TROQUEER, Kirkcudbrightshire - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

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

"TROQUEER, a parish, county Kirkcudbright, Scotland. It is situated on the eastern border of the county, and comprises Maxwelltown, a burgh of barony, and a suburb of Dumfries. The parish extends in length about 8; miles, from College Loch on the N. to the mouth of New Abbey-Pow on the S., with an extreme breadth of 4½ miles, and is bounded on the N. by Terrigles, on the E. by the river Nith, which separates it from Dumfriesshire; on the S. and S.W. by New Abbey, and on the W. by Lochrutton. The prevailing rocks are mica-slate. This parish is in the presbytery and synod of Dumfries, and in the patronage of the crown. The stipend of the minister is about £353. The parish church is situated about a mile S. of Maxwelltown, near the river Nith. There are a Free church, chapel-of-ease, also a Free church school, and an endowed school at Maxwelltown. The principal seats are Kirconnel, Cargen, Mabie, Dalscairth, Goldielea, Terraughty, Carruchan, Cargenholm, and Mavis Grove."

"MAXWELLTOWN, a quoad sacra parish and burgh of barony, in the parish of Troqueer, diocese of East Kirkcudbright, county Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 1½ mile from Dumfries, and 73 miles from Edinburgh. It is a station on the Castle Douglas branch of the Glasgow and South-Western and Portpatrick railway. The town stands on the right bank of the river Nith, here crossed by two bridges, about nine miles from the sea at Solway Frith, and directly opposite the town of Dumfries, within the limits of which parliamentary borough it is included. It was called Bridgend before 1810, when it was erected into a free burgh of barony, and was then only a poorly inhabited village, but rapidly improved under the auspices of Mr. Maxwell, of Nithsdale. It now consists of three good streets, well paved and lighted, and several smaller streets or alleys, but, like London, it has no terrace or river frontage till below the old bridge, when the south hill, which rises abruptly from the water, is crowned by an observatory, once a windmill, and a range of houses fronting Dumfries. On the brink of the stream below the hill are numerous large corn mills, worked by water power, obtained by a high water weir, stretching diagonally across the whole breadth of the river. It contain a neat burgh or townhall, a Free church, and a chapel-of-ease to the parish church of Troqueer, which stands about a mile to the S. of the burgh. The living is in the presbytery of Dumfries, and in the patronage of the shareholders and heads of families. There are two iron foundries, two rope works, dye works, a waulk mill, tannery, and the Dumfries granaries; also, on the Maxwelltown side of the river, a fishery of salmon, grilse, and herrings. In the town are an endowed school, and a Free Church school, and a little out of the town, to the S., the parochial school. It is governed by a provost, two bailies, and four councillors, assisted under the General Police Act by twelve commissioners, three of whom are police magistrates. Justice of the peace courts, for recovery of small debts, are held on the first Thursday in each month, and Stewartry Circuit courts on the 9th January, April, and July, and on the 1st October."

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