and barley. There is, besides, L. 10 allowed for communion elements, the whole derived from the teinds of the parish. The average number of communicants belonging to the Established Church is 530. It is understood that there is not an individual, a native of the parish, and of sound mind, above fifteen years of age, who cannot read. Education is, indeed, so much prized by all, that there are few of the children of the place who have not been taught (besides reading) writing and the elementary rules of arithmetic. It may be remarked, however, that of late a number of Irish families have become settlers here. The parents (generally Roman Catholics) are found to be grossly ignorant, and pay no attention. to the education of their children. At present, there are about 150 persons, old and young, of this description in the parish, the greater proportion of whom are unable to read. Education. There is one parish schoolmaster in the burgh, whose yearly salary is L. 31, 16s. 6d., with an additional allowance for a house and garden. The average number of scholars attending the parish school is from 80 to 90. There is another branch school belonging to the parish at Breconbeds, near Kirtlebridge. The schoolmaster's salary is L. 10 yearly, and the average number of scholars from 60 to 70. Poor and Parochial Funds.-The fund from which the poor of the burgh and parish of Annan are supplied, is raised by an assessment on the real rental of property in the burgh and parish, the proprietors contributing one-half, and the tenants the other, the rates and allowances being settled twice a year, at Lammas and Candlemas. The collectors and treasurers of the poor cess money, are appointed by the heritors, magistrates, and kirk-session of Annan. The number of paupers at present on the roll is 121, who are paid weekly every Saturday forenoon, receiving from 1s. to 2s. 6d., or higher, according to circumstances. There is a small bequest yearly from the estate of Gullielands of L. 5. The poor are paid more liberally here than in any other of the neighbour. ing parishes; but, the more they get, the more they would have. The amount of the money paid for the last half-year was L. 295, 8s. 6d. Burgh, Civil Constitution, and Education continued.-The subsisting charter of this burgh was granted by King James VI. on 10th July 1612. It recites, that this town had been erected into a burgh by King James V. in 1538. The population of Annan has been more than doubled during the present century. From a statement furnished by the town-clerk, the revenue of the burgh may be stated at L. 650, arising from customs, feus, rents, &c. and is expended in Municipal salaries, (including burgh officers salaries,) Poor's rates, &c. Interest on debt, Various other charges, L. 80 0 0 95 0 0 76 0 0 The town is governed by twenty-one councillors, who select from among themselves a Provost, and three Bailies, and other office-bearers, by whom the police of the burgh is administered at the expense of the.common gude or burgh revenue, there being no assessment for any purpose imposed by the magistrates or council. The parliamentary and municipal constituency, as adjusted by the sheriff of Dumfries-shire on the 17th of August 1837, was 179, and the constituency of the landward part of the parish at 70 or 80. From time immemorial, the heritors of Annan, both burghal and landward, and their tenants, had possessed the right of pasturage and cutting turf on 1650 acres (Scotch measure) of indifferent commonty lying to the north of the town. As this land was, under such management, very unproductive, it was in the year 1802 divided among those interested; burdened, however, with an annual payment of L. 200 to the magistrates for behoof of the community, which sum was, at the suggestion of Mrs Graham, the amiable and accomplished wife of the author of the Sabbath, appropriated to secure L. 1000 to be expended in building, and L. 65 annually in endowing, an academy for the public benefit. The annual income of the institution is now L. 113, exclusive of wages. The average number of scholars for the last ten years has been 141. This is an excellent institution, and has proved highly beneficial to the burgh, the parish, and the surrounding district. An Infant School has also been lately established in the burgh. The school house was built in 1834 by subscription. The teacher, Miss Williamson, receives a salary of L. 30 per annum, which sum is paid partly from small weekly charges on the children, and partly by subscription. The number of pupils in regular attendance, from three to six years of age, is averaged at 85. Its beneficial effects are now fully acknowledg ed and duly appreciated by the public. In the former management of the burgh concerns, it appears that alienations of the burgh property had taken place to the amount of more than L. 6000; but as the proceeds of these alienations have been laid out in works most beneficial to the public interest, it is obvious that the community have reaped the full advantage of such alienation. But the debts still remaining a public burden on the community, amounting to upwards of L. 4000, are of a nature more detrimental to the public benefit. From the Report of the Commissioners on Municipal Corporations of Scotland, it appears, that the taxations in this burgh are peculiarly light, with the exception of the assessment for the poor. In fact, no taxes of any description are levied by the magistrates except poor money. There are no incorporated trades with exclusive privileges in Annan, and