CHAP. I. ESKDALE. 291 



who used to make such furious raids and forays 

 have now come to regard each other, across the ima- 

 ginary line which divides them, as friends and neigh- 

 bours ; and they meet as competitors for victory only at 

 agricultural meetings, where they strive for prizes for 

 the biggest turnips or the most effective reaping-ma- 

 chines ; whilst the men who followed their Johnstone 

 or Armstrong chiefs as prickers or hobilers to the fray 

 have, like Telford, crossed the border with powers 

 of road-making and bridge-building which have proved 

 a source of increased civilization and well-being to the 

 population of the entire United Kingdom. 



The hamlet of Westerkirk, with its parish church and 

 school, lies in a narrow part of the valley, a few miles 

 above Langholm. Westerkirk parish is long and narrow, 

 its boundaries being the hill-tops on either side of the 

 dale. It is about seven miles long and two broad, with 

 a population of about 600 persons of all ages. Yet 

 this number is quite as much as the district is enabled 

 to support, as is proved by its remaining as nearly as 

 possible stationary from one generation to another. 1 

 But what becomes of the natural increase of families ? 

 " Oh, they swarm off! " was the explanation given to us 



1 The names of the families in the 

 valley remain very nearly the same 

 as they were three hundred years ago 

 the Johnstones, Littles, Scotts, and 



Adew ! Grossars, Niksonis, and Bells, 

 Oft have we fairne owrthreuch the fells : 

 Adew ! Robsons, Howis, and Pylis, 

 That in our craft hes mony wills : 



Langhofn7; | ^ lis ' ^-umbells, and Aimestranges ; 



the ongs, Bells, Wins, | J^J^^ig-j, 



and Graemes lower down towards i The Scotts of Eisdale, and the Gramis, 



Canobie and Netherby. It is interest- i i haf na time to tell your nameis." 



ing to find that Sir David Lindesay, in ; 



his curious drama published in ' Pin- Telford, or Telfer, is an old name 



krrton's Scotish Poems ' (vol. ii., p. i n the same neighbourhood, com- 



156), gives these as among the names | memorated in the well known border 



of the borderers some three hundred ballad of ' Jamie Telfer of the fail- 



years since. One Common Thift, Dodhead.' Sir W. Scott says, in the 



when sentenced to condign punish- j 'Minstrelsy,' that "there is still a 



ment, thus remembers his Border j family of Telfers, residing near Lang- 



friends in his dying speech : holm, who pretend to derive their 



" Adew ! my bruther Annan theives, | descent from the Telfers of the Dod- 



That holpit me in my mischeivis ; i head." 



u 2 



