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Jamestown
JAMESTOWN, or Damhead, a village, in the parish of Bonhill, county of Dumbarton; containing
314 inhabitants. This place, heretofore a small hamlet,
has latterly increased in population and extent, owing
to the numerous and flourishing calico-printing and
bleaching establishments which have sprung up in the
parish, and in which the population here are chiefly
employed.
Jamestown
JAMESTOWN, a village, in the parish of Contin,
county of Ross and Cromarty; containing 115 inhabitants.
Janetown
JANETOWN, a village, in the parish of Lochcarron, county of Ross and Cromarty, 1 mile (S.) from
Lochcarron; containing 513 inhabitants. It is situated
on the eastern shore of the Carron loch, an arm of the
sea into which falls the Carron water about two miles
northward of the village. From a very small hamlet
consisting of only three families, it has risen latterly
into comparative importance, in consequence, principally, of the division of land into lots. The high road
from Dingwall to the western coast passes through;
and there is a post-office, where the mails arrive three
times a week. On the Carron is a good salmon-fishery.
Jedburgh
JEDBURGH, a burgh,
market-town, and parish, in
the district of Jedburgh,
county of Roxburgh, of
which it is the capital, 11
miles (S. W. by S.) from
Kelso, and 49 (S. E. by S.)
from Edinburgh; containing, with the villages of Bongate, Bonjedward, Lanton,
and Ulston, 5116 inhabitants,
of whom 2697 are in the town.
This place derives its name,
originally Jedworth, or Jedwood, from its situation on
the river Jed, which rises on the north side of the Carlin Tooth, in the Cheviot range, and, after flowing with
considerable rapidity through nearly the whole length
of the parish, and receiving in its course numerous
tributary streams which descend from the higher lands
into the vale of the Jed, falls into the river Teviot
about two miles and a half to the north of Jedburgh.
From the name of the river, in ancient records frequently called Ged or Gad, this place is thought to have
been the principal seat of the Gadeni, who occupied the
district lying between the county of Northumberland
and the river Teviot. The ancient town, now called
Old Jedworth, in contradistinction to the present burgh,
from which it is about four miles distant, appears to
have originated in the foundation of a chapel by Ecgred,
Bishop of Lindisfarn, who died in 845; and there are
still some slight remains of the walls of the building,
and of the tombstones in the cemetery, though scarcely
above the level of the ground, and perfectly hidden by
the grass by which they are overspread. The present
town owes its origin to the foundation of the magnificent
abbey of Jedburgh. This establishment is, by some
historians, said to have been founded in 1118, and by
others in 1147; but, from the great antiquity of some
parts of the structure, and also from old documents in
which St. Kennock is mentioned as abbot in the year
1000, it is supposed to have existed prior to the time of
David I., by whom it was probably rebuilt or enlarged.
From the situation of Jedburgh as a border town, it was
exposed to continual depredations, and was frequently
plundered and reduced to ashes. It suffered materially
during the invasion of Scotland by Edward I., and subsequently by the incursions of hostile clans; the abbey
was burnt and pillaged by the Earl of Surrey in 1523,
and by the Earl of Hertford in 1545. In 1566, Mary,
Queen of Scots, attended by an armed retinue, held a
court of justice at this place, for the suppression of the
turbulence of the borderers; and, being seized with a
dangerous illness during her continuance here, resided in
"the house of the Lord Compositor" till her recovery,
when she returned along the eastern borders to Dunbar.
In 1575, a severe affray, called the "Raid of the Reed
Swire," happened here; it was the last of those hostile
feuds which so frequently took place between the borderers of Scotland and England; and since its occurrence the only event deserving of historical notice, has
been the temporary alarm created by the arrival of the
Pretender and his Highland troops in 1745.
Burgh Seal.
From its exposed situation, the town was strongly
defended by castles, and by numerous other fortifications; and the forest in its immediate vicinity was the
rendezvous of numerous armies. The Castle of Jedburgh
was of great antiquity, though the precise time of its
erection, and the name of its original founder, are unknown; it was a place of much strength, and the favourite seat of Malcolm IV., who died here in 1165. It
was the frequent residence, also, of many others of the
kings, among whom were, William the Lion, Alexander
II., and Alexander III., whose son, Alexander, was born
here in 1263, and who, after the death of his children,
celebrated in this castle, with unusual pomp, his subsequent marriage with Jolande, daughter of the Count de
Dreux. During the wars between the two kingdoms,
the castle was often an object of contest: after the
battle of Durham, it was taken by the English, who
kept possession of it till 1409, when it was retaken by
the Scots, by whom it was afterwards demolished. The
Castle of Fernihirst, situated on the eastern bank of the
river Jed, about two miles from Jedburgh, is supposed
to have been founded by the ancestors of the Marquess
of Lothian; it was taken in 1523, by the Earl of Surrey, and remained in the hands of the English till 1547,
when, after an obstinate siege, it was retaken by the
Scots, assisted by a party of French at that time stationed at Jedburgh. In 1569, the Earl of Westmorland,
who had entered into a rebellion against Elizabeth, in
favour of Mary, after the dispersion of his troops took
refuge in this castle, where he remained in concealment
till he finally effected his escape into the Netherlands.
