words were, '' Now, I can tell you nothing new.' Although his MS. was before him he spoke with his fervid eloquence and power, and, to the delight of the villagers, ' without reading.' " As it was long before a site was obtained for a church many men of mark Drs Pitcairn, Clason, Candlish, Guthrie, &c. gave similar countenance to the congregation. When Dr Candlish preached, the rain fell in torrents, and little that he said could be heard owing to the pattering of the rain upon the umbrellas. Dr Guthrie wrote thus in 1870 : " I well remember preaching, under a cold, wintry sky, to the good and brave people of Wanlockhead. I honour them highly." Mr Hastings for nearly ten years lived in one of the little cottages, entering the manse in 1852 and the church in 1859. He expended a great amount of labour, and had to withstand during these sixteen years great severities of winter. His attachment both to the place and the people could not well be surpassed. He died in 1875, in his 80th year, and was buried in the churchyard of Mouswald." 2nd Minister. James Moir Porteous, who was ordained colleague and successor to Mr Hustings, 19th Nov., 1868, became sole minister in 1875. Mr Porteous gained several prizes for Essays on Popery and Protestantism, notably in 1868, the prize of 50 for an Essay on Protestantism, open to the ministers of the Free Church, which was subsequently published under the title, " The Government of the Kingdom of Christ," and has reached a third edition. He was appointed Secretary to the " Protestant Institute of Scotland," and has been much engaged, both in his writings and personal labours 424 History of Sanquliar. otherwise, in resisting the aggressions of Popery in this country. In recognition of these exertions, he had conferred upon him, in 1877, the degree of D.D. by the College of Greeueville and Tusculura. Dr Porteous' other works are " God's Treasure-House in Scotland," a " History of Wan- lockhead and Leadhills," with special reference to the work- ing for gold and the lead-mining operations, " Brethren in the Keelhowes," and other minor works. On the appoint- ment of Dr Thomas Smith to the Chair of Pastoral Theology, Dr Porteous succeeded him in the pastorate of Cowgatehead Free Church, Edinburgh, in June, 1881. 3rd Minister. Andrew Brown, ordained Nov., 1881. The Church is seated for 400. The membership is 200. The minister receives the equal dividend of 150, and the total contributions of the members for the year are 142. The following account of Lead-Mining in the Lowthers was written by the late Dr Watson, of Wanlockhead, and was published in 1838 : The Lead Mines of Wanlockhead are said to have been discovered in the minority of King James the Sixth, by Cornelius Hardskins, a German, when searching for gold at that place. Sir James Stampfield was the first person who, about the year 1680, opened them up ; and he carried them on, with some degree of success, till the Revolution. Mathew Wilson succeeded Sir James Stampfield in the year 1691, and had a lease of 19 years. The Governor and Company for smelting down lead ore with coal, succeeded Mathew Wilson in the year 1710. They had a lease for 31 years, and wrought extensively in Old Glencrieve, and also in Beltongrain vein ; but were unsuccessful till they found out New Glencrieve vein, out of which they raised a very consider- able quantity of ore in a short time. In the year 1721, several gentlemen of London, Newcastle, and Edinburgh, having united under the name of the Friendly Mining Society, entered into partnership with the Smelting Company, for carrying on the Mines of Wanlockhead upon a further lease of 31 years. They carried on the Mines extensively by working all the principal veins, viz. : New Glencrieve, Old Glencrieve, Cove, and Belton- grain, till the year 1727 ; when the Company and Society separated, and History of Sanquhar. 425 divided the Mining grounds in the manner described in a deed of separa- tion. The Friendly Society carried on their workings to some extent, and with a considerable degree of energy, till the year 1734 ; at which time, having ascertained that they had been great losers, although they had raised a valuable quantity of lead ore, they resigned their lease ; and were succeeded by William and Alexander Telfer. These gentlemen carried on the workings, though rather unsuccessfully, till William's death ; after which Alexander made some farther trials on New Gleucrieve vein, which turned out very fortunate. Mr Alexander Telfer was succeeded by Messrs Ronald Crawford Company (now the Wanlockhead Mining Company), in the year 1755 ; and they being gentlemen not only of capital, but of great enterprise, have had several of the principal veins prosecuted not only vigorously, but most judiciously, and to a great extent. But that I may be able to give those individuals who may deem this narrative deserving of a perusal some idea, not only of the leading, but also of the subordinate veins, I shall mention the relative situation of each ; and shall, therefore, begin with the most Westerly one that has as yet been wrought I mean New Glencrieve. This vein, sometimes spelled Glencrieff, crosses the Wanlock Burn a little above the present low mill, and passes through Whitescleugh meadow, into the Limpen ridge. It has not been wrought north of Wanlock Burn, but several drifts have been cut to the south of that line ; each successive drift being a good many fathoms higher in the hill than the one under it, and carried through the skirt and side of Gleuglass ridge, towards its summit. At the Scarr, in the upper part of Glencrieve Burn, there have also been considerable trials; the uppermost drift of which, from the Scarr, was 150 fathoms in length, while the other drift made about 300 more in all 450 fathoms. The Scarr workings were begun by the Smelting Company about the year 1720, and were prosecuted with success, in consequence of the discovery of a considerable body of ore. These workings were also carried on after the union of the Smelting and Friendly Mining Societies, but with very little success, although they made several trials northward in the side of Glenglass hill. The drift nearly opposite to the Company's large Smelting Mill was set on by a Mr Weightman, alias Dean-of -Guild Weightman, a gentleman who had at that time acquired some knowledge of mining. It was thence called the Dean- of-Guild's drift. The other workings had been carried on for some time by the Company's agents, rather in an artful manner ; and, as appeared afterwards, for the purpose of harassing the Society by unsuccessful working. The discovery of this occasioned the re-division of the Mines, and the termination of the partnership, in the year 1727. After this the Friendly Mining Society, under the superintendence of Mr Weightman, commenced new trials, on the same vein, by driving northward from the then lowest level, set on from Glencrieve Burn to the middle workings ; also, by driving southward from the Dean-of-Guild's drift, towards the same place, and likewise by several other workings, 54 426 History of Sanquhar. thereby cutting up that vein to the extent, as above mentioned, of 450 fathoms. During these operations the Society raised much more ore than had been procured by the Smelting Company ; but not having secured a sufficient quantity to cover the expense incurred, the mines were resigned, and the Society dissolved, in the year 1734. The Friendly Mining Society were succeeded by William and Alexander Telfer ; they also prosecuted the workings in New Glencriev e till William's death ; after which event Alexander turned his attention to the westward of New Glencrieve, where Mr Weightman had given it as his opinion that lead ore would be found ; and having driven up Glenglass level, at a very considerable expense, he fortunately cut what was then thought to be an intersector, but which has since, however, been considered a string from New Glencrieve vein ; and its course being nearly N.W. and S.E., it joins New Glencrieve a little to the south of Lorimer's shaft. The String, generally called the West Groove, was hard, occasionally close checked, and had very little vein stuff, with the exception of a little blueish clay, quartz, carbonate of lime, heavy spar, and pyrites ; but was comparatively rich in ore, and yielded a fair harvest to Mr Telfer for a number of years. It is reported, by some of the old miners that a small belly of ore was left in the sole of the low drift, and also that one of the midlands, in which there was a considerable quantity of Rider, mixed with lead ore, was neglected ; but as the present Company wrought the String for some years after they got their lease, it may be inferred that these statements are incorrect. The operations on the Intersector or String are said to have extended to about 60 fathoms in depth. The mine was cleared of water, partly by water- wheels, and partly by hand pumps. The quantity of water in the mine, according to the statement of the old miners, was small. Old Glencrieve vein lies about 80 fathoms east of New Glencrieve, passes through Wanlock Burn a little above the Company's large Smelting Mill, and near to Hard- skins walls. The north end of this vein crosses the highway to Whites- cleugh, the skirt of the Dodhill, \Vhitescleugh Burn, and then enters the hill called Limpin ridge. The south end enters what is generally called the Blackhill, where it is steepest, and is driven between three and four hundred fathoms in two drifts ; one from the burn, and the other from the side of the hill, entering a little below the road to Glencrieve Scarr. The soils of this vein are of a yellow and grey colour, and the ore found in it above the level of Wanlock Burn lies in pretty large lumps ; while that got below the burn was formed into a rib. The workings north of Wanlock Burn were carried on by Sir James Stampfield ; those south of it by the Smelting Company, about the year 1727 or 1728, before their partnership with the Friendly Mining Society. The upper drift was prosecuted for several fathoms south ; but no ore having been found, and the way -gates being difficult and expensive, the mine was again abandoned till the year 1794. At that time the present Company not only made a trial in the old workings, but also sunk a pit 28 fathoms in depth, near the side of Wanlock Burn, on which they established a water-wheel, and latterly a steam- History of Sanquhar. 427 engine of twelve horse power, to assist the former in raising the water of the mine 20 fathoms (the depth of the main level), Stampfield's being eight fathoms from the surface. In prosecuting this trial, the Company not only cut into the vein by a cross cut from the middle of the sump, but continued their operations northward and southward till they reached the old workings of the Smelting Company, without procuring more than a few tons of ore. The low forehead was driven south to the extent of 130 fathoms, was in general rather easily wrought, and did not require to be supported with wood ; but there also very little ore was procured, and the ground, upon the whole, cannot be considered as very promising in appear- ance. It is the opinion of some, however, that it will be more productive to the north. The late Mr Meason commenced a cross cut from the Ledger side of Clencrieve low drift, south, to be driven nearly due west, for the purpose of cutting New Glencrieve vein ; but this trial, though a very feasible one, was suspended in 1831, to be resumed again, in all proba- bility, at no very distant period. A trial is also being made further south on Old Glencrieve vein, by making a cross cut nearly due west from the north side of Menock-hass towards the summit of the Blackhill ; but though the vein has been cut lately, and the soils look rather well, very little ore has hitherto been got. From the veins diverging as they run south, the cross cut has extended to one hundred and seventy fathoms in length. Weir's vein lies about fifty fathoms east of Old Glencrieve vein. It was discovered by the Friendly Mining Society in Whitescleugh level, and was driven about fourteen fathoms south, on the point of eighteen degrees east of south, and from Wanlock Burn twenty-four fathoms south, where it is called Abraham's, but is the same vein as Weir's. This vein has also been cut lately by the Menock-hass cross cut, but has not, as yet, been tried at that place. Straitstep, alias White.scleugh, is next in order, and lies about 40 fathoms to the east of Weir's. This vein runs from Whitescleugh through the end of the Dodhill, crosses Wanlock Burn, nearly opposite to the Company's store ; continues its course through the more level part of the Blackhill, a little to the west of the Library, and then enters the Stake Moss to the east of Menock-hass. It was a very strong vein, but had several snecks, or checks, in the Dodhill, one of which was forty fathoms in length, and commonly called the Straitstep, from which the vein has its name. Mathew Wilson having succeeded Sir James Stampfield, in the year 1691, wrought this vein extensively and successfully quite through the Dodhill, from Whitescleugh to Wanlock Burn. The Smelting Com- pany, likewise, operated considerably in the same vein, having cut a drift through the Dodhill, lower than Mathew Wilson's, at a great expense ; and they not only carried on the workings above level in the Dodhill, but the drifts northward of Whitescleugh Burn ; and those through Wanlock Burn, and south of it. The Smelting Company, after having operated for some time, under some disadvantage, at last found it necessary, from the 428 History of Sanquhar. state of the mine, to erect a water-engine, or wheel, north side of Waulock Burn, a few fathoms N.W. of the Chapel. By this means they were enabled to sink under level, and to take out a very great quantity of excellent ore, which lay in several knots betwixt Straitstep and the engine, a distance of one hundred and eighteen fathoms ; so that at that period there had been more ore taken out of Straitstep than from all the other veins together, with the exception of New Glencrieve. The present Company, likewise, operated in Straitstep for several years, and raised a great quantity of ore in different parts of the mine ; particularly out of that part of it called Alison's Soles. They sixnk to the depth of 35 fathoms under the main level, but were obliged to abandon the workings referred to, from a want of surface water for their water-wheel, both during the droughts of summer and frosts in winter. This mine was relinquished about the year 1786 or 1787. Sometime afterwards, however, the Company erected a steam-engine on the north end of the vein, Whites- cleugh, having previously turned their attention to the south end of it, where Dean-of -Guild Weightmau had operated to some extent in or about the year 1746. He, Mr Weightman, having entered upon his lease with rather a favourable prospect of success, sunk a shaft upon the vein where it was bearing ore, on the south side of Wanlock Burn, and also brought up the Smelting Company's level to that shaft ; in consequence of which his level was under thirty fathoms cover, which level he prosecuted about 450 fathoms in length towards the water-fall of Menock-hass. The vein was strong, and, at several places in its course, yielded a respectable quantity of good ore ; but Mr Weightman having met with several obstructions in the prosecution of his plans, was under the necessity of reducing the number of his workmen, and finally of abandoning his lease, which was a sub-lease from Mr Alexander Telfer. About the period referred to (1750), there appears to have been three Mining Companies in Wanlockhead, whose boundaries were as follows, viz. The Smelting Company possessed all the ground lying northward of Wanlock Burn, and eastward of Old Glencrieve vein ; and all the ground eastward of Menock- hass and Menock Burn ; while Alexander Telfer held all the ground southward and northward of 'Wanlock Burn, which lies westward of Old Gleucrieve -the ground eastward of that vein, as far as Meuock-hass, and lying southward of Waulock Burn, being sub-leased to Mr Weightman as before mentioned. The present Company succeeded to the Mining Liberties in 1755 ; and commenced operations in that part of the bounds which formerly belonged to Mr Weightman, in or about the year 1760. They not only drove the vein at that part called Margaret's Vein, further to the south, but also rose on several knots of ore in the roof of the drift, and likewise made a trial in the sole of the level with hand pumps. This trial was so encouraging that in the year 1778 the Company were induced to erect a steam-engine of forty horse power, after which the mine was worked with a good deal of ardour for a number of years. But, about the year 1787, the first engine having been ascertained to be too small, a History of Sanquhar. 429 second and a more powerful one was erected ; the mine was sunk to the depth of 90 fathoms from the surface, and the foreheads in the different randoms prosecuted both north and south as long as they continued to bear ore. Margaret's Vein, so called in honour of the late Countess of Dumfries, was particularly rich in mineral substances ; and contained, besides the common galena, or sulphuret of lead, sulphate of lead, carbonate of lead, sulphuret of zinc, carbonate of zinc, sulphate of barytes, carbonate of lime, ochry, red ironstone, and red hematite. None of these, however, with the exception of galena, were of any consequence ; but in so far as the latter was concerned, it was one of the most productive mines that had till then been wrought, and yielded a very large quantity of lead ore, eight men having been known to raise 70 or 80 tons in the course of three months, and this was found principally to the south of the Engine Pit, and was entirely taken out. The forehead, formerly mentioned as having been carried on by Mr Weightman, was also driven to some extent by the present Company. It stands under the road near to the top of Menock-hass, and, according to the testimony of one of the most respect- able of the miners who was employed in it at the time when it was given up, it had not only become a little wetter than it had been for some time previous, but likewise a little softer and more easily cut ; so much so, indeed, that the miners were under the necessity of using timber to support the roof. This account is rather encouraging to future speculators ; and, when taken in conjunction with the appearance of the ground further south, leads us to infer that Margaret's Vein is likely to prove as pro- ductive in the Menock side of the hill as it has been in other parts of its course. The quantity of ore raised during the prosecution of Margaret's Vein, and the north end of Beltongrain Vein, amounted, for several years, to from 20 to 24,000 bars. A short time previous to the termination of their operations at Menock- hass, the Company turned their attention to the north end of said vein, where it crosses Whitescleugh Burn. There they also established a steam- engine of sixty horse power, on the plan of the late Mr William Symington, and sunk the mine to the depth of 47 fathoms under the main level. That part of the vein which is north of the Engine Pit, was pretty rich, and produced a considerable quantity of excellent ore so far as it did bear, but having entered an extensive clay bed, which runs nearly east and west for some miles, the forehead ceased to bear ore, and the Company, of course, turned their attention more particularly to the south end of the mine, where the vein runs through the end of the Dodhill towards Straitstep proper. On this account, and also from Whitescleugh being sunk 12 or 15 fathoms deeper than Straitstep, as was shewn by a communication that was made betwixt the two mines, the Company were enabled to take out much ore in Straitstep, which otherwise would have been lost. The Highlandman's Vein lies about 30 fathoms east of Straitstep, was opened up by the Smelting Company, and prosecuted only a few fathoms on the south-side of the Dodhill. 