168 ANNAN IN LAst Four DecabDEs or 18TH CENTURY. 
Probably the ablest man resident in Annan at the date of 
Blacklock’s death was Dr Clapperton, father of Hugh Clapper- 
ton, the African explorer. He was an enthusiastic collector of 
“antient ballads ;’’ but, as Kirkpatrick Sharpe says, he “ some- 
times cheated in his responses.’’ By the kindness of a relative 
of his, I was enabled, many years ago, to exhibit to the society 
the doctor’s ticket of admission as a burgess of the royal burgh. 
Among Dr Clapperton’s neighbours in Butts Street was 
Gavin Irving, tanner, father of the illustrious man whose statue 
is the chief ornament of our town. He held the office of bailie— 
a distinction the greatness of which may be inferred from the fact 
that an Annan bailie once found it necessary to remind his towns- 
men that after all he was “a mere man.’’ Under the boughs 
of some stately elm trees that stood in the space called Gracie’s 
Banking the future traveller and the future orator often played 
together. 
At the close of the eighteenth century Annan was a prosper- 
ous little town, with many dignified associations. In twenty 
years the population had increased from about six hundred to 
sixteen or seventeen hundred. The census roll of 1801 does not 
state the population of the burgh separately, but it shews that at 
the opening of last century the parish contained 2570 inhabitants, 
who occupied 465 houses. Annan Public Library is fortunate 
enough to possess an old MS. copy of the roll, evidently written 
by the compiler, Richard Forrest, schoolmaster. Sir John 
Sinclair, in his “ Old Statistical Account of Scotland,’’ published 
in 1797, gives some curious information about the Annan of the 
last decade of the century :— 
“ Annan contains within the town and upon the burgh roods 
1620 souls out of the whole population of the parish. It 
possesses very extensive burgh roods, which are in great part very 
imperfectly cultivated. There is a vast common, open to all the 
inhabitants for pasture, peats, and ‘ divots.’ The revenue of the 
town is about £300 sterling a year, arising from tolls, fisheries, 
and feu duties. . . . . The town has in it four writers, one 
surgeon, a schoolmaster. The fisheries are let at the annual 
rental of £210. Such farm houses as have been lately built are 
good and commodious, and of one or two storeys. Servants 
and master eat commonly at the same table. The farmers’ 
