The Origin of the Name Dumfries. 229 



The Origin of the Name Dumfries. By J. W. Whitelaw. 



This paper was suggested to me by the somewhat paltry and 

 unsatisfactory nature of the very usual explanation of the place- 

 name "Dumfries," viz., " Dum," a fort or castle, and " Phreas," 

 brushwood (the castle in the brushwood). Several other explana- 

 tions have been given from time to time, of which Mr Shirley has 

 made a collection, and he was good enough to offer to make these 

 available to me. I think, however, that this information will 

 come better from himself, and that I shall more usefully employ 

 my time in pressing upon you the explanation which I think is 

 the correct one. It seems to me that in the case of a place of the 

 importance of Dumfries, both historically and geographically, the 

 name should express some outstanding historical or geographical 

 fact, and if we dig deep enough into the ethnology and history of 

 Scotland we may find an explanation which will fulfil these condi- 

 tions. 



We have fairly accurate knowledge of Great Britain during 

 the time of the Roman occupation, and we find that it was then 

 peopled by Britons up to the Forth and Clyde, and north of that 

 by Picts in the north and east, and by Scots, who had founded the 

 small kingdom of Dalriada, in the west. The Britons were of the 

 Cymric branch of the Celts, and the Picts were of the Goidelic 

 branch, or at least spoke that language ; but experts are not 

 agreed regarding them, and it may even be that there was a slight 

 admixture among them of the pre-Celtic inhabitants who Avere 

 Iberians or Basques. The Scots were also Celts, and came from 

 Ireland, and ultimately obtained such dominion over the whole of 

 the northern kingdom that they gave their name to it. There was 

 also a settlement of Picts in Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtown- 

 shire called the Niduarian Picts, of which I shall have more to 

 say afterwards. 



When Rome was tottering to its fall there was naturally a 

 withdrawal of the Roman Legions from so outlying a part of 

 that great empire, and before their final departure we hear of the 

 Romanised Britons being assailed from the north by the Picts and 

 Scots, and also on the east by a seafaring race who came from the 

 shores of the other side of the North Sea. 



With the departure of the Roman Legions our knowledge of 

 Britain ceases for a century and a half, and when the light of 



