18 Old Hall of Ecclefechan. 



to the vaulted chamber, and also for defensive purposes. The 

 plinth is about 3 feet from the present surface of the g-round on 

 the North side, but in the interior, where it has been levelled up 

 for the lawn, it is only a few inches. No doubt this is the 

 original " Hall of Ecclefechan," which stood on certain lands 

 "• pertaining to Kirkconnell." Very curiously, no notice is taken 

 of this tower in any of the Gazetteers of Scotland, nor is it figured 

 on the old Ordnance Survey. In the original Valuation Roll of 

 1671 these lands are described as the "Ten merkland pertaining 

 to Kirkconnell." In the Roll of 1827 these lands appear as 

 divided up among a good many owners. Thus, " Dr Archibald 

 Arnott, Hall of Ecclefechan, part of Kirkconnell," and about 33 

 other owners whose holdings are all described as " part of Kirk- 

 connell," and appear to have included the whole of the East side of 

 the Ecclefechan Burn, from Cowthat to (Jressfield and Grahams- 

 hall. 



On the old Dwelling House adjoining, apparently built about 

 the begining of last century, there is cut over the doorway in 

 strong Roman letters, 



MDCC. WK. SJ. XXXV. 



On the window head, but i-eversed the wrong end up, 



WK. SI. 1738. 

 And on another window, again reversed, 



J J. WK. SJ. 1724. 



Though the form of the letters are old, they seem from the 

 clearness of the edges as if some " Old Mojtality " had renewed 

 their looks . 



My difficulty is to shew how the place came to be called 

 Kirkconnell. The Irvings were Lairds of Kirkconnell, now 

 Springkell, and their lands appear to have extended through part 

 of Middlebie to Ecclefechan. The Irvings of Woodhouse and 

 Bonshaw, we know, took in all the land on the west side of the 

 burn. It is well known that the Kirkconnell, now Springkell, 

 estates were sold to the ancestors of Su- J. Maxwell in 1G09, 

 and that the Irvings of Kirkconnell moved to the Hall of 

 Ecclefechan. 



William Irving of Kirkconnell died in 1706, aged 80 years. 

 He would be born 1626, or about 17 years after the Maxwells 