In the year following, the castle, in consequence of its
owner having joined with others of the border chiefs,
in an irruption into the English pale, was taken and demolished by the Earl of Sussex and Sir John Foster;
but it was rebuilt in 1598, and part still remains entire.
After the destruction of Jedburgh Castle, the town was
defended by six towers, of which, however, there are
none remaining; and other fortifications were scattered
through the parish, of which the tower at Lanton, and
the ruins of another at Timpandean, are still left.
The town is pleasingly situated in the picturesque
and fertile valley of the river Jed, over which, within
the parish, are nine bridges. Of these, one at the foot
of the Canongate, handsomely built of stone, and having
three ribbed circular arches, is of great antiquity, and
had formerly a gateway over the centre, long since
removed. The bridge near Bongate is of modern erection: and near it is a large stone, sculptured with
representations of various animals, and inscribed with
nearly obliterated characters, and which is supposed to
have been the pedestal of the ancient cross of Bongate.
The house in which Queen Mary resided during her
illness is still entire; it is a spacious building with walls
of great thickness, and some of the ancient tapestry is
yet preserved. It is at present the property of the
Lindsay family, by whom it was purchased from the
Scotts, of Ancrum. The streets are spacious and regularly formed; the houses in general well built; and in
the immediate neighbourhood of the town, are many
handsome villas. There are three public libraries, of
which one, called the Company's Library, contains a very
extensive collection; also a circulating library and a
reading-room, and two public reading-rooms. The principal trade is the manufacture of blankets, flannels,
tartans, shawls, plaidings, hosiery, woollen-yarn, and
carpets, affording constant employment to nearly 400
persons. There are also foundries for brass and iron,
and a manufactory for printing-presses, in which latter
about twenty persons are engaged. The town has two
branch banks, one a branch of the Linen Company, and
the other of the National Bank; likewise a savings'
bank for the district of Jedburgh, including the parishes
of Jedburgh, Ancrum, Bedrule, Southdean, Hobkirk,
Minto, Oxnam, and Crailing, established by Mr. Rutherford, of Edgerston, in 1815, and the expenses of which
are defrayed from a fund raised by subscription. The
market is on Tuesday, and is chiefly for grain, which is
sold by sample to a very considerable amount. Fairs
for horses and cattle are held by charter on the 26th
of May, or on the first Tuesday after; the second
Tuesday in August, O. S.; the 25th September, or on
the following Tuesday, if the 25th happen either on
Saturday, Sunday, or Monday; and the first Tuesday
in November, O. S. Statute-fairs for hiring servants
occur at Whitsuntide and Martinmas; and there are
markets, toll free, for sheep and cattle, established in
1828, on the second Thursday in every month from December till the end of May. There are also large fairs
for sheep, at Rink, in the parish, seven miles from the
town, on July 12th, and October 15th, which are numerously attended by farmers, and dealers in wool, both
of Scotland and England.
The various charters by which the burgh was originally incorporated were all destroyed during the wars
with England, in the course of which the town was frequently burned; but they were renewed and confirmed
by Queen Mary, in 1556, when the magistrates were
invested with the power of apprehending, and passing
sentence upon, criminals guilty of capital offences. By
another charter, James VI., in 1569, granted to the
corporation all the revenues of the abbey of Jedburgh
arising within the parish, for the purpose of erecting
hospitals for the support of the poor and infirm, and for
other pious uses. This gift was ratified by parliament
in 1597; and a further charter was bestowed by Charles
II., in 1641. By these charters, the government of the
burgh is vested in a provost, four bailies, a dean of
guild, and a council of eighteen: the incorporated
trades consist of the smiths, weavers, shoemakers, masons, tailors, wrights, butchers, and glovers. Under
the act for amending the representation, the burgh
unites with those of Haddington, North Berwick, Lauder, and Dunbar, in returning one member to parliament. The original boundary has been enlarged by the
inclusion of a considerable suburb on the south side of
the river, and the exclusion of a few acres of uninhabited land: the number of houses of the value of £10 and
upwards is 208, and of those above £5 and below £10,
sixty-eight. The magistrates, in addition to their controul within the burgh, exercise jurisdiction over the
great fair of St. James, near Kelso, where they preside
at a court to take cognizance of offences during the fair.
They hold, within the burgh, a bailie-court, and a court
of the dean of guild; but since the sheriff's court, and
that of the justices of peace have been established, the
burgh courts have greatly declined. The chief officer
under the corporation is the town-clerk, who holds his
office for life. The county-hall is a neat building of stone,
containing the necessary apartments for transacting
the public business of the county and the burgh. " The
Castle," comprising the gaol and bridewell, is a handsome edifice, well arranged for classification, and contains day-rooms, airing-yards, and every requisite for
the health, cleanliness, and comfort of the prisoners.
The parish, which is divided into two detached portions by the intervening parishes of Oxnam and Southdean, is bounded on the north by the parishes of
Ancrum and Crailing, on the west by those of Bedrule
and Southdean, on the east by Oxnam and Eckford,
and on the south by the county of Northumberland.
The lower portion, in which the burgh is situated, is
about seven miles in length and five in breadth, and the
upper portion five miles in length and four in breadth,
including together an area of thirty-eight square miles.
