&c.; Sir David Maxwell, Bart. of Cardoness; James M. M'Culloch, Esq. of Ardwell. Valuation. The ancient valuation of the parish, as it stands in the cess-books of the county, is L.3199, 10s. 8d. Scots- Present valuation of the parish, L.3212, 10s. Sterling. The following list shows the valuation of each property, and the names of the respective proprietors : Stipend payable by the Valuation. L.3212 10 0 Proprietors. Miss Hannay. John McCulloch, Esq. Sir J. W. P. M. McKenzie, Bart D. Anderson, Esq St Germains Sir David Maxwell, Bart. Js. M‘Culloch, Esq. of Ardwell Mrs Major Campbell. Heritors of Kirkmabreck.-1. Barholm pays in money, L.3, 11s. 104d. yearly; in meal, 25 bolls, 2 stones, and 4 lbs.; in barley, 18 quarters, 3 bushels. 2. Cassencarrie pays in money, L.1, 9s. 11 d. yearly; in meal, 21 bolls, 2 stones, 51% lbs.; in barley, 15 quarters, 3 bushels, 2 pecks, 1 gallon, 33 quarts. 3. Glens, in meal, 13 bolls, 2 stones, 12 lbs.; in barley, 9 quarters, 5 bushels, 1 peck, 1 gallon, quart. Mark pays in money, 16s. 8d. 4. Kirkbride pays in money, L.23, 2s. 11d. yearly. Falbae and Kilchronie, in meal, 9 bolls, 5 lbs.; in barley, 6 quarters, 4 bushels, 2 pecks, 1 gallon, quart. 5. Pibble pays in money, L.2, 10s. yearly. Craigneuk, in meal, 1 boll, 7 stones, 10 lbs. ; in barley, 1 quarter, 2 bushels, 1 peck, 34 quarts. 6. Carsewalloch, Blairs, and Muirfad pay in money, L.1, 9s. 4 d. yearly; in meal, 8 bolls, 3 lbs. ; in barley, 5 quarters, 6 bushels, 2 pecks, 1 gallon, 34 quarts. 7. Kirkdale pays in money, L.26, Is. 74d. yearly; in meal, 1 boll, 8 stones; in barley, 1 quarter, 2 bushels, 6 pecks, 1 gallon, 3 quarts. 8. Holm Park pays in meal, 2 bolls, 8 stones, 6 lbs.; in barley, 2 quarters, 2 pecks, 2 quarts. Craigneuk has lately been sold, consequently there will now be 13 heritors. 9. Glenquicken pays in money, L.24, 13s. yearly. 10. Garrochar pays in money, L.14 yearly. 11. Ardwell pays in money, L.2, 4s. 54d. yearly. 12. Drumore, &c. pays in money, L.4, 7s. 74d. yearly. In 1794, the real rental of the parish was estimated at L.2750 Sterling. The present rental may be estimated at about L.5450. Parochial Registers.-There are three volumes of parish registers. The first volume embraces the time that elapsed between 1703 and 1792. From 1703 to 1739, they have been kept with great regularity; from 1740 to 1756, no entry whatever; 1756 to 1792, kept imperfectly. Some of the intermediate years have no entry, others only one; but towards the middle, and onwards to about the end of the above period, they were kept with great regularity. These records are almost solely confined to sessional matters, consisting of dry but succinct details, with little that is interesting to relieve the outline. The following, however, may be cited as a fine instance of the attachment which existed to our national church at the time the circumstance alluded to took place, and which, as the spirit that prompted the gift is now unfortunately somewhat antiquated, we present in its antiquated dress. "Kirk-session of Kirkmabreck, holden within the church yrof upon the 29th of July 1707, be the minister and eldership then present. The whilk day, William Muir in Peble, hath delivered to Mr Samuel Brown, minister and eldership forsd under-subs., ane silver cup with this inscriptione yron, (Gifted to the parish of Kilmabreck, by William Muir in Peble, and Janet M'Bryd, his spous, 1707.) And yt for the use of sd church during Presbetry, as now by law established, and no longer. And the said William Muir heirby appointing the sd Mr Samuell, gif, in his time or any other, his successors in the sd church, being Presbiterians, with consent of the eldership that may happen to be for the tyme, that in case of any revolutione and alteratione of the present church government, (which God forbid,) to secure the sd cup, and preserve the same till the government return Presbiterian again. And this the sd William Muir desires to be recorded in the session. books of the said church, ad futuram rei memoriam; and yt the forsd gift may not be made use of or disposed upon oyrwayes then is above appointed and designed by the gifters. Whilke gift the minister and elders have accepted in the terms gifted, and grants the desire of the gifter. And in testimony of the hail premises, the said William Muir, minister and elders, have all subscribed thir presents." The second volume of the parish register commenced with May 1823, and is carried on with great regularity till May 1834,though in one instance it is rather mutilated. The third volume begins June 1834, and is carried on to the present date with great regularity. Eminent Characters.-The history of this parish is rendered more interesting by being connected with the names of a few eminent men, both in ancient and modern times. Gilbert Brown, the last abbot of Sweatheart, was descended of the ancient family of Carsluth, in this parish, now extinct. He had a seat in that Parliament by which the Confession of Faith was passed.+ The celebrity of Gilbert Brown originated in the controversy between him and the famous John Welsh of Ayr, on the subject of Popery. A communication from Welsh, to a person of the Catholic religion, the object of which was to undermine the principles of that faith, having fallen into the hands of Brown, he immediately composed what he regarded as a refutation of it, addressed to Welsh. Welsh was not tardy in making a reply, which, while it is extremely satisfactory and conclusive, forms one of the most learned and elaborate works written in that age. Nor was Brown without his share of talent; and his erudite treatise, (if a few pages can deserve that name,) is as superior to the works of any of his Catholic brethren of that period, as it is inferior in every useful quality to the elaborate production of Welsh. Welsh wished for a verbal and public disputation on the points at issue, but this Brown, for his own good name, had the caution and prudence to decline. Brown, a rigid and inflexible Catholic, was, says Dr M‘Crie, “a busy trafficker for Rome and Spain, and a chief instrument of keeping the south of Scotland under ignorance and superstition."