Aw INCIDENT IN THE History OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT. 129 
town by Sir Thomas Carleton in that dreadful period of Border 
warfare after the disastrous battle of Solway Moss. It occurred 
in February, 1547, a year in which Dumfriesshire suffered 
severely. Sir Thomas, who had come by way of Teviotdale and 
Canonbie, seized Dumfries, and issued a proclamation in the 
name of King Henry, calling upon all men to come and make 
oath to King’s majesty. The great majority of the natural 
leaders of the people appear to have submitted; and it is to the 
honour of Kirkcudbright, at a time when the whole of Dumfries- 
shire lay under the English yoke, that the town refused to 
acknowledge English supremacy. As was to be expected, Carle- 
ton, with a strong force of cavalry, left Dumfries to burn down 
the town as an example. 
Kirkcudbright at that period, more than four and a-half 
centuries ago, consisted of the High Street only, with, perhaps, a 
few straggling houses in what is now known as the Millburn. 
Where St. Mary Street, St. Cuthbert Street, and the streets in 
that vicinity now stand, would then, in all probability, be a 
swampy meadow, flooded at every high tide. It was not till fully 
three centuries had elapsed that the embankment was formed. 
From the present harbour a great creek ran through what are now 
known as the Church Grounds, and at high water this would form 
a formidable defence to the little burgh. When this creek was 
filled up I have been unable to definitely ascertain ; but the vener- 
able Provost M‘Ewen remembers his father stating that at low 
Water people passed across on stepping stones on their way to the 
_ church on the Moat Brae. The creek terminated at or near the 
house now occupied by Sheriff Napier, where stood the Meikle 
Yett, the principal—indeed, it might be said the only—port. On 
the other side of the street the “ Yett ’’ abutted on the fosse and 
wall, which then proceeded towards the west, enclosing what are 
now known as the town’s gardens. Much of this portion (says 
M‘Kenzie, in his “ History of Galloway,’’) is still open; but unfor- 
tunately that is not the case now. At the field near the Academy 
the ditch and wall proceeded along the west side of the town, at 
the foot of the gardens behind the High Street, to the river, and 
in many places its course can still be distinctly traced. The wall 
continued along the edge of the river, another gate being at the 
harbour, thus completing the defences. The space included was 
almost square, each side being about three hundred yards long. 
