Edward Gordon and Alexander M'Cubbin, lie buried on a small rising ground, within a clump of trees, close to the Cluden, and in view of the kirk. They were seized in Lochinket moor, by Bruce and the Laird of Lagg, and executed on the spot where they were buried, to strike terror, perhaps, into the hearts of some families in the neighbourhood, either known or suspected to be attached to the Presbyterian cause.

In later times, this parish gave birth to an individual in humble life, whose name would probably ere now have been forgotten, had not her singular and affecting story attracted the attention of the Author of Waverley, and given rise to one of the most enchanting and instructive of his tales "The Heart of Midlothian." The individual to whom we allude is Helen Walker, the prototype of "Jeanie Deans." How he came to hear of her story, -the simple materials on which this splendid creation of his genius was reared,—and what led to the erection of a stone to her memory, are all given in the preface to the tale.*

Land-owners.-James Oswald of Newark, M. P. for Glasgow, is patron of the parish. His estate lies along the right bank of the Cluden, and embraces part of the middle and almost the whole of the lower district of the parish. There is no mansionhouse on the property. Mr Oswald's usual residence is Auchencruive, a magnificent seat in the parish of St Quivox, and neigh

To bring her character before the view of the reader, we cannot do better than transcribe the simple and touching inscription written by himself.

This Stone was erected

By the Author of Waverley,

In

Memory of Helen Walker,

Who died in the year of God 1791.
This Humble Individual
Practised in Real Life

the Virtues

With which Fiction has invested
The Imaginary character of
Jeanie Deans.
Refusing the slightest departure
from Veracity,

Even to save the life of a sister,
She nevertheless showed her
Kindness and fortitude,
In

Rescuing her from the severity of the law,
At the expense of personal exertions,
Which the time rendered as difficult,
As the motive was laudable.

Respect the grave of poverty,
When combined with love of truth
And dear affection.

bourhood of Ayr. Mr Lennox, of Linncluden, in this parish, resides in New York. Wellwood Maxwell, Esq. of Barncleugh, is also a proprietor in this parish. Wellwood Maxwell, Esq. of the Grove, an extensive merchant in Liverpool, has an estate on the south-eastern extremity of the parish, which is principally under his own management. He has lately built an elegant and commodious mansion, after a design by Rickman, a self-taught architect of very considerable celebrity. The entrance faces the south, and is surmounted by a square tower. The front is towards the east, and commands from the upper part a view of Dumfries and the surrounding country. The other chief land-owners are Francis Maxwell, Esq. of Drumpark, and Alexander Hamilton Welsh of Skan, the representative of a very old family.

Parochial Registers.—The parochial registers are pretty voluminous. The date of the earliest entry is 1691. From 1694 to 1756, a period of sixty-two years, during which Mr James Guthrie was minister of the parish, they were very accurately kept.

The average rent of arable land per acre is 18s. The average rent of grazing for the year, per ox, L.2; per cow, including winter keep, L.7; per sheep, on hill pasture, 4s.; do. on cow pasture, and turnips part of the year, 10s.

Live-Stock.-The cattle are chiefly of the Galloway breed, which are considered to be best suited to the soil and climate, and are generally sold at from two to three years old, and sent south to be fattened for the English markets. Many of the farmers, however, are beginning to adopt a different system, viz. to fatten their cattle at home, and then send them south by steam to the market. This system, if fully acted upon, will put an end to droving, which has proved of late years so ruinous to all concerned. The sheep on the hill lands are black-faced, rather small in the bone, and partake much of the general character of the Galloway breed. Horses are reared here in considerable numbers. The best are of the Clydesdale kind; and, as a good deal of attention has been paid of late

Pigs are

to this sort of stock, the breed is rapidly improving. a staple commodity in this quarter. They are generally killed when a year old, and sent for sale to the Dumfries market, where there is a very extensive trade in pork during winter and spring.

The average quantity of grain per acre may be, oats, 36 bushels; barley, 35 do.; wheat, 26 do.; potatoes, 10 tons; turnips, from 15 to 25 do., according as they are manured. Mangel wurzel and beet root are not cultivated, the soil being too light for them. V.-PAROCHIAL ECONOMY.

Market-Town, &c.-There is no market-town in the parish; the nearest is Dumfries, which is within three miles of the lower end. The roads are good. The only stone bridges are those across the Auld water, consisting of single arches and in good repair. The fences are in tolerable condition,

Ecclesiastical State.-The church is situated on the northern side of the parish, close to the Cluden, within two miles of the lower or eastern extremity, and consequently is distant from the upper or western about seven miles; a distance which is very inconvenient, and cannot, it is to be feared, be easily remedied. It is in the form of a parallelogram, with the pulpit in the west end, and a small vestry behind. It was built in 1803, is in good repair, and affords accommodation for nearly 400. The middle area is free, and contains about 50 sittings.

