THE GLENKENS IN THE OLDEN TIMEs. 141 
entrance to the church. The burial place of the Gordons of 
Lochinvar and Viscounts of Kenmure is in an old tomb which 
appears to have been at one time joined to the church. The 
village at one time is said to have beena furlong from the church, 
but is now built down to a level with it. 
The old inn of Midtown, where the rebellion broke out that 
resulted in the battle of Rullion Green, in 1666, was at the upper 
end of the village. ‘The old house has now been taken down, and 
a new house built in the old courtyard. 
In 1629 Sir John Gordon of Lochinvar applied to the Scottish 
Parliament for authority to erect part of his lands with the houses 
thereon into a Royal Burgh. It was thought St. John’s Clauchan 
was meant to be the place, but in 1633 the Scottish Parliament 
granted a charter for the village of Roddings being created a 
Royal Burgh, as it was more convenient to Kenmure. It was to 
be called the Burgh of Galloway, now New Galloway, the corpo- 
ration to consist of a Provost, four Bailies, a Dean of Guild, and 
twelve Councillors. Its patron died before his design of building 
the town was fully carried out. A weekly market was, however, 
established, and a farmers’ club, both of which proved -of much 
benefit to the district for many years. Anannual cattle show was 
also established then, which has continued till now, and is said to 
have been the parent of all the cattle shows in Scotland. 
The Forest of Buchan was a royal hunting forest. About the 
year 1500 it occupied an immense area, including large tracts of 
land in the parishes of Kells, Carsphairn, and Minnigaff. From 
Loch Doon it extended to Loch Dee, Loch Trool, and the river 
Cree. The farms included in the Forest in the parish of Kells 
were Garvary, Bush, Forest, Darnaw, Dukieston, Knockreoch, 
Woodhead, Strangassel, Knocknalling, Stranfasket, Burnhead, 
Largmore, Drumbuie, and Barskeoch. Much of the land included 
in this area was bare rocky heath; but there were also in it some 
rich and well-sheltered pastures, and many beautiful glens, the 
whole abounding with game. As late as 1684 Symson writes —- 
“There are very large red deer, and about the mountain tops 
the farmachan or ptarmigan, a bird about the size of a grouse 
cock. Kagles, both grey and black, also bred there.” The latest 
eagle seen among the hills was trapped near Loch Dee about 1860. 
The limits of the forest gradually contracted, and in the 17th 
century only the part lying in Minnigaff retained the name of the 
