Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1886 - Slater's (late Pigot and Co's) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland

DIRECTORY
TIMBER MERCHANTS.
Bell George (& saw mill owner), Wilming-
ton Saw Mill
Halliday George & Chag. Graham, PalnacUie
Helme T. & W. (& bobbin turners), Dalbeattie
& Gatehouse
Hyslop & Co. Spottes Saw Mill, Urr
Wilson Samuel [& coal), Palnackie
WATCH & CLOCK MAKERS.
Graham Peter, 49 High st
Hannah Jane, 21 High st
Morrison James, 72 High st
WRIGHTS.
See Cartwrights dt Joiners.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Brydson James, harbour master, Water st
Caven Robert, veterinary surgeon, 80 High st
Crichton James, hairdresser, 59 High st
Cumming Jap. ship & boat builder, Kippford
Cutbbert Jas M. road surveyor, 5 Station rd
Donaldson Agnes, temperance hotel, 13
Station rd [High st
Grieve Robert, clog iron manufacturer, 108
Murdoch Samuel, master mariner, Oakland
Cottage, High st
Plunkett Robert, fishmonger, 57 High st
Kae James, master mariner, 2 Craignair st
Reilly John, marine store dealer, 164 Cop-
land st
Robson John, sheriff's officer, Dalbeattie
Stuart & Co. concrete & granolithic manu-
facturers, Dalbeattie ; office, 8 Thomas st.
Edinburgh
DALBEATTIE
Public Buildings, Offices, &c.
PLACES OF WORSHIP
and thexe ministers.
Established Churches :—
Dalbeattie— Rev. John Maokie
Buittle— Eev. James Robb Grant
Colvend— Rov. James Fraser
Urr— Rev. John M'Orae Sandiland
Free Church, Dalbeattie— Rev. James A.
Pat on
Christ Church (English), High st— Assisted
from Castle Douglas
Presbyterian (United) Churches:—
Dalbeattie — Rev, David Kinnear, b.a.
Hardgate, Urr — Rev. John Clark
Colvend— Rev. Thomas Fullerton
Evangelical Union (Mount Zion) Church,
William st — Rev. John Cameron
Saint Peter's Catholic Chapel— Rev.
John Lee, priest
Cemetery, Dalbeattie— Hugh Cole, superin.
tendent
Church Hall, Burn st
Dalbeattie Gas Company, Limited— John
Elliot, secretary & manager
Inspectors of Poor & Collectors of Poor Rates:
for Buittle Parish, Hugh Knox, High
School, Buittle ; for Urr Parish, John
Lowden,Haush-of-Urr ; for Colvend Parish,
James M'Lelland, Colvend
Mechanics' Institute & Reading Room, High
st — W. H. Maxwell, president
Police Station, Station rd— Anthony Thom-
son, sergeant
Police Commissioners — James Little, clerk &
collector; Dugald M'Laurin, treasurer
KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE
Registrars of Births, Deaths & Marriages,
for Brittle Farish, Hugh Knox: for Dal-
beattie Parish, William Stewart, 22 Sta-
tion road ; for Colvend Parish — James
M'Lelland, Colvend; for Haugh-of-Urr,
John Menzies
Rifle Volunteers' (H Company, Galloway),
Armoury, Burn st — William Kerr, acting
captain; Patrick Flynn, drill instructor
Town Hall, 1 High st
TJrr School Board— Wellwood H. Maxwell,
chairman ; John Lowden, clerk
Water Works, Dalbeattie— James Little,
clerk to the authority
CONVEYANCE BY RAILWAY,
ON THE KIRKCUDBRIGHT, CASTLE DOUttLAB,
AND DUMFRIES BRANCH OF THE GLASGOW
AND SOUTH-WESTERN LINE.
Station, Balbeattie— David Eaillio, station
master
COACHES.
To AUCHENOAIRN (Wednesday & Satur-
day)— John Blackie & Mrs. Ross
To CASTLE DOUGLAS (Mondays)— Walter
Armstrong & William R. Sibbald, from Dal-
beattie
To COLVEND SHORE— William R. Sibba'd,
daily during summer
1
CARRIERS.
To AUCHENCAIRN— Joseph Gibson, Tats-
day & Friday
To DUMFRIES— Nathaniel Majore, from
Copland st. Wednesday & Saturday, and
John Black, Wednesday, from Hangh-of-
Urr
GATEHOUSE-OF-FLEET,
AND PARISHES OF GIRTHON AND ANWOTH AND NEIGHBOURHOODS.
