Transactions. 51 



ing'-g-round of this clan seems to have been Xithsdale, with the 

 exception of the three who have Avandered away from their 

 original Dumfriesshire dale to Moffat. 



The Griersons settled at an early date at Lagg, Dunscore. 

 Grierson is e(|uivalent to son of Gregor, or M'Gregor. Dryfes- 

 dale, 1 ; Dumfries, 2 ; Dunscore, 2 ; Kirkpatrick-Juxta, 1 ; Loch- 

 maben, 3; Moffat, 1; Mouswald, 2; and Penpont, 1. The 

 Griersons are thus about equally divided between Nithsdale, the 

 cradle of the clan, and the adjoining Annandale. 



The Grahams of Netherby are a junior branch of the Grahams 

 of Esk, descended from the Earls of Strathearn and Menteith. 

 Netherby is in Cumberland, but it lies almost on the borders of 

 Canonbie, Dumfriesshire. The Grahams are an ancient Scottish 

 family. Sir James Graham fell at the unfortunate battle of 

 Falkirk, in which William Wallace was defeated. In Eskdale 

 there are — Eskdalemuir, 1 ; Langhohn, 5 ; Gretna, 3 — making 

 altogether 9. In Annandale — Annan, 2 ; Cummertrees, 2 ; 

 Dalton, 1 ; Dornock, 1 ; Dryfesdale, 7 : Hoddam, 5 ; Ilutton and 

 Corrie, 1 ; Lochmaben, 4 ; Middlebie, 2 ; Moffat, 3 ; Tundergarth, 

 1 or 2, for one of them has been counted to Lochmaben already. 

 In all, 29 in Annandale. But mark how they thin out in Niths- 

 dale. There are only 3, and these in the neighbouring parishes 

 of Dumfries, Torthorwald, and Holywood. 



So much for the persistence of surnames thickest in the 

 localities where celebrated or powerful families of that name first 

 appear to be established in the light of history. At the same time, 

 there is a weeding and thinning-out process going on. The once 

 great families of Kirkconnel, Orichton, Riddel, Oharteris, Stewart, 

 Mandeville (corrupted into Mundell), Bruce, and otliers of lesser 

 fame have left but feeble traces of themselves in the proprietary 

 hst, and, indeed, as Dumfriesshire surnames at all, are far exceeded 

 by others less historically connected with the County. 



I have kept pretty closely to M'Dowall's list of old Dum- 

 friesshire families, though he has a few omissions supplemented 

 here. This paper would have swelled out much too long to have 

 attempted to account for the prevalence of names in Dumfries- 

 shire less historical. Next to the Johnstones for numbers on the 

 proprietary list come the Bells, and these are strong in the middle 

 and east. Third in the list are the Irvings, confined also to the 

 middle and the east. The Smiths are ubiquitous, and muster 



