The Creation of Settlements in Rural Scotland ...

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The Creation of Settlements in Rural Scotland: Planned Villages in Dumfries and Galloway, 1730-1850 LORNA J. PHILIP Department of Land Economy, University of Aberdeen, St Mary's, King's College, Aberdeen AB24 3UF

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Abstract Planned villages erected in the Scottish countryside in the 18th and 19th centuries did much to create the settlement structure of rural Scotland today. South-west Scotland was affected by this movement as much as other regions of Scotland. This paper demonstrates the importance of the planned village movement to Dumfries and Galloway by ascertaining how many planned villages were erected in this region, by whom and for what purpose. The continuing importance of the planned villages is also demonstrated. Key words: planned villages, Dumfries and Galloway, 18th and 19th centuries. Whether measured in terms of their number, population or physical size, planned villages are the most important element in the settlement fabric of the Scottish countryside (Lockhart, 1980a, p . 149).

Introduction The landscape and settlement structure of rural Western Europe owes much to the practical implementation of Enlightenment ideals in the 18th and early 19th centuries. In a Scottish context, with the notable exceptions of the industrialised Central Belt, the remote, upland interior of north-west Scotland and the Northern Isles, the field boundaries, deciduous plantations, mansion houses and the network of small towns and villages characteristic of rural Scotland are a legacy of the Enlightenment. The enclosure of grazing areas, improved husbandry and cultivation techniques, mechanisation, and the amalgamation of small farms and crofts into larger units worked by fewer people led to a dramatic change in the physical appearance of the countryside, the pattern of fields and farm dwellings and an increase in the number of non-agricultural workers (see, for example, Hare, 1942; Gray, 1988; Campbell, 1991; Whyte, 1998). These changes were closely associated with the development of a new 'planned' settlement structure (Devine, 1994; Whately, 2000). According to Smout (1970, p. 75), "The eighteenth-century village was developed in response to and also to assist a revolution in the economy of the estate and of the nation: it was expected to provide a completely new framework for human life in the countryside.' Improvements in agriculture and the creation of new centres of population, increasing both trade and industry, helped landowners to receive a better return from their land, for example, by increasing crop yields, increasing rental incomes and income from feu duties. It also marked a shift towards a 'modem' rural society. The latter developments were not exclusive to Scotland; for example, many estate villages were erected in Ireland (Hughes, 1981; Hood, 1995; Scot. Geog. J. 119(2), 77-102


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Busteed, 2000), but the scale of planned village development in Scotland marks it out for particular attention. Planned villages were erected across Scotland. The literature refers to many examples of planned villages in North-East Scotland, North-West Scotland and in the Central Highlands. Despite many planned villages having been erected in south-west Scotland (the present day administrative region of Dumfries and Galloway) comparatively little has been written about them. The aim of this paper is to provide information about the importance of the planned village movement to south-west Scotland. The paper is organised as follows: firstly the characteristics of the planned village movement in Scotland are reviewed and, secondly, details about the planned villages of Dumfries and Galloway are presented, drawing upon a range of primary and secondary sources, demonstrating that the existing literature has underestimated the number, and thus the importance, of the planned village movement to this part of Scotland.

Characteristics of the planned village movement Prior to the Act of Union in 1707, Scotland had a poorly developed urban structure in comparison with other European countries, including England. The Royal and Free burghs, often settlements 'planted' in the countryside in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, were the centres of commercial activity, markets and local governance. As noted by Millman (1975, p. 153), the 'nucleated English village, on a street or round a green, with a church, manor house, inn, shop and smithy, was not found in eighteenth century Scotland'. Fermtouns, kirktouns, and milltouns comprised the remainder of nucleated settlements and many households lived in isolated dwellings. As late as the 1790s, when Sir John Sinclair compiled population estimates for the towns of Scotland based on demographic information contained in the parish returns of the Old Statistical Account, only seven Scottish towns had populations greater than 7,000 and only 45 had populations above 2,000 (OSA, volume 21).1 The proportion of the population in towns over 2,000 during the 1790s was 26% and the proportion living in towns with populations of between 500 and 1,999 was 9.7% (Whyte, 1989, p. 28). Almost two-thirds of the Scottish population were, therefore, living in small settlements or in scattered communities and most were dependant upon agricultural activities for their livelihood. A great many new villages were created, from c.1745, under the auspices of landowners inspired by a Zeitgeist which combined aesthetic, social and economic aims, in effect a practical implementation of enlightenment ideals. The new villages quickly became home to a considerable proportion of the rural population and were an integral component of a 'modernisation' of the countryside.

