52 TraiisactioxiH. 



parisli cut, or got cut and dried for themselves, ten or twenty 

 carts of peats annually, a darg or half a darg, as the case might 

 be. Farmers in many instances had a bit of peat moss in their 

 own farms, and by their lease they had the privilege of cutting 

 as much as they themselves or their cotmen needed, but they 

 were restrained from selling oft the ground. Those families in 

 the parish who had not farms, or who did not live on farms which 

 iiad peat mosses, paid for the privilege of cutting peats on Cloak 

 Moss — 10s for a darg of 20 carts ; 5s for half a darg. The time 

 chosen for the cutting was about Whitsunday. The day was a 

 long one, beginning at 6 a.m. and ending at or about 6 p.m. 

 Within these hours the party cutting were allowed to turn out as 

 many cartfuls as they were able. Six hands working at the top 

 of their speed could turn out twenty cartfuls ; three hands could 

 turn out the half. 



At the time referred to coals were only obtainable from 

 England. Small sloops brought them over from Cumberland, 

 and discharged them either at the Scaur or from vessel's side in 

 Sandyhills' Bay. But the supply was limited, and tlie times were 

 uncertain. Now, by train, coals from Ayrshire are brought in 

 any quantity to the neighbouring stations of Dalbeattie and 

 South wick ; and peats, except in small quantities for kindling, 

 are unused even by the poorest. They are or would be dearer 

 even than coals. 



Fifty years ago there were only two churches in tlie parish, 

 and two religious denominations — the Parisli Church on the 

 Colvend side, attended by members and adherents of the B.C., 

 and the Meeting House at Mainsriddel, owned by the seceders 

 from the National Church some 80 or 90 years before, but 

 attended largely by adherents of the E.G. living in Southwick, 

 their own Ciiurch being too distant for them to attend regularly. 

 This Church is now, or was until very lately, owned by the 

 descendants of the original seceders, or their representatives who 

 mostly belong to the U.P. body. 



Colvend and Southwick were for long separate parishes, with 

 separate ministers, each having its own church. But towards 

 the beginning of last century they were united under one 

 minister, the stipend being inadequate for the support of two. 

 This union of the parishes and suppression of one was to the 

 inhabitants of Southwick a real evil, for they all belonged to 

 the one church, the National Church. It removed them to an 