430 History of Sanquhar. Whitescleugh was abandoned in the year 1800. The Cove Vein, so called from its great width, lies about 200 fathoms east of Straitstep, and runs through the thickest part of the Dodhill, a little to the east of the southern extremity of Herrop's Level, continues its course nearly due south towards that side of the Dodhill, crosses the Waulock Burn near the Schoolhonse, and enters the Stake Moss a little to the east of the Fiddler's Bridge. The Cove Vein was first opened up by Sir James Stampfield ; and soon after the commencement of his lease in 1680, that gentleman began and carried on a cross-cut from Whitescleugh Burn, which cut the said vein ; but from the shortness of his lease (eleven years) he was unable to prosecute it to any extent. The workings in the Cove Vein were resumed by Mathew Wilson in 1691, and also by the Smelting Company in 1710 ; and, according to the statement of a number of the old miners, were very productive in the higher part of the vein. Mr Telfer continued to work this mine likewise with some success ; and the present Company, in pro- secuting Whitescleugh cross-cut, immediately after they got their lease- cut the Cove Vein 28 fathoms lower than the drift set on by Sir James Stampfield. After this, the vein was wrought, not only north of the cross, cut to some distance, but south of it to the extent of 190 fathoms. The Company likewise sunk two sumps, each 14 fathoms in depth, from the high drift (Stampfield's) to the lower one ; and occasionally employed a few miners as adventurers, not only in the sole of the high drift, but also in different parts of the low one, where the miners considered there was any prospect of success. About the year 1820, however, the Company turned their attention more particularly to the Cove Vein ; and, having erected a small steam-engine, and lately a more powerfxil one, they were enabled to sink to the depth of 40 fathoms under the main level, and to prosecute the foreheads, both north and south, to a considerable distance. The foreheads to the south were driven, in the different randoms, to the extent of from 60 to 70 fathoms ; while to the north the highest drift was cut to the distance of 110 fathoms, and the one immediately under it to somewhat less. The lower part of this groove to the north remains unex- plored. About the year 1830 or 1831, the late Gilbert Laing Meason, Esq., one of the partners of, and likewise agent for, the Company, having con- sidered the great reduction that had taken place in the price of bar lead, the difficulty experienced in raising an annual crop of eight or ten thousand bars, and the impossibility of both remunerating the Company and allow- ing the men fair wages for their labour, began to entertain the idea of resigning the lease, and actually, as I have been told, made the proposition to the Marquis of Bute ; but his Lordship, not feeling disposed to resign his interest in the mines urged the propriety of continuing their exertions for a longer period ; to which Mr Meason agreed, but at the same time resigned the agency, to the great regret of almost every individual con- nected with the mining establishment. The Cove Vein is more difficult to cut than some of the other veins we have mentioned, and the knots of ore are generally much shorter, although they occasionally extend, in point of width, to not less than two feet, sometimes to more. History of Sanquhar. 48 J Mr Borron, having succeeded Mr Meason iii 1831 as agent, and appointed Messrs Stewart & Weir as his overseers, he very soon after erected a water press engine on the Cove Vein, which has hitherto answered the purpose tolerably well, and by means of which the Company have been enabled to sink 10 fathoms deeper, to cut the vein six or eight fathoms south, and to operate to the depth of seven or eight fathoms on a small knot of ore in the sole of said drift. After the Cove Vein passes Herrop's Level, it gives off a branch, which runs a few points west of south. This branch has been explore 1 to the extent of several hundred fathoms, in three drifts, by the present Company. The lowest of these commences as low as the sole of the main level, at the Burn Shaft Foot. The middle one on a level with the dam which collected the water for Glencrieve water-wheel ; and the highest one enters the Dodhill nearly opposite to, but a little higher than, the Company's stables. This branch of the Cove Vein, generally called Lochnell, has yielded a great quantity of ore, and being level free, with the exception of a trial made in the sole of the low drift, has not only been of great advantage to the Company in a pecuniary point of view, but also from enabling them, on several occasions, when the leading veins became less productive, or the steam-engines on said veins were occasionally stopped, from the low price of lead, or any other particular circumstance, to accommodate a number of workmen till their prospects again brightened, and the various trials could be resumed with a greater prospect of success. The trial made in the sole of the low drift is near the point where Loch, nell leaves the main branch of the Cove Vein, extends to the depth of nearly 20 fathoms, and to rather more than the same extent in length, all of which midland has. been wrought out. The mine, however, has not been aban- doned ; for Mr Wilson, the present agent, who succeeded Mr Borron in 1836, has erected lately a small water-press engine near the trial referred to, with the intention of exploring the ground, both north and south ; and as the prospect is rather favourable, and the quantity of water in the mine moderate, it is probable that the working will be carried to some depth, and that this vein will yield a considerable quantity of ore for some years to come. With respect to the main branch of Cove Vein, where it passes along the south side of the Dodhill, no trial of consequence has as yet been made, although a number of the more experienced miners have long entertained favourable notions of it as a bearing vein. Some of those, indeed (one of whom died lately), had a distinct recollection of a trial having been made, either on it, or a branch from it, where it passes through the skirt of the Dodhill, a little behind that row of houses which stands a little to the north of the Company's workshop, in which a little lead ore was found. The late Mr John Taylor, one of the most ingenious and scientific overseers ever connected with any Company, thought favourably of this part of the Cove Vein, and for some time previous to the year 1800 had the Burn cross-cut prosecuted with a good deal of spirit, for the purpose of cutting it near the Schoolhouse, at a depth at from 25 to 30 fathoms ; but his career of use- 432 History of Sanquhar. fulness being arrested by the hand of death in 1806, the cross-cut was abandoned, and as not since been resumed, although the forehead is stand- ing not many fathoms from the vein. This trial, in case of a new lease being entered into, would probably be among the first that would receive attention from the Company ; not only from its near connection with Cove Vein, but on account of other advantages, which are likely to result from the prosecution of it. Mr Taylor was succeeded in the management of the mines by the late Mr John Bramwell, a man of an ardent and energetic mind, and a good miner, who possessed the entire confidence of the Company, and who conducted the mines with great propriety until his death in 1819. It may be mentioned here that the prosecution of Milligan's forehead, and also of the Burn cross-cut, was stopped in opposition to the wishes of both the gentle- men mentioned. Goldscour Vein lies a few fathoms east of Cove Vein, runs nearly parallel with it, and under the upper part of that row of houses generally called Goldscour Row. The Smelting Company opened up this vein by cutting a drift from the side of the Wanlock Burn ; but it has been neglected since that period. Crawford's Vein lies about 80 fathoms east of Cove Vein ; passes through the middle of the Dodhill ; runs south near the Manse, and Company's Office, crosses Wanlock Burn near the mouth of the Townhead main level, and enters the Stake Moss a very little to the west of Howat's Moss. Crawford's Vein, in the Dodhill, is pretty strong in vein stuff, and yielded a smajl quantity of ore ; but the operations in it appear to have been so very trifling and so near the surface that it would be hard to say whether it is likely to bear at a greater depth. The probability is that it will do so ; and should it be deemed advisable to make a trial at a greater depth, it may be done with great propriety, as soon as the Beltongrain is freed of water, by making a cross-cut due west from that vein. Beltongrain Vein lies about 85 fathoms east of Crawford's ; it is a very strong bold vein, and is so soft even at the depth of 60 fathoms as to require the regular use of wood. This vein was first opened up by Sir James Stampfield, carried on by Mathew Wilson, and latterly by the Smelting Company to the extent of 300 fathoms in two drifts. A water-wheel was erected on it by the latter Company ; but here, as in some other of the mining liberties, where the same measures had been adopted, the attempt was rendered in a great measure abortive from the want of surface water. The lead ore during the first trials made on the upper and south end of Beltongrain Vein does nob appear to have been formed into a very regular rib, but often lay in large lumps, and in ground so soft and difficult to keep up, even with timber, that, owing to the great expense incurred, the Smelt- ing Company were under the necessity of abandoning it. No sooner, how- ever, had the present Company succeeded to the whole of the mining liberties in 1755, than their principal overseer, a Mr Williamson, directed his attention to the north end of Beltongrain, where it enters the Dodhill, History o/ Sanqvkar. 433 near Whitescleugh Burn, and, in pursuance of his plan opened a cross-cut nearly due east from Crawford's Vein, for the purpose of discovering Belton- grain, which he did 14 fathoms below the waggon sole, in the random of Stewart's Drift. Again, the Wanlockhead Company resumed a cross-cut which had been commenced by some of their predecessors, from the random of Cove Level, which cross-cut discovered Beltongrain a second time, 20 fathoms lower than Stewart's Drift. The vein having looked rather promising when opened up by the first cross-cut, the managers were induced to sink a shaft from the surface, near Sandilands Drift, 14 fathoms in depth ; and from the bottom of said shaft, to prosecute the vein both north and south ; north, till they arrived at the surface on the south side of Whitescleugh Glen, and south, to the distance of upwards of 200 fathoms. This random, generally called Waggon Drift, from waggons having been used in it for the removal of the lead ore, &c. , was divided into three stages of nearly 100 fathoms each, with the exception of the door-stage, and at the end of each stage a sump was sunk 14 fathoms in depth to the random below (Stewart's Drift). The same mode of communication was continued from Stewart's to Kerr's Drift, a distance of 1 1 fathoms ; and finally to Tait's, a distance of 9 fathoms. Thus a communication was formed throughout every part of this extensive mine from the drift (Tait's) to Sandilands, the highest of the series ; and the mine was carried on in the most regular and scientific manner possible. As the north end of Beltongrain, like Loch-nell, was level free, so like the latter it was often had recourse to for the accommodation of the miners when difficulties occurred in other places, and seldom or never failed to remunerate the adventurous workman, provided his exertions were continued for a sufficient length of time The Beltongrain Vein here, as at Townhead (south end of the vein), was a strong bold vein, often extending to the width of 12 and 14, sometimes to 20 feet ; and was occasionally wrought in double drift. Still it was much easier kept than on the south side of the Dodhill, being neither so heavy nor so soft as in that quarter. The lead ore in this part of Beltongrain was occasionally formed into one or more ribs, varying in width from 2 or 3 inches to as many feet ; while at other times it lay in distinct pieces (self-lumps), and was often found mixed with Rider, brammeled, as the miners say, in which state considerable difficulty was often experienced in working it, from the number of lough-holes (Druses) it c nitained. The north end of this vein was very productive, even in the upper workings, and not only carried ore to a considerable height above Sandilaud's Drift, but actually to the surface of the earth, where it was got in considerable quantity by merely removing a little moss and gravel from the top of the vein. In this respect, Beltongrain appears to have been rather singular, as no other vein in this quarter, with the exception of the Cove Vein, has hitherto borne lead ore so near the surface. The present Company commenced sinking their first engine pit on the south side of the Dodhill, at that part of the Beltongrain Vein, generally called Townhead, in January, 1799; and by the end of 55 434 History of Sanqultar. October, 1800, with the assistance of hand-pumps, which were wrought with great difficulty, they sunk to the distance of 11 fathoms under the level. But the quantity of water in the sinking being large, and a steam- engine of sixty horse power having been erected on Mr Symington's plan for cleaning the mine of water, it was started on the 31st October, and the sinking prosecuted, though with considerable difficulty, to the depth of 56 fathoms from the surface, and 40 under the level. The first sinking was calculated to cut the vein at the depth of 56 fathoms, which it did. The north forehead in the low random (generally called Gibson's), as well as the south one, was prosecuted throughout the whole of 1801, 18' '2, and 1803 ; and as the appearance of the vein was extremely flattering, the Com- pany were induced to commence another pit at the surface, 30 fathoms east of the former, for the purpose of cutting the vein at a greater depth. The pit was begun in March, 1803, and continued with a good deal of ardour, till, in 1813, it reached the depth of 123 fathoms. During the sinking of the latter pit the foreheads and other workings immediatel con- nected with engine farthest west were prosecuted with great activity by the, late Mr John Bramwell, and also by his successors, Messrs Williamson & Bramwell. Welsh's forehead, the highest of the series, and 10 fathoms under the level, was driven to the extent of north. Watson's, the next in the order of descent, and '20 fathoms under the level, was cut till it formed a junction with the workings in the north side of the Dodhill ; while Gibson's, which is 40 fathoms under the level, was prosecuted to the distance of 270 fathoms north, but was abandoned by the late manager in 1831, at which period the forehead was not only lively, but had actually a rib of ore six inches wide on the Ledger side. The second engine which the Company had recourse to on Townhead Groove, an engine of 70-horse power, on Watt & Bolton's plan, was erected in the year 1806. The first fathoms that were sunk under the random of Gibson's Drift, were accomplished with hand-pumps, after which, in consequence of the increase of water, the engine was started, and continued to move, with the exception of a few months in 1816' and 1817, till 1823 or 1824. At this time the bar lead became so much reduced in price, and the expense of coals so excessive, that it was thought advisable to abandon the lower part of the mine, at least till such time as their circumstances should improve, or Milligan's forehead could be cut south through the Dodhill ; and merely to keep the large engine erected by Mr Symington in 1811 (an engine of 90- horse power), going during ' he summer months, while the feeders were low. These measures were adopted several years previous to 1831. The other part of Townhead groove, I mean that part of it which was cleared of water by Watt & Bolton's engine, was also divided by three principal drifts, the first of which, taking them in the order of descent, is 20 fathoms under Gibson's, is called Boe's, and is driven 83 fathoms north and 68 south ; the second, Law's, 20 fathoms under Boe's, is cut 32 fathoms north, and 90 south ; while Lorimer's, the lowest of the series, is cut 80 fathoms south, There are likewise three intermediate drifts, one in the middle of each random. History of Sanquhar. 435 With respect to the foreheads in the different randoms now referred to, none of them, I believe, can be considered as checked, and three of them at least, contain small quantities of ore. As for those more immediately connected with the upper and south part of the vein, I mean Gibson's and Watson's foreheads, the former, although it consists entirely of rock, has still a very fair Ledger, and probably may open at no great distance from where it stands ; while Watson's has not only a considerable quantity of mother, but also a little rider mixed with lead-oie, and certainly would have been prosecuted bur. for the chance of overburdening the engine with an increase of water. The most extensive knot of ore that occurred in the Townhead groove was first discovered in Gibson's random, and extended 50 fathoms north, and from 15 to 20 south. In Boe's the same knot reached 50 fathoms north, and 45 south ; in Law's drift, 42 north, and 65 south ; and in Lorimer's, the lowest of the series, it extended 70 fathoms in length, in the highest 10 fathom ; of the midland ; whilst in the last ten it was con- siderably shorter, and in the sole of the drift one place only was deemed worthy of trial, which trial extended to 7 fathoms in depth, and a few fathoms in length. Thus the extent of said knot, in point of height, would not amount to less than from 80 to 90 fathoms, while its medium length could not be less than 80 - a deposit of ore hitherto unequalled in this district, whether we take into consideration the quality or quantity of the ore raised. And as I am rather below than above its aggregate extent, those individuals who are conversant in mining affairs will be able to form some idea of the prodigious quantity of ore which so rich a mine must have produced. Independent of this principal deposit, several others of less extent were found in the different randoms, as well as in different strings or branches, which occasionally diverge from the course of the vein, a number of which have not yet been fully explored. The medium width of this excellent knot of ore might amount t>> 8 or 9 inches, or perhaps more. Having stated thus much respecting what has already been done in Townhead groove, I may also observe that much may yet be done in that quarter, provided proper measures be adopted for freeing the mine of water ; and as that object can be effected only by prosecuting the late Mr Taylor's plan, I would beg leave, therefore, to recommend it to the attention of futiire speculators as well worthy of their notice. It is this immediately after establishing the first steam-engine on Beltongrain Vein, at the Townhead, and perceiving that a second one would be necessary, he began, with a view to lessen the expense, to cut Milligan's forehead south, through the Dodhill. This plan he in part realised, but it was given up a short time after his death. Milligan's forehead is the lowest connected with Beltongrain vein on the north side of the Dodhiil ; it is 28 fathoms lower than Tait's drift, and had it been continued would have entered the first sunk engine pit at the Townhead, 3 or 4 fathoms from its bottom, and consequently the largest and most expensive engine would have been 436 History of Sanquhar. entirely set aside ; Milligan's drift would have been converted into the main level, the forehead would have been cut into the Stakemoss-hill, under 50 fathoms cover, and might have been continued, if necessary, to the extremity of the mining boundary. Further, by this moans the lower part of Townhead groove might have been wrought at a trifling expense, and the continuation of Milligan's drift cut quite through the Stakemoss- hill ; and thus it would not only have explored the Beltongrain Vein, where it crosses the Mossy Burn, and where the ground looks well, but might have become the centre of communications with other veins through the medium of cross-cuts driven east or west, as the case required. The number of lead bars raised when the Townhead groove was most productive amounted for several years to 20,000 or upwards ; and one season to 24,000 ; at which period the lead was selling from 30 to 40 per ton. The following are a few of the minerals which are frequently found in Townhead groove, viz. : Ochre of Manganese, Quartz, Calamine, Phos- phate of Lead, Brown Iron Ochre, Carbonate of Lead, Sulphate of Lead, Carbonate of Lime, Heavy Spar, and Vanadiate of Lead. Milligan's fore- head has been resumed a few months ago, and may be considered as a prime measure in the prosecution of Townhead groove ; at least, so thought Mr Taylor, the projector of the plan. Mr Williamson and Mr John Bramwell, I have reason to believe, entertain the same ideas, and the opinions of both these gentlemen are entitled to notice. New Vein is a branch or string from Beltongrain, and lies about 20 fathoms east of the same, opposite Waggon Drift. It was first tried about 1780 by making a cross-cut from Stewart's drift, and several tons of ore were got in the sole of the drift with the assistance of hand-pumps. A trial is at present being made ten fathoms lower by making a cross-cut from Kerr's drift, but the vein is not very promising. Lee's vein lies aboiit 70 fathoms east of Beltongrain. and has been wrought to some extent not only in the ridge, which is situated between the Dodhill and Greenburn, but likewise in the Stakemoss. No lead ore has as yet been found in this vein, nor is it expected that any will be procured while her soils continue to be impregnated with such a proportion of iron as has hitherto been found in the different places where trials have been made. That species of iron which occurs in Lee's vein is generally called Hematite, and assumes the appearance of Kidney-formed balls ; colour, brownish red, and sometimes approaching to steel grey. The last vein in the mining liberties of Wanlockhead lies about 60 fathoms east of Lee's, and has been tried in the Stakemoss-hill by a cross- cut made from the latter nearly due east. It has also been tried, but to very little extent, in the foot of the Dodhill on the north side of the county road, and a few fathoms south of the highest point of the road which passes into Wanlockhead from Leadhills. This vein on the Leadhills side of the March Dyke is called Stay-voyage, and has produced ore in several parts of its course, and should it be thought worthy of prosecution on the Wanlock side, a second cross-cut may be made from Lee's Vein, where it History of Sanquhar. 