WIGTON. 



WIGTONSHIRF. 



1128 



subscription libraries. The Quakers have an academy at Brookfield 

 llouae, about a mile wet from Wigton. The weekly market on 

 Tuesday a well supplied with grain and provisions ; a great market 

 for butchers' meat, apples, and honey is held on St. Thomas's Day. 

 There are several fair* in the course of the year. Petty stations and 

 a county court are held ill Wigton. 



WIGTOX, Wigtonshire, Scotland, a royal and parliamentary burgh, 

 sea-port, and market-town, and the chief town of the county, is 

 situated at the mouth of the river Bladenoch, where it falls into 

 Wigton Bay, distant 129 miles S.W. from Edinburgh, in 54 51' N.lat, 

 \V. long. The population of the borough in 1851 was 2121. 

 The town is governed by a provost and 17 councillors, two of whom 

 are bailies ; ami unites with New Galloway, Stranraer, and Whithorn 

 in returning one member to the Imperial Parliament. 



The town consists principally of a broad main street, in the centre 

 of which is an inclosed square, containing a bowling-green. Imme- 

 diately outside the incloanre stands a handsome granite crov. The 

 town-house has a low spire at one end. There is a commodious 

 prison. The old church is a mean-looking fabric. There are a n.-w 

 Church of the Establish ment, chapels for Free and United Presby- 

 terians, a Grammar school, a library founded in 1794, and two branch 

 banks. There are several farina mills. Once a fortnight, and some- 

 times oftener, a steamer calls at Wigton, on the passage between 

 Liverpool and Garlieston. The number and tonnage of vessels belong- 

 ing to the port on December 31st, 1854, was, under 50 tons 86, ton- 

 nage 1218 ; above 50 tons 17, tonnage 1523 ; with one steam-vessel of 

 310 tons. During the year 1854 there entered and cleared at the 

 port, inwards, 444 sailing-vessels, tonnage 13,283, and 74 steam-vessels, 

 tonnage 18,018 ; outwards, 265 saiiiug-veiseU, tonnage 9135, and 78 

 team- vessels, tonnage 19,920. 



WIQTOIT8HLRK, a maritime county in the south-west of Scotland, 

 bounded E by Kirkcudbrightshire, N. by Ayrshire, W. by the Irish 

 Channel, and S, by the Irish Sea, lies between 64 36' and 55 4' 

 N. lat, 4* 10' and 5* 12' W. long. The county is about 30 miles 

 lung and SO miles broad from the extreme points ; its area is 326,736 

 acres. The population of the county was 89,195 in 1841, and 48,389 

 in 1851. 



C<xu!-Li*(. The sea-coast of Wigtonshire is indented by several 

 spacious bays. Wigton Bay, on the east, diminishes from a width of 

 8 miles until it terminate* in the river Cree. Laos Bay forms an 

 indentation in the southern part of the county, and stretches inwards 

 about 15 miles : the distance between the two headlands of Burrow 

 and the Hull of Galloway is about 15 miles, the Mull being 

 about a mile and a half farther south, and the most southern point of 

 Scotland. The point of the Hull, on which there is a lighthouse, is 

 a peninsula of about a mile and a quarter long by a quarter of a mile 

 wide. The small island of Whithorn, about 3 miles N.E. from Harrow 

 Head, affords safe and commodious shell r fur shipping. Lochryan 

 Bay, which is also a safe and commodious harbour, on the north-west, 

 extends into "the country about 8 miles, to Stranraer, its breadth vary- 

 ing from 2 to 4 mile*. No part of the county u above 13 mile* from 

 tberea. 