The eastern part of the lower portion is intersected by
the river Oxnam, and the northern part by the Teviot.
The surface is pleasingly diversified with hills and valleys: the high grounds on the sides of the vale of Jed
are penetrated by deep ravines, and in some places gradually attain an elevation of 300 feet above the level of
the river. In the upper part of the parish are several
green hills, of conical form, of which two, rising to the
height of 1100 feet, are apparently lessened from their
proximity to Carter Fell, one of the Cheviot hills, which
has an elevation of more than 2000 feet. The Dunian,
the highest hill in the parish, but of which the summit
is in the parish of Bedrule, has an elevation of 1120
feet above the level of the sea. Some remains of the
ancient forest of Jed, consisting of a few clusters of
birch-trees, still exist near Fernihirst; and considerable
plantations, which have now attained a luxuriant growth,
add much to the beauty of the scenery. Two oaks, also,
of the ancient forest are yet left, near the town: the
one, rising to the height of ninety-nine feet, measures
fourteen feet in girth; and the other, which has less
height, but branches out more widely, is twenty-one
feet in girth at three feet from the ground. Foresttrees of every kind grow well in the lower lands; in the
higher, Scotch fir and larch are the most prevalent.
From the old stocks in the forest, which was cut down
in the last century, many new trees have arisen; and
the whole district abounds in timber.
The soil is peculiarly favourable for the growth of
fruit-trees; and pears in great variety, and of the finest
quality, are produced in abundance. The land, especially in the lower districts, is fertile, and of good
quality, and the system of agriculture is much improved; considerable tracts of waste have been reclaimed within the last thirty years, and at present the
number of acres under tillage is 14,281, in pasture 6930,
and under wood 2488. The prevailing plan of husbandry is the five-shift, consisting of two white and three
green crops; the fences and inclosures are kept in excellent order, and the farm-buildings are commodious and
in good repair. Many improvements have been made
in draining and planting, and in the breed of stock,
under an association called the Farmers' Club; and the
Roxburgh Horticultural Society hold monthly meetings
in the town from the beginning of April to the end of
September, for the distribution of prizes to the most
successful growers of flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
Limestone of excellent quality abounds in the southern
parts of the parish; and near the town are several
strata ranged above each other, of which one is nine
inches in thickness. Coal exists, and there are appearances of its having been formerly worked; but some
recent attempts to procure it have been discontinued.
There are several sandstone quarries, of a white, and
also of a reddish colour. Iron-ore is found in a bed
three feet in thickness, occurring between the primary
and secondary formations, which near the town are
seen in combination; the strata of the former are vertical and in many places irregular, and of the latter
horizontal, alternating with red freestone and soft sandstone of the same colour. Several of the hills are of
whinstone, resting on sandstone. The chief seats in the
parish are, Edgerston, Mossburnford, Langlee, Lintalee,
Hundalee, Glenburn Hall, Hunthill, Stewartfield, and
Bonjedward. The rateable annual value of Jedburgh
is £22,370.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Jedburgh, of which this is
the seat, and of the synod of Merse and Teviotdale;
patron, the Crown. The stipend of the incumbent is
£297, with a manse, built in 1806; and the glebe comprises seven acres of arable land worth £5 per acre, and
pasture land which lets for £13. 13. The church is
part of the ancient abbey, of which the western portion
of the nave has been fitted up for public worship, and
affords accommodation to 910 persons. Of that stately
and magnificent structure, situated on the sloping bank
of the river Jed, near the southern extremity of the
town, the only remains are, the nave, the north transept, and the choir of the church, a cruciform building,
230 feet in length, with a massive central tower, rising
to the height of 100 feet, and surmounted by a projecting battlement crowned with turrets and pinnacles.
The western entrance is strikingly beautiful, consisting
of a lofty Norman doorway of deeply-recessed arches,
springing from slender clustered columns, richly moulded
and elaborately ornamented. Above the doorway is a
spacious window of three compartments, of which the
central arch is circular, and the others finely pointed;
and in the gable is a round window of very elegant
design. The nave, which is 130 feet in length, is separated on each side, from the aisles, by a series of lofty
arches supported on clustered columns with sculptured
capitals: the triforium consists of semicircular arches
richly moulded, circumscribing two pointed windows
of elegant tracery; and the clerestory, of a range
of pointed windows of graceful proportions. The
choir, which is greatly dilapidated, is of more ancient
character. Its roof is supported on massive pillars,
from which spring broad circular arches of the earlier
Norman style, ornamented with zigzag mouldings; the
triforium is of similar character, surmounted by a range
of sharply-pointed clerestory windows of later date.
The north transept, which is still entire, is embellished
with windows of elegant design, highly enriched with
tracery; and the principal window is of lofty dimensions and of great beauty. The south transept, the
cloisters, the chapter-house, and other conventual buildings, have all disappeared; but a doorway, forming the
south entrance to the church from the cloisters, is still
remaining, an almost unrivalled specimen of architectural beauty and elaborate decoration. On the south
side of the choir is a chapel, formerly used as a grammar school. Places of worship have been erected for
one congregation of the denomination called the Relief,
and for two congregations of the United Secession;
the meeting-houses are all neat buildings of stone.
There are also a Free Church and Episcopal chapel.
