24 The Greyfriars' Convent of Dumfries. 



is now below the Old Bridge, but prior to the (^hange of position it 

 would be fordable except during flood. 



The " Watergang " cut off a small strip of land along the 

 riverside, now known as the Greensands. It was part of the 

 Burgh Common, called the "Willies." The tail race of the 

 Sandbed Mill ran down to the head of the dock, and formed with 

 the river an island which in the town's records is referred to as 

 the "Willies," as is also the Mill Green on the opposite side of 

 the river, in the parish of Troqueer, on Avhich the Town Mills now 

 stand. A chai)el called the Chapel of the Willies with some land 

 frequently referred to in the minutes as " Our I.aily place and 

 yards," lay between the tail race and Irish Street. It was a 

 common method of protecting the banks of a river to plant 

 willows, the roots of which are long, and tend to bind the earth, 

 hence the name of the Willies applied to the pieces of land on the 

 margin of the stream. 



The Burgh Common or Willies, now the Greensands, was, 

 in the sixteenth century, reached l)y a track or lane continuing the 

 High Street north-westwards from the jjoint where it joined the 

 Friars' Vennel. It is described in a charter of 15th September, 

 1555, as " The gait or ])assage passing oute to Polwadum callit 

 the Staitfurd." In its course to the Staikford it passed through 

 "the commonn landis of the burgh of Dnmifresse, callit the 

 Willies (Bryce)." A Town Council minute of 4th May, 1525, 

 <lescribes this lane as " the King's Street extendand to the Staik- 

 furd." The track is mentioned in I)r Burnside's MS. History 

 of Dumfries, and his copvist writing 1st January, 1818, says 

 "The road mentioned jiages, 43. 44, irow begins to disappear. 

 As it is verv probable that in the <'ourse of a year or two not a 

 vestige of it can lie traced, I beg lea\e to remark that it com- 

 menced about the western corner of the Xew Church, and passed 

 to the west where the northern row of houses now stands. At the 

 head <if Buccleuch Street it passed under the northern wall of the 

 above row of houses, and formed an angle .so very near a right 

 .angle that it ])asses under the eastern c-orner of the westmost house 

 of the row. Thence it passed to the south in a sloping direction 

 idong what was then ileclivity of the bank, that it will pass most 

 probably considerably to the west and south <if the southern roAV 

 of Castle Street. X.B. — Xot a single house of the southern row 

 is vet built." 