What is a planned village? Millman (1975, p. 170) described planned villages, whatever their intended purpose, as usually being 'a new feature within a new landscape planned by a landowner'. Lockhart described planned villages as '... settlements founded by landowners on their estates between c.1735 and c.1850 ... characterised by a regular layout of streets and building plots' (1980b,p. 249). Proudfoot & Graham


PLANNED VILLAGES IN DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY

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(1993, p. 260) regarded village foundation and improvement as being synonymous with modernisation, defining the process as 'the planned creation of new settlements or the deliberate replacement of buildings, streets or other structures no longer regarded as aesthetically pleasing or functionally adequate in existing settlements'. A Scottish planned village may therefore be defined as a settlement that was founded or substantially rebuilt/redeveloped in the 18th and early- to mid-19th centuries. The feudal system of land ownership meant that, without landlord support, a new settlement would be impossible to establish. Some landlords simply permitted development, or redevelopment, to take place at a specified site, while many others drew up formal plans, imposed strict building conditions and provided incentives for tradesmen and entrepreneurs to set up premises in their new villages. In most cases capital outlay was required. Many landowners feued land for houses and gardens, creating owneroccupied villages and a regular source of income for their estates from annual feu-duties. Other landowners built the village themselves, either letting out the accommodation, often to estate workers who had been displaced by agricultural restructuring, or providing village accommodation as tied housing. Some landowners laid down detailed ground plans for their new villages, for example, Colonel Dirom of Mount Annan and Sir William Maxwell of Springkell, associated respectively with the establishment of Brydekirk and Springfield, both in Dumfriesshire (see Wood, 1971 and Dumfries & Galloway Libraries Service, no date) although such plans were not always realised in full. Others imposed strict architectural criteria upon their feuars, controlling the physical appearance of their new villages, for example, James Grant of Grant, founder of Grantownon-Spey and James Murray of Cally, founder of Gatehouse-of-Fleet. Landowner interest and support also included providing building materials (such as roof trusses), leasing land at competitive rates to commercial interests such as textile manufactures or mining companies (helping to attract newcomers to the villages who would find work in these enterprises), constructing settlements to house estate workers, providing common land, such as a bleachfield or drying grounds, and building a landmark building such as a church, inn, school or hall. In some cases a new village was built by a manufacturing or mining company (of which the local landowner was often a shareholder) to house their workforce.

Why was village creation attractive to landowners? The reasons behind the creation of planned villages are complex. Some villages were built on unproductive land, creating a source of income, from feu-duties or rents, from land that would otherwise not contribute to estate returns. At a time when the population was increasing and the number of jobs in the agricultural sector was contracting, some landowners saw the establishment of new villages as a means of retaining a skilled workforce in the countryside. Some landowners conceivably had a mercenary reason for supporting new villages. If the estate population declined so did their rental income. If people could be dissuaded from migrating to the new industrial centres by the creation of settlements offering employment opportunities the estate would retain both population and rental income. Philanthropic interest in moral and social improvement can also be

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identified as a spur for the creation of planned villages. This could verge towards social engineering, where the new villages were populated only by those deemed by the landowner to be 'suitable tenants' (Whatley, 2000, p. 69). Potential feuars were attracted by 'security of tenure, home-ownership, employment opportunities and occasionally financial inducements' (Lockhart, 1989, p. 12). Although the landowner was certain to benefit financially if a new village thrived, the wider community also benefited from the stimulus given to local economic development.