The United Schools of Jedburgh, consisting of the
grammar school and the burgh English school, united
in 1804, contain about 150 children, and are under the
superintendence of the heritors and the magistrates of
the burgh, by whom the rector is appointed. The rector receives from the burgh £21. 6. 8., and £12 for the
English school, for which he is bound to keep an assistant; also £8. 6. 8. from the heritors, making a salary
of £41. 13. 4. The school fees amount on the average
to £120, and the offerings at Candlemas to nearly £30;
the rector has also a commodious house and garden.
The parochial schools at Lanton and Rink are well
attended; the masters are allowed by the heritors
£11. 2. each. There is also a school endowed by the Marquess of Lothian. The town has two religious societies,
one for the diffusion of education, and the other for
imparting religious knowledge; they are supported by
subscriptions, amounting on an average to £15 per
annum. A dispensary was founded in 1807, chiefly by
donations from the Kerr family, and is maintained by
annual subscriptions: a commodious house, with baths
and other requisites, was erected in 1822, by the then
Marquess of Lothian. The number of patients, who are
received from the parishes of Jedburgh, Ancrum, Bedrule, Southdean, Hobkirk, Minto, Oxnam, and Crailing,
amounts annually to about 220. A sum of money arising from accumulated legacies, chiefly by Lady Yester, of Fernihirst, is vested in the burgh magistrates,
producing an interest of £23, appropriated to the
education of poor children, and to the relief of the poor,
for whose benefit also about £40 are annually collected
at the church.
A Roman road, crossing the Jed and the Teviot about
half a mile above their junction, intersects the northern
part of the parish within two miles of the town; it is
paved with whinstone, and in a state of good preservation. There are also vestiges of an ancient road leading over the high ground from Ancrum bridge to the
town. Near Monklaw are the remains of a Roman
camp about 160 yards square; and there are traces of
camps at Howdean, Swinnie, Camptown, and Fernihirst, but nearly obliterated by the progress of cultivation. At Lintalee are the remains of an encampment
formed by Douglas, for the defence of the frontier,
during the absence of Bruce in Ireland, and celebrated
for a memorable engagement in which the Earl of Richmond, who had invaded Scotland at the head of 10,000
men, fell in a personal combat with Douglas: the double
rampart by which it was defended is still remaining.
In the face of the precipice below the camp, and now
inaccessible, is a cavern dug in the rocky bank of the
river Jed; and at Hundalee and Mossburnford are
similar caverns, excavated in the rock as places of refuge, and for the concealment of property during the
frequent irruptions of the English borderers. In the
year 1827, many Saxon coins of silver, chiefly of the
reign of Ethelred, and one of the reign of Canute, were
found in a field near Bongate, with a ring formed of
silver wire; some of the coins are at present in the possession of Mr. Bainbridge, of Gattonside, but most of
them are widely dispersed. Several coins of the reigns
of Edred, Edwy, Ethelred, Edward I. and III., and of
Henry I. and II., have been also found, near the abbey
bridge; and some Roman coins are said to have been
discovered near Stewartsfield. A horn was discovered
near Swinnie within the last few years, containing silver
coins of James V. of Scotland; and in the year 1834,
about 400 silver coins of the reigns of Henry VIII.,
James V., and Mary, were ploughed up near the farmhouse of that place. A silver coin, or medal, commemorating the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, with
the Dauphin of France, was not long since found at
Larkhall. On one side are combined the letters F. and
M., surmounted by a crown, with the inscription, Fecit
utraque unum 1558; on the other are the arms of Scotland impaled with those of the Dauphin, and the inscription, Fran. et Ma. D. G. R. R. Scotor. D. D. Vien.
Arrow-heads of flint are occasionally dug up on Howdean moor, which is reported to have been the scene of
a battle; and a camp-kettle, which was presented to
the late Sir Walter Scott by Mr. Rutherford, was found
some years since at Edgerston.
In 1815, a sarcophagus of stone, formed of unhewn
slabs, four feet six inches in length, and two feet six
inches in breadth, containing a large urn and three of
smaller size, one of which was full of pure water, was
found in a garden on the west side of the High-street.
The large urn, near which were parts of skulls, was of
very elegant form; two of the smaller urns crumbled
into dust on being touched. In the same garden, which
is in some records called the Temple Garden, were discovered the foundations of ancient buildings, at a depth
of six feet below the surface. A trophy taken from the
English at the battle of Bannockburn, and another from
the Highlanders at Killiecrankie, are in the possession
of the corporate body of weavers; and another, taken
from the English at the battle of Newburn, in that of
the shoemakers. The inhabitants of Jedburgh, and of
the forest, constantly accustomed to warfare, were a
brave and hardy race; and their valour is recorded by
the Earl of Surrey, in his despatches to Henry VIII.
respecting the storming of Jedburgh. Their favourite
weapon was the Jedworth axe, and their war-cry, "Jedworth's here." At Tudhope, about half a mile from the
town, is a spring strongly impregnated with sulphur
and iron, and found very efficacious in scorbutic disorders; there are chalybeate springs in several parts of
the parish, and at Gilliestongues is a petrifying spring.
