is also an excellent garden wall, to the erection of which the present incumbent contributed a considerable proportion, and thus rendered it much superior to what the heritors were bound by law to erect.

The extent of the glebe, inclusive of the site of the manse and garden, is 9 acres; its value about L. 12 per annum. The stipend amounts to L.158, 6s. 8d., and is made up of the fiar prices of 13 bolls, 2 firlots 3 pecks 1 lippy of oatmeal, and of 3 bolls of bear, together with L. 60, 2s. 74d. payable by the family of Lee and Carnwath, and L.83, 11s. 14d. payable by the Exchequer. The minister has right to twelve days' casting of peats in the Borland Moss, and four days' casting of turf on the Borland Moor, which servitudes have not been allowed to go into desuetude.

There is at Elsrickle a small chapel fast hastening to a state of ruin. It belonged to the Antiburghers. They called a minister in 1760, who officiated there on a scanty subsistence till his death in 1791. Since that time, the congregation has joined the Established Church or the Dissenters at Biggar.

The number of persons of all ages connected with the Established Church is 313; of whom there are on an average 138 communicants. Consequently, the number of persons of all ages attending the chapels of Dissenters and Seceders are 173; there being two Roman Catholics. Of these 81 are communicants. Divine service at the Established Church is generally well attended.

Education.-There is one parochial school, and one supported partly by fees, and partly by the contributions of heads of families. The parochial school is at Walston; the other at Elsrickle. The branches generally taught are, reading, writing, and arithmetic; and geography, algebra, and Latin are also taught; but the number learning the two latter do not amount to more than three or four on an average. The parochial teacher attended college for two sessions. His salary is L. 30 per annum; and

This is noticed here without the smallest intention of reflecting upon the beritors of this parish, who have not only fulfilled their legal obligations without a murmur during the writer's incumbency, though these, from the wretched state in which the church and manse were at its commencement, amounted to a considerable sum, but on all occasions acted towards him in the most liberal manner; but that those who come after him may know that he has done something to add to their comfort, and to beautify the place, and may be led to do more for their suc. cessors than his predecessors did for him. At his entrance the buildings were rui nous, and the glebe scourged after getting a bad name. Things are now somewhat altered for the better.

E

the amount of school fees from L. 10 to L. 11. He has the legal accommodations, with the exception of a garden, in lieu of which 3 he receives L. 2, 2s. annually. The teacher of the Elsrickle school has attended college one session; and his emoluments may be valued at about L. 30 yearly. The fees at both schools for reading, writing, and arithmetic conjoined, are 3s. per quarter. All between the ages of six and fifteen can read and write, or are learning to do both. The people are in general very much alive to the benefits of education; the best proof of which is the existence of a school at Elsrickle, where the children of the south side of the parish are nearly half-educated before they reach the age when they could attend, especially in winter, at Walston, not from the distance, but from the necessity of crossing the hill in that inclement season. Both schools are well taught.

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Library. A parochial library was commenced in 1814; and at present consists of 500 volumes, which have been carefully selected, and, as their appearance indicates, read with much assiduity. Friendly Society. There is a Friendly Society, which was instituted in 1808, and is not confined to parishioners. It is in a flourishing condition, and must have been beneficial in its effects, promoting economy, and cherishing the feeling of independence in the district.

Savings' Bank.-A Savings' Bank was instituted at Biggar in 1832, in which a few of the parishioners of Walston have from time to time invested small sums.

Poor and Parochial Funds.-The amount of collections in church on an average of the last ten years is L. 6, 0s. 84d. yearly. A trifling addition is annually made to this sum by money received for the use of a mortcloth, and a small charge on proclamations of banns. The only other fund available for the relief of the poor is the interest of two thousand merks, mortified by the Baillies, the former proprietors of the parish; and for which there is an heritable bond, of date 15th January 1720, granted by George Lockhart of Carnwath to the minister and kirk-session, and sasine thereon, registered at Edinburgh 20th February 1720, in the 115th Book of the New General Register of Sasines, pp. 221, &c. What further is required for the relief of the poor is made up by voluntary contributions from the heritors according to their valued rents. In general, 4d. per pound of valued rent, amounting to L. 20, 10s. 11 d., has been found more than suffi

cient. On one or two occasions, however, within the last few years, a voluntary contribution of 6d. per pound of valued rent has been required. Out of this sum, however, it ought to be mentioned that several carts of coals are yearly paid for to persons not on the poor's roll, which are driven gratuitously by the farmers. The deserving poor are backward to apply for parochial relief; but here, as elsewhere, those of a different description are sufficiently ready to make application.

Inns. An inn has lately been set up on the confines of the parish, on the Edinburgh and Dumfries road, where such accommodation was much wanted for travellers. Hitherto it has had no perceptible bad effects on the morals of the people, from most of whom it is at a considerable distance.

Fuel. The fuel consists chiefly of coal brought from a distance of about ten miles. Peat, however, is still in use, and dug in con

siderable quantities.

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS.

