The New Statistical Account of Scotland: Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, Wigton

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W. Blackwood and Sons, 1845 - Scotland
 

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Page 243 - This humble individual practised in real life the virtues with which fiction has invested the imaginary character of JEA.NIE DEANS, refusing the slightest departure from veracity, even to save the life of her sister. She nevertheless showed her kindness and fortitude in rescuing her from the severity of the law, at the expense of personal exertions which the time rendered as difficult as the motive was laudable. , Respect the grave of poverty, when combined with the love of truth and dear affection.
Page 243 - TO THE MEMORY OF HELEN WALKER, WHO DIED IN THE YEAR OF GOD, 1791. THIS HUMBLE INDIvIDUAL PRACTISED IN REAL LIFE THE vIRTUES WITH WHICH FICTION HAS INvESTED THE IMAGINARY CHARACTER OF JEANIE DEANS; REFUSING THE SLIGHTEST DEPARTURE FROM vERACITY, EvEN TO SAvE THE LIFE OF A SISTER, SHE NEvERTHELESS SHOWED HER KINDNESS AND FORTITUDE, IN RESCUING HER FROM THE SEvERITY OF THE LAW, AT THE EXPENSE OF PERSONAL EXERTIONS WHICH THE TIME RENDERED AS...
Page 300 - The people contrasted the harsh treatment of their ministers with the suspicious lenity shown to Roman Catholics. It was observed, that, at this very time, Gilbert Brown, abbot of Newabbey, who had for many years been a busy trafficker for Rome and Spain, and a chief instrument of keeping the south of Scotland under ignorance and superstition...
Page 376 - At that fair it was the custom for the unmarried persons of both sexes to choose a companion according to their liking, with whom they were to live till that time next year. This was called hand-fasting, or hand in fist. If they were pleased with each other at that time, then they continued together for life : if not they separated, and were free to make another choice as at the first. The fruit of the connection (if there were any) was always attached to the disaffected person.
Page 198 - Dei in his bosom; and on the reverse, a representation of the upper part of two human figures in the act of embracing. On comparing this fragment with the monument, it was discovered to coincide with that portion of it which Pennant mistook for the top of a cross...
Page 181 - Dumfries, there was not as much victual produced as was necessary for the supply of the inhabitants ; and the chief part of what was required for that purpose was brought from the Sandbeds of Esk, in tumbling cars, to Dumfries; and when the waters were high by reason of spates, and there being no bridges so that these cars could not come with the meal, I have seen the tradesmen's wives in the streets of Dumfries crying, because there was none to be got.
Page 380 - Symson, in his Description of Galloway, written in 1684, says — " In the highway between Wigton and Portpatrick, about three miles westward of Wigton, is a plaine called the Moor of the Standing Stones of Torhouse, in which there is a monument of three large whinstones, called King Galdus's tomb surrounded, at about twelve feet distance, with nineteen considerable great stones, but none of them so great as the three first mentioned, erected in a circumference.
Page 74 - Caledonia ! stern and wild, meet nurse for a poetic child, • land of brown heath and shaggy wood, land of the mountain and the flood, land of my sires!
Page 306 - ... compact, were taken out, when it was discovered that one of the arms had been almost separated from the shoulder by the stroke of a stone axe. and that a fragment of the axe still remained in the bone. The axe had been of greenstone, a material which does not occur in this part of Scotland.
Page 393 - Walsatt, for correcting of scolds, which it does too so effectually, and so very safely, that I look upon it...

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