vV

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

I

ANNALS OF PENICUIK

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2007 with funding from

Microsoft Corporation

http://www.archive.org/details/annalsofpenicuikOOwilsiala

THE ANNALS OF

PENICUIK

Being a History of the Parish and of the Village, by

JOHN J. WILSON

BANKER, PENICUIK

EDINBURGH

Privately Printed by T. & A. Constable

Printers to Her Majesty

1891

•DA

8<?<? ?3 5W£>

TO

JOHN COWAN, ESQ. OF BEESLACK

J. P., D.-L. FOR MIDLOTHIAN

Dear Mr. Cowan, — / dedicate to you this little volume, containing a few brief and imperfect Memorials of the Parish of Penicuik.

To no other could a book dealing with local matters be so fittingly addressed, for your name is indelibly associated with all the social, political, and religious movements of the last fifty years in our parish.

You are known and will be remembered as one who, above all others, loved our place and its people, and whose heart was ever filled with liberal devising for their welfare.

Believe me to remain,

Respectfully yours,

JOHN J. WILSON.

a2

602362

LaiuuIoU LOCAL

PREFACE

Few parishes in the Lowlands of Scotland afford scantier materials for the pen of the historian than that of Penicuik. Situated so near to the metropolis of Scotland, it might naturally be expected that it would have been the scene of many stirring events in Scottish story ; but such records are sought for in vain.

It lay away from the usual paths of invading armies, and it possessed no rich churches or monasteries to tempt the sacrilegious towards it for plunder. In old times the feudal aristocracy were not, with one exception, men who made any mark in the history of their country, and the place of their abode is undistinguished in song or story. But while there have been no bloody battles lost or won within its borders, or deeds of heroism done by any of her sons to chronicle, these pages will, I trust, prove that there is much in the history of Penicuik parish, civil and ecclesiastical, that will be of abiding interest to those who can claim it as their birthplace or their home. To many scattered over the world the memory of our village, its river, and the overshadowing hills, must be sweet as an old song. If amidst the palm groves, or the prairies, or the busy marts of other lands, the perusal of these brief annals afford to any an hour or two of pleasant reflection, and strengthen their attachment to the old home from which

viii PREFACE

they first started upon ' Life's long race,' the author will be satis- fied ; for his purpose in writing this book will, to a large extent, have been gained.

The matter contained in these Annals has been taken from many sources. The following list contains the names of only a few of the authorities consulted : — Register of the Great Seal, Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, Register of the Privy Council, Exchequer Rolls, Acts of Parliaments of Scotland, Wodrow, Statistical Accounts of Scot- land, Reports of the Society of Antiquaries, Rotuli Scotiae, Chalmers's Caledonia, various publications of the Bannatyne, Abbotsford, and Spalding Clubs, Origines Parochiales (Innes), Forsyth's Beauties of Scotland, Fcedera, Dalkeith Presbytery Records, Penicuik Parish Session Records, etc. etc.

I have been much indebted to local friends for freely communi- cating to me their recollections of past times. I should be ungrate- ful if I did not also acknowledge the kindness and courtesy of Dr. Dickson of the Register House ; James T. Clark, Esq., of the Advocates' Library ; and J. M. Gray, Esq., Curator of the Scot- tish National Portrait Gallery. I would not be unmindful of the willing assistance I ever received in the Edinburgh Subscription Library from its esteemed librarian, Mr. George M'Whea ; and, above all, do I tender my best thanks to the Rev. Alexander Thomson Grant of the Parsonage, Leven, for many valuable con- tributions from his stores of historical and antiquarian lore, sent me at a time when I did not myself know the sources from which trustworthy information could be obtained.

JOHN J. WILSON.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE PARISH, .... I

CHAPTER II.

THE VILLAGE OF PENICUIK, ..... 9

CHAPTER III. ANTIQUITIES, ...... 22

CHAPTER IV.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS, . . . 38

CHAPTER V.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, . . . . .72

CHAPTER VI.

