198 Moffat and Upper AnnaNdaLE. 



In 1760 a private Bill was brought before Parliament for 

 liberty to feu 100 acres of the Ten pound land of Moffat and 

 50 acres of the said land at Annan. Part of the Bill reads : — 

 ' ' And whereas the town of Moffat, part of the said Tenpound 

 land of Moffat is greatly resorted to by persons of all ranks 

 and conditions for the benefit of using- the mineral water in 

 the neighbourhood of the said town, but the said company 

 have hitherto been very ill accommodated by reason of the 

 badness and poorness of the houses and other buildings in 

 the said town and by the want of many other necessary con- 

 veniences. And whereas many of the houses inthe said towns 

 of Moffat and Annan belong in property to the said Marquis, 

 which are all of them very poor and mean and fallen into 

 such disrepair and decay that many of them are already 

 ruinous, and most of them must soon be so, if not rebuilt, 

 which would occasion a very great charge and expense." 



The old houses which are described as ruinous were 

 mostly built of fail and stone, and to repair them in the same 

 manner was not going to improve matters, and notices were 

 issued to the following effect : — " That such of the Marquis 

 of Annandale's tenants who have got tacks and are willing 

 upon their own expense to improve their houses by rebuilding 

 them with stone and mortar, and the door cheeks with stone 

 and lime, may give in notes of the quantity and kind of timber 

 the same would require to the factors, who are desired to 

 view and consider the same ; it being intended for their 

 encouragement to give them such assistance of timber as can 

 be spared from the Marquis's woods. But to prevent em- 

 bezzlements or impositions, every tenant at receiving what 

 timber may be ordered for him is to give his bill for the full 

 value thereof, which will not be given up till the reparations 

 are finished and inspected. To see that the timber has been 

 properly applied, and if any misapplication shall be discovered, 

 the value of the whole shall be exacted. If any of the tenants 

 shall propose to build their houses with mortar, and all the 

 doors and windows with lime, and to cast the whole walls 

 with lime, they will be preferred to the best timber, and no 

 timber would be given out of the woods after the first day of 

 May till winter again." 



