Transactions. 1 09 



the eye of Burns when one day thinking of Miss Phillis M'Murdo 

 he composed the beautiful verses which begin, " Adown winding 

 Nith I did wander." 



I long thought over the matter, seeking for some otlier physical 

 feature in the landscape which might better explain the latter 

 syllable, until it occurred to me that it might be that other no less 

 ancient British word caer, meaning a fort, and, if so, mean the 

 fortified village or town. I had not far to look for some corro- 

 boration of this opinion, for here, close to the Parish Church, is 

 that liigh circular mound called the ]\Ioat, which, wliatever may 

 have been the later uses to which it was put, has been recognised 

 by antiquarians— including the learned author of " Caledonia " 

 — as originally a British fort. It stands opposite the lofty, grim 

 rock of Castledykes — once a castle of the Comyn family — both 

 guarding against a hostile invasion from England the town of 

 Dumfries and tliis side of the river. We have Caerlaverock, 

 Cargen, Carruchan, Corbelly, all derived from caer a fort ; and 

 so also, I believe, was this village Tre-Caer, now called Troqueer. 



But you may accept either interpretation, as both follow the 

 clue given by Chalmers that it is derived from old British words. 

 The more important question is — Was there a village or town here 

 in the olden time % To wiiich I am able to give an unquestionable 

 reply in the affirmative, and thus corroborate Mr Chalmers's 

 opinion as to the derivation of the first syllable. 



Many years ago I was told of, and in some instances saw, the 

 foundations of old houses revealed when new buildings were being 

 erected along the Troqueer road ; and in 1878 I was agreeably 

 surprised to discover in the Kirk-session records the name of a 

 " village or toun of Troquire " in the direction towards tlie Parish 

 Chui'ch. SuVisequently I found it mentioned in title deeds of the 

 17tli and 18tli centuries, an€l quite recently in a charter of the 

 14th century. This explains why the Bridgend was always 

 called " of Dumfries " — to mark it out as an adjunct of that 

 ■town, though not subject to its legal jurisdiction. Into the 

 Bridgend fled all outlaws from justice and those banished from 

 the town of Dumfries. 



These Kirk-session records tell how, 200 years ago, the church 

 officer, or " bedle," as he is sometimes called, had to ring a hand- 

 bell through the whole parish to announce burials, but if he only 

 required to ring it in Bridgend and Troquire he received only a 

 part of the fee for ringing it landwards. 