Among the eminent persons of this place were numerous abbots of Jedburgh, successors to St. Kennock,
and who held various high offices of trust and importance under the kings of Scotland, and were greatly distinguished by their learning and talents. Adam Bell, a
brother of the Carmelite convent, who died here, was
the author of a history of Scotland from the earliest
period to the year 1535, entitled Rota Temporum. John
Rutherford, principal of St. Salvator's college, St. Andrew's, and author of a work on the Art of Reasoning,
was a native of the town. Samuel Rutherford, principal of St. Mary's college, St. Andrew's, who was born
in an adjoining parish, received his early education in
the grammar school of Jedburgh, as did also the poet
Thomson; and among other distinguished natives may
be named Andrew Young, regent of philosophy in the
university of Edinburgh, and Sir David Brewster.
Jemimaville
JEMIMAVILLE, a village, in the parish of Kirkmichael, or Resolis, county of Ross and Cromarty;
containing 139 inhabitants. It is one of three very small
villages in the parish, and, though the largest of them,
consists of only a group of houses, of an inferior class.
Jock's Lodge
JOCK'S LODGE, a village, in the parish of South
leith, county of Edinburgh, 1½ mile (E. by S.) from
Edinburgh; containing 449 inhabitants. This is a considerable, though scattered, village, situated on the southern border of the parish, and on the road from Edinburgh
to Portobello and Musselburgh. It is said by some to
have had its eccentric name from that of a beggar who,
in the eighteenth century, inhabited a small tenement
on the spot; but it appears, on better authority, that
the village was called Jock's Lodge in Cromwell's time.
It is opposite to Piershill cavalry barracks, which were
built in 1793, and are named from Colonel Piers, who
commanded a regiment stationed at Edinburgh in the
reign of George II., and who either erected or rented a
villa on the height of a rising ground overlooking Restalrig, now occupied by the officers' apartments, and
called Piershill. On the right hand of the village are
many neat residences.
Johnspiaven
JOHNSPIAVEN, a village, in the parish of Benholme,
county of Kincardine, 4 miles (S. W. by S.) from
Bervie; containing 1172 inhabitants. This place, which
comprises the principal part of the population of the
parish, is chiefly inhabited by fishermen and weavers,
whose houses are small and irregularly built. It is
situated on the shore of the German Ocean, close to a
small harbour which is frequented in summer by coal
sloops, and occasionally by vessels freighted with lime.
Off the coast, fish are caught, consisting for the most
part of cod, haddocks, and turbot.
Johnstone
JOHNSTONE, a parish, in the county of Dumfries,
9 miles (S. by E.) from Moffat; containing 1072 inhabitants. It is generally supposed that the name of
this place was derived from some ancient and important
personage of the name of John, distinguished either by
his possessions or achievements, and to whose name the
ordinary Saxon termination ton or toun was added. The
parish from time immemorial has been the property of
the family of the Johnstones, lairds of Annandale, whose
castle of Lochwood was situated in the north of the
parish, and almost surrounded by impassable bogs and
marshes. This fort, which was a place of great strength,
and inaccessible to a foe, induced James VI. to declare,
that "he who built Lochwood, though outwardly an honest
man, must have been a knave at heart." About the
end of the sixteenth century, it was burnt by Robert,
natural brother to Lord John Maxwell; in revenge for
which the Johnstones, who were a warlike tribe, assisted
by the famous Buccleuch, the Elliots, Armstrongs, and
Grahams, the bravest of the warriors of the Scottish
border, attacked and cut to pieces a party of the Maxwells, near Lochmaben, where the incendiary himself,
Robert, was among the number of the slain. Those
who escaped taking refuge in the church of Lochmaben,
the sacred edifice was burnt to ashes by the Johnstones.
This rash and sacrilegious act occasioned the memorable
battle of Dryfesands, in which the Johnstones finally
prevailed, Lord Maxwell being attacked behind and slain
by "Will of Kirkhill," while engaged in single combat
with Lord Johnstone.
The parish is situated in that part of Dumfriesshire
known by the name of Annandale, and comprehends a
considerable portion of the old parishes of Garvald and
Dumgree; it is six miles in length, and averages three
in breadth. It is bounded on the north by the parish of
Kirkpatrick Juxta; and on the east by Applegarth and
Wamphray, from both which it is separated by the river
Annan. On the south, at a narrow point of about a
mile, forming the vertex of its triangular figure, is the
parish of Lochmaben; and on the south-west, the river
Kinnel divides it from Kirkmichael parish. The country
is generally flat with a gradual ascent towards the west.
A large proportion of the surface is stony, supplying
great facilities for filling those thorough drains that have
been cut to so very considerable an extent of late.
The whole lies between the rivers Annan and Kinnel, with the exception of 2000 or 3000 acres to the
west of the latter stream, which rise, in their ascent
towards Nithsdale, about 1200 or 1500 feet. The two
rivers form a junction two miles below the southern
extremity of the parish. The Annan abounds with yellow and sea trout, as well as eels and salmon. Its
banks are subject, in rainy and snowy seasons, to violent
inundations, from which great mischief has arisen to
the crops: two of the most remarkable floods were in
August 1782, and in August, September, and October,
1790.