GATEHOUSE is a neat modern town, partly in the parish of
Anwoth, but chiefly in that of Girthon, and union of Kirkcud-
bright, 105 miles s.s.w. from Edinburgh, 50 miles e. of Portpatrick,
83 s.w. from Dumfries, and 9 v. from Kirkcudbright ; charmingly
seated in a romantic and fertile vale, embosomed within hills and
lofty eminences, which form a spacious and delightful amphi-
theatre. Some of the hills have their sides clothed and their sum-
mits crowned with woods, interspersed with rich pasturage, while
the higher and more distant mountains penetrate the clouds.
The town is well buiK, regular and clean, tbe houses being generally
of tbe same height, the streets running in straight lines and cross-
ing each other at right angles. Near the centre of the High street
Btands a square tower of grey granite, 75 feet high, which had its
origin in a sum of £30, left by Andrew Findlay, a watchmaker, in
the year 1867, for the purpose of erecting a public clock. During the
four succeeding years this sum, by local subscription, was increased
until it amounted to £300, at which cost the tower was erected. The
fine clock by which it is surmounted was supplied by Messrs. Gillett
and Brand, of Croydon, at a cost of £160, and was presented to the
town by H. G. Murray-Stewart, Esq., of Broughton. A public hall
lias been erected in the High street, at a cost of £1,400, obtained by
public subscription, and was opened in 1885. It contains a very fine
oil painting by Faed, r.a., representing a charmingly picturesque
view of the town, the old castle, and Rutherford's monument, with
the hills and sea in the background. A good stonfj bridge crosses
the Fleet, connecting the principal part of the tuwn with tbat iu
Anwuth parish. At the foot of the town flows the small river Fleet,
which here meets the tide, and becomes navigable for vessels of 60
tons burthen nnd upwards, and the navigation of the river was con-
siderably improved by the late Sir. Murray, who, at a cost of £3,000,
cut a canal in a straight line, which, besidos deepening the
river, reclaimed many acres of land, since which a commodious
quay has been constructed, at an expense of £600. The
exports of Gatehouse are principally grain, timber, and
wood, and its imports lime and coal. There are some
saw mills propelled by water power. Mines of lead and copper
have been discovered in the neighbourhood, which have been
wrought to some advantage; specimens of copper from the Enrick
mine, shown at the exhibition of 1851, were pronounced to be the
richest in Europe. Gatehouse was erected ;into a burgh of barony
in 1795, through the interest of the lato Mr. Murray ; its municipal
government is vested in a provost, two bailies, and four councillors.
TUe parish church, which is a commodious building, was erected In
1817; its site is well chosen. The Free church, at the other end of
the town, is also a spacious and handsome building, and contiguous
to it is a church for the United Presbyterians. The parochial school
is well attended. A masonic lodge, a library containing upwards of
1,400 volumes, and a reading room well supplied with newspapers
and periodicals, have their respective members and supporters.
In this neighbourhood, in the pariBh of Anwoth, are the ancient
castles of Rusko and Cardoness. There are traces of three Roman
eucampments in the parish of Girthon, and two in the parish of An-
woth, all within a radious of two miles. Rusko Castle, now in ruins,
is the roputod castle of the " Young Lochinvar," of Scott's ballade.
On a hill near the town stands a plain stone monument or column
erected to the memory of Samuel Rutherford, the divine; it over-
looks the church where he preached, and where, after service on
Sunday, the members of the congregation used to play football and
other games. The column first erected was struck and thrown
down by lightning in 1847, and the present structure rebuilt soon
after. There is excellent hotel accommodation iu the town, the chief
uf which i3 the Murray Arms, and it was here Burns wrote " Scots
wha hae." The market day is Saturday, the cattle markets on
second Saturday, monthly ; and the fairs are held on the Saturday
before the 29ih of Juno and the last Saturday in September. The
parish of Anwoth encloses an area of 11,774 statute acres, and that
of Girthon 33,374 acres. In 1881 the former parish had a population
numbering 728, and the latter 1,415; of these numbers, 1,286 were
returned for the town of Gatehouse.
POST OFFICE, High Street, Gatehouse, John Gibson, Post Master. — Lotters from all parts arrive at 8 5 a.m., and are despatched to
all parts at 3 20 p.m. Money Order and Telegraph Office, Savings Bank, and Annuity Office.
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