437 enters the Dodhill ; and if the vein happen to bear at this point a better trial still may be made by cutting from the eastmost Engine Pit, at Town- head. The soils of Stay-voyage are more favourable in appearance than those of Lee's, and at the time when the trial was made near the Hillhead it had every appearance of soon bearing ore. Having enumerated the different veins included in the mining liberties of Wanlockhead, and mentioned, in a summary manner, the respective excavations that have been made in these, I may also observe that there are several other veins beyond the present boundary in which the indica tions are very flattering ; and, further, that as all the Wanlockhead veins run through a part of the farms of Glenim and Auchingrough, it is reason- able to suppose that there likewise depositions of ore would be found. In- deed, from the indications observed in different parts of the farm of Glenim in particular, the supposition amounts almost to a certainty, and will no doubt be turned by future speculators to the best account. The veins in the Wanlockhead district, generally, preserve a course nearly north and south, dip to the east under an angle of from 60 to 70 decrees, or, in the miner's phrase, they hade one fathom in three that is to say, three fathoms in depth, with said slope or hade, make one fathom in horizontal breadth from the perpendicular. With regard to the drifts cut on the veins, none of them are straight lines, but vary in the course of working southward, between from 5 to 15 degrees east of south, to 15 west of south ; as the miners generally follow the steeking, or soft parts in its turnings and windings. Nevertheless, the veins cannot be said to vary much in their course, when taken as a whole, since the medium point in all is found to be almost due north and south. The width of the veins does not continue the same throughout their whole extent, but varies from 1 or 2 inches to 20 feet, sometimes to more ; while the length and depth of the bearing parts have a certain proportion to one another. The depth of veins in the \Yanlockhead district varies from 40 to 1 27 fathoms. It has not yet been exactly ascertained to what length the veins extend north and south, as they have not been properly traced on the surface ; but it cannot be calculated at less than from three to four miles in a direct line, or perhaps more. The substance of the majority of the veins is generally separated from the transition rocks through which they pass, but occasionally this is not the case, as the substances of which they are composed are now and then intimately mixed with the walls. The ore is generally found lying on the Ledger side in a dense compact mass running parallel with the sides of the vein, which mass varies in width from 1 to 18 inches and upwards. When it occurs in the first-mentioned state, it is called by the miners a rib of ore ; when wider, say three feet, a body or belly of o e ; and when found in numerous pieces without any regular connection between them it is said to bo in self lumps ; when it occurs in the latter state the vein is commonly filled with blackish brown coloured ochre of manganese. Some of the veins are composed of comparatively few materials, such as lead glance 438 History of SanquJtar. or common galena, with a little clayish-looking substance, ochre of manganese, and quartz ; while others again, and even the same vein, at different places, lontain a much greater variety of mineral substances. When the vein is composed of different layers, as is often the case, the following arrangement is sometimes met with, viz. : On the ledger side, an inconsiderable quantity of clayish-looking substance, then 2 or 3 inches of ochre of manganese, then lead glance, then quartz, mixed occasionally with copper pyrites ; and then ochre of manganese with carbonate of lime. The above arrangement, however, must not by any means be considered as a general one, as it frequently happens that the structure of the vein is much more complicated, while at other times it assumes an extremely simple form, particularly when the walls of the mine contract, being some- times without any mineral substance whatever, with the exception of common galena. It is not unfrequently the case, also, that a part of the vein is found completely filled with quartz and galena, so intimately blended together that it is with the greatest difficulty the two can be separated even with the use of the strongest gunpowder ; and, what renders the mining of it even more complicated, it occasionally assumes a kind of honeycomb appearance ; or, as the miners express it, it contains a great many of lougL-holes (Druses), which the greatest sagacity and care cannot always elude in the course of boring. In the veins of Wanlockhead none of those extensive openings or unfilled spaces occur which have been represented as frequently presenting themselves in some other mines ; small openings, however, do sometimes occur, the interior of which exhibit not only a great variety of crystalline formations, but the finest both in point of lustre and form that can possibly be conceived. A druse of this kind occurred in a part of the Beltongrain Vein a few years ago. Its sides were formed by the division of a rib of ore into two branches near the sole of the drift, which diverged as they ascended, until the inter- mediate space extended at least 2 feet, at which point they again converged, and rejoined near the roof of the drift. The sides of the cavity were partly lined with crystallized quartz, mixed in some places with phosphate of lead of a beautiful green colour, while in other parts sulphate and carbonate of lead, with carbonate of lime, were seen assuming their various crystalline forms. The lustre and formation of the different specimens were extremely beautiful, and appeared much improved by the light of the candle, particu- larly when it was placed in the middle of the cavity so as to produce its full effect. The walls of the mine are generally hard and compact, except where the vein is very strong ; but when this is the case it has the effect of softening them even to the extent of two and three fathoms from the centre. The veins are frequently divided into a number of branches, which shoot out from the sides of the principal trunk in different directions, and either terminate gradually in the rock, or by turning a little to the east or west, as the case may be, again join it at some distance. With respect to the formation of veins, it has been suggested by some philosophers, and among others by Hutton, that these mineral repositories History of Sanqu li ai \ 439 have, generally speaking, been tilled up from the interior, or bowels of the earth, having been projected upwards by an extraordinary expansive force. While others again entertain the opinion that, at a certain period of time, the materials of which the veins are composed were mingled together in one common mass, and suspended in an immense quantity of fluid, which covered the earth, and from which it was that these minerals were deposited. But these theories, although extremely ingenious, and well calculated to please and amuse. the speculative geologist, do not suffi- ciently account for the structure, relative position, and mode of formation of the different mineral substances which compose the veins in this quarter ; as neither the rocks in general, which the veins traverse, nor the walls of the different mines in particular, indicate such a deviation from their natural position as can prove that these veins have been filled up from below, or that any extreme violence had taken place in their forma- tion. Indeed, had such power been called into operation, it might naturally enough have been expected that not only dislocations of the strata would have been met with, but that the quantity of mineral sub- stances deposited would have increased as the different excavations approached the point at which the expansive force had been applied ; and, consequently, that the mines would have increased in richness as they increased in depth. Unfortunately, however, for the theory referred to, every fact hitherto ascertained regarding these mines, is in direct opposition to it ; for it is an undoubted truth that none of them have as yet carried lead ore beyond the depth of 127 fathoms, at which depth the ore has generally disappeared, and the walls of the mine contracted not only laterally, but also north and south. This occurrence is always con- sidered as a sure indication that the mine has reached its utmost depth, and, of course, that the adventurous miner must turn his attention to some other part more likely to remunerate him for his precarious and often profitless exertions. With regard to the theory of the celebrated Werner, the one most generally admitted, and which inculcates the idea that the veins have been filled from above, it appears equally ill calculated to account for the phenomena observed, for had the veins been filled from above, and had the materials of which they are composed been actually held in solution, and as the Wernerian hypothesis implies, covered such an extent of surface as the mining boundary of Wanlockhead and neighb urhood, does it not appear rational to suppose that agreeable to the ordinary laws of gravitation the venigenous materials should have assumed a different arrangement, namely, the horizontal position ; and, farther, that the extent of the deposition would have been found in exact proportion to the extent of the situation, whereas the arrangement in every respect is nearly the reverse. The deposi- tion or depositions, instead of taking a horizontal position, are found, as formerly mentioned, to approach much nearer to the perpendicular, to occur only at certain distances, and generally without any venigenous matter in the interstices. Since, then, these are the general appearances in the Wanlockhead mines, and the minerals, generally speaking, are found 440 History of Sanquhar. to have assumed an arrangement decidedly different from what must have occurred had the Wernerian hypothesis been correct, the substances of the veins being found to lie parallel with the walls of the mine, and not at right angles we are led to infer the incompetency of this theory also, to account for the phenomena ; and constrained to look to future geologists for a more rational solution of this interesting problem. It has been sug- gested by some other philosophers, who are disposed to call in question the correctness of the above-mentioned speculations, that minerals are produced by means of subterranean exhalations, or from some fermentation in the earth, or from the general crystallization of the globe. But these notions, although some of them may approximate to the truth, have had even a more ephemeral repute than either of the other hypotheses ; and have been looked upon more as proofs of a fertile imagination than as a rational explanation of the phenomena in question. In treating of veins, one of the first things generally taken into consideration is the date of their formation, to which epoch geologists appear to assign a more recent period than they do to the rocks which the veins traverse ; an opinion assumed apparently not so much with a design to account for the progress of those arrangements in which the veins are at present found, but merely for the support of a particular theory, of which the above assumption is considered to form a very essential portion. But I shall not attempt at present to inquire whether or not the very slender knowledge of the internal structure of veins possessed by most geologists, warrants them to draw such conclusions. It is sufficient to observe that, with respect to the filling up of veins, the facts stated regarding those referred to certainly make against those parts of the two principal theories which attempt to explain that circumstance. As to the period at which they were filled up, every appearence, in my opinion, both external and internal, is in favour of a contemporaneous origin. Having made these observations respecting the Huttonian and Wernerian theories, I may mention that from several facts which have come under my observation, and likewise from particular statements made to me by other individuals, I have for some time enter- tained the opinion that the formation of minerals, in this district at least, is the result of a daily process ; that the constituent parts of each mineral exist in the veins, and in the rocks by which they are surrounded ; and that affinity, electricity, or some other powerful cause has arranged them, by a determinate rule, into the different forms which the minerals generally assume. In hazarding this opinion, I do not mean to assume that the walls of the mines, and the veins which they contain are capable of acting on each other so as to produce an identity of substance and nature, as is the case in the animal and vegetable kingdoms ; all I contend for is, that the elements of these bodies are not only governed by their peculiar laws, but that their power of action on other elements is governed by laws subordinate to those by which their own parts are kept together, which laws are as fixed and unchangeable as in the complicated mechanism of the human frame. Indeed, when we take into consideration the numerous History of Sanquhar. 441 crystallizations which are met with in the different mines, each retaining its geometrical form in a perfect manner ; and consider also that all sub- stances, in order to be crystallized, require that their integrant particles should be separated from each other by the intervention of a medium in which they can move freely ; we must allow that it is no small corrobora- tion of the above position. I may also observe, in a cursory manner, that it has long been the opinion of a number of the miners in the Wanlockhead district that lead ore grows ; and although none of them have ever ventured to say in what manner they consider that process to be carried on I presume they mean by accretion ; and, as the miners are, many of them, men of intelligence and observation, their opinion is certainly entitled to some weigh ". The late ingenious Mr John Taylor appears also to have been impressed with a similar idea, for in his solicitude to acquire all the information possible while he superintended the mining operations at Wanlockhead, he had pieces of glass placed in different parts of the mines, so that a drop of water might fall incessantly upon them ; and he invariably found that the result was a formation of crystals on the surface of the glass. In opening up a mine a short time ago which had been neglected for f rty or fifty years numerous crystallizations were observed on different parts of the walls and bottom of the mine, and although none of them were analysed, it may be inferred from these appearances that they were of the same nature as those collected by Mr Taylor ; so that when these facts, in conjunction with other circumstances, are taken into consideration, we cannot but admit the probability, that the formation of lead ore is the result of a similar process ; and farther, if the regular per- colation of the water through the above mentioned vein could have been preserved, the crystals allowed to remain undisturbed, and to be observed by succeeding generations throughout the various stages of their increase, and their progress accurately recorded, there is every reason to suppose that they would not only have been found to meet, but to unite, and, moreover, to form the nuclei of other knots of ore. These ideas respecting the for niation of veins have been entertained by the writer of this sketch for many years ; and although they may seem startling and even improbable to those of his readers who have not paid much attention to the subject, yet they will be borne out by the observations of the scientific ; and it is with some degree of satisfaction that he refers to the recent experiments of Mr Cross, some of which were detailed at the meeting of the British Association at Bristol in 1836 an account of which may be seen in the Athciueum of that period by any person who is curious upon the subject. Native Silver so called, because it is nearly in a state of purity is seldom or never found in the Wanlockhead district. Neither have silver ores been found ; but a small portion of this metal is known to exist in the ores of lead, which, when extracted by the Messrs Telfer during their lease, was found to amount to from eight to ten ounces in the ton of lead ore. Bnt this quantity, it appears, was not sufficient to cover the 50 442 History of Sanquhar. additional expense incurred in separating it an expense probably enhanced by the imperfect manner in which the process was conducted ; consequently, the practice was relinquished as unprofitable. The lead glance likewise contains a small proportion of antimony and arsenic, a considerable part of the former generally disappearing during the process of smelting the lead ore, on account of its volatile nature ; and a part of the latter attaching itself to the impurities of the ore in the form of a slag. This being transferred to the slag furnace, is easily recognised in the slag-lead bars not only from its rendering them brittle, but from their fracture assuming a radiated appearance. The levels which are at present connected, or are nearly connected, with the veins which have been mentioned, and which cut them in different parts of their course, are as follows, viz. : Glenglass level, Main level, StampSeld level, Whitescleugh cross-cut, Burn cross-cut, Townhead level, and Menockhass cross-cut, with several subordinate ^nes which have been mentioned in the course of this narrative. The distance I have mentioned as existing between the different veins is conformable to the situation which they occupy on the south side of Dodhill ; nevertheless, it is not given from actual measurement, and there- fore is not to be entirely relied on, although the writer is satisfied that it will be found pretty near the truth. The above observations, taken in conjunction with the plain and well-executed drawings of Mr John Bram- well, will serve as a tolerably good exhibition of the past and present state of the mines at Wanlockhead. The following supplementary account is by Mr Edmond, schoolmaster, Wanlockhead, and describes the new and improved processes for the preparation of the lead, arid the present condition of the works : Towards the close of the lease of the Wanlockhead Mining Company, the mines were in great measure unproductive. Few workmen were employed, the machinery was mostly primitive and worn out, and the prospect of successful mining almost hopeless. In 1842 the Duke of Buccleuch took the mines under his own care. Skilful management, with new and improved machinery, led to the opening out of veins that yielded largely and steadily for years, bringing profit to the proprietor and prosperity generally to the village. These operations were conducted most success- fully in the Cove Vein and New Glencrieff. Later, the work has also been carried on in the Bay ami Straitsteps veins. The works in the Lochnell part of the Cove Vein are now stopped. History of Sanqivhar. 