52 Transactious. 
parish cut, or got cut and dried for themselves, ten or twenty 
carts of peats annually, a darg or half a darg, as the case might 
be. Farmers in many instances had a bit of peat moss in their 
own farms, and by their lease they had the privilege of cutting 
as much as they themselves or their cotmen needed, but they 
were restrained from selling off the ground. Those families in 
the parish who had not farms, or who did not live on farms which 
had peat mosses, paid for the privilege of cutting peats on Cloak 
Moss—10s for a darg of 20 carts; 5s for half a darg. The time 
chosen for the cutting was about Whitsunday. The day was a 
long one, beginning at 6 a.m. and ending at or about 6 p.m. 
Within these hours the party cutting were allowed to turn outas 
many cartfuls as they were able. Six hands working at the top 
of their speed could turn out twenty cartfuls ; three hands could 
turn out the half. 
At the time referred to coals were only obtainable from 
England. Small sloops brought them over from Cumberland, 
and discharged them either at the Scaur or from vessel’s side in 
Sandyhills’ Bay. But the supply was limited, and the times were 
uncertain. Now, by train, coals from Ayrshire are brought in 
any quantity to the neighbouring stations of Dalbeattie and 
Southwick ; and peats, except in small quantities for kindling, 
are unused even by the poorest. They are or would be dearer 
even than coals. 
Fifty years ago there were only two churches in the parish, 
and two religious denominations—the Parish Church on the 
Colvend side, attended by members and adherents of the E.C., 
and the Meeting House at Mainsriddel, owned by the seceders 
from the National Church some 80 or 90 years before, but 
attended largely by adherents of the H.C. living in Southwick, 
their own Church being too distant for them to attend regularly. 
This Church is now, or was until very lately, owned by the 
descendants of the original seceders, or their representatives who 
mostly belong to the U.P. body. 
Colvend and Southwick were for long separate parishes, with 
separate ministers, each having its own church. But towards 
the beginning of last century they were united under one 
minister, the stipend being inadequate for the support of two. 
This union of the parishes and suppression of one was to the 
inhabitants of Southwick a real evil, for they all belonged to 
the one church, the National Church. It removed them to an 
