1-00 Intermediate Lectures. 



the tack the Castle within the gates thereof. The land came by 

 marriage into the possession of Johnston of Thoriiiewhat, a vassal 

 of the Annandale family. Johnston of Castlemains and Thomie- 

 what became insolvent about 1795-96, and those mains of the 

 Castle were sold. The advertisement advertising the sale stated 

 that the Castle within the gates thereof was reserved. In 18.39 

 the present Cai)tain Hope-Johnstone's grandfather got all his 

 titles renewed 20th December, conferring on him anew the 

 keeping of the Castle of Lochmaben. The Latin words 

 ■were — " Una cum hereditable officio custodiendi et guhernandi 

 nostrum castrum de Lochmaben." All doubt, therefore, as to the 

 present Captain Hope-Johnstone being the hereditary keeper of 

 "the Castle within the gates thereof" is completely removed by 

 the title being renewed to the same so recently as 20th December, 

 1839, Lord Mansfield being its guardian and watcher. Coming 

 now to Lochmaben Castle in the present and future, he mentioned 

 that in consequence of a letter which he had written to the Woods 

 and Forests, in compliance with the desire of the inhabitants of 

 Lochmaben, on the subject of the neglected state of their vener- 

 able Castle, it has since been protected from horses and cattle 

 straying within its sacred precincts b\' a strong wooden railing 

 from Raehills woods, with three gates opening into the Castle, 

 and that the walls were then covered with ivy and the loose 

 stones gathered together in places by themselves at the foot of 



the walls : — 



Office of Woods, etc., S.W. 

 9th November, IST-l. 



Sib, — I am directed by Mr Howard to acknowledge the receipt of your 

 letter of the .31st ultimo, addressed to Mr Bellairs, on the subject of the 

 ruins of Lochmaben Castle, County Dumfries, and in leply I am to state 

 that wliile fully agreeing with you as to the historical interest which 

 attaches to the remains of the Btuce Castle, Mr Howard regrets that it is 

 not practicable that this Department should interpose with the view of 

 preserving what remains of the Castle from further destruction — you refer 

 to some eight or twelve acres of excellent pasture — and some valuable 

 trees as included within the Castle precincts, but Mr Howard presiimes that 

 all the land which is available for cultivation or produce of any kind is 

 occupied, and that the premises are held and enjoyed by the hereditary 

 keeper. It occurs to Mr Howard that the preservation of the ruins is an 

 obligation which should be attached to the hereditary keepership, but 

 whether this is so or not the preservation of the Castle of Lochmaben 

 appears to be a matter in whicli the adjoining neighbourhood is principally 

 •interested, and in any case it is one which seems to concern the Department 

 of Public Works and Buildings rather than this office. —I am, sir, your 

 obedient servant, J. Bennet Sowray. 



The Rev. Wm. Graham. 

 The Castle Loch being within the burgh boundary, the inhabitants 



