NUMBER VIII.

PARISH OF LAUDER.

By the Rev. Dr JAMES FORD.

THE

Name, Situation, and Surface.

It is

HE name of Lauder feems to be of Celtic original, derived from the word lade, which fignifies the paffage, or course, and fometimes the mouth, of a river; and it is literally applicable to the fituation. It is fituated in the higheft part of the Merfe, or Berwickshire. It extends about eight miles from north to fouth; but the bulk of the parish is contained in four miles, upon the ftrath of Lauder water. bounded by the parifhes of Channelkirk, Stow, Melrofe, Earlfton, Legerwood, and Weftruther. The foil is rather light and fandy. It is in general fertile; and, of late, has been highly cultivated. The ground rises gradually from the river, on each fide, to hills of a moderate height, and mostly green. They are covered with a mixture of heath and juniper, which makes excellent sheep pasture.

Cultivation, Produce, Farms, &c.-There may be about nine fquare miles in corn and hay grafs. Sown grafs, for pasture and for hay, is much cultivated. The hay fells from 4 d. to 7 d. per stone, according to the demand. Good Good crops of wheat have been produced; but this grain is thought to be

too

too exhaufting for the foil. Excellent oats and barley are raised, and exported weekly to Dalkieth and Edinburgh, efpecially oats and oatmeal. The foil produces flax in great perfection; but, at prefent, it is only cultivated for the ufe of the inhabitants. Turnip and potatoes are reared to a great extent; and sheep and oxen fed here with much advantage. The average rent of farms is from L. 50 to L. 150 per annum. In the neighbourhood of Lauder, the land lets from 20 to 40 hillings per acre; but the average rent of arable land is from 5 to 10 fhillings per acre. Since the late improvements in husbandry commenced, fome farms have been divided into two or three, and fome fmaller ones have been united, according to the fkill or ability of the tenant. There is little land inclosed, except in the neighbourhood of Lord Lauderdale's houfe. All are convinced of the advantages of this practice; and it will probably advance with confiderable rapidity. There was formerly abundance of natural wood, especially on the low grounds, and by the side of the river. It was long ago wed out; but the proprietors are beginning to plant again.

Minerals, &c.-There are fome copper mines, but, it is fuppofed, not fufficiently rich to defray the expence of working. Moor-ftone is every where to be met with. It is used for incloting, and is very proper for the purpose, being large and flat. The flate found here is of an inferior quality. Adder-ftones, arrow points of flint, commonly called elf or fairy flones, are to be seen here; and, in the neighbourhood, stones of fanciful fhapes, as of fnails, worms, and other animals. They are found after heavy rains, by which they are washed out of their beds.

Sheep.-The number of sheep produced and fed in this pa

VOL. I.

K

rith,

rifh, is fuppofed to amount to 10,000. The breed is, of late, confiderably improved. Taking the produce of this, and of the neighbouring parishes, into confideration, the town of Lauder feems to be one of the best fituated places in Scotland for the establishment of a woolen manufacture. Turnips are much cultivated for feeding theep; but, fince the late game act, the hares have become fo numerous as greatly to injure the crops of that valuable article.

Population. There are at prefent about 2000 fouls in the parith. Its population has been increasing, particularly fince an easy communication was opened between different parts of the country by means of turnpike roads. 1500 of the inkabitants are above 10 years of age. About Icoo of these refide in the country part of the parish, and the remainder in the borough of Lauder. The annual average of marriages is about 8 or 10; that of births and deaths about 30. Each marriage, at an average, produces 5 children. The people, in general, live long: Many have iurvived 90, and fome even 100, during the incumbency of the prefent minifter. Some are below middle ftature, many above it; and the fize of not a few is upwards of fix feet. The people are, generally, strong and healthy. There are about 40 farmers in the parish, and a confiderable number of artifts in the borough and country. There is in this parith a feceding minifter; though the number of feceders is but fmall. There are two writers, and two furgeons. As this parish, when Dr Webster made his inquiry, contained only 1714 fouls, it has increased, within 40 years, about 300 in population.

Church, and Stipend.—The church of Lauder was originally a chapel of eafe to Channel-kirk, or Childrens Kirk, being dedicated to the holy Innocents. At the Reformation, Lau

der

der was made a parochial charge. At first, the church stood on the north fide of the town, fronting Lauder fort; and it was in this old church that the Scotch nobility were affembled, when they determined to make a prifoner of James III.; and the house in which he was feized is ftill standing. The ftipend, including the glebe, is between L, 90 and L. 100 per annum; half money, half victual.

Poor. The number of poor in this parish is about Their maintenance amounts to about L. 80 per annum; arifing from affeffments, Sunday's collections, and dues for lending the pall, called in Scotland thẹ mort-cloth.

Wages.-The wages of a country fervant is from 5 to 7 pounds per annum; of labourers from 9 d. to I s. a-day; of carpenters, masons, and gardeners, about 1 s. 3 d. The price of every kind of labour is greatly increased; reapers wages are almost doubled. The wages of women fervants have advan-, ced from 20 to 40 fhillings per annum; and of such as work at turnips, and milk ewes, to L. 3 per half year.

Miscellaneous Obfervations.-The air is pure and healthy; and this place has been often called the Scotch Montpelier. The land rent of the parish may be about L. 6coo Sterling. There are fix heritors of rank, only one of whom refides in the parish. The number of feuers, or smaller poffeffors of land, is confiderable. There are about 100 ploughs, and many of them of modern conftruction.

For 30 years paft, much improvement in education, manners, and the mode of living, as well as in feveral other particulars, has been introduced into this part of the country. In a courfe of about 10 miles, between Lauder and Tweed, the river

river turns between 20 and 30 mills, fome of which have been lately erected for the purpose of grinding barley and wheat. There are now turnpike, parochial roads, and bridges made, and kept in good repair, by the toll-bar money, and statute-labour commuted into money according to the number of fervants and horfes. The turnpike roads have been the cause of many other improvements. Coal, lime, and the establishment of a woolen manufacture, are wanting. The people are generally active and fpirited, and have always been ready to engage in labour of any kind: Many of them are, at prefent, both in the army and navy. The poor, in general, confider themselves able to bring up a family with an income of about L. 12 Sterling.

In 1782, and 1783, the fituation of the inhabitants was truly deplorable. It was the end of December before the harvest was finished, after a great part of the crop was destroyed by frost and fnow. None of the farmers could pay their rent; fome of them loft from L. 200 to L. 500 Sterling. The country, however, was greatly relieved by the importation of white peafe from America. Many found great advantage in feeding their cattle with furze or whins, beat into a mash. The poor were relieved by the expenditure of the public funds, which fupplied them with grain at a mo derate price. There were likewise several liberal contributions for this purpose. But the fituation of this part of the country, and, it is believed, of all the fouth of Scotland, was ftill worfe in 1766: In confequence of a parching drought during the whole fummer, two thirds of the cattle were flaughtered at Martinmas, and fold at 3 farthings a pound. Many of those that remained died at the ftall in the fubfequent fpring, after having confumed all the straw that could be provided for them. Bear ftraw fold at 1 s. 6 d. per threave.