TRANSACTIONS of the DUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY and ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY LXXXVII VOLUME 87 2013 TRANSACTIONS of the DUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY and ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY FOUNDED 20 NOVEMBER 1862 THIRD SERIES VOLUME 87 LXXXVII Editors: ELAINE KENNEDY FRANCIS TOOLIS JAMES FOSTER ISSN 0141-1292 2013 DUMFRIES Published by the Council of the Society Office-Bearers 2012-2013 and Fellows of the Society President Dr F. Toolis FSA Scot Vice Presidents Mrs C. Iglehart, Mr A. Pallister, Mr D. Rose and Mr L. Murray Fellows of the Society Mr A.D. Anderson, Mr J.H.D. Gair, Dr J.B. Wilson, Mr K.H. Dobie, Mrs E. Toolis, Dr D.F. Devereux and Mrs M. Williams Mr L.J. Masters and Mr R.H. McEwen — appointed under Rule 10 Hon. Secretary Mr J.L. Williams, Merkland, Kirkmahoe, Dumfries DG1 1SY Hon. Membership Secretary Miss H. Barrington, 30 Noblehill Avenue, Dumfries DG1 3HR Hon. Treasurer Mr M. Cook, Gowanfoot, Robertland, Amisfield, Dumfries DG1 3PB Hon. Librarian Mr R. Coleman, 2 Loreburn Park, Dumfries DG1 1LS Hon. Editors Mrs E. Kennedy, Nether Carruchan, Troqueer, Dumfries DG2 8LY Dr F. Toolis, 25 Dalbeattie Road, Dumfries DG2 7PF Dr J. Foster (Webmaster), 21 Maxwell Street, Dumfries DG2 7AP Hon. Syllabus Conveners Mrs J. Brann, Troston, New Abbey, Dumfries DG2 8EF Miss S. Ratchford, Tadorna, Hollands Farm Road, Caerlaverock, Dumfries DG1 4RS Hon. Curators Mrs J. Turner and Miss S. Ratchford Hon. Outings Organiser Mrs S. Honey Ordinary Members Mrs P.G. Williams, Mrs A. Weighill, Dr Jeanette Brock, Dr Jeremy Brock, Mr D. Scott, Mr J. McKinnell, Mr A. Gair, Mr D. Dutton CONTENTS Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society 150th Anniversary Conference Report ....................................................................... 1 The Founding and Early History of Our Society by Dr Francis Toolis .................. 5 The Founding of Our Society 1862: Contemporary Context and Cultural Climate by Edward J. Cowan ......................................................................................... 15 Excavations at Trusty’s Hill, 2012 by Ronan Toolis and Christopher Bowles ...... 27 Recent Investigations at Carzield Roman Fort, Kirkton, Dumfries And Galloway by Warren R. Bailie ............................................................................................ 51 Gaill, Gàidheil, Gall-Ghàidheil and the Cenéla of Greater Galloway by Dr D.C. McWhannell .................................................................................... 81 Narrowboats in Galloway: Alexander Gordon, Marl, and the Carlingwark Canal by Pat Jones ........................................................................................................ 117 John Rutherford, Society Member and Photographer in Annandale by Morag Williams ............................................................................................. 135 The Dumfries ‘Troublemaker’: Lord Loreburn’s Critique Of British Foreign Policy, 1899-1919 by David Dutton ................................................................... 165 Addenda Antiquaria Corporal Donaldson’s Complaint: An Example of Military Support for the Board of Customs in Counter-Smuggling Activities in Early Eighteenth- Century Galloway by David F. Devereux, Alison Greenshields and Elaine Pattison .................................................................................................... 191 A Note on the Growing of Flax and the Manufacture of Linen in the Lochmaben Area by John Wilson ...................................................................... 195 Reviews Beyond the Gododdin: Dark Age Scotland in Medieval Wales: The Proceedings of a Day Conference Held on 19 February 2005 edited by Alex Woolf. Andrew Breeze ............................................................. 197 Mary Queen of Scots and Her Escapes by A. E. MacRobert. David Devereux ................................................................................................. 199 Kirkmahoe War Memorials compiled by Connie Davidson, John Williams and Morag Williams, edited by Morag Williams. Rosemary King ................... 200 Proceedings ............................................................................................................. 