Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society

Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society

Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society LXXII 1997 Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society FOUNDED 20th NOVEMBER, 1862 THIRD SERIES VOLUME LXXII Editors: JAMES WILLIAMS, F.S.A.Scot., W. F. CORMACK, M.B.E., F.S.A.Scot. ISSN 0141-1292 1997 DUMFRIES Published by the Council of the Society OFFICE-BEARERS 1996-97 and FELLOWS OF THE SOCIETY President Mr. K. H. Dobie Vice Presidents Miss M.Stewart, Dr.D.Devereux, Mrs. O. Stewart, Mr. P. Crichton Fellows of the Society Dr.J.Harper, M.B.E.; Mr.J.Banks, B.Sc.; Mr.A.E.Truckell, M.B.E.,M.A.,F.M.A.; Mr.A.Robertson, M.A.; Mr.A.Anderson, B.Sc.; Mr.D.Adamson, M.A.; Mr.J.Chinnock and Mr.J.H.D. Gair, M.A., J.P. - as Past Presidents. Prof.Anne S.Robertson, D.Litt.,F.R.S.E.,F.M.A.; Mr.W.F.Cormack, M.B.E., M.A.,LL.B.,W.S.; Mr.J.G.Scott, M.A.,F.M.A.; Mr.J.Williams and Mr.L.J.Masters, M.A. - appointed under Rule 10. Hon. Secretary Mr. Mark White, Smithy Cottage, Milton, Crocketford, Dumfries DG2 8QT. Tel.(01556) 690271. Assisted by Mrs. J. Taylor as Minute Secretary. Hon. Membership Secretary Mrs.M.Rochester, Hillcrest, Kirkton, Dumfries DG1 1SL. Tel.(01387) 710144 Hon. Treasurer Mr.John Neilson, 2 Park Street, Dumfries DG2 7PH. Tel.(01387) 255678 Hon. Librarian Mr.R.Coleman, 4 Lovers Walk, Dumfries DG1 1LP. Tel.(01387) 263164 Assisted by Mr.J.Williams, 43 New Abbey Road, Dumfries DG2 7LZ Joint Hon. Editors Mr.W.F.Cormack, 16 Dryfe Road, Lockerbie DG11 2AJ and Mr.J.Williams Hon. Curators Mrs. E. Kennedy and M/s. S. Ratchford Ordinary Members Mr. D. W. Ogilvie, Mr.F.Stewart, Mrs.M.Wise, Mrs.S.Fraser, Dr.J.K. Johnson, Mr. M. White, Mrs. J. Taylor, Mrs. E. Toolis, Miss H. Barrington, M/s L. Botten and Mr. P. Kormylo CONTENTS Notes on the Old Fur Market of Dumfries by Derek Skilling................................. 1 Some Notes on the Name ‘Ninian’ by Henry Gough-Cooper ................................. 5 The Partition of a Kingdom: Strathclyde 1092-1153 by J. G. Scott........................ 11 Kenmure Castle by Alastair M. T. Maxwell-Irving................................................. 41 The Tower-Houses of Kirtleside by Alastair M. T. Maxwell-Irving ....................... 55 Crime and Punishment in 17th and 18th Century Records of Dumfries - Part I by Marion M. Stewart........................................................................................ 69 Some Notes on the Old Military Road in Dumfries and Galloway by Alex D. Anderson.......................................................................................... 79 The Development of Kirkcudbright in the late 18th Century – Town Planning in a Galloway Context by D. E. Marsden.......................................................... 89 John Walker, an 18th Century Naturalist – His life and times in the rural parish of Moffat by Dr. George Thomson .................................................................... 97 Addenda Antiquaria Two Late Mesolithic Sites in the Luce Bay Area by P. J. Cherry and J. Cherry .................................................................................. 109 Two Polished Flint Knives from Galloway by John Pickin............................... 110 Extracts from Dumfries Burgh Court Records by A. E. Truckell...................... 112 Four Annandale Medical Men by J. B. Wilson.................................................. 115 Lochmaben’s Sham and Pretended Councils by J. B. Wilson ........................... 117 Reviews Excavations at Navan Fort 1961-71 by the late D. M. Waterman, completed and edited by Chris Lynn (W. F. Cormack)...................................... 119 Discovering Galloway by Innes Macleod (James Williams)............................. 120 Sir William Burrell’s Northern Tour, 1758 edited by John G. Dunbar (W. F. Cormack) ...................................................................... 121 Obituary Professor Anne S. Robertson (W. F. Cormack).................................................. 122 Proceedings 1996-1997 ........................................................................................... 123 List of Members and Subscribers ............................................................................ 124 EDITORIAL Contributions are invited on the Natural History, Geology, Antiquities and Archaeology, including Industrial Archaeology of South West Scotland or the Solway Basin and prefer- ence is always given to original work on local subjects. Intending contributors should, in the first instance, apply to the Editors for ‘Instructions to Contributors’, giving the nature and approximate size of their paper. 