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WHITBURN, West Lothian - 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)]

"WHITBURN, a parish in county Linlithgow, Scotland. It is a station on the Morningside branch of the North British railway. The parish contains a village of its own name, and that of Longridge, and part of the village of Blackburn. It extends in length about 6¼ miles from E. to W., with an extreme breadth of 4 miles, and is bounded on the N. by Lanarkshire and Bathgate, on the E. by Livingstone, on the S. by Edinburghshire, and on the W. by Lanarkshire.

At the W. end, and nearly along its centre, is a lofty ridge of deep and barren moss, but elsewhere it is moderately even, and in an excellent state of cultivation. The parish is drained by the Almond Water and its tributary, the Briech Water. The rocks are all of the carboniferous formation, with veins of trap. Sandstone is quarried, and coal and ironstone are worked to a large extent. There are several mineral springs. The parish is traversed by the road from Linlithgow to Wilsonton, and by the S. road from Edinburgh to Glasgow.

The village of Whitburn is about 2¾ miles S.W. of Blackburn, and 21 S.W. from Edinburgh. This parish is in the presbytery of Linlithgow and synod of Lothian and Tweedale. The stipend of the minister is about £203. The parish church was erected in 1718, and is situated at the village of Whitburn. There are two Free churches respectively situated at Whitburn and Longridge, and an United Presbyterian church.

There are also two public libraries and a parochial school. The principal seats are Polkemmet, Culthouse, Berryhill, and Mosshalt, in the N., and Burnhead, Crofthead, Craighead, and Fauldhouse in the S. This parish formed part of Livingstone till 1730."

"BONHARD, a village in the parish of Whitburn, in the county of Linlithgow, Scotland, 4 miles from Whitburn. In the vicinity are the Flow Moss coal-works."

"CULTHOUSE, a village in the parish of Whitburn, in the county of Linlithgow, Scotland, 20 miles from Edinburgh."

"FAULDHOUSE, a village in the parish of Whitburn, county Linlithgow, Scotland, 3 miles S. of Whitburn."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcription ©2003]