204 EDITORIAL INFORMATION Contributions are invited on the geology, natural history, archaeology and history of South West Scotland and preference is always given to original work on subjects of local interest. Intending contributors should contact the Editors, giving details of the topic and approximate size of their paper. Much more information about the Transactions, including digitised copies of the entire run from 1862 onwards, with the exception of the most recent five years, is available on the Society’s website, www.dgnhas.org.uk. Each contributor has seen a proof of his or her paper and neither the Editors nor the Society hold themselves responsible for the accuracy of information in it. Contributors are responsible for obtaining permission to use copyright material in their papers and to acknowledge this where relevant. The Hon. Secretary, Mr John L. Williams, Merkland, Kirkmahoe, Dumfries DG1 1SY, Tel: 01387 710274, deals with all matters other than membership which are dealt with by the Hon. Membership Secretary, Miss H. Barrington, 30A Noblehill Avenue, Dumfries DG1 3HR, Tel: 01387 256666. Exchange volumes should be sent to the Editor, Elaine Kennedy, Nether Carruchan, Troqueer, Dumfries DG2 8LY. Exchange volumes are deposited with Dumfries Museum. Prior contact should be made with museum staff (telephone 01387 253374) if access is required to consult these. Enquiries regarding back numbers of the Transactions should be made to the Hon. Librarian, Mr R. Coleman, 2 Loreburn Park, Dumfries DG1 1LS, Tel: 01387 247297. A list of publications of the Society is given at the end of this volume. Members can assist the Society by handing in volumes that are no longer required. It follows that volumes marked as out of print may be available from time to time. All payments, other than subscriptions, should be made to the Hon. Treasurer, Michael Cook, Gowanfoot, Amisfield, Dumfries DG1 3PB. Payment of subscriptions should be made to Miss H. Barrington (see above) who will be pleased to arrange for subscriptions and donations to be treated as Gift Aid. This can greatly increase the income of the Society without, generally, any additional cost to the member. The Society may make small grants available for excavation or research. Applications should be made prior to 28th February in each year to the Hon. Secretary. Researchers are also reminded of the Mouswald Trust founded by our late President, Dr R.C. Reid, which provides grants for work on certain periods. Enquiries and applications for grants to the Trust should be made to Primrose and Gordon, Solicitors, 1 Newall Terrace, Dumfries, DG1 1LN. The Society may also be able to assist with applications for funding from other sources. The illustration on the front cover is of the Wamphray cross-slab from the article ‘The Early Church in Dumfriesshire’ by W.G. Collingwood, in series iii, Volume 12, (1926) of the Transactions. Copyright Requests for permission to reproduce material from the Transactions should be sent to the Editors, as well as to the author, illustrator, photographer or other creator of content. It is permitted to make single copies of articles for research purposes by an individual and for library reserve or short term loan use. Multiple copies of articles may be made for edu- cational purposes by a non-profit-making institution for use within that institution only. Copies made for all other purposes require the prior consent of DGNHAS and the relevant copyright holders. On-line publication In 2012 the Council of the Society took the decision to upload digital copies of the Trans- actions onto its website when five years had elapsed from their publication. This is to alert copyright holders to our intention to make digital versions of their work available on-line. Anyone with concerns about their copyright material being reproduced in this way should contact the Editor. 1 DUMFRIESHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY 150TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE REPORT Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society celebrated its 150th year in 2012. To mark the anniversary the Society, which is the second oldest such society in Scotland, held a one-day conference at Dumfries & Galloway College, Crichton Cam- pus, Dumfries on Saturday, 8 September 2012. There were over 110 people in attendance, both members and non-members. After the President, Dr Francis Toolis, had welcomed delegates and speakers he proceeded to address the conference on the founding and early history of the Society. An article based on his address follows in this volume of the Transactions. Dr Toolis summarised the activities of the Society, and the major personalities who had made such important contributions to its work over the past 150 years, illustrating his points by citing articles published in the Transactions. The number of local and national luminaries closely involved with the Society and the vast range of topics published in the Transactions is exceptional. The corpus represents a substantial contribution towards our understanding of the natural history, archaeology and history of our region. Dr Toolis’s address was followed by Dr Anne Crone of AOC Archaeology who gave an illustrated talk entitled, ‘Cults Loch: an Iron Age Farming Landscape.’ The excavations were part