Scotland > 1837 - Pigot and Co.'s national commercial directory for the whole of Scotland and of the Isle of Man

^^igot St €o.*^
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It is ascertained that Dumfries-shire was placed under the government of a sheriflF in the thirteenth
century, at which period it included the stewartry of Kirkcudbright; the district of Annandale, how-
ever, continued to be a stewartry from the period when it merged in the crown, by the accession of
Bruce, till the abolition of the heritable jurisdictions. Up to the era of the reformation, Dumfries-shire
formed part of the extensive diocese of Glasgow, and was divided into the two deaneries of Nithsdale
and Annandale; it now possesses forty-three parishes, which are divided into five presbyteries and
one synod. There are four Royal Burghs in the county, viz., Dumfries, Annan, Sanquhar, and
LocHMABEN ; and six burghs of barony — Moffat, Lockerby, Langholm, Ecclefechan, Thornhill, and
Minniehive. The shire sends one member to parliament, and the Royal Burghs before named
join witli Kirkcudbright in returning another representative.
Eminences in Dumfries- shire, with their altitude above the level of the sea.
IN NITHSDALE DISTRICT.
Wardlaw (in Caerlaverock) 826
Auchinleck 1500
Wanlockhead (village) .... 1564
Cairn-Kennow(nr.Drumlanrig) 2080
Queensberry Hill 2250
Black Larg (border Ay rshr.) 2890
Lowthers(nr. Wanlockhead) 3150
IN ANNANDALE DISTRICT.
Annan Hill 256
Repentance Tower 350
Brunswark Hill (Tunder- ? ^^^
garth parish) J
Eriekstane Brae 1118
Loch-skene 1300
Hartfell, near Moffat 2629
820
IN ESKDALE DISTRICT.
Moss Paul (Tnn and stage, i
Vale of Ewes)
Langholm Hill '. 1204
Tinnis Hill 1366
Wisp, in Ewes 1940
Etterick, or Phawhope > oooo
Penn \ "
POPULATION OF DUMFRIES-SHIRE,
IN THE YEARS 1801, 1811, 1821, AND 1831, EXHIBITING THE INCREASE OR DECREASE IN THIRTY YEARS.
The Italic letters h. p. and t. respectively signify Burgh, Parish, and Township — dec. means Decrease.
Annan b.lfp.
Applegarth p.
Canoribie p.
Caerlaverock p.
Ctoseburn p.
Cummertrees ;>.
Dalton p.
Dornoclc p.
Dryfesdale p.
Dumfries 6. Sf p.
Dunscore p.
Durisdeer p.
Eskdalemuir p.
Ewes p.
Glencairn ; p.
Graitney p.
Halfmorton p.
Hoddam .p.
Holywood p.
Button and Corrie p.
Johnstone p.
Keir p.
Kirkconnel p.
2570
795'
2580
1014
1679
1309;
595
69lj
1607
7288,
1174
1148
537
358
1403
1765
497
1250
809
646
740
771
1096
3341
858
27^9
1170
1762
1633
691
788
1893
9262
1325
142'J
581
338
1666
1749
i428
830
677
904
993
1017
1821.
1831.
30 Years.
4486
5033
2463
943
999
204
3084
2997
417
1206
1271
257
1682
1680
1
1561
1407
98
767
730
135
743
752
6)
2251
2283
676
11052
11606
4318
1491
1488
314
1601
1488
340
631
650
113
314
335
dec. 23
1881
2068
665
1945
1909
144
553
646
149
1640
1582
332
1004
1066
257
804
860
214
1179
J 234
494
987
1084
313
1075
nil
15
Kirkraahoe p.
Kirkmichael p
Kiikpatrick — Fleming . .p.
Kirkpatiick — J uxta . . .p.
Langholm p.
Lochmaben b. Sf p.
Middlebie p.
Moffat p.
Morton p.
Mouswald p.
Mungo, St p.
Penpoint p.
Ruthwell p.
