Scotland > 1868, 1878 - Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland > 1878 > Part 2

LINLITMOWSHIEE,
Or West Lothian, is a amall county, of a very irregular figure, lying on the south shore of the Frith of Forth, having Edinburghshiro
on the east and south-east, Lanarkshire on the south-west, and Stirlingshire on the west. The Briech and the Almond waters form tho
boundary line betwixt this county and that of EdiuburKh, except at Jlid-Calder, where the latter intrudes more than a mile into Linlith-
gowshire. From east to west (that is, along the shore of the Forth), the county extends sixteen miles; along its south-eastern boundary
(or from Queensferry to its most eastern point) it measures about twenty.
Early History.— Much tbiit is applicable to the antiquities of and historical events connected with this county has beau already
sufficently detailed in the annals of Eaiuburghshire aud the capital— the district having formed at an cai-Iy period a pjiLiou of tUj pro-
vince of Lothian possessed by the Anglo-Saxons ; some few pa:ticulars, more distinctly refarablo to this county, may, however, be heia
added. The Oadenii tribe of British pt^oplo being overrun by the Romiins, the latter formed a tlrm but not perjuanent settlement in the
shire; the subjugated nations of the world bad snapped theii- fetters- they even menaced the extinction of the Haman n ime; the legions
were recalled to avert the c;itastropho, and Britain was left exposed to the devastations of hor more ferocious neighbours. During tho
residence of the Eomans in West Lothian, which was the outermost part of their conquest in this direction, they gave a site to tho waJJ
which tliey built across the island. No piirL of Valeutia was so well iirotected by forts. Froui the station at Ciamond, a RomEiu road
proceeded westward, along the shoro of the Forth to Carriden, where the wall terminated; and along the seashore werj sever.il posts,
which, according to old historians, were strenthened by towers. In modern times a variety of urns, coins, aud other relics of the Koinans
have been discovered in the shire. It is understood that after the departure of the Romans, and a good deal later, this part of Lothian
became occupied by the Scoto-Irish*and Northern adventurers, in greater numbers than in that portion now called Edinburghshii-e.
Surface, Soil, Produce, Ac- Tho aggregate surface of Linlithgowshire is neither flat nor hilly. The most rem:ukablo protuber
ancos form a range running obliquely across tho middle of the county. The central and westorn parts have the most hilly ground, whilo
on the east and south the land ia mostly level. The elevations are generally well clotlied with verdure and ornamental wood^ ; about oue-
third of the whole county is either woodland or old pasture, laid down with artificial grasses ; anil there are more than 'bur-lil'ths of tho
shire enclosed. Until the year 1733 there was little improvement in the agriculture of the district ; soon after this period, John, Earl of
Stair, introduced new and advantageous modes of husbandry, and commenced tlie cultivation of the cabbage, turnip, and carrot by the
plough ; the example of this nobleman was beneticially followed by Charles, first Earl of Hopetoun ; but both dying, thirty years olapsed
before agricultural spirit was again actively displayed. In more recent times, some practical farmers, possessing the advautages of skill
and capita], have brought the cultivatiou of the sl)ife to comparative perfection ; and now this rich aud lovely district participates in tho
general improvements of Southern Caledonia. With the exception of Cairpaplo, in tho parish of Torphiohen, which rises about litteen
hundred feet above the level of the sea, the mountains of this district are not of great altitude, nor are they numerous — Binny Craig
and Cocklerue are the only other eminences that attract notice; they are respectively about five hundred feet high.
Minerals and MANnFACTUREs.— Linliihtrowshire contains a store of minerals of tho most useful kind. Coal abounds throughout,
limestone is equally prevalent, in some parts ironstone is also found in profusion, and the whole surface seems to rest on a bed ot 'sand-
stone of the finest quality ; silver aud lead mines were formerly wrought, and there is pb-uty of marl, potters' clay, brick clay and red
chalk. Many places present volcanic appearances, particularly at Dundas Hill, in tho parish of Dalmeny, where there is a bold front
of basaltic rocks, exhibiting in some instances columns of that character. Of the Jf ANUFACTUHESof the sbiif% salt is the chief article;
and there are tanneries, breweries, distilleries and chemical works in tho principal towns Tho fcrailir i^i c ai employs a great number
of the inhabitants. This county is remarkable forythe state of its population, having undergone less increase in its amount within tho
last eighteen years than most other districts, especially those which arc more favoured by being the seat of manufacture.'^. Besides
this, the circumstance of stagnation, or at least but slow progress in population, maybe attributed to its scarcity of largo towns aud tho
general dependence on agriculture under a steady mode of farming.
Rivers and Railways,— The only river of consequence is the Almond, or Amend, but there are a number of considerable rivulets
aud burns, and thf Forth yields advantages which amply compensate for the deficiency of ri^er navigation. The Almond rises in the
high grounds of Lanarkshire, and, pursuing a north-easterly course, falls into the sea at Cramond ; at its mouth it assumes the appear-
ance of a small loch or arm of the sea, running up the bottom of a woody ravine ; but it is nut navigable except for a very short distance,
and that only for boats and very small sloops. The main lino of R.ulway that passes through this county is the Edinburgh aud
Glasgow Section of the North British line. Bathgate and Uphail are communicated with by the Edinburgh and Bathgate branch lin?,
Bo'ness by the Monkland Section, Queensferry by another branch, and Whitburn by the Wilsontown Section— all from the main lino.
Divisions and Representation, &c.— This county was probably separated into the sheriffdom in tho reign of David I. ; it was
placed by Robert, however, under the administration of a constable, and so it continued until the time of James IV. No other district
appears to have been so divided into petty baronies, baillieries, regalities anc^ other independent jurisdictions, nor so domineered over
by a number of peers inimical to peace and regardless of justice. Tho oldest family in tlio shiro is that of Duudus. who can trace an
unbroken line of descent and residence on the same spot up to the reign of William the Lion (IIdo), an antiquity rarely to be found sur-
passed, not only in Scotland, but in any other country. LInilthgowshiro comprises eleven pariahes and two parts of parishes, wiiich,
with two in Mid-Lothian aud four m Stirlingshire, form one presbytL-ry. It contains two royal burghs, namely, Linlithgow and Queens-
ferry ; the next largest town is Bathgate. Its seaport is Bo'ness, and there are a number of thriving villages, 'ihe burghs of Linlithgow,
Hamilton, Lanark, Airdrie and Falkirk, in conjunction, send one member to the imperial parUament, aud the shire at large another. The
member at present sitting (1377) for the shire is Peter Ai'Lagan, Esq., of Pumpherston. The acreage of the county is 76,&UiJ. The number
of inhabited houses in 1371 was 6,255, the population numbering 40,965 — males, 20,855, females, 20,110 — shewing an increase over that of
1861 of 2,320. The parliamentary constituency is 1,193.
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