8rfaet, ffydngrapKy, and CbsmimioiUioin. The surface of Wigton- 

 shire, though consisting of eminences and hills of considerable height, 

 is said to be leas elevated above the level of the sea than any other 

 county hi Scotland. The principal eminences are Mull Hill, Mont- 

 lokowre, Bunmaa, Oirnhill, Cairn of Dolt, and Grennan Hill, which 

 vary from 400 to 900 feet in height. It may be divided into thre- 

 djstricto : the Ilhynns (peninsula), lying west of a Una drawn between 

 Lnce Bay and Lochryan ; the Haohers (flat country), lying between 

 Wigton and Luce bays ; and the Hoors, which include the remainder, 

 being more than one-third of the whole county. The freahwater lochs 

 u, but small, and occupy an area of a'lout 74 square 

 mile*. Dowaltoo, in the Hachers, the Urgent, U about two miles long 

 by a mile and a hah' broad. The only navigable rivers are the Cree 

 and the BUdenooh. The Cree rises in Ayrshire and separates this 

 county from Kirkcudbright before it falls into Wigton Bay. It is 

 navigable for about 4 miles. The Bladenoch has a circuitous course 

 of about 2 1 miles in the county before it falls into Wigton Bay. It 

 i* navigable for a few miles only. The river Luce, which falls into 

 Luce Bay after a course of 21 miles from the borders of Ayrshire, is 

 easily croewd on foot, except when floods occnr. The other streams 

 of the county are comparatively insignificant. Salmon abound in 

 these stream*, and on the coast there are several valuable rtake-net 

 fisheries. 



Otology. The mort prevalent rocks are primary transition and 

 secondary schiit*. Orauwacke, granwacke slate, and argillaceous schist 

 are particularly atmndant. Brds of grauwocke occur of all thick- 

 masnr from a few inches to as many feet, of hard compact grain, and 

 of a blue or grayish brown colour, for the most part breaking irregu- 

 larly, but often spiffing into parallel slices. 



' irievJUwrt, Ac. The climate of the county h exceed 

 ;*bire is indeed sometimes called the 



Devonshire of .Scotland. Of late years drainage has been scientifically 

 carried out ; the most improved implements are in use, and the appli- 

 mflnTl of the new manures is general. Towards the coast much of 

 the land U excellent, such a* the Baldoon rstat, the reclaimed Moss 

 of Cree, and the holms or lowlands around Garlieston and Whithorn 



["he general soil on the coast-land is either alluvial or san'ly loam, and 

 under careful culture is capable of yielding any kind of crop. The 

 loil of the Machers and the Khynns consists for the most part of a 

 lazelly loam, dry, and adapted for the turnip husbandry. There is a 

 ract of rich alluvial land in the eastern part of the county, which. 

 extends from the parish of Kirkenner to Newton-Stewart. The Moors 

 are bleak and barren, and io many places consist of peat-land partially 

 covered with water. Grazing is much attended to in the county. 

 The land is mostly under entail, and let in farms of moderate size, 

 jenerally for leases of 19 years. 



Division!, Towni, <tc. Wigtonshire is divided into 17 parishes. 

 The county returns one member to the Imperial Parliament ; and one 

 member is returned by the Wigton district of burghs, consisting of 

 Jtranraer, Wigton, and Whithorn in Wigtou county, and New Gal- 

 oway in Kirkcudbrightshire. There are three royal burghs in the 

 county, Whithorn, Wigton, and Stranraer. WIGTON we have already 

 described. The others, with the more important villages in the county, 

 we notice here : 



Stranraer, population 5738 in 1851, about 30 miles W. by N. from 

 Wigton, is a considerable sea-port town and royal and parliamentary 

 jurgh, situated at the head of Lochryan Bay. Stranraer was made 

 a royal burgh in 1817. The town consists chiefly of three streets, 

 which run parallel to the shore ; many of the houses are well built. 

 The town-house is a neat structure. Besides the parish church there 

 are three chapels for United Presbyterians, and one each for the Free 

 Church, Reformed Presbyterians, Original Seceders, and Roman Catho- 

 iea ; a parochial school, two subscription libraries, and a public reading- 

 room. Lochryan By forms a spacious and well-sheltered harbour. 

