XX. The "Common Good" of the Burgh-Its Leading Families at XXI. Dawn of the Reformation in the District-The First Pro- testant Sermon preached in the Burgh-The Roman Catholic Establishment of the Burgh and County, 251 268 XXIII. Disastrous Warfare on the Western Border-Outbreak of a Deadly Feud between the Maxwells and Johnstones, XXIV. Lord Maxwell originates a Rebel Movement in the County- 301 315 . XXV. Battle of Dryfe-Sands, and Slaughter of Lord Maxwell, XXVII. James VI. Presents a Silver Gun to the Incorporated Trades 331 347 364 XXVIII. Rivalry between the Trades and Merchants-The Town XXIX. The Scots Resist the Attempts made by Charles I. to Prelatize their Church—The Covenanting War Committee at Cul- XXX. The Earl of Nithsdale takes part with the Royalists-Car- XXXI. Proceedings of the Church Courts of Dumfries against XXXII. Trials for Witchcraft--Nine Reputed Witches Executed, XXXIV. Charles II. Overthrows the Presbyterian Church-The Parish XXXV. Outbreak of the Persecuted Covenanters at Dalry-They Capture the Government Chief at Dumfries-Defeat of XXXVI. Incidents of the Persecution as carried on by Claverhouse, Grierson of Lag, and others-Boon Companionship of 462 478 XXXVII. James Renwick-More Incidents of the Persecution-The Burgh placed under a Roman Catholic Provost-Municipal Freedom Restored, and Presbyterianism Re-established, . 495 XXXVIII. Trade and Commerce of the Burgh-Right of Pasture-Town XXXIX. Erection of the Mid-Steeple-Anti-Union Riot in the Burgh XL. The Rebellion of 1715, as affecting the Burgh and District, . 561 XLI. The Earl of Nithsdale Condemned to Death for the part taken . 578 593 XLII. The Schools of the Burgh-Bailie Paterson's Bequests-More XLIII. An Ale Duty Imposed, and Riotous Resistance made to it- Erection of the New Church-Financial Difficulties-Sale of Barkerland-A Steeple placed on St. Michael's Church, 613 XLIV. The Rebellion of 1745-Prince Charles takes Possession of XLV. Improvements on the River-The Dock Trees Planted- 653 663 XLVII. Bread Riots in the Burgh-Erection of an Infirmary-Ruinous Results to many Burgesses of the Failure of the Ayr Bank, 678 XLVIII. Patrick Miller of Dalswinton and his Inventions-Renewed LI. Erection of the Academy-The Armstrong Bursaries-Curious Proceedings of the Craftsmen in Maintaining their Privi- 716 LII. Pecuniary Difficulties-The Burgh's Property, Income, and LIII. Terrific Meal Mob-The Murderer Hare in Dumfries, HISTORY OF DUMFRIES. CHAPTER I. BRIEF GENERAL SKETCH OF DUMFRIESSHIRE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF NITHSDALE, ANNANDALE, ESKDALE, AND THE BURGH OF DUMFRIES- INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGIN OF THE TOWN-ROMAN OCCUPATION OF THE DISTRICTTHE SELGOVÆ, THE SCOTO-IRISH, THE SAXON AND NORMAN SETTLERS IN NITHSDALE DEFEAT AND EXODUS OF THE BRITISH INHABITANTS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. DUMFRIESSHIRE, about whose chief town this work is principally written, lies in an elliptical form on the north side of the Solway Frith, its greater diameter extending about fifty miles, from the mountain of Corsincon in Ayrshire to Liddel Moat in Roxburghshire; and its smaller diameter stretching from Loch Craig, on the confines of Peeblesshire, to Carlaverock Castle, on the Solway-a distance of about thirty-two miles. It has a sea shore of fully twenty-one miles, running from the mouth of the river Nith to that of the river Sark; and its total circumference is one hundred and seventy-four miles, not including the estuaries of the Nith, the Lochar, the Annan, and the Sark:* its whole surface measuring 1,098 square miles. The County is separated from Kircudbrightshire for several miles, on the south-west, by the water of Cairn, or Cluden; and from the point where that stream ceases to become its boundary line it is cinctured by a high mountain range, which breaks away westward from Cumberland into the south of Scotlandthe only exception being an open part of Liddesdale, that slopes smoothly into the neighbouring shire of Roxburgh. At this exceptional point a frontier is supplied by the Liddel, and afterwards by the Liddel in conjunction with the Esk, till the Singer's Survey of Dumfriesshire, p. 2. A line, coming overland westward, touches the Sark, runs with that stream to the sea, then follows the devious margin of the Solway till it terminates at the estuary of the Nith; the Sark becoming in its course not simply the fringe of the County in that direction, but the small, faint border-line which divides England from Scotland. Dumfriesshire comprehends the districts of Nithsdale, Annandale, and Eskdale: which natural divisions nearly agree with the ancient jurisdictions that prevailed; the first having been governed as a sheriffship, the second as a stewartry, and the third as a regality. Its population, which was 39,788 in 1755, had risen to 75,878 in 1861. There are fiftythree parishes in the Synod of Dumfries, ten of which are in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright; these ten, with seven that are in the County, making up the Presbytery of Dumfries. The Parish of Dumfries has an area of fifteen square miles: its population a hundred years ago was about 5,500; at the beginning of the current century it was little more than 7,000; it is now double that amount. The Nith is the chief river of the County. Coming from its cradle among the mountains east of Dalmellington, in Ayrshire, it describes a south-westerly course, watering by the way the Royal Burgh of Sanquhar, at the head of the dale, and further down the ducal village of Thornhill, around which the country opens well up-spacious plains, claiming with success ample room and verge from the highlands, that seem at points further north as if they wished to shut up the valley altogether. From an eminence westward of Thornhill the enormous mass of Drumlanrig Castle is seen, says Robert Chambers, looking down "with its innumerable windows upon the plain, like a great presiding idol"*—the embodied genius of feudalism. One of the barrier ridges northward is pierced by the narrow gloomy pass of Enterkin, through which the sister vales of Nith and Clyde keep up precarious intercourse. Lower down, at Auldgirth Bridge, near Blackwood, the mountain ranges that environ the dale approach each other more closely, then recede, till round and below Dumfries a spacious plain, like that of "Lombardy in miniature," is formed; differing chiefly from its beautiful Italian type in having a larger proportion of upland compared * Picture of Scotland, p. 235. |