443 The strut-tare of veins varies. The description of New Glencrieff Vein (open JS68), given in Memoirs of the Geological Survey, is as follows : "The vein here hades to the east at 70 75. Beginning at the east or ' hanger ' side, the order of metals is as under : (a) Greywackc, part of the general Silurian rock or ' country.' ( b) ' Black Jack ' (Zinc blende), decomposing into clay, inch. (c) 'Vein Stuff,' Greywacke ground up, and mixed with quartz, li inch. (d) Calc-spar, inch to 1 inch. (e) Galena, inch. (f) Vein Stuff, similar to c. Quartzose, and graduating into pure Quartz near the floor of the level, 2 to 3 inches. (g) Blue Greywacke, joints veined with calcareous matter, 3^ feet. ( h) Hard, fine, compact Quartz, with iron pyrites in ' flowers' i.e., the crystals are scattered through the mass, and are not compacted, 7 inches. ( k) Alternating irregular layers of Barytes and Galena, 8 inches. (I) Vein Stuff, similar to c, 4 inches. (m) Greywacke (the ' ledger side ' of the vein), marked with vertical slickensides. " The section is about six feet high. A ' string ' of Black Jack commences at the roof of the level in y, and cuts through all the layers to m, which it enters near the floor ; a, y, and m are ' country.' The other layers and the ' string ' are properly the vein. The veins vary at every step, and are sometimes remarkably rich in lead ores ; while, on the other hand, the levels are sometimes driven for many fathoms without meeting with any." The principle mineral ore found is Galena or sulphide of lead. Associ- ated with it are the products of its own alteration sulphate, carbonate, and phosphate of lead and zinc blende, with carbonate and silicate of zinc ; also, iron and copper pyrites, and the ' waste ' or earthy minerals calcite, aragonite, dolomite, barytes, and quartz, &c. All the mineral substances in the subjoined list have been found in Wanlockhead :--Anglcsite, Aragonite, Baryte, Blende, Calamine (Car- bonate of Zinc) ? Calcite, Caledonite, Cerussite, Chessylite (?), Chlorite, Chrysocolla, Copper Pyrite, Dolomite, Fluor (one specimen known), Galena, Gold, Greenockite, Hematite, Iron Pyrite, Jamesonite, Kupfer- nickel, Limonite, Linaritc, Mimetite, Mountain wood, Plumbocalcite, Plumbonacrite (new mineral), Plattucrite, Pyromorphite, Quartz, llock Crystal, Silver (in lead only), Smithsonite, Vanadinite, Wad. Gold has been found on surface in alluvium, and also in situ in quartz. Dr Wilson has several specimens with gold visible in quartz. Of the gold- bearing quartz reefs known, the narrow are the best, yielding 5 dwt. to the ton ; the wider, about 1^ dwt. to the ton. No specimens of native silver have been found. Kupfernickel rich, the specimen picked up by Dr Wilson on the mine heaps, came from part of a mine now closed. Some years ago I visited the new Glencrieff vein in company with one of the miners who worked in it. I was advised to put on old clothes, and to be prepared for some hard work. We did not go down by the shaft 444 History of Sanquhar. used for drawing the lead to the surface, nor did we have the benefit of a cage as in a coal mine, nor of the kibble used for raising the work from the workings ; but having lighted open lamps, and fastened them by a hook to our hats, so as to leave both hands free, we began descending a ladder. It was found peeping throiigh the surface at a considerable distance from the mouth of the main shaft. The ladders are each aboiit 18 feet, resting on a stage or platform. We got quickly down several lengths, and I was just beginning to feel shaky when we got to a gallery. It was dry looking, and very much soot-blackened with the smoke from the miners' lamps. If was about 6 feet high by 4 feet wide, so there was plenty of room for one to walk upright. Passing along this gallery we came to the main shaft, and crossing it we kept along the gallery till we came on a party of miners at work. They used candles to light them, and were preparing a hole for a blast of gunpowder or dynamite. One held the jumper, while another used the hammer. The rock seemed to be very hard, and needed firm and careful striking to make progress. On coming back to the shaft, and in passing over the lead thrown back by the miners for the drawers to take away, I forgot the warning I had received to keep my head down, and got a severe scratch on the top of the head. I got my lamp lighted again, and we went down, down, and through other galleries, saw some rich parts of the vein and some of the poorer places, where the vein of lead seemed mere threads between layers of vein stuff, black jack, quartz, and greywacke or " country." Down the ladder shaft again, till we reached the bottom at a depth of 170 fathoms. We elbowed our way up a chimney-like hole called a " rise-haul," and got into a low gallery called a "roost." This was where my companion worked, and the gallery was just in trim for receiving a visitor, as the last blast had thrown open a large druse, or cavern, beautifully coated with crystals of quartz, calc-spar, &c., dotted with glittering studs of pyrites. We plied the hammers which were standing about, and soon had as many specimens as we would be able to carry to the surface. This part of the mine seemed close and smoky, and the temperature higher than in other levels, where the air seemed quite cool and good. We began the ascent, and I was thoroughly tired and crampy long before we came near grass. Preparation of the Ore. The Galena, as raised from the mine, is mixed in a greater or less degree with the associated mineral and " waste " sub- stances. Near the shaft mouth are " coups," where the " drawers " or labourers place in separate lots the ore sent up by each party of miners. It is sent by tram-road to the crushing and washing mills. Here it is sorted and sized by boys. It is next crushed between rollers in a powerful machine driven by water power. By means of a revolving table and elevator, the crushed ores are conveyed to an arrangement of sieves, whence the different sized ores are carried to large wooden boxes. By an ingenious method, the quartz, spar, &c., are separated from the Galena. Water is sent by a very strong jerking or "jigging " movement from the bottoms of the boxes upwards. This has the effect of lifting the lighter History of Sanquhar. 445 earthy substances to the surface, where they arc scraped off. The Galena, being heaviest, sinks lower with each movement, and is taken off under- neath. The very fine particles of lead cannot be separated from the muddy matter in this way. These are run with a current of water on a conical circular floor, over which revolves a perforated tube, like the spray tube of a water cart. The jets of water from this tube wash the muddy matter towards the circumference, while the heavier (lead) particles are deposited around the centre of the floor. This clever and ancient machine is called a "buddle." The dressed ore is now sent to the smelting works, which are situated more than a mile from the village. These are very extensive, and consist of Roasting furnaces, slag hearths, ordinary open hearths, refinery, silver furnace, assaying apparatiis, stores, smoke-chambers, &c. The ore is heated on a hearth, to which air has free access. Sulphurous acid, with oxide and sulphate of lead are produced. The gaseous portions pass off by the chimney, the other impurities form a slag, while the molten metal runs into an iron pot, and is then ladled into moulds. The lead is not yet ready for the market. Almost all lead contains a proportion of silver, this in Wanlockhead amounts to from 8 to 10 oz. per ton. With the improved machinery now available for the purpose, and in use here, the extraction of the silver yields a profit of itself, besides materially improving the quality of the lead by rendering it softer. Large quantities of lead are recovered annually from the smoke of the smelting furnaces. This was formerly blown out at a short chimney and fell, dealing death or sickness to animal and vegetable life for a mile or two around. So impreg- nated was the surface soil with the lead smoke, that if a turf or peat cut from the ground affected were put into a fire, melted lead could be seen dropping underneath. The people, too, suffered from the "mill-reek," as it was called. There are still cases of lead-poisoning among the lead-smelters and miners, but they are less common and much less severe than formerly. Since the use of dynamite in the mines, a new form of disease has appeared. Some of the miners use small lead for "tamping" the holes in blasting. This, on the explosion of the dynamite, forms a gas, and being inhaled by the miners, causes poisoning by dynamite and lead. Cases of dynamite- poisoning also occur. The smoke from the hearths is now led through a series of chambers, where much of it is cooled and deposited. The remaining portion travels through long-winding underground passages, where the greater portion of it is secured. The very small portion that finally escapes is comparatively harmless, and, by fencing off a few acres surrounding the chimney, danger to the sheep on the adjacent pastures is entirely removed. The vents and smoke chambers are cleaned periodically, and hundreds of tons of a bluish-white powder taken from them. This is in a great measure composed of lead, and, after being damped and roastedr is reduced to pig lead by the ordinary process. The lead got from the smoke con- tains no silver. The silver is extracted from the lead by Pattinson's process of crystallization. In a large shed are placed a range of pots, each 446 History of Sanquhar. capable of holding five tons of lead. Each pot is placed over a large fire. About five tons of lead are placed in the middle pot. The mass is melted, the fire taken off, and, while the metal is cooling, crystals of lead form. These are strained out in a large perforated ladle, and placed in the next pot to the left. The heating, cooling, and straining are repeated, till, at the third crystallization, little or no silver is left in the mass, which is cast into moulds a second time, and is now silver - refined lead ready for market. The metal left in the bottom of each pot is rich in silver, and is lifted towards the right. It is very rich in silver, and the lead is now got rid of by a process of cupellation. It is run in a melted state into a furnace having a bed of bone-ash. The blast oxidises the lead, which flows over the edge of the bed, leaving pure silver in the fuaiace. The oxide of lead or litharge from this furnace may again be reduced to lead, but is often sent direct to market, and is used in manufacturing paints, &c. The annual crop of lead is from 1700 to 1800 tons ; worth between 24,000 and 25,000. The annual yield of silver is about 12,000 oz., value over 2000. Gold. Such is the story of the lead mines of the district, but in early times it was better known as a gold-producing land. M'Kenzie, in his " History of Scotland," has a chapter on gold-finding, in which he says : " Scotland occupies a respectable position in the list of countries which once produced gold. The treasure, it is to be feared, is now exhausted, and but a poor hope left for the dreamer who would renew the search. But there was a period, stretching certainly over many cen- turies, during which the precious metal was found in Scotland, and this not in solitary particles, whose deceitful glitter excited only to disappoint the expectations of the finder. Our forefathers searched for gold in a systematic manner, and positively obtained it in very satisfactory quanti- ties. Indeed, Scotland was at one time regarded by her southern neigh- bours as an El Dorado, the working of whose gold mines was certain to afford an abundant return. In our age, of which gold-seeking is a great characteristic fact, it is not without interest to recall the almost forgotten chain of circumstances which show that on our own hills, and in our own valleys, were once enacted the scenes whereby California and Australia have grown famous Our streams ' rolled over sands of gold ' at a time when the bear, and the wolf, and the wild horse drank of their waters in the deep stillness of the primeval forest. Ages before our earliest written record in a dim antiquity, whose single ray of light gleams from the graves of the dead we know that our savage ancestors had learned to prize ornaments of gold. And as they had then little or no intercourse with foreign countries certainly none which would attract the precious metal to their shores we have no difficulty in concluding that their gold was native. In many graves belonging to the Stone Period, massive bracelets of the purest gold have been found encircling. the neck and arm of some mouldering skeleton. It was the custom of the time to bury with the dead the things they most prized in life, and these seem often History of Sanquhar. 447 to have been their ornaments Passing lightly over many silent centuries, and advancing far into the Historic Period, we find in the 9th century an evidence that gold was largely used in Scotland. It is again the vanity of our ancestors to which we are indebted. At that time our country was much troubled by the Norsemen. These vagrant heroes had the happy instinct of preserving a record of their exploits in such rugged strains as the poetical skill of the age placed within their reach. Many of these songs have reached us, and are a curious and useful legacy, in consideration of which we are disposed to regard with leniency the otherwise inexcusable proceedings which they celebrate In many of them there is assigned to the warriors, along with such fierce degrees as 'feeders of wolves,' that of 'exactersof rings,' and the poor Scotch are designated the ' forlorn wearers of rings.' We will not suspect our fathers of wearing, or the Norsemen of coming so far to exact, rings of any meaner substance than gold, and that gold, there is no reason to doubt, was native." In the time of James IV. the search for the philosopher's stone, which should turn all other metals into gold, was attracting the credulous in all countries. James established a laboratory in Stirling Castle, and an Italian alchemist was established there to pursue the search. Here is Bishop Lesley's account of an incident connected with it : " This tyme thair was ane Italian with the King, quha wes maid Abbot of Tungland, and wes of curious ingyne. He causit the King believe that he, be multiplyinge and utheris his inventions, soold mak fine gold of uther metall, quhilk science he called Quintassence, quhairupon the King maid grait cost, but all in vaine. This Abbot tuik in hand to flie with wingis of fedderis, quhilkis beand fessinit upon him, he flew off the castell wall of Striveling, bot shortlie he fell to the grund and brak his thie bane. Bot the wyte thairof he ascryvit to that thair wes some hen fedderis in the wiugis, quhilk yarnit and covet the mydding and not the skyis." James V. was an anxious gold seeker. In 1526 he leased the gold mines to some German " mynours,' who seem to have been successful. They found gold in pieces of 3. ox weight, and altogether amounting in value to 100,000 English money. When James was about to marry Magdalen, the French princess, the French ambassadors sneered at his barren country, whereupon James caused covered dishes filled with "bonnet-pieces," coined from Scottish gold, to be placed before each guest as the fruit of his barren country. Skilled miners were sent over by her father to the Scottish gold mines, and again the search was successful. The Treasury records of that time say that 100 oz. of " gold from the myne " were issued for the purpose of making a Crown for the Queen, for which 35 oz. were set apart, making or adding to the King's Crown 3 Ib. 10 oz., a belt for the Queen, 19 oz. It is very possible, therefore, that the old Scottish Crown is formed of native Scottish gold. Some slight notice is taken of the mines during the time of Queen Mary, and during the reign of James VI. English influence was strong, and the 448 History of Sanquhar. mines were wrought with English money, but all the gold found passed first to the Scottish mint for coinage, after which nine-tenths of the yield were paid over to the tinders. In 1583, it is stated that the mines have come to be unproductive through " non putting of men of knowledge and judgment to the inventing and seiken of the samen," and the " haill golden, silver, copper, tin, and leedin mynes within this realme of Scotland" were forthwith let to a Fleming Eustachius Roche, medicinar, for a period of 21 years. This tenant also failed to satisfy the Parliament, and they cancelled the engagement, stating at the same time that the King was " in use to let the haill mynes within their dominions to one or two strangers for a small duty, who neither had substance to cause labour or work the 100th part of any one of the said mines, nor yet instructed other lieges in this realme in the knowledge thereof, which is more than notour by the doings of the present tacksman of the mines, who neither works presently, nor has wrocht these many years, nor ever has searched, sought, or discoverit any new metals since his entry, nor has instructed any of the lieges of the country in that know- ledge ; and which is most inconvenient of all, has made no sufficient payment of the duty to our Sovereign Lord's treasury." We next hear that a certain George Douglas, of Parkhead, was "myning" in Leadhills, and " was slaine with the fall of the bray after a great weet ; that when found he had good store of gold about him, and was ' hurried better than any of his kindred had bin of long time before," which was, I should think, small consolation to George Douglas. The Baron of Newbattle next got a grant of the Crawford-muir district, and the Charter mentions this as a part of the country most exposed to robbery, theft, and forays, and whatever may have brought the raiders into such a bleak moorland district, the description seems to have been no exaggeration, for there are dozens of farmhouse castles on the banks of the different streams in the district, and you may now and again hear some of the old people speak of the raids and clan fights, and especially of the Annandale thief s, as if those doings were not very remote. We now come to the most notable of the gold-seekers, "Mr Be vis Buhner, an ingenious gent." He was induced to come to Scotland by Foulis, who had an interest in the lead mines. He was furnished with recommendations from Queen Elizabeth, and being 1 acked in this way, the Scottish Parliament granted him permission to search for gold and silver mines in the Le.adhiUs. He had plenty of energy, started with 300 men, and in three years had found gold to the value of 100,000. He erected buildings and machinery for the better detection of the small gold. These are spoken of as " a goodly watercourse, sundry damines, scowrers for the washing of gold, store house, and dwelling-houses." Over the doorway of his own house was inscribed " In Wanlock, Elvan, and Glengoner I won my riches and my honour." History of Sanquhar. 449 One of the principal rows of houses in Wanlockhead still bears the name of the " Gold Scours." Buhner had enterprise and energy enough, and had the power common enough of getting money, but seemed to have been unable to keep it when he had got it. He had speculations in different parts of the country ; for instance, he was connected with mines in his native district, in the north of England ; he had interests with the Queen of England, which procured for him the post of " Farmer of Duty on Sea- borne coals." He worked lead mines in Mendip, in Somersetshire ; and in Devonshire this last was undertaken mainly in quest of silver. He also brought silver-lead from Ireland to be refined at his works in Devonshire. He wrote a book on mining, called "Buhner's Skill," in which he recorded his "acts, works, and devices." These "acts, works, and devices" attracted the attention of King James, now on the throne of England, and a kind of joint-stock company was formed for gold winning in Scotland. It was called the royal "plot of the golden mynes." Each shareholder who advanced 300 towards the scheme was to be knighted. They started hopefully in the expectation that the " workes of theire hands will be blessed, and come to a good ende, to God's glory, the King's profitt, and a benefit to the common weale, as in other countries and nations." The Secretary, Earl of Salisbury, opposed the scheme, and few knights were made. Sir Bevis Bulmer, however, came to the Leadhills to begin the new venture, but was soon attracted to Linlithgow, where some silver had been found ; from there he removed to Alston Moor in Cumberland, where he died. Steven Atkinson, who was taught mining skill by Bulmer, writes rather bitterly of him that "he had always too many irons in the fire," that he "wasted much himself," and had " too many prodigall wasters hanging on every shoulder of him; " that he " gave liberally for to be honoured, praised, and magnified," and thereby was impoverished ; that he "followed vices that were not allowable of God nor man; and so, once down aye downe, and at last he died," says Steven, "in my debt 340 starling, to my great hind- rance. God forgive us all our sinnes." This Steven Atkinson also tried to revive the old plan of the knights of the golden mynes, and wrote his book on " Disco verie and Historic of the Gold Mynes in Scotland " in hope of attaining his end. The King had already expended a large sum on the mines, and refused to be " let in " for more expense. Atkinson had no better success with the London merchants, who gave him plainly to under- stand that they would adventure nothing in Scottish gold-mining ; and since his time, or from about the year 1620, no systematic or continued search has been made for gold in the treasure-house of the Leadhills. Present Gold Finds. But although there is no continuous and systematic work done 011 the gold-bearing region of the south of Scotland, there is every now and then a small spurt given to the search by the finding of some small nuggets, or by some searcher being fortunate enough to strike soil extra rich in gold dust. On such occasions as the marriage of any member of the Buccleuch or 57 450 History of Sanquhar. Hopetoun families, it is usual for the miners to turn out and collect as much gold as will make a brooch, rings, or other ornaments. Few of the miners ever try gold washing as a means of earning money, although there are instances of successful ventures in this way. It is stated that one of the old gold seekers had to stop his operations as unsuccessful