The soil of the flat alluvial land along the Annan is
a dry loam or gravel: in the other parts it is chiefly a
light loam, resting on gravel or rock, or a moorish soil
lying upon a retentive clay or till. There are several
peat-mosses, extending to some hundreds of acres. Between 5000 and 6000 acres are under tillage; about
5000 are uncultivated, or in natural pasture; from 500
to 1000, which have never been ploughed, are considered
capable of cultivation; and 1500 are under plantations
or natural wood. Wheat was not very long since unknown in this district, as a part of the produce; but it
is now cultivated in a slight degree, with all other kinds
of grain; and the green crops, of which turnips and
potatoes are the principal, are abundant and of good
quality. The most improved system of husbandry has
been for some time adopted, and within the last half
century the aspect of the parish has been entirely
changed by the construction of roads, the formation of
inclosures, and especially by the number of comfortable
dwellings erected for the accommodation of the labouring
classes. There are two sheep-farms, on which the stock
consists partly of the native black-faced, and partly of
the Cheviots. The cows are the Galloway, except upon
two or three dairy-farms, where they are entirely of the
pure Ayrshire breed. Great attention has been paid to the
improvement of cattle; and the farmers have, in several
instances, obtained premiums from the Annandale Agricultural Society.
The plantations receive much care. They were greatly
increased nearly half a century ago by the Earl of
Hopetoun, at which time a large quantity of Scotch firs,
interspersed with larch and spruce, were added to the
former stock. About a dozen of fallow-deer, in the
year 1780, were put into an inclosure opposite the house
of Raehills, and after a while broke loose, and established themselves among these extensive plantations.
Since that time no one has been able to capture or controul them; and they are now increased to the number,
as is supposed, of about 250. The rocks in the district
consist of red sandstone and whinstone, the latter of
which varies much in its fineness and consistence. Attempts have been made to discover a vein of lead-ore,
the existence of which seemed to be indicated by the
several portions occasionally found above the surface;
but the expected success has not attended the undertaking. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£4408. The mansion-house of Raehills, the seat of
J. J. Hope Johnstone, Esq., descendant of the earls of
Hopetoun, was principally built by James, third earl,
grandfather of the present possessor, in the year 1786;
and is a castellated edifice, of the old baronial style
which prevailed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. A large
addition, fronting the south, and containing an elegant
suite of apartments, has lately been erected, constituting
it one of the most splendid and imposing mansions in
the south of Scotland.
This is entirely an agricultural parish, and the population are scattered. Considerable attention is paid by
them to the rearing of pigs, which are considered the
staple commodity. Large quantities are converted into
hams and flitches, and sent to Newcastle, Shields, and
Sunderland, whence a great proportion is shipped for
the London market. The road from London to Glasgow,
by Carlisle, passes for five miles through the parish;
and that from Dumfries to Edinburgh, by Moffat, for
the same distance. A turnpike-road from Moffat to Lochmaben and Annan runs for six miles, from north to
south, nearly through its centre. The London and
Glasgow, and Edinburgh and Dumfries, mails travel on
these roads. There is a bridge over the Kinnel at St.
Ann's, and one across the Annan at Johnstone Mills,
besides several over the smaller streams: all these, with
the roads, are kept in good repair. The eccleastical affairs are subject to the presbytery of Lochmaben
and synod of Dumfries; patron, Mr. Johnstone. There
is a good manse, with a glebe of ten acres, worth about
20s. per acre: the stipend is £165. 13. The church,
which is inconveniently situated, on the eastern extremity of the parish, was built in 1733, and rebuilt and
enlarged in 1818, and is now a comfortable and commodious edifice. There is a parochial school, where
Latin, Greek, and French are taught, with all the usual
branches of education. The master has the maximum
salary, with the fees, which average about £21 per
annum, and £3 received from a bequest left for his
benefit by Mr. Aitkin, farmer, of Kirkbank: he has also
the legal allowance of land. There are two other schools,
of which the teacher at Goodhope receives £16 a year
from the patron of the parish, with about £10 fees: the
master of the school of Cogrieburn-bridge has an income of £10, independently of the fees. The parochial
library, now consisting of 300 volumes, was established
in 1828. There was once also a farming society, founded
in 1818, which proved beneficial in supplying a stimulus to improvements in husbandry, especially in the
breeding and rearing of cattle. Among the relics of
antiquity is a small barrow, or tumulus, near the farm
of Crawknowes, said to mark the spot where the Laird
of Lochwood, in a private quarrel, shot the Laird of
Dumgree, whose body he afterwards hid in the earth.
The only other memorial of antiquity is the old castle
of Lochwood, supposed to have been built during the
fourteenth century. Dr. Matthew Halliday, physician
to the Empress Catherine of Russia, and Dr. John Rogerson, who succeeded him in that station, were born in
the parish of Johnstone; the latter died about fifteen
years since.