AGRICULTURE AND OTHER INDUSTRIES, . . . 108

CONTENTS

CHAPTER VII.

PAGE

EOADS AND CONVEYANCES, . . . 1 26

CHAPTER VIII.

LANDED ESTATES — FAMILIES AND THEIR HISTORY, . . 1 36

CHAPTER IX.

WITCHCRAFT GAMES — FOLKLORE, . . 1 78

CHAPTER X.

BIOGRAPHICAL, ...... 200

CHAPTER XI.

VARIOUS INCIDENTS, . . . . .224

ILLUSTRATIONS.

PENICUIK CHURCHYARD, . .... to face 79

THE OLD BRIDGE OF AUCHENDINNY, . . .,,128

ANNALS

CHAPTER I.

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE PARISH.

IT has been frequently said that the parish of Penicuik, in the shire of Midlothian, bore at one time the name of St. Mungo. Such is the statement in the New. Statistical Account of the parish, which was written in 1839 by the Rev. W. Scott Moncrieff ; while the writer of the old Statistical Account in 1793, the Rev. Thomas M'Courty, quotes Sir James Clerk as having been of that opinion. The assertion has been frequently repeated ; but it has no docu- mentary evidence in its favour. It is probable that the first primitive church-building erected in the district may have been dedicated to that saint ; and it is of course possible that the name may have been applied to a portion of the land surrounding it : but at best this is only a supposition. It is moreover positively known that in the eleventh century the barony, then co-equal with the parish, was called Penicok. This word, according to the best authorities, was originally spelt Pen-y-coc, signifying the Hill of the Cuckoo, and the name was probably suggested to our ancient British ancestors by the number of these birds frequenting the native woodlands in spring-time.

At first the name might only be applied to some hillock or up- land, but when afterwards the country was divided into parishes it would no doubt be readily accepted, by those whose duty it was to

2 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

supply their nomenclature, as being suitable for the whole of the newly defined area. It has been stated that the parish of Glen- corse was at a subsequent period formed from certain sections of land taken from Penicuik and Pentland, but this record is not authentic. So far as can be ascertained, the boundaries of Penicuik as originally fixed continued undisturbed until about the middle of the seventeenth century. At that period the small parishes of Mount Lothian and St. Catherine's were suppressed, and annexed to Penicuik. In consequence of these changes in the original plan of the parish, its boundaries now present a very curious and irregular outline, including within them a total area of 18,966f acres of hill and dale, moorland, and cultivated land.

Any one desirous of studying the physical features of the parish of Penicuik could not do better than place himself on a summit of one or other of the symmetrical and beautiful Pentland hills which traverse it from north-east to south-west. From this vantage-point he would see the whole area of the parish spread out as a map before him. If, to begin with, he sought to study its Hydrography, he could trace the river Esk flowing through it in a south-easterly direction, and with its tributary streams and wooded banks giving diversity and beauty to the landscape. Not far from its source, and unflooded by more than one little rivulet, it would be seen entering the grounds of Newhall, made famous as the scene of Ramsay's beautiful Scottish pastoral. Flowing onwards, its stream increased by the Carlops Burn, and the Monks or Nine- mileburn, it passes beneath Marfield Loch, the only natural sheet of water in the parish, and with the physical peculiarity of having no apparent means of inlet or outlet. After disappearing into the beautifully wooded policies of Penicuik, and before it finally leaves the parish, the further channel of the river is deepened and widened by its other tributaries, the Harkenburn, Silverburn, Hareburn, and

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE PARISH 3

Blackburn. There would also be visible to the spectator on the hill, the dome-like enclosures at Saltersike and Silverburn, covering the copious springs from which the village of Penicuik receives its plentiful supply of excellent water. Within the grounds of Sir George Clerk there might be hidden from his sight by their fringe of woodland the three beautiful artificial lakes known as Hurly Cove and the Low and High Ponds. The first and last mentioned were made by Baron Sir John Clerk, and were favourite resorts of that learned antiquarian. The High Pond is a lovely sheet of water, extending to over six acres, and much enhances the attractiveness of the policies surrounding the mansion-house.