when his miners' wages rose above 4d a day. But as much as 20 have been earned by a miner during one summer's washing, and that in his leisure after doing his usual "shifts" as a lead miner. Dr John Brown says that " every now and then a miner, smit with the sacred hunger, takes to the deluding, feckless work, and seldom settles to anything again." I have never heard of any miner being smitten to the extent of giving up his regular work in order to search for gold, and even if he did, I think that, considering the price that can be got for gold from the neighbourhood, his efforts would not prove so feckless as I)r Brown represents them. In 1 863, the miners collected close upon 2000 grains for the Countess of Hopetoun. A piece of gold, weighing 640 grains, was found about 20 years ago on Wanlockhead Dod Hill. It is now in the Edinburgh museum. Two or three years ago, on the marriage of the present Earl of Hopetoun, while gold was being collected for the wedding rings, a nugget weighing 277 (?) grains was found. It looked pure, of rich colour, and had a little worn- looking quartz attached. In 1872, a specimen of gold quartz, weighing about 10 Ibs., was found lying on or near a footpath in the village of Wan- lockhead. This find gave rise to an interesting and still unsettled debate as to whether gold had ever been found in quartz or in situ in Wanlockhead or Leadhills district. There was reason to suspect that the above-mentioned specimen was part of a collection belonging to a miner who had returned from the Australian gold diggings. Mr Dudgeon of Cargen ; Dr Grierson, of Thornhill ; Dr Lauder Lindsay ; Dr Wilson, of Wanlockhead, and others took part in the controversy. No one doubted that Gemmel found the specimen in W T anlockhead, but another find will be necessary to place beyond doubt the statement that gold-bearing quartz veins still exist in this vicinity. Sir Roderick Murchison states that the quantity of gold originally imparted to the Silurian or other rocks was very small, and has, for all profitable objects, been exhausted. THE FLORA UK SANQUHAR AND KIRKCONNEL PARISHES. By ANSTRUTHER DAVIDSON, M.D. IN the subjoined list I have detailed in systematic order all the species known to exist in the two parishes, and, as they are all recent and personal records, verified in all doubtful instances by Mr Arthur Bennet, of Croydon, they may be considered perfectly reliable. In the interests of the botanist, I have closely followed the nomenclature and authorities given in the London Catalogue, 8th ed.j adding to each its most familiar English name, the locality where found, and its comparative rarity. Here, as elsewhere, the geological formation exercises an im- portant influence on the floral distribution. The new red sand- stone or ' coal-bearing regions of the Nith and lower parts of Euchan and Oawick, with its deep alluvial soil and fertile holms, though limited in extent, are rich in floral beauty. The remainder, and by far the greater part, of the district is wholly Silurian (whinstone), covered over with sedgy moor or peaty heath and pasture, with here and there alluvial deposit along the streams, and scarcely congenial to the maintenance of a varied flora. Altitude has likewise an interesting and, to the close observer, quite as marked an influence on the distribution of the various species. As one follows the windings of the Nith from the sea, the first marked change is observed at Auldgirth, where the northern limit of Lytkrum Salicaria, Cicuta virosa, and Solanum dulca- mara is reached. Continuing the ascent, the more lowland species gradually diminish or disappear, till the converging hills, touching the river at Enterkinfoot, make a line of demarcation beyond which Thalictrum saxatile, Stellaria nemomm, Galium cruciatum, Lychnis alba, etc., seem to be unable to pass. From 2 Flora of Sent q ithar this point till the new red sandstone at liyehill and Euchan is encountered the ground is comparatively barren. Above this, however, the glens of Crawick and Euchan, with their remnants of natural forest that once covered the whole region, have preserved for us the rarest specimens of our local flora. To the survival of that remnant of the ancient wood we owe the existence of the Bitter Wood and Pencilled Vetches, the Broad-leaved Helleborine, the Carline and Melancholy Thistle, the Green Spleemvort, the Meadow Horsetail, the rarer Willows and Hawkweeds. The botanist may note the omission of many of the commoner forms from this list, but the absence of natural lakes explains the paucity of Pondweeds, Charae, and other aquatic forms common elsewhere, though this scarce accounts for the remarkable absence of some of the most familiar aquatic species, such as Water Crow- foot, Duckweed, Water Purslane, etc. Despite its many disadvantages, Sanquhar district can boast of possessing no less than 40 species hitherto unrecorded from any other part of Dumfriesshire. Two of these, viz., the Yellow Pond Lily (Nuphar intermedium) and the Floating Rush (Juncusjluitans), are very rare, having previously been reported from with the possible exception of Thornhill but three or four other places in Britain. Of the others, Salix nigricans, Equisetum pratense, Hieracium prenanthoides, and Poa glaucantha are rare and interesting species. Among the remainder there are 16 Roses, 3 Brambles, 5 Hawkweeds, and 6 Willows. The total number of species and varieties, so far as I have observed, amount in the aggregate to 496. Of these, 8 are garden escapes, 9 have been casually introduced, 3 are imported fodder plants, and 12 are planted trees. SUB-KINGDOM-PHANEROGAMS. ORDER RANUNCULACE^E. Anemone nemorosa (L.), WOOD ANEMONE Common on the river banks. Ranunculus Lenormandi (Schultz) In shallow ponds. Ranunculus hederaceus (L.), Iw-LEAVED CROWFOOT Rare, near Old Barr and Kirkconnel. and Kirkconnel. 3 Ranunculus Flammula (L.), LESSER SPEARWORT In wet places, common. Ranunculus Flammula, var. Pseudo-Reptans In wet places on the hills. Ranunculus auricomus (L.), GoLDiELOCKS On the roadsides not common. Ranunculus acris (L.), UPRIGHT CROWFOOT Common and general. Ranunculus repens (L.), CREEPING CROWFOOT Very common. Ranunculus bulbosus (L.), BULBOUS CROWFOOT In the pastures at Sanquhar Castle and Spango Bridge. Ranunculus Ficaria (L.), PlLEWORT Common in shady places. Caltha palustris (L.), MARSH MARIGOLD Common in marshy places. Trollius E^(,ropaeus (L.), GLOBE FLOWER In a few places on banks of Nith and Euchan. Aquilegia vulgaris (L.), COLUMBINE Railway near Knockenjig, probably a garden escape. NYMPH^EACE^. Nupliar intermedium (Ledeb.), YELLOW WATER LILY Black Loch. PAPAVERACE^E. Papaver dubium (L.), SMOOTH -HEADED POPPY Common at Kirkconnel Station. FUMARIACE.E. Fumaria officinalis (L.), COMMON FUMITORY Common in the corn fields. Corydalis claviculata (DC.), WHITE CLIMBING FUMITORY Holm walks. CRUCIFER.E. Nasturtium officinale (R.Br.), WATER CRESS Not common, at Newark, Spango Bridge, and Kirkconnel. Barbarea vulgaris (R.Br.), YELLOW ROCKET In moist places alonsr the Nith. Arabis sagittata (DC.), HAIRY WALL CRESS Rare, Kello Water. Cardamine aniara (L.), COMMON BlTTER CRESS On the Nith near Sawmills. Cardamine pratensis (L.), LADY'S SMOCK Common in moist meadows. Cardamine hirsuta (L.), HAIRY CARDAMINE Common in damp places. Cardamine flexuosa (With.) Euchan, in shady places, rare. Erophila vulgaris (DC.), WHITLOW GRASS Localised at Sanquhar Castle and Glenmaddie Craig. Cochlearia ojficinalis (L,), SCURVY GRASS Rather rare, near Euchan Quarry and Glenmaddie Craig. Sisymbrium Thaliana (Hook.), THALE CRESS Not common, on the old stone walls and roadside fences. Sisymbrium officinale- (Scop.), HEDGE MUSTARD Along the highways. Brassica Rutabaga (DC.), SWEDE Common in the Castle corn- fields. Brasslca Monensis (Huds.), ISLE OF MAN CABBAGE A casual on railway embankment near Mennock. Brassica Sinapis (Visiani), FIELD MUSTARD Very common in cultivated grounds. Erysimum cheiranthoides (L.) Near Kirkconnel Station, intro- duced. Capsella Bursa-pastoris (Moench) SHEPHERD'S PURSE Very common. Lepidium Smithii (Hook.), PEPPERWORT Common along hedge banks. Thlaspi arvense (L.), PENNY CRESS Chapel Hill, Carco. Raplianus Raphanistrum (L.), CHARLOCK Common in the cornfields. CISTINE.E. Helianthemum Chamcecistus (Mill.), ROCK ROSE On the bank near Spango Bridge. VIOLACE^l. Viola jjalustris (L.), MARSH VlOLET In marshy ground, Sanquhar Moor, &c. and Kirkconnel. 5 Viola sylvatica (Fr.), DOG VIOLET Common. Viola tricolor (L.), WILD PANSY Common. Viola arveiisis (Murr.), FIELD PANSY Common in cultivated ground. Viola lutea (Huds.), YELLOW PANSY Common on the upland pastures. Viola lutea, var. amozna (Syme), PURPLE PANSY Common on the hills, especially at Wanlockhead. POLYGALE^E. Polygala vulgaris (L.), MlLKWORT Common on hilly pastures. CARYOPHYLLE^. Silene Cucubalus (Wibel), BLADDER CAMPION Rare, Elliock Bridge and Mennock Railway. Lychnis Flos-cuculi (L.), RAGGED ROBIN In most places near Nith. Lychnis diurna (Sibt. ), RED CAMPION Rather rare, hedge banks. Lychnis Githago (Lam.), CORNCOCKLE In cornfield near Station, probably accidental. Cerastium semidecandrum (L.) On Crawick railway bridge. Cerastium glomeratum (Thuill.), BROAD-LEAVED MOUSE - EAR CHICKWEED Common. Cerastium triviale (Link), NARROW-LEAVED MOUSE-EAR CHICK- WEED Common. Stellaria media (Cyr.), COMMON CHICKWEED Very common and general. Stellaria Holostea (L.), GREATER STITCH WORT Common along hedgerows. Stellaria graminea (L.), LESSER STITCH WORT Not uncommon in dry bushy places. Stellaria uliginosa (Murr.), BOG STITCHWORT Common in wet places. Arenaria trinerva (L.), SANDWORT Common in damp shady places. Arenaria serpyllifolia (L)., THYME-LEAVED SANDWORT Along railway embankment, rather rare. Sagina procuinhens (L.), PEARLWORT Common on waste ground. Spergida arvensis (L.), CORN SPURREY Very common. 6 Flora of Sanquhar PORTULACE.E. Montia fontana (L.), WATERBLINKS Common. HYPERICINE^}. Hypericum perforatum (L.), PERFORATED ST. JOHN'S WORT Common. Hypericum quadratum (Stokes), SQUARE-STEMMED ST. JOHN'S WORT Common on wet places in the hilly districts. Hypericum humifusum (L.), TRAILING ST. JOHN'S WORT Very rare, railway bank, Gateside, and near Euchan Cottage. Hypericum pulclirum (L.), UPRIGHT ST. JOHN'S WORT On dry heaths and banks. Hypericum hirsutum (L.), HAIRY ST. JOHN'S WORT Local, near Newark, Ardoch, and Bankhead pit. TILIACEJS. Tilia vulgaris (Hayne), LIME TREE -Introduced. Linum catharticum (L.), PURGING FLAX Common on dry heaths. GERANIACE^. Geranium sylvaticum (L.), WOOD CRANE'S BILL Common in the pastures along Nith. Geranium pratense (L.), MEADOW CRANE'S BILL Localities same as the last, but much rarer. Geranium molle (L.), SOFT-LEAVED GERANIUM Common in the fields. Geranium dissectum (L.), DOVE'S FOOT CRANE'S BILL Common. Geranium Robertianum (L.), HERB EGBERT Common and general. Oxalis acetosella (L.), WOOD SORREL Very common and general. ILICINE^. Ilex Aquifoliiim (L.), HOLLY Naturalized. and Kirkconnd. 1 SAPINDACE^E. Acer Pseudo-platanus (L.), PLANE TREE Elliock Woods, intro- duced. Acer campestre (L.), COMMON MAPLE Elliock Woods, introduced. Genista anglica (L.), PETTY WHIN Among the heather at Wanlockhead. Ulex europaeus (L.), WHIN or FURZE Common. Cytisus scoparius (Link), BROOM Common. Ononis repens, var. inervis (Lange), RfiSTHARROW Railway bank near Ardoch. Trifolium pratense (L.), PURPLE CLOVER Very common, culti- vated. Trifoliiim medium (L.), ZlGZAG CLOVER Common along the railway banks. Trifolium hybridum (L.), ALSIKE CLOVER Introdiiced as a fodder plant. Trifolium repens (L.), DUTCH or WHITE CLOVER Very common. Trifolium procumbens (L.), HOP TREFOIL or YELLOW CLOVER Common. Trifolium dubium (Sibth.), LESSER YELLOW CLOVER Not so common as the last. Anthyllis vulneraria (L.), LADIES' FINGERS Railway bank near the shooting range. Lotus corniculatus (D.), BIRD'S FOOT TREFOIL Common. Lotus pilosus (Beeke). GREATER BIRD'S FOOT TREFOIL Not un- common in damp places. Vicia hirsuta (Koch), HAIRY TARE Sanquhar Castle, Mennock. Vicia Cracca (L.), TlTFTED VETCH Common in the hedges. Vicia Orobus (DC.), BETTER VETCH Abundant in Euchan and Kello woods. Vicia sylvatica (L.), PENCILLED VETCH Crawick woods, near Knockenhair, and Kello woods. Vicia sepium (L.), BUSH VETCH Common. Vicia sativa (L.), TARES Escape from cultivation. Vicia angustifolia, var. Bobartii (Fors.) Railway bank at Sanquhar Station. Flora of Sanquhar Lathyrus pratensis (L.), YELLOW VETCHLING Very common. Lathy rus macrorrhizus (Wimm), HEATH PEA Common on dry heaths. ROSACE/E. Prunus communis (Huds.), SLOETHORN Common. Prunus Avittm (L.), GEAN TREE Common. Prunus Padus (L.), BIRD CHERRY Common. Spirea salicifolia (L.), WlLLoW-LEAVED SPIREA Elliock woods, garden escape. Spirea Ulmaria (L.), QUEEN OF THE MEADOW Common. Rubus Idceus (L.), RASPBERRY Common. Rubus plicatus (W. & N.), BRAMBLE var. Common. Rubus carpinifolius (W. & N.), BRAMBLE Hedges south of Sanquhar. Rubus ramosus (Blox.), BRAMBLE var. Rare, Crawick. Rubus Koehleri (Weihe), BRAMBLE var. Road side, Crawick. Jhibus saxatilis (L.), STONE BRAMBLE Common along Nith and tributaries. Rubies chamcemorus (L.), CLOUD BERRY Common at Wanlock- head and Garland. Geum urbanum (L.), WOOD AVENS Common along hedgerows. Geum intermedium (Ehrh.) On the river bank at Ryehill, frequent on the i-oadside between Elliock and Burnsands. Geum rivale (L.), WATER AVENS In damp woods, not common. Fragaria vesca (L.), WILD STRAWBERRY Common. Potentilla Fragariastrum (Ehrh.), BARREN STRAWBERRY Com- mon on dry banks. Potentilla Tormentilla (Neck.), TORMENTIL- Common. Potentilla procumbens (Sibth.), PROCUMBENT TORMENTIL Fre- quent along the roadsides north and south. Potentilla reptans (L.), CREEPING TORMENTIL A few plants grow on the Castle walls. Potentilla Anserina (L.), SILVER WEED Common. Potentilla Comarum (Nestl.), MARSH ClNQUEFOlL In marshes and peaty bogs. Alchemilla arvensis (Lam.), PARSLEY PlERT Common. Alchemilla vulgaris(L.}, LADY'S MANTLE Common. and Kirkconnd. 9 Ayrimonia Eupatoria (L.), AGRIMONY Generally distributed, but local at Braeheads, Elliock woods, &c. Rosa spinosissima (L.). SCOTCH ROSE Very local, Elliock Bridge, Euchan and Kello water. Rosa mollis (Sm.) Common. Do. do., var. cwrulea (Woods) Common in Crawick Glen Rosa tomentosa (Sin.) Very common. Do. do. var. subylobosa (Sm.) Very rare, in hedgerows near Rigg. Rosa rubiyinosa (L.), SWEET BRIAR An escape. Rosa canina, var. lutetiana (Lemaii) Common. Do. do., var. dumalis (Bechst.) Common. Do. do., var. urbica (Leman) Not common, on Nith near Elliock Bridge, Do. do., var. arvatica (Baker) -Very rare, near Elliock Bridge. Do. do., var. dumetorum (Thuill.) Common. Do. do., var. pruinosa (Baker) Very rare, near Grange. Do. do., var. tomenteUa (Leman) Not uncommon south of town. Do. do., var. verticil lacantha (Merat.) Not unusual on Crawick stream. Do. do., var. collina (Jacq.) Very rare, near Mennock. Do. do., var. decipiens (Bum.) Very rare, on Nith above Burnfoot. Do. do., var. glauca (Vill.) Common. Do. do., var. subcristata (Baker) -Not uncommon. Do. do., var. coriifolia (Fr.) Rare, Carcoside and Holm woods. Do. do., var. Borreri (Woods) Very rare, on Nith above Elliock Bridge. Pyrus Aucuparia (Gaert.), ROWAN TREE Common. Pyrus Malus, var. acerba (DC.), CRAB APPLE TREE In the woods. Crataegus Oxyacantlia (L.), HAWTHORN Common. 10 Flora of Sanquhar SAXIFRAGES. Saxifraga stellaris (L.), STARRY SAXIFRAGE In the wet ground near source of Euchan Water. Saxifraga hypnoides (L.), LADIES' CUSHION Rare, on the Enter- kin, Gareland, and high hills. Chrysosplenium alternifolium (L.), ALTERNATE -LEAVED GOLDEN SAXIFRAGE Very local, near Grange, Burnsands, Laggrie. Chrysosplenium oppositifolium (L.), OPPOSITE-LEAVED GULDEN SAXIFRAGE Common. Parnassia palustris (L.), GRASS OF PARNASSUS Comparatively rare, on Crawick and Kello. Ribes Grossularia (L.), Go,OSEBERRY A garden escape. Ribes rubrum (L.), RED CURRANT A garden escape. CRASSULACE^E. Sedu-m Telephium (L.). ORPINE or LIVE LONG In a few places along the railway, a doubtful native. Sedum villosum (Linn), HAIRY STONECROP Confined to wet roadsides in the hilly districts, as Cogshead, Nethercog, Glenglass Burn, &c. DROSERACES. Drosera rotundifolia (L.), SUNDEW Town moor. HALORAGEJE. Myriophyllum spicatttm (L.), SPIKED WATER MILFOIL In the River Nith. Callitriche staynalis (Scop.), WATER STARWORT Common in muddy places. Callitriche hamulata (Kuetz) Auchengruith Mill dam and town reservoir. ONAGRACEyE. Epilobium angustifolium (L.), FRENCH WlLLOW Abundant on Nith, Euchan, and Gareland Clench. Epilobium montanum (L.), WlLLOW HERB Common. Epilobium palustre (L.), MARSH WlLLOW HERB Common in wet places. and Kirkconnel. 11 (Enothera bieunis (L.), EVENING PRIMROSE A garden escape, at Nith Mills. Circcea lutrtiana (L.), ENCHANTER'S NIGHTSHADE Not infre- quent in shady woods. UMBELLIFER.E. Hydrocotyle vulgaris (L.), MARSH PENNYWORT Town Moor. Sanicula europcea (L.), WOOD SANICLE Not common, Crawick and Elliock woods. Conlum macidatum (L.), HEMLOCK A few plants at Sanqnhar Castle. Carum verticillatum (Koch), WHORLED WATER PARSNIP In the meadows at Conrig and Bogue. ^Egopodiiwn Podagraria (L.), BISHOP'S WEED Common, a troublesome garden weed. /'impinella, saxifraga (L.), BuRNET SAXIFRAGE Common. Conopodium denudation (Koch), EARTH NUT Common. Anthriscus sylvestris (Hof.), Cow PARSLEY Common, the rail- way embankments. ^Ethusa Cynapium (L.), FOOL'S PARSLEY Rare, Nith Mills. Meum Athamanticum (Jacq.), BALD MONEY Common on the upland meadows, on Euchan, Crawick. and Kello waters. Angelica sylvestris (L.), WlLD ANGELICA Common. Heracleum sphondylium (L.), Cow PARSNIP Common. Daucus Carota (L.), WILD CARROT Very rare, in a field near the station. CaucaMs Anthriscus (Huds.), HEDGE PARSLEY Common along the hedges. ARALIACE.E. Hedera, Helix (L.), IVY Common. CAPRIFOLIACE.E. Adoxa Moschatellina (L.), MosCHATEL Crawick woods, near Grange. Sambucus niyra (L.), ELDER or BOURTREE Common. Satnbucus Ebulus (L.), DWARF BOUUTREE ^Elliock Saw Mill. 12 Viburnum Opulus (L.), GUELDER ROSE On Nith near South Mains and Holm walks. Lonicera Periclymenum (L.), HONEYSUCKLE Common. RUBIACE.E. Galium boreale (L.), BEDSTRAW Common along the Nith. Galium verum (L.), YELLOW BEDSTRAW Not common, Brae- head and near Kirkconnel. Galium Mollugo (L.), GREAT HEDGE-BEDSTRAW Euchan road } near Barr cottages. Galium saxatile (L.), HEATH BEDSTRAW Common on the moors. Galium palustre (L.), WATER BEDSTRAW Common in most places. Galium Aparine (L.), GOOSEGRASS or CLEAVERS Very common in hedges. Galium tricorne (With.) An alien, at Railway Station. Asperula odorata (L.), WOODRUFF Generally distributed, but local. Sherardia arvensis (L.), FIELD MADDER Not common, in fields. VALERIANE.E. Valeriana ojficinalis (L.), VALERIAN Fairly common. PIPSACEJE. Scabiosa succis'i (L.), DEVIL'S BIT Common. Scahiosa arvensis (L.), FIELD SCABIOUS In a cornfield near Drumbuie, introduced with seeds. COMPOSITE. Solidayo Viryaurea (L.), GOLDEN R,OD Common. Beliis perennis (L.), DAISY Very common. Antennaria dioica (R.Br.), CATSFOOT Common on the hill pastures. Gnaphaliutn uliyinosum (L.), MARSH CUDWEED Common in wet, sandy places. Giiaphalium sylvaticutn (L.), CUDWEED Common in pasture lands. and Kirkconnel. 1 3 Achillea MiUefolium (L.), YARROW Common. Achillea Ptarmica (L.), SNEEZEWORT Common. Anthemis Cotula (L.), COMMON MAYWEED Very rare, railway embankment, Bankhead Coal-pit. Chrysanthemum segetum (L.), CORN MARIGOLD Common. Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum (L.), Ox EYE DAISY Common. Matricaria inodora (L.), SCENTLESS FEVERFEW Common. Tanacetum vulgare (L.), TANSY An escape, near Old Barr. Artemisia mdgaris (L.). MuoWORT Common. Tussilago Farfara (L.), COLT'S FOOT A troublesome weed, in clayey soils. Petasites mdgaris (Desf.), BuTTERBUR Common on the Nith near Mains ford. Senecio mdgaris (L.), GROUNDSEL Very common. Senecio si/lvaticus (L.) Very rare, near Crawick Mill. Senecio Jacobcva (L.), RAGWORT Common. Senecio aquaticus (Huds.), MARSH GROUNDSEL Very common. Carlina mdgaris (L.), CARLINE THISTLE Limited to Euchan Glen. Arctium minus (Schk.), BURDOCK Eare, Elliock Saw Mill. Cnicus lanceolatus (Hoffm.), SPEAR THISTLE Common. Cnicus palustris (HofFm.), MARSH THISTLE Common. Cnicus arvensis (Hoffm.). FIELD THISTLE Common. Cnicus heterophyllus (Willd.), MELANCHOLY PLUME THISTLE Abundant in Euchan Glen, less so in Crawick and Nith. Centaurea nigra (L.), BLACK KNAPWEED Common. Centaurea Cyanus (L.), CORN BLUEBOTTLE An alien, on the railroad near Kirkconnel. Lapsana communis (L.), NIPPLEWORT Common. Crepis virens (L.), SMOOTH HAWK'S-BEARD Common in wet meadows. Crepis paludosa (Moench) Very common in wet and shady places. Hieracium Pilosella (L.), MOUSE-EAR HAWKWEED Common. Hieracium iricum (Fr.) Rare, below Elliock Bridge. Do. vulgatum (Fr.) Common on rocky banks. Do. do., var. maculatum On the cliffs at Bankhead pit, and on Euchan and Glendyne. 