OS1/10/41/1

List of names as written Various modes of spelling Authorities for spelling Situation Description remarks
MOUSWALD [parish] Parish of, Mouswald
Parish of, Mouswald
Mouswald
Mousewald
Mosswald or Muswald
The Statistical Account of Dumfries
Gazetteer of Scotland
Ecclesiastial Antiquities
Walker, Johnstone & Crawfords Co (County] Maps
Ancient Parish Records.
050; 056 [Situation] Near S.wn. [South western] extremity of Dumfriesshire lying midway between Rivers Nith and Annan
The Name of this Parish signifies the Wood near the moss the latter syllable being derived from the Saxon wealt or walda a woody district. It was formerly written Muswald & Mosswald It is now frequently written Mousewald, which seems incorrect as the elision of U is certainly more in unison with the derivation and mode adopted in precedents.
The Parish of Mouswald lies midway between the Rivers Nith and Annan, is bounded on the West by Torthorwald Parish,-on the North by that of Lochmaben,- on the East by Dalton- and on the South by Ruthwell, has no detached portion within the boundaries of another Parish nor within its limits a detached part of any other Parish. The Western Boundary is defined by Wath Burn a small Stream which empties itself into Lochar Water, at which point of junction the latter Stream traces the South-western boundary for about ¼ mile the South, East and Northern boundaries are not of any strongly-defined natural kind being walls palings runners and Roads. The appearance of the Parish is plain and level with some rising grounds which have however like most other hills in Lower Nithsdale a gentle acclivity, - its length is from 4 to 5 Miles its breadth from 2 to 3 Miles or per Statistics its Area is 8¼ Miles or 4725 Scotch Acres which is equal to 5953¼ Impl. [Imperial] The soil on the west side is of a light sandy Nature and contiguous to Lochar Moss at the S.W. [South West] it consists for the most part of a wet and marshy pasture - towards the East where the ground rises the Soil is very productive; the rent of which varies from £2.0.0 to 6.0.0 P [Per] Acre. Lochar Moss forms the S.wn [South western] district from which the people procure abundance of fuel. The classification of land may be 4,278. Cultivated, 1260 bad pasture and Moss, 256 improvable with advantage and 189 wood. No minerals abound and there is no manufacture carried on. The highest hill is 700 feet above sea level but is Cultivated to its summit,- several rills take their source in the upper grounds the largest of which is Mouswald Burn which creeps sluggishly over a distance of 3 miles to Wath Burn - numerous fine springs also contribute to water this Parish, several of which having dedicatory Names might imply their repute during Popish times. Lochar Water as previously noticed touching the Parish at the S.wn [South western] extremity is the only Considerable Stream. Two Turnpike Roads from Dumfries to Annan and Carlisle run through the Parish from N. W. [North West] to S.E. [South East] and Glasgow and South-Western Railway presents a similar direction towards Gretna. The Turnpike and Parish Roads are all in excellent repair. There Are three [Continued on Page 2]

Continued entries/extra info

[Page] 1
Parish of Mouswald -- Co. [County] Dumfries

Transcriber's notes

check 1st entry of Authority - there appears to be a superscript written after 'Dumfries' - but it doesn't look like shire or parish or old/original/first, or new/second

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