Anderson's Protocol Book. 183 



fries]." The Willies were ihe Willows which were planted to 

 preserve the banks of the Nith, which ran at that dale more lo 

 the east than now. At the Reformation the Chapel was feued 

 by the Town Council as a dyehouse and became known by its 

 owner's name as Rig's Chapel. The Chapel ^'airds passed 

 from the Rigs in 1613-14 (Reg. of Sas. Dumfries, \ol. 2, fols. 

 35, 57). The lower portion of the High Street is still popu- 

 larly known by its old name as the Soutergate. It is gener- 

 ally taken to mean the Southern gate, but was not so under- 

 stood by the sixteenth century notaries. To them it was 

 " via sutoria " — the souters' (cobbler's) way. Assembly 

 Street is an opening only dating back to the end of the 

 eighteenth century, when it was called the New Entry. 

 Burns Street was known as the way to the Mill of Dumfries 

 or the Millgate. The Glebe lands (No. 18) were adjacent to 

 St. Michael's Church. St. Michael Street School is built on 

 Glebe land. St. Michael's Church was outside the Port. The 

 ports may be looked for at the narrowest points of the streets 

 they crossed. The Nether Port (No. 55) was in St. Michael 

 Street beyond the Penthouse End ; the Lochmabengate (Nos. 

 14, 60) (E^nglish Street) Port was a little to the west of the end 

 of Loreburn Street ; the Townhead Port was at the east end of 

 Kerwyn Terrace. When the present houses were built there 

 its foundations were found by the Burgh Surveyor, Mr 

 Francis Armstrong. The Port of the \'ennel crossed Friars' 

 \'ennel at the west corners of St. David Street and Irish 

 Street. Like most Scottish towns the burgh was not walled 

 in any greater degree than was supplied by the enclosures of 

 private houses, but ditches extended between the Ports. It 

 will be seen that Loreburn Street, Shakespeare Street, and 

 Irish Street were originally passages running at the foot of 

 private enclosures, and they, roughly, outline the boundarie.-> 

 of the sixteenth century burgh. In the eighteenth century 

 they were known as the East, South, and West Barnraws. 

 It will be noticed also that chapels were near each port — the 

 name of the one on Chapel hill being unknown. In 1715 the 

 Ports were hurriedly strengthened to repel Kenmurc's ad- 

 vance and some effort at wall building may have been made. 

 St. Christopher's Chapel was utilised in the process. 