+ Accordingly the Commissioners of the Assembly, in a list of grievances, which, in 1596, they submitted to the King, stated among other things," that Jesuits and excommunicated Papists were entertained within the country." Gilbert Brown of New Abbey was specially mentioned, and recommended to be apprehended, and brought before his Majesty for his errors. This recommendation, however, was not attended with immediate success; but, nine years afterwards, he was apprehended by Lord Cranstoun, This ancient family became extinct about 100 years ago. Over the armorial bearings above the door of Carsluth, 1364 appears, probably to mark the antiquity of the family, and under them 1581 stands, probably to mark the age of the build. ing. Keith's Cal. 260. M'Crie's Life of Melville. captain of the guard appointed for the Borders, though not without some difficulty, as the people attempted to rescue him out of his hands. He was first confined in Blackness, and thence, in a few days, conveyed to the castle of Edinburgh. More kindness was shown by the King to him than to his amiable and ingenious opponent; for after having been liberally entertained, while in confinement, at the public expense, he was permitted to leave the kingdom; all the apparatus and insignia of Popery belonging to him having been carefully restored before his departure. He died in France in 1612.† This parish also contained, in the days of persecution, some who were counted worthy and were found willing to suffer for Christ's sake. Of these, the names of Major M'Culloch of Barholm, and the Rev. Patrick Peacock of Kirkmabreck, ought to be held in grateful remembrance. Major M'Culloch, who had been fined L.800 by Middleton's Parliament in 1662, for his non-conformity, suffered martyrdom at Edinburgh on the 7th of December 1666, for being present at the battle of Pentland, where he was taken prisoner; and the Privy Council ordained his head and right hand to be cut off; the former to be stuck up on the market-cross of Kirkcudbright,—the latter, on that of Ayr or Lanark, because it was there the Covenant was renewed with uplifted hands. Major M'Culloch suffered much before the insurrection. Soldiers were quartered on him thirty days at a time, which he had not only to keep, but to pay; and, after his execution, his son was seized and imprisoned for a whole year. The Barholm estate was forfeited, and continued under forfeiture till the Revolution. In the same year, (1666,) some few families" in Kirkmabreck were fined in the aggregate sum of L.563, 6s. Scots. Mr Peacock, minister of the parish, was ejected, along with nearly a third of the Presbyterian ministers, from his living, in 1662. He was afterwards ordered to be confined within the parish of Ochiltree in Ayrshire. He subsequently took refuge in the north of Ireland, but returned to Kirkmabreck at the Revolution in 1689, and continued minister of the parish till his death in 1691.‡ The famous Samuel Rutherford officiated frequently in this parish during his incumbency at Anwoth. He was settled in An woth in 1627. Till this date, Anwoth, Kirkdale, and Kirkmabreck had been as one parish. Indeed, if the authorities I have * Calderwood's Hist. App. 320-496. + Dr Murray's Literary History of Galloway, 30. Wodrow, i. 327, ii. 10, 39, 48. consulted, and which I have already quoted, be correct, this union was not dissolved till 1636, and not ratified by Parliament till 1641. In this case, Anwoth could only have been a separate parish quoad sacra, during Rutherford's incumbency,—and must still have been a part of Kirkdale and Kirkmabreck quoad civilia. The Rev. William Dalgleish was minister of the united parish of Kirkmabreck, Kirkdale, and Anwoth, till the appointment of Rutherford to Anwoth;-afterwards he continued minister of Kirkmabreck and Kirkdale till 1635, when he was deprived of his liv ing by the bishop of the diocese. In 1637, he ventured to return to his flock, as Episcopacy began in that year to totter; and in 1638, he was a member of the famous General Assembly of Glasgow, as minister of Kirkmabreck. In 1639, he was translated to Cramond, near Edinburgh; but was deposed for non-conformity in 1662. He continued, under all circumstances, the friend and correspondent of Rutherford.* In November 1686, Renwick received in this parish the famous protestation of Machutchison and others. And it is a singular fact, which I state on the authority of the present Mr M'Culloch of Barholm, that John Knox had his hiding-place in the old tower of Barholm for some time previous to his escape to the continent. This circumstance Mr M'Culloch learned from an old man of the name of Andrew Hughan, who was running footman to Mr M'Culloch's great great grandfather, and who said that he recollected John Knox's signature on the wall of the small arched apartment or bed-room at the head of the staircase. This parish has also the honour of being the birth-place and burial-place of Dr Thomas Brown, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh. This distinguished individual was born in the old part of the present manse on the 9th January 1778. His father and grandfather were ministers of this parish. His grandfather was proprietor of Barharrow, and was married to a daughter of Murdoch of Cumloddan, a family that had been in possession of that estate from the time of Robert Bruce. His father was married to a daughter of John Smith, Esq. of the Customs, Wigtown; and his grandmother, Mrs Smith, was a daughter of a younger son of M'Dowal of Logan and of Miss Hamilton of Dalziel. † Dr Brown was the youngest of thirteen children. His father * Dr Murray's Life of Samuel Rutherford, p. 84. † Dr Murray's Literary History of Galloway. |