Gazetteer of Scotland

KEL
KEL
.the (lone refting on the two or three
points:" but others are of opinion,
that it is artificial, as a confidcrable
number have been difcovered in other
parts of the kingdom : at Stonebenge
in Wiltshire, at Balvaird and Dron,
near Perth, and another in Kirkmi-
chael parifh. It is fuppofed to have
been of ufe in the myiceries of the
druids; and, as fuch, Mason in his
CaraSacus, has introduced it as an
engine of fuperftition.
" Behold yon huge
And unhewn fphere of living adamant,
Which poiz'd by magic refts its central
weight
On yonder pointed rock ; firm as it feems,
Such is its ftrange and virtuous property,
It moves obfequious to the gentleft touch
Of him, whofe breaft is pure ; but, to a
traitor,
Tho' even a giant's prowefs nerv'd his arm,
It Hands as fix'd as Snowdon."
KELSO; a confuierable town in
Roxburghshire ; pleafantly fituated at
the confluence of the rivers Teviot and
F<weed, on an exteniive plain, bounded
on all fides by rifing grounds, covered
with plantations, forming a molt beau-
tiful amphitheatre. It is built in the
manner of a Flemifh town, with a
large fquare, and 6 ftreets going off
from it at regular diftances. In the
fquare Hands the Town-houfe, with
the principal houfes and fhops. The
parifh church and cpifcopal chapel,
are elegant buildings, and add much
to the beauty of the town. There
was formerly a handfome bridge over
the Tweed, which was carried away
in 1798, but it has fince been rebuilt.
There is a Diipenfary, with rooms for
the reception of a few fick ; a public
fubfeription library was many years
ago eftablifhcd, and is now a molt va-
luable collection. The Duke of Rox-
burgh, as proprietor of the lands, is
lord of the manor of Kelib. His
Grace's anceftor, Sir Robert Ker of
Cefsford, obtained the grant from
James I. of England, in 1605, when
the town was erected into a burgh of
barony. It is governed by a baron-
bailie, appointed by the Duke, and 15
ftent-mafters, of which the Duke no-
minates 7 ; the others are elected by
the merchants, and the 5 corporations:
thefe have the power of impaling a
cefs upon the inhabitants, according
to their drcumftanccs, to defray the
neceffary expences of the burgh.
During the border wars, which long
fpread defolation and mifery over the
country, Kelfo was three times burnt
down by the Englifh ; it was alfo to-
tally deftroyed in 1686, by an acci-
dental fire, and nearly fo about 60
years ago. The principal trade car-
ried on is the manufacture of woollen
cloth, the dreffing of lheep and lambs
fkins, of which they annually export
from 70,000 to 80,000. The fhoe-
makers are a numerous clafs, and
make annually 30,000 pairs of fhoes,
and 400 pairs of boots for exporta-
tion. Kelfo is a place of great gaiety;
it is often the feat of the Caledonian
hunt, and has well attended races,
which are run on a muir about 5
miles diftant, in the parifh of Eckford,
called Gavertown Edge. In 1793, the
number of inhabitants was 3557. The
parifh, which formerly contained 3
parifhes, viz. Kelfo, Maxwell, and St.
James's, is of an irregular triangular
figure, each fide of which is 44- miles
in length. The foil, for a confiderable
tract on the banks of the Tweed and
Teviot, is a rich deep loam, upon a
bottom of gravel, producing early and
luxuriant crops. In the N. W. ex-
tremity, and in the S. the foil is clay,
and the crops are considerably later.
A confiderable part is hilly, and though
the greater part is arable, it is kept
under fheep pafture. The principal
crops are wheat, oats, barky>and po-
tatoes ; but any other crop fucceeds
well. A confiderable part of the ab^
bey of Kelfo, formerly an immenfe
edifice, ftill remains, and exhibits a
venerable monument of the magnifi-
cence of ancient times. It was built
by David King of Scotland : he had
a predilection for the order of monks
of the Tyronenfes, whom he firft
planted at Selkirk ; afterwards re-
moved to Roxburgh, and finally fet-
tled them at Kelfo, in 11 28. The
abbey was endowed with great reve-
nues, and its privileges were very con-
fiderable. The abbot was allowed to
wear a mitre, and other pontifical or-
naments, and to be prefent at general
councils. The remains of it have not,
like mod of the Gothic buildings, any
minutenefs of ornament ; but, by its
plainnefs and magnitude, infpires the
mind with the grand and fublime, ra-
ther than the pleaiing and beautiful.
Ii