14 Flora of Sanquhar Hieracium tridentatum (Fr.) Common on the banks of Nitli and Euchan. Hieracium prenanthoides (Vill.) Rare, Carserig Burn, and near Elliock Saw Mill. Hieracium iimbellatum (L.) Very rare, Knockenjig Ford. Hieracium crocatum (Fr.) On the Nith near Ryehill. Do. Etipatorium (Griseb) -Very rare, below Elliock Bridge. Hieracium boreale (Fr.) Common on the Nith. Hypochaeris radicata (L.), LONG-ROOTED CAT'S EAR Very common. Leontodon kispidus (Linn.), ROUGH HAWKBIT Very common. Leontodon autumnalis (L.), AUTUMNAL HAWKBIT Common. Leontodon autumnalis, var. pratensis (Koch) Near source of Euchan and Glenglass Burn. Taraxacum offi,cinale (Web.), DANDELION Common. Do. do. var. palustre (DC.) -Not uncommon in the wet hill pastures. Sonchus oleraceus (L.), COMMON Sow THISTLE Common. Sonchus arvensis (L.), CORN Sow THISTLE Common in corn- fields. CAMPANULACE.E. Jasione montana (L.), SHEEP'S-BIT Common. Campanula rotundifolia (L.), HAREBELL Common. Do. latifolia (L.), GIANT HAREBELL Newark wood, Polskeoch, and Crawick st/i - eam. VACCINIACE^. Vaccinium Oxycoccos (L.), CRANBERRY Town moor. Do. Vitis-Idwa (L.), COWBERRY Scarcely distributed in sub-alpine glens, on the Lowthers very abundant. Vaccinium Myrtillus (L.), BLAEBERRY Common. ERICACEAE. Andromeda Polifolia (L.), WlLDRosEMARY Very rare, Black Loch. Calluna, Erica (DC.), LlNG or HEATH Common. Eric-i Mralix (L.), HEATH Very common. and Kirkcounfl. 15 Erica cinerea (L.), FlNE-LEAVED HEATH Common. Pyrola minor (Sw.), LESSER WINTER GREEN Very local, below Mennock, Glendyne, and near Craigdarroch. PRIMULACE.E. Primula vu'garis (Huds.), PRIMROSE Common. Lysimachia vulgaris (L.), YELLOW LOOSESTRIFE In a ditch above Gateside, on the Nith near Saw Mill. Lysimachia nemonim (L.), YELLOW PIMPERNEL Common. Atiagallis arvensis (L.), SCARLET PIMPERNEL or POOR MAN'S WEATHER GLASS Chiefly as a garden weed. OLEACE.E, Fraxinus excelsior (L.), ASH Generally planted, but undoubtedly native in Ashcleugh, Crawick. Ligustrum vulyare (L.), PRIVET Planted. GENTIANE^E. Gentiana campestris (Linn.), FIELD GENTIAN On hilly pastures, as at Barr Moor and Euchan. Menyanthes trifoliata (L.), BOG BEAN Black Loch. BORAGINEJ5. Symphytum ojficinale (L.), COMMON COMFREY Not common, Braeheads, Manse Pool, Kirkconnel, &c. Symphytum tuberosum (L.), TUBEROUS COMFREY Abundant north of Kirkconnel Station. Symphytum asperrimum (Bab.), ROUGH COMFREY Auchengruith, introduced. Anchusa sempervirens (L.), EVERGREEN ALKANET Sanquhar Castle, the only relic of the Castle garden. Myosotis ccespitosa (Schultz) Fairly common along the road- side ditches, as at Crawick and Connelbush. Myosotis repens (D.Dou.), CREEPING FORGET-ME-NOT The com- mon form in the district. Myosotis arvensis (Hoff.), FIELD SCORPION GRASS Common, 16 Flora of SanqnJiar Myowtis arvensis, var. umhrosa (Bab.) Common in the woods. Myosotis versicolor (Reichb.), BLUE AND YELLOW SCORPION GRASS Common in the meadows. SCROPHULARINE^. Verbascum Thapstts (L.), COMMON MULLEIN Very rare, a few plants near Railway Station. Linaria vulgaris (Mill.), YELLOW TOAD FLAX Rare, at Sanquhar Castle, and near Old Barr. Scrophularia nodosa (L.), KNOTTED FiGWORT Not uncommon in moist places. Digitalis purpurea (L.), FOXGLOVE Common. Veronica hedercefolia (L.), IVY-LEAVED SPEEDWELL Very rare on roadside near Nith Mills. Veronica agrestis (L.), GREEN FIELD SPEEDWELL Abundant as a garden weed, less so in the fields. Veronica arvensis (L.), WALL SPEEDWELL Common. Do. serpyllifolia (L.), THYME - LEAVED SPEEDWELL Common. Veronica officinalis (L.), COMMON SPEEDWELL Common. Do. Chamcedrys (L.), GERMANDER SPEEDWELL Common. Do. scutdlata (L.), MARSH SPEEDWELL Near Ulzieside sheep folds, at Grange Mill dam. Veronica Beccabiinga (L.), BROOKLIME Rare, in ditches in Crawick Glen. Eupkrasia officinalis (L.), EYEBRIGHT Very common. Bartsia Odontites (Huds.), RED EYEBRIGHT Common. Pedicularis palustris (L.), LOUSEWORT Common in boggy places. Pedicularis sylvatica (L.), RED RATTLE Common in wet heather. Melampyrum pratense (L.), COMMON Cow WHEAT Abundant in Euchan Glen. Rhinanthus Crista-galli (L.), YELLOW RATTLE Common. LENTIBULARIE.E. Pinguicida vulgaris (L.), BuTTERWORT Common in peaty bogs. LABIATE. Mentha Piperita, var. officinalis (Hull.), PEPPERMINT An escape, in ditch in the Glebe. and Kirkrnnnc.l. 1 7 Mentha sativa, var. rivalis (L.C.), RED MINT Tne common wild mint of the district. Mentha arvensis, var. Nummularia (Schreb), CORN MINT Com- mon in cornfields. Thymus Serpyllum (Fr.), WILD THYME Very common on dry heaths. Nepeta Glechoma (Benth.), GROUND IVY Generally distributed, but not common. Prunella vulyaris (L.), SELF-HEAL Common. Stackys Betonica (Benth.), BETONY Abundant, on Euchan, and Nith from Euchan to E'liock Bridge. Stachys pahistris (L.), MARSH WouNDWORT Common. Do. sylvatica (L.), WOOD WOUNDWORT Common. Galeopsis speciosa (Mill.) In cultivated ground, Old Barr and Greenhead, Wanlockhead. Do. Tetrahit (L.), COMMON HEMP NETTLE Common. Lamium amplexicaule (L.), HENBIT. Lamium purpureum (L.), RED DEAD NETTLE Common. Lamium album (L.), WHITE DEAD NETTLE Roadside near Carco, only locality. Teucrium Scorodonia (L.), WOODSAGE Common. Ajuya reptans (L.), COMMON BUGLE Common in wet pastures. PLANTAGINE.E. Plantago major (L.), GREATER PLANTAIN Very common. Do. lanceolata (L.), RIBWORT or RlBGRASS Very common. ILLECEBRACE^. Scleranthus annuus (L.), KNAPWELL or KNOWEL Not common, in sandy fields. CHENOPODIACE^. Chenopodium album, var. viride (L.), GOOSEFOOT or FAT-HEN Common. Atriplex angustifolia (Sm.), ORACHE Common. POLYGONACE.E. Polygonum Convolvulus (L.), BLACK BINDWEED Common in the fields. C 18 Flora of Sanqiihrt.r Polygonum aviculare (L.), KNOT GRASS Very common. Do. Hydropiper (L.), WATER PEPPER Fairly common in wet places. Polygonum Persicaria (L.), SPOTTED PERSICARIA Common. Do. amphibium, var. terrestret (Leers) On the embank- ment near the Station. Rumex sanguineus, var. viridis (Sibth.), GREEN-VEINED DOCK Common. Do. obtusifolius (L.), BROAD-LEAVED DOCK Common. Do. crispus (L.), CURLED DOCK Common. Do. alplnus (L.), MONK'S RHUBARB An escape, at Euchan Bank. Do. Acetosa (L.), COMMON SORREL Common. Do. Acetosella (L.), SHEEP'S SORREL Very common. EUPHORBIACE^E. Euphorbia Helioscopia (L.), SUN SPURGE Common. Do. Peplus (L.), PETTY SPURGE Very rare, near Railway Station. Mercvirialis perennis (L.), DOG'S MERCURY Common in the woods. URTICACE^E. Ultnus campestris, var. suberosa (Ehrh.), COMMON ELM Generally planted. Urtica dioica (L.), COMMON NETTLE Common. Do. urens (L.), SMALL NETTLE Common in the farmyards. CUPULIFER.E. Betuta alba (L.), BlRCH Common. Alnus glutinosa (L.), A.LDER Common. Quercits Robur (L.), OAK Common. Corylus Avellana (L.), HAZEL Common. Casiauea saliva (Mill.), CHESTNUT Planted. Fagus sylvatica (L.), BEECH Common. SALICINE.E. Salix pentandra (L.), BAY-LEAVED WILLOW On Nith below Mains, Elliock wood, and Burnfoot. and Kirkcounel. 19 .Salixfragilis (L.), CRACK WlLLOW Very rare, Elliock woods. Do. alba (L.), WHITE WILLOW Holm woods, planted. Do. jmrpurea (L.), PURPLE OSIER Common on Nith. Do. do., var. Woolgariana (Borr.) Common on Nith. Do. vimiimlis (L.), OSIER Generally planted. Do. cinerea (L.), GREY SALLOW Common. Do. do. var. aquatica (Sm.) Veiy rare, on Nith near Mains. Do. aurita (L.), ROUND-EARED SALLOW Common. Do. Caprea (L.), GREAT SALLOW Common. Do. phylicifolia, var. Davalliana (Sm.), Common on Euchan and Nith. Do. do., var. tenuior (Borr.) -Very rare, near Glen- glass. Do. do., var. tetrapla (Walker) Rare, near Burnfoot. Do. nigricans (Sm.), BLACK WlLLOW A few small trees near Euchan Head. Populus alba (L.), WHITE POPLAR Planted. Do. tremula (L.), ASPEN In woods, a native. . Do. nigra (L.), BLACK POPLAR Introduced, as at Mains and Knockenstob. EMPETRACE.E. Empetrnm nigrum (L.), CROWBERRY Common on the Lowthers, less so on other hills. CONIFERS. Juniperus communis (L.), JUNIPER Not common, Kello and Euchan glens. Taxus baccata (L.), YEW Planted. Pinus sylvestris (L.), SCOTCH FlR Planted. ORCHIDE^E. Listera ovata (R.Br.), TwAYBLADE Not infrequent, Auchen- gruith, Euchan, &c. Epipactis latifolia (Sm.), HELLEBORINE Very rare, Crawick woods, near Knockenhair, Rifle Range. Orchis mascula (L.), EARLY PURPLE ORCHIS Common in pastures 20 Flora of Sanquhar Orchis latifolia (L.), MARSH ORCHIS Common in wet meadows. Orchis maculata (L.), SPOTTED HAND ORCHIS Common. Habenaria conopsea (Benth.), FRAGRANT ORCHIS Common, especially so in Euchan. Do. albida (RBr.), SMALL WHITE ORCHIS Rare, on the banks of Euchan, near Waterfall. Do. chlorokuca (Ridley), BUTTERFLY ORCHIS Not in- frequent in moist woods and meadows. IBIDEM. Iris Pseudacorus (L.), YELLOW FLAG Rare, on the Crawick near Spango, Laggrie. AMARYLLIDE.E. Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus (L.), DAFFODIL An outcast, on Nith near Saw Mill. LILIACE/E. A Ilium ursinum (L.), RAMSONS Common in the woods. Scilla nutans (Sm.), WILD HYACINTH Very common. Narthecium ossifragum (Huds.), BOG ASPHODEL -Rare, on boggy places on hills. JUNCACE.E. Juncus bufonius (L.), TOAD RUSH Common on the waysides. Juncus squarrosus (L.), HEATH RUSH Common on the moors. Do. effusus (L.) Common. Do. supinus (Moench) Common in hill ditches. Do. do., var. fluitans (Fr.) Very rare, Auchengruith Mill dam. Do. acutiftorus (Ehrh.), SPRIT or SPROT Common on the moors. Luzula pilosa (Willd.), WOOD RUSH Not common, on wooded banks. Luzula maxima (DC.), GREAT WOOD RUSH Common. Do. campestris (DC.), FIELD WOOD RUSH Very common. Do. multi/iora, var. congesta (Koch) Common on the moors. and Kirkconnel. 21 TYPHACE^E. Sparganium ramosum (Curtis), BRANCHED BUR REED Very rare, on Kelloside common. Do. simplex (Huds.), UNBRANCHED BUR REED On Nith above Saw Mill, only locality. NAIADACE^E. Triglochin palustre (L.), MARSH ARROW GRASS Common on the hills. Potamoyeton natans (L.), BROAD-LEAVED POND WEED Common in the ditches and slow streams. Potamogeton pusillus (L.), SMALL POND WEED In pools at Knockenhair, Auchengruith, and Guffockland. Do. heterophylhis (Schreb.). VARIOUS-LEAVED POND WEED Very rare, Guffockland dam. CYPERACE.E. Eleocharis palustris (R.Br.), CREEPING SPIKE RUSH Common by the side of Nith. Scirpus ccespitosus (L.), DEER'S HAIR Common on the moors. Do. setaceus (L.), BRISTLE MUD RUSH Rather rare, along muddy roadsides. Do. sylvaticus (L.), WOOD RUSH Frequent on Nith below town. Eriophorum vaginatum (L.), HARE'S-TAIL COTTON GRASS Com- mon on the hills. Do. angiistifolitim (Roth.), COMMON COTTON GRASS Common. Do. do., var. elatius (Koch) Rare, Kuocken- stob Moor, Glenmaddie Craig. Gar ex dioica (L.) Not common, wet places on the Braehead. Do. pulicaris (L.), FLEA CAREX Common in wet places. Do. muricata (L.), PRICKLY CAREX Not infrequent along the road sides. Do. echinata (Murr.), LITTLE PiUCKLY CAREX Not uncom- mon. Do. remota (L.), D 1ST ANT-SPIKED CAREX Common in shady woods. 22 Flora of Sanqukar Carex ovalis (Good.), OVAL-SPIKED CAREX Common. Do. curta (Good.), WHITE CAREX Not uncommon, Barr Bank, Farthingmolloch Burn. Do. aquatilis, var. Watsoni (Syme), WATER CAREX Abundant on Nith. Do. Goodenowii (Gay.), COMMON CAREX Common, Do. glauca (Murr.), GLAUCOUS HEATH CAREX Common on the heath. Do. pilulifera (L.), PlLL-HEADED CAREX Common. Do. prtecox (Jacq.), EARLY CAREX Common on dry banks. Do. pallescens (L.), PALE CAREX Not infrequent. Do. panicea (L.), CARNATION CAREX Common. Do. sylvatica (Huds.), WOOD CAREX In Euchan and Crawick Glens. Do. Icevigata (Sm.), SMOOTH-STALKED BEAKED CAREX New- ark Wood and Matthew's Folly. Do. binervis (Sm.), GREEN-RIBBED CAREX Not uncommon on the hills. Do. fulva (Good.), TAWNY CAREX Common on hills. Do. do. var. Hornschuchiana (Hoppe) Fairly common on moist clayey banks, on the hills. Do. flava (L.), YELLOW CAREX Common. Do. do., var. minor (Towns.) Common on the higher hills. Do. hirta (L.), HAIRY CAREX Rare, on a few places on Nith, as below Saw Mill. Do. rostrata (Stokes), BOTTLE CAREX Not common. GRAMINE.E. Phalaris canariensis (L.), CANARY GRASS -An escape, in Crawick Woods. Do. arundinacea (L.), REED CANARY GRASS Common along River Nith. Anthoxanthum odoratum (L.), SWEET-SCENTED VERNAL GRASS Common. Alopecurus geniculatus (L.), BENT FOXTAIL Common in road- side ditches. Alopecurus pratensis (L.), COMMON FOXTAIL Very common. MHiuin fiffimuni (L.), MILLET GRASS Very rare, Holm walks. anil KirkcomirL Phlenm pratense (L.), TIMOTHY GRASS or CAT'S-TAIL Very common. Do. arenarium (L.), SEASIDE CAT'S-TAIL Very rare, Brae- heads. Agrostis canina (L.), BROWN BENT GRASS Common in peaty heaths. Do. alba (L.), FiORiN GRASS Common in wet ditches. Do. vulgaris (With.), FINE BENT GRASS Very common in the meadows. Aira caryophyllea (L.), SILVERY HAIR GRASS Not common. Do. prcecox (L.), EARLY HAIR GRASS Kare, on dry banks. Do. ccespitosa (L.), TUFTED HAIR GRASS Common. Do.flexuosa (Trin.), WAVY HAIR GRASS Common in heathy places. Holcus mollis (L.), SOFT GRASS Common. Do. lanatus (L.), YORKSHIRE FOG Common. Avena flavescens (L.), YELLOW OAT GRASS Rare, roadside, Crawick Bridge, and Bankhead pit. Avena pratensis (L.) Common in the holms of Nith. Arrhenatherum avevaceum (Beauv.), FALSE OAT GRASS Not common. Do. do. var. nodosum (Reich.) Common. Triodia decumbens (Beauv.), HEATH GRASS Common on the heathy pastures. Cynosurus cristatus (L.), DOG'S-TAIL GRASS Common. Koeleria cristata (Pers.), CRESTED HAIR GRASS Dry pastures, Spango, &c. Molinia cwrulea (Moench), PURPLE MOLINIA Not infrequent in the moors. Melica nutans (L.), MOUNTAIN MELIC Not uncommon, Crawick, Euchan, and Kello Glens. Do. uniflora (Retz.), WOOD MELIC Common. Dactylis glomerata (L.), COCK'S-FOOT Common. Briza media (L.), QUAKING GRASS Not uncommon. Poa annua (L.), ANNUAL MEADOW GRASS Common. Do. nemoralis (L.), WOOD-STALKED GRASS Rare, on rocks along Nith. Do. do. var. glaucantha (Reichb.) On locks Kello Water, only locality. 24 Flora ofSanguhar Poa pratensis (L.), SMOOTH-STALKED PoA Common. Do. trivialis (L.), EOUGH-STALKED PoA Common. Glyceriafluitans (R.Br.), FLOAT GRASS Common. Festuca sciuroides (Roth.) Not uncommon, on roadside, and in cultivated fields. Do. ovina (L.), SHEEP'S FESCUE Common on the hills, often viviparous. Do. rubra (L.), HARD FESCUE Common. Do. elatior, var. loliacea (Huds.) Rare, Sanquhar Castle. Do. do. var. pratensis (Huds.), MEADOW FESCUE Not common, in meadows and along waysides. Bromus giganteus (L.), TALL BEARDED GRASS Common in woods. Do. asper (Murr.), HAIRY BROME GRASS Common along rivers. Do. racemosus (L.), SMOOTH BROME Not common. Do. mollis (L.), SOFT BROME Common. Brachypodium sylvaticum (Roem.), FALSE BROME Common. Lolium perenne (L.), RYEGRASS Common. Do. do. var. Italicum (Br.), ITALIAN RYE Cultivated. Lclium temulentum, var. arvense (With.), DARNEL Very rare, Nith at Kirkconnel. Triticum caninum (Beauv.), WHEAT GRASS Common. Do. repens (Beauv.), COUCH GRASS Common. Nardus stricta (L.), MAT GRASS Common on hills. FILICES OR FERNS. Hymenophyllum unilnterale (Bor.), FlLMY FERN Near sources of Kello and Mennock Waters. Pteris aquilina (L.), BRAKE or BRACKEN Common. Cryptogramme crispa (R.Br.), PARSLEY FERN Rare, on the hills at Euchan Bank. Lomaria Spicant (Desv.), HARD FERN Common in the woods and on banks. Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum (L.), BLACK SPLEENWORT Rare, Sanquhar Castle, and on railway wall near Ryehill. Asplenium viride (Huds.), GREEN SPLEENWORT Euchan Glen, nearly extinct. and Kirkconncl. 25 Asplenium Trichomanes (L.), COMMON SPLEENWORT Common. Asplenium Ruta-muraria (L.), WALL RUE Very rare, Sanquhar Castle and Euchan Bridge. Athyrium Filix-fcemina (Roth.), LADY FERN Very common. Scolopendrium vulgare (Syme), HART'S TONGUE A few plants found in Euchan. Cystopteris fragilis (Bernh.), BRITTLE BLADDER FERN Kello Water, Orchard Burn, very abundant. Polystichum lobatum, var. aculeatum (Syme), PRICKLY SHIELD FERN Not infrequent in the upland glens. Lastrcea Oreopteris (Presl.), SWEET MOUNTAIN FERN Common in the hilly districts. Lastrcea Filix-mas (Presl.), MALE F'ERN Common. Lastrcea dilatata (Presl.), BROAD SHIELD FERN Common. Polypodium vulgare (L.), COMMON POLYPODY Very common. Polypodium Phegopteris (L.), BEECH FERN Common. Do. Dryopteris (L.), OAK FERN Common along wooded streams. Ophioglossum vulgatum (L.), ADDER'S TONGUE FERN In the meadows at the Shooting Range. Botrychium Lunaria (Sm.), MOONWORT In hill pastures, as at Ulzieside. EQUISETACE.E. Equiselum arvense (L.), FIELD HORSE TAIL Common. Do. pratense (Ehrh.) Very rare, Holm Wood, and Nith above Saw Mill. Do. sylvaticum (L.), WOOD HORSE TAIL Common. Do. palustre (L.), MARSH HORSE TAIL "Not common, roadside Nether Cog, reservoir Kirkconnel. Do. limosum (L.), SMOOTH HORSE TAIL Common in wet places. LYCOPODIACE.E. Lycopodium Selago (L.), FIR CLUB Moss Sparingly on upland moors. Do. clavatum (L.), COMMON CLUB Moss Local, on Craigdarroch Moor, Glenmaddie and Pampha Linns. D 26 Lycopodium alpinum (L.), ALPINE CLUB Moss Very rare, near the march on the Lowthers. Selaginella selaginoides (Gray) Common in boggy places on the hills. CHARACE^E. Chara fragilis, var. barbata (Gant) In sheep drains near Pol- skeoch. Nltdla opaca (Agardh.) Auchengruith and Guffockland Mill dams, and near Brickwork. MOSSES. THE Mosses recorded in this List do not by any means com- prise all those to be found in the district, but only those discovered by the writer. As many other species doubtless exist, the list is a very imperfect one, but is here given for its scientific value, and in the hope that some more competent bryologist may complete what the writer had but begun : Sphagnum acutifolium. ,, purpureum. ,, fimbriatiim. ,, sqiuirrosum. ., rif/idtim compactum. ,, cijmbifolium. Andnea petrophila. alpiiM. Gymnostomum mpestre. ,, curvirostrum. Weissa viridula. Dichodontium pelbicidum. Dicranella squatTosa. ,, peteromala. Dicratium scoparium. Campylopus atrovirens. ,, frayilis. Leucobryum glaticum. Pleuridium siibulatiim. ,, alternifolium. Blindia acuta. Trichostomum tophaceum. Barbula rigid.a. ,, nmralis. ,, rigidula. ,, spadicea. ,, convoluta. ,, tartuosa. ,, snbulala. Ceratodon purpureus. Eucalypta vulyaris. Grimmia apocarpa, rimdare. , , maritima. pulvinata. trichophytla, and Kirkconnel. 27 WiacomUrium adcidare. heterostichum. fasciciilare. Ptychomitrium polyphyttiim. Ulota Bruchii. phyttantha. Orthotrichum nipestre. affim. ,, leiocarpum. Physcomitrinm pyrifo-rme. Fuiiaria hygrometrica. Bartramia ithyphytta. pomiformis. fonta-iia. arcuata. Webera nutans. Bryutn bimum. alpinum. ,, ccespiticium. ,, argenteum. ,, capiUare. ,, pseudo-triquetrum. Mnium cuspulatum. ,, undulatum. ,, Iwrnum. ,, punctatum. Aulaconmium pahtstre. A trichum i wf Zctf um. Pogonatum wtnum. aloides. vrmffernm. Polytrichnm piliferum. juniperum. ,, commitne. Fissidens bryoides. ,, adiaidoides. Ciitclidotus fontittaloides. Fontinalis antipyretica. Hedwigia cilwta. Neckera pumila. crispa. ,, complanata. Ptenjyophyttum luceiis. TJiuidium tamariscinum. Pteroyonium gracile. Thannium alopecurum. Isothecium myurum. Homalotlwcium sericeum. Bracythecium velutinum. ,, rutabulum. rivulare. Eurhyiichium myosuroides. prcelongum. Hyocomium flagettare. Ryiichostegium ruscifolium. PlagiotJiecium denticulatum . undulatum. Hypnum revolvens. uncinatum. filicinum. ,, commutahum . ,, falcatum. ciipressifonne. resupinatum. moHimcum. stellatum. ,, cuspidatum. Schreberi. , , pimim ,, stramimenm. ,, scorpioides. Hylocominm splendens. loreum. (riqiutrum. FAUNA OF SANQUHAR DISTRICT. BIRDS. THE birds of the distinct fall naturally into two classes : those nesting in the locality, and the migratory. The latter differ little from those usually observed over the South of Scotland. Each autumn sees the Redwing Fieldfare flocking on the fields, and followed later by Redpolls, Siskins, Bramble/inches, &c. In severe winters the Snow Bunting is always to be seen at Wan- lockhead, Avhere I have seen it so late as May, and there also the Ptarmigan has been found. Gulls and other aquatic species frequent the Nith in the winter season, but there is no record of any noteworthy specimen having be^n seen. About thirty years ago a Turtle Dove was shot near Crawick the only instance of its occurrence in the district, though its range of habitat has been gradually extending northward. Since then, two migratory species deserving of recoid have been captured. The one, the Golden Oriole, was found at Kirkconnel, dead amidst the snow ; the other, the American Redwinged Starling, partially devoured by a cat, was seen by the writer at Kirkconnel in the winter of 1887. Of the birds nesting in the district, the songsters rank first, both in numbers and importance. Of these, the Missel Thrush and the Blackbird are common. The former, more wary and cunning, selects the outlying glens and woods, while the "Blackie'' shows a decided attachment to the haunts of man. The Mavis or Sony Thrush is a comparatively rare bird, the severe winters of 1885 and 1886 having almost exterminated them. Of the Ring Ouzel, or Mountain Blackbird, this is par excellence the home. In every rocky glen or rugged mountain scar his impudent chatter may be heard. With his nest firmly planted on the ledge of some steep rock, or buried in the heather bush on an overhanging crag in some lofty glen, he rears his voracious Fauna of Sanquliar District. 