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houfes, which were occupied as foon as they were covered

in, and plastered.

The foil is various.

In fome places it is light and fandy,

but, for the most part, wet and tilly.

Agriculture is here in a ftate of infancy. The principal corn crop is oats. Barley is raifed but in few places; and green crops are feldom attempted. Among the difadvantages that have hitherto retarded agricultural improvements, may be reckoned the badness of the roads, the distance from foreign manure, and especially the poverty of the greater part of the farmers to whom the land is at prefent let, in very small portions. Their rents are from 5 1. to 35 1.; two or three of them about 70'l.; and one only up to 100l. Sterling. But the difadvantages under which the parish has hitherto laboured, are now in the way of being removed, or fufficiently compenfated, by the extraordinary advantages arifing from fome new manufacturing establishments; and, in as far as their influence has hitherto extended, to improvements in agriculture, as foil has appeared very fufceptible of melioration. There is abundant reafon, indeed, for fuppofing, that a spirit for such improvements will not be difficult to excite; for, of late, many fubftantial inclosures have been made in different parts of the parish, and particularly on the eftate of Ballindalloch, where, in addition to thefe, there have been feveral plantations of wood formed, with an equal regard to beauty and utility.

Manufactures, &c.-About the beginning of the year 1789, Robert Dunmore, Efq; of Ballindalloch, introduced a colony of cotton weavers into the parish. For thefe, he, at first, built a few houses, at his own expence, in the neighbourhood of the church, and let them out at a small yearly rent. This branch of manufacture was immediately carried

on

on to fuch an extent, that the value of goods manufactured, during the currency of the year 1792, amounted to the fum of 7676 1. Sterling.

In the fpring of the year 1790, the public fpirited exertions of Mr Dunmore having been already directed to this corner, he applied himself, with fuccefs, to procure the erection of a cotton mill in the neighbourhood of his new village; and a happy fituation having been chofen on the banks of the water of Endrick, the work was carried on, through his means, with fuch aftonishing difpatch, that, in the month of June of the fame year, yarn was fpun in it. This branch of manufacture, in December 1792, gave employment to 390 people. Of these, 120 were men; 90 women; 180 children, from 6 to 16 years of age.

The cotton mill, thus erected, fully answered the purpose of extending and improving the village. Mr Dunmore readily feued out ground, to the new fettlers, for the fite of a house and garden, most commonly to the extent of a quarter of an acre, and, at first, upon fuch eafy terms as to afford them ample encouragement; but here, as in many other cafes, well directed liberality proved good policy; for the confequent profperity of his village, and its manufactures, foon enabled him to raise the rate of his feu-duty from 21. to 41. per acre, without retarding the progrefs of building, or at all diftreffing the people. The houfes, in general, are fubftantial. Most of them are covered with flatè; and fome of them are three ftories high. The village now confists of 105 new houses, in which there are upwards of 430 rooms with fire places.

For the rapid rife, and increase of the population of this new village, we are partiy indebted to a printfield and bleachfield, which Mr Dunmore, with the fame patriotic views, procured to be eftablished upon the oppofite banks of the

water

water of Endrick, and in the adjoining parish of Killearn; for, although the neceffary works connected with these esta blishments, be feparated from this parish by the river, yet almoft all the people belonging to them have their dwellinghouses in the village of Balfron, and a confiderable part of the grounds originally intended for carrying on the bleaching and printing operations, are on the Balfron fide of the river.

Roads. Till within these few years, the roads of this parish, during the winter months, were almost impaffible; but in this respect also, we have derived much advantage from the introduction of our manufactures, and the fpirited exertions of the gentlemen who has fo laudably patronized them. In this particular line of improvement, indeed, the other landed proprietors, not immediately connected with the mercantile or manufacturing interefts, readily afforded him the most liberal and manly fupport, and thereby materially promoted both the particular interefts of the manufacturing establishments, and the general good of the country; in which view Peter Spiers, Efq; of Culcreuch, a confiderable heritor in this parish, ought to be particularly mentioned with honour. In confequence of these exertions, a bridge of two arches, at Ballindalloch, has been thrown over the Endrick, which, when fwelled, is a rapid and dangerous river. A turnpike road has been made from Glafgow to the village of Balfron, and leading from it into the military road between Stirling and Dumbarton. Another turnpike road has also been made, which, paffing through the caft end of this parish, leads from Kippen to Glasgow. Good crofs roads are begun to be formed, and confiderable progrefs has been made in them. Arches have been thrown over all the ftreams of water, and hollow places; fo that there is now the certain profpect of having good roads through every part of the parish.

Population,

1

Population, &c.-The return to Dr Webfter in 175, amounted to 755 fouls. The population of the parish has been in a fluctuating state, in fo far as regards the village, fince the year 1790, feldom remaining ftationary for a single week. In December 1792, there were in the parish 1381 fouls. Of this number the village contained 981, and of thefe 930 were new fettlers.

Of the above number, 805 were of the Established Church, 459 Antiburgher Seceders, who have had a place of worship in the parish about 60 years, 64 Papifts, 18 of the Relief Perfuafion, 17 Cameronians, 9 Burgher Seceders, and 9 of the Church of England.

There were befides about 200 people, including all ages, imported to the village at Whitfunday 1793, when the printing and bleaching commenced; fo that, at that period, there were in the village about 1181, and in the parifh 1581 fouls.

The people employed at the printfield and bleachfield, are almoft wholly of the Relief and Burgher Perfuafion; and, befides thefe already mentioned as refiding in the village in December 1792, there were feveral families of the fame perfuafions who had given a temporary adherence to the Estab lifhed Church; but at Whitfunday 1793 being joined, all at once, by fo many of their fect, each party immediately fet up a tent for themfelves, and have ever fince been contending, with much animolity, for the honour of making profelytes. It is not, therefore, eafy to afcertain the prefent ftate of the parish, with respect to fectaries; and it is still more difficult to fay what it will be a few years hence.

Till very lately, there was no regular record kept of births, deaths, and marriages. From Whitfunday 1792 to Whitfunday 1793, there were 67 births, 46 deaths, and 30 marriages.

Church

Church and Stipend. Poor. School.-The manfe and offices were built new from the foundation in 1789, and the church, which is neat, and even elegant, in 1793. The value of the ftipend is from 70 1. to 80 1. Sterling, according to the rife or fall of grain, part of it being paid in meal and barley. The glebe confists of about 18 acres. The Earl of Kinnoul is pa

tron.

The poor have hitherto been well provided for, out of the collections made at the church, dues of mortcloths, and the intereft of about 100 l. Sterling of poor's money; but that they will continue to be much longer fo, out of these funds, confidering the great influx of inhabitants, is very doubtfal. There are no vagrant poor in the parish.

The schoolmaster's falary is 100 l. Scotch, out of which he pays, annually, 2 1. Sterling for a perfon to teach a school in a diftant part of the parish. Befides the parifh dues, which are now pretty confiderable, the schoolmafter has fomewhat more than an acre of land, originally fued by the feffion for his behoof. This piece of ground was lately exchanged for an equal quantity, with much advantage to the schoolmafter, by Mr Dunmore, as it flood in the way of fome of his improvements. Upon the ground Mr Dunmore gave in exchange, he built, at his own expence, a neat and commodious fchool room, with a lodging for the mafter, of 4 rooms,

all under one roof.

Mifcellaneous Obfervations.-Peat and turf, of which there are great abundance in the parish, were, previous to 1790, almost the only fuel used; but, fince roads were made, coal is chiefly burnt, at leaft by the people in the village. It is brought from Campfie or Baldernock, the carriage being upwards of ten miles. Red and white freeftone are found in great plenty. There is alfo lime-ftone. Repeated attempts

have

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