Some Incidents in Troqueer Parish. 141 



on the east thereof, . . sometime called Toddies land, 

 on the left hand from the Brigend towards Terregles on the one 

 hand and the Galloway loaning on the other."* The "loaning 

 and passage from the Bridgend to Cairgenbridge " or "towards 

 Terregles ' ' is now Howgate Street and Laurieknowe ; " the 

 lands of Baxter's Close" were adjacent to Newabbey Road; 

 " the Galloway loaning ' ' is Maxwell Street, and the property 

 indicated is the four acres nearest the river, bounded by these 

 roads on three sides and "the lands of Baxter's Close " on the 

 west. 



Of more interest than the mere site is the statement in the 

 Sasine of 1754 that the property is held by the Magistrates and 

 Council of the Burgh of Dumfries " in vice and place of our 

 Sovereign lord the King's Majesty and his successors, immediate 

 superiors thereof, Burgage, and paying yearly to the said magis- 

 trates and Councill and their successors in office as superiors of 

 the Lands . . . two pounds three shillings and two pence 

 Scots at Whitsunday yearly and doubling of the same the first 

 year of the entry of each heir or singular successor." 



Some fruitful inquiry might be made as to whether the Burgh 

 of Dumfries is still (1910) the recognised superior of this and 

 some other properties in the Brigend. 



Unfree trading at the Brigend, howe\'er, continued to be a 

 source of trouble to the Town Council of Dumfries. There are 

 frequent regulations against it. 



" 6 Sept., 1703. — It being represented That se[ver]all mer- 

 chants wtin this burgh goe to Bridgend and oyr places out of toun 

 to buy skinnes and yearn .' . . so they forstall the mercat 

 and make a monopoly in prejudice of the burgh. . . . The 

 Counsell appoint the Dean to make a list of those psons guilty. 

 . . . As also . . . to take account of these qo sell flesh 

 in the Bridgend." 



27 Dec, 1703. — Under penalty of ffifty pound Scots "no 

 one was to pack or peel wt unfree people in Bridgend in buying 

 skins yearn butter cheese sheep, and oyr commoditis properly 

 vendible in the open mercats in Drumfries." " Hens cocks, and 

 oyr fowls " and sheepskins are included on 24th Dec, 1705. 



* Dumfries Register of Sasines, 30, XI., 1754; Town Council Minutes, 

 3, III., 1755. 