Johnstone
JOHNSTONE, a village, or rather a manufacturing
town, and lately a quoad sacra parish, in the Abbey
parish of Paisley, Upper ward of the county of Renfrew, 3½ miles (W. by S.) from Paisley; containing
5824 inhabitants. This place, which, about sixty years
since, consisted merely of a few scattered cottages, is
pleasantly situated on the river Black Cart, over which
is a bridge, from which it derived its former name. It
is indebted for its rise, and subsequent rapid increase,
to the introduction of the manufacture of cotton-yarn,
and to the encouragement given by its spirited proprietor, Mr. Houston, who granted leases of land for
the erection of dwelling-houses, and for the numerous
spacious works which have been since opened. The
increase of the place both in population and manufacturing importance has been unrivalled in the history
of any other place in Scotland. In 1781, when the
lands were first leased, it contained only ten inhabitants:
in 1792, the number had augmented to 1434; in 1811,
to 3647; and in 1831, to 5617. The town is regularly
built, consisting of Houston-square, nearly in the
centre; a spacious market-place; and numerous handsome streets intersecting each other at right angles.
The houses are of stone, and to each is attached an
adequate portion of garden ground; the inhabitants
are amply supplied with water, and the streets are well
lighted with gas. Assembly-rooms have been erected;
a lodge of freemasons has been instituted; numerous
excellent shops furnish every thing requisite for the
supply of the inhabitants; circulating libraries are kept
by the various booksellers; a post-office with two daily
deliveries has been established; and in almost every
respect the town may be said to be improving.
The population are chiefly employed in the cotton
trade, for which there are numerous mills in the town
and immediate vicinity. Two of these are propelled by
water, and the others by steam-power; they contain in
the aggregate 90,000 spindles. The capital employed
in their erection, and in keeping them in operation, is
estimated at £135,000; and they afford constant occupation to more than 2500 persons. An extensive factory,
also, has been erected for weaving cloth by machinery.
There are two iron and two brass foundries, and some
factories for the manufacture of machinery of all kinds,
in which steam-engines are used of the aggregate power
of 26 horses, and which afford employment to 120
persons. As many as three branch banks have been
established here. The village is well stocked with every
kind of provisions; and fairs are annually held on the
Thursday after the second Monday in July, and the last
Thursday in December, for cattle. The Glasgow, Paisley,
and Ardrossan canal, which commences at Port-Eglinton, near Glasgow, and passes Paisley, is completed only
to this place, a distance of eleven miles free of lockage;
it is 28 feet broad at the top, 14 at the bottom, and 4½
feet in depth, and cost nearly £100,000. The navigation
was opened in 1811, and light iron passage-boats were
established in 1831; but, by a recent arrangement with
the Ayrshire and Greenock Railway Companies, the conveyance of passengers is to be discontinued for twenty-one years, and the traffic confined to heavy goods, of which
68,063 tons were carried in the year ending 30th Sept.,
1844. The canal terminates in a basin at one extremity
of the town; and adjoining the wharf, is a yard for
landing the stone from the Nitshill quarry. The magistrates hold a petty-session in the assembly-rooms on
the first Friday in every month. A church was erected
here in 1793, at a cost of £1400; it contains 995 sittings,
and is a handsome octagonal edifice, with a very light
and elegant spire, built in imitation of the spire of
Lincoln designed by Sir Christopher Wren, but on a
smaller scale. It forms a strikingly interesting object as
seen from the road to Paisley, and gives to the town
a very pleasing appearance. The ecclesiastical affairs
are under the presbytery of Paisley and synod of Glasgow
and Ayr, and the patronage is vested in the Congregation;
the stipend of the minister is £150, arising from seatrents and collections, and part of the amount is secured
by bond. There are places of worship for members of
the Free Church, the United Secession, Relief, and
United Methodists; the first a fine building.
Joppa
JOPPA, a village, in the parish of Coylton, district
of Kyle, county of Ayr, 3½ miles (S. E. by E.) from Ayr;
containing 168 inhabitants. It is situated on the road
from Ayr to Coylton, a short distance westward of the
Coyl water, and is regarded as the principal village in
the parish, the others being chiefly groups of cottages.
There is a Sabbath school here; also a private school,
attended by about fifty children, and of which the teacher
has a rent-free schoolroom.
Joppa
JOPPA, a village, in that part of the parish of Duddingston, county of Edinburgh, which formed the
late quoad sacra parish of Portobello, ½ a mile (E. S. E.)
from Portobello; containing 275 inhabitants. This is a
modern and neat village, situated on the sea-side, and
on the great road between Edinburgh and Musselburgh.
It may be said to form a suburb of the large and fashionable village of Portobello, which is visited, on account
of its excellent beach, and its proximity to Edinburgh,
as a bathing-place in the summer season. In the vicinity
are some handsome villas.
Juniper-Green
JUNIPER-GREEN, a village, in the parish of
Colinton, county of Edinburgh, 1¾ mile (W. by S.)
from Colinton; containing 325 inhabitants. It lies on
the high road from Currie to Edinburgh, and in the
western extremity of the parish. It is one of the five
principal villages of Colinton; and has a small school.
Jura and Colonsay
JURA and COLONSAY, a parish, in the district of
Islay, county of Argyll; containing 2299 inhabitants.
