NUMBER XL

PARISH OF CARRIDEN.

By the Rev. Mr GEORGE ELLIS.

THE

Situation, Extent, Soil, &c.

HE parifh of Carriden, pronounced Carrin, is fituated in the county of Linlithgow, or West Lothian, about 18 miles weft from Edinburgh, on the south fide of the Frith of Forth, is in the prefbytery of Linlithgow, and fynod of Lothian and Tweeddale. It is about 1 mile in breadth from north to fouth, and about 2 miles in length from east to weft; bounded by Abercorn on the east, Borrowftounnefs on the weft, and Linlithgow on the fouth. The foil is rather of a light kind, and agrees better with a rainy than a dry season : The climate, in general, however, is dry and healthy. The land is all arable, and produces grain, grafs, and vegetables of every kind. It is let out to fmall tenants generally, most of whom are poor, and live poorly, at 30, 40, or 50 fhillings per acre. The greatest part of it is inclosed."

VOL. I.

* The name is certainly of Celtic original. In that language, caer fignifies a poft or station; and, as it is fituated at the eaftern extremity of Graham's dyke, the Romans doubtless, had a confiderable station here. As to the latter part, it may be derived either from readan, a reed, or reidhe, plain, open; the poft among the reeds, the poft in the plain.

Coal. This parish is full of coal, for which there is great demand. It likewife abounds in free-ftone. The coal is of a fine quality, and is the only fuel used in the parifh. It is carried to London, to the northmoft parts of Scotland, to Holland, Germany, and the Baltic. It fells at a higher price on the hill, and to the country people who live near, and therefore muft ufe it, than any coal in Scotland. It lies very deep; this may be one caufe of its high price. There are above 100 carts employed in the coal works, to drive coals to the fea and the falt pans.

Grange Colliery.'

Great. Chows. Culm.

15,700-4,300-5,100 tons produced yearly; 6,137-2,380-600 tons of which exported.

Colliers

Coal mines

Fire-engines

The great coal fold, per cart, which contains goo weight,

at 3 s. 6 d.

The chews, or smaller coal, at 2 s. 9 d.

'The culm, or panwood, at 1 s. 9 d.

Salt pans

Bufhels of falt made yearly

35

2

5

16,200

There is another colliery in the parifh, which yields more coal and falt than that mentioned above.

Population. This parifh contains, at an average, between 1400 and 1500 fouls. Perhaps the eighth part of the people are feceders. Each marriage, at an average, produces 6 children. Many of the inhabitants have attained to 70, 80, and

90 years

of age.

There are 4 heritors, none of whom refide

in the parish. The alterations here, and in the neighbourhood, with regard to the dress and manner of living of the people, are very great.

Villages.-There are 4 villages in the parifh; Grange pans, Bridgeness, Benhard pans, and Blackness. Most of the fhipping that is now in Borrowftounnefs formerly belonged to Grangepaps: But, fince a good pier and harbour was erected in Borrowftounnefs, most of the fhips lie there. The trade along the south fide of the Forth is much decayed. It is gone to Grangemouth, which is 4 miles up the Frith from Borrowftounness, and the entry into the great canal. At prefent Borrowftounnefs has little trade but what arises from the coal and falt works.

Wages.-Servants wages are very high here. A fervant man, who would have been satisfied, 40 years ago, with L. 1:5:0 half yearly, now gets L. 3 or L. 4 half yearly, and fametimes more. A fervant maid, who got 10 or 11 fhillings per half year, 40 or 50 years ago, now gets 30, 40, and fometimes 50 fhillings in the half year. A day-labourer gets i s. or 1 s. 2 d. a-day, who was formerly hired for 5 d. in winter, and 7 d. in fummer, per day. The price of provifions has risen in proportion.

Stipend. The ftipend is precifely 8 chalders of victual, or L. 800 Scots. The glebe is 5 Scots acres, valued at 30 fhillings per acre. The Duke of Hamilton is patron. This living would have fupported a family 50 years ago better than L. 120 Sterling could do here now.

Eminent Men.-The only eminent perfon born in this pa

rifh

rifh was Colonel James Gardner, killed at the unfortunate battle of Prestonpans in 1745, whose remarkable converfion, with many interefting particulars of a life and character, no less eminent for natural endowments than for the practice of every Christian virtue, are detailed in the well known Memoirs of him published by his friend Dr Doddridge.

Antiquities. That celebrated Roman work called Graham's Dyke, terminates in this parish, it is faid, at a place called Waltown. About 50 years ago, in digging up stones to build a park dyke, axes, pots, and feveral vases, evidently Roman, were found, and fent to the Advocates Library at Edinburgh, where they ftill are. In this parish stands the ancient fort, or garrifon, of Blackness, one of the oldeft forts in Scotland, and one of the four that is to be kept in repair by the articles of Union. It has a governor, lieutenant-governor, 2 gunners, I sergeant, 2 corporals, and 12 or 15 privates. It is built in the form of a fhip.

NUM

T

Name, Situation, Extent, Soil, and Surface.

HERE is a tradition, though it is believed very ill

founded, that Coylton derives its name from a King called Coilus, who was killed in battle in the neighbourhood, and buried at the church of Coylton. This parish is in the district of the county of Air called Kyle, in the presbytery of Air, and fynod of Glasgow and Air. It is 7 miles long, and, at an average, about 2 broad. It is bounded on the south by Damellington, on the east by Stair, on the north by Tarbolton and St Quivox, on the weft by Air, and on the fouthweft by Dalrymple. The foil of the greater part of the parish is clayey, which, when properly cultivated, is abundantly fertile. The holms near the rivers of Air and of Kyle, are fertile and dry. The parish, in general, is flat; one farm, however, on the fouth is rather high ground.

Population. Forty years ago, the farms were in general small and run-rig, which was neceffarily an obstacle to improvement. The proprietors at that time occupied their own lands, and kept them in grass, which, of course, diminished the number of inhabitants. The lands being afterwards properly