: _\x GLENCAIRN (DUMFRIESSHIRE) The Annals of an Inland Parish. BY JOHN CORRIE. Frontispiece by JAMES PATERSON, R.S.A. DUMFRIES: THOS. HUNTER & Co. 1910. tto Sbe flbemorg of /IDotber, Who early instilled into me a love of Glencairn and all that concerns its history, this volume is affectionately dedicated. " If I had my way I would have, as part of the teaching in every country school, a little book giving the story of the parish, mentioning the main changes, any historical facts connected with it, and the names of any distinguished natives. The people in our country parishes know nothing of the local history, and it is not good that they should be ignorant." British Weekly. PREFACE. the following pages I have attempted to sketch briefly the IN history of Glencairn from the earliest times. During recent years, and especially since the advent of the rail- way, enquiries for such a book have been frequent. It is true that an excellent little history of the parish was published in 1876 by the late Rev. John Monteith, but the book has long been out of print, and it is now difficult to procure copies even at a premium. In these circumstances I have attempted a task that I would willingly have left for abler hands to overtake. I am free to confess that a considerable impetus to the writing of the history was imparted by the discovery of two Church Treasurer's Books in MS. containing much curious information illustrative of the social and religious life of the parish about the close of the eighteenth, and the beginning of the nineteenth century. Some of the items, it seemed to me, were of more than merely local interest, and through the cour- tesy of Glencairn Kirk- Session I have now the privilege of making the contents of the little volumes, together with other extracts from the Records, generally accessible. To the Rev. R. G. Philip, M.A., United Free Church Manse, Glencairn, and to Mr G. W. Shirley, Librarian, Ewart Public Library, Dumfries, my thanks are gratefully offered for much valuable assistance and advice. In dealing with the Place-names many helpful suggestions have been received from the Rev. James B. Johnston, B.D., Falkirk, and Mr George Macdonald, Station House, Moniaive. Mr James Paterson, R.S.A., has conferred a signal honour upon my book by his picture of "Glencairn," which has been so beautifully repro- duced in photogravure by Messrs T. & R. Annan & Co., of Glasgow. My acknowledgments are likewise due to the Rev. viii. PREFACE. Sir Emilius Laurie, Bart, of Maxwelton, for permission to repro- duce the valuable and interesting paintings of Mr Alexander " " Fergusson and Bonnie Annie Laurie ; to Mr William Macmath, Edinburgh, for the picture of Moniaive in 1790; to Messrs Valentine & Sons, Dundee, for two of the photographs; and to Messrs J. Maxwell & Son, Dumfries, for the drawing of the Craigdarroch Whistle. I desire to express my thanks also to a number of other friends svho, although not expressly named here, have none the less helped to make my work more complete. Notwithstanding the limitations and imperfections of the book, I venture to hope that it will be received as a not unworthy contribution to the history of a parish that has long been famous alike for its natural beauty and for its rich historic interest. J. C. Burnbank, Moniaive, December, 1910. CONTENTS. PAGE. PREFACE .. ... ... vii. CHAP. I. NAME AND TOPOGRAPHY. Origin of Name Extent of Parish Hills Streams Valleys Mineral springs Geological formationWoods Font's Map Distribution of population about 1610 General description The Glens in Borland Hall ... 1 CHAP. II. EARLY TIMES. Traces of occupancy Importance of Place-names as an index of early conditions The more interesting Place- names with their probable meanings 10 CHAP. III. ANTIQUITIES. Animal remains Stone implements and weapons Crannog and Earthwork at Loch Urr Camps Motes Other defensive works Cairns and burial mounds Portable relics ... 18 CHAP. IV. VALUATION. 31 (1) Ancient (2) Modern. CHAP. V. THE CHURCH BEFORE THE REFORMATION. Saint Cuthbert Site of Saint Cuthbert's Chapel First mention of Glencairn The Knights Templars Pre- Reformation Clergy in Glencairn Religious condition of the people Shrines and pilgrimages Visit of James IV. to Glencairn on his way to the Shrine of Whithorn Dawn of the Reformation ... ... ... ... 38 CHAP. VI. THE CHURCH AFTER THE REFORMATION. Parish Ministers subsequent to the Reformation Old Parish Church of Glencairn The Churchyard The present Church The United Presbyterian Church and its Ministers The Free Church of Scotland and its Ministers The United Free Church of Scotland ... 44 x. CONTENTS. CHAP. VII. THE COVENANTERS. Origin of Covenanting Struggle Ejected Ministers The Rising at Dairy Turner brought a prisoner from Dumfries by way of Glencairn Rullion Green Claver- house in the South of Scotland Glencairn martyrs James Renwick Other Glencairn martyrs and sufferers The Revolution ... ... ... ... ... 