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

Bixtttoxu*
MOFFAT, &c.
Bnmfxit&=^tii't*
to which the water is conveyed in leaden pipes. It is
now upwards of two hnndred years since ihe discovery
of the vahiable qualities of this sprins, duiing which
time it has been much frequented from all pntts of
Scotland, the northern counties of En^iand, and in
some instances from Ireland. In al) scroinlous and
scorbutic cases it is a poweiriil lemedy, being seldom
known to prove ineffectual when the lungs weie not
diseased ; in the removal of bilious complaints, also,
it is eminentlv successful, as well as in creating appe-
tite and pron'iotint? digestion ; and it is an excellent
spec'fic for gravel and rheumatism : it spiirkles in the
glass I'ke champaone, but is so volatile that it can he
drunk in perfection only at the fountain. Hartfell
spa was first disioveri'd in the year 1748, by a man
named John Williamson : it issues ft om a rock of alum
slate, in the side of Hartfell mountain near Moffat;
it may he carried to any distance, and will keep for
year* ; it is a potent restorative, highly beneficial
in all coMinlaints peculiar to the fair sex, and may be
advantageously used as a wash in the healing of obsti-
nate rutaneous eruptions. The other chalybeate is of
a peculiar nature, and obt«ined in a very curious man-
ner, viz. by pouring w-ter nnon a rock in the side of a
savage de't, called 'Gartpool Linn,' in the vicinity of
the town : the surface of this rock is strongly impreg-
nated with sulphat of allumina and iion ; the water is
much stronger than that of Hnrtfell, and consequently
is taken in smaller portions — not more than a wine-
glass full at a time. About four miles north-west
from lunce there ,'s a petrifying spring, and there are
others that do not attract so much notice. To the
antiquary the neighbourhood of Moffat presents many
objects of gratification, and to these are attached tra-
ditions worthy of attention, but too numerous and
prolix for detail in a work like the present. The ce-
lebrated road-mker, John Loudon M'Adani, died in
this town on the 26th November, 1836, in his eighty-
first year: lie was a native of Ayrshire, but was much
attached to the locality of Mofiat, where he spent a
great portion of his early life ; he has left a widow,
and two or more sons by his first mariiage, upon one
of whom was conferred the honour of kui^ihthood,
which h's father had declined on account of his age
and growing infirmities. Mr. M'Adam received from
eovernnient £10,000. in two separate instalments ; to
his credit it is lecorded that, during the whole career
of his honourable independent service, he never con-
tracted for works, deeming such a method of acquiring
wealth incompatible with the duties of an engineer.
The parish and town of Moffat derive their name
from the principal stream, the vale of which is deep,
and of a very romantic and pastoral character ; it was
formerly densely wooded, and must, therefore, have
well accorded with the appellation it received — Moffat
being a corruption ofOud-vat, which signifies, tians-
lated from the Gaelic, 'the long deep mountain hol-
low.' The parish is the highest in the entire district
of Annandale ; its greatest length is about fifteen miles,
and its breadth from eight to nine. The different rivers
supply abundance of amusement to the trout-angler;
and' the celebrated alpine lake, Lochakeen (whose ele-
vation is upwards of one thousand feet above the level
of the sea), contains the finest species of tliat fish in
the south of Scotland. The outlet of the waters of this
lake is by the lofty and magnificent cascade called the
'Grey Mare's Tail,' tumbling over precipitous rocks,
computed to be about four hundred feet above the le-
vel of the vale, and which appears, fiom the opposite
side of the alen, to be one unbroken tall. Tlie popu-
lation of the p.irish, in 1836, wa^ 2,?65 ; and the vil-
lage coniaineil 1,400 of ihat number.
