county town, which was erected into a royal burgh in 1455, contained, in 1831, a population of 3511. It is pleasantly situated on the Dee, and is noted for the information and urbanity of its inhabitants. Societies have been formed here for a purpose rather unusual, namely, the building of houses, not for sale, but for the use of the members who compose them. Every member makes a small monthly payment into a general fund, which is employed in erecting the houses, and these, as they are finished, are assigned to the members by lot, those to whom they fall paying five per cent. on the money which their houses have cost, in addition to their monthly payments; and this arrangement continues till all the members are supplied, and the societies dissolved. New Galloway, which was erected into a royal burgh in 1633, is situated at the head of Loch Ken, and contains only about 400 inhabitants. The principal villages are Creetown, at the mouth of the river Cree, on the bay of Wigtown; Gatehouse, twelve miles east from the former, on the river Fleet; and Castle-Douglas, formerly called Carlinwark, an inland place, about nine miles north-east of Kirkcudbright. The Galloway Bank, now discontinued, was established at Castle-Douglas in June 1806. A branch of the Bank of Scotland had been introduced into the burgh of Kirkcudbright about twenty years previously. These three villages seem to be in a thriving state; the houses are for the most part of two stories, and, in other respects, they are superior to villages of the same extent in many other parts of Scotland. The others are Dalbeattie on the river Urr; Keltonhill, noted for its great cattle fairs in June and November; and Maxwellton, on the Nith, which, though in this county, belongs by its situation to the town of Dumfries, from which it is separated only by the bridge over that river. By the reform act, indeed, it is included within the parliamentary boundaries of that town.

There are no regular assessments for the poor in the country parishes, but the ordinary kirk-session funds have been much augmented in some parishes by charitable donations. In some instances voluntary assessments upon the part of the heritors take place, particularly in unfavourable seasons.

The inhabitants of the stewartry have few traits of character peculiar to themselves. Living remote from the capital, or any large town, they are a simple, unsophisticated people, feudal and superstitious in their sentiments. A belief in witchcraft, and in the more popular superstitions, still obtains. They think no character superior to the minister or the laird. These peculiarities, however, are beginning to give way. Education has attained a most respectable footing; and the collision of sentiment which the people experience by the intercourse now opened up by the facilities of communication with strangers has had a most salutary and liberalizing influence. They are an enterprising people. They send, on an average of the last ten years, about forty young men to the university yearly; and the number of those who annually cross over to England to push their fortune, or emigrate either to our own colonies or to foreign states, is extremely great. Of these, not a few, after experiencing success in life, return to their native country with a respectable competency; and thus, by their example, stimulate others to follow their steps. Of the extent to which emigration from this county is carried, a correct estimate may be formed from the fact that, though the number of males born is about five per cent. above that of females, the latter in the stewartry exceed the former by 2642. A great number of Irish, of the lowest grade, are settled here.

Education, as mentioned above, is in a respectable state. Some of the schools are excellent; few of them are bad; and when a vacancy now takes place, the utmost pains are taken to get the best teacher to fill it. Several sums have been bequeathed by individuals for the support of schools, particularly in the parishes of Balmaclellan, Dalry, and Borgue. In addition to the parish schools, there are many voluntary seminaries, which are in a highly respectable and efficient state.

It has already been mentioned that the people are distinguished for their religious character. The reformation began here at a peculiarly early date, namely, the beginning of the fifteenth century (Literary History of Galloway, p. 61), and some of the most eminent reformers and covenanters were connected with this county. The persecution in the times of Charles I. and his son Charles II. raged most hotly here. The graves of martyrs are to be found, not only in almost every churchyard, but even in many of the wildest moors. Presbyterianism still continues predominant. In addition to the twenty-eight parish churches, there are one chapel of Ease at Maxwellton; one church of the Cameronian persuasion at Urr; and six of the United Associate Synod at Urr, Castle-Douglas, Dalry, Kirkcudbright, Creetown, and House of the Hill. There is no Episcopalian chapel, but there are two belonging to the Roman Catholics, one at New Abbey and another at Dalbeattie; and one Independent meeting-house at Gatehouse.

The stewartry could boast of a greater number of monas- The occupations of the people, according to the population returns in 1831, were as follows:

- Occupiers of land employing labourers: 871 - Occupiers of land not employing labourers: 490 - Labourers employed in agriculture: 2648 - Employed in manufactures: 529 - Employed in retail trade and handicraft: 2299 - Capitalists, bankers, &c.: 440 - Labourers not agricultural: 1076 - Other males twenty years of age: 805 - Male servants: 108 - Female servants: 2378

The county, as is evident from this table, is not remarkable for manufactures; but it contains a larger number of men employed as weavers than home consumption would require. They weave to a limited extent for the Glasgow, Paisley, and Kilmarnock markets. The number of weavers was altogether above 500. But since 1831 the cotton mills at Gatehouse have been revived under the best management, and in this way perhaps 200 more are added to the manufacturing class. There are also stocking-makers, cloggers, and nailers. The chief exports of the county are the produce of the soil; grain, black cattle, sheep, and wool; the chief imports are coals, lime, groceries, timber, iron, and slate.

It has already been stated, that the mountainous districts of the stewartry are composed of granite. A granite quarry was opened in 1830, on the estate of Cassencarric, in the parish of Kirkmaubreck, by the Liverpool Dock Company. This is at present the most important work of the kind carried on in Scotland. About 300 workmen are daily employed in it; machinery of a kind previously unknown in Galloway has been introduced; a railway has been constructed connecting the quarry with Wigton Bay, a distance of about half a mile; and a new harbour has been built at the expense of the company, the vessels belonging to which transport the stone from thence to Liverpool. Besides defraying surface damage for the line of the railway, the company pay to the landlord a sum proportional to the produce of the quarry; and thus a piece of land, which was previously covered with rock and heath, and literally worth nothing, certainly not twenty shillings, now realizes an annual rent of about £400.

The following table contains the abstract of the population at different times.

| YEARS | HOUSES | OCCUPATIONS | PERSONS | |-------|--------|-------------|---------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

The stewartry sends one member to parliament, the constituency in 1835 amounting to 1166. In the election for the burghs, Kirkcudbright (which contains 111 electors) joins with Dumfries, Sanquhar, Annan, and Lochmaben; and New Galloway (which contains sixteen electors) with Wigton, Stranraer, and Whithorn. It is divided into twenty-eight parishes, of which sixteen belong to the presbytery of Kirkcudbright, and two to that of Wigton, both in the synod of Galloway, and ten to the presbytery and synod of Dumfries.

See Beauties of Scotland; Murray's Literary History vol. xiii.