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DALRY, Kirkcudbrightshire - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

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The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer (1868)]

"DALRY, a parish in the county of Kirkcudbright, Scotland. It contains a village of its own name, and is bounded by the counties of Ayr and Dumfries, and the parishes of Carsphairn, Kells, and Balmaclellan. It has an extreme length of 14 miles, with an extreme breadth of 7½ miles. The river Ken bounds it on the N.W., W., and S., and with the exception of the finely wooded valley of that stream, the surface is for the most part hilly and pastoral, and rises into high mountains on the N. and E.; Black Larg, the northern termination, attaining an elevation of 2,900 feet above the sea. Numerous small streams rise among the hills, and the lochs of Lochinvar, Troston, Knockman, and Knocksting are much frequented by fishers on account of the excellent trout which they contain. Salmon, trout, and pike abound in the Ken. Salmon, however, except in floods, cannot ascend farther than to a cascade at Earlston, which they are seen making ineffectual efforts to ascend. In Lochinvar are the ruins of a castle, anciently belonging to the Gordons of Lochinvar, more recently viscounts of Kenmure. This parish, like the neighbouring mountain districts, retains many traditions respecting the persecutions of the Covenanters under the Stuarts. In the N.W. corner of the churchyard of Dalry are buried Major Stuart of Ardoch, and John Grierson, who were shot by Graham of Claverhouse in 1684. The principal landowners, besides others, are Forbes of Callendar and Oswald of Auchencruive. The village of Dalry, also called the Clachan of Dalry and St. John's Town of Dalry, is situated near the river Ken, at the southern angle of the parish. This parish is in the presbytery of Kirkcudbright, and synod of Galloway, and in the patronage of Forbes of Callendar. The church was formerly dedicated to St. John the Apostle. Prior to 1640, when the parish of Carsphairn was established, Dalry included the extensive district lying between the Ken and the Dough. The church was rebuilt in 1831, at an expense of £1,400, in the form of a cross; and the manse in 1829, at a cost of £1,100. In the church are marble tablets to the Kenmure family. The stipend is 17 chalders-half oatmeal and half barley-and varies yearly. The average of seven years preceding 1863 has been £280. There is an United Presbyterian church in the village, and a Free church about a mile to the east of it, both of which derive some benefit from the "Ferguson Bequest Fund." There are two parochial schools, the one at Corseglass, the other at Stroanfreggan. There is also a grammar school, about half a mile from the village, maintained by an endowment of £50, arising from £1,133 vested in Consols, arising from 10 acres of land."

"CLUCHAN ST. JOHN, a village in the parish of Dalry, in the county of Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 6 miles N. of New Galloway."

"ST. JOHN'S CLACHAN, a village in the parish of Dalry, county Kirkcudbright, Scotland, near New Galloway, now called Dalry."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]