54 CHAP. VIII. KIRK-SESSION RECORDS. Far-reaching duties of the Kirk-Session Curious ex- tracts from Records, 1G93 onwards Quaint and interest- ing details from Church Treasurer's Books, 1783-98 as to and 1808-19, (1) Collections ; (2) Fines, proclama- &c. Interest on &c. : tions, ; (3) loans, ; (4) Expenditure Care of the poor ... ... ... ... ... ... 72 CHAP. IX. EDUCATION. John Knox and Education Number and distribution of Schools in Glencairn The Education Act of 1872 The Grierson Glencairn Bursary Schoolmasters from 1694 83 CHAP. X. THE REBELLIONS OF 1715 AND 1745. Important part played by the men of Glencairn in first Rebellion The march to Stirling Garrison duty under Lieut.-Col. Blackader Collapse of first Rebellion The Rebellion of 1745 Local measures of defence Action by the Presbytery Fine of 2000 exacted from the county town Handsome contributions from Sir Robert Laurie of Maxwelton and others Close of the Rebellion 92 CHAP. XL HISTORIC FAMILIES. The Fergusson Family The Cuningtafn Family The Laurie Family The Gibson Family -other Families ... 100 CHAP. XII. FAMOUS SONS AND DAUGHTERS. " James Renwick Robert Cutlar Fergusson Bonnie Annie Laurie" Lieut.-Col. Blackader James Fisher Alexander Clerk Rev. Robert Gordon, D.D. William Bennet Rev. John Inglis, D.D. Rev. William France Rev. Alexander Grierson, A.M. John Hyslop CONTENTS. xi. Walter Paton, J.P., D.L. John Dalziel Rev. Alex- ander Todd Robert Mackill References to Col. Sir George G. Walker, and others 112 CHAP. XIII. BURNS and GLENCAIRN. " " The Poet's visits as an exciseman The Whistle "Willie brewed a peck o' maut" A Glencairn subject for a projected drama, Rob Macque.chan's Elshon Legend of King Robert the Bruce and Dalwhat " " " Address to the Deil Lament for James, Earl of Glencairn" 127 CHAP. XIV. INDUSTRIES, PAST AND PRESENT. Agriculture the principal industry Primitive methods of cultivation about 1800 Impetus given to improvement by Highland and Agricultural Society The growing of flax, and its manufacture Lint wells and lint mills The droving of cattle Minor industries : Muslin em- " broidery or Flowering "Hand-knitting Weaving Coopering Thatching Basket-making Candle-mak - ing Nail-making Modern Agriculture Favourite breeds of sheep and cattle Staple crops Modes of husbandry Leases Wages Improved condition of workers ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 132 CHAP. XV. GLENCAIRN DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. Social condition of the people Houses Furniture Dress Food Light Fuel Amusements, Customs, and Beliefs Proverbs and sayings ... ... ... 141 CHAP. XVI. MONIAIVE. Situation of the village Meaning of name Erection into a free Burgh of Barony Copy of Charter dated 1636 Translation of Charter Moniaive in 1790 Changes in the name Streets, and their changes " " Bridges Roadways The Craigengillan Coach Im- pressions of Lord Cockburn Story of Lord Brougham Other famous visitors and residents Village worthies 148 CHAP. XVII. THE PRESENT TIME. Aspect of Glencairn to-day Improvements in Housing xii. CONTENTS. Lighting Water supply, &c. Rural depopulation Decrease in Glencairn, and its causes Rental of Parish Parish Council Libraries Ploughing Society Horti- cultural Society Lodge of Oddfellows Recreative Clubs Other institutions The Post Office The Cairn Valley Railway The Outlook 169 APPENDICES. A. The Vertebrate Fauna of Glencairn 179 B. Flora, with List of finest Trees 186 C. Bibliography 197 INDEX.., ... ... 215 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Glencairn From a painting by James Paterson, R.S.A Frontispiece. PAGE. Map of Parish ... ... ... ... ... ...Facing 1 Stone Hammers 18 Tripod Ewer 30 Church Tokens 48 and 50 Martyr Stones in Glencairn Churchyard ... ... ... 60 Alexander Fergusson of Craigdarroch and Anna Laurie ("Bonnie Annie Laurie") ... .. Facing 106 The Craigdarroch Whistle 128 " " Carle Candlestick, 19th century 147 Moniaive in 1790 ... ... ... ... ...Facing 156 The Jougs from Moniaive Cross ... ... ... ... 168 Moniaive from Dunreggan Hill ... ... ... Facing 169 CHAPTER I. NAME AND TOPOGRAPHY. name Glencairn Celtic, Gleann-carn, glen of the cairn THEor heap of stones may almost be regarded as explain- ing itself. Where the cairn that gave the parish its name was situated is no longer known with certainty. Large cairns formerly existed at Auchencheyne, at Crawfordton, and at Waulkmill, near Moniaive, but practically all traces of these have now disappeared. When the Waulkmill cairn was de- molished, an urn of the usual cinerary type was found in the interior. So far as we are aware, not even a fragment of this interesting relic can be traced, but the known discovery of such an object is valuable, for it lends probability to the assumption that the large and important cairn at Waulkmill was the source from which the parish derived its name. Glencairn lies on the western border of Dumfriesshire, close to the high mountain range that forms a natural boundary between that county and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is bounded on the north by the parish of Tynron, on the east by Keir, on the south by Dunscore and Balmaclellan, and on the west by Dairy.