How many planned villages were there? The first detailed paper about the planned villages of Scotland was published by Houston in 1948. His research led him to believe that over 150 planned villages had been founded, excluding those linked to coal-mining and what he termed 'urban developments'. Smout (1970) produced a list naming 126 planned settlements, founded between 1730 and 1830. This list, which Smout stressed was incomplete, was compiled from a variety of sources including the Shell Guide to Scotland (McLaren, 1965), the Old andNew Statistical Accounts (1791-1799 and 1845), Houston's 1948 paper and Dunbar's The Historic Architecture of Scotland (1966). Lockhart (1986) suggested that some 450 planned villages were founded throughout Scotland between 1725 and 1850. Almost all Scottish history texts covering the period 1730-1850 note the importance of the planned villages, even if only in passing (e.g. Lenman, 1977; Devine, 1994; Whatley, 2000) but few details about the planned villages are included in these sources. The academic literature contains detailed studies of planned villages in a regional context, for example the North East of Scotland (Lockhart, 1978; Smith & Stevenson, 1989; Nuttgens, 1996; Summers, 1995), with Lockhart (1993) suggesting that almost 100 planned villages were developed in that region.2 Despite estimates of the number of planned villages erected across Scotland being made in a range of publications, only Smout has published a detailed list including names and foundation date alongside the estimate (albeit a list described by the author as incomplete). No one has claimed to have published a complete and definitive list naming all the planned villages erected in 18th and 19th century Scotland.

Characteristics of planned villages Attempts have been made to categorise the planned villages by the date of their foundation and their declared function, the latter giving an indication of how the planned villages fitted into the wider economic and social structure of the time. Time of foundation - Planned villages were founded between approximately 1730 and 1850: the development of new villages by landowners largely ceased after 1850. By the mid-19th century, industrial activities had become centralised and highly mechanised and thus the attraction of establishing small industrial centres in the countryside waned. Lockhart (1978) cited improved communications and the stagnation of rural markets as other reasons why landowners ceased to establish new villages. Notwithstanding difficulties in pinpointing the exact foundation date of


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many villages, both Houston (1948) and Lockhart (1978) identify distinct temporal phases within the approximate period of 120 years during which different types of planned village activity occurred. These typologies suggest that different types of village, for example, tradesmen villages, textile villages or fishing villages, are associated with particular time periods and that the enthusiasm for planning new villages was waning by about 1820, with few planned settlements being built in Scotland after that date. Functional typologies - Although most planned villages were associated with landed estates, few were intended at their inception to be purely agricultural settlements. As Smout (1970) noted, if they did not attract economic activities many landowners would deem them to have failed. What were the functions of planned villages? Houston (1948) presented a four-fold classification of planned villages: • • • •

villages associated with agricultural and estate interests; villages associated with manufacturing interests; villages associated with fishing and other forms of coastal trade; and inland spas, tourist and residential centres.

Lockhart (1980a) added three more categories to Houston's typology, namely: • railway towns; • high status residential areas built near existing settlements; and • suburban settlements planned by municipal authorities. It is outwith the scope of this paper to consider the temporal and functional classifications of the planned villages in detail. However, it must be noted that a significant weakness of the functional typologies presented above is that they are static classifications that oversimplify the function of many planned villages. The new settlements were dynamic entities, whose character evolved over time. The original function of planned villages is not always the one they are renowned for today. For example, Gatehouse-of-Fleet in Galloway was founded as an estate village to house tradesmen who could be called upon for any repairs etc. required at James Murray of Cally's new mansion house, but is widely considered to be a textile manufacturing village, a function that came to the village some twenty years after its foundation (Donnachie & MacLeod, 1974). Others villages quickly developed multiple functions, for example, Castle Douglas, again in Galloway, started off as a village to house workers extracting shell marl from Carlingwark Loch, and was subsequently promoted by William Douglas of Gelston as a textile village and erected a burgh of barony by him in 1791 {Dumfries Weekly Journal, 13 December 1792). It then developed as a livestock market and banking centre.