29 brood in complete security. The same, or presumably the same, pair return year after year to the same place to breed, and the nests of many preceding seasons may be found within a few yards of each other. For no apparent reason, the glens of Glenim, Garple, and Gareland are most frequented, the first having annually a dozen or more pairs nesting. The Wheatear, a most regular migrant, usually arriving on the 2nd of April, is common on the upland pastures. The Whinchat, Redbreast, Wren, and the Willow Wren, with its feather-lined, dome-shaped nest, are familiar to all. In the crevices of rocks in Crawick, a few Redstarts have built for a number of years, but elsewhere only a few paiis may be seen. The Sedge Warbler, abundant in more favoured localities, is, on account of the lack of suitable nesting ground, here quite rare. Along the river, and in the hedges near South Mains, the White- throats' nests, and in the fir woods above, the Golden-crested Wrens', are fairly common. The Garden Warbler is rare, only one instance of its nesting having come under my observation. The Dipper, or "Water Craw," one of the few birds hardy enough to withstand the winter's snows, may be found along almost all the water courses year after year in the same locality ; and, with a sublime indifference to climatic conditions, lie has his mossy nest concealed behind some waterfall, or in the crevice of some wall or other structure " reared by man's officious care," and commences hatching on the 14th April. Of the Tit family, only the Blue Tit or Blue Bonnet, and Great Tit or Ox-eye, are found. The Pied Wagtail and Gray Wagtail nest on the banks of the rivers, the latter, however, in decreasing numbers. The Chaffinch " Shilfa " and Hedge Sparrow frequent every hedge ; the Sky Lark and Meadow Pipit every meadow. In the bushes and on the banks of the Nith the Tree Pipit is common. The Yellow Hammer and Greenfinch, common enough as winter visitors, are comparatively rare in the nesting season. The Martin, Sand Martin, and Swalloiv are all common. The House Sparrow is everywhere except at Wanlockhead. 30 Fauna of Sanquhar District. The Spotted Flycatcher is not infrequently found in Crawick woods. The Tree Creeper is scarce, and limited to Euchan. The Red Bunting and Bullfinch arc frequently met with in the wooded glens and rushy moors. The Goldfinch is very rare ; only twice have I known it to nest in the last four years once in Kirkconnel, and once in Sanquhar. The common Linnet probably breeds in the district, but so far I have failed to locate it. The Twite and Stonechat have been reported. The former, I think, nests in Glendyne ; the latter I have never seen at any time. Starlings and Swifts occupy all the available sites in the old Castle and other buildings. The Magpie and Carrion Crow, nesting in the outlying woods and glens, still flourish in spite of constant persecution. Jack- daws nest in many of the chimney stalks in town, but their chief strongholds are the rocky steeps in Kello, Spango, and Polveoch. The rookery in the Elliock woods supplies Rooks enough for the county. The Cuckoo is common, especially in Euchan. One pair of Nightjars have nested in the Holm woods for many years. The Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, and Barn Owl are all repre- sented. The former is common in the old woods ; the two latter are very rare, and limited to Auchensell woods and Crawick Glen. The Short-eared Oiul is still occasionally seen in the Glendyne district, and in all probability nests in the heather there. The hilly nature of the district favours the continuance of birds of prey, and one can still find the Merlin, Sparrow Hawk, and Kestrel. The Peregrine Falcon, until a few years ago, nested regularly in Spango burn. The game little Merlin, nesting in the heather round the Gareland, defies extermination. The Sparrow Hawk, more accessible, is gradually becoming scarcer, and may soon be extinct. The Kestrel, less persecuted, is quite common, there being scarcely an outlying glen in which his rude nest may not be found. Fauna of Sanquhar District. 31 The Ring Doves nest in abundance in the fir woods. Of game birds we have the usual group Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Pheasant, and Partridge, and all in abundance ; and the Woodcock has been seen so late as June. The Corncrake or Landrail is common, usually arriving about the 13th of May. A few pairs of Moorhen and Coot breed among the sedges near the Nith. Curlews and Lapwings are very abundant. Golden Plover and Snipe nest in fair numbers on the higher grounds. The Sandpiper or Sand W/iaup nests on the sandy banks of the Nith and tributaries. The Redshank, common enough in the marshy ground near Cumnock, has been but once found in the district. One pair in 1888 nested on Sanquhar Moor. Of the Ravens, once common, only a solitary pair breed in the district. For many years they have nested in the same locality, in spite of constant persecution, and in a few years more they will certainly be exterminated. In the fir woods near Elliock, and on Rigg Burn, a few pairs of Herons are annually observed. In the spring of 1881 a few pairs of Black-headed Gulls nested on the island in the Black Loch. In the following seasons their numbers so increased that the eggs literally covered the island, and some, unable to find accommodation, now build themselves nests like little boats on the floating leaves of the bog-bean and water-lilies that abound in the lake. Of the Duck tribe, only the Teal and Mallird remain through- out the summer. The former is rare, and not a regular breeder ; the latter is common, and in some places abundant. Mr Laurie, of Dalgoner, mentions having seen and shot the Dotterel Plover on the Scaur hills some years ago. Whether this was the genuine Dotterel, or only the Dunlin, it is impossible to state, as the birds have not been observed for the last few years, though I have searched the hills far and wide. An interesting attempt was made by the late Duke of Buccleuch to introduce the Quail, Ptarmigan, and Capercailzie 32 Fauna of Sauquhar District. into the district. The Quail hatched out all right, found their wings, and departed. The Ptarmigan followed suit. The Capercailzie, reared with difficulty, haunted the surrounding woods for a brief space, then one by one disappeared, and fell before the marauders' guns in other districts. Excluding all species not personally authenticated, the total number nesting in the parishes of Sanquhar and Kirkconnel is 64 not a large number, but the absence of water-surface and marsh-lands eliminates almost wholly the aquatic species, while the scarcity of scrub and copse explains the paucity or absence of some well-known songsters. The above list the fruits of but a few years' observation on the part of the writer is probably far from complete. MAMMALS. Standing on Knockenhair or Carco heights, and surveying the country beneath, one sees the narrow valleys of the Nith- and tributaries, with their holms and pastures, flanked by higher ground, sloping into hills round and mossy, covered with heath and " sprett." Recently-planted pine woods show dark here and there along the valley slopes, with a narrow fringe of natural woods of oak, birch, and willow bordering the rivers and streamlets. The existing remnant of natural wood gives no conception of the immensity of the forests of prehistoric times. An examination of the district reveals the remains of oak, birch, and pine with dense undergrowths of hazel. Low in the valley, buried beneath the alluvial deposits of centuries, large trees have been exposed, such as furnished the ancient lake- dwellers of the moor with logs to form their canoes and build their island homes, the stakes of which still stand, silent monu- ments of their industry. On the higher grounds, the oak-remains are replaced by birch and hazel, these gradually becoming smaller, till, on most of the storm-swept heights, they are entirely absent. This forest extended from the " World's End " (meaning wold or wood end), Fauna of Sanquhar District. 33 north of the town, west to Scaur, and south-east to join that of Durisdeer, once famous for its "dun deer," thence along the mountains to join with those of Moffatdale and Ettrick. From historic evidence during and subsequent to the Roman Invasion, dense forests existed, not only in Scotland, but in the greater part of Britain. Scottish tradition accuses the Romans of having burned these forests to expel the hostile natives from their other- wise impregnable retreats. In later times, as the country became more populous and herds increased, the inhabitants had recourse to the fire and axe to secure their property, and even their lives, from the ravages of wolves. Even so late as the seventeenth century we find Cromwell compelling the burning of the High- land forests to exterminate the wolves. It is not too much to assume that the reasons which led to the disforesting of other districts existed also in Dumfriesshire. Of the wild animals then abundant, but now extinct, in Britain, there w ere The Bear, Wolf, Beaver, Boar. Reindeer, and the Wild White Cattle, the Urus of Cresar (Bos primigenius), now repre- sented by the white cattle of Hamilton Park and Chilliiigham. The preservation of large tracts of forest-land by the votaries of the chase, and the wild nature of the remoter districts, led to the survival of some of these animals to comparatively recent times. The Bear became extinct in the tenth century, the Reindeer in the twelfth, the Boar and the Wolf not until the seventeenth. Though no remains of these have been found in the immediate neighbourhood of Sanquhar, yet the evidence of their former presence in Dumfriesshire is conclusive enough. In some excavations made by the late Sir William Jardine near Shaws, bone -remains of the Bear, Reindeer, Roe, and Red Deer were found. While no remains of the Wolf and Boar have been found, yet the monastic annals of Teviotdale detail the granting of the right of pasturage in Eskdale, the owner who lived between 1153 and 1163 reserving for himself the right to hunt the Wild Boar, Deer, and Stag. In the name Glenmaddie, or Glen of the Wolf, the only record of that animal's presence is preserved, though no doubt it existed in other glens equally suitable to its habits. When these animals became extinct in the district history gives no record. Ere the close of the eleventh 34 Fauna of Sanquhar District. century evidence, which it is needless here to detail, proves almost conclusively that the surrounding forests were at that time almost swept away. Following this, the Red Deer, Wild Cat, Marten, and Badger gradually became extinct or retreated northwards. The Roe and Fallow Deer can scarcely be con- sidered indigenous to the district, the few ever found being but stray animals from the Drumlanrig preserves. The bone-remains found in the Deer Park adjoining the old Castle are those of the Fallow Deer kept by the Castle Barons for ornamental purposes. The animals at present existing are all common and well-known species. Rarest of these are the Pole Cat now very seldom seen, and probably limited to the Mennock Gleu and the Otter, of which but a few pairs exist on this section of the Nith. In the outlying or less frequented glens, a few Foxes annually breed. Though never very numerous, these animals, unlike all other animals of the chase, seem not only to survive persecution, but actually to increase. The district here is not by any means highly favourable to their increase, or even existenee, their pi-esence being in great measure due to their seeking refuge from the hounds of the lowland hunters. Hares, Rabbits, and Moun- tain Hares are abundant. These last are not indigenous, having been introduced on Hartfell, and subsequently on Cairntable, some fifty or sixty years ago, from which they have spread over all the higher ground. The smaller rodents are numerous, and similar to those generally distributed throughout Scotland, and merely require mention Brown Rat, Water Rat or Vole, House Mouse, Field Mouse, Harvest Mouse, Shrew Mouse, Mole, Weasel, Stoat, Tree Squirrel, Hedgehog, and the Common Bat. APPENDICES. APPENDIX A. List of Representatives in the Scottish Parliament. AN Act of the Scottish Parliament of 1427 ordained "that the small barons and the tenants need not come to Parliament nor general counsels, so that of each sheriffdom there be two or three wise men chosen at the head court of the sheriffdom, according to its size." In 1537 another Act ordained the barons to choose one or two of the wisest and most qualified to be Commissioners for the whole shire. In 1587 representation was limited to those who held " a forty shilling land in free tenantry of the King." The Parliaments sat at Scone, Perth, Stirling, or Edinburgh, and the members voted as one chamber. The following were the representa- tives chosen from Sanquhar : William Crichton 1645-47. John Williamson 1661-63. Provost Robert Carmichael 1665-67-69-72-78-81-82. William Crichton 1690 till 1702. James Veitch of Elliock 1755-60. There were others, but the designations in many cases not being given, these are the only individuals regarding whom there can be any certainty. APPENDIX B. Lut of Commissioner* who have represented the Bunjh at the Convention oj Royal Burghs t showing the spell iny of the name of the town at various periods. 1609 Sanquhar Robert Phillop. 1610 Sanchire William Hislop. 1612 Sanquher Ihonn Brown. 1613 Sancheir Ninian Fleeming. 1614 Sanchar Ninian Fleeming. 1618 Sanchair Johne Carniichacll. 1621 Sandier Michael Cuuninghame. 1622 Sanchare Johune Carmichaell. 1624 Sanquhar Hew Dick. Appendices, 1626 Sanquhare Johnne Cochrane. 1627 ,, Johnne Crichtoun. 16,30 Hew Dick. The Records are a wanting from March 3, 1631, to July 3, 1649. 1656 Sanquhar Robert Creightoun. 1660 ,, John Williamsone. 1665-88 - ,, Robert Carmichill. 1690 Sancquhar Maister John Boswald. 1691 Sanquhar Maister John Boswell. 1696 ,, James Huntar. 1697 Sanquhair James Hunter. 1698 Sanquhar John Irvine. 1699 Sanquhair Robert Huntar. 1701-5 ,, James Huntar. 1711-18 Sanquhar Abraham Crichton. 1719-20 ,, John Crichton of Carco. 1720-21 ,, George Irving. 1726 ,, John Crighton. 1727 ,, John Crightoun. 1730 ,, George Irving. 1731-5-6 ,, John Crighton. 1737 ,, Hon. Patrick Boyle of Shewalton, Advocate, afterwards one of the Senators of the College of Justice. 1741 ,, Charles Crichton, Merchant. 1742 ,, Provost John Crichton. 1743-4 ,, Charles Crichton. 1746 John Crichton. 1747 ,, James Crichton (son of the Provost). 1749 ,, James Orr, Town Clerk. 1755-7 ,, Provost John Crichton. 1758-9 - Alexander Goldie, W.S. 1760-2 - ,, James Crichton. 1763-5 - ,, George Clark Maxwell of Drumcrieff. 1767 ,, Hon. George Clerk of Middlebie. 1768 ,, George Clark, younger of DrumcriefF. 1769-80 ,, George Clerk of UrumcriefF, one of the Com- missioners of Customs. 1781 ,, Provost Robert Whigham. 1811 ,, Provost William Otto. 1816 ,, Sir William Johnstone Hope, Bart., K.C.B. 1853-58 ,, Provost John Williamson. 1860-2 - ,, Provost Samuel Whigham. 1863 ,, Provost John Williamson. 1866 ,, Provost William Kay. 1873 ,, Hugh Gilmour, Edinburgh. Appendices. 37 1874-78 Sanquhar Provost W. J. Kennedy. 1879-82 Provost Thomas Scott. 1882-85 ,, Provost John M'Queen. 1887 ,, Provost Thomas Waugh. 1SSS ,, Provost James Fingland. 1889 ,, Provost John M 'Queen. APPENDIX C. List of Commissioners from the Burgh of Sanquhar to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. 1723 Provost John Crichton of Carco. 1726-29 Charles Areskine of Barjarg, His Majesty's Solicitor. 1730-33 George Irving of Newtown. 1735 Provost John Crichton. 1738-9 Hon. Patrick Boyle of Shewaltou, Advocate. 1746 Provost John Crichton. 1749-61 Hon. Patrick Boyle, one of the Senators of the College of Justice. 1763 William Scott of Carcoside. 1764 Master James Kirkpatrick, Advocate. 1769-71 George Clark, Advocate. 1 772 William Hay of Crauf urdstown. 1773 Alexander Ferguson of Craigdarroch. 1774-5 Provost Robert Whigham. 1776 Alexander Wight, Advocate. 1777 Provost Robert Whigham. 1778-80-88 George Jardine, Professor of Logic in the University of Glasgow. 1781 Archibald Arther, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. 1783 William Aird, tenant of Kelloside. 1784-87 Provost Robert Whigham. 1790-94 John Peat, Writer in Edinburgh. 1795 John M'Murdo, Esq., Drumlanrig. 1796-7 Robert Whigham of Hallidayhill. 1798 William Brydon, in Sanquhar. 1799 Archibald Douglas, Solicitor, Edinburgh. 1801 Wm. Hamilton, in Knockenhair. 1802 John Crichtou, Town Clerk. 1803 Alexander M'Conuochie, Esq., Advocate. 1804-17 Henry Jardine, Esq., W.S. (Council Minutes from 1817 to 1831 amissing.) 1832-38 Robert Whigham of Lochpatrick, Esq., Advocate. 38 Appendices. 1840 John Black Gracie, W.S., Edinburgh, 1844-5 James 8 tor month Darling, W.S., Edinburgh. 1846-67 James Veitch, Esq. of Eliock. 1868 James Whigham, Sanquhar. 1884-86 Rev. Win. Hastie, B.D. APPENDIX D. LIST OF PROVOSTS AKD TOWN CLERKS. Provosts. 1714-8 Abraham Crichton. 1718 Charles, Duke of Queensberry and Dover. 1719-34 John Crichton of Carco, till his death in January, 1734. 1734, January to Michaelmas -Abraham Crichton of Carco. 1734, September, to 1741 John Crichton, clothier, Sanquhar. 1742-43 Charles Crichton, merchant. 1744-64 John Crichton. 1764-72 James Crichton. 1772-88 Robert Whigham, merchant. 1789-90 John Lorimer, Chamberlain to the Duke of Queensberry. 1790-2 William Johnston of Rounstownfoot. 1793-9 Edward Whigham. 1800-12- William Otto. 1812-15 James Hamilton. 1815-32 Thomas Crichton. 1832-6 William Broom. 1836-8 John Braidwood. 1838-40 William Broom. 1840-50 Thomas Gibb. 1850-8 -John Williamson. 1858-62 Samuel Whigham. 1862-7 John Williamson. 1867-72 Dr William Kay. 1872-8 Dr W. J. Kennedy. 1878-81 Thomas Scott. 1881-4 - John M 'Queen. 1884-7 Thomas Waugh. 1887-9 James Fingland. 1889-91 John M 'Queen. Town Clerks. 1699 Robert Park (taken from the oldest recorded deed in the Burgh). John M'Call. 39 1718-27 John Menzies. 1728-58 James Orr, described as a writer in Lanark. 1758-89 James Crichton. 1768 William Maxwell, Depute. 1789-1807 John Crichton, son of the above James Crichton. 1807-10 Joseph Gillon of Ellisland, writer in Edinburgh. John Kerr and James Bain, writers in Dumfries, Depute Clerks. 1810-28 William Smith. 1828-60 J. W. M 'Queen. I860 W. 0. M'Queen, Joint-Clerk with his father. 1861-80 -W. O. M'Queen. 1880, January Joseph Carruthers, Depute Clerk. ,, August Joseph Carruthers, Joint Town Clerk. 1891 Geo. B. Carruthers. APPENDIX E. Among those non-resident in the. Town who, prior to the Municipal Reform Act, were elected at various times Members of the Town Council o Sanquhar, were the following : The Duke of Queensberry. James Ferguson of Craigdarroch. John Maxwell of Terraughtie. Wm. Thomson, Auchengruith. Lord Elliock. Joseph Gillies of Ellisland. John Bramwell, Wanlockhead. James M'Turk of Stenhouse. J. Macalpine Leny of Dalswinton. Robert M'Turk, Hastings Hall. Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn. George Muir of Castlecarry. Wm. Mackay, Castlemains. Wm. Aird, Kelloside. Robert Lorimer, Gateside. The Earl of Dalkeith. The Marquis of Queensberry. Thomas Crichton of Borland, afterwards of Auchenskeoch. James Dunlop Ferguson of Carronhill. Wm. Wilson, Butknowe. John Hunter, Morton Mill. Appendices. APPENDIX F. List of Honorary Buryesse* and Guild Brothers. Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, who was for many years a member of the Town Council. 8th Novr., 17*28. William Murray of Murray what and George Irving, his servant. 30th Novr., 1728. The Hon. Sir Thomas Gordon of Earlston, and John Cameron, servitor to the said Sir Thomas Gordon. 27th Mar., 1729. John Hamilton of Kyse, writer in Lanark. 2nd April, 1729. Lieutenant Whilla, Lieutenant in Major-General Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons, and Thomas Oaks, his servant. Joseph Hunt, Quarter - Master in Major - General Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons. 7th April, 1729. The Hon. Sir John Whiteford of Blairwhan, and David Wilson, his servant. Laurence Morne, Sergeant in Captain Whiteford's Troop of Dragoons. 23rd Sept., 1729. Matthew Sharpe, Esq. Mr James Smith, writer in Edinburgh. Thomas M'Conish, servitor to the Honourable Mr Charles Areskine of Barjarg, Advocate. (Mr Erskine was repeatedly elected the Burgh's Com- missioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.) 30th Mar., 1730. John Lockhart of Lee, Esquire, and William Baxter, his servant. Robert Riddell, younger of Glenriddell, Esquire, and John Welsh, his servant. William Hamilton of Hill, Commissar of Lanark, and William Hunter, his servant. 6th May, 1730. Mr James Dalrymple, Advocate, and Hugh Monroe, his servant. Mr Robert Muir, Merchant in Ayr. 17th Octr., 1730. William Hamilton, Esq., Brother German to the Laird of Bangour. William Smith, servitor to the Earl of Carnwath. 3rd Octr. , 1737. Mr Alexander Telfer of Penbreck, Tacksman of the Lead Mynes at Wanlockhead. Also, Mr Daniel Telfer, his son, for good services done to the Burgh. 15th July, 1747. The Right Honble. Henry, Earl of Drumlanrig, and The Right Honble. Lord Charles Douglas, sons of his Grace Charles, Duke of Queensberry and Dover. Appendices. 41 7th Sept., 1779. His Grace William Duke of Queensberry. 5th Octr., 1795. Thomas Yorstoun, Esq., Factor to the Duke of Queens- berry. 24th Jany., 1797. James Otto, Tobacco Manufacturer, here. 6th July, 1811. Thomas Crichton, Esquire, residing at Drumlanrig Castle. (He was the first who is expressly described as an Honorary Burgess. ) 9th March, 1812. James M'Turk, Esq. of Stanehouse. 