Internet Archive - Texts
Below is an excerpt from
from the 1892 - 93 session, it makes for fascinating reading. Here is a link to it if you want to read more: Transactions and Journals of the Proceedings of the Dumfrieshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society
Below I have included a section on the Parish of Colvend which included Kippford and Rockcliffe.
Nowadays the name Colvend is generally held to refer to a village and not the Parish. (Although it is still the Parish of Colvend). The village we know as Colvend was originally the village of Loch End as it clustered around the Southern end of White Loch. You can still see the building that used to be the Smithty, a single story, simple barn like building that stands gable on to the road (A710). It is now used as a garage for the appropriately named Forge Cottage.
It gives a wonderful insight into the history of the area and suggests that the Parish of Colvend should be a model for other Parishes and Districts. Happy reading!
Colvend differs from the majority of parishes, which, as a
rule, are divided, and belong to a few individuals. In many cases a single individual owns the whole. In Colvend it is different. At the beginning of the time with which my paper is concerned, the parish was divided into eighteen or nineteen properties, owned by as many proprietors or heritors. One of these properties, the Barony of Barcloy, was held in trust by the Kirk Session of Caerlaverock, for the poor of Caerlaverock, and for the higher education of the children of Caerlaverock. This gave rise to the witticism, "The poor of Caerlaverock are the lairds of Couen." Of the eighteen or nineteen properties into which the parish is divided, two of the larger — Fairgirth and Auchenskeooli have changed hands, and to the former Meikle- cloak has been added, to the latter Glensone and Ryes. Glen- stocken, the property of Mr Carrick Moore, near relative of Sir John Moore, the hero of Corunna, was purchased by the late Mark Sprot Stewart of Southwick, and is now owned by his son. Sir Mark J. Stewart, Bart. Kipp was acquired by purchase from the Crosbie family, by Mr Chalmers, the present proprietor. Auchenhill and Orchardknowes are owned by Lord Young, and Clonyard by Mr M'Call. In other respects properties in the parish, considered I'elatively to the number of owners, and to the size of the properties, continue unchanged. The number of landed proprietors is still nearly the .same. The estates and properties vary much in size and value. In one or two instances the rental touches or did touch, a few years ago, £2000. In others it ranges between £200 and £800, and in some instances it comes down to £50, £30, and even less. To me this gradation in ownership has always seemed pleasing, and in many respects desirable, and in this respect I have often considei'ed Colvend unique. I know no other parish similarly circumstanced as to ownership. Inseparably, indeed, connected with the ownership of the land are the tenantry or tenant farmers of a parish The tenant farmers of Colvend, like the proj)rietors, rent and occupy farms of varying size, and of rents varying according to the size and value of their holdings. Some of the farms in the parish are wholly agricultural, but many have attached to them portions of moorland or hill pasture, and in one or two instances the hill and moorland pasture constitutes the more valuable portion of the farm. The rents vary from £100 to £200 and £300, and in one instance runs up to £600, but this inchides two farms, one of which is known as what is called a led farm. The others graduate down to £50 or £40. These latter are tenanted in many cases by those who in their early life were farm servants, or day labourers, who have been industrious and saving, and were able to begin farming in a small way, and on their own account. From these latter not unfrequently spring the men who rent the largest and best cultivated farms in the district. This also is a feature character- istic of Colvel^d, and which I should gladly see extended to other parishes and districts.