A regional study: planned villages in Dumfries and Galloway Although there are no examples to be found in the Northern Isles, the planned village movement affected almost every part of mainland Scotland. They are least numerous in the Lothians, Fife, and the Borders, parts of the country with the highest population densities and the highest percentage of town dwellers in the


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16th and 17th centuries (Lynch, 1992). It may be assumed that the need for planned villages to act as reception centres for displaced rural populations or to become focal points for trade and industry was minimal in these eastern regions. In other parts of Scotland numerous planned villages were founded, notably in the North East, along the coastal strip of the North West Highlands, and in Perthshire and Angus. Many planned villages were founded in Dumfries and Galloway, yet with the exception of Butt's 1966 paper about Gatehouse-of-Fleet and Wood's 1970 paper about Brydekirk there has been very little detailed study of the planned villages of the south-western extremity of Scotland. The remainder of this paper will be concerned explicitly with this region. The importance of the planned villages to the geographical, social and economic structure of Dumfries and Galloway can be assessed only after the following questions are addressed. How many planned villages were erected in Dumfries and Galloway between 1730 and 1850, who founded them and what were the reasons for so doing? Do these settlements exist today and if so what is their present day function and/or importance within this region of Scotland?

How many planned villages were established in Dumfries and Galloway? Using a wide range of primary and secondary sources, the number of planned villages established in Dumfries and Galloway will now be identified. Although providing details about their function is outwith the scope of this paper, it is of note that planned villages in the region included coastal trading settlements, villages housing estate employees, textile manufacturing centres, settlements associated with coal and lead mines, lime works and settlements whose origins lay in the development of new or improved transportation routes. Planned villages in Dumfries and Galloway identified in the academic literature Table 1 shows a list of planned villages in Dumfries and Galloway compiled from the work of Houston (1948), Smout (1970) and Lockhart (1978,1980a, 1980b, 1983,1986). The list was compiled by noting all the planned villages within the former counties of Wigtown, the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright and Dumfriesshire named in the papers published by Houston and Lockhart (neither provided the information in list form) and adding these to the list published by Smout. Although Lockhart (1980b) published a map identifying 31 planned villages in Dumfries and Galloway the settlements were not named, and in a 1983 paper he stated that there were 58 planned villages in this region, but again did not include a list naming the settlements he claimed to be planned villages. Table 1 suggests that a relatively small number of planned villages were built in Dumfries and Galloway. However, if one knows the region, there are obvious omissions from the table, notably Garlieston, founded by Lord Garlies in 1765 (Old Statistical Account) and Creetown, completely redeveloped and erected a burgh ofbarony by McCulloch of Barholm in 1791 (the status of Burgh of Barony being publicised in a notice in the Dumfries Weekly Journal, 7 February 1792). Such omissions, combined with the relative lack of concordance between authors, suggested that a new scrutiny of publications about the region, contemporary accounts and relevant data sources was needed. Estate


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Table 1. List of planned villages in Dumfries and Galloway referenced in the academic literature. Name of settlement


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

Bambarrach Brydekirk Carrutherstown Carsethorn Castle Douglas Collin* Creebridge Dalswinton Dalbeattie Gasstown Gatehouse-of-Fleet Glencaple Kirkcowan Kirkpatrick-Durham Laurieston Moffatx New Langholm Newton Stewart Port Logan Port William Portpatrick Racks and branches* St John's Town of Dairy Springfield Springholm Tongland

Houston

Smout

Lockhart

x

x x x x x

x x x x x

x x x x x x x

X X

X X

X

X

X

X X

* The New Statistical Account refers to Collin and its branches. The branches comprise the separate village of Racks, a mile south of Collin, and the hamlets of Elizafield, Greenwaugh, Rosedale and Warrenhill, which lie between Collin and Racks.

papers are an obvious port of call in any attempt to identify planned villages, however the number of small estates that used to exist in the study region makes consulting relevant papers a mammoth task. Not all estate papers are available in the public domain, although the National Archives of Scotland hold a reasonable selection of papers from estates in Dumfries and Galloway. Other secondary sources where information about planned village foundation may be gleaned are available. For example, Houston (1948) suggested parochial histories and topographical dictionaries in addition to the Old and New Statistical Accounts and Lockhart (1978) suggested local newspapers where advertisements enticing people to apply for feus in new villages may be found. Planned villages in Dumfries and Galloway identified from other published material - Publications with an explicit focus on the region, both academic, mass market and 'local history' in origin (for example, Donnachie & MacLeod, 1974;

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LORNA J.PHILIP


Frew, 1909; McCulloch, 2000; Robertson, 1985; Watson, 1901; Victorian and more modern topographical gazetteers, such as The Topographical, Statistical and Historical Gazetteer of Scotland, 1844 and publications of the Dumfries and Galloway Libraries and Archive Service) provide information about planned villages. Table 2 presents a list of planned villages identified in literature with a regional focus. It names many more settlements than appear in Table 1.