The parish of Kibkpatrick Jlxta deiives its name
from its vicinity to a ciiripel formerly dedicated to the
famous mis-ionary, meaning • the lands nigh to the
kirk of St. Patrick ;' it is situate in the upper district
of Annandale — bounded on the north by Moffat, and
on the east hy Wainphray. The celebrated Gartfel
Linn is in this parish; likewise the castle of Auchin-
cass, the ruins of which cover a considerable extent of
ground : it was erected by Randolph, Earl of Murray,
during the minority of David ' tlie IJrnce ;' and subse-
quently was in the possession of Douglas of Morton :
its antiqnity, therefore, is unquestionable; the old
tower of Lochhouse is supposed to have been rebuilt
bv James Juhnsione, of Corehead, cliamherlain to
Bishop Whiicford, of Brechin, whose daughter the
chamberlain married, and with her obtained posses-
sion of the extensive lands belonging to the bishop in
Kirkpairick Ju.vta and Moffat. There are other ruins
of ancient edifices, which excite some interest and are
worthy of survey. The summer residence of William
Younger, Esq., Craigland, is the only modern man-
sion of any note in the parish, with the exception of
the Beatoek Inn, about a mile and three quaiters from
Moffat. About one-third of the land is under tillage ;
the larger portion is unimproved and pasture.
Johnstone parish is in the district of Annandale,
adjoining Kiikpatrick Juxta; it is six miles in length
and three in breadth. The remains of Lochwood
tower, situate at the northern end of the parish, in the
centre of a venerable and picturesque wood, and sur-
rounded by impassalde bogs, are the only vestiges of
antiquity, sufficiently interesting to attract attention,
in tiie parish : regaiditig the (now unknown) perso-
nage by whose order it was originally erected, James
VI is recoided to have remarked, that, ' however ho-
nest he might have been in outward appearance, he
must have been a rogue at heart ;' Robert, natural
brother to the chieftain Lord John Maxwell, of Niths-
dale, buint it down with savage glee in the sixteenth
centuiy. John Hope Johnston, Esq., of Rnehills, m.p.
for the county, is proprietor, and occupies an elegant
mansion, the only notable residence in the parish.
There is nothing peculiar to be observed respecting
this local portion of the district, further than that (on
the authority of the present reverend minister,) 'in
this populous rural parish there is neither public-house
nor meeting-house, nor resident surgeon nor village,
nor post-office nor prison, nor lawyer nor beggar.'
The parish of Wamphray received its name from
its sitnation, emphatically expressed by the Gaelic
word Uamh-fri, signifying ' the den in the forest.'
Agreeably to this etymology, the church stands in a
deep woody lecess, by the side of Wamphray water,
which brawls and thunders its way through a most
romantic and picturesque glen, formed on both sides
either by high steep banks, clad with thriving planta-
tions—or by lofty basaltic columns, mantled with ivy,
and sportively adoined hy saplings of ash rising from
their interstices. This paiish adjoins Kirkpatrick and
Johnstone ; it is of an oblong figure, six miles and a
half in length by three in breadth. There are but four
resident proprietors.
POST OFFICSj Moffat, Thomas Grieve, Post Master.— Letters from London arrive every
morning at ten, and are despatched every day at noon. — Letters from Edinburgh arrive every morning at
four, and are despatched every morning at half-past eight. — Letters from Dorifries arrive every morning at
half-past eight, and are despatched eveiy morning at four. — Letters from Glasgow arrive every afternoon at
two, and are despatched every morning at a quarter before eight.
*** The names without address are in Moffat.
GENTRV ee CLERGY.
Ban ieM r.Thos.Poldean, Wamphray
Carruthers Samuel, esq. (of Mill)
Wamphray
Carruthers Williatn.esq. (of Senerish
hill), Wamphiay
Colvin Rev. Dr. Robert, Johnstone
Corrie Mr. Hope, Pumplawburn,
Wamphray
Dickson Rev. Charles, Wamphray
Hope Capt. Charles, r.n. Larch hill
Jardine Thomas, esq. Craigebnrn
Jardine Thomas, esq. of Grantoa
Johnston Mr. John, Hiinterheck
Johnston Mr. Michael, Archhank
Johnstoti Peter, esq. ofHarthope
Johnston Walter,esq. (of Bodesbeck)
Capplegill
Johnstone Rev. Alexander, Manse
JohnstoneMajorJno-Langshawbush
Johnstone John James Hope, esq.
M.p. (of Annandale) Raehills
Johnstone Captain William Hope,
R. N. Moffat house
Marjoribanks Mrs. Mary,
Moffat Mr. Wm. Craigbeck
Monteath Rev. John, Moffat
Patteison Rev. Heniy, Gateside,
Wamphray
Proudfoot Mrs. Thomas, of Craige-
hurn
Rogerson David, esq, (of Leithen-
hall) , Wamphray
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