The most interesting benefaction on record, is that by Jean Biggar of Barbuie, in 1750, of 500 merks Scots for behoof of the poor, which was laid out in purchasing from Mr James Guthrie, then minister of the parish, a small property adjoining the glebe, called the Kirk-holm, which yields an annual rent of L. 8, 5s. The manse was built in 1801, and is a substantial and commodious house. The glebe consists of nine acres, the yearly value of which may be estimated at L. 25. The stipend is sixteen chalders, half meal, half barley, with L.8, 6s. 8d. for communion ele

ments.

Divine service is in general well attended, and the Sabbath well kept. There is an annual collection for one of the four religi ous institutions, sanctioned by the General Assembly, which varies in amount, and bears a fair proportion to the circumstances of the people, who are almost exclusively farmers and cottars.

Education. Total number of schools, 2, both parochial. The schoolmasters have the maximum salary divided between them, or L.25, 13s. 7d. each, are provided with dwelling-houses, and re

ceive in school fees, together, about L.30. There are none between six and fifteen years of age, or upwards, who can neither read nor write.

Literature. A parish library was instituted about two years ago, is managed by a committee annually chosen, the minister being ex-officio president, and contains upwards of 200 volumes, -novels, romances and plays being excluded, and every precaution taken to ensure a proper selection of books.

Poor and Parochial Funds.-There are eighteen persons receiving parochial aid. The average yearly allowance to each person, is L. 5, 10s.—in all, L.99. The funds are produced as follows: collections, L.15; proclamations, L.1, 1s.; interest of money, L,15, 4s. ; poor's holm, L.7, 15s.; and voluntary assessment of the heritors, L.60; total, L 99.

The only alehouse in the parish is a very small one in the village of Shawhead.

Fuel.-The parish furnishes no fuel except peats, which may cost, independently of carriage, about 2s. 6d. per cart-load. Of course, they are cheaper when the purchaser can spare hands to cast them at the proper season. Search was lately made for coal on the farm of Midtown; but, as might have been expected from the mineral structure of the ground, without success. After boring a considerable depth, they came upon what they considered a stratum of this mineral. It proved, however, to be a hard slaty substance, of a dark gray colour, something like manganese, which emitted, when ignited, a strong sulphureous smell.

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS.

Since the last Account was written, various and important changes have taken place. A considerable proportion of the waste land has been reclaimed; small farms have merged into larger ones; old, half-ruinous, and supernumerary cothouses, which often prove haunts for vagrants, and nurseries of vice, are being removed. Farm-buildings, enclosures, roads, and bridges are in a very superior state to what they then were. The character and condition, too, of the people have been greatly ameliorated.

Revised by the present Incumbent, March 1844.

PARISH OF CARSPHAIRN.

PRESBYTERY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY.

THE REV. DAVID WELSH, MINISTER.

I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.

Name, Situation, and Extent.—THE name of this parish, which is frequently written Carsefern, is probably derived from carse and fern, as the plain on which the church is situate, was, at the time of the first erection of the church, no doubt covered with fern. The parish is situate on the sloping side of that mountainous ridge which separates Kirkcudbright from Ayr, and has a southern exposure. On the north, it is bounded by the parishes of Dalmellington and New Cumnock; on the east, by the parish of St John's, Dalry; on the south, by Kells; and on the west and southwest, by the parishes of Straiton and Minnigaff.

The figure of the parish is nearly circular. It extends from north-west to south-east about ten miles, and from north-east to south-west about nine miles, and contains about 88 square miles. The church is situate nearly in the centre of the parish, and the hills and mountains rise around forming a kind of amphitheaThe parish, with very trifling exceptions, may be said to be altogether mountainous or hilly.

tre.

Surface and General Appearance.—The higher mountains are verdant to their summits; but the lower hills are generally covered with heath, and are interspersed with bogs of peat of considerable extent. The lower hills have growing among the heath or on the boggy ground, a sharp kind of grass, which in the early part of the season looks green; but as the season advances, and in autumn, it assumes a very brown appearance, and in the winter, it is carried like chaff by the wind.

Rivers and Lakes.-This parish is thickly indented with mountain streams. The largest stream, while it continues in the parish, is the Deugh. It loses its name, however, on joining the Ken,