Moffat and UpI'er Annandale. 20'J 



in great disrepair," and it required a considerable outlay on 

 the house and the erection of new offices to make it suitable for 

 Mr Storey, " the total cost amounting to more than was 

 expected from the dearness of material and workmanship, 

 but its believed was done very sufficiently." Mr Storey's 

 settlement in Moffat evidently had the effect the Earl desired 

 in toning down the destructive spirit of the inhabitants, 

 because long before the end of the century the Moffat folks 

 were relieved from the daily presence of the factor, as he was 

 relegated back to Dryfe again, where the factor for the time 

 being has resided ever since. After Mr Storey left Moffat 

 the north wing of Moffat House was reserved for the factor's 

 office here, and had accommodation for him staying over 

 night if he required to do so, the house being- in charge of a 

 housekeeper, whose sole duty was to attend to the wants of 

 the factor when here, and on rent days prepare and attend 

 the refreshments usually given to the tenants after paying- 

 their rent. Latterly the whole of Moffat House has been in 

 the occupation of the tenant, and the office removed to a 

 couple of rooms in the Market, the factor usually attending- 

 there once a week on Fridays. 



There has been a tradition here, and the Moffat Guide 

 Books repeat it, that Dr Park's house was originally the 

 Moffat Manse, but the minute quoted with reference to the 

 Boes disposes of that contention. The Rev. Alex. Brown, who 

 wrote the Statistical Account for 1792, refers to the Manse as 

 being- built where it now is, on the west side of the town, in 

 1770, and as the Boes, as shewn above, had been in occupa- 

 tion of that house for many a year previous to that time, it is 

 evident that the Manse must have been a different building. 

 In the plan of 1758 there were three buildings shewn between 

 this house and the Kirkyard, these houses projecting the full 

 depth of the house in front of Boe's ; and it is probable that 

 one of these was the Old Manse. They were cleared away, 

 and the ground now in the possession of the Union Bank 

 was shewn on a later plan as Mr Storey's garden. Dr Park's 

 house has been known as Vicarlands beyond the memory of 

 the oldest inhabitant ; but from here right over to the Ball- 

 plav Road all the fields are described and known as Vicar- 

 land holms. 



