Breed of Live-Stock.-Formerly the Galloway breed of cattle was universally reared in this parish, and the greatest attention was paid to its improvement. Farmers from other parts of the country, desirous of improving their breeding stock, regularly applied to the farmers in this parish for young bulls and queys. Of late years, dairies have been introduced, and the Ayrshire breed is threatening to supplant the Galloway. The young cattle that were formerly reared in this country, and driven into England to be fed for the London market, are now to a considerable extent kept in the country until they are fit for the butcher market, and others shipped to Liverpool. The favourite breed of horses for the cart and plough is a low, flat, heavy-bodied, and rough legged breed: sheep, a cross betwixt the Leicester ram and the Mug and Cheviot ewe.

has

Husbandry.-Farming in this district is every day arriving at higher excellence. The bone manure has given such an impetus to green crop, that turnip husbandry during the last ten years increased at least tenfold. The turnips are partly eaten off with sheep, and partly lifted for cattle fed in stalls. The rotation generally practised by crofters is the six year shift, a white crop, a green crop, a white crop with grass seeds, a hay crop, and two years in pasture. Upon large farms, the nine or ten years shift,-two white crops, a green crop, a white crop with grass seeds, a hay crop, and four or five years in pasture. Wheat is not cultivated to any extent, as it exhausts the strength of the land, and is very detrimental to both hay and pasture. As to the produce of the parish,— that depends upon so many circumstances, and is so various, one year differing so much from another, that any attempt at ascertaining its extent would be mere conjecture. A farmer, for instance, one year fatted upwards of fourscore swine; other years, much fewer. An acre of wheat one year may yield 20 bushels; and the same extent of ground next year, 40. The farmers in general are very comfortably lodged, with farm-steadings suitable for the dimensions of the farms, and both dwelling-houses and offices covered with slate. The duration of leases is from twelve to nineteen years. The crofts around the town are usually let for twelve years, and the large farms for nineteen.

V.-PAROCHIAL ECONOMY.

Means of Communication.—The parish is easy of access both by land and water. At the isle, there is a very safe and commodious harbour, where a quay or pier was erected above forty years ago by

the assistance of the Convention of Royal Burghs; from which, small vessels sail every week to Whitehaven and other English ports, and which is occasionally visited by the Galloway steamer on her way to and from Liverpool. There are public roads from Wigton and Garliestown to the Isle of Whithorn, and from Whithorn to Port William and Stranraer. A mail-coach traverses the parish, passing through the burgh from west to east in the forenoon, and from east to west in the evening.

Ecclesiastical State.—The parish church is very happily situated upon a rising ground to the west of the burgh, in its immediate vicinity, and no situation more convenient for the country population could be found. A few years ago, this place of worship was in a very ruinous condition. In 1822, the heritors erected a very substantial, commodious new church, with ample accommodation for 800 sitters, besides free seats for a very considerable number of those who have no room in the church, and no means of procuring any. The church is regularly well attended, and the number of communicants is about 600.

Besides the church, there are three other places of worship, one belonging to the Associate Synod, another to the Reformed Presbyterian Synod, and a third to the Roman Catholics. Two of these have no settled pastor; the congregations attending them are widely dispersed over different parishes, and very inconsiderable in number, compared with the congregation attending the Established Church.

The number of families belonging to the Established Church is 420; of families belonging to the Associate Synod, 45; to the Cameronians, 27; Roman Catholic families, 12. There are a considerable number of poor Irish families that belong to no place of worship.

The

The manse was built twenty-four years ago, and is spacious and commodious. The glebe contains about 6 acres of rich arable ground, and would give a rent of about L. 20 per annum. stipend is 17 chalders, half meal and half barley, with L. 10 Sterling for communion elements; and was augmented in 1826.

Education. There are two parochial schools, and not fewer than nine other schools. The salary of one parochial schoolmaster is two chalders of meal and L. 6 for house rent. The salary of the other is one chalder of meal. Their school wages do not exceed L. 60 per annum. They have no other emoluments. The number of children attending the different schools during the winter

season, cannot be less than between 300 and 400. All the usual branches of education are taught in both the parochial schools; and in the other schools English reading, arithmetic, and writing. There are none in the parish descended from Scottish parents, that have attained the years of discretion uneducated. There are four Sabbath schools in the parish, well attended by children, who also receive family instruction in their own dwellings. Such as are neglected by their parents, seldom seek religious instruction from teachers.

Savings Bank.-An institution of this kind has existed for nearly twenty years, much to the benefit of individuals and families. The money deposited in it, is seldom below L. 2400, or above L. 2600. The money deposited and drawn during the year amounts to about L. 800.

