Notes on Newton Don. By C. B. Balfour. 301 



compensation for the Eegality of Kelso/* though I believe the 

 ecclesiastical lands of Little Newton are still a part of the 

 Eoxburghe estates. 



The site of the chapel of Little Newton is probably the old 

 burial place of the Don family, outside the Mid Lodge of 

 Newton Don. The only other possible site is in the Lawn 

 Park, near a curiously twisted Larch tree — where the site of 

 the village of Little Newton is said to have been. Here, when 

 laying drains some years ago, the workmen came on some 

 stone coffins, which wei'e left in situ. On the other hand, most 

 of our old burial grounds are pre-E,eformation churchyards — as 

 is that of Nenthorn — and the Don family having apparently 

 always been Episcopalians, I should be inclined to think that 

 they would choose the consecrated ground of the old chapel 

 as their family burial ground, and not use a new site. Jeffrey 

 states that the mansion house is on the site of the old 

 chapel, but he quotes no evidence in support of his statement, 

 and I doubt its probability. 



There is a curious entry in the Retours of Heirs^^ of the 

 succession of one Alexander Lamb, in 1646, son and heir of 

 John Lamb in Little Newtoun, to half a merk land of Templar's 

 land — " dimidia mercata terree templarise arabilis infra villam 

 Little Newtoun" — showing that at one time the Templars had 

 possessions there, but it is the only trace of them that I 

 have met with. 



The village of Little Newton has now completely disappeared, 

 tradition says that one of the Dons removed it, which is not 

 unlikely. It is quite clear from the Kirk Session Eecords 

 that the population of Little Newton was much greater at 

 one time than it is now, though the population of the parish 

 has varied considerably within the last 150 years. 



In 1755 it was computed to be 497. 



1790 „ ,, 376. 



1831 „ ,, 380. 



1881 „ ,, 454. 



1891 „ „ 400. 



** Monastic Annals of Teviotdale, page 149, 

 *^ Retours of Heirs, xviii., 103. 



