Wilton parish - a descriptive account

"WILTON, a parish in Teviotdale, Roxburghshire. It contains the villages of Dean and Appletree-Hall, the Wilton suburb of the post-town of Hawick, and another small portion of that town. It is bounded on the north-west by Ashkirk, and a detached part of Selkirk; on the north and north-east by Minto; on the east by Cavers; on the south-east and south by Hawick; and on the west by Roberton. It is nearly a parallelogram, extending north-east and south-west. Its length is a little upwards of 5 miles; its greatest breadth is 4 miles; and its superficial extent is about 17½ square miles. Borthwick-water traces the boundary on the south. The Teviot, coming down from the south-west, and receiving the tribute of the Borthwick, traces for 5 miles the south-eastern and eastern boundary, but cuts off a tiny wing of edificed territory at the town of Hawick. The haughs and hill-screens which recede from the river are everywhere beautiful; and part of them, a little south of the middle, forms the larger section of the fine close hill-locked landscape of the town of Hawick's environs. Though the interior is all hilly, the heights are broad-based, and gentle in the ascent; and they generally admit the dominion of the plough, and become pastoral only toward the north-western boundary. About two-thirds of the area is in tillage; and most of the other third, though now continually in pasture, has been turned up by the plough. The soil is in general fertile and well-cultivated. About 100 acres are covered with plantation. Limestone abounds, and has been of great advantage in improving the arable land. The principal landowner is the Duke of Buccleuch. The value of assessed property in 1864 was 13,199 pounds 8s. 5d.; real rental in 1857, 11,043 pounds 16s. 1d. Wilton-lodge, formerly the property of Lord Napier, is charmingly situated on the Teviot, about a mile above Hawick. The small wing of the parish which lies on the right bank of the Teviot, forms part of what is called the Sandbed, and is the site of Hawick grammar-school, and of a small portion of the town. Wilton suburb consists principally of a long street, which commences near the end of the old bridge across the Teviot, and files away in the segment of a circle behind the town's 'common haugh'. It contains about one-half of the parish's population; and, as to its factories and nearly all its social interests, is completely identified with Hawick, so as to have been virtually described in our notice of that town. The parish is traversed by the road from Edinburgh to Carlisle, and contains the terminus of the Hawick railway. Population in 1831, 1,866; in 1861, 3,357. Houses, 321.

This parish is in the presbytery of Jedburgh, and synod of Merse and Teviotdale. Patrone, the Duke of Buccleuch. Stipend, 294 pounds 2s. 9d.; glebe, 30 pounds. Unappropriated teinds, 412 pounds 2s. 6d. Schoolmaster's salary now is 35 pounds, with 43 pounds fees, and 6 pounds other emoluments. The parish church was built in 1762, enlarged in 1801, and repaired in 1829, and contains 460 sittings. Part of it is an aisle built in 1801; but while the upper portion of this is fitted up as a gallery, the lower portion is walled off from the church, and used as a burying-place. The ancient parish of Wilton was a rectory. The present parish of Wilton comprehends all the present parish of Wilton and part of the abrogated parish of Hassendean. Mr. Crawfurd and Dr. Charters, both former ministers of Wilton, are known, the former by a work entitled 'Dying Thoughts', and the latter by some published sermons."