202 Moffat and Upper Annandale. 



were very thick and roug-h, although better weather slates 

 than those from Glenochar ; where expense was no object 

 slates were imported from Lancashire. In Jamieson's Scots 

 Dictionary the meaning of scallie (skallie) is given as blue 

 slate, but here the term, I believe, refers to the very thin 

 sandstone slabs which were formerly used for a roof covering 

 instead of thatch or slates, and were quarried at the Templand 

 Quarries. The cottage on Moffat Mill green is still covered 

 with them. Both slates and scallie were hung over wood 

 straps on the roof with wooden pins, the making of which 

 kept the slaters in employment the greater part of the winter. 



Dr James Hunter, whom I have already mentioned in con- 

 nection with Moffat Well, in 1762 took off ground for and 

 built three houses on the east side of the High Street, the 

 side being now known as Bath Place. And in 1764 Archibald 

 Blacklock, merchant, feued a piece of ground, which is 

 described in the charter as " of that part of the ten pound land 

 of Moffat lying on the east side of the town of Moffat with the 

 houses presently thereon, bounded on the south by the north 

 g-avel of the Brickhouse on the west side of the Kirkyard be- 

 longing to James Beaty, Baxter in Moffat, and presently pos- 

 sessed by Adam Johnstone, saddler there ; on the west by the 

 street of Moffat leading from the Market Place to the Millburn ; 

 on the north by the new entry into the Kirkyard at forty feet 

 distance from the said north gavel of the foresaid Brickhouse ; 

 and on the east by the Kirkyard in the line of the back of the 

 east side of the said Brickhouse, extending on the front to 

 the street forty feet or thereby." The reference in this 

 charter to the new entrance to the Kirkyard is interesting, as 

 on the plan of 1758 the entrance is shewn in Holm Street, Mr 

 Anderson's ironmongery warehouse now occupying the site. 



The reason for changing the entrance was that the bury- 

 ing ground in the Kirkyard was completely filled up, and to 

 make room the whole area was made up with new. earth fullv 

 four feet. I was told may a year ago by one who was assist- 

 ing the gravedigger to dig a grave that they came on the 

 old gravel walk fully four feet down, and the ground in the 

 Churchyard is about that height above all the ground sur- 

 rounding it. This alteration also accounts for the scarcity of 



I 



