N
Nairn
NAIRN, a royal burgh,
a parish, and the seat of a
presbytery, in the county of
Nairn; containing, with the
village of Seatown of Delnies, 3393 inhabitants, of
whom 2672 are in the burgh,
15½ miles (N. E. by E.) from
Inverness, and 167 (N. N.
W.) from Edinburgh. This
place, which is of considerable antiquity, is said to have
been originally founded by
William the Lion, and derives its name from the river
Nairn, on which it is situated. It is not distinguished
by any events of historical importance except the encampment, in its immediate neighbourhood, of the Duke
of Cumberland's army on the day previous to the battle
of Culloden in 1746. The older portion of the town was
formerly defended by a castle, of which the foundations
are covered by the sea, and no remains are visible even
at low water; such encroachment, indeed, has the sea
made upon this part of the coast, that the present town
is more than half a mile from the original site. The
town is situated on the left bank of the river, near its
junction with the Moray Frith, and consists of one
spacious street, and several others which are narrow and
irregularly formed, containing houses of very antique
appearance, and also of some streets of more recent
formation in which the houses are of handsome character. The streets are well kept and the roads Macadamized; the town is lighted with gas from works
established by a company in 1839, and the inhabitants
are amply supplied with water. Assemblies are held
occasionally in Anderson's hotel, which is spacious and
handsomely decorated, and has good arrangements for
the accommodation of the numerous visiters who frequent the town during the summer months for seabathing, for which the beach affords every facility; there
are likewise hot, cold, and shower baths, with every requisite appendage. The environs are pleasant, and the
scenery finely varied: the river, over which is a good
bridge on the Forres road, forms numerous windings
in its course to the Frith; and among the scenes of
interest within short drives of the town may be mentioned, the far-famed Cawdor Castle, Kilravock Castle,
the Muir of Culloden, Fort-George, the blasted heath
where Macbeth met the witches, Kinsteary, Lethen,
Brodie House, Darnaway Castle, and the banks of the
Findhorn, upon which are situated the mansions of
Logie, Relugas, and Dunphail.
Ancient Burgh Seal.
The trade of the port consists in the importation of
coal, lime, groceries, and various other kinds of merchandise, for the supply of the town and neighbourhood; and in the exportation of timber, stones, fish, and
grain. The number of vessels belonging to the port is
seven, and their aggregate burthen 370 tons. The harbour is formed chiefly by a pier at the mouth of the
river; but from the accumulation of sand, it is scarcely
accessible to vessels of any large size; the pier was almost
swept away by the flood of 1829, but has been partly
restored. A salmon-fishery is carried on at the mouth of
the Nairn, producing a rental to the proprietors of about
£70 per annum. The cod and haddock fisheries are very
extensive, affording employment to 200 persons during
the season, after which they remove to the herringfishery at Helmsdale, which is their chief occupation, the
boats in general returning with cargoes that during the
season yield from £50 to £100 per man. There are
houses for curing the haddocks, of which great quantities are exported. A considerable trade is also carried on in the town, in which are numerous shops well
stored with merchandise and wares of every kind; the
post is daily, and there are branches of the National,
the British Linen Company's, and the Caledonian Banks,
of which the first has a handsome building. The market, amply supplied with provisions of all kinds, is on
Friday; and fairs for horses and cattle are held on the
third Friday in April, which is also a statute fair; on
the 19th of June if on Tuesday, or if not, on the Tuesday
following; on the 13th of August, or the first day after
Campbelton fair; on the fourth Friday in September;
on the Friday after the third Tuesday in October, which
is also a statute fair; and on the first Friday in November.
The government of the burgh, by a succession of
charters confirmed and extended by James VI. and
Charles I. and II., is vested in a provost, three bailies,
a dean of guild, treasurer, and eleven councillors,
assisted by a town-clerk and others. The provost, and
the bailies and other officers, are elected from the towncouncil, by a majority of their number; and the council, since the passing of the Municipal Reform act, have
been elected by the £10 householders. There are no
minor incorporated trades: the freedom of the burgh
is obtained by purchase. The dues on admission are £8
for a merchant burgess, and £1. 1. for a trade burgess,
to strangers; but the eldest sons of burgesses are admitted for half those sums. The jurisdiction of the
magistrates, which extends over the whole of the royalty,
is in criminal cases now generally confined to petty
thefts and assaults, and in civil cases is scarcely ever
exercised, parties preferring to sue in the sheriff's court.
In conjunction with Inverness and other towns, the burgh
returns one member to the imperial parliament; the
right of election is vested in the £10 householders, of
whom there are seventy; and there are forty renting
houses of £5 per annum, and upwards, but under £10.
The town-house, situated in the main street, is a neat
structure with a handsome lofty spire, and contains a
spacious room for the town and county courts, which
is also used for holding public meetings. The building
includes also the prison for the burgh and county.
The parish, which is bounded on the north by the
Moray Frith, is about eight miles in length and six miles
in extreme breadth, and comprises 5000 acres, of which
3220 are arable, 1380 woodland and plantations, and the
remainder waste. The surface on the north side of the
river is level, but on the south side rises gradually, and
near the south angle of the parish attains a considerable
elevation at the hill of Urchany, formerly an unsightly
barren height, but which has recently been planted with
oak, larch, and fir, and constitutes a pleasing and conspicuous feature in the scenery. The soil near the town,
and along the coast, is light and sandy; in the southern
portion, a rich heavy mould; and along the banks of
the river, a mixture of sand and clay. Considerable
improvement in the system of agriculture has taken
place of late years; the farm-buildings are substantial
and commodious, and numerous neat cottages have been
built for the labourers. The rateable annual value of
the parish now amounts to £4596. The general scenery
is of pleasing character; the banks of the river are well
wooded, chiefly with alder; and the plantations around
the seats of the various proprietors add much to the
beauty of the landscape. Geddes House is a handsome
mansion, of which the grounds are tastefully laid out,
and embellished with shrubberies and plantations; and
from the hill of Urchany, immediately in front of it, are
some fine prospects over the surrounding country.
Viewfield, Househill, and Newton, are also good residences. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the
superintendence of the presbytery of Nairn and synod
of Moray; and the minister's stipend is £284, with a
manse, and a glebe valued at £18 per annum: patron,
Mr. Brodie, of Brodie. The church, erected in 1810, by
assessment on the heritors, is a neat structure, and contains 902 sittings; the service is performed sometimes
in the English and sometimes in the Gaelic language.
There are places of worship for Episcopalians, the Free
Church, the United Secession, and Independents. The
academy, for which there is a handsome building at the
western approach to the town, and which is in high
repute, has, since the death of the late parochial schoolmaster, been connected with the parochial school by
way of experiment; the master has a salary of £40, and
the teacher £25, and the fees amount to £30. There
are several other schools in the parish, and some
friendly and benevolent societies contributing materially
to the relief of the poor. On the north side of Geddes
are vestiges of the ancient castle of Finlay; and to the
east are remains of the castle of Rait, for some time the
residence of the family of Cumyn, and apparently of
great strength. At Easter Geddes are the remains of a
chapel, the place of interment for many generations of
the family of Kelravock.
Nairnshire
NAIRNSHIRE, a county, in the north-east of Scotland, bounded on the north by the Moray Frith, on the
east by Elginshire and a detached portion of the county
of Inverness, on the south by Elginshire, and on the
west and south-west by Inverness-shire. It lies between
57° 22' and 57° 38' (N. Lat.) and 3° 40' and 4° 7'
(W. Long.), and is about twenty-two miles in length and
fifteen miles in breadth; comprising an area of 200
square miles, or 128,000 acres; 2338 houses, of which
2235 are inhabited; and containing a population of
9217, of whom 4231 are males, and 4986 females. This
district formed part of the ancient province of Moray,
and was in the diocese of that name; the county is now
in the synod of Moray and presbytery of Nairn, and includes four parishes, with small parts of others. In
civil matters it is under the jurisdiction of the sheriff of
Elgin; it contains the royal burgh of Nairn, which is
the county town, and a few villages. Under the act of
the 2nd of William IV., it is associated with Elgin in
returning one member to the imperial parliament; the
election for Nairnshire takes place at Nairn, where the
courts.are held. The surface in the northern part is
tolerably level, but in the southern part hilly and mountainous. The principal heights are, Ben-Bui, CragOwer, Cragerachan, and the Leonach, on the confines
of Inverness-shire; and Cairn-Glaschurn and Cairn-Dui towards the border of Elginshire; but none of
them have any very great degree of elevation. The
rivers are the Findhorn and the Nairn, of which the former enters the county at Strathdearn, on the south-west, and, flowing through that valley with a very rapid
current, in a north-eastern direction, falls into the
Moray Frith in the county of Elgin. The Nairn also
pursues a north-eastern course through the county,
which it enters at its western extremity from Invernessshire; and flows into the frith at Nairn. Both rivers
abound with excellent salmon. There are several lakes,
but the only one of any considerable extent is the loch
of the Clans, about a mile in length and half a mile
broad, with a small island in the centre, and from which
a streamlet flows into the frith.
