Imperial gazeteer of Scotland, or, Dictionary of Scottish topography > Volume 1

DALSHOLM.
364
DALTON.
were for fruit and £2,000 for minerals. Assessed
property in 1860, £19,313; of which £7,000 were in
mines. Many inhabitants are employed in weaving
and lace-making. The village of Dalserf is pleas-
antly situated among gardens, close to the man-
sion of Dalserf, contiguous to the Clyde, 7 miles
south-east of Hamilton. It was once a kirktown of
some size and importance, but now consists merely
of a few low-roofed cottages on two sides of the lane
leading from the Lanark road to the parish church,
and has for many years been going steadily into
decay. Population of the parish in 1831, 2,680; in
1861, 4,876. Houses, 798.
This parish is in the presbytery of Hamilton and
synod of Gasgow and Ayr. Patron, the Duke of
Hamilton. Stipend, £264 12s. 6d.; glebe, £37 10s.
Unappropriated teinds, £63 12s. 4d. The parish
church was built in 1655, but has been three times
repaired since, and now affords accommodation for
500 sitters. There is a quoad sacra parish church
at Larkha.ll, built in 1836 as an extension church,
with 720 sittings, and in the patronage of the Duke
of Hamilton. There is also at Larkhall a Free
church, whose contributions in 1865 were £308 8s.
8|id. There is likewise at Larkhall a United Presby-
terian church, built about 1836, and containing 400
sittings. The parochial schoolmaster's salary is
now £52 10s. There are several private schools. —
Dalserf parish was in early times a chapelry, which
belonged to the ancient parish of Cadzow (now
Hamilton). It was designated the chapelry of
Machan, and the district was called Machanshire.
Upon the accession of Robert the Bruce to the
throne of Scotland, the territory of Machan was for-
feited by Sir John Comyn, and was granted by
Bruce to Walter, the son of Gilbert, the predecessor
of the Hamilton family. It was made a barony in
the 14th century; and was afterwards called the
barony of Machan. The church of Cadzow with its
chapel of Machan was constituted a prebend of the
cathedral church of Glasgow, and formed the
benefice of the dean. The chapelry of Machan was
subsequently established as a separate parish; but
the precise time when this took place has not been
ascertained. A parish church having been built at
the village of Dalserf, the same name was given to
the parish, probably about the period of the Refor-
mation. As vassals of the Hamilton family, many
of the gentlemen of this parish were deeply involved
in the troublous scenes which alike distinguished
and disturbed Scotland previous to the junction of
the crowns under James VI. Gavin Hamilton of
Kaplock, and commendator of Kilwinning, was
present at the battle of Langside, in the army of
the Queen; he was also one of Maiy's commis-
sioners at York in 1570, and was included in the
treaty of Perth of 1572. John Hamilton of Broom-
hill was wounded, and taken prisoner in the same
battle; and about two years afterwards, his house
of Broomholm was burned down by Sir William
Drury, the governor of Berwick.
DALSHOLM, a village in the parish of New
Kilpatrick, Dumbartonshire. Here is a paper-mill,
with seven beating-engines. Population in 1851,
111. Houses, 22.
DALSWINTON, a post-office village and an
estate in the parish of Kirkmahoe, Dumfries-shire.
The village stands on the west side of the parish,
near the Nith, 1\ miles north-north-west of Dum-
fries. Population in 1841, 94. Houses, 16. The
estate comprises 5,132 imperial acres, or about one
third of the parish. It belonged anciently to the
Comyns, afterwards to the Stewarts, afterwards to
the Maxwells, and was purchased in the latter part
of last century, and greatly improved, by Patrick
Miller, Esq., the famous steam-boat projector, who
launched on a lake here in October 1788 the first
steam-boat ever tried. The ancient castle of the
Comyns having gone to decay, Mr. Miller erected
on its site an elegant and commodious mansion.
DALTON, a parish, containing a post-office
village of its own name, in the southern part of
Annandale, Dumfries-shire. It is bounded by Loch-
maben, Dryfesdale, St. Mungo, Cummertrees, Ruth-
well, and Mousewald. It is, on the whole, a par-
allelogram, stretching from north-west to south-
east; but has a deep, though narrow indentation
near the middle of its northern side, and thence,
to its north-eastern angle, considerably protrudes.
Its greatest length is nearly 6 miles, and its aver-
age breadth about 2J; and it contains an area of
nearly 11 square miles. The surface in the north-
western division is slightly hilly, and has two
elevations, — Holmains and Almagill, rising 500 feet
above sea-level; but in the other parts of the parish
it is flat. The Pow, or Cummertrees Pow, rises in
the uplands, and traverses the parish in a direction
east of south, leaving it near Gilbrae. The northern
boundary is formed for about 3 miles by the river
Annan, which here abounds in salmon, grilse, sea-
trout, and the fish — believed to be peculiar to the
Solway rivers — called herling. The Annan is sup-
posed, at a remote period, to have flowed through
this parish, entering it at Dormont, where it at
present begins to form its boundary, and pursuing
its way past Dalton church, till it fell into what is
now the channel or bed of the Pow. Along this
course are extensive alluvial deposits, and ridges of
sand and gravel, which appear to have been thrown
out by a flood of waters. During a swell the Annan
still breaks over its bank at Dormont, lays all the
flat grounds along its supposed ancient road under in-
undation, and opens a communication with the Pow.
In the uplands the soil is sand and gravel ; along
the banks of the Annan it is a light alluvial loam ;
along the ancient course of that river it is chiefly
meadow or reclaimed bog; and in some parts of the
interior it is a cold clay on a till bottom. On
Almagill hill is a fine old circular camp, command-
ing a view along nearly the whole vale of the
Annan, the ancient possession of the royal family of
Brace. Dormont-house on the Annan, and Ram-
merscales near the north-east angle of the parish,
are fine modern mansions. The principal land-
owners ar-e the proprietors of Holmains and Dor-
mont. The yearly value of raw produce was
estimated in 1835 at £10,725. Assessed property
in 1860, £5,185. The parish is traversed by the
northern road from Dumfries to Annan, and by the
road from Lochmaben to Annan, and enjoys com-
paratively ready access on one side to the Caledon-
ian railway, and on the other side to the South-west-
ern railway. The village of Dalton stands on the
Lochmaben and Annan road, 6 miles north-west of
Annan, and 9 east-south-east of Dumfries. It is
the site of the parish church, but otherwise possesses
little importance. Population of the parish in 1831,
730; in 1861, 679. Houses, 123.
This parish is in the presbytery of Lochmaben,
and synod of Dumfries. Patrons, the trustees of
Sandeman of Kirkwood. Stipend, £171 12s. lid.;
glebe, £10. Unappropriated teinds, £15 Is. lOd.
Schoolmaster's salary now is £60, with £20 fees.
The parish church was built in 1704, and contains
about 300 sittings. The present parish comprehends
the old parishes of Meikle Dalton and Little Dalton,
which were united immediately after the Reforma-
tion. In 1609 they were both united to Mousewald :
but in 1633 were disjoined from it, and erected into
their present form. The church of Little Dalton