Transactions. sisi 
gardens in blossom fringing the rich agricultural lands which in 
gentle hill and valley trend towards Newabbey. 
Lastly, it was not a village of mushroom growth, but a very 
ancient one, dating at least from the 14th century. Here is the 
translation of an extract from a charter granted by King David 
2nd, dated a.p. 1365 :— 
To Roger Wodyfeld all those tenements in the burgh of 
Dumfries, and 20 pounds worth of land (vigints libratum terra ), 
with one house in the town of Trogwayre, which Janet, daughter 
of Walter Moffat, and Richard Duchti, her husband, had mort- 
gaged to the said Roger. Rob., Index, p. 77. 
Cosmo Innes says :-—‘“‘ The very ancient denominations of land 
from its value, librata, nummata denariata terrae, point at a 
valuation for some public purpose.” 
Having thus proved the existence of a very ancient village or 
small town of Troqueer, we corroborate the learned Chalmers in 
his derivation of the first syllable of its name. We also see the 
significance in ancient deeds of the Brigend being always called 
“of Dumfries ;’ and in the populous nature of both places we 
find an explanation for the parish church having from time 
immemorial been situated at this north-east part of the parish. 
Although this ancient village has disappeared, the locality has 
in modern times acquired fresh interest in its association with our 
national poet, Burns, who often traversed the Troqueer road to 
visit Mr Syme at Ryedale ; Dr Maxwell at Troqueer Holm ; or 
Mr Lewars, his superior officer in the Excise, who lived and, in 
1826, died in that quaint small house called Ryedale Cottage. 
It was on Mr Lewars’s sister Jessy that Burns composed the 
beautiful song, “Oh, wert thou in the cauld blast?” concerning 
which Dr Chambers, in his biography of the poet, thus writes :— 
“Many years after, when Burns had become a star in memory’s 
galaxy, and Jessy Lewars was spending her quiet years of widow- 
hood in a little parlour in Maxwelltown, the verses attracted the 
regard of Felix Mendelssohn, who married them to an air of 
exquisite pathos.” 
Two other houses Burns visited in the parish were Mavisgrove 
and Goldielea. 
The minutes of the Kirk-session are extant with a few blank 
years—from 1698, and give a view of ecclesiastical affairs long 
fallen into desuetude. It used to exercise a very strict super- 
vision over the congregation. The jurisdiction of these tribunals 