Rather more than one-half of the land is arable; of
the remainder, the greater portion is meadow and pasture, and the rest unprofitable moss. The soil of the
arable lands is in some places a rich clayey loam, and in
other parts a light sand, with other varieties; the system of agriculture has been much improved, but is still
inferior to that pursued in the south. The minerals are
not important: limestone is found near the coast, and
marl of different kinds has been applied to the improvement of the lands; freestone of valuable quality is also
abundant, of good colour, and compactness equal to the
Portland stone. There is a considerable quantity of
natural wood remaining; and extensive plantations have
been formed, which are generally in a thriving state.
The chief commerce is the export of corn, sheep, cattle,
salmon, and other fish, with great quantities of timber.
Facility of communication is afforded by roads kept in
excellent repair. The rateable annual value of the
county is £16,796, of which £15,202 are returned for
lands, £1403 for houses, and the remainder for other
species of property.
Navar
NAVAR, county of Forfar.—See Lethnot.
Neartay
NEARTAY, an isle, in the parish of Harris, county
of Inverness. This is a small and uninhabited island
of the Hebrides, lying in the sound of Harris, about two
miles and a half north of North Uist, and three miles
eastward of Bernera.
Neilston
NEILSTON, a parish, in the Upper ward of the county
of Renfrew; containing, with the villages of West
Arthurlee, Crofthead, Gateside, and Uplamuir, part of
the late quoad sacra district of Levern, and the late quoad
sacra district of Barrhead, 10,577 inhabitants, of whom
1497 are in the village of Neilston, 9 miles (S. W. by W.)
from Glasgow. This place is supposed to have derived
its name from one of its earliest proprietors, and in the
12th century belonged to Robert de Croc, whose daughter
and heiress conveyed the lordship by marriage to Stewart,
of Darnley, ancestor of the earls and dukes of Lennox,
and of Darnley, the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots.
The parish is about eight miles and a half in length and
four miles and a half in breadth, and is bounded on the
north by the Abbey parish of Paisley for nearly eight
miles; on the east by the parish of Eastwood, on the
south by Mearns, on the south-west by the parishes of
Stewarton and Dunlop, and on the west by Beith and
Lochwinnoch. The surface is irregular; towards
the eastern boundary nearly flat, and towards the
south and west, rising to a height of from 400 to 900
feet above the level of the Clyde. In some parts the
ground forms hills of various elevation, of which the
highest are the Pad and the Corkendale-law, the first
about 800, and the second about 900, feet above the
sea. Between these hills lies the narrow valley of the
Levern, which that river waters for several miles, and
along which passes the turnpike-road to Glasgow and
Paisley. From the summit of the Pad is a magnificent
view towards the east, comprehending much highly
varied and richly beautiful scenery; and from Corkendale-law are seen, on a clear day, the vale of Levern,
the rock of Dumbarton, Loch Lomond, with several of
its picturesque islands, and, in the back ground, BenLomond and the Grampian range. To the east the
view from Corkendale comprehends the fine vale of
the Clyde, with the city of Glasgow, and the entire
course of that river from its source till it loses itself in
the Atlantic the Pentland hills, and the height of
Tinto from its base to its summit; while on the south
are the hills of Cumnock, Sanquhar, and others in the
county of Kirkcudbright, and, in the distance, the tops
of the Skiddaw and Saddleback mountains, in the county
of Cumberland. To the south-west the prospect embraces the extended plains of Ayrshire, thickly studded
with splendid seats and graceful villas, with the harbour
and shipping of Ayr, the hills of Galloway, the rock of
Ailsa, and the mountains of Morne and Newry on the
Irish coast. The whole form an impressive assemblage
of objects which for their number, variety, and beauty,
are seldom equalled.
The chief river is the Levern, which has its source in
Long loch, and for four miles divides the parish, passing
the villages of Neilston and Barrhead, and uniting its
waters with those of the White Cart near Cruikstone
Castle, to which fortress Mary, Queen of Scots, retired
for a time after the battle of Langside. The Kirkton
stream, issuing from a reservoir of that name, falls into
the Levern at Arthurlee after a course of about two
miles; and the Brock, which takes that appellation on
leaving the Walton dam, pursues a devious line of six
miles, and falls also into the Levern. These streams in
their course, which is rapid, exhibit much romantic
beauty, and form picturesque cascades, some of which
display in miniature the most striking features of the
celebrated falls of the Clyde. There are several lakes,
of which the principal are, Long loch, Loch Libo, and
Loch Cawpla. Long loch, from which, as already observed, issues the Levern, is about one mile in length
and half a mile broad, and eighteen feet in depth; the
shores possess little beauty or variety of scenery.
Loch Libo is of elliptic form, and surrounded by lofty
hills, richly wooded to the water's edge, and has a strikingly picturesque appearance: from it issues a small
stream called the Lugton water, which flows through
the pleasure-grounds of Eglinton, and falls into the
Garnock near Kilwinning. Loch Cawpla is but of small
extent, though its waters are increased in winter; and is
not characterised by any interesting features. There are
also several reservoirs, connected with the various works
carried on in the parish: of these the Hairlaw, which is
the most extensive, covers seventy-two acres of ground,
and is about sixteen feet in depth, deriving its principal
supply from Long loch. The Comore reservoir is sixteen
acres in extent and twenty-four feet deep; and another, to
the north of the Pad, is about fourteen acres in extent and
sixteen feet in depth: the Kirkton and Walton dams
likewise contain a considerable body of water. There
are numerous springs of an excellent description, the
largest of which, called "Aboon the Brae," issues from
a rock, and discharges about forty imperial gallons per
minute; also several wells of the purest water, which
never fail in the driest summers.
The soil in the eastern portion is a dry loam, occasionally intermixed with gravel; in the hilly district, of
less fertility, but producing good pasture; and in other
parts, moorland and mossy. The whole number of
acres is estimated at 24,320, of which about 16,600 are
arable, a large part in pasture, 870 acres in wood and
plantations, and the remainder, whereof 3000 might be
rendered productive, in moor and waste. The crops
are, oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, turnips, cabbages, and
beet. The system of agriculture is improved; draining
has been carried on to some extent, and considerable
portions of unprofitable land have been reclaimed, and
brought into cultivation, under the auspices of the
Neilston and Neighbourhood Agricultural Society, instituted 1826, and which is conducted with spirit and
success. The lands have been well inclosed, and the
fences are kept in good repair. Great attention is paid
to the management of the dairy-farms, upon which
much dependence is placed; and about 1100 milchcows are pastured, chiefly of the pure Ayrshire breed;
but few sheep are bred here, not more indeed than 200,
of which the larger number are of the Highland or
black-faced, and the others of the Leicestershire breed.
The farm houses and buildings are generally substantial
and commodious; and the more recent improvements
in the construction of agricultural implements have been
adopted. The woods are chiefly of beech, ash, elm,
plane, and oak. The plantations consist of larch, and
Scotch and spruce firs, intermixed with various kinds of
forest-trees; they are well attended to, and in a thriving
state. The principal substrata are, limestone, ironstone, whinstone, freestone, and coal: iron-ore is found
in some places, and zeolite of every species is abundant.