The springs of water throughout the parish are also numerous, and it cannot be doubted that their presence has been an important factor in the development of the paper-making in- dustry, thus having a bearing upon the prosperity of the whole district.

Passing on to notice other physical features of the parish, the eye of the observer would be gratified by the wealth of woodland which enriches the landscape. On the Penicuik estate alone there are 1273 acres of trees, fairly well distributed in belts of planting over its entire area. This useful rural improve- ment upon the property of the Clerk family was begun some two hundred years ago by the first Baronet of that name. It was developed to a considerable extent by his son and grandson, especially in the vicinity of the mansion-house, but it remained to their descendant, the late Right Honourable Sir George Clerk, to extend to its present limits the enlightened system of laying down strips and clumps of trees for the benefit of shelter, and for the purpose of beautifying his estate generally. On the Newhall property, situated in the south-west of the parish, the woodlands, which were at one time fairly abundant, are now unfortunately

4 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

becoming thin, and as much in need of replanting as the soil around them is in want of draining.

It will undoubtedly be a matter of regret to the intelligent observer that a large portion of the land of the parish still remains in a state of nature. The existence of such wet masses as Harlaw Muir, Auchencorth Moss, Springfield, Wellington, Hnlls, and Hosemay Muirs, with the additional 268 acres of unreclaimed ground at Mountlothian, must, it is to be feared, affect adversely the climate of the district. In consequence of so much wild land lying to the south and south-east, it is not surprising that although much of it is hidden from view by strips of plan- tation, the bleakest portion of the parish is that approached by the I^amancha road at Leadburn, called in olden times Leck- bernard. My readers may be familiar with the description given of it in The Strange Adventures of a Phaeton, by William Black the novelist. He there speaks of the little inn and its sur- roundings as 'a cut-throat-looking place, calculated to impress the traveller with awe and terror/ This exaggerated account, from the diary of a weary and hungry traveller, written under unfavour- able atmospheric conditions, is no true picture of the place ; but it is satisfactory to be able to record that since that time much has been done by the proprietors of the small estates of Stell- knowe and Leadburn Park to beautify and improve the amenities of this upland portion of our parish.

In writing of the physical features of a parish it is customary to give some account of its Flora and Fauna, as well as of its Geology and Mineralogy. In consideration, however, of the num- ber of books already published by specialists dealing in an exhaus- tive and scientific manner with these subjects, as they are found, not in Penicuik parish only, but in Midlothian generally, it is needless to give a further description of them in this volume.

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE PARISH 5

In another chapter allusion is made to the working of coal, but it may be mentioned here that limestone was also quarried and burnt for a considerable period at the kilns of Fullerton and Mountlothian. The competition, however, which ultimately arose from quarries more favourably situated in regard to their proximity to railway stations finally made local traffic unremunerative, and the kilns are rapidly becoming unfit for further service. Extensive beds of sand and gravel exist quite close to the village, and are worked by local contractors. There are also several valuable quarries of freestone throughout the parish, notably that at Mar- field, from which were taken the stones to build a portion of Penicuik House and much of the present village, and which still affords abundant material to supply the needs of the district.

Apart from the natural beauties of wood and water and hedgerows, which would delight the eye of the spectator as he gazed down from the Pentland steeps upon our parish, several other objects of interest might arrest his attention. Embowered amidst its woods might be seen the turrets of the mansion of Newhall — a building rich in its associations with men eminent in letters and in art who used to reside within its walls, the guests of a former proprietor. Farther down the river, the crumbling ruins of Brunstane Castle would remind him of the feudal times, when a Crichton finessed and plotted within them, regardless of his country's weal, so long as his own ambition was satisfied.

