Scotland > 1825-1826 - Pigot & Co.'s new commercial directory of Scotland for 1825-6

KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE.
■iC^-
5HIS county, or as it is cominonly called, stewartry, forms the eastern, and Uy
far tlie most extensive portion of Galloway. The latter name was anciently
applied to an independent principality, which included the greater part of Ayrshire
and Dumfries-shire; but js now limited to the two counties of Wi{];town and Kirkcud-
bright. It is bounded on the north-east and east by Dumfries-shire ; on the south by
the Solway Frith and the Irish Sea; on the west by Wigtownshire, and on the north-
west by the county of Ayr ; its surface contains 821 square miles of land, 12^ square
miles of lakes, 168,243 acres of cultivated, and 357,517 acres of uncultivated land.
Kirkcudbright has no subdivisions, except that four of the most northerly parishes,
Carsphairn, Dairy, Kells, and Balmaclellan, are commonly called the district of Gleri-
kens. The aspect of the country, however, forms a very natural division in two parts.
If a line be drawn from the centre of Kirkpatrick Iron-Gray parish, to the Gatehouse
of Fleet, all to the north west, with little exception, is so mountainous, that' it may
very properly be termed a highland district; while the south and east exhibit a fine
champaign and cultivated country. Like other mountainous countries, this is intersected
by numerous streams, which, unitinfc, form four considerable rivers ; , the Cree on the •
west ; the Fleet ; the Dee, formed by the union of the Ken and Dee, and the Orr, or
Urr. These rivers, all of which rise in the north, empty themselves inte the Solway
Frith or the Irish Sea, abound with salmon, and are ornamented with numerous
handsome seats. Of late years agriculture has been much improved ; the lands have
been subdivided and enclosed ; and new roads have been formed. Kirkcudbrightshire
contains two royal burghs, Kirkcudbright and New Galloway ; the former joins in
parliamentary represeiitation with Dumfries, Annan, Sanquhar, and Lochmaben, the
latter with Stranraer, Wigtown, and Whithorn ; the stewartry also sends a member to
parliament. This county wants several o::' those advantages, to which Dumfries- shire
and Ayrshire are indebted for their improvements ; it has neither coal nor lime, and but
little freestone. Marl is found in great plenty, especially in Carlingwark loch, which
contains an inexhaustible fund of shell-marl. Ironstone and lead-ore also abound j but
the deficiency of coal is a bar to the working of either. The principal heights are Ben-
cairn 1200, Cairnharro 1 100, Cairnsmuir 1728, and Criffel 1831 feet above the level
of the sea.
POPULATION OF THE SHIRE OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT.
B. Burgh; P. Parish.
An worth p
BHlmoclclIan .p
Balmagliie p
Boflrue ..p
Biiiirt« .p
Cars|)haiftj B
Colvend nnd Soiithwick. . . .p
Crossmicfaael p
Dairy p
GirlUan p
Kells ......;....,..ii
Kelton . -p
Kirkbean p
Kirkcudbright b& p
Kirkeunzion p
Kirkraahreek p
Fe-
Homes
Males
males
Total.
126
425
420
845
184
457
455
912
208
681
680
1361
155
4fi3
484
947
179
480
537
1023
8^
238
23(;
474
272
611
711
1322
•257
6a
678
1299
237
5.57
.594
1151
240
948
947
1895
1H9
«S
548
1104 !
440
1151
1265
2416
15-
.361
4ji9
790
470
1509
1866
3377
139
371
405
7/6
2H0
722
797
1519
Kirkpatrick Durham ?p
Kirkpatrick Iron-Gray p
Locbratton p
Minnigaff p
New-abbey p
Parton p
Berwick ,p
Terregles p
Ton^land p
Troqneer p
Twynholm.... ..p
tJrr p
Total..
Houses
M ales
Fe-
males
To(,il
271
160
109
344
205
138
267
117
726
425
259
903
506
419
671
321
748
466
336
1020
606
426
707
330
2305
426
1511
20397
1473
880
sdi
1923
1112
8-1.5
1378
t51
162
598
129
568
416
1996
357
1351
lajoe"
890
4301
783
2862
6688
38903
CASTLE DOUGLAS,
JIL Neat thriving town in the parish of Keltoii, is
situated in a pltosant fertile district, upon the N.W.
banks ofthe lake of Carlinwaik, and on the great
road from London and Carlisle to Poitpatrick : it is
93 miles S.S.W. of Edinburgh, 19 W.by S. of Dum-
fries, 15 from Gatehouse, and 9 from Kirkcudbright.
On the S. W. side of the town stiinds the ruins of
the ancient castle of Threeve, and on the S. E. side,
at nearly the same distance, is the modern and ele-
gant mansion of Gelston castle, formerly called
Douglas castle, now the residence of William Mait-
land, esq. Castle Douglas was known by the names
of Cdusev tind, and Carlinwark, till 1792, when it
was by the proprietor erected into a burgh of baro-
ny, by its present name. At present it is governed
by a bailie and six councillors, but it is in contem-
plation to obtain a new charter under a provost and
bailies. Forty or fifty years ago, this town contain-
ed but a few scattered houses ; there are now up-
wards of 400 houses laid out in regular streets. It
has a commodious town-hou.se, possessing a good
clock ; in it a court is held on the first Saturday in
every month, for the recorery of debts under 5/.—
Here are a post office, a handsome meeting house,
three banks, one brewery, two tanneries, a number
of good shops, and three large convenient inns. This
town owes much of its present flourishing condition
to the munificence and public spirit pf ita late w^I-