The limestone is largely wrought; and there are mines
of whinstone, freestone, and coal. An extensive quarry
of whinstone has been opened at Brownside, and more
than 50,000 cubic feet are taken from it annually: the
freestone, of very fine quality, is wrought at Uplamuir,
and is in great request for building. The coal is at
various depths and of various quality. A seam seven
inches in thickness is found at a depth of seven fathoms
from the surface; ten fathoms below it occurs a seam
twelve inches thick; at a depth of nineteen fathoms
lower is a seam of six inches; and at twenty-one fathoms
below this last, is the main coal, which varies from three
and a half feet to five and a half in thickness. There
are three pits in operation, and the aggregate quantity
of coal procured is about 1200 tons per week. The
rateable annual value of the parish is £28,961.
The abundance of coal, and the numerous copious
streams by which the parish is intersected, appear to
have excited the attention of enterprising landholders
to the introduction of manufacturers; and about the
year 1768, the Rev. Mr. Miller, in conjunction with
several of the heritors, established a factory for the
manufacturing of inkle. The printing of calico was introduced soon afterwards, and works were erected on
the banks of the Levern, at Fereneze, on a very extensive scale, in 1773; these works were carried on with
great success, and upon so large a scale that the annual
duties paid to the excise amounted to £3000, and the expenditure in wages to £2000. A bleachfield was formed
in the same year, by Mr. Adair from Ireland, at Cross-Arthurlee, which was soon followed by numerous similar
establishments founded by various proprietors; and additional printfields were gradually formed. The spinning of cotton was commenced in 1780, and a mill
erected for that purpose at Dovecot-hall, on the banks
of the Levern, by Messrs. Stewart, Dunlop, & Co.; and
spinning-mills were subsequently erected, on a larger
scale, at Gateside in 1786, at Broadlie and at Arthurlee
in 1790, at Crofthead in 1792, and at another place in
1801. These several mills, most of which have been
rebuilt or greatly enlarged, are of very spacious dimensions, and many of them five stories high; the number
of mule spindles in all the mills at present in operation
is 77,826, and of throstle spindles 1344. The number
of looms at work is 230; and the number of persons
constantly employed in spinning and weaving cotton in
the works is 1659, of whom two-thirds are females.
The value of the produce is estimated at £140,000 per
annum, of which £51,575 are paid in wages. There are
on the banks of the Levern four large printfields and
three bleachfields; on the Kirkton stream, one printfield for dyeing Turkey red, and four bleachfields; and
on the Walton stream, two printfields and one bleachfield. The aggregate number of people occupied in
printing and bleaching is 2055, of whom about one-third
are females; and the amount of wages is £47,700 per
annum. An iron-foundry is carried on, for furnishing
the different works with the requisite machinery, and
for other articles of manufacture. Crofthead House
and Lower Arthurlee House are spacious and handsome
residences; and there are also several good dwellinghouses belonging to gentlemen connected with the
works.
The chief villages are Neilston and Barrhead, which
are inhabited chiefly by persons employed in the
mills, bleachfields, and printfields, and in the various
trades requisite for the supply of this populous parish
with the usual articles of merchandise. The nearest
market-town is Paisley; but the villages abound with
every thing requisite for the accommodation of the inhabitants. The municipal regulations are wholly under
the direction of the county magistrates, and the peace
is preserved by constables of their appointment: a court
is held alternately at Neilston and Barrhead, for the recovery of small debts, monthly. There are post-offices
at Neilston and Barrhead, which have a good delivery;
and facility of intercourse with Paisley, Glasgow, and
Edinburgh is afforded by good roads kept in excellent
order, the turnpike-roads from Glasgow to Irvine, and
from Paisley to Ayr, passing through the whole length
of the parish. Numerous bridges cross the various
streams. There is a mechanics' institution called the
Levern Institution, which has a library containing a wellassorted collection on scientific and literary subjects.
Fairs are held at Neilston on the third Tuesdays in
February, May, and October, O. S., for cattle, and on the
fourth Tuesday of July, for horses, when a horse-race
is celebrated, which is in general well attended; a fair
is also held on the last Friday in June, at Barrhead,
chiefly for horse-racing, and on the following Saturday
for cattle. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the
superintendence of the presbytery of Paisley and synod
of Glasgow and Ayr. The stipend of the incumbent is
£263: the manse, erected about 1763, and enlarged and
repaired in 1809, is a handsome and comfortable residence, delightfully situated; and the glebe comprises
about eight acres of profitable land, valued at £24 per
annum. The church is an ancient edifice of the later
style of English architecture, repaired and new-seated in
1798; it is well situated for the parishioners generally,
and is adapted for a congregation of 830 persons.
There are places of worship for the Free Church and
the United Associate Synod. The parochial school
affords a liberal course of instruction; the master has
a salary of £34, with a large house and garden, and the
fees average upwards of £60 per annum, exclusive of extensive private tuition, yielding £30. There are five
schools maintained by the proprietors of the cotton-works, for the instruction of the children employed by
them, in reading, writing, and arithmetic; and seven
others, of which four are for females, supported exclusively by the fees. The aggregate number of children
taught in the several schools exceeds 1000. There are
but very few vestiges of antiquity in the parish. Two
of the springs, called Holy wells, point to the existence
of some religious establishments here at an early period;
but there are no remains, nor is any thing recorded of
their history. Baron Mure of the exchequer, at one
time member of parliament for the county, a man of
profound learning and of great eloquence; and the late
Dr. Monteath, an eminent physician, were natives of
the parish. Mr. John Robertson, the inventor of the
self-acting mule, which has contributed so greatly to the
improvement and perfection of the cotton manufactures
established here, was also a native.
Nenthorn
NENTHORN, a parish, in the county of Berwick,
4 miles (N. W. by W.) from Kelso; containing 446 inhabitants. This place, of which the name, of uncertain
signification, is supposed to be partly derived from some
remarkable thorns once in the vicinity of the church,
appears to have belonged at a remote period to the De
Morvilles, constables of Scotland, and subsequently to
the bishops of St. Andrew's, who transferred the lands
to the abbot of Kelso, in exchange for the church of
Cranston, in the county of Mid Lothian. It seems to
have suffered materially during the period of the border
warfare, and in 1542 the village was burned down by
the English forces. The parish, which is situated on
the banks of the Eden, is about four miles and a half in
length, and two miles in extreme breadth, but diminishing so much towards the centre on each side as to include an area of little more than five square miles; it
is bounded on the west by the river, and comprises
3400 acres, of which 2800 are arable, 300 permanent
pasture and meadow, and about 300 woodland and
plantations. The surface is varied by successive undulations of pleasing form and gentle height, and near the
northern extremity by a moderate ridge of hilly rock;
and the scenery, enriched with the agreeable windings
of the stream of the Eden, is in some parts picturesque. The river, which for several miles forms the
boundary, flows in a few places between banks sloping
gradually from its margin on the one side, and rising
abruptly on the other in precipitous rocks to the height
of nearly one hundred feet. The soil in the northern
part is chiefly a reddish clay retentive of moisture, alternated with tracts of light and dry land; and in the
southern portion, of richer quality, consisting mainly of
clayey and gravelly loam. The crops are, barley, oats,
wheat, peas, beans, potatoes, and turnips. The system
of agriculture is in an advanced state; the lands have
been well drained, and inclosed partly with stone
dykes and partly with hedges and ditches. Guano
has lately been applied with success as manure in the
cultivation of turnips; the chief farm houses and offices
are substantial and well arranged, and the recent improvements in implements of husbandry have been carried into practise. Considerable attention is paid to
the rearing of live-stock, for which the pastures are
extremely well adapted: the cattle, on an average numbering about 300, are chiefly of the short-horned breed;
and 2000 sheep and lambs, mostly the Leicestershire,
are annually reared. About 100 horses, principally for
draught, are also bred; they are in good demand, and
are worth £30 each on the average. The woods consist
of oak, ash, beech, lime, chesnut, elm, maple, sycamore,
and poplar; and the plantations of Scotch fir and
larch, intermixed with the ordinary variety of foresttrees. The principal substrata are whinstone and coarse
red sandstone; the trap-rocks in one place contain
beautiful specimens of columnar basalt, arranged in
pentagonal and hexagonal columns nearly perpendicular. The rateable annual value of the parish is £4326.