Poor and Parochial Funds. There are 70 paupers upon the poor's roll at present, who receive assistance every quarter of the year, a few to the extent of L. 4 yearly, and the rest betwixt L. 1 and L. 2. The funds for the poor arise out of collections in the church, proclamation dues, mortcloth hire, and voluntary contributions from the heritors. The heritors' contributions amount to about L. 50 a-year. The kirk-session in ordinary years distribute about L. 120, and the collections in the church average about L. 60 yearly.

Fuel. The parish is supplied with peats to a considerable extent, and where peats are too distant to be sought after, with Whitehaven coals discharged from sloops at the Isle of Whithorn, and sold at Is. per bushel of three Winchesters. Irish families generally depend upon whins and brambles, which they carry in burdens upon their backs, to the no small annoyance of proprietors and farmers through whose grounds they travel. Fairs and Markets.—There are two fairs in the year, the one at Midsummer, and the other at Lammas; and a monthly cattle market from April to January.

Friendly Societies.-A few years ago, there were two Friendly Societies; but the disbursements did not correspond with the contributions, and they are now both extinct.

Public-Houses.-These are all situated in the Burgh and Isle of Whithorn, and are at the very least five times more numerous than they ought to be. Every one that asks a license obtains it; and the magistrates justify their conduct in granting licenses by saying it is an evil that will cure itself.

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS.

The greatest grievance that is felt in this parish at present, and which is most detrimental to its respectability and improvement, is the extent of emigration, and the description of people that emigrate. Our native labourers and artisans, with their little property and many virtues, are drifting across the Atlantic, and Ireland, from her exhaustless store, is supplying their place. The number of Irish families that every year take up their abode in this place is almost incredible. These are possessed of nothing but a number of naked, starving children. The supply of labourers usually exceeds the demand, and wages are thereby reduced so low, that Scottish labourers who wish to feed, clothe, and educate their children, have it not in their power, and are compelled to seek in a foreign country what is denied them in their own. The children of Irish parents are driven out to seek food where they can find it; and if clad and educated they are so at the expense of others. Unless means are immediately devised for arresting the progress of such a national calamity, the labourers in Scotland will soon be reduced to the level of the lowest of the Irish; and the only means of accomplishing this is a legal provision for the poor Irish in their own country.

January 1839.

PARISH OF MOCHRUM.

PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY.

THE REV. ALEXANDER YOUNG, MINISTER.*

I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.

Extent, Boundaries.-THE greatest length of the parish from east to west is about 10 miles, and the greatest breadth between 4 and 5 miles. It is bounded on the south, by the Bay of Luce; on the west, by the parish of Old Luce; on the north, by Kirkowan and Kirkinner; and on the east, by Glasserton.

Surface, Soil, and Climate.—" The general appearance of the surface cannot be denominated either level or mountainous; it is partly both. The flats, however, are not extensive, nor are the hills of * From Notes furnished by the parochial Schoolmaster of Mochrum.

great elevation; but, being intermixed with each other, at moderate distances, they exhibit a variety of prospect not unpleasing to the traveller, nor unprofitable to the owner. From the eastern boundary, along the Bay of Luce, for several miles, the soil, with a few exceptions, is excellent, being mostly of a fine light, and in some places, a strong deep loam. Approaching towards the centre of the parish, it becomes gradually more thin and stony, while a large extent, on the east and west sides, mostly consisting of rocky eminences, or mossy swamps and lakes, exhibits a bleak and barren prospect, and is chiefly used for pasture. There are, however, scattered up and down in this bleak region, some small pieces of good dry arable land. Owing, perhaps, to the general dryness of the soil, the openness of the country, and its fine exposure to the sea air, the climate is remarkably healthful.

"Sea Coast.-A flat smooth gravel beach, mostly about 50 yards wide, runs along from the eastern, till within a mile of the western extremity of the parish, where it is intercepted by a steep rocky hill projecting into the sea, and forming a bold inaccessible shore.

"Parallel to the beach, the land, rising suddenly, forms a steep bank or precipice, which renders the access from the shore into the country, in many places, rather difficult."*

Geology. Here, as in the county generally, the rocks belong to the Neptunian series of the transition class.

II. CIVIL HISTORY.

Land-owners.-The chief land-owners in the parish are, Sir William Maxwell, Bart. and the Marquis of Bute.

The real rental of the parish is about L. 8000 per annum.

Parochial Registers.—In these, births, marriages, and all matters of church discipline are recorded; but until the settlement of the present incumbent in 1822, there were no parochial registers regularly kept.

66

Antiquities.-Near by the church, which is situated about a mile right into the parish from Port-William, there is a pretty large earthen mound, quite entire, with a deep ditch or fosse round it.

"On the eastern extremity of the sea coast, at the summit of a steep bank, there are very distinct remains of an Anglo-Saxon camp. And, within two miles of the western extremity, also hard by the shore, stand the ruins of a small manse and church, called St Finian's Chapel, probably from the famous Saint of that name.

Vide Old Stat. Account.