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Continued entries/extra info

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Parish of Sanquhar -- County of Dumfries

County of Ayr which ranges from North-West to South-East - the average thickness of which is about 4 feet, at a depth of from 4 to 32 fathoms.- Red
Sandstone 6 feet thick generally intervenes between the Seams.- At the East side of the Parish about 9 miles E. [East] from Sanquhar Burgh are situated Wanlockhead Lead Mines,
which join those of Leadhills in the adjoining Parish of Crawford-John in Lanarkshire.- The Surface - said to be about 1500.' above Sea level - is bleak and mountainous, the
prevailing rock being greywacke and greywacke slate, yellow at the surface but black towards its centre.- These mines have been wrought at the depth of 60. 75. 93 and even 136.
fathoms.- The veins are from a few inches to 4 feet in width.- One vein is traceable on the surface by shafts and the ground being somewhat slackened and hollowed.- The head
Mines have been worked since 1680. Three hundred men are said to have been employed in the Search for gold in the neighbourhood of Wanlockhead during the 16th Century, and
to have collected of that metal to the value of £100,000. Stg. [Sterling] Many heaps of Sandse. [Sandstone] are still to be seen where Searches were then made.- Gold in very small quantities, in some few instances from
sixty to ninety grains, are frequently found by the miners.- Limestone Rock also exists near Castle-Gilmour towards the centre of Parish, the Stratum of which about 4 feet thick has about it
one of Freestone 2½ feet thick with blaes underneath.- White Sandstone occurs throughout the Parish which is well adapted to building purposes.- An extensive manufactory of Carpets
is carried on at the village of Crawick-mill which employs about 150 hands. About 100,000 yards of Carpets are annually exported therefrom.- There are two other minor Factories &c. [et cetera]
The Glasgow and South-Western Railway intersects the Parish passing along the East side of the Burgh of Sanquhar.- The Town of Sanquhar was created a Burgh of Barony
by James III. in 1484, and constituted a Royal Burgh by James VI, 29th August 1598. It was for may years thereafter called or written Sanquharburgh.- It Consists principally of one
Street which extends from West to S.E.E. [South South East] Chains the greater part of which is appropriately termed Main Street.- The houses which are built of the white Sandstone of the district are two storeys high and in general in
good repair and instead of the thatched roof which recently prevailed are with few exceptions slated.- In it are a Town Hall, the Established Church, two United Presbyterian Churches, a Free Church, a Parish School,
two branch Banks, two Inns, Post Office (sub) Gas wirks &c. &c. [et cetera et cetera] - The revenue is £40 yearly - The Civic functionaries are a Provost, two Bailies, Dean of Guild, Treasurer, four Councillors and Town Clerk - The Population
composed chiefly of Weavers and Colliers, was, at the last census 2,391.- There are two important villages Crawick-mill and Wanlockhead.- The former is a pleasant village situate in the Burgh part of the
Parish about one mile N.-W. [North-West] from Sanquhar on the Crawick Water. The houses are in general one storey high, and present altogether a regular, neat and clean appearance.- The population who are almost entirely
composed of workers at the Carpet Factory - may be about 190. Wanlockhead is an ancient village - squatted at the head of a lonely glen distant about 9 miles E [East] from Sanquhar. The houses are scattered [sna?]
of which are of primitive construction and in wretched Condition (Smollet wrote Humphrey Clinker in one of them) which, coupled with the bleak and extremely desolate locality around with an elevation of about 1500 feet
it may readily be supposed that voluntary choice does little to augment the population of this village which numbers about 715 miners and others in some way dependent on the Lead Mines. In it is a Chapel
upheld by the Duke of Buccleuch, the Minister of which tho' [though] a licenciate of the Scotch Established Church does not participate in the priveleges or take part in the deliberations of the
General Assembly of that body.- There is also a Free Church (a wooden structure) a commodious School (private) and a good library. There is also another village or hamlet near the
Centre of Parish called Menock.- The principal proprietors are the Duke of Buccleuch and James Veitch Esqre. The Farm houses are commodious and in excellent repair.-
The Population at the last Census was 4,081. The Turnpike to Ayr intersects the Parish, and runs through the Burgh, two lines branching therefrom, respectively to Lanarkshire and to Burgh of Dumfries.
The Parish of Sanquhar was considered until a very recent period, as almost destitute of antiquities.- The Revd. Dr. [Reverend Doctor] Simpson
minister of one of the United Presbyterian Churches in Sanquhar - an accomplished Scholar and learned Antiquarian - has however, by deep study and actual research on the ground attribut[ed]
to the district an entirely reverse Character.- "There are few places" Says he in his History of Sanquhar (1853) "that abound with as many remnants of hoar antiquity within
"a narrow compass, as does this locality".- This Author having been consulted personally by Examiners and descriptive extracts from his Work on the Antiquities of this Parish
having also been supplied in the remarks respectively upon these objects of Antiquity, it seems only necessary to give the more particular data assigned by Dr. [Doctor] Simpson thereto, as proof
characteristic of their antiquity &c. [et cetera]- As the first in the series, the Scene of a Battle with Tumuli has been pointed out near the Centre of Parish - supposed Celtic, which construction is borne out by
"many graves all lying North & South - a proof that they existed prior to the Age of Christianity in this Country, else the graves would have been laid East and West".- On the same ground the
Site of a Cairn has also been shewn "we say the Site [both underlined for emphasis] for the Stones have been removed for building fences" and which Cairn "must have been the resting place of the Chieftain who fell in
the battle.- The Author however probably examined this Site previous to the carrying off of the Stones which composed this relic, for says he, "it was the finding of this Cairn that led to the discovery of the
"whole Battle Field". Another reputed Celtic Antiquity is an old Wall stretching from North-West to South-East along the lower division of Parish at intervals well defined especially a little to
the South-West of Sanquhar Burgh near [Barr] where it is from 12 to 14 feet at its base, and about 5 feet in height , having a trench on the outside three feet deep.- The originators or purpose of Construction
Or. [Over]

Transcriber's notes

Some of the text on the image is obscured at the binding. Most I have been able to complete but some not.

Re Smollet and Humphrey Clinker: the author is Tobias Smollet and the book The Expedition of Humphry Clinker (17 June 1771).

I am uncertain of the transcription of "Barr" on the last line of this page, but today Barr and Old Barr are places to the South-West of Sanquhar town, in the right direction anyway.