The chief seat in Nenthorn is Newton-Don, the property of Sir William Don, Bart., a spacious mansion,
delighfully situated in an ample and richly-embellished
demesne, near which the Eden, precipitated from a
rocky ledge, forms a picturesque cascade; and commanding an extensive prospect over the river Tweed.
In the house are preserved several memorials of the
ancient and noble family of Glencairn, of which the
proprietor is the representative. Nenthorn, a mansion
that was formerly the residence of a branch of the
Roxburghe family, is beautifully seated in a demesne
enriched by the course of the Eden. The villages
once existing here have altogether disappeared, and
nothing deserving the name remains; the only approximation is a hamlet of two or three cottages on part of
the Nenthorn property. The nearest market-town is
Kelso, with which intercourse is maintained by a road
in tolerable condition; a private carrier brings letters
daily from the post-office of Kelso; and communication
with Berwick, Dalkeith, and other places, is also afforded
by good roads, and bridges which have within the last
fifty years been built over the Eden. The parish is in
the presbytery of Kelso and synod of Merse and Teviotdale, and patronage of the Crown: the minister's stipend is the minimum, with a manse, and a glebe valued
at £20 per annum. The ancient church, which was
beautifully situated in a sequestered spot embosomed in
trees, on the bank of the river, having become completely dilapidated, a new church was erected, but on a
very contracted scale, in 1802, at a point where two roads
meet, and without a churchyard. It has been since enlarged, yet possesses no claim to architectural notice:
including the family galleries of Sir William Don and
Mr. Roy, it is adapted for a congregation of 150 persons. The members of the Free Church have a place
of worship. The parochial school affords a useful course
of instruction, and is well attended; the master has a
salary of £25 per annum, with £18 fees, and a house
and garden. There are no remains of the ancient chapel
of Little Newton in this parish, which, together with the
church and lands of Nenthorn, was given to the bishops
of St. Andrew's, and by them transferred to the abbots
of Kelso, to the monks of which place, also, was given
a small portion of land near, to pray for the souls of the
earls of Douglas. The site is still used as a burialplace for the family of the Dons, of Newton-Don.
Ness
NESS, county of Ross and Cromarty.—See
Cross.
Ness
NESS, an island, forming part of the parish of
Bressay, Burra, and Quarff, in the Shetland Isles;
and containing 24 inhabitants. This island lies a short
distance east of Bressay, is two miles long and a mile in
breadth, and consists chiefly of natural pasture, the surface gradually rising from west to east; but in the
western portion there is a considerable tract under cultivation. The coast is rocky, and in most parts precipitous; the few intermediate spaces of sloping beach are
occasionally sandy, but in general formed of calcareous
earth. The most prominent feature on the coast is the
Noop, or, as it is called by mariners, Hangeliff, a headland on the eastern shore, about 600 feet high, and the
resort in summer of swarms of migratory and other
birds. On the south is Hova, another headland, 200
feet high; and contiguous to the coast are several
holms, or uninhabited isles, of very small extent, among
which the holm of Ness is the most conspicuous. This
is a rock with a perpendicular elevation of about 200
feet, separated from Ness by a very narrow frith, and
communicating with it by means of a cradle fastened to
ropes, which is used for the transit of ten or twelve
sheep, sent for two or three months in the summer to
graze upon it.
Nesting, Lunasting, and Whalsay
NESTING, LUNASTING, and WHALSAY, a
parish, in the Shetland Isles; containing 2294
inhabitants. This parish consists of the three districts or ancient parishes of Nesting, Lunasting, and
Whalsay, with the small islands of Skerries on the
north-east; and is from eighteen to twenty miles in
length, supposing the whole of the land to be continuous,
and about four miles in average breadth. About 1000
acres are arable, and the remainder undivided waste or
pasture, common to the tenants of the two principal
proprietors. Lunasting and Nesting are situated on
the Mainland, but are separated from each other by an
arm of the sea; the latter has the island of Whalsay on
the east, and Catfirth voe or harbour on the south. The
inhabitants are engaged principally in fishing, agriculture being but a subordinate occupation, and followed
only so far as oats, potatoes, and other vegetables are
urgently required as a part of their subsistence. The
system of husbandry is therefore on the worst footing,
and no improvements have been made in tillage during
the last half century. The population, however, of the
locality has advanced in numbers beyond the average
ratio of other parishes in the Shetland Isles, in consequence of the efforts of the two chief heritors in making
numerous new settlements, here called outsets, on lands
formerly uncultivated. The rateable annual value of
the parish is £862; and the average rent of land, about
£1 per merk. Gneiss is the prevailing rock; but primitive
limestone, mica-slate, sienite, and granite are also found;
and peat, which constitutes the principal fuel, exists in
great abundance. A costly mansion has been recently
erected in Whalsay, at an expense of £20,000, by Mr.
Bruce, of Simbister, of grey granite imported across the
sound of Whalsay; it consists of three stories, and has
a wing on each side with extensive and convenient
offices.
The inhabitants' chief means of subsistence is piltocks
and sillocks, which they live upon to a great extent, and
are able to catch throughout the whole of the year.
What is here termed the Haaf-fishing, however, comprising ling, cod, and tusk, employs nearly all the males,
with the exception of those who go to the Greenland
whale-fishery, and is carried on from the beginning of
June till July or August; the produce is sent to Leith.
About twenty-three herring-boats belong to the parish,
and the aggregate amount of this description of fish is
about 3000 barrels per annum. Provisions are frequently imported in years of scanty supply: the cattle
produced for sale are sent to the market-town of Lerwick. The parish is in the presbytery of Burravoe and
synod of Shetland, and in the patronage of the Earl of
Zetland. The ministers' stipend, exclusive of a vicarage tithe of certain quantities of butter and oil, is £150,
of which the sum of £69 is received from the exchequer;
with a manse, and a glebe of twelve and a half merks,
valued at £12 per annum. The church of Nesting was
built in 1792, and is in decent repair; that of Whalsay
has been new-roofed, but is deficient in accommodation;
and the church of Lunasting, which, with that of Whalsay, is visited by the minister eleven times in the year,
has been recently repaired, and is well seated. A church
at Skerries, situated at the distance of sixteen miles
from the Mainland, is visited only once yearly. The
parochial school affords instruction in the ordinary
branches of education; the master has a salary of £25
per annum, with £2 or £3 fees. The parish contains a
small subscription library, lately established.
Nether Gask
NETHER GASK, Perthshire.—See Gask,
Nether.
Netherlee
NETHERLEE, a hamlet, in the parish of Cathcart, Upper ward of the county of Renfrew, 1 mile
(S. S. W.) from Cathcart; containing 56 inhabitants.
It is situated in the south-eastern part of the parish, and
on the western bank of the White Cart river. There is
a very extensive printfield at this place, capable of giving
employment to 300 persons, including children, and to
which very large additions were made a few years since;
but the works are at present either discontinued, or not
in full operation.
Nethermains
NETHERMAINS, a hamlet, in the parish of Kinnaird, county of Perth; containing not more than 29
inhabitants.
Netherton-Quarry
NETHERTON-QUARRY, a village, in the parish of
New Kilpatrick, county of Dumbarton, 5 miles (N.
W.) from Glasgow; containing 111 inhabitants. This
place lies in the south-eastern part of the parish, a little
west of the high road from Glasgow to Kilpatrick, and
on the line of the Forth and Clyde canal. It derives its
affix from a considerable and very celebrated quarry,
of which the stone is of a warm cream colour, easily
chiseled as it comes from the quarry, but hardening by
exposure. Roseneath House, Blythswood House, the
custom-house at Greenock, and Garscube House, the
last in the vicinity of the village, were built of this stone.
At one time it was largely exported to Ireland and the
West Indies.
Nevay
NEVAY, county of Forfar.—See Eassie and
Nevay.
New Galloway.
