:316 Stature of the Men of Roxburgh and Selkirk. 



three companies each.* The population of these two towns 

 has grown Irom 10,401 and 6433 respectively in 1861 to 

 19,204 and 17,252 in 1891; that of Selkirk from 3695 in 

 1861 to 6397 in 1891 ; in the other places it has been 

 practically stationary; that of Jedburgh was in 1861 3428. 

 in 1891 3397; that of Kelso in 1861 4309, in 1891 4184; 

 of Melrose in 1861 1141, in 1891 1432. Thus the six places 

 named may now be roughly described as two large and three 

 considerable towns, while one — Melrose— must, as to size, 

 though not in dignity, take rank as a country village. In 

 the main, therefore, the population from which the Border 

 Volunteers are recruited is a town population, with the last 

 named exception, the Melrose compan}' having obtained its 

 members not only in that place, but also to no inconsiderable 

 extent from the surrounding country, including the villages 

 of Darnick, Gattouside, Newstead, Newtown, and St. Boswells. 

 In the early days of the Volunteer movement there was a 

 sprinkling of country members in the other companies, but 

 this has long ceased to be the case to any appreciable extent. 

 As regards occupation, the Hawick, Galashiels, Selkirk, and 

 to a less extent the Jedburgh, corps have all along largely 

 consisted of factory workers, with, however, a considerable 

 admixture of artizans, shopkeepers, and clerks. At Kelso, 

 where there are no manufactures, these three classes 

 predominate, as is also the case even at Melrose, although 

 here there would be a larger proportion of men following 

 out-door occupations than at any of the other stations. 



The period covered by the Statistics here given extends 

 over 31 years, from 1860 to 1890 inclusive, with the exception 

 that as regards Galashiels the stature was not recorded 

 before 1866. and at Jedburgh not before 1865. 



It may be mentioned that the total number of names, 

 which appear in the books of the six detachments during 

 those 31 years, is upwards of 5300. Unfortunately, only a 

 comparatively small number of these Volunteers have been 

 available for the present purpose, chiefly for this reason, that 

 most of the Volunteers join the force at a very early age — 

 the minimum being supposed to be 17 years — and leave it 

 before they have reached full maturity. 



Dr Beddoe and other anthropologists consider the age of 



* The Selkirk detachment consisted for some years of two companies. 



