free rectory, of which the King was patron. There is a manuscript in the Advocates' Library, (Jac. V. 8. 8,) in which a donation is mentioned (in the year 1495,) from William M'Garvey, vicar of Penningham, of various houses and crofts in or near the burgh, (which are minutely described,) to support "a chaplain in St Machutus in Wigtoun." The celebrated Sir Peter Young, the copreceptor with Buchanan of James VI. for some time held the rectory of Wigton in commendam. At what time the present church was built, we have not ascertained. It is an old mean-looking edifice, and has so frequently been repaired that little of the ancient building remains. It is situated in a beautiful retired spot at the east end of the town, and at the extremity of the parish. The stipend is 18 chalders, half meal, half barley, and L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements. There is no manse, but L. 30 per annum is allowed for a house rent, one-half of which is paid by the heritors, and the other by the burgh. The glebe contains 7 acres, and is worth about L. 21 per annum.

At

There is also a meeting-house of the General Associate Synod, in which there is accommodation for about 600 sitters. an election of a pastor lately, about 120 members were found qualified to vote. The number of Dissenting and Seceding families in the parish is about 66. The number of families attending the Established Church about 240; the number of Roman Catholic families about 25.

Education. There is an excellent grammar-school in this town, conducted by an able teacher and assistant. The emolument arising from salary and school-fees is upwards of L. 100 per annum. The number of scholars is from 80 to 100. The usual branches of education are taught, viz. English, Latin, Greek, French, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, and mathematics. Besides the public schools, there are two unendowed schools, whose teachers depend upon the school fees. There are also two Sunday schools, attended by nearly 300 children. The total number of scholars attending schools in the parish is about 450.

Banks.— The Bank of Scotland first opened a branch in Wigton in 1784. There are now a branch of the British Linen Company, and a private bank.

Charitable Institutions.- A Friendly Society was instituted here in 1795. The terms of admission are 10s. 6d. from the age of 18 until 25. From 25 until 40, 6d. more for every year of their age above 25; and no person after the age of 40 is admitted.

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The monthly contribution is 7d. No member is admitted to the superannuated list so long as he is able to work. Those on the sick list are allowed 4s. per week for the first three months, 3s. for the next three months, and afterwards 2s. per week; and they are still liable to pay the monthly contributions. The sum of L. 4 is allowed for the funeral of each member, or they may draw L. 2 of the above sum when the wife dies. The funds at interest are L. 600. More than a third part of the members reside in the parish. To prevent the funds from being dilapidated, they have agreed that every person alimented shall submit to a rateable reduction if necessary. The funds have hitherto been equal to the demand. This institution has obvious and undoubted advantages. It encourages a spirit of independence, and stimulates to industry, and prevents many from becoming a burden upon the community. Poor. The average number of poor upon the roll in the year 1837 was 34, and the total amount applied was L. 96. The church collections average for the last three years L. 52, 6s. 2d. per annum. There is no assessment, but a voluntary contribution by the heritors for some years averaged L. 72, 6s. 8d., and L. 7 more were received from other parties. The amount from a mortified sum of L. 600 is L. 24 annually. The number of poor receiving occasional relief is 14, and the amount applied to them is L. 60. The great influx of Irish labourers and vagrants into this district operates heavily upon the poor's funds, and there is little prospect of that evil being corrected, while there is no legal provision for the indigent in that country.

Prisons. The prison has long been complained of as insecure and unhealthy. An addition and considerable repairs have been for some time past in contemplation.

Fairs.-There are five in the course of the year; but there is little or no business done in them, and they are now fallen into complete neglect.

Fuel. The parish is well supplied with fuel-both with peats from a neighbouring moss, and with excellent coals, at a moderate price, from Whitehaven.

Revised January 1839.

PARISH OF KIRKINNER.

PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON, SYNOD OF GALLOWAY.

THE REV. JAMES REID, MINISTER.