On the other side of the Esk, and directly eastwards, the handsome obelisk at Ravensneuk, dedicated to Allan Ramsay, would recall the fact that the Clerks of Penicuik as well as the Forbeses of Newhall were the patrons and friends of that faithful delineator of the manners and customs of the rustics of a past generation. The beautiful spire at the offices of Penicuik House

6 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

might reasonably suggest to the onlooker the proximity of a place for Divine worship rather than a stable. At first designed by Sir James Clerk for the parish church at Penicuik, but its erection there being forbidden by his fellow-heritors, the Baronet deter- mined to see the creation of his brain in stone and lime, and hence the presence of this unusual and imposing structure at the entrance to the stable-yard. Opposite it is the large dome repre- sentative of Arthur's 0"on, fully described in another chapter ; while behind is the stately tower erected by Baron Clerk as a land- mark, as well as to serve the useful purpose of a dovecot for his family. Most imposing of all, however, is the mansion-house of Penicuik — one of the finest houses, if not indeed the very finest, in all the shire. The central portion of it was designed and built in 1761 by Sir James Clerk, the third Baronet, after his return from a long residence in Italy, with a mind enriched by classical tastes and ideas. The two wings were erected under the supervision of Mr. David Bryce, an Edinburgh architect, in 1857, but they do not improve the general appearance of the building.

The fine taste of Sir James was further shown in the internal treatment of his princely mansion. The rich mural decorations by Alexander Runciman, in the drawing-room known as Ossian's Hall, are familiar to all students of decorative art, while the adornment by the same artist of one of the cupolas surmounting the staircase with scenes from the life of Queen Margaret is remarkable for its richness of tone and dramatic power of illus- tration.

The house itself contains a rich store of antiquarian and artistic treasures, all of which have been very ably described in a recent publication by Mr. John M. Gray, F.S.A., the cultured Curator of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Ncwbigging House, the residence of former proprietors, occu-

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE PARISH 7

pied a site close behind the present mansion. A sketch of this picturesque and interesting old building, by John Clerk of Eldin, has happily been preserved, and is reproduced in the volume of his etchings printed by the Bannatyne Club.

In its time it also was the finest family residence in Midlothian. It was in all probability erected by Lord President Preston, shortly after he acquired the Penicuik estate in 1609.

If, before allowing his eye finally to rest upon the village of Penicuik, nestling under the very shadow of the hills upon which he stands, our intelligent observer looked again towards the southern limits of the parish, his attention might be arrested by a large group of red brick buildings, known as the Wellington Reformatory Farm School. This excellent institution was founded in the year 1859 for the reformation of juvenile offenders. Owing much to the enlightened efforts of the late Sheriff Cleghorn, the late Bailie Thomas Russell, and Mr. John Cowan of Beeslack, aided by the energy and Christian influence of its late ex- cellent Superintendent, Mr. John Craster, it has from small beginnings grown to be a large and beneficial agency, not only for the eradication of habits of vice, but for training its inmates in handicrafts which fit them for a useful and successful career in after-life. In the thirty years of its existence nearly 900 lads have passed through the Wellington Reformatory. While not a few of them, by industry and good conduct, occupy important appointments at home, many others, owing to the wise provision made by the Directors for emigration, have attained to positions of comfort and influence in other lands. The training received by the lads in agricultural work, boot-making, and other handi- crafts, fit them in an especial manner for after success in life. Although 830 feet above sea-level, the system of farming adopted and carried on by them, under experienced supervision, has

8 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

resulted in a marvellous improvement of the lands belonging to the institution. Where, thirty years ago, a few sheep and cattle struggled for a scanty subsistence on the wet and peaty soil, heavy crops of cereals, turnips, and potatoes are now produced. The large boot-factory, with machinery driven by steam-power, turns out annually boots and shoes to the value of nearly £l3000. Pri- mary as well as technical instruction is not forgotten, and Govern- ment reports continue most favourable year by year as to the passes of the lads in the ordinary educational subjects.