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 scientific, historical or personal information in it. A list of Members, as at March 1998, appears in this volume and a copy of the current Rules, dated 13th October 1995, appeared in volume 69. The Honorary Secretary, Mr Mark White, Smithy Cottage, Milton, Crocketford, Dum- fries DG2 8QT, Tel. 0155 669 0271, deals with all matters other than membership which are dealt with by the Hon. Membership Secretary, Mrs M. Rochester, Hillcrest, Kirkton, Dum- fries DG1 1SL, Tel. 01387-710144. Exchanges should be sent to the Hon. Assistant Librarian, Mr J. Williams, St Albans, 43 New Abbey Road, Dumfries DG2 7LZ. Volumes are deposited in the Library of Dumfries Museum at which location they may be freely consulted by members. However, as public opening hours may vary it is recommended that prior contact be made with Museum staff before visiting. Enquiries regarding back numbers of Transactions - see rear cover - should be made to the Hon. Librarian, Mr R. Coleman, 4 Lover’s Walk, Dumfries DG1 1LP. As many of the back numbers are out of stock, members can greatly assist the finances of the Society by arranging for any volumes which are not required, whether of their own or those of deceased members, to be handed in. It follows that volumes marked as out of print may nevertheless be available from time to time. Payment of subscriptions should be made to Mrs M.Rochester, Hillcrest, Kirkton, Dum- fries DG1 1SL, on behalf of the Hon. Treasurer, who will be pleased to arrange Bonds of Covenant, which can materially increase the income of the Society without, generally, any additional cost to the member. The attention of members and friends is drawn to the impor- tant Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax concessions which are conferred on individuals by the Finance Acts, in as much as bequests or transfers of shares or cash to the Society are exempt from these taxes. Limited grants may be available for excavations or other 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 pro- vides grants for work on certain periods. Enquiries and applications for grants should be made to Primrose and Gordon, Solicitors, Irish Street, Dumfries. The Council is indebted to the Ann Hill Bequest Fund for a grant covering the publica- tion costs of Mr A M C Maxwell-Irving’s paper on the Tower Houses of Kirtleside . 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 volume XII, Series III (1926) of these Transactions. It is discussed afresh by Prof. Richard Bailey in Whithorn Lecture No. 4 (pub.1996). 1 NOTES ON THE OLD FUR MARKET OF DUMFRIES by Derek Skilling 14, Watling Street, Dumfries DG1 1HF The historic record of the old fur market of Dumfries was written by Robert Service, the eminent local field naturalist who produced upwards of two hundred scientific papers on natural history. His paper entitled The Old Fur Market of Dumfries was published in 1891 when the heyday of the public fur market was long past1. In addition to a description of the trade and its local history, it included a table of the market statistics for the period between 1816 and 1874. It was a reference to these statistics, in particular the enormous number of hare skins traded, drawn to my attention by John Young2, which prompted a successful search for the full publication. Unless otherwise acknowledged, it is this paper which is quoted here. The fur market was a part of the ancient Candlemas Fair which took place in Dumfries each February. The time of its origin is unknown and on this point Service used the phrase ‘from time immemorial’, elsewhere it is noted that in 1836 the ‘Dumfries Fur Fair’ had existed for the past century3. What is clear however is that the fur market in Dumfries was of great importance: so much so that at some periods of its history it governed the fur prices obtained throughout Scotland, with furriers’ buyers coming to Dumfries from many parts of England as well as Scotland. In the earlier fur markets hare skins had been the staple commodity , although other skins such as foumart (polecat), otter, foxes, cats, badgers and rabbits were traded at various times and in varying numbers. The hare species involved in the Dumfries market appears to have been mainly the Brown hare Lepus europaeus. The Mountain hare Lepus timidus was introduced into the southern uplands in the 1830s and 1840s, where they dispersed widely4. Although Mountain hares occurred in Dumfriesshire by the 1850s and 1860s, they were sufficiently scarce to be considered worthy of detailed notes at that time5. It is unlikely therefore that Mountain hares

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