Planned villages in Dumfries and Galloway identified from commonly cited contemporary sources: the Old and New Statistical Accounts of Scotland - The number of planned villages identified in publications with a 'local' theme is striking. Frequent reference to contemporary parish accounts contained in the Old and New Statistical Accounts of Scotland were made in these sources, suggesting that they should be thoroughly scrutinised to validate the status of entries in Table 2. This exercise involved revisiting the Statistical Accounts. Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster published, in 21 volumes between 1791 and 1799, a Statistical Account of Scotland, hereafter referred to as the Old Statistical Account (OSA). Some parish accounts are very detailed and information about many new settlements, including when they were erected, who was responsible for their foundation and what their characteristics were, is to be found in parish entries. For example, the minister of the Parish of Ruthwell in Dumfriesshire wrote in his 1792-1793 entry: The inhabitants have increased within the last twenty years in the proportion of five to three, which may be ascribed to ... the lime quarries lately discovered near Comlongen, which have given employment to many labourers for whose accommodation Lord Stormont has built a small village upon the side of the military road, where a garden and a little possession of land is inclosed and annexed to each dwelling house..

A similar exercise was conducted in the 1830s and 1840s and published in 1845 as a New Statistical Account of Scotland (NSA). Entries in the NSA also contained details about settlement structure and many Dumfries and Galloway parish accounts referred to the planning and construction of new villages. For example, the account of the parish of Torthorwald in Dumfriesshire, written in 1833, states: The population, according to the census taken in 1831, amounted to 1320 ... This ... is exactly double of what the population was in 1791, when the last Statistical Account was drawn up. The increase is to be accounted for in this manner: Sir Robert Grierson, who is proprietor of a large share of Lochar Moss [to the east of Dumfries], and of the adjoining land, and through whose property the turnpike road from Dumfries and Carlisle passes for a considerable length in two divisions, began about twenty-five or thirty years ago to encourage the building of a village called Collin, adjoining said road, and near the moss, by granting building leases for ninety-nine years, of small portions of land. So rapid has been the growth of the village and its branches, that nearly one-half of the whole population of the parish is now resident upon the same ground which was formerly occupied by only five or six families. The principal inducement to build in this situation, is its proximity to a great and well frequented public road, which always has its attractions and advantages and to Lochar Moss, where the villagers get a cheap and abundant supply of fuel.

Table 2. List of planned villages drawn from literature referring to the region. Galloway only Donnachie (1971) (includes part of Nithsdale) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Ardwell Auchencairn Barjarg Beeswing Blackcraig Brydekirk Carru thereto wn

MacLeod (1986)

McCuIIoch (2000)

Gifford (1996) Through the Lens no. 10

X X

X

X X

X

X

Third Statistical Account of Scotland

X X X

X X

X

X

X

X

X X X X X

X

X

16. Crocketford 17. Dalswinton 18. Dalbeattie 19. Duncow

Hume (2000)

Other

X

9. 10. 11. 12.

Carsethorn Castle Douglas Clarencefield Closeburn Crawick-Mill, by Sanquhar 13. Creebridge 14. Creetown 15. Croal Chapel

Donnachie & MacLeod (1974)

Dumfries and Galloway

X

oo'


Settlement

X

X

Watson (1901) Through the Lens no. 5 Frew (1909) Cameron (1904)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Editorial introduction to reprint of the OS A

Table 2 continued


Settlement

Galloway only Donnachie (1971) (includes part of Nithsdale)


MacLeod (1986)


McCulloch (2000)

20. Eaglesfield 21. Garlieston 22. Gasstown

23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.