NEW GALLOWAY.—See Galloway, New.—And
all places having a similar distinguishing prefix, will be
found under the proper name.
Newabbey
NEWABBEY, a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright; containing 1049 inhabitants, of whom 330
are in the village, 7 miles (S. by W.) from Dumfries.
This place, anciently called Kirkindar from the situation
of the old church on an island in Loch Kindar, derived
its present name from the foundation of an abbey which,
in contradistinction to that of Dundrennan, was styled
the New Abbey. In 1300, Edward I. of England encamped his army in the immediate vicinity of the abbey,
and while here received through the Archbishop of
Canterbury a bull from Pope Boniface VIII., rebutting
the monarch's claim to the superiority of Scotland, and
urging his own title to that kingdom as part of St. Peter's
patrimony. Edward held a council at this place, to
deliberate upon the pretensions of the pope; but as the
question involved the interests of England, he declined
coming to any decision till he should consult with the
estates of the realm, for which purpose he disbanded
his army, and proceeded to Lincoln, where he summoned a parliament to determine the affair. The parish,
which is partly bounded on the east by the river Nith,
is about ten miles in length and nearly two miles in
average breadth; comprising an area of 11,000 acres, of
which 4000 are arable, 600 woodland and plantations,
and the remainder hill, pasture, moor, and waste. The
surface is greatly diversified. Along the western boundary is a range of hills, of which Lowtis on the north,
and Criffel on the south, are the most conspicuous: the
higher, Criffel, has an elevation of 1900 feet above the
level of the sea. On the north-eastern border is a
similar ridge, of less height; between the two ranges is
an extensive valley, and towards the south the land has
a gentle declivity from the west to the banks of the
Nith. The lower lands are watered by numerous small
rivulets, rising in various parts of the parish, and which,
uniting their streams, form what is called the Pow of
Newabbey. There are also three lakes, of which the
most extensive is Loch Kindar, near the base of Criffel,
about a mile in length and three-quarters of a mile
broad, and abounding with different kinds of trout. In
this lake are two islands, on one of which are the remains of the ancient parish church, the ruins whereof
have been preserved from further decay by a slight
repair, and by the fitting up of a part for the accommodation of anglers. Loch End, at the foot of the hill at
Lowtis, is three-quarters of a mile in length and half a
mile broad, and abounds with perch and pike: near the
shore is a small artificial island, richly wooded. Craigend loch, of nearly equal extent with Loch End, from
which it is separated by a ridge of rocks, contains pike
of large size. The shores of all these lakes are fringed
with plantations, and in some parts of them the scenery
is beautifully picturesque.
The soil of the arable lands is generally a gravelly
loam, but in some parts clay and moss; the crops are,
grain of all kinds, potatoes, and turnips. The system of
husbandry is improved; the lands have been drained,
and inclosed chiefly with fences of stone; the farmbuildings are substantial and comfortable, and on the
various farms are eighteen threshing-mills, of which
more than one-half are driven by water. The sheep on
the hill pastures are of the black-faced breed, but on
the low lands chiefly of the Leicestershire, with a few
of the Cheviot, which kind has been recently introduced;
the cattle are usually of the Galloway breed. There are
considerable remains of natural wood; and the plantations, which are extensive and in a thriving state, are of
oak, ash, beech, larch, and Scotch fir. The rocks in
the parish are almost entirely of the sienite formation;
there are some veins of coarse limestone and whinstone;
and indications of coal have been observed, but no
mines have as yet been opened. The rateable annual
value of Newabbey is £4784. On the lands of Shambelly, which have been richly planted, is a handsome
house, erected within the last twenty years by William
Stewart, Esq., who resides in an ancient mansion in the
village; and a house in the cottage style, on the lands
of Kinharvey, has been recently purchased by Mr. Maxwell, of Terregles, as a residence during the shooting
season. The village is pleasantly situated on the Pow
of Newabbey, near its influx into the Nith, and is neatly
built, containing several good houses. There is a parochial library, having a valuable assortment of volumes
on history, travels, and divinity; it has been established
for nearly forty years, and is supported by subscription.
A hall erected for a Freemasons' lodge, and for the
meetings of a friendly society, is now used as a ball-room
and for public meetings. A mill for carding and spinning wool, a mill for grain, and a saw-mill, have been
erected in the village; and the timber prepared at the
last is generally shipped for Liverpool. An indifferent
harbour has been constructed at the mouth of the Pow,
which in spring tides is navigable to within a mile of the
village for vessels of seventy tons, which land their cargoes of lime and coal for the parish, and return laden
with agricultural produce. Salmon, flounders, and herlings are taken in abundance in the Nith, where the inhabitants have the right of fishing, upon paying one-third
of what they take to the proprietor, who, however, commutes this payment for a nominal sum of money. A
branch of the post-office of Dumfries has been established
in the village; and facility of communication is afforded
by good roads which pass through the parish. The
small hamlet of Drumburn is pleasantly situated on a
burn of that name flowing into the Nith.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery and synod of Dumfries. The
minister's stipend is £233, with a manse, and a glebe
valued at £33 per annum; patron, the Crown. The
church, contiguous to the conventual church of the
abbey, of which it originally formed a part, is apparently
of the 13th century, and was enlarged in 1805 by rebuilding the front wall; it is in good repair, and contains 470 sittings. A Roman Catholic chapel was built
in 1823; but for the last few years no service has been
performed in it. There are three parochial schools:
the master of the principal school has a salary of
£29. 18. 9., with a house and garden, and the interest
of a bequest of £150; and the masters of the other two
have each £10. 13. 10., and one of them the interest of
£54. There are still, though greatly dilapidated, considerable remains of the Cistercian abbey already referred to, founded in 1284 by Devorgilla, mother of
John Baliol, King of Scotland, who, after the death of
her husband, had his heart embalmed, inclosed in a
casket of ivory enriched with silver, and deposited in
the choir of the church here, from which the abbey took
the name of Sweetheart, afterwards changed to that of
the New Abbey. The remains consist principally of
the conventual church, an elegant cruciform structure
in the early English style of architecture, 194 feet in
length from east to west, and 102 feet across at the
transepts, with a central tower ninety feet high: most
of the other buildings were demolished to furnish materials for houses. On the farm of Lundis, about half a
mile from the abbey, are the ivy-mantled ruins of a
square edifice, the occasional residence of the abbots,
near which a metal vessel was dug up a few years since;
and two similar vessels have been found in Loch End,
capable of holding from three to four gallons each.
Soon after the battle of Waterloo, a granite column
fifty feet high was erected on Glen Hill, an eminence in
the parish, which has an elevation of 400 feet above the
level of the sea, in honour of the Duke of Wellington
and the British army, at the suggestion of Robert Johnston, Esq., author of Travels from Petersburgh to Moscow,
and along the line of Napoleon's retreat from Russia. On
the farm of Craigend is a large rocking stone of sienite,
supposed to weigh more than fifteen tons.
Newark
NEWARK, lately a quoad sacra parish, in the parish
of Port-Glasgow, Lower ward of the county of Renfrew; containing 2449 inhabitants. This place is united
to Port-Glasgow, and the two are termed the burgh of
Port-Glasgow and Newark, the latter forming the eastern
portion of the town. It is connected with Port-Glasgow
in all municipal affairs, but was till recently separated
from it, as far as ecclesiastical matters were concerned,
by an act of the General Assembly. The extent of the
quoad sacra parish was about one square mile, partly
rural; but with the exception of about forty persons,
the whole population of the district, chiefly composed of
ship and other carpenters, coopers, smiths, joiners,
weavers, rope-makers, and other labouring classes, reside in the town portion. The bay of Newark is now
converted into a spacious wet-dock, in which vessels of
the largest burthen can lie at any state of the tide: at
its eastern extremity stands the old decayed castle of
Newark, on a point of land. The parish, formed in 1838,
was in the presbytery of Greenock and synod of Glasgow and Ayr: the stipend of the minister was £100,
arising from feu-duties and assessments. The church
was built by subscription in 1774, and is a plain building, affording accommodation for about 1600 persons;
patrons, the proprietors and seat-holders. There are
several schools.—See Port-Glasgow.
