Scotland > 1868, 1878 - Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland > 1861

©tttctorg.
29umfrf£***!)trr.
LOCHMABEN,
WITH THE PARISHES OF TINWALD AND TORTHORWALD, AND THE VILLAGES OF
COLLIN, ROUCAN, SMALLHOLM, GREEN-HILL, HECK, HIGHTAE, AND NEIGHBOURHOODS.
-4JOCHMABEN is a town of considerable antiquity,
a royal burgh, the seat of a presbytery, and capital of the
parish of the name, 65 miles s.from Edinburgh, 70s.E.
from Glasgow, 33 s. e. from Sanquhar, 30 N. w. from
Carlisle, 21 s. e. from Thornhill, the same distance w.
from Langholm, 15 s. from Moffat, 13 N. w. from
Annan, 10 w. n. w. from Ecclefechan, 8£n. by E. from
Dumfries, and 4 w. from Lockerbie— the last named
a railway station on the Caledonian line — situated in a
level country, surrounded by a beautiful amphitheatre
of bills, and by all the charms which wood and water
can bestow. It traces its origin to a very early age, and
derives its name from its situation being among a
number of beautiful lakes or lochs; the loch on which
it is so delightfully placed, the word Lochmaben signify-
ing, in Scoto-Irish, the lake on the white plain. _ The
Castle Loch, which flows very near the south side of
the town, is about three miles in circumference; the
Mill Loch, is somewhat of less dimensions, and lies on
the north side of the town ; this loch flows at times
even up to the doors of the houses. In these two lochs
as well as in the Halleaths Loch, a little east of the
town, there is a fish called the vendace (or ven-
dise) , which is peculiar to these waters, and is said not
to be met with any where else in Britain. These
three lochs as well as four others of considerable extent
are much resorted to by boating and fishing parties,
anil these form a very agreeable recreation both to the
inhabitants and also to tourists and visitors. The town
owes its rise to the protection of a castle of vast strength
which was built by Robert Bruce, lord of Annandale,
and was the chief residence of the Bruces till the end
of the thirteenth century. It stood on the north-west
of the lake, which is called the Castle Loch, and was
surrounded by a deep moat, the outline of all which is
still to be seen. This ancient castle was succeeded by
a much larger fortress, built on a peninsula on the
south-east side of the same loch. This edifice, with
its outworks, covered about 16 acres; after different
grants to various? stations of the Bruces, it was an-
nexed by parliament, in 1487, to the crown, and is now
the property or in the keeping of the Earl of Mansfield.
Some of the walls still exist; they are of great thick-
ness, and, with the melancholy firs which mingle with
them, present a gloomy yet interesting mass of ruius.
The period of the first erection of Lochmaben into a
royal burgh is of too remote a date for conjecture; its
present charter was granted by James VI, and states
that it is a renewal of charters, granted by his illustri-
ous predecessors, its date is 16th of July, 1612, from
this charter, it appears that the town was more than
once destroyed and burnt during the civil wars, its
public edifices plundered, and its ancient records, &c.
totally lost ; but although the whole of the former
privileges have been regained, the place itself has never
recovered its former consequence. The municipal
government is vested in a pruvost, one baillie a dean of
guild, a treasurer, and five councillors. The election
of town councillors is peculiar, the whole council meet
on Michaelmas Day, and elect two new councillors for
the ensuing year, next, they elect their provost, baillie,
dean of guild and treasurer, then they proceed to purge
themselves of two old councillors, which is done by a
vote being taken as to who shall retire ; this system is
not fitted for the times and is far from being popular.
The burgh unites with Dumfries, Kirkcubright, Annan
and Sanquhar, in returning one member to parliament
The town-house, with its tower and clock, stands in
the middle of the principal street. The town within
end is now lighted with gas. A subscription library
affords amusement and information to the gentlemen
by whom it is supported. There are two freemasons
lodges, two curling clubs, a bowling green and other
associations. There is a branch establishment here of
the National Bank of Scotland and also a Saving's Bank
for the town and its neighbourhood. Lochmaben is
not a place of much trade; with the exception of
weaving stockings, shirts, &c, which is carried on to ;«.
considerable extent, there are no manufactories. It
is a rural town and a place of resort tor tourists and
strangers, who in the summer months, visit it as
a place of retirement and recreation.
The parish church is a handsome and convenient
building in the pointed style, with a bold square tower,
in which are two well-toned bells ; the foundation
stone was laid, April 10th., 1818, and was opened for
divine worship in July 1820, the cost of its erection was
about £3000, and it is capable of accomodating about
1400 persons. There is a chapel for the United Presby-
terians, another for the Free Church of Scotland, and
one for the Reformed Presbyterians or Camerouiaus
at Hightae, about three miles from Lochmaben. The
market is held every alternate Monday, the sale of
pork, &c. ; and fairs on the first Tuesdays in January,
April, July and October, (all old style.)
Within the parish of Lochmaben there are also four
villages known as the "Four Towns" viz : Smallholm,
Green hill, Heck and Hightae. They are remar-
kable in Scotland as holding their lands by a peculiar
tenure, the proprietors of lands in these baronies are
called kindly tenants, and by successive warrants and
protections of the king in 1592, 1602, and 1664, de-
clared to have right to continue their possessions un-
disturbed and at the old rent, so long as they shall
continue to pay the same. These baronies are said to
have been conferred on the retainers of the Bruce, and
many of the present holders can trace their ancestry
for hundreds of years back. Son succeeds father and
the title is completed by entry of the name in Lord
Mansfield's Rental Book," and the usual solemnities of
service and infiefment otherwise common to the law of
Scotland are here unknown.
The small village of Tinwald, which is situated
about six miles from Lochmaben, was the birth-place
of Patersou, the projector of the Bank of England, and
the planner of the disastrous Darien expedition. The
parish is of a triangular figure, each side of which is
about four miles and a half in length; its northern
boundary is watered by the pleasant river Ae. _ The
greater part of the parish is arable; within its precincts,
five miles from Dumfries, is Amisfield Castle, the seat
of the ancient family of Chatteris.
The parish of Torthorwold lies near the foot of
Nithsdale, and is bounded by Tinwald on the north,
hy Lochmaben and Mouswald on the east, and sepa-
rated on the west from Dumfries parish by the Lochar
water. It extends six miles in length from north to
south, by a breadth, at the northern extremity, of about
two miles and a half, tapering to a point on the south.
The village, which is situated in the north of the parish,
is about four miles from Lochmaben, and the same
distance from Dumfries. In this village is an excellent
classical and commercial academy ; and in the vicinity
are the ruins of the ancient castle of Torthorwold,
supposed to have existed since the thirteenth century.
On the road between Dumfries and Annan is Collin,
and near the parish church is Roucan, both villages
belonging to this parish.
the last twenty years, has been considerably improved
POST OFFICE, Hiuh street, Lochmaben, Marion Henderson, Post Mistress.~£ftiers from all
parts au-ive (by foot post) from Lockeebie every morning at ten minutes before nine, and are despatched
evsry afternoon at half-past four.
POST OFFICE, Torthorwald, Robert Henderson, Post Master.— Letters from all parts, arrive every
moi ning ( by toot post from Lochmaben) at forty minutes past ten, and are despatched every forenoon at forty
minutes past eleven.
Letters from Dumfries, arrive every morning at ten and are despatched thereto every afternoon at ten
^minutes past four. r
65 ..i