5th April, 1813. Nelson Williamson, Esquire, Lieutenant in His Majesty's Navy. 7th Sept., 1813. Captains Grierson, Swanson, Dods, Thorburn, Graham, and Kirkpatrick, all officers of the Dumfriesshire Militia. 8th Sept., 1813. Captains Ogilvie, Welsh, Grieve, Bevan, and Bremner, of the Dumfriesshire Militia. 9th Sept., 1813. Captains Thorburn, Borthwick, Fair, Taylor, Irving, and Little, of the Dumfriesshire Militia. 1st Octr., 1813. William Cuthill and Henry Jeffrey, Esquires, residing at Drumlanrig Castle. 25th Octr., 1854. Lord Patrick James Herbert Crichton Stuart. APPENDIX G. List of Lands acquired by the Queensberry Family. Sir James, Seventh Baron of Drumlanrig, acquired in 1540. Six merkland of Glenym ; the five merks of Dalpeddar. Sir James, Eighth Baron of Drumlanrig, acquired in 1606. The lands of Cleughhead, in the barony of Tibbers, from the Rev. Robert Hunter, of Sanquhar, and his wife, Marguerite Hamilton. William, First Viscount of Drumlanrig, and afterwards Earl of Queensberry, acquired in 1636. Five merkland of Auchensow, with the corn and waulk milns thirled to the same ; the six merkland of Auchengreach ; the five merk- land of Castle Gilmour and Muirhead ; and the four merks of Upper and Middle Dalpeddar, from Alexander M'Math. 1639. The whole barony of Sanquhar, containing the eight merkland of Glenmucklochs, the two merks of Farding, the three merks of Guffockland, six merks of Knockenjig, and the three merks of Corsenook, with the patronage of the parish, and of all chapels and churches thereto belonging, from William, first Earl of Dumfries. F 42 Appendices. James, the Second Earl of Queensberry, acquired in 1666, Lands of Barpark, Maynes, Kill, and Ullyside, the two hills Upper and Nether, the two Drumbayensis, Glenmady, Glenhead, Glen- barry, Freuchoch, Glengar, Crafford, Carvas, Burnfoot, Connel- buies, Kilside, Drumbuy, Glendog, Clarkleith, Duntercleuch, and Coig (called King's Coig), Coighead, Marchdyke, Gleugover, Waulockhead, Kinkenar, Cowrig, Boag, Browlies, Burnhead, Lockley, Auchentaggart, the lands called Quarters, and those of Lochburn, Ryehill, Kirkland, Townhead, and both the Cai-cos. Charles, the Third Duke of Queensberry, &c., acquired in 1746. Lands of Castle Robert, in the parish of Kirkconnel, from Alexander Crichton of Gairland. 1752. Lands and houses in Sanquhar. Lands acquired since 1810 by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry Crairiepark and Burnmouth, from James Veitch of Eliock ; Bank and Euchanhead, in Sanquhar, from James Veitch of Eliock ; portion of Sanquhar Moor, when divided in 1830 ; subjects leased by Burgh of Sanquhar to M'Nab of Holm, and now part of the farm of Heuksland 1 APPENDIX H. List of the Place Names of the District. Name. Situation and Description. Derivation. Seysides or Steysides. Polvaird Loch. Cruffell. Feuchaw Burn. Glenlairie Burn. A low hill on the right bank of Euchan, above Glenglass, having very steep sides. A small loch lying in a hollow on the watershed between the sources of Euchan and Scaur. (See Chap. I.) A hill near Polvaird Loch, 1828 feet in height. The house of the same name, the habitation of Alexander Williamson, of Covenanting fame, lay on the banks of Euchan, imme- diately under. A tributary of Euchan on the right bank, about a mile below Glenglass. In an old account book belonging to the late Mr Williamson, the tenant of Barr, it is spelt Feughoch. There was at one time a house at the same place, and bearing the same name. The next tributary of Euchan below the Feuchaw Burn. Has a small waterfall near its out-fall. Stey, steep. Stey- sides, steepsides. Polvaird, poet's or rhymer's stream. (PollBhaird.) A double term. Cruagh (Celt.), hill. Fell (Norse), hill. Feuchaw or Feugh- och, woody (Celt. Fiodhach) ; or swampy (Celt. Fluich). Glenlarie, mare's glen (Celt, lair, a mare). Appendices. 43 Name. Situation and Description. Derivation. Glen Burn. The next tributary of Euchan below Self-explanatory. Glenlarie Burn. Cload-hill An eminence, 1478 feet high, at the Celt, cladh, a mound head of the Glen Burn. or clach, a stone (?). Glenmaddie A crag, a little south of the Cloud \ Craig. hill. Glenmaddie Burn. A tributary of Euchan, which it joins opposite Euohan Cottage. Here stood the old Glenmaddie house, Glenmaddie, dog's but the new house was, at the > glen (Celt. division of the lands some years madadh, a dog). ago, removed further west, to near Glenlarie. At the old house a good specimen of glacial action on rock is to be seen. J Cramlin or An ancient sheep-fold at the head of Cramlinn, crooked Cramlie Stell. Glenmaddie Burn. glen (Celt. Crutn;, ghlinn). Stell, fold or salmon pool. Dumbringan. The lands lying on the south side of Euchan, a little above old Barr, Drumbrin^an, Ninian's ridge. formerly a part of Ulzieside, but (Ringan, Ninian.) recently transferred to Glenmaddie farm. Glenairlie. The bridge which spans Nith 4 miles Glen of the swift south-east of Sanquhar. stream. Knockengallie Boundary between the parishes of Hill of the rocks. Burn. Sanquhar and Durisdeer. (Celt, gallagh, a place full of rocks). Sluukford. A group of houses, at one time number- Slough ford. ing seventeen, on both sides of above burn at its junction with Nith. Also name of ford over Nith at this spot. Dalpeddar (pro- The hill, 1291 feet high, between Gltn- Peter's valley. nounced Day- airlie and Mennock on the north pether). side of the valley. Aylmerbank. The natural wood which adorns the Aylmer (Celt, amuir, face of Dalpeddar hill. a trough). Lady Hebron. An old thorn-tree on the south side of the road below Dalpeddar. Be- lieved to have been haunted. Drudle-hill. Little conical eminence on Dalpeddar Druid Hall(?). hill at the head of the Brewster Druidle, to waste Burn. time (?). Comp. Droughduil (Wig- town) (?). Evertown. The original division of Dalpeddar Ever over upper. farm nearest Mennock. Mennock. A tributary of Nith up this glen leads Smooth hill (Celt. the road to Wanlockhead. min, cnoc) ; or mid hill (Celt, mead- honach). Knockfeeble. A house which stood behind Dalpeddar The people's hill hill. (Celt, pobul ; Lat. populus). Glendauchan A tributary of Mennock near Auchen- Glendauchan, glen Burn. sow. of the mist (?) 44 Appendices. Name. Situation and Description. Derivation. Breckagh Burn Joins Glenim Burn, which flows into Breckagh, spotted (pronounced Mennock. place (Celt, breac. Braikie). speckled). Glenim, Thir- All three houses situated in a secluded Glen of the butter. stane, and spot east of Mennock Glen. The Thirstane, Third Knockoney. first-named alone remains. hill (?) Knock Oney, Oney's hill, or hill of the oak. The Pan-grain. A circular hill at the head of Glen- Hill of gravel ; pan, dauchan. pen, a hill ; grean, gravel. Glenclauch. A tributary of Mennock on the same Glen of the stone side, still higher. (Celt. clach,astone). Auchenlone. A hill at the head of Enterkin Pass. Field of the loaning, or of the lambs. Auchentaggart Auchentaggart, Eriest's field (sagart; at. sacerdos). Ringbrae. A house on the south slope of Auchen- Point of the hill. ' taggart where Lochburn falls into (Celt, rinn, a point). Mennock. Auchengruith The farm was in former times called Auchengruith, field (pronounced Castle-Gilmour. of the marsh (Celt. Auchengrooch ). greugh). Ryehill. Probably the most ancient place name Ryehill, grey hill, or of the district at least, the earliest hill of the deer. recorded habitation. Bellsgill. The upper lands of Ryehill. Bell's glen or ravine. Brandleys (for- Situated, as are also Auchentaggart Burned leas. merly spelt and Auchengruith, on the table- Brownlies). land lying east of Sanquhar. Shiel Burn. A small tributary of Glendyne, which Burn of the Shieling, flows into Mennoch between or summer hut. Glendyne. Auchentaggart and Auchengruith. A deep, romantic glen, running up Deep glen (Comp. towards Wanlockhead. Ir. Glendoyne). Glenearn. The height crossed by the road leading Glen of the house or from Bag to Cogshead. glen of the iron. Glengaber. A height overlooking Wanlock water, Glen of the goat (?) where stood the Castle of Glen- gaber. Glendorch Burn. A tributary on the right bank of Wan- Glendarroch, oak lock, which itself flows into Crawick wood glen (?). op]x>site Spingo. Glenbuie Burn. A tributary of Wanlock on the left Yellow glen. bank. Duntercleuch. A house situated near Glenbuie Burn. Comp. Bunting Glen (Wigtown). Clackleith. Another shepherd's house lower down Clackleith, greystone Wanlock. Clenrae Castle. Stood a little east of Crawick, about a Clenrae, sloping. mile above where it is joined by (Celt. Claonrach). Wanlock. The Slot. A hollow near the head of Cog Burn. Term applied to any ' hollow in a hill, or between two ridges. Appendices. 45 Name. Situation and Description. Derivation. Glensalloch A tributary of Cog Burn, which flows Miry glen, or glen Burn. into Crawick from the east, a mile of the willows. above Spoth. Polstacher Burn. Another small tributary of Cog. Poll, stream, Stacher (?). Br. Sc. stacher, tostagger(?). Stream of the causeway (?). (Celt. Tochar.) Bottomfoot. A house which stood at the first gate Self-explanatory. on the road leading from Dinninrig to Clenries. Knockthreshold A rocky elevation on Drumbuie near Hill of the rushes (?) or Knock- the Barr Moor dyke, close above Driscoll's hill, or threshle. the plantation. Thorskiold's hill (?) Thirlesholm. This house stood on the banks of Nith, River plain of the and was in Sanquhar parish, the strong fort (Celt. river having run at that time on dur lios), Comp. Ir. the north side of it, but by a change Thurles. of its course, the house and land attached are now reckoned as in Kirkconnel. Connelbush. Between Drumbuie and Burnfoot. Connal's wood. The Adie-path. That sharp turn in the road from Burn- Adam's road, or the foot to Sanquhar at the foot of the black ford road brae, on the south side of which (Celt, ath, duibh). Mavisbank stands, and which is called " The Witches' Brae." Howgoat Burn. The burn which joins Nith at the head Howgoat, howgate, of the Mains pool. low-lying path. Polmorroch or The cottage at the west end of Eliock Murray's pool or Powmorroch. wood, and south of Goosehill. stream. Garple or Garple A small burn which flows past Eliock Rough stream (Celt. Burn. House. garbh poll). Craigdarroch. Near the top of Eliock wood, a little Oak tree crap. south of Eliock. Glenwhern. Back part of Craigdarroch, formerly a Glen of the cairn. separate farm. Glengenny. On Eliock, a mile east of Craigdarroch. Kenneth's glen. Brockholm. Below Glengenny. Badger holm. Brock-isles. A stretch of Nith in the vicinity of Badger holms(Comp. Brockholm. with isles, the Celt. innis. Br. Sc. ink.) Farthingmolloch Shepherd's house at the back of Craig- Molloch (Celt, hill). or Farding- darroch Muir. Farthing is the mullach. sum paid to supe- rior (Comp. Leff nol, halfpenny hill (Wigtown). Jock's Ruck. A height on Haughcleughside farm Ruck, rick, hill. overlooking Farthingmolloch burn. Whing or Whang The hill of Ulzieside Farm, over which Whang, Sc. whang, (The Larg the road leads from Nithsdale to Ger. wang, a slice, Whang). the head waters of Scaur and Ken. Comp. Fang of the Merrick. Larg, hill Well-trees Near the two small abrupt eminences slope. Ravine of the tree- Cleuch. at the head of the Whing Burn. shaded, whirlpool ; Comp. Walltrees (Colvend). Appendices. Name. Situation and Description. Derivation. Macturk'sGutter A small tributary of the Whing Burn. Macturk's stream. Broomplie Those hard little knowes lying on the Burned hillocks (?) or Knowes. opposite side of the Whmg road Comp. Broomy from Ulzieside Farm-house. Knowes( Mochrum) Auchenbarran. A little holm besides Euchan at the Field or plain of the base of Kemp's Castle, and opposite a small deep pool, with a table of hill top. (Celt. Achadh na barr. ) rock overhanging it. Tansie or Tanzie A well close to Auchenbarn, which Tansie, a well-known Well. formerly supplied Ulzieside with wild aromatic herb. water. Ulzieside. (Pronounced On the opposite side of Euchan from Kemp s Castle. Side or district of apple trees. (Celt. Yiilieside). Ubhla, a place of apples), or high side.(Celt.Uallach) Glengape. The glen, about a mile above Bank, Open glen (?) leading over to Kello. Carcarse. The portion of Kelloside farm on the The Carse of the fort Sanquhar side of Kello. or castle. Polbrock or A tributary on the left bank of Kello, Polbrook, badger Penbrock Burn. which it joins about half-a-mile stream. Penbrook, above Kello Bridge. A most badger hill. romantic spot, well worth a visit by botanists and geologists. It is much frequented by hawks. Tongue Craig A craig near Polbrock, so called from its resemblance to a tongue as it slopes down to the water. Birkburn Rises above Glengape house, and falls Birkburn, burn of into Kello opposite Old Kelloside. the birches. The small farm of Birkburn is now absorbed in Drumbuie. Drumbuie Yellow ridge. (Celt. (Pronounced Druim, a ridge ; Drumboy). buidhe, yellow.) Dinninrig. The houses which stand at the bridge Ridge of the little which cariies the road from San- forts (dun, a fort). quhar to Brandleys, over Lochburn. Lochlea or The lands on the west side of Loch- Grey loch or loch Lochley. burn opposite Bag, where a house field. so named once stood. Meadowbank. A house on Lochley, close to Lochburn. Self-explanatory. Corscruie or The old farmhouse of Conrick (formerly Hard carse (Celt. Auchendaffen. Conrig), which stood near where cruadh hard). the road from Knockenhair and Field of the white Conrick joins the main road. One ox (achadh, damh, of the ancient garden trees still fionn). marks the spot. Part of the ruins remain Knockenhair Situated at the foot of the hill of that Hill of the slaughter. name. The ancient name of this (Celt. ar.)(?). farm steading was Tonguehouse. The Stiel or The east slope of Knockenhair hill, Steep, and so neces- Steel. where the footpath leads over to sitating care in Mossholm. walking (to steel). Crawick. Carwick or carraig, rocky. Appendices. 47 Name. Chapmancleuch Broadholm. Gannel Craig. Polcraigie. Carco Schlenders (Ch. hard). Lintholm. Polvernock. Lawer's Braes. Heuksland. Blackaddie Corse. Situation and Description. A wooded cleuch on the east side of Crawick, between Corsebank and Spoth, where tradition says a chap- man or pedlar was murdered. A house which formerly stood at the base of Knockenhair, and close to the banks of Crawick. Opposite Broadholm, on the right bank of Crawick. Another name for the Gannel Craig (?). The desintegrated rocks which rush down to the road below Carco. The holm below Knockenhair wood. A house which stood on the left side of the road near the entrance to the Holm Walks. The wooded slope on left bank of Crawick, opposite the holm. So called from Heuk, the name of a previous owner of the land. Formerly the Manse of Sanquhar, now a farm-house, situated close to the deep pool in Nith called " The Minister's Pool." There are various places of this name. Corsehill, the_ eminence on the east side of Whing Burn, above the plantation ; Corseburn, the ancient name of the Conrick Burn (see Corsecruie) ; Corseburn, the runner . which formerly crossed the street of Sanquhar, but is now covered over; Corseknowe, the rising ground near Corseburn, on which the ancient cross of the burgh stood. Derivation. Merchant's ravine. Self-explanatory. Sc. genyell, a recom- pense (?) Polcraigie, rock pool. Carco, Celt, cargagh, rocky. Schlenders, Scotch term for shingle on the face of a cliff. Holm for flax plant. Pool of the hill gap (Celt, bearnagh gapped). Self-explanatory. Addie, black ford (Celt, ath, ford ; duibh, black). Black added un- necessarily, as is common in place names. Corse, carse, or cross (a cross), or cross (a path). For a fuller notice of the principal places in the foregoing list, the reader is referred to the Chapter on Topography. 46 Appendices. Name. Situation and Description. Derivation. Macturk 'sGutter A small tributary of the Whing Burn. Macturk's stream. Broomplie Those hard little knowes lying on the Burned hillocks (?) or Knowes. opposite side of the Whmg road Comp. Broomy from Ulzieside Farm-house. Knowes(Mochrum) Auchenbarran. A little holm besides Etichan at the Field or plain of the base of Kemp's Castle, and opposite hill top. (Celt, a small deep pool, with a table of Achadh na barr. ) rock overhanging it. Tansie or Tanzie A well close to Auchenbarn, which Tansie, a well-known Well. formerly supplied Ulzieside with wild aromatic herb. water. Ulzieside. (Pronounced On the opposite side of Euchan from Kemp s Castle. Side or district of apple trees. (Celt. Yulieside). Ubhla, a place of apples), or high side.(Celt.Uallach) Glengape. The glen, about a mile above Bank, Open glen (?) leading over to Kello. Carcarse. The portion of Kelloside farm on the The Carse of the fort Sanquhar side of Kello. or castle. Polbrock or A tributary on the left bank of Kello, Polbrook, badger Penbrock Burn. which it joins about half-a-mile stream. Penbrook, above Kello Bridge. A most badger hill. romantic spot, well worth a visit by botanists and geologists. It is much frequented by hawks. Tongue Craig A craig near Polbrock, so called from its resemblance to a tongue as it slopes down to the water. Birkburn Rises above Glengape house, and falls Birkburn, burn of into Kello opposite Old Kelloside. the birches. The small farm of Birkburn is now absorbed in Drumbuie. Drumbuie Yellow ridge. (Celt. (Pronounced Druim, a ridge ; Drumboy). buidhe, yellow.) Dinninrig. The houses which stand at the bridge Ridge of the little which cariies the road from San- forts (dun, a fort). quhar to Brandleys, over Lochburn. Lochlea or The lands on the west side of Loch- Grey loch or loch Lochley. burn opposite Bag, where a house field. so named once stood. Meadowbank. A house on Lochley, close to Lochburn. Self-explanatory. Corscruie or The old farmhouse of Conrick (formerly Hard carse (Celt. Auchendaffen. Conrig), which stood near where cruadh hard). the road from Knockenhair and Field of the white Conrick joins the main road. One ox (achadh, damh, of the ancient garden trees still fionn). marks the spot. Part of the ruins remain Knockenhair Situated at the foot of the hill of that Hill of the slaughter. name. The ancient name of this (Celt. ar.)(?). farm steading was Tonguehouse. The Stiel or The east slope of Knockenhair hill, Steep, and so neces- Steel. where the footpath leads over to sitating care in Mossholm. walking (to steel). Crawick. Carwick or carraig, rocky. Appendices. 47 Name. Chapmancleuch Broadholm. Gannel Craig. Polcraigie. Carco Schlenders (Ch. hard). Lintholm. Polvernock. Lawer's Braes. Heuksland. Blackaddie Corse. Situation and Description. A wooded cleuch on the east side of Crawick, between Corsebank and Spoth, where tradition says a chap- man or pedlar was murdered. A house which formerly stood at the base of Knockenhair, and close to the banks of Crawick. Opposite Broadholm, on the right bank of Crawick. Another name for the Gannel Craig (?). The desintegrated rocks which rush down to the road below Carco. The holm below Knockenhair wood. A house which stood on the left side of the road near the entrance to the Holm Walks. The wooded slope on left bank of Crawick, opposite the holm. So called from Heuk, the name of a previous owner of the land. Formerly the Manse of Sanquhar, now a farm-house, situated close to the deep pool in Nith called " The Minister's Pool. " There are various places of this name. Corsehill, the eminence on the east side of Whing Burn, above the plantation ; Corseburn, the ancient name of the Conrick Burn (see Corsecruie) ; Corseburn, the runner . which formerly crossed the street of Sanquhar, but is now covered over; Corseknowe, the rising ground near Corseburn, on which the ancient cross of the burgh stood. Derivation. Merchant's ravine. Self-explanatory. Sc. genyell, a recom- pense (?) Polcraigie, rock pool. Carco, Celt, cargagh, rocky. Schlenders, Scotch term for shingle on the face of a cliff. Holm for flax plant. Pool of the hill gap (Celt, bearnagh gapped). Self-explanatory. Addie, black ford (Celt, ath, ford ; duibh, black). Black added un- necessarily, as is common in place names. Corse, carse, or cross (a cross), or cross (a path). For a fuller notice of the principal places in the foregoing list, the reader is referred to the Chapter on Topography. ERRATA. Page 1, line 6 from bottom For " 2890 " read "2231 feet." ,, 1, line 3 from bottom For "about 1000 feet," read "over 400 feet." ,, 21, line 10 from bottom -Before "turned," insert "he." ,, 40, line 6 from bottom For "devived," read " divided." ,, 52, line 7 Before "which" insert "of," and from line 9 delete "of it." ., 212, line 22 For "himsel" read "himself." ,, 273, line 12 from bottom Delete "which." ,, 299, line 17 For " poll " read "pole." ,, 333, lines 18 and 19 Delete " who was then a minor." ,, 370, line 14 For "eutensively," read "extensively." ,, 379, line 18 For "isles," read "aisles." ,, 390, line 12 from bottom For " 1830," read " 1849." ,, 421, line 5 from bottom For " 140,'' read "230." THE LIBRARY UNIVER3"~T C j 1 ( FORNIA LOS ANGELAS s TTTk.TT1TT!TCTOrv f\T! /~ A T TT?/~VD XTT A TTUTJADV University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. FormL DA Brown - 890 Tte history of 3238 Safi 1891 Being repro ; DA. 890 S238 1891