Newarthill
NEWARTHILL, a village, in that part of the parish
of Bothwell which formed the late quoad sacra parish
of Holytown, Middle ward of the county of Lanark, 1¼
mile (S. E. by E.) from Holytown; containing 968 inhabitants. This village is situated south of the post-road
from Edinburgh to Glasgow, in the heart of a district
abounding with coal and ironstone; and the inhabitants
are chiefly employed in collieries, and in the iron and
steel works which are carried on in the immediate
vicinity. Schools are supported by the proprietors of
the works, for the instruction of the children of their
workmen; and to most of them are attached libraries
of useful books.
Newbattle
NEWBATTLE, a parish, in the county of Edinburgh; containing, with the villages of Easthouses and
Newton-Grange, 2033 inhabitants, of whom 159 are in
the village of Newbattle, 1 mile (S.) from Dalkeith. This
place, which forms a kind of suburb to the town of
Dalkeith, originated in the foundation of a monastery
by David I. in 1140, which he endowed for brethren of
the Cistercian order, from the abbey of Melrose. The
institution continued to flourish till the Dissolution, when
its revenue was returned at £1413 in money, and various
payments in kind. At the Reformation, the small parish
of Maisterton was joined to this parish, and the church
of the abbey was made parochial. The patronage of the
united church, with the lands of Maisterton, and the
manor of Newbattle, was held by Mark Kerr, the last
commendator of the abbey, and ancestor of the Lothian
family, who died in 1584, and was succeeded by his son,
Mark, who in 1587 obtained from James VI. a patent
erecting these lands into a barony, and who in 1606 was
created Earl of Lothian. The estate has since that time
remained in the family, and is now the property of the
eighth Marquess of Lothian. The parish, part of which
is beautifully situated in a romantic valley watered by
the South Esk, is about four miles in length, and forms
an irregular triangular area of eight square miles, containing something more than 5000 acres, of which 4700
are arable, 300 woodland and plantations, and the
remainder waste. The surface is finely varied, the main
part rising gradually from the margin of the river, and
terminating in a bold ridge, of which the highest point
has an elevation of 700 feet above the level of the sea,
and commands an extensive and richly diversified prospect over the adjacent country.
The soil in the lower lands is luxuriantly rich, and of
great depth; but in the higher districts, comparatively
light and shallow. The system of agriculture is in an
improved state, and the rotation plan is prevalent; the
crops are, wheat, oats, barley, beans, potatoes, and turnips.
The farm-buildings, however, are generally old, and in
very indifferent condition, inferior to many in the vicinity; and the few inclosures might be greatly bettered.
The woods are under good management, and are regularly thinned and pruned; they consist of oak, ash, elm,
beech, plane, and various kinds of fir. The plantations,
also, are mostly in a flourishing state. The substrata
are chiefly coal and limestone, which are both abundant
and of good quality; and the former is wrought to a
very great extent by the Marquess of Lothian, whose
mines of parrot-coal of the finest description are apparently inexhaustible. The rateable annual value of the
parish is £12,706. Newbattle Abbey, the seat of the
marquess, is an imposing mansion erected on the site of
the ancient monastery, and beautifully situated on the
north bank of the South Esk, in a well-wooded park.
The mansion contains many stately apartments; an
extensive and valuable library, enriched with splendidly
illuminated missals and curious manuscripts formerly
belonging to the abbey; a large collection of paintings
by the first masters, and numerous family portaits.
The grounds are tastefully laid out, and embellished with
thriving plantations, and with many trees of ancient and
majestic growth, among which are some beeches of extraordinary size, planted by the monks. Within the park
is an old bridge of one arch over the river, called the
Maiden Bridge, said to have been erected by a young
lady whose lover was drowned while attempting to ford
the stream at this spot, and which, now overgrown with
ivy, has a strikingly romantic appearance. In the pavement of the hall of the mansion was once a brass plate,
in the form of a foot, inserted to mark out the spot on
which His Majesty George IV. first trod on entering the
mansion, when he visited the marquess in 1822. Woodburn, late the residence of Mr. Ker, is a handsome modern house on the east bank of the river, pleasantly
situated in a well-planted demesne, and commanding
some fine views.
The village consists chiefly of old and irregularlybuilt houses, inhabited by persons engaged in the various
handicraft trades requisite for the wants of the neighbourhood, and of cottages for agricultural labourers.
Easthouses, in its vicinity, is inhabited by persons employed in the collieries of the Marquess of Lothian,
which are very extensive, and from which a line of railway, one mile and a half in length, has been formed at
the expense of his lordship, to Dalhousie-Mains, where it
joins the Edinburgh and Dalkeith railway, which thence
proceeds north-westward. In its progress it is carried
across a deep ravine of most romantic appearance, by a
spacious bridge of cast-iron, of three arches resting on
stone piers, sixty-five feet each in span, and of which
the central arch, over the river, is seventy feet high.
There are one or two other villages and several rural
hamlets. Facility of communication with Dalkeith and
the neighbouring towns is afforded by the railway, and
by roads kept in tolerable repair. The ecclesiastical
affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery
of Dalkeith and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale: the
minister's stipend is £188, with a manse, and a glebe
valued at £21 per annum; patron, the Marquess. The
church, situated not far from the river, near the principal lodge of Newbattle Abbey, was erected in 1727,
and is a plain structure containing 400 sittings, a number
that might be considerably increased by the erection of
a gallery. There is also a regular minister at Stobhill,
where a church has very recently been raised, adequate
funds having been subscribed. The parochial school, to
the west of Easthouses, is well conducted, and attended
by about eighty children; the master has a salary of
£34. 4., with a house and garden, and the fees average
£25 per annum. A school in the village of Easthouses,
an infant school likewise there, and a school for girls at
Newton-Grange, are all specially attached to the coalworks; the scholars are numerous, and the teachers
partly paid by salaries and partly from the wages of
the colliers. There are also some friendly societies,
which operate to diminish the number of applicants
for parochial relief. On the summit of the ridge rising
from the bank of the river, are distinct traces of a
Roman camp about three acres in extent, the area of
which has been planted with trees; and to the north of
the abbey was till lately a conical mount, ninety feet in
diameter at the base, and thirty feet high, on the removal
of which, for the erection of the present mansion, a stone
coffin seven feet long was found, containing a human
skull. Archbishop Leighton was for some time minister
of this parish, to which he was inducted in 1648.
Newbigging
NEWBIGGING, a village, in the parish of Carnwath, Upper ward of the county of Lanark, 2 miles
(E. by S.) from the village of Carnwath; containing 217
inhabitants. This village is pleasantly situated in the
south part of the parish, on the road from Carnwath to
Dunsyre, and is chiefly inhabited by persons employed
in weaving at their own dwellings for the manufacturers
of Glasgow and Paisley.
Newbigging
NEWBIGGING, a village, in the parish of Auchtertool, district of Kirkcaldy, county of Fife;
nearly adjoining the village of Auchtertool, and containing 67 inhabitants. It lies in the eastern part of the
parish, on the road from Kirkcaldy to Dunfermline;
and is wholly agricultural. The church is distant from
it about a mile, westward.
Newbigging
NEWBIGGING, a village, in the parish of Newtyle, county of Forfar, 5 miles (E. N. E.) from CuparAngus; containing 229 inhabitants. It is situated in
the western part of the parish, on the borders of the
county, and on the road from Dundee to Meigle; it is
of rather old appearance, and consists of about sixty
dwelling-houses, of which the owners of about thirty
have small pendicles of land, each of from three to
fifteen acres. The careful cultivation of these pendicles,
and the agricultural business of the parish, afford employment to the chief part of the population.
Newbigging
NEWBIGGING, a village, in the parish of Tealing, county of Forfar, 3 miles (N. W. by W.) from
Murroes; containing 88 inhabitants. This village lies
in the eastern extremity of the parish, and about a mile
and a half distant from the church, which stands westward of it.
Newbottle
NEWBOTTLE, county of Edinburgh.—See Newbattle.
Newbridge
NEWBRIDGE, a village, in the parish of Kirkliston, county of Edinburgh, 1 mile (S. by W.) from the
village of Kirkliston; containing 153 inhabitants. This
place is on the east side of the Almond water, which
here separates the two counties of Edinburgh and Linlithgow; and is a pleasantly situated village, having an
inn. The road from Edinburgh to Glasgow, by Bathgate, which runs through the southern division of the
parish, passes through it. At Loughend, near Newbridge, are set up some large stones where a battle was
fought in the year 995, between Kenneth, the natural
brother of Malcolm II., and Constantine, the usurper
of the crown; and about a mile and a half westward,
several stone coffins have been from time to time discovered.
Newbridge
NEWBRIDGE, a hamlet, in the parish of Terregles, stewartry of Kirkcudbright, 2 miles (N. W.
by N.) from Dumfries; containing 24 inhabitants. It
lies in the extreme north point of the parish, on a tributary to the Nith, which flows at a short distance eastward.
Newburgh
NEWBURGH, a village and sea-port, in the parish
of Foveran, district of Ellon, county of Aberdeen,
5 miles (S. E. by S.) from Ellon; containing 393 inhabitants. This is a small but flourishing place, situated on
the bank of the river Ythan, at its confluence with the
German Ocean. The village is now much improved;
it contains about 120 houses, some very substantial and
commodious; and is well provided with shops, and
has persons carrying on all the necessary trades for
the convenience of the population. There is a bonemill, actively employed; also eight large well-built granaries. The soil in the immediate vicinity is a fine,
strong, black earth, producing very rich crops of bear,
potatoes, and turnips, and a small quantity of oats.
The river is of a serpentine form, and navigable for
nearly a mile and a half, affording an opportunity at
low water for the loading and unloading of vessels; it
is well stocked with sea-trout, salmon, flounders, and
especially muscles, the last supplying several hundred
tons annually, sold at £1. 10. per ton. The entrance to
the river, however, is exceedingly bad, and often dangerous on account of the shifting sands. The beach,
extending from its mouth nearly ten miles south, has
stake and bag nets for taking salmon: the fish caught
in the sea are, haddocks, cod, skate, and flounders; and
there are two fishing-boats belonging to the village, and
a ferry-boat on the Ythan, three-quarters of a mile
above. The number of ships belonging to the port is
eight, the aggregate burthen of which is 646 tons; they
are employed in the coasting and foreign trade, and the
exports consist of grain and cattle, and the imports of
coal, lime, timber, and bones. A tide-waiter resides
here, and a pilot-boat belongs to the station. There is
a branch of the National Savings' Bank, in connexion
with the Ellon Bank; also a society called the "Newburgh Shipmasters' Friendly Society." A school has
been established for twenty children of poor fishermen,
from a bequest of the late Mr. Mather; and a weekly
lecture is delivered by the parochial minister or schoolmaster, supported by funds left also by Mr. Mather for
that purpose. A turnpike-road has been recently formed
leading from Meldrum into the village.
Newburgh
NEWBURGH, a parish,
sea-port, burgh, and markettown, in the district of Cupar, county of Fife, 11 miles
(S. E.) from Perth, and 40
(N.) from Edinburgh; containing 2897 inhabitants, of
whom 2491 are in the burgh.
This parish derives its name
from a town built here long
before the separation of the
district from the parish of
Abdie, or Lindores, of which,
previously to the year 1622, the lands formed a part.
The town appears to have been indebted for its increase
to the encouragement of the abbots of the monastery
of Lindores, near which it was situated, and which was
founded by David, Earl of Huntingdon, about the year
1180, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Andrew,
for monks of the Benedictine order, who were placed in
it from the abbey of Kelso. Soon after its foundation,
the earl granted to the abbot of Lindores, and to the
church of St. Mary and St. Andrew, the island of
Fedinch, supposed to be the present Mugdrum, with the
fisheries in the river Tay adjoining, and a right of taking
from his quarries at Irneside, stone for the erection of
conventual buildings. Additional grants were made by
charter of William the Lion, Alexander III., and other
kings of Scotland, for its endowment, which was subsequently augmented by James II., who gave to the
monastery the lands of Parkhill, in Fife. The monastery continued to flourish under a long succession of
abbots till the year 1600, when James VI. erected the
abbacy into a temporal lordship; and in 1606 John, the
last abbot of whom any notice occurs, is said to have
assisted at a general council held at Westminster to deliberate on the expediency of establishing episcopacy in
Scotland.
Burgh Seal.
The town is advantageously situated upon the river
Tay, which is divided by the island of Mugdrum into
two channels, called respectively the North and South
Deep, the latter being the principal roadway for ships
approaching the port. The greater part of the town
has been rebuilt within the last fifty years, and it has
also been much increased by the recent erection of
suburbs; the streets are paved, and lighted with gas by
a company lately established here; and the inhabitants
are amply supplied with excellent water from springs.
The houses are large, and uniformly built of greenstone
found in the neighbouring quarries; and the public
buildings, of the same material, are embellished with
freestone of good quality from Cupar-moor and other
places. The whole appearance is cheerful and prepossessing; and from its sheltered situation, the salubrity
of its air, and the beauty and variety of the surrounding scenery, it is fast growing into favour as a summer
residence for families at a distance. The linen manufacture has long been established here, affording employment to several hundreds of persons in hand-loom weaving, and to more than 350 persons, chiefly women, in
winding bobbins. The linen made here is chiefly dowlas
sheeting, for which a ready market is obtained in London, Leeds, and Manchester, and of which great quantities are also exported to the West Indies and South
America: the finest pieces are what are called "fourteen-hundred linens." The number of looms in the
town is 560, producing on an average 23,600 webs, 140
yards in length, and from one yard to three yards in
width, and in which are contained more than 826,000
spindles of yarn. There is also an extensive bleachfield,
supplied with pure water from the spring called the
Nine Wells, the waters of which are collected into one
copious and powerful stream. A considerable trade is
carried on in grain; and a market for stock, opened in
1830, is held on Tuesday, and numerously attended by
dealers from all parts of the adjacent country. Fairs
are held for horses, cattle, and sheep, on the first Tuesday in April, third Friday in June, and second Tuesday
in October; and for hiring servants, on the first Tuesday in December. A post-office has been established,
which has a good delivery; and facilities of communication are afforded with the neighbouring towns by excellent turnpike-roads, of which that from Cupar to
Perth passes through the town.
The trade of the port consists principally in the exportation of the linens manufactured in the town and
parish to the West Indies and South America, and the
importation of timber from the Baltic, North America,
and Norway, generally brought by vessels belonging to
those ports. Ten vessels, varying from sixty to 150
tons, belong to Newburgh, and these are employed chiefly
in the coal trade; there is also an inconsiderable coasting trade, and most of the potatoes and other agricultural produce of Strathearn, Kinross, and the surrounding
district, are shipped from this port for the London market. Two packets are regularly engaged in bringing the
raw materials for the linen manufacture from Dundee;
and vessels bound for Perth are frequently obliged to
wait here for the flow of the tide, and often are under
the necessity of landing part of their cargoes before they
can proceed further up the river, even with the tide in
their favour. The steam-boats between Perth and
Dundee touch at Newburgh; and a passage-boat has
been established on the Tay between the Pow of Errol
and this place. The port is situated on that channel of
the river called the South Deep, and is accessible to
ships of 500 tons, which can load and unload their cargoes on the quay; but beyond the confluence of the
Earn, the channel will scarcely admit vessels of 150
tons to proceed to Perth. The landing-place consists
of four piers, projecting boldly into the channel; warehouses and granaries have been recently built for the
accommodation of the merchants, and several handsome
dwelling-houses for the residence of persons connected
with the shipping. The revenue paid to the customhouse is already considerable, and the trade of the
port gradually increasing.