This parish, which is situated to the west of the main
land, comprises the islands of Jura, Colonsay, Oronsay,
Scarba, Lunga, Balnahuaigh, and Garvelloch, and several
small uninhabited islets. The island of Jura, takes its
name from the numerous herds of red-deer with which
it abounded, and of which many are still preserved. It
is separated from the main land by the sound of Jura,
which forms its eastern boundary; and from the isle
of Islay, by the sound of that name, which bounds it
on the south: on the west is the Atlantic Ocean. It is
about thirty-six miles in extreme length, and varies from
two to nearly eight miles in breadth; the number of acres
has not been ascertained. The surface is rugged, and
broken by mountains of conical form, of which the
three principal, called the Paps of Jura, are, Beinn-aChaolais, Beinn-an-Oir, and Beinn-Shianta. These
mountains, of which the highest, Beinn-an-Oir, has an
elevation of 2700 feet above the level of the sea, form
a conspicuous landmark for mariners; they are seen
from a great distance, and are the first points discovered
by vessels navigating the Atlantic.
The coast is rocky and precipitous, and in many
places perforated with deep caverns, some of which
afford secure shelter. Of these, the most remarkable is
Uaghlamaich, on the western coast, of which the entrance
is thirty-eight feet above the level of the sea at high tides,
and thirty-three feet in height. The interior has an area
of 1312 square yards; the floor is smooth, and the roof
beautifully arched. So perfectly is this cavern protected,
that, during the severest storms, scarcely a breath of wind
is felt within it. There are numerous moorland lakes,
of which several abound with trout; and from them issue
various streams, which, in their course towards the sea,
form considerable rivers, wherein trout and salmon are
found. Of these rivers, the largest are, the Knockbreck,
on which the proprietor, Mr. Campbell, has a salmon-fishery, and the Avin Lussa, in the north of the island:
the river Corran has its source in some springs issuing
from the mountains, and, flowing eastward, receives
different tributaries in its course, and falls into the
sound of Jura near Corran House. The shore on the
west is deeply indented by Loch Tarbet, an inlet from
the sea, which almost divides the island into two parts;
and on the eastern shore are several bays, of which
Lowland Bay and the bay of Small Isles constitute
commodious harbours. The former, two miles and
a half in circumference, has an entrance 570 yards
in width, and is from five to six fathoms in depth; the
latter, which is more capacious, is formed by three small
islands, ranging in a line nearly parallel with the coast,
and between which are the entrances.
The soil in the east of the island, in which direction
nearly the whole population resides, is stony and shallow along the shore, but on the acclivities, where most
of the arable land is situated, of better quality. The
crops are, oats, barley, potatoes, and a little flax; the
system of agriculture has been improved; much of
the land has been drained, and some tracts of moss
have been brought into cultivation. The farm-buildings
are commodious; and the lands have been inclosed,
partly with stone dykes, and partly with hedges of
thorn. The cattle, of which about 1200 are annually
sold, are of the native black breed: the sheep, of which,
also, great numbers are reared in the pastures, are
generally the black-faced, with some of the Cheviots,
which are increasing in number. The prevailing rocks
are of the primitive formation, and the substrata chiefly
mica-slate, trap, and whinstone: slate was formerly
quarried. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£5761. The mansions are, Jura House, the seat of
the principal proprietor, a spacious residence, to which
splendid additions have been recently made; and
Ardlussa, also a handsome mansion, beautifully situated,
and surrounded with plantations. The only village
is Miltoun, which includes Craighouse; the inhabitants
are chiefly employed in weaving, and in the various
handicraft trades requisite for the supply of the neighbourhood. There is a neat inn at Craighouse, which
has been rebuilt and enlarged. A distillery has been
erected, which produces about 700 gallons of whisky
per week; and there is likewise a good corn-mill, from
which the village takes its name. Facility of intercourse is afforded by several roads and bridges, and by
three ferries, on which are staiths for the shipping of
cattle: the ferry at Kenuachdrach communicates with
Craignish; that of Lagg with North Knapdale, and
the ferry of Feoline with Portaskaig. From Feoline
to Lagg, a distance of seventeen miles, a government road
has been formed, which adds greatly to the means
of intercourse; and at the latter place is a sub-office,
at which the London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow mails
are received from Islay.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Islay and Jura, and
synod of Argyll. The minister's stipend is £200,
charged with the payment of £50 to an assistant at
Colonsay; he has a manse, and a glebe valued at £12
per annum: patron, the Duke of Argyll. The church,
erected about the year 1776, is a neat plain structure;
the interior has been enlarged and greatly improved
by Mr. Campbell, and contains 250 sittings, all of
which are free. In the old churchyard is an elegant
mausoleum for the Campbell family. There are two
schools in Jura, and one in Colonsay, among the three
masters of which the parochial salary of £34 is equally
divided, the deficiency being made good by Mr. Campbell, who has erected two commodious schoolrooms,
with good houses for the two masters, to each of whom
he gives a garden and a small portion of land. Two
other schools are supported by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, of which one is at
Colonsay. The sick poor are admissible to the infirmary
and asylum of Glasgow, through the liberality of Mr.
Campbell. Stones of vast dimensions are found along
the shores, and in other places; they are supposed to
have fallen from the erect position in which they were
originally raised in commemoration, it is said, of ancient
battles. There are also the ruins of many chapels of
early date. In digging the foundation for an inn at
Lagg, several stone coffins were found; and in forming
the road from Feoline to Lagg, numerous urns, containing ashes, were discovered. Silver coins of the
reign of Charles I., also, were found many years since.—See Colonsay, &c.
Gilbert and Rivington, Printers, St. John Square, London.