Mr. Craster, the first Governor of the Wellington, died on the 2d of July 1890, regretted by all who knew him, and by none more than those lads whose master and helper he had been. The Directors unanimously appointed his son, Mr. John Craster, to succeed him as Governor.

CHAPTER II.

THE VILLAGE OF PENICUIK.

HAVING thus gone over in detail the various objects and landmarks visible to the observer placed upon the heights above, it will be no longer necessary, when writing on the subject of the village and its concerns, as also upon the other matters connected with the internal economy of the parish, to describe them as to an onlooker.

While, unfortunately, not a market town, and as a business place none the better for its close proximity to the metropolis, the village of Penicuik, as a principal seat of the great paper-making industry, cannot be considered unimportant or unknown.

The earliest allusion to its existence is contained in a letter preserved amongst the historical documents of Scotland, and referred to in a subsequent chapter. It gives evidence as to the favourable attitude of the people of the place towards their English oppressors in the days of Sir William Wallace. The probability is, that what is therein dignified by the name of a town was little more than a hamlet or cluster of cottages occu- pied, by the husbandmen and vassals of the Laird. Neither is it likely that it was built upon any portion of the site of the present one. The lawlessness of the times, and the consequent insecurity of the country, necessitated the grouping together of the

10 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

houses occupied by the cultivators of the soil in the immediate proximity of the baronial residences, for the purpose of mutual protection.

The tower of Rikillis or Terregles, the old home of the Penicuiks of that Ilk, occupied the high ground, now covered with trees, approached from the side of the Esk by what is known as the Thirty Steps, and it is more than probable that the old village was situated somewhere near to that place. As already indicated, its inhabitants would be few in number, for even so recently as the middle of last century the entire population of the parish was only 850 souls. It is known that in the year 1745 only one house existed between the old Penicuik farm-house (now the Store Drapery) and Auchendinnv Bridges.

Subsequent to that time, probably about the year 1770, Sir James Clerk, while carrying out other enlightened improvements upon his estate, planned and laid out a portion of the village as it now stands, giving at the same time pecuniary assistance towards the erection of not a few of the buildings. He also induced a doctor to settle in it, building him a house to dwell in, and pro- viding a large park to graze his horse in the summer. This gentleman continued in the practice of his profession in Penicuik until after the death of the Baronet in 1782. About eight years subsequent to that event, Mr. Robert Kenton, formerly surgeon in the navy, also settled down in Penicuik. For a time he had a considerable struggle to obtain a foothold, but, being successful in some difficult operations, he finally made such inroads on the business of his rival that the latter left the district. Mr. Renton thereafter took over his house and park, and in course of years acquired considerable wealth. He had a large family, five of his sons adopting their father's profession, several of them attaining to eminence in it.

THE VILLAGE OF PENICUIK 11

Mr. Renton was followed by many able and valued practitioners in Penicuik. The names of Doctors Madden, Monteith, Alison, Symington, Thin, Messer, M'Rae, and Kennedy will readily sug- gest themselves to parishioners who in the past have benefited by their skill. At the present time the profession is ably represented by Doctors Badger, Willins, and Riddell.

The first trustworthy plan of the village of Penicuik was pre- pared in the year 1796, and its comparison with those of modern date is most interesting. It presents the main street or High Street much as it is now. John Street, or The Loan, extending from the hotel corner northwards, contained on both sides only thirteen houses, all of them apparently one story in height. In Bank Street there had been erected three small buildings. West Street, back and front, contained twelve houses, while Back Mill Lands had seven. In the Square there were thirteen buildings, big and little, scattered around. Bridge Street was not in existence, with the exception of the portion between Thorburn Terrace and the exit from Back Mill Lands, and on that space only one small house had been erected. About fifty yards down from the corner of the high land of the Terrace a hedge closed the way ; the ground behind it, now covered by the houses on both sides of the street, was in grass, and was included in what was then known as Laurie's Farm, the buildings of which were removed in the year 1840. The way by Back Mill Lands then led to a point about thirty-seven yards from the Esk, where it turned to Valleyfield Mill, and thereafter continued for about 173 yards, until its junction with the other road from the village by the Delve Brae. Half-way, and near to where once stood the old corn-mill, a newly made road struck off to Howgate across the mill-lade, the river Esk, and Blackburn, permitting for the first time of direct traffic to the south. What is now the road to