Sanquhar b. Sf p.
Sanquhar p.
Wanlochhead t.
Tindwall p.
Torthorwald p.
Tundergarth p.
Tinron p.
Wamphray p.
Westerkirk p.
Total Population of Dumfries-shire.
InCTeua
1801. 1811. 1821. 1831. 30 -JL..
1315
904
1544
596
2039
2053
1507
1619
1255
705
644
966
996
(2350
703
484
563
423
638
1464
1035
1664
821
2636
2392
1683
1824
1570
769
727
987
1184
2709
1204
932
522
574
1608
1202
1696
912
2404
2651
1874
2218
1806
795
709
1082
1285
[1357
I 963
706
1248
1205
518
513
554
672
54606 62960 70878 73770 191G4
1601
1226
1666
981
2676
2795
2107
2221
2140
786
791
1232
1216
1527
1066
675
1220
1320
530
493
680
642
285
322
122
385
637
742
600
602
885
81
147
918
340
617
46
dec. 70
157
The total annual value of Real Property in this county, as assessed in April, 1815, amounted to £295,621.
Ar
ANNAN AND BRIDE-KIRK.
lNNAN is a royal burgh, the capital of the parish
of its name, and of the district of Annandale, 79 miles
S. of Edinburgh, 87 S.E. of Glasgow, 43 n.e. of Kirk-
cndbright, 27 s. of Moffat, 16 s. e. of Dumfries, 11 s.
of Lockerbie, and 6 from Ecclefechan ; situate on the
east or left bank of the river Annan, rather more than
a mile above its influx into the Solway Firth, The
name is derived from that of the river, whose appella-
tion is traced to the Celtic An, signifying simply water.
It is a town of considerable antiquity, and is one of
the most ancient burghs in Scotland. Annan was a
Roman station, and tlie Vetomum of the geography of
Ravenna. It seems to have been held by the Britons
after the departure of the Romans, till they were sub-
dued by the Saxons of the Northumbrian kingdom,
when it came to the Scotch. It afterwards became a
principal port, and was granted, with the territory of
Annandale and the port of Lochmaben, to the ances-
tors of Robert Bruce, by some of whom a castle was
erected, which was once occupied as a church, but
afterwards went to ruins, and the original wall now
forms part of the gaol and town hall. Upon the death
of David II, in 1371, this castle, Lochmaben, and the
lordship of xAnnandale, came to Thomas Randolph,
Earl of Murray, and went, with his sister Agues, to the
Dnnbars, Earls of March ; after their forfeiture it went
to the Douglasses, who also lost it by similar conduct,
and then, having come to Alexander, Duke of Albany,
44
he, for rebelling against his brother. King James III,
and plundering the fair of Lochmaben, in 1484, also
forfeited it. Since that period it continued in the hands
of the king, and became the great key of the western
border. By the accession of the Bruce family to the
throne, it became a royal burgh. The existing charter
was granted by James VI of Scotland, and is dated
July 10th, 1612; it confirms previous charters, and
paiticularly recites one conferred by James V, dated
1st March, 1538, which had with others been burned
and destroyed by sieges and ihe inroads of the Eng-
lish, particularly in 1298, when they entered Annan-
dale, and burnt the to«n with its church. The burgh
is governed by a provo.st, three bailies, fifteen coun-
cillors, a treasurer, dean of guild, and town clerk. It
unites with Dumfiies, Sanquhar, and Lochmaben, in
returning one member to parliament.
The port or harbour of Annan is free, and vessels of
250 tons can come within half a mile of the town, but
vessels of much larger burden can enter the river at
its confluence with the Solway, distant little more than
a mile from the town, at which place two new wooden
wharfs or jetties have recently been erected by rival
steam boat companies, whose vessels generally make
the passage between Annan and Liverpool in twelve
hours or less, that is, in one tide only, from haibour
to harbour ; and a vessel belonging to each company
makes, at least, one trip to and from weekly. The con-
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