no qualification has been enforced to entitle any one to manufacture or trade within the bounds of the burgh. The magistrates issue burgess tickets both to ordinary and honorary burgesses, but they exact no fees of entry except the stamp of the tickets. ADDENDA. * Brydekirk. The church at Brydekirk was at first designed as a missionary station, comprehending a detached part of the parish of Annan, situated about three miles from the burgh on the west side of the river. It was built entirely at the expense of Mrs Dirom of Mount Annan and her friends, in the year 1835, and appoint- . ed an established district parish church by the General Assembly in the year 1836; and on the 17th of August following, the Rev. H. Macbryde Brown was ordained first minister. The church is a neat and commodious structure, situated at the west or upper end of the village of the same name. It is seated to contain 370 sitters, including benches for children in the area. The extent of the parish may amount to nearly two square miles on both sides of the river, comprehending a part of the adjoining parish of Hoddam, which is annexed to it. The principal heritors are, Mrs Dirom of Mount Annan, the Earl of Mansfield, General Sharpe of Hoddam, and Mr Irving of Bonshaw. The population of the village of Brydekirk, with the adjacent houses, may amount to about 400. This number, which forms a part of the 770 deducted from the congregation of Annan, with the additional number supplied from the parish of Hoddam, with recent settlers in the village, will now * See page 526. make the whole population of the parish about 1000. Last summer, a neat and commodious dwelling-house was erected in the village for the minister, but is scarcely yet finished. The stipend or income of the present minister is derived from the seat rents, or voluntary pecuniary aid of the benevolent proprietor of Mount Annan or Brydekirk estates, within which the greatest part of the parish is placed; but it is to be hoped, that, ere long, his station and labours in the church will be rewarded according to his merits. The church is well attended by a devout and serious congregation, much attached to their minister. The poorrates and other parochial affairs are conducted on much the same principles as those adopted in the landward parts of the parish of Annan. The schoolmaster, very recently appointed to the situation, has not yet been accommodated with any school-house properly fitted up, nor dwelling-house. His salary consists of L. 10 yearly, being a commutation of a victual stipend, assigned, while the school formed a branch school of the parish of Annan in 1828. The number of scholars attending the school here may vary from 60 to 80 in summer and winter. There is likewise an infant school established here, and a school for teaching girls reading and sewing, both taught by females. A Sabbath evening school has also been established by the minister of the parish, which is now attended by 100 young people. There is a corn mill in the village, constructed on the best principles, for grinding corn and dressing flour. A substantial stone bridge, consisting of three arches, was thrown over the Annan, here, upwards of twenty years ago, at a very considerable expense to the public. At the east end of the bridge a large building was erected for the manufacturing of wool, much about the same period when the bridge was built, and to which, machinery for sawing timber has been attached. The intersecting roads here are kept in good repair. December 1837. UNITED PARISHES OF HUTTON AND CORRIE. PRESBYTERY OF LOCHMABEN, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES. THE REV. JACOB WRIGHT, MINISTER. I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY. Name.-IT is observed in Hutchinson's History of the County of Cumberland, that the name Hutton, which is the name of a parish also in that county, is probably derived from the principal village being originally a town of huts. It appears not improbable that this parish derived its name from the same circumstance; and it strengthens this supposition, that there is a farm near the church of the name of Newton, where the principal inn of the parish has been long kept. It is natural to suppose that Newton was so called on its erection, in contradistinction to the old fragile tenements formerly on the spot. The rivulet Corrie gives name to the other part of the parish. The word is Gaelic, signifying a narrow glen. The rivulet accordingly issues from a glen, where this parish joins Eskdalemuir. Dryfe, another rivulet, which rises in the upper part of the Hutton division of the parish, and flows through it for six or seven miles, derives its name from its fury during floods, and driving all before it. In rainy seasons it is frequently shifting its bed, disfiguring fields, and destroying ferries and mill-dams. Extent, Boundaries.-The united parishes extend from N. W. to S. E. about twelve miles in length. The breadth is unequal, but may average three miles. They are bounded on the N. E. by the ridge of hills and waterfall which divides Annandale from Eskdale; on the S. E. by the water of Milk, which separates the parish of Corrie from Tundergarth; and on the N. and W. by the parishes of Wamphray, Applegarth, and Dryfesdale. Topographical Appearances, &c.-The view is very different from different positions. Within sight of the rivulet Dryfe, till near its source, the hills are of a fine verdure, and the banks much covered with wood. In sight of the Milk, the view is less hilly, less DUMFRIES. M m |