62 Transactions. 



Dumfries m the Olden Time. By James Stark, 

 F.S.A. Scot. 



Kead 3d March 1863. 



To describe Dumfries as it existed in old times is one of 

 tlie leading objects of this Society, and will form tbe subject 

 of many papers from different members. But it is often useful, 

 and may be eminently so at present, to take up a branch of 

 inquiry as a whole. We thus more readily estimate the cha- 

 racter of the whole, see the relative value of the parts, and 

 have our attention drawn to special objects for investigation. 



The present paper wUl be directed to the exterior aspects of 

 the town as it existed in old times, leaving to other oppor- 

 tunities the " inner life " of the place, should materials be 

 found for that purpose. 



The first origin of the town is uncertain. It was made a 

 royal burgh about seven hundred years ago. The effect 

 of this it is not very easy for us in the present day to estimate. 

 It was one great privilege, for instance, to send representatives 

 to Parliament. But this privilege is now extended to towns 

 which are not royal burghs ; and, on the other hand, there 

 are royal burghs which have lost the privilege. Then again 

 the royal burghs sent members to the Convention. But the 

 Convention of Eoyal Burghs was an important body ; and its 

 powers were large and undefined. There was also the internal 

 distinction of freemen and unfreemen. And other privileges 

 there were, once highly valued, but now gone or thought 

 Httle of 



But we may safely state generally, that for a town to be 

 made a royal burgh was then a great distinction. There were 

 not twenty in all Scotland. 



The royal burghs at that time south of the Forth, besides 

 Edinburgh, Stirling and Linlithgow, were Lanark, Peebles, 

 Haddington, Jedburgh and Selkirk. To these "William the 

 Lyon added Ayr and Dumfries. 