152 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

Edinburgh by The Loan or John Street, then terminated at Cuicken Farm. The only existing way to the metropolis in those days, and for many years afterwards, was that by Kirkhill and Harpersbrae, which joined the main road to the north at Maybank.

The direct route westwards was that leading up past the Episcopal chapel, through the Penicuik policies, continuing above the river by Brunstane, Marfield, and Newhall. All the ground between the village and the high park, now included in Mr. Robert Henderson's farm, was laid off in market gardens and crofts, occupied by William Brown, John Grant, John White, and others. A meal-mill existed near to the site of the present Bank Mill, at which the feuars were obliged by their lease or charter to get their corn gristed. They had also the privilege of casting their peats in the Bog Moss, now covered by the wood bearing that name.

The spring of water in High Street, known as the Old Well, was then enclosed by only four slabs of stone, and the street being lower than it is now, the water ran across it, and found its way down through the Bog and into the river. Snipe and other wild birds then freely frequented its channel in the winter season. In 1809 Mr. Alexander Cowan of Valleyfield erected a substantial stone covering over the well, and this was replaced by the present handsome building in 1864, when, by the munificent legacy of that gentleman, the water from Sillerburn was brought into the village. The opening ceremony upon that occasion was performed by the late Mr. Charles Cowan. A pair of pitchers was offered by him to the first bride who as a wife carried water from the new well. These were won by Isabel Burton, after her marriage with John Donaldson, baker in Penicuik.

The sanitary arrangements of the village at the close of last century, and even on to a period within living memory, were of a very primitive kind. A large open drain used to run down through

THE VILLAGE OF PENICUIK 13

Wilson Square, in front of Mr. Cowe's shop. It passed Mr. Taifs property, and thence into the Bog, finding an exit somewhere in the low ground beneath. Middensteads existed upon the streets, and innumerable pigsties were to be seen in close proximity to the dwellings of their owners.

One hundred years ago the entire population of the parish slightly exceeded 1700, and of that number possibly about a half would be resident in Penicuik and Kirkhill. The latter suburb had then been recently built to accommodate the cotton-spinners at Esk Mills. The valued rental of the parish a century ago was i?2110 sterling. In the present year, according to the abstract prepared by the county assessor, it is i?25,191, with an additional sum of i?2838 for railways and waterworks.

In the year 1817 occurs the first mention of Penicuik as a post town. Prior to that time the delivery of letters was made at May- bank by the Dumfries coach as it passed by from the metropolis. Inhabitants of the village and parish who were in the habit of conducting correspondence had accordingly, in addition to the high rate of postage which then prevailed, to pay messengers to carry their letters to and from the primitive post-office, at what is now Mr. ClappertoiVs farm-house.

In 1817 a daily delivery began between Edinburgh and Penicuik, and the mails were placed in charge of a Mrs. Rankine. Shortly afterwards the office of postmaster was given to Mr. J. Dodds of the hotel, and after his death it passed in succession to Mr. Paterson, Mr. Jenkinson, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Robert- son. The position has now been held for many years by Mr. John Robertson, son of the last named.

The first mention of Hiring Fairs in Penicuik is in the almanac of 1802. Then, as now, they were held on the third Friday of March and the first Friday of October. Within the

14 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

recollection of middle-aged inhabitants, the gatherings of farmers and their servants on the village streets upon these occasions were very great. Confectionery stands and travelling shows filled the space from the church to the well, and visitors from all direc- tions added to the throng:.