 Tanning is carried on, and hand-loom weaving for Glasgow manu- 

 : acturers employs some of the inhabitants. The number and tonnage 

 of vessels registered at the port on December 31st, 1854, were as 

 'allows : Under 50 tons 23, tonnage 848 ; above 50 tons 6, tonnage 

 533. During 1854 there entered the port 172 sailing-vessels, tonnage 

 8588, and 251 steam-vessels, tonnage 29,740; and there cleared 134 

 sailing-vessels of 3996 tons, and 255 steam-vessels of 30,507 tons. 



Whithorn, population 1652 in 1851, is a royal and parliamentary 

 burgh and small sea-port, in the parish of Whithorn, 11 miles S. from 

 Wigton. The town consists principally of one long street, intersected 

 t>y a rivulet. In the main street stands the town-house and jail. lu 

 the churchyard are remains of the priory of Whithorn. A Norman 

 arch is nearly entire, and is regarded as a good specimen of its class 

 of architecture. The parish church is a plain building. The Free 

 Church, United, nnd Reformed Presbyterians have places of worship. 

 The port of Whithorn Is sulxirdinate to Wi-.'ton. Whithorn is men- 

 tioned at an early date in the ecclesiastical annals of Scotland. About 

 the 12th century a priory for monks of the Premonstratensian order 

 was erected by Fergus, lord of Galloway. The relics of St. Nini.-m 

 collected in the original building attracted for a long period pilgrims 

 from all parts of Scotland and from countries beyond sea. The 

 bishopric of Galloway, or Whithorn, was one of the oldest in Scotland. 



Dnnnort, population about 300 in 1851, in the parish of Kirkmaiden, 

 the most southerly parish of Scotland, is about 5 miles N.W. from 

 the Mull of Galloway. In the bay of Drumore there is good anchor- 

 age. In the harbour in a small quay. Drumore Castle is an ancient 

 edifice, belonging to the Earl of Stair. Garlieston, population about 

 700, about 8 miles S. by E. from Wigton, has a good harbour, which 

 was improved some years since. At high tide it contains about 20 feet 

 depth of water. Some ship-building is carried on. Garlieston is a 

 member of the port of Wigton. There is here a chapel for Inde- 

 pendents. Olenluce, population about 1000, near the mouth of the 

 river Luce, has a parish church, rebuilt in 1815, a Free ami a United 

 Presbyterian church, a Parochial and a Free Church school, a I'arMi 

 and a Free Church library, and a savings bank. The oyster fishery 

 employs about 40 boats. At Stairhaven, or the Crow's Nest, there is 

 a harbour for small vessels. Of the Abbey of Luce, founded in 1190, 

 there are some remains. Kirkcolm, population about 420, is a small 

 village on the west i-hore of Lochryan. Many of the females are 

 engaged in embroidering muslin for Glasgow and Ayr manufacturers. 

 There is here a Free church. Kirkcowan, population about 660, on 

 the left bank of the Tarf Water, about 10 miles N.W. from Wigton, 

 has some woollen manufactures, and in the vicinity arc stone quarries. 

 Newton-Stewart, population 2599, is a burgh of barony, on the right 

 bank of the river Cree, about 10 miles N. by W. from Wigton. The 

 town is lighted with gas. The curing of bacon is carried on to a con- 

 siderable extent. There are a parish church and a Free church, and 

 chapels for United Presbyterians, Reformed Presbyterians, and Roman 

 Catholics. There arc a Parochial school, the Douglas academy, an 

 endowed institution, Lady Galloway's Industrial and Infant schools, 

 and the Newton-Stewart and Minigaff young men's mutual improve- 

 ment society. Lead-mines afford some employment. There is A neat 

 town-hall Portpatrick, population 1038, a sea-port town on the Irish 

 Channel, possesses a convenient and sheltered harbour. Many of the 

 inhabitants are engaged in fishing, or in oth. r maritime pursuits. 

 There are a parish church and a Free church. Since the govern- 

 ment moil-packets ceased to have their station here, Portpatrick has 

 declined. 



ffittory, Antiijuiliei, Ac. Wigtonshiro formed a part of the ancient 

 province of GALLOWAY. Some Saxon remains exist, and relics of tho 