This parish has undergone a favourable change since the former Statistical Account was drawn up. Fences of thorn have grown up, and stone dikes have been built-many acres, as already mentioned, have been added to the arable land by draining and improving moss-and the climate in the low grounds must have been benefited by this last improvement—a commencement of plantation has been made in the west end of the parish, and the growth of the trees affords every encouragement to persevere. Some good slated houses have lately been erected at Elsrickle, on feus granted by Mr Woddrop. The gross rental is stated in the former Account to have been L. 700 per annum. It is now L. 2046.

Much still remains to be done in draining, fencing, and planting. The last particularly is needed, and would in a few years amply repay the expense. The cottages in general ought to be made more comfortable. While the inmates are in the vigour of life, and in the enjoyment of health, they may be less sensible of the defects of their habitations; but when they are labouring under disease, or the infirmities of age, more particularly in winter and spring, they feel them but too severely. The improvements necessary to render them more comfortable could be made at a trifling expense; and it is hoped that nothing more is necessary to the accomplishment of this amelioration, than to call the attention of the heritors of the parish generally to its necessity and import

ance to the great body of the people.

How can those on whom

a bountiful God has bestowed an abundant portion of the good things of this world, better demonstrate their gratitude to Him, who has given them all, than by their attention to the necessities, whether temporal or spiritual, of those to whom he has been less bountiful, and whose comfort he has made in a great measure dependent upon their care and kindness? The blessings of the poor, and of those who are ready to perish are highly valued by every right thinking man, and they will not fail to descend upon the head of those, who lay out a portion of their substance in improving the dwellings where the sick and the aged await the will of the Lord of all.

May 1840. Revised August 1840.

PARISH OF SYMINGTON.

PRESBYTERY OF BIGGAR, SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE.

THE REV. JOHN FORBES, MINISTER.*

I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY. Situation, Extent, &c.-SYMINGTON is situated 30 miles southwest from Edinburgh, and 33 miles south-east from Glasgow. The parish is 3 miles in length and 13 miles in breadth. It is bounded on the north and east by the Clyde; on the south by the parish of Wiston; and on the west by the parishes of Carmichael and Covington.

The arable land lies along the banks of the Clyde, and the pas ture reaches to the top of Tinto, on which there is a cairn of stones, said to be the remains of a Druidical temple. This mountain, though not the highest in Scotland, yet being about 2400 feet above the level of the sea, commands a beautiful and most extensive prospect: With the naked eye, you can see part of sixteen different counties. The village is situated at the foot of a rising ground, called the Castle-hill, which has formerly been a place of strength, and is now planted with various kinds of trees.+

Name. The parish of Symington is said by Chalmers in his

Drawn up from Notes furnished by Mr John Bell, Parochial Schoolmaster of Symington.

† Old Statistical Account.

Caledonia to have derived its name from Symon Loccard, who lived during the reign of Malcolm IV. and William the Lion; who, having obtained a grant of this territory, called the place of his settlement Symons-toun. He adds, " in the charters of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it is called Symon's town; "villa Symonis;" and more specially "villa Symonis Loccard." The name of Symonstown was afterwards abbreviated to Symontoun; and in modern times the name has been corrupted to Symingtoun The parish of Symontoun in Kyle derived its name from the same Symon Loccard, who was the progenitor of the Lockharts of Lee, and other families of the same name. The manor of Symonstoun in Clydesdale continued in possession of the descendants of Symon Loccard till the reign of Robert I., when it passed to Thomas, the son of Richard, who assumed from it the local surname of Symontoun; and the family of Symontoun of Symontoun continued to hold this barony till the seventeenth century, when it returned to the Lockharts. Symon Loccard, the first settler, erected at Symonstoun a chapel, which for some time was subordinate to the church, which was called "Wudekirk," or Wodekirk, the parochial district of which comprehended the territories of Tancardstoun and Symonstoun. The abbot and monks of Kelso, indeed, claimed the chapel of Symonstoun as a dependent of the church of Wicestoun; and they prevailed in this unfounded claim, by obtaining a resignation of the chapel, upon the condition, that the chaplain presented by Symon Loccard should hold possession of it during his life. The monks of Kelso acquired a better founded right to the chapel of Symonstoun, by obtaining a grant of the church, which was called Wudekirk, to which it was certainly subordinate. Before the year 1232, the territory of Symonstoun was detached from Wodekirk, and established a distinct parish, and the chapel of Symonstoun was made a parish church. The church of Symonstoun continued to belong to the monks of Kelso till the Reformation. The monks enjoyed the rectorial revenues; and a vicarage was established for serving the cure. An account of the property of the monks of Kelso, which was made up by the monks themselves some time between 1309 and 1316, states that they had the church of Symonstoun" in rectoria,” which used to be worth L. 19 yearly. In Bagimont's Roll, the vicarage of Symonstoun in the deanery of Lanark, was taxed L. 2, 13s. 4d. being a tenth of the estimated value of its spiritual revenues. At the Reformation, William Symontoun of Hardington held a lease