This condition of things, however, no longer continues. The shows and merry-go-rounds are relegated to the park behind the Royal Hotel, and the agricultural community have almost entirely ceased to put in an appearance.

Prior to 1845 the streets of the village depended in great measure for their light in the dark evenings on the illumination shed from the lamps in the shop-windows. Fifteen years before that date gas had been introduced into the paper-mills, and in 1835 the parish church was also lighted with it. It was not, however, until ten years later that this valuable light was adopted by the villagers generally. It was from the first manufactured and supplied by Messrs. Cowan and Sons at Valleyfield Mills, and it continued in their hands until the formation of the Penicuik and District Gas Company in the year 1877.

Prior to the introduction of the regular county police as guardians of law and order in the village, this duty devolved upon a number of special constables, acting under the Bailie of the Barony, but their services were seldom if ever required. A monthly Court was held in the Parish School, now the Volunteer Armoury, and there are many yet alive who remember Bailie Disher presiding upon these occasions with all the solemnity becoming so exalted a position, and passing judgment upon the offenders brought before him by old Fiscal Robertson. The school- bovs had a holiday upon the Court days, and they were generally very ready to superintend the conveyance of drunk and disorderly individuals by John Sinton, the constable, to their night's incar-

THE VILLAGE OF PENICUIK 15

ceration in the dismal apartment beneath the steeple of the old kirk.

Since the abolition of the Bailie Court all offenders against the peace, as well as debtors and defaulting parents, are proceeded against in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court. At the present time, however, the Police Commissioners of the Burgh are considering the necessity of putting into local operation the jurisdiction clauses of the General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Act, 1862, which they now administer. Many of my readers will recollect what a storm of angry and excited feeling was raised in the village when a majority of the ratepayers decided to move in the direction of obtaining the introduction of the Act. Several prominent citizens had for long been dissatisfied that no form of local and representative government existed in a place so important as Penicuik, and in consequence set the necessary machinery agoing to remedy this defect. A section of the inhabitants were however bitterly opposed to their action, and very considerable opposition ensued. Mr. Thomas Penman was one of the leading dissentients, and he was afterwards pre- sented with a silver snuff-box by those who sympathised with his active and unwearied hostility to the new form of government. The Act was finally adopted, and the first meeting of the Com- missioners was held on 18th March 1867. Mr. Charles Cowan of Valleyfield was elected Senior Magistrate, a position which, upon his retirement, devolved upon, and has ever since been held by, his son, Mr. Charles W. Cowan. Mr. Thomas Hall, merchant, and Mr. John Paterson, banker, were chosen as Junior Magistrates, while Messrs. Charles Lawson, Robert Veitch, John Laing, and Henry Symington constituted the remaining four members of Commission. It may be mentioned here that the present police force of the parish is composed of one inspector and three con-

16 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

stables, all under the control of the chief of the county police. There are also three Justices of the Peace for the parish, — Sir George D. Clerk, Bart., Mr. Charles W. Cowan of Loganhouse, and Mr. John J. Wilson, banker. The last mentioned is member for the burgh in the County Council, while Mr. Charles Buchanan of The Gardens represents there the landward portion of the parish. Along with the increase of population the trade of the village has correspondingly developed. In old times the pend leading down from Bank Street to High Street was the only butcher's shop in the parish. When a sheep or ox was killed it was customary to send through a man with a bell to announce to the inhabitants that the meat was for sale. The carcasses were mean- time suspended from the stout oaken beams which supported the floor of the house above. These supports continue even now in a good and sound condition, and the marks of the ropes are still visible upon them. This primitive style of business was sup- planted during the first quarter of the present century by the opening of regular butchery establishments by Mr. Symington and others. Shops for the sale of bread, grocery, drapery, and ironmongery goods also multiplied, and it is worthy of remark that several of the business concerