Stirling
Observe. Reverse. Ancient Burgh Seal.
STIRLING, a royal burgh, sea-port, and parish,
mostly in the county Stirling; containing, with the villages of Cambuskenneth, Raploch, and part of Causeway-head, 9095 inhabitants, of whom 8307 are in the burgh,
35 miles (W. N. W.) from Edinburgh. This place, in the
more ancient documents called Striviling and Styrlyng,
and in the present seal of the burgh designated Oppidum
Sterlini, is of remote antiquity, and is supposed to have
been a Roman station connected with that of Camelon,
whence a road to the north of Scotland passed close to
the Castle hill here, on which was one of the numerous
fortifications raised by Agricola in this part of the
country. On the face of the rock overlooking the road,
and commanding the river Forth, which is here of comparatively inconsiderable width, has been found a Roman
inscription ascribing to the second legion the erection of
this fortress, which is thought to have occupied the site
of the present castle, whose precise date has not been
distinctly ascertained. Towards the latter part of the
9th century, Ella and Ostricht, princes of Northumbria,
having defeated Donald V., King of Scotland, and taken
him prisoner, advanced to Stirling, rebuilt the castle,
and placed in it a strong garrison, which retained possession till it was restored by treaty to Kenneth III.,
who, about the year 975, not only recovered his territories in this part of the country, but made himself
master of the whole district of Strathcluyd. The castle
appears to have attained a considerable degree of importance in the course of the 12th century. It was one
of the four principal fortresses of the kingdom delivered
to the English in 1174, by William the Lion, as part of
his ransom from captivity, and in fulfilment of the treaty
by which Henry II. of England was acknowledged superior of the whole of Scotland. This claim of superiority,
however, being subsequently renounced by Richard I.,
the castle of Stirling and the other fortresses were restored to the Scottish monarchs, and remained in their
possession till the revival of that claim by Edward I.,
when, on the defeat of the Scottish army at Dunbar in
1296, the English, in order to secure the conquest of the
country during the disputed succession to the throne,
made themselves masters of all the chief fortresses of
the kingdom. William Wallace, however, the intrepid
champion of his country's freedom, recovered Stirling
from the English, and afterwards laid siege to the castle
of Dundee. While he was engaged in reducing that
fortress, the English again assaulted the castle of Stirling; but, the Scottish army taking their position on
the north side of the Forth, to dispute the passage of the
river by the troops of Edward, which had encamped on
the south, Wallace hastened from Dundee to the relief
of Stirling, and obtained a signal victory over the English while attempting to cross the river. The result of
this battle, in which many of the English were slain,
with only a very inconsiderable number of the Scottish
forces, was, the temporary delivery of the country from
the English invasion.
In the following year, however, Edward entered the
kingdom with an army of 80,000 men, and having defeated the Scots at Falkirk, again took possession of
Stirling, and repaired the castle, which, in his retreat,
Wallace had burnt. The castle was in 1298 besieged
by the Scots, to whom, after a series of reverses in the
fortunes of Edward, it was surrendered by capitulation;
but in 1300 it was again taken by the English after a
siege of three months, during which it was bravely defended by the garrison under its governor, Sir William
Oliphant. In 1304, Edward, in his progress towards
the south, approached to Stirling, and, after a feeble
attempt on the part of Cumyn, guardian of the kingdom,
to intercept his passage, crossed the river Forth, and
laid siege to the castle, which, however, held out so resolutely against his assaults that, when he ultimately
obtained possession of it, he refused all terms of capitulation, and sent Sir William Oliphant prisoner to London. In 1314 the castle, which till then had been garrisoned by the English, was invested by Edward Bruce,
brother of the King of Scotland, who, after a siege of some
months, obtained from the governor a promise of surrender if not relieved within a stipulated period. On
the day previous to the appointed time, a detachment of
800 cavalry from the army sent by Edward for the relief of the several garrisons, and of which the main
body had been interrupted by Bruce, having advanced
by a circuitous route to dislodge the besiegers of Stirling,
were pursued by Randolph, Earl of Moray, who, with a
body of 500 horse, put them completely to the route.
The spot where this conflict took place is still called
Randolph Field. After the battle of Bannockburn,
which finally established the independence of the Scottish monarchy, the town and castle were evacuated by
the English; and the garrison, according to the terms
of capitulation, returned unmolested into England. In
the reign of James I., Murdoch, Duke of Albany, who
had acted as regent of the kingdom during the captivity
of that monarch in England, was, with his father-in-law,
the Earl of Lennox, and his two sons, beheaded on the
Mote hill, a small mount near the castle, pursuant to a
verdict pronounced by a jury of twenty-one members of
a parliament held for the purpose. In 1437, Sir Robert
Graham and several of his associates were executed on
the same spot, for the assassination of the king in the
convent of the Black Friars at Perth.
The castle about this time had become a royal residence; James II. was born within its walls, and James
III. repaired and embellished several portions of the structure that had fallen into dilapidation, and erected many
additional buildings. Among these were, the house of
parliament, containing a fine hall 120 feet in length,
now occupied as a barrack by the garrison; and also
the chapel royal, converted into an armoury by the
government during the late war, but now in part restored
to its original purpose as a chapel, though only for the
garrison. A palace was erected within the precincts of
the castle by James V., which was completed by Queen
Mary; it was a quadrangular edifice surrounding an
area in which the king's lions are said to have been
kept. The building was profusely embellished with statuary, among which were well-sculptured figures of
King James and his daughter, and numerous grotesque
figures; it contained several magnificent apartments,
and a spacious hall with a roof of oak exquisitely carved.
James V. was crowned in the castle; as was also Mary,
when scarcely nine months old; and James VI., soon
after his birth, was baptized here with great pomp, on
which occasion Queen Elizabeth presented a massive
font of gold, to be used at the ceremony. Stirling soon
followed the example of Perth and St. Andrew's in
adopting the reformed doctrines. In 1559, the lords of
the congregation took possession of the town, in order
to prevent the introduction of a French force which had
been sent to the assistance of the Earl of Murray; and
in their zeal for the abolition of popery, the inhabitants
demolished the abbey of Cambuskenneth and the convents of the Black and Grey Friars. In 1571 Hamilton,
formerly archbishop of St. Andrew's, who had assisted
at the baptism of James VI., was executed here for his
participation in the death of the Regent Murray; and in
the same year a parliament was held in the castle by the
Earl of Lennox, who was then regent. On the 4th of
September, in that year, the town was surprised by the
Earl of Huntly and about 400 of his adherents, who,
surrounding the houses of the principal inhabitants, carried off the Regent Lennox and ten other noblemen as
prisoners. Huntly's party was eventually defeated by
the Earl of Mar, and the noblemen were rescued from
their power; but the Regent, who had been severely
wounded in the conflict, died of his wounds on the following evening, and was interred in the chapel royal.
Twenty-six of Huntly's party were brought into the
town as prisoners, and two of them publicly executed on
the following day. After the resignation of Mary,
Queen of Scots, James VI. was crowned in the church
of Stirling, after a sermon preached by the reformer,
John Knox; and during his minority the castle was the
constant residence of the prince, under the tutelage of
his preceptor, the celebrated George Buchanan. That
monarch held his first parliament in the castle in the
year 1578, and, after his marriage to Anne, princess of
Denmark, frequently resided here with his queen, who
gave birth to the infant prince, Henry, at Stirling. In
1584 the Earls of Angus and Mar, the master of Glammis, and others who had been concerned in the Ruthven
conspiracy, took forcible possession of the town. Being
expelled by the garrison, they fled into England; but
they returned in the following year, and having raised
a powerful force, were preparing to besiege the castle, at
that time but ill prepared to hold out, when the king
sent commissioners to treat with them, and a compromise was effected by the pardon of their rebellion, the
reversal of their forfeitures, and the restoration of their
eligibility to offices in the state.
On the proclamation, in 1637, of the mandate for the
adoption of the Liturgy of the Church of England, the
privy council and the courts of session were by royal
command removed from Edinburgh to this town, where
they continued for many months to hold their meetings.
The Liturgy was proclaimed at the market-cross; upon
which, the Earl of Home, with other nobles and a number of the ministers, entering a public protestation
against its reception, a body of about 2000 Presbyterians
assembled in the town in the course of the evening, and
on the following morning marched to Edinburgh. After
the battle of Dunbar, in 1650, the remains of the Scottish army retreated to this town, in which the magistrates
of Edinburgh, and the Committees of Church and State,
held their meetings; and the last Scottish parliament in
which the sovereign personally presided was assembled
in the castle, and afterwards adjourned to Perth. Pursuant to the resolutions at this parliament, an army was
collected at Aberdeen, which, after marching to Stirling,
and being joined by the troops at this place, encamped
at Torwood under Charles II., who commanded in person; but the prince was ultimately compelled to retreat
before the troops of Cromwell, and, retiring to Stirling,
encamped in the King's Park. Upon Cromwell's retreat
soon afterwards into England, he was followed by
Charles at the head of this army, which was subsequently defeated at the battle of Worcester. Soon after
Cromwell's departure, General Monk advanced to Stirling with a powerful force, and taking possession of the
town, erected batteries on the tower of the church, and
in the adjoining burying-ground, in order to reduce the
castle, which, after a protracted siege, he ultimately obtained by capitulation. During the siege, the registers
and national records, which had been for greater security
deposited in the castle, were removed to the Tower of
London, where they remained till the Restoration; but
they were unfortunately lost in a storm that overtook
the ship in which they were being brought home. The
Duke of Argyll, previously to the battle of Sheriffmuir
in 1715, encamped his forces in the King's Park, adjoining the town; and in 1745, during the progress of the
Young Pretender's career, the walls were repaired by
government, and the castle put into a state of defence.
On his return, however, in the following year, the town
was occupied for some time by his adherents, who,
violating the terms upon which they had obtained admission, pillaged the houses of the inhabitants, and invested the castle, which must ultimately have surrendered for want of provisions, had not the approach of
the army under the Duke of Cumberland compelled the
Pretender to withdraw his forces from the neighbourhood. On the 13th of September, 1842, this place was
visited by Her Majesty, in the course of her tour in
Scotland; the royal cortége arrived at the barrier at
half past eleven o'clock, and the provost attended by
the town-clerk and magistrates, presented the keys of
the burgh to Her Majesty, who then proceeded through
the town.
Few other events of historical importance have occurred in connexion with this town, of which the history
is mostly identified with that of its ancient castle, to
whose foundation it is indebted for its origin. In the
reign of Queen Anne, the fortifications of the castle,
which, according to the articles of the Union, was one
of the four principal fortresses guaranteed to be kept in
repair, were considerably extended, and the internal
arrangements rendered more commodious for the garrison. The garrison now consists of a lieutenant-governor, deputy-governor, fort-major, and other officers,
a chaplain, barrack-master, barrack-serjeant, and master-gunner, with a force of infantry generally averaging
from 250 to 300 men. The demesnes attached to the
castle include the royal park and gardens; the Ladies'
Hill; the Valley, a level inclosure in which tournaments
and other feats of chivalry were formerly celebrated for
the entertainment of the court; the Ballingeich road;
the Gowling Hills; and a few houses in that part of the
town called the Castle Hill. These, with the exception
of the Valley, constitute what is styled the constabulary,
under the management of the Commissioners of Woods
and Forests. The castle, which for some centuries consisted only of a single tower, has, from frequent additions
and improvements, been greatly improved, and is now
one of the most splendid buildings of the kind in the
kingdom. The principal entrance was once defended
by four massive circular towers, of which, however, two
only, and those now much reduced in height, are remaining. From its elevated situation on a precipitous
rock rising abruptly from the surrounding plain, the
view obtained from this entrance is singularly interesting, embracing a vast expanse of Highland scenery including the lofty summits of the mountains of Benvoirlich, Benledi, Benvenue, and Ben-Lomond. The intermediate tracts of country are embellished with stately
mansions, villages, and hamlets; enriched with woods
and thriving plantations, and enlivened with the meandering courses of the rivers Allan, Teith, and Forth,
flowing through a fertile plain bounded on the one side
by the Campsie hills, and on the other by the Ochils.
This entrance leads into a spacious quadrangle, where
are the remains of the stately palace of James V., the
parliament house, now converted into barracks, and the
chapel royal: in the centre of the quadrangle is a court
still retaining the name of the Lion's Den. From this a
low gateway leads into the Nether Bailiery, in which are
the magazines and offices belonging to the castle, and
from which an old gateway, anciently the principal entrance, opens into a narrow path conducting to the town.
Between the town and the fortress is the esplanade, on
the south and west of which is the King's Park; here
the Stirling races are regularly held, the course having
been preserved from being ploughed, by a clause inserted in the lease of the tenant. Immediately under
the castle walls, on the south side, are the royal gardens,
in which is a circular mound of moderate elevation,
called the "King's Knot," surrounded by a concentric
bank at the distance of a few feet, of nearly equal height:
this mound and bank served as seats for the king and
the nobility, in the celebration of the sports of the
Knights of the Round Table, in honour of King Arthur.
Beyond, for some distance, is a plain inclosed by the
traces of what was formerly a canal. The banks of the
Castle Hill are here richly-wooded, and have been laid
out with great taste as a promenade, which, at almost
every step, both in its ascent and descent, commands
an interesting prospect of picturesque and romantic
scenery. The castle itself, also, from the stately magnificence of its remains, and the rich style of its architecture, abounding with beautiful details, as well as from
its situation on the acclivities and summit of a rock,
forms a striking feature in the landscape.
The town is finely situated on the south bank of the
river Forth, and consists of numerous well-formed streets,
several of them of modern date and handsome appearance. King-street is a wide and spacious thoroughfare,
in which are the market-places, numerous substantial
houses, and some of the public buildings; and a new
street opened in 1840 forms a communication with
Bridge-street, leading to a bridge of five arches over
the Forth, to the north of the town, on a line with the
great north road. Beyond this, at a little distance, is an
ancient bridge of four arches over the same river, which,
preserving much of its original character, has a very
picturesque aspect. Spittal-street, conducting to St.
John's-street, in which are the church and an old hospital; and Baker-street, in a parallel direction; are both
good streets, though the latter is in some parts steep
and narrow, and contains several houses of very ancient
date. Broad-street is spacious, and has at one extremity
the unfinished palace of the Earl of Mar, hereditary
governor of the castle, commenced in 1570, and built
with the ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey. In the Castle
Wynd is the mansion called Argyll House, now occupied
as an hospital for the garrison, a spacious quadrangular
building erected in 1632 by Sir William Alexander,
afterwards Earl of Stirling, and which subsequently
became the property of the Duke of Argyll, who entertained James II. of England for some time in it when
Duke of York, and whose descendant held his council
of war here during the rebellion of 1715. The streets are
well paved, and lighted with gas; and the inhabitants
are amply supplied with water from public wells, under
the superintendence of the corporation.
The Stirling Subscription Library, founded in 1805,
and supported by a proprietary of shareholders, has a
collection of more than 4000 volumes on general literature, and is annually augmented: this library is kept in
the Athenæum, a handsome building with a lofty spire,
in King-street, erected in 1817, and of which a part is
occupied as a public reading-room. There are also
some circulating libraries. The School of Arts was instituted in 1826, for the promotion of mechanical study
and improvement in the arts and sciences: it has a
library of 1000 well-chosen books, a museum, some
philosophical apparatus, and a theatre for the delivery
of lectures during the winter; it is well supported by
subscription, and has about 200 proprietary members.
Two weekly newspapers are published, the Stirling
Observer on Thursday, and the Stirling Journal on
Friday; and both maintain an extensive circulation in
the surrounding district. A medical society has been
recently established by the practitioners in the town
and vicinity, for the promotion of literature, and the
general pursuits of science, connected with the profession. A horticultural society was founded here in 1812,
and an agricultural association in 1834; and in 1840, an
appropriate building was erected by Messrs. Drummond
as an agricultural museum, which contains an extensive
collection of specimens of seeds, roots, grains, minerals,
implements of every variety, improvements in draining-tiles, and every thing else connected with the study and
promotion of husbandry. The approach to the town
from St. Ninian's is through a pleasing tract of country,
embellished with handsome mansions and picturesque
villas, adorned by thriving plantations; and the public
promenade called the Back Walk, on the south of the
Castle Hill, tastefully laid out in 1723 by Mr. Edmondstone, of Cambus-Wallace, and subsequently much improved, is a favourite place of public resort.
The woollen-manufacture, which since 1830 has very
greatly increased, is now the principal branch of trade;
while the cotton-manufacture, which was previously
extensive, has become inconsiderable. There are three
large steam-mills for the spinning of woollen yarn, in
which about 170 persons are employed, and nearly 700
are occupied in weaving at their own dwellings; the
articles manufactured at present are, tartans, shawl-pieces, and other similar goods. The weaving of carpets
is carried on to a moderate extent. There are several
dyeing establishments, and rope-making is also conducted
on a tolerable scale; coach-building is pursued to a
considerable extent, affording employment to more than
a hundred persons; there are tanneries and some large
malting establishments, and the manufacture of soap
and candles is conducted with success. Many of the
inhabitants are employed in the various other trades
necessary for the supply of the neighbourhood; and
there are numerous handsome shops, well stocked
with all the articles of merchandise required for the
use and convenience of the inhabitants; and also some
hotels for the reception of the families and visiters who,
during the summer and autumn, make Stirling their temporary residence. Of these, the Royal Hotel, a spacious
and elegant building erected in 1840, in front of the
Friars' Wynd, and containing very superior accommodations, forms an ornament to the town. The market,
on Friday, is abundantly supplied with grain, and with
provisions of every kind. Fairs for cattle and horses are
held on the Friday before Old Hansel Monday; the first
Fridays in February, March, April, May, August, and
November; the second Friday in December, the third in
September, and the last in May: there are also hiring-markets on the last Friday in March, and the third in
October. The Corn Exchange, where the grain market
is held, is a spacious edifice of recent erection, containing above the area a stately apartment for public meetings; and the branch establishments of the Commercial
Bank, in Spittal-street, the Bank of Scotland, in King-street, and the National Bank, in Baker-street, are all
substantial buildings. Facility of communication is
afforded by good roads which pass through the town
and parish, and by steamers plying constantly between
the town and Newhaven, of which never less than two,
and often three, are continually in attendance. The
port of Stirling, a member of that of Alloa, carries on
an extensive trade in grain, of which considerable quantities are shipped from this place; and there is a mode-rate extent of foreign trade, consisting chiefly in the
importation of timber from Norway, and bark from
Holland. The number of vessels registered as belonging
to the port is twenty-two, varying from fifty to 350
tons in burthen; of these, two are employed in the
foreign trade, and the others in the coasting-trade, and
to ports within the United Kingdom. The harbour is
formed by a bend in the Forth, and has a good quay for
the loading and unloading of vessels; but the navigation of the river is much impeded by shallows, which
retard the approach of vessels of great burthen, and a
plan is now being carried out for deepening the river,
and consequently improving the trade of the port, and
promoting the prosperity of the adjacent district. The
salmon-fishery has been long carried on with success,
and is still a lucrative pursuit; the rents of the several
fisheries in the parish amount to about £770 per annum.
Salmon are found also in the river Teith, beyond the
limits of the parish; the salmon taken in the Forth are
sent chiefly to the Edinburgh and London markets.
Several railways have been projected, to pass through or
near the town.
The inhabitants received a charter of incorporation
from Alexander I., constituting the town a royal burgh,
to which he afterwards added the privileges of a merchant-guild; and by another charter he exempted them
from tolls and customs throughout the kingdom. These
charters were confirmed, with additional grants, by
David II.; the fisheries of the Forth, and the right of
levying small customs, were added by Robert II.; and
subsequently, by charter of James IV., the inhabitants
were invested with the customs on salt and leather, and
the right of appointing a sheriff within the burgh. By
charter of Mary, Queen of Scots, they obtained a grant
of lands, tenements, and buildings, and of the churches,
chapels, and colleges founded within the liberties, and
various other immunities and privileges, all which were
ratified by charter of Charles I. in 1641. This charter
continued in force till the year 1773, when the burgh
was disfranchised by a decree of the Court of Session.
It was, however, soon afterwards restored by the king
in council, who also made several alterations in the
constitution, and vested the government in a provost,
four bailies, a dean of guild, a convener, and fourteen
other councillors, in all twenty-one, of whom fourteen
were chosen from the merchant-guild, and seven from
the incorporated trades. By act of the 3rd and 4th of
William IV., the government is now vested in a provost,
four bailies, a treasurer, and fifteen town-councillors;
the provost in all public proceedings is, under charter of
James IV., styled the high-sheriff, and the bailies are
called sheriffs. They exercise both civil and criminal
jurisdiction within the burgh, and hold courts twice in
the week, for the trial of offences, and the determination
of pleas, in which they are assisted by the town-clerk,
who acts as assessor; and one of the magistrates attends
daily for the hearing of cases under the police. The
revenue of the corporation arises from the tolls and
customs of the bridge and port, the markets, and the
fisheries; and they have the patronage of the church,
the burgh schools, and charitable institutions. There
are seven incorporated trades, viz., the hammermen,
weavers, tailors, shoemakers, skinners, bakers, and
fleshers, the admission fees to which vary from £1. 10.
to £3. 10. for sons of freemen, from £5 to £15 for apprentices, and from £20 to £50 for strangers. The
police is under the superintendence of the magistrates
of the burgh, which is divided for this purpose into four
wards, over each of which one of the bailies presides;
the force consists of four serjeants and thirty-six constables. The chief officer of the county police has also
his principal station in the town.
The sessions for the county are held in the town-hall,
a spacious and handsome building in Broad-street, with
a lofty steeple in which are a clock and a chime of
musical bells. It contains the council-chamber, with
the various apartments for transacting the public business of the burgh, and the several court-rooms; and
the standard pint measure, called the Stirling Jug, an
ancient vessel of brass, in the form of a truncated cone,
and weighing 15lb. troy, is preserved here. The old
gaol, situated in St. John's-street, though secure, was
ill adapted for the classification of the prisoners, and a
new gaol has consequently been erected, on a very extensive scale, and in a more eligible situation than the
former building. The elective franchise, under the provisions of the Reform act, is vested in the £10 householders resident within the parliamentary boundaries,
which include certain parts of the adjoining parish of
St. Ninian's. The number of householders of £10 and
upwards is about 550, of whom 221 are burgesses; and
the number of householders of the value of £5 and
upwards, but under £10, is 401, of whom ninety-seven
are burgesses. The burgh is associated with Dunfermline, Culross, Inverkeithing, and Queensferry, in
returning a member to the imperial parliament.
The parish is two miles in length from west to east,
and about one mile and a half from north to south,
and comprises an area of 1030 acres; it is of very
irregular form, determined by the winding of the river
Forth on the north, and on the east deeply indented by
the parish of St. Ninian's. The surface is beautifully
varied, rising gradually from the south-east to an elevation of more than 200 feet towards the north-west, and
terminating in the precipitous rock crowned by the
castle, which, especially when viewed from the south
and west, presents an object of venerable grandeur.
The soil of the rural district of the parish is generally
a carse land, but in the King's Park, which has an
undulating surface, is warm and dry, and well adapted
for oats, barley, and turnips; the whole is in a high
state of cultivation, and, with the exception of that
portion which forms the constabulary of the castle, is
divided into farms of about 100 acres. The farm-buildings are suited to the size of the farms, are comfortable, and in good repair; and under the encouragement of the Agricultural Society, every improvement
in draining, manuring, and managing the lands, and in
the breeds of sheep and cattle, has been brought to the
highest perfection. The prevailing timber is oak, ash,
elm, beech, alder, and plane, of which, in various parts
of the parish, there are many fine specimens; and the
plantations, which are extensive and flourishing, add
greatly to the beauty of the scenery. The river Forth,
receiving in its approach to this place the waters of
the Teith and Allan, attains a tolerable breadth, and,
flowing in beautiful windings along the shores, forms a
feature of great interest in the landscape; it abounds
with salmon, grilse, smelts, pike, perch, trout, eels, and
other fish, and is navigable for vessels of seventy tons
to the bridge of Stirling. The rocks are of basaltic
formation, and coal is abundant, though no mines are
in operation within a less distance than two miles;
greenstone and sandstone are also found. In the coal
formation are thin strata of ironstone, and in the greenstone, veins of calcareous spar. Clay is also abundant,
occurring in beds of great thickness, of which one has
been ascertained to be more than seventy feet in depth:
in this seam were lately found imbedded, at the depth
of fourteen feet, the antlers of a deer, and at a depth of
twenty feet, the scull of a dog, both in perfect preservation. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£15,285.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Stirling and synod
of Perth and Stirling, the former of which has its
seat here, and the latter alternately at this place and
at Perth. From the time of the Reformation till
1607 the parish was under the care of only one minister; but in that year a second was appointed, to
whom a fixed stipend was granted by the corporation
in 1643; and subsequently to 1731, upon petition
from the inhabitants, a third minister was for some
years maintained, who officiated in the western portion
of the church, while the first and second ministers did
duty alternately in the eastern. Upon the deposition
of this third minister, however, in 1740, for secession,
the Western church was used only on sacramental
occasions, for the accommodation of such as could
not find room in the Eastern church, till 1817, when
the third charge was revived, and the Western church
re-opened. Under the present arrangement, the minister of the first charge officiates in the Eastern church,
and the minister of the second charge in the Western:
the minister of the third charge till lately officiated
alternately in both, as colleague to the first and second
ministers; but a new church has been just erected for
the third minister, and each has now his own separate
congregation and parochial district. The stipend of
the first minister is £348. 17. 10., with an allowance of
£40 in lieu of manse, and a glebe of about five acres;
the stipend of the second minister is £250, and that of
the third £200, both paid by the Corporation, who are
the patrons. The church of the Franciscan monastery
founded by James IV. in 1494, is now appropriated as
the parish church; it is an ample and handsome structure in the decorated English style of architecture, with
a massive tower rising from the west end to the height
of ninety feet. The nave is divided from the aisles by
ranges of light clustered columns supporting the lofty
roof. The eastern portion, of circular form, and said
to have been added to the original structure by Cardinal
Beaton, is embellished with a spacious window of elegant
design; and the west window of the nave, which is also
of large dimensions, is enriched with delicate tracery,
and ornamented with stained glass. The building forms
one of the finest specimens of its style in this part of
the country. The interior was divided in 1656 into two
distinct places of worship, called respectively the East
and West church, and the whole was put into a complete
state of repair in 1817; the East church contains 1187,
and the West 1177, sittings. The Spittal-square church,
originally belonging to a congregation of the Old-Light
Burgher synod, was lately in connexion with the Established Church; the minister was supported by the seatrents and collections. There are also places of worship
for members of the Free Church, the United Secession,
Cameronians, Independents, Wesleyan Methodists, and
Baptists, and an Episcopalian and a Roman Catholic
chapel. Stirling has no parochial schools strictly so
called, but there are four schools under the patronage
of the corporation, in which nearly 500 children receive
instruction. Of these, the High or Grammar school is
under the direction of a rector, who receives a salary of
£50 per annum, and an allowance of £20 for an assistant; the writing-school, in which, also, are taught
arithmetic, book-keeping, the mathematics, navigation,
and various other branches, is under the care of a
master who has a salary of £50 a year; and the masters
of the first and second English schools have each a
similar sum. These salaries are all paid by the corporation, who appoint the masters. There are numerous
other schools in the parish, of which some are partly
supported by the corporation, and others exclusively by
the fees.
Spittal's Hospital was founded in 1530 by Robert
Spittal, who endowed it with funds that were vested
in land now producing an income of about £400 per
annum, for the relief of decayed members of the several
incorporated trades. The objects of the charity formerly
lived in the house called the Trades' House in Spittal-square: about seventy-four individuals now receive
a weekly allowance each varying from one shilling and
sixpence to two shillings and sixpence. Cowane's Hospital was founded in 1639, by John Cowane, merchant,
who endowed it with £2222, which sum was vested in
the purchase of land now producing £2000 per annum,
for the support of twelve decayed members of the merchants' guild, for whose reception a building was soon
afterwards erected. As few, however, could be prevailed upon to reside in the house, the income is distributed by the corporation among 140 out-pensioners
in weekly payments varying from one shilling and
sixpence to eight shillings, and among eleven who receive
quarterly payments varying from £1 to £2. 10. The
hospital, which is situated close by the church, is a handsome building with a statue of the founder in front, and
is crowned with battlements and pinnacles; the lower
apartment is used as the guildhall, and the upper as a
schoolroom. Allan's Hospital was founded in 1724 by
John Allan, who endowed it with £1666. 13., which
were vested in lands yielding £300 per annum, for
the maintenance, clothing, education, and apprenticeship of sons of indigent tradesmen. A house was built
in Spittal-street, in which the boys were formerly
boarded, and taught by the master; but this arrangement was afterwards altered, and the lower part of the
building is now occupied as schoolrooms, and the
upper let out in tenements. About twenty-three boys
are educated on this foundation. Alexander Cunningham, merchant of the town of Stirling, in the year 1809,
bequeathed the residue of his estate, amounting to
£5724. 11. 2., for the maintenance, clothing, education,
and apprenticeship of sons of guild-merchants and
mechanics, of whom about twenty receive the benefits
of the endowment. The dispensary was established in
1830, and is supported by subscription, under the
direction of a committee; the medical department is
under the management of a surgeon and three consulting physicians, and it is open three days in the week,
such of the patients as are unable to attend being
visited at their own homes. Among the eminent persons once connected with this place, in addition to
those previously noticed, are, Dr. Robert Pollock, the
first principal of Edinburgh College; Dr. Henry, the
historian; and Dr. John Moore, author of Views of
Society and Manners in France, Italy, and the Continent,
and father of the gallant General Sir John Moore, who
fell at the battle of Corunna.—See the article on Cambuskenneth.
Stirlingshire
STIRLINGSHIRE, a county, in the eastern part of
Scotland, bounded on the north by Perthshire and
Clackmannanshire; on the east by the county of Linlithgow; on the south-east by part of Lanarkshire;
and on the south, and also on the west, by the county
of Dumbarton. It lies between 55° 56' and 56° 16'
(N. Lat.) and 3° 30' and 4° 14' (W. Long.), and is
about 45 miles in length and 18 miles in extreme
breadth, comprising an area of about 489 square
miles, or 312,960 acres; 16,614 houses, of which
15,813 are inhabited; and containing a population of
82,057, of whom 41,004 are males, and 41,053 females.
The early history of this county is involved in much
obscurity. Situated on the confines of the territories
of the Northumbrian and Cumbrian Britons, and those
of the Picts and Scots, it appears to have been alternately in the possession of the most powerful of those
people. At the time of the Roman invasion it became
a station of importance, and Agricola is said to have
erected some fortifications on the hill on which the castle of Stirling was afterwards built, as commanding the
Roman road from Camelon to the north of Scotland.
In confirmation of this opinion, are adduced the remains
of Roman forts in several parts of the county, the traces
of the wall of Antonine, and the discovery of coins,
weapons, and various other relics of antiquity.
After the departure of the Romans from Britain, the
county was frequently the scene of hostilities between
the sovereigns of the adjacent kingdoms. The battle in
which Kenneth II. of Scotland obtained that victory
over the Picts which put an end to their existence as a
nation, and united both kingdoms under his dominion,
is said to have taken place in a field near Stirling,
thence called Cambuskenneth; and two upright stones,
yet remaining, are thought to have been raised in commemoration of his success. In the 9th century, this
portion of the country became the conquest of the
Northumbrian Saxons; and it continued to be included
in their territories till the time of Kenneth III., who
not only recovered this part of his rightful dominions,
but also made himself master of the extensive kingdom
of Strath-y-Cluyd. Ever since that period Stirling has
formed an integral portion of the kingdom of Scotland.
The subsequent history of the county, however, is so
intimately blended with that of its castle, which in the
reign of the Stuarts became a royal residence, and so
closely identified with the general history of Scotland,
that any further detail here would be altogether super-fluous. The county is included chiefly in the synod of
Perth and Stirling, and contains parts of several presbyteries, and twenty-one parishes. For civil purposes
it is under the jurisdiction of a sheriff-depute, who
appoints a sheriff-substitute. The general quarter sessions and other courts are held at Stirling, and the
ordinary courts for the recovery of small debts take
place at Stirling on Friday, and at Falkirk on Wednesday, weekly; the sheriff's small-debt courts are held
at Lennoxtown, Drymen, and Balfron. The only royal
burgh is that of Stirling, the county town; besides
which the shire contains the populous burgh of Falkirk, and the thriving and pleasant towns or villages of
St. Ninian's, Airth, Balfron, Bannockburn, Camelon,
Carron, Denny, Drymen, Fintry, Grangemouth, Gargunnock, Killearn, Kilsyth, Kippen, Larbert, Lennoxtown, Milngavie, Laurieston, Polmont, and Strathblane.
By the act of the 2nd of William IV., the county returns
one member to the imperial parliament.
The general surface is diversified with mountains,
hills, valleys, and some fine tracts of fertile plain; it
abounds with ornamental timber, and the prevailing
scenery is beautifully picturesque, and in many parts
strikingly romantic. The most conspicuous of the
mountains is the ridge called the Campsie Fells, extending from the east of the parish of Denny, through Kilsyth, Campsie, Strathblane, and Killearn, for nearly
twenty miles towards the west; they have an elevation
varying from 1300 to 1500 feet above the level of the
sea, and from the highest of the hills, in the parish of
Kilsyth, a most extensive and interesting prospect is
obtained, embracing an area of some thousand square
miles. Towards Loch Lomond, on the west, which is
more especially regarded as the Highland district of the
county, rises the majestic mountain of Ben-Lomond,
3262 feet high. Many of the hills in the eastern and
southern districts are covered with verdure to their
summit, and have a pleasing aspect.
The principal rivers are, the Forth, the Carron, the
Endrick, the Blane, the Kelvin, and the Bannockburn.
The Forth has its source in two streams near the mountain of Ben-Lomond, of which one, the less important,
and called the Duchray water, runs through the western portion of this county, and at Aberfoyle, in the
county of Perth, unites with the other. The other rises
close to Loch Katrine, and, flowing eastward through
part of Perthshire, and receiving various streams in its
progress, enters Stirlingshire at Craigforth, where it is
augmented by the waters of the Teith: pursuing a
winding course through a finely-cultivated country, it
attains a considerable breadth at Stirling, where it becomes navigable, and thence gradually expands into the
Frith of Forth. The Carron rises in the parish of Fintry; and after a rapid course of about fourteen miles,
in which it turns several mills, and forms a romantic
cataract called the Linn Spout, it affords a supply for
the reservoir of the Carron iron-works, at Larbert, and
falls into the Forth at Grangemouth. The Endrick has
its source also in the parish of Fintry, and, taking a
western direction, and forming, in its course through
the vale to which it gives name, some interesting cascades, whereof one, called the Loup of Fintry, has a fall
of ninety feet, flows into Loch Lomond at a short distance from Buchanan House. The Blane, a small but
pleasing stream, rises in the Lennox hills; it waters the
parish of Strathblane, to which it gives name, and, after
a course of about twelve miles, in which it forms a
pleasing cascade of seventy feet, flows into the Endrick
in the parish of Killearn. The Kelvin has its source in
the parish of Kilsyth, and flowing in a south-western
direction, forms a boundary for some miles between the
county of Stirling and those of Dumbarton and Lanark;
it falls into the Clyde at Partick, about two miles west
of Glasgow. The Bannockburn, celebrated for the memorable battle between the Scots under Robert Bruce
and the army of Edward II., rises in the parish of St.
Ninian's, and, after a short course through a picturesque
glen, falls into the Forth a few miles below Stirling.
Numerous smaller streams, descending from the hills,
also intersect the surface in various directions; they all
abound with trout, and salmon is found in most of the
rivers. There are not many lakes, and none are of any
great extent except Loch Lomond, which extends for
nearly fourteen miles along the western boundary of the
county.
Of the lands, about 200,000 acres are arable, 50,000
meadow and good pasture, and nearly 63,000 hill pasture, moorland, and waste. This is, however, exclusive
of the parish of Alva, which, though more than four
miles distant from the nearest confines of Stirlingshire,
and entirely surrounded by the counties of Clackmannan
and Perth, has since the commencement of the 17th
century been attached to this county. The soil is extremely various, though generally fertile. In the eastern
portion of the county is a beautiful expanse of carse
land in the highest state of cultivation, consisting of
clayey loam, interspersed with tracts of light gravelly
soil, and small patches of sand: on the banks of the
Forth are more than 40,000 acres of this rich alluvial
soil. In different parts are tracts of wet retentive clay;
the higher moorlands, of which there are some extensive breadths, are chiefly moss; but most of the hills
afford excellent pasture for sheep. The principal crops
are, wheat, oats, barley, flax, peas, beans, potatoes, and
turnips; vegetables of all kinds are raised in great
abundance, and of good quality; and fruit-trees of
every description thrive luxuriantly. The system of
agriculture, though varying in different parts, according
to the varieties of the soil, is in a highly improved state;
the lands are well drained, and inclosed chiefly with
hedges of thorn and double trenches. The farms on the
carse lands are generally about one hundred acres in
extent; but many of the hill-farms extend to 4000
acres. The farm-buildings are substantial and commodiously arranged, and every recent improvement in the
construction of agricultural implements has been adopted.
Few cattle are reared in the county, which is generally
supplied from the Highlands. The cows on the dairy-farms, to the management of which much attention is
paid, are of the Ayrshire breed; and the horses for
draught, chiefly of the Lanark or Clydesdale breed.
The sheep, of which many thousands are pastured on
the moorlands, are mostly the black-faced or Highland,
with some few of the Tweeddale description and other
breeds.
The substrata include whinstone and granite, of which
the hills are mainly composed, and freestone of various
colours, of which some valuable quarries are extensively
wrought at Torwood, in the eastern part of the county.
In the parish of Killearn are quarries of millstone grit,
which is much in request; in the parishes of Campsie,
Fintry, and Strathblane, are found fine specimens of
basalt, of which there are several extensive rocks displaying ranges of some hundred columns, in different
directions. Limestone, ironstone, and coal abound in
the eastern districts, the last in such quantity as not
only to supply the home demand, but also, by means of
the Forth and Clyde canal, to furnish Edinburgh with
that article at a very moderate price. The principal
mines are in the Lennox hills, and there are mines likewise in the immediate vicinity of the canal. Copper
and lead ore, and cobalt, have been raised, but not in
considerable quantities; and some veins of silver were
wrought towards the close of the last century. There
are numerous coppices of natural wood in the county,
and at Torwood and Callendar some remains of the
ancient Caledonian forest. The timber is chiefly oak,
beech, birch, and hazel; some of the oaks are of very
large growth, and all the trees thrive well in the soil.
There are on the whole about 1350 acres of natural
wood. Extensive plantations, also, have been formed in
various parts, and are in a very flourishing condition;
they consist of oak, ash, elm, beech, pine, larch, and
spruce and Scotch firs. The seats are, Buchanan House,
Dunmore Park, Callendar, Craigforth, Alva, Gargunnock,
Kerse, Kinnaird, Kincaid, Westquarter, Glorat, Airthrey
Castle, Lennox Castle, Airth Castle, Leckie, Culcreuch,
and numerous others.
The principal manufacture is that of cast and malleable
iron goods, for which there is a most extensive and ably
conducted establishment on the banks of the river Carron, which is noticed under the head of Carron, where
these celebrated works are situated. There are ironworks on a smaller scale at Falkirk, in which about
500 persons are employed; the nail-manufacture is also
carried on in several of the villages. The woollen-manufacture is extensive; the chief articles are, carpets,
coarse woollen cloths, and tartans. There are also
manufactories for cotton goods, and paper; copperas
and alum works; distilleries; and other establishments. Facility of communication is afforded by good
roads throughout the county, by the Edinburgh and
Glasgow railway, and by the Forth and Clyde canal;
and much commerce is carried on at the port of
Grangemouth, with Norway, Sweden, and the Baltic,
in timber, hemp, tallow, iron, flax, and grain. Shipbuilding is pursued there to a considerable extent; and
the number of vessels registered as belonging to the
port in a recent year was 179, of the aggregate burthen
of 26,561 tons. There are a number of vessels, varying from fifty to thirty-five tons, belonging to the port
of Stirling; also steam-packets for passengers, luggage-steamers, and other facilities of intercourse. The total
annual value of real property in the county, as assessed
to the income-tax, is £279,705, of which £181,147 are
returned for lands, £63,559 for houses, £16,578 for
mines, £16,199 for iron-works, £1203 for fisheries, and
the remainder for quarries.
Among the monuments of antiquity are several Roman
camps; and a conical building supposed to have been
of Roman origin, though from its form it acquired the
appellation of Arthur's Oven, remained in a very perfect
state till about the middle of the 18th century, when it
was removed. Portions of the wall of Antonine are
found in various parts, and also traces of Roman roads,
of which one of the most perfect leads to Camelon, supposed to have been the principal station of the Romans
in this part of Britain. There are numerous Pictish
forts, several Druidical remains, and various ruins of
ancient castles, of which Castlecary, said to have been
originally a Roman fortress, and those of Torwood,
Colzium, and Rough Castle, are among the principal.
The castle of Stirling, also of great antiquity, and which
in the time of the Stuarts was made a royal residence, is
still preserved as a royal garrison. There are remains of
the ancient abbey of Cambuskenneth, founded by David I.,
and of several other religious houses founded by succeeding kings of Scotland, among which are the convent
of Dominican Friars established by Alexander II., and
the Franciscan monastery by James IV. Numerous
cairns and tumuli are seen, near which have been found
stone coffins containing human bones; and remains of
Roman pottery, coins, and other relies of antiquity, have
been discovered at various times; all of which are
noticed in the accounts of the several parishes where
they occur.
Stitchell and Hume
STITCHELL and HUME, two ancient parishes now
united, the former in the district of Kelso, county of
Roxburgh, and the latter in the county of Berwick;
containing together 847 inhabitants, of whom 161 are
in the village of Stitchell, 4 miles (N. by W.) from
Kelso. The district of Stitchell, which is situated on the
north-eastern boundary of Roxburghshire, is supposed
to have derived its name, signifying in the Gaelic language "a declivity," from the elevated site of the village
at a height of more than 600 feet above the level of the
Tweed at Kelso. Towards the close of the 16th century, the lands of Stitchell came into the possession of
Robert Pringle, whose grandson, Robert, was created a
baronet by Charles II., in 1683; and they are still the
property of his descendant, the present Sir John Pringle, Bart. The district of Hume, which adjoins Stitchell
on the north, appears to have derived its name, originally Home, from its ancient proprietors, the Homes,
descended from the earls of Dunbar and March, and
who, in 1605, were raised to the peerage by the title of
Earls of Home, which their descendants still retain.
The ancient castle of Home, the baronial residence of
the family for many generations, and the picturesque
ruins of which are seated on the summit of a hill nearly
900 feet above the level of the sea, is intimately connected with many events of historical importance.
According to tradition, when James II. went to the
siege of Roxburgh, he placed his queen in the castle of
Home for greater security; and it is said that, in one
of her daily walks to join the king, she was met by a
messenger from Roxburgh who informed her of James's
death by the bursting of a cannon. This melancholy
intelligence, abruptly communicated, is reported to have
instantaneously produced the premature birth of a child,
of which the queen was delivered on a hill in the neighbourhood, which from that event has since been called the
"Queen's Cairn." During the border warfare, the castle
was for many years a place of defence for the surrounding
districts; and in 1547 it was besieged by the English
forces under the Duke of Somerset, against whom it
was for a long time valiantly sustained by Lady Home,
after the death of her husband, who had been killed a
few days before in a general engagement with the
enemy. At length the garrison capitulated on honourable terms, and the castle was surrendered to the duke;
but in 1549 it was retaken by the Scots, who put the
English to the sword. During the sway of Cromwell,
the castle was again besieged by the English, under
Colonel Fenwick, whom the usurper, after the capture
of Edinburgh Castle, had sent to summon the garrison
to surrender. The governor, whose name was Cockburn, received the summons in a spirit of contemptuous
defiance; but the army of Cromwell, having brought a
battery to bear upon the walls, soon made a breach;
and the governor, after stipulating for the lives of the
garrison, surrendered the castle to the assailants. Of
the original buildings, only some trifling fragments are
now remaining; the area inclosed by the exterior wall
has been converted into a garden, and few traces of the
vaults are discernible.
The parish is bounded on the west by the water of
Eden, which separates it from the parish of Nenthorn;
and is from five to six miles in length, and from three
to four miles in breadth, comprising about 5500 acres,
of which the whole are arable, with the exception of
fifty acres of woodland and plantations and 300 waste.
The surface rises gradually from the south towards the
north, where it attains an elevation of more than 600
feet above the level of the sea; and towards the western
boundary is the hill on which the ruins of Home Castle
are situated. The water of Eden, which bounds the
parish for about a mile and a half, forms in its course
a picturesque cascade, falling from a rock near Newton-Donhouse, forty feet in height: the stream abounds
with trout, affording good sport to the angler. The
soil is generally strong, in some parts clayey, and on the
whole fertile, producing crops of grain of all kinds, for
which it is well adapted, and the usual grasses. The
system of husbandry is in a very improved state, and
the lands under excellent cultivation; the farm-buildings are substantial and well arranged, and the inclosures kept in good repair. The cattle reared in the
parish are of a larger size than the usual breed on the
north of the Tweed, the late Sir Robert Pringle having
introduced, and for several years maintained, a regular
supply of bulls from Holland. The sheep are of the
customary English breeds, and are noted for the fineness of their wool: during the winter they are mostly
fed upon turnips. The grain and other agricultural
produce are principally sold at Kelso, whence considerable numbers of cattle and sheep are sent for the supply
of the southern markets. The plantations, which are
mainly of modern growth, consist of firs, interspersed
with the usual varieties of forest-trees, and, though by
no means extensive, are generally in a thriving state.
The substrata are principally whinstone, of which the
rocks are all composed; and at a place near Hardie's
Mill, in the district of Hume, is a rising ground called
Lurgie Craigs, in which are some polygonal columns of
basaltic formation, from five to six feet in height, and
about seventeen inches in diameter, closely resembling
those of the Giant's Causeway. The rateable annual
value of Stitchell is £4033, and of Hume £4011.
Stitchell House, the property of Sir John Pringle, a
spacious and handsome mansion, situated in a well-planted demesne to the west of the village, is the only
seat. The village of Stitchell is neatly built, and inhabited chiefly by persons employed in agricultural pursuits: the small hamlet of Hume, which contains only
about thirty inhabitants, derives its only importance
from its proximity to the ancient castle. The ecclesiastical affairs of Stitchell and Hume, which, though united
in other respects, separately maintain their own poor,
are under the superintendence of the presbytery of
Kelso and synod of Merse and Teviotdale. The minister's stipend is £219. 14. 7., with a manse, and a glebe
valued at £27 per annum; patrons, the Crown, and Sir
H. P. H. Campbell, Bart. The church, situated in the
village of Stitchell, is a substantial structure, in good
repair, and affording ample accommodation for the
parishioners. There is a place of worship for members
of the United Secession. Two parochial schools, one
in the village of Stitchell, and the other in Hume, are
attended by about ninety children each: the masters
have each a salary of £25, with a house and garden,
and fees varying from £20 to £25 annually; each has
also £2. 10. from an ancient bequest for the gratuitous instruction of children. The late Sir W. Campbell bequeathed £25 per annum to be distributed in
meal and coal to the poor. Sir John Pringle, Bart.,
president of the Royal Society, was a native of Stitchell;
Hume, or Home, gives the title of Earl to the family of
Home.
Stobbsmills
STOBBSMILLS, a village, partly in the parish of
Borthwick, and partly in that of Temple, county of
Edinburgh, 1¼ mile (N. W.) from the village of Borthwick; containing 203 inhabitants. In this place were
established in 1794, the works of the first gunpowder
manufactory erected in Scotland. The village lies in a
secluded vale, through which flows a rivulet tributary
to the South Esk, and useful in turning the mills of the
factory, which is still conducted on an extensive scale.
The gunpowder made here is exported to almost every
part of the world.—See Temple.
Stobhill
STOBHILL, a village, in the parish of Newbattle,
county of Edinburgh, 3 miles (S. S. E.) from the village of Newbattle; containing 130 inhabitants. It is a
small place, situated in the south part of the parish,
and on the confines of a detached portion of the parish
of Temple. The road from Borthwick to Cockpen
passes through it.
Stobhill-Engine
STOBHILL-ENGINE, a hamlet, in the parish of
Cockpen, county of Edinburgh; containing 64 inhabitants.
Stobo
STOBO, a parish, in the county of Peebles, 6 miles
(W. S. W.) from Peebles; containing 465 inhabitants.
This parish, which was considerably increased by the
addition of part of the parish of Dawick, on its suppression in 1742, is seven miles in length and five miles
and three-quarters in extreme breadth. It is bounded
on the east and west by the Lyne and Biggar waters,
and comprises 12,583 acres, of which 1255 are arable,
587 woodland and plantations, and 10,741 hill pasture,
moorland, and waste, of which about 800 acres might
at a moderate expense be brought into profitable cultivation. The surface is divided, by three ranges of
hills from north to south, into valleys watered by
streams tributary to the Tweed, which intersects the
parish. Of the hills forming these ranges, the most
considerable are, the Pyked Stane, which has an elevation of 1884 feet; the Benvalla, which has an elevation
of 1850; the Binliga, of 1692, and the Flint hill, which
has an elevation of 1621 feet, above the level of the sea.
The Tweed traverses the parish for nearly seven miles,
and in its course receives the waters of the Biggar and
the Lyne; the Stobo burn has its rise near the base of
the Pyked-Stane, and, after a course of about five miles
through the parish, falls into the Tweed. Good trout
are found in the Tweed and Lyne; and in the former,
salmon also. The soil is various, but chiefly light and
gravelly; on the northern parts of the hills, and generally at the base, a stiff clay; and in the meadows on
the banks of the Tweed, a rich and fertile loam intermixed with sand. The crops are, oats, barley, wheat,
potatoes, and turnips. The system of agriculture is
improved; the lands are well drained, and inclosed
with stone dykes; the farm houses and offices, substantial and well arranged; and all the more recent
improvements in implements of husbandry have been
adopted. Considerable attention is paid to the rearing
of sheep and cattle, for which the hills afford good
pasturage: the chief breed of sheep is the Cheviot, with
a few of the black-faced; and the cattle are mostly of
the old breed, which in some instances has been recently
improved by a cross of the Teeswater and Ayrshire.
The woods and plantations are well managed, and in
a thriving condition. The substrata are chiefly whinstone and clay-slate: the latter has been extensively
quarried for many years; the slate is of good quality,
and very similar to that found in the county of Argyll.
The whinstone has been merely wrought where it occurs
near the surface, and only for materials for making
inclosures. Stobo Castle, for many years the residence
of the late Sir James Montgomery, Bart., is a handsome modern mansion, of whinstone with ornaments of
freestone. The nearest market-town is Peebles, with
which facility of communication is afforded by roads
kept in good repair, and by convenient bridges over
the various streams. The rateable annual value of the
parish is £3367. It is in the presbytery of Peebles,
synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, and patronage of
Sir Graham Montgomery: the minister's stipend is
£158. 6. 7., with a manse, and the glebe is valued at
£42; he has also ten bolls of meal, the proceeds of
one-half of the glebe of Dawick. The church is an
ancient structure in the early English style of architecture, and has been adapted for a congregation of
200 persons. The parochial school affords a liberal
course of instruction to the children of the parish;
the master has a salary of £32 per annum, with £28
fees, and a house and garden. The poor are partly
supported by the interest arising from a fund of £545,
which has accumulated from the balances of collections.
On a moor in the parish, which was formerly appropriated to the mustering of the militia of Tweeddale
by the sheriff, and which still retains the name of
Sheriffsmuir, are two upright stones three feet in height,
and about six feet distant from each other, which are
thought to mark the grave of some chief who fell in an
engagement here. There are also some cairns or heaps
of stones, supposed to have been raised over the tombs
of distinguished persons; and in a circular cavity about
250 feet in circumference, were interred, it is said, the
bodies of men slain in battle; but there are no authentic
records of any such event having taken place. Lord
Chief Baron Montgomery, of Her Majesty's Exchequer
in Scotland, who contributed greatly to the improvement of the lands and the agriculture of the parish,
was interred in the family burial-place in the churchyard, in 1803. His son, Sir James Montgomery, the
second baronet, already alluded to, having been bred to
the bar, was appointed lord-advocate of Scotland, which
office, however, he resigned two years after, in 1806;
he died in the year 1839, and was succeeded by Sir Graham, the present baronet.
Stoer, or Store
STOER, or STORE, lately a quoad sacra parish, in
the parish of Assynt, county of Sutherland, 19 miles
(W. N. W.) from the village of Assynt; containing, with
the village of Clashnessie and the island of Oldeney,
1478 inhabitants. This district was separated ecclesiastically from the parish of Assynt, by authority of the
General Assembly, in 1834. The greatest length by
computation is fourteen, and its greatest breadth eleven,
miles; and the population, which is chiefly collected
in a number of small villages and hamlets, is, with a
very few exceptions, of the poor and working classes,
principally engaged in agricultural pursuits, and occasionally in fishing. The northernmost land is the
point of Stoer, eastward of which is the small isle of
Oldeney, where are two harbours; and Clashnessie,
one of the largest villages in the district, is seated at
the head of a bay bearing its own name. The ecclesiastical affairs were placed under the presbytery of
Dornoch and synod of Sutherland and Caithness, and
the patronage vested in the Crown: the stipend allotted
to the minister was £120, paid from the exchequer,
with a manse, a glebe of the annual value of £2. 5.,
and the privilege of cutting peat. The church was
built in 1828, by the parliamentary commissioners,
and so constructed as to admit of enlargement by the
erection of galleries; but it has not been since altered,
and at present contains 500 sittings. The members of
the Free Church have a place of worship, situated
nearly a mile to the north of the parliamentary church,
and capable of accommodating 700 persons. The
Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, and the
Edinburgh Gaelic Society, each support a day school
in the district, the former for teaching English and
Gaelic, and the latter for Gaelic only; there is likewise
a government parish school, newly established.
Stonefield
STONEFIELD, a village, in the parish of Blantyre, Middle ward of the county of Lanark, 1¼ mile
(N. E. by E.) from the village of Blantyre; containing
174 inhabitants. It lies in the north-eastern part of
the parish, and on the west bank of the Clyde, which
here separates the parish from that of Bothwell. The
population of the village is chiefly employed in the
manufactures of the district, and a few in common
handicraft trades.
Stonehaven
STONEHAVEN, a sea-port town and burgh of barony, partly in the parish of
Dunnottar, but chiefly in
the parish of Fetteresso,
county of Kincardine, 15
miles (S. S. W.) from Aberdeen, and 94 (N. by E.) from
Edinburgh; containing 3012
inhabitants, of whom 950 are
in that part of the town within the parish of Dunnottar.
This place, which is situated
on the eastern coast, at the influx of the river Carron
into the German Ocean, and at the head of a fine bay
sheltered on the north and south by lofty hills, comprises two distinct portions, called respectively the Old
and the New Town. The Old Town, on the south bank
of the river, consists principally of one spacious street
irregularly built; it once belonged to the Earl Marischal
Keith, and in 1607 was by act of parliament constituted
the head burgh of the county. The New Town, which
stands on the north bank of the Carron, on a peninsula formed by that river and the river Cowie, was built
about the year 1760, on the lands of Mr. Barclay, of
Ury, and consists of several well-formed streets diverging from a square in the centre, in which is the market-house. The two portions of the town are connected by
a bridge, and constitute a continued line along the shore
of the sea. The houses are well built, and in the New
Town have a handsome appearance; the streets are
paved, and lighted with gas by a company established in
1837; and the inhabitants are amply supplied with
water. There are no manufactures of any importance.
The weaving of cotton and linen, however, for the houses
of Aberdeen, formerly more extensive, still affords employment to a considerable number of persons, of whom
many are females. The Glenury distillery consumes
about 6000 quarters of barley annually; a brewery has
long been established, which supplies the adjacent districts with ale and beer; and there are some mills for
the spinning of woollen yarn.
Burgh Seal.
The trade of the port consists principally in the importation of coal and lime, bone-dust, salt, slates and
tiles, paving-stones, and groceries; and in the exportation of grain, of which nearly 14,000 quarters are annually shipped, potatoes, whisky, cured fish, timber, and
live-stock. The harbour, in 1825, was placed under the
direction of a board of commissioners, who expended
£8000 on its improvement, by the removal of a mass of
rock at the entrance, the erection of an extensive pier,
and the construction of an inner harbour, in which vessels may find shelter from all storms. Lights, also,
have been fixed by the Commissioners of Northern
Lights, as a secure guide to the harbour, which has the
advantage of being easily accessible in easterly gales.
The steamers plying between Leith and Aberdeen regularly touch at the port. The exact date of the charter
by which the town was erected into a burgh of barony
is not known; but it is recognised as such in the act of
parliament passed in 1607, transferring the seat of the
sheriffdom from Kincardine to this place, which it constituted the county town. The government, under the
superior, is vested in two bailies, a dean of guild, a treasurer, and three councillors, chosen by the holders of
land within the burgh. The magistrates, however, exercise no jurisdiction in civil matters, and in criminal
cases only in petty offences. The county buildings contain a spacious hall appropriated for holding the courts,
with committee-rooms, and offices for the sheriff-clerk;
and on the basement are cells for prisoners, and apartments for the keeper of the gaol. The market is held
weekly, on Thursday, and is abundantly supplied with
grain and provisions of all kinds. Fairs are held annually, for cattle and sheep on the Thursdays before
Old Christmas-day and Candlemas; for cattle and
horses on the third Thursday in June, and the second
Thursdays in August and October; and for hiring servants, on the 25th of May and the 21st of November, or,
if those days fall on Sunday, on the preceding Saturday.
The market-house is a handsome and commodious
building, erected in 1827, and comprising also a spacious hall. The post-office has two deliveries; two
mails from the south, and two from the north, arriving
daily. Facility of intercourse with Aberdeen, Leith,
and Edinburgh, is maintained by excellent roads, and
by the steamers which call at the harbour.—See Dunnottar, and Fetteresso.