Moffat and Upper Annandale. 203 



any very old monuments in the Kirkyard, as monuments which 

 had no one interested in them would be removed and broken 

 up, as has been done in similar circumstances many a time 

 previously and since. In fact, I have in my own time lifted a 

 hearthstone, which, when turned up, showed the inscription 

 on it. 



Blacklock's house is also interesting- from the fact that 

 in later years it probably was the howff in which the famous 

 splore was held that resulted in " Willie brewed a peck o' 

 maut. " 



The population of Moifat in the middle of the eighteenth 

 century was somewhere between 1500 and 1600. The majo- 

 rity of the householders, besides their ordinary occupations 

 as merchants, fleshers, horsekeepers, tanners, weavers, shoe- 

 makers, Wrights, saddlers, well-water carriers, barbers, gar- 

 deners, millers, drovers, and other indwellers, and feuars, 

 were all in occupation of land sufficient for a cow's grass or 

 more, and were all interested, jointly or singly, in some of 

 the sixty-two lots into which the grass parks about the town 

 had been divided. For instance, lots 12, 13, 14, along with 

 lot 40, about 31 acres in all, " being all that part of the 

 Viccarlands which lies on the south side of Annan Water, viz., 

 the Bernal park, the Middle park, and the East park, with 

 the Crooks that lie between them and the water, of which 

 whole grounds not to plough above one-half and to pasture 

 the remainder, together with 24 soums on the Common, as 

 also that part of the Bankland called the Capts. Faulds' of 

 which no- part to be broke up that is not presently in tillage, 

 except for potato beds, all set to Thomas Spence, shoemaker, 

 and John Short, wright, jointly, at 21 stg. of rent." 



Lot 5, ^i acres, with 3 soums on the Common, was set 

 to James Wilson, Doctor of the School of Moffat, at £.1, 15s 

 stg. of rent. A few years after, in 1766, this James Wilson 

 was accused of theft and fled the country. " Application was 

 made to the magistrates and ministers of Edinburgh, the elec- 

 tors upon Dr Johnstone's mortification, the oflice of Doctor 

 to said school was thereupon declared vacant, and James 

 Telfer was appointed to that office b> the curators' recom- 

 mendation." 