Many persons are occupied in the salmon-fishery of
the Tay; the fish are of superior quality, and very much
esteemed. The number of boats on the average is thirty,
and about sixty seamen are engaged: there are several
stations, on one of which, employing only two boats,
250 salmon, 610 grilse, and a proportionate number of
trout, were taken in one season. Considerable numbers
are still caught, which, after affording an abundant supply for the town and neighbourhood, are shipped to
London by the Dundee steamers, which perform the
voyage in about thirty-five hours. The sperling, or
salmo eperlanus of naturalists, is also found here, though
not in any other part of the Frith of Tay. The nets for
taking them are fixed by stakes in the rapids of the
current, and they are obtained in great quantities, even
in the winter months, so long as the river is free from
ice; they are much valued by the inhabitants of the
place, and find a ready market also at Perth. The
people of Newburgh received their earliest charter of
incorporation from the abbot of the monastery of Lindores, who erected the town into a burgh of regality,
and endowed the burgesses with the lands of Woodriff
and the hills adjacent, which now constitute the principal revenue of the corporation; and in 1631, Charles I.
confirmed the preceding charter, making the town a
royal burgh, and investing the burgesses with various
privileges and immunities, and the right of sending a
member to the Scottish parliament, which, however,
from neglect, soon fell entirely into disuse. Under these
charters the government is vested in two magistrates,
and a council of fifteen burgesses, assisted by a townclerk and other officers. The magistrates exercise jurisdiction over the royalty of the town, but not over the
whole of the harbour and suburbs; they are elected by
the council, by whom also all the other officers are appointed. Courts are held weekly, on Wednesday, for
the trial of civil actions and of misdemeanors, the townclerk acting as assessor; but little business is done in
these courts, and since 1820 not more than seventeen
civil and eight criminal causes have been annually adjudicated. The town-house, a neat edifice with a spire,
was erected in 1808; and recently, a building of considerable size has been added to it for the use of the
stock market.
The parish, after its separation from that of Abdie,
under the sanction of the Archbishop of St. Andrew's,
in 1622, was enlarged by the addition of a portion of
the adjoining parish of Abernethy, annexed to it by the
same authority. The present parish is about three miles
in length from north to south, and two miles in breadth
from east to west, inclosing an irregular area, bounded
on the north by the Tay, which washes the coast for
about two miles. It comprises 1145 acres, of which 280
are meadow and pasture, ninety woodland and plantations, forty garden and orchard, and the remainder
good arable land in a state of profitable cultivation.
The surface towards the east is flat, but towards the
west rises gently till it terminates in a tract of tableland, from which, in a southern direction, is a gradual
ascent till it reaches the Black Cairn, elevated about
800 feet above the level of the sea. To the south-west,
also, the land forms a ridge increasing in elevation, and
which at Craig-Sparrow is 600 feet in height. The low
lands are intersected by a stream that issues from the
loch of Lindores, in the parish of Abdie, and falls into the
river Tay at the north-eastern extremity of this parish;
and also by another streamlet, flowing from Loch Mill,
in the same parish, and joining the Eden at Auchtermuchty. The Tay, after receiving the waters of the
Earn, expands into a breadth of almost two miles at
this place; and its channel, as already observed, is
divided nearly into two equal portions by the island of
Mugdrum, in the parish of Abernethy. There are also
many excellent and copious springs, of which the one
called Nine Wells rises in the hilly district towards the
south-west. The soil in the higher lands, though of
little depth, is very fertile, consisting of a loose black
loam; and in the low lands, a remarkably rich clay,
which under proper management produces abundant
crops. The system of agriculture is in the highest state
of improvement; the crops are, barley, of which the
chevalier species is fast growing into general use, oats,
some wheat, potatoes, and turnips. The orchards in
the vicinity of the town are very productive, and abound
with fruit of the finest quality, which finds a ready sale
at the market, and returns a high profit to the proprietors. The principal woods are those of Mugdrum, comprising about thirty acres on the banks of the Tay, and
consisting chiefly of spruce-firs and larch; and Pitcairly, twelve acres in extent, producing some fine specimens of ash, beech, elm, and plane. The plantations
on the Town's land comprise more than forty acres of
spruce, Scotch fir, and larch, of recent growth, and in
a thriving condition. The substratum of the parish is
principally of the trap formation: in the lower part a
fine-grained porphyritic greenstone, and in the upper a
compact felspar, and some beds of trap tuffa, are found.
In the small veins of the greenstone are crystals of
quartz, carbonate of lime, barytes, and other minerals;
and in the felspar occur nodules of claystone, and
agates of jasper, approaching in quality to the Mocha
stone. In the hills are frequently boulders of primitive
rock, granite, gneiss, quartz, mica-slate imbedded with
garnets, and primitive greenstone. The rateable annual
value of the parish is £4958. Mugdrum House and
Pitcairly are the principal mansions.
Newburgh is in the presbytery of Cupar and synod of
Fife, and patronage of the Earl of Mansfield and the
Hay family: the minister's stipend is £225. 14. 2., with
a manse, and a glebe valued at £40 per annum. The
church, erected in 1833, and situated in the centre of
the town, is a spacious and handsome structure in the
later English style, and forms a conspicuous feature in
the view; it is adapted for a congregation of 1000 persons. There are places of worship for the United Associate Synod, and for very small congregations of Baptists,
Independents, and Wesleyans. The parochial school
affords a liberal course of instruction; the master has a
salary of £34. 4. 4., with £22 fees, and a good house and
garden, in addition to which he possesses about four
acres of land bequeathed to the school many years
since. There are also two Sabbath schools, to each of
which is attached a juvenile library. The poor are
partly supported by the interest of accumulated sums
arising from lands purchased for their relief, and now
producing £19. 17. 4. per annum; a female charitable
society distributes annually about £15 in clothing and
fuel to the poor, and there are two friendly societies,
which prevent many of their aged members from applying for parochial assistance. Little remains of the
ancient monastery of Lindores, which after its dissolution soon sank into a state of dilapidation and decay; but
even its inconsiderable ruins, which for some time have
been carefully preserved, afford sufficient indications of
its former splendour. The porch of the church is in
good preservation, and shows the original building to
have been of elegant design, and of elaborate workmanship; the walls are massive, and appear to have been
very extensive. Among the ruins of the abbey was
found a stone coffin, said to have contained the body of
the Duke of Rothsay, who was barbarously put to death
in the palace of Falkland, and privately buried within
the monastery; and it is traditionally recorded that
James, the ninth earl of Douglas, who was taken prisoner at Barneswark Hill, was immured in the abbey,
in which he continued till his death in the year 1488.
In the hills to the south of the ruins, the sites of the
monks' and abbots' wells are still pointed out; but no
traces whatever remain of the causeway which extended
from the abbey to the church of Magirdum, in the
parish of Dron, and which was raised by the monks,
who went annually to that place to unite with the nuns
of Elcho in paying their devotions to the patron saint.
Among the woods to the west of the town are the
remains of an ancient cross, consisting of the upright
shaft, inserted in a pedestal, and ornamented with
curious antique devices on the several stages into which
its surface is divided. The two upper compartments of
the east face have in each the sculptured representation
of a man on horseback, much mutilated; and in the two
lower compartments are two horses of very unequa1
size, and the representation of a boar-hunt, very rudely
sculptured. On another side are some scroll ornaments; but on the two other sides, the figures or devices are entirely obliterated. The transepts appear to
have been broken off. The shaft is of sandstone, and
about seven feet in height; it is called the cross of
Mugdrum, supposed to be a corruption of Magridin, the
saint to whom it was dedicated. By some antiquaries
it is thought to have been raised to commemorate the
defeat of the Danes in the battle of Luncarty, about the
close of the 10th century, through the resolute valour
of Hay and his sons, who compelled their retreating
countrymen to return to the field of battle. About a
mile to the south of this monument, on the confines of
Strathearn, is another ancient relic of the same materials, called Macduff's Cross. It consists of one large
block of stone, deeply indented in several parts, in each
of which cavities were formerly an iron staple and a
ring, said to have been intended for the securing of
certain cattle offered by the Macduff family as an atonement for the crime of murder. The shaft was destroyed
by the Reformers, on their route from Perth to the
abbey of Lindores, in 1559. Near the site is a cairn of
loose stones, called "Sir Robert's Prap," raised over
the grave of Sir Robert Balfour, of Denmill, who fell in
a duel not far from the spot towards the commencement of the last century. The Earl of Newburgh takes
his title from this parish.