I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY. Name.-THE popular tradition respecting the name of the parish is as follows. In former times, the parish of Kirkinner included in it what now forms the parish of Kirkcowan. The clergyman preached two Sundays at the church in the southern part of the parish, and the next in another place of worship, in the northern part of it. In those days, the one was distinguished as the Inner Kirk, hence the name Kirkinner; the other was called the Outer Kirk, which in course of time was changed into Kirk-cowan, and now forms the parish of that name. Chalmers, in his Caledonia, however, gives a very different account of the matter. He tells us, that the ancient church of Kirkinner was consecrated to Saint Kenneir, Virgin and Martyr, who suffered martyrdom at Cologne, October 29th 450. Hence the name of the parish Kirkinner. This church was granted by Edward Bruce, the Lord of Galloway, to the prior and cannons of Whithorn, and the grant was confirmed by King Robert L. In the charter it is called the church of Saint Kenere of Carnesmoel. This seems to have been the name of a barony, for we learn from Chalmers that, "before the demise of David II., the Earl of Wigton resigned his whole earldom into the King's hands, except the barony of Carnesmull, and that after the accession of Robert II. this resignation was repeated and accepted; whereupon the King, in April 1372, granted a charter to Sir James Lindsay, for the earldom, as the same had been held by the first earl, except the four pleas of the crown, and the barony of Carnesmull. Kirkinner formed the benefice of the subdean of the chapel royal. In Bagimont's roll, as it stood in the reign of James V., Kirkinner was taxed L. 26, 13s. 4d. being a tenth of the estimated value. This was the highest of any parochial benefice in Wigtonshire. In 1591, James VI. granted the patronage of this

church to Sir Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch, and this grant was ratified by Parliament in June 1592."

Kirkinner now consists of the united parishes of Kirkinner and Longcastle. Longcaster or Longcastle parish obtained its name from an ancient castle, the ruins of which are still extant on a small island in a lake called Longcastle Loch. The name appears to have been written Longcaster, at the epoch of the Reformation. The church was then a rectory. Longcastle continued to be a separate parish in 1630, but, being of small extent, it was annexed to the adjacent parish of Kirkinner about the middle of the seventeenth century. It forms the south-west corner of the united parish.

Extent and Boundaries.—The mean length of the parish is about 5 miles; its mean breadth about 4; it contains nearly 24 square miles. It is bounded on the north and north-west, by the parishes of Wigton, Penningham, and Kirkcowan; on the west, by Mochrum; on the south-west, by Glasserton; on the south, by Sorbie; on the east and north-east, by the Bay of Wigton. It may be compared to a section of a pyramid, the base running nearly from north to south, and the top lying along the bay of Wigton.

Topographical Appearance.-In appearance, the country is hilly, but cannot be termed mountainous. With the exception of what are called the low lands, the greater part of the parish consists of gently swelling little hills, which, covered with rich verdure, or crowned with plantation, give a pleasing variety to the prospect. Standing on the top of one of these elevations, you may count a dozen others, all rising around; but none of them are of great height above the level of the sea.

The extent of coast along the bay of Wigton is about 3 miles; the shore is flat, of a deep clay soil.

Meteorology.—Temperature of the atmosphere for the last two years and a half, taken at Low Balfern, nearly on a level with the bay of Wigton. The calculations are made twice a day, in summer at five o'clock in the morning, in winter at sunrise, and every day at two o'clock afternoon.

Rain falls often, and in considerable quantities, but it seldom rains a whole day without intermission. The prevailing winds are the south and south-west. Our severest storms of rain, wind, and snow, are from the south-east. We have sometimes a heavy gale from the north-west, but it seldom lasts long, and commonly falls in the evening,-hence the saying common in the country," that an honest man, and a north-west wind, generally go to sleep together."

The climate, when compared with that of the north-western counties of Scotland, may be considered rather dry than moist. Before the low lands were drained, the people who lived on them were often affected with ague, but the parish is now very healthy. Alexander M'Credie died, in 1824, at the very advanced age of 108.

Hydrography. The parish is bounded on the east for about three miles by the bay of Wigton, which separates it from the parish of Kirkmabreck in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. At full-tide the bay is 7 or 8 miles in width. The tide also flows up the water of Bladenoch for about two miles. There is a mineral spring on the estate of Barnbarroch, which is often used by the inhabitants for stomach complaints. It was formerly considered to be of great use in curing the ague. Another spring of a similar nature has lately been discovered on the same estate. They seem both to be impregnated with iron. The parish in general, but particularly about the church, is celebrated for numerous and copious springs of soft and light water, which must contribute much to the health of the inhabitants. On the south-west side of the parish lies the lake or loch of Dowalton, called also Ravenston and Longcastle. It is about two miles long, by one and a-half broad. It contains two small islands, both on the Kirkinner side.

The river Bladenoch forms the boundary of the parish for many miles. It takes its rise in Loch Mabearée, on the borders of Ayrshire, receives the tributary streams of Malzie and Mildriggen in this parish, and, after a winding course of about twenty miles, falls into the bay of Wigton, near that town.

Geology and Mineralogy.—The soil is in general gravelly, and