Gatehouse-of-Fleet Glencaple Glenluce Hardgate Haugh of Urr Hillhead (Foulford) IsleofWhithorn Jamestown Keirmill Kettleholm Kingholm Quay Kirkandrews Kirkbean Kirkcolm (Steuart-town) Kirkcowan Kirkpatrick-Durham Kippford Lockerbie Moffat Moniaive Newton Wamphray

Hume (2000)

Gifford (1996) Pigot Directory, 1837 Through the Lens no. 19

X

x

X

X

X

Other

X

Carroll (2000) Third Statistical Account of Scotland x

X

X

X

X

x

X

X

X

X

X

X

Frew (1909) Frew (1909) Nelson (1999) X

X

x X

X

X

X

x X X X X X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X X

X

X

X

X

Third Statistical Account of Scotland

Table 2 continued


Settlement Donnachie (1971) (includes part of Nithsdale) 44. 45. 46. 47.

48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62.

New Langholm Newton Stewart Palnackie Park (and the neighbouring hamlets of Whistlebane and Nethermains) Penpont Port Logan Port William Portpatrick Powfoot Ruthwell Sorbie Southemess St John's Town of Dairy Springfield Springholm Terregles Tongland Twynholm Waterbeck

63. Woodhead


Galloway only

x x x


MacLeod (1986)

X

McCulloch (2000) X

X

Hume (2000)

Gifford (1996)

X

X

X

X

Other

§ o

X

Watson (1901) Through the Lens no. 5

X

X

X

X

x'

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

g Through the Lens no. 17

X X X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

x

Bickford (2000)

Frew (1909) X X

X

X

X

X X

x

o

>

X

x x x

2

X

Pigot Directory 1837 Through the Lens no. 19

X

Note that the villages of Croal Chapel (number 15) and Park and the hamlets of Nethermains and Whistlebain (number 47) were all associated with the Closeburn Lime Works.

i %

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A detailed reading of the Old and New Statistical Accounts for Dumfriesshire, the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright and Wigtownshire (87 accounts in the OSA, 88 in the NSA), identified almost twice as many planned villages in the region than was compiled in Table 1. The list drawn from the Old and New Statistical Accounts is presented in Table 3. The Old and New Statistical Accounts have been important sources of information about the planned villages movement in Dumfries and Galloway. However, as the level of detail contained in each parish account is not consistent, it is conceivable that some planned villages were not mentioned in these sources. It is thus likely that more villages await identification. Planned villages in Dumfries and Galloway identified from primary sources Compiling a list of all the places named in Tables 1,2 and 3 produces a total of 75 settlements, all meeting the criteria of 'planned village' as set out earlier in the paper. Where the status of a settlement was referred to in only one source, hitherto unexplored primary sources were referred to in an attempt to verify their status. In this study, 18th and 19th century maps,3 enumerators books from the 1841 and 1851 Census, valuation rolls (available Scotland-wide from 1855 onwards) and Old Parochial Records (pre-1855 birth, marriage and death records) were consulted. These sources provided much information about the villages, including an indication of their date of foundation, detailed accounts of the number, type and tenure status of dwellings in each village and an overview of their economic activities. Examination of these primary sources allowed the 'planned' status of some villages to be verified. It also suggested that some other villages should be defined as 'planned'. Primary sources indicate that it is likely that 'planned' villages were associated with the limeworks at Porterstown in Nithsdale and Kelhead on the Kinmount Estate near Annan and at Canonbie Colliery, although the literature does not explicitly name the settlements associated with these industrial activities as planned villages. The OSA (1793) for the parish of Balmaghie stated that 'village building is but little encouraged here' but the NSA (1844) entry for the same parish identified two villages, Laurieston (shown on General Roy's Military Survey map of c. 1755 and thus pre-dating the planned villages period) and Bridge of Dee with a population of 243. The latter village appears to have replaced the earlier hamlet of Graineyford, with there being two catalysts for development. Firstly, improvements to the military road, which involved the construction of a new bridge over the river Dee c. 1800, made the site advantageous for a village and, secondly, the purchase of the estate of Threave Grange by the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge in 1796 and subsequent feuing of land allowed this landowner to develop the village. Remarks in the 1841 Census return for the parish of Kirkpatrick Fleming, Enumeration District 2, described the establishment of two new villages in the parish in the 1830s: ... that the population had greatly increased during the last 10 years, on account of various individuals, generally from other districts of this parish, having feued land and built houses at the new villages of Fairyhall and Hollee where they have come to reside. (© Crown Copyright. Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland.)


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Table 3. List of settlements identified as 'planned' in either the Old or New Statistical Accounts.


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

Name of settlement

Old Statistical Account

Brydekirk Cairnryan Craigielands Carsphairn Castle Douglas Clarencefield Clayholes Collin

(not planned until 1800)

Corrie Common Craigielands Crawick-Mill, by Sanquhar Creebridge Creetown Crocketford Dalswinton Dalbeattie Druidsville Dunreggan Eaglesfield Garlieston Gatehouse-of-Fleet Hardgate HaughofUrr Hillhead Jamestown Kirkandrews Kirkbean (part of) Kirkcolm (Steuart-town) Kirkpatrick-Durham Lochfoot Lockerbie Moniaive NewLangholm Newton Stewart Port William

36. Racks and branches (Elizafield, Greenwaugh, Rossdale and Warrenhill) 37. Ruthwell 38. Sorbie 39. Southerness 40. St John's Town of Dairy 41. Springfield 42. Twynholm 43. Waterbeck 44. Woodhead

New Statistical Account

x x

(not started until c.1805)

(Collin and its branches are described as planned settlements) x X

(not built untile. 1800)

X X

X X

(not started until c. 1805)

(not developed until the 1840s)

mentioned but not as a planned village (Collin and its branches are described as planned settlements)

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Table 4. List of planned villages identified from consulting primary sources.


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Bridge of Dee Barrachan Canonbie (formerly called Canonbie Muir) Carronbridge Cummertrees Fairyhall Hollee Kelhead Kirkconnel Porterstown

Information contained in early valuation rolls, in particular details of property ownership and feudal superiorities in villages, indicates that both Carronbridge and Kirkconnel should be considered 'ducal villages' (estate villages) on the Buccleuch Estates. For example, the Valuation Roll for the County of Dumfries, 1862-1863, listed all but one of the 20 properties in the village of Carronbridge as being owned by the Duke of Buccleuch (the exception being the toll-house). While Kirkconnel's origins lay in the 1770s (OSA), map evidence indicates that Carronbridge was built sometime between 1803 and 1830. Evidence from maps, valuation rolls, Old Parochial Records and the 1841 census suggests that Cummertrees in eastern Dumfriesshire was a planned village. In 1855 the village comprised 17 houses with gardens (a term describing the size of plot that would commonly be feued to provide enough land to produce food to support a family), all in private ownership. The village of Barrachan, in the Machars of Wigtownshire, may also be a planned village. The 1841 Census only notes four households at Barrachan Farm and the first OS map, surveyed in 1848, does not identify a village. However, by 1851, 15 houses and one under construction were enumerated at Barrachan Village. The first (1855) valuation roll noted 18 properties at Barrachan, all owned and rented out by the same person. In the 1851 census, the enumerator described all the heads of household in Barrachan as 'farmers' and their landholdings averaged c. 13 acres. Six of the farmers had an additional holding of moorland. It is conceivable that the village was built in an attempt to encourage agricultural development. Bringing moor into cultivation was a common incentive for landowners to develop a village in other parts of Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries. Exploring primary data sources suggests another 10 planned villages (listed in Table 4), almost as many planned villages as documented for the entire region bySmout(1970). Map 1 identifies the 85 'planned villages' noted in Tables 1-4. It shows they are to be found across the length and breadth of the region. Querying the status of settlements identified in the published literature as planned using primary sources — Following consultation of primary sources, the status of three villages identified in the literature as 'planned' and erected by 1850, the cutoff date for this paper, is considered questionable. The estate village of Beeswing was not erected until the last quarter of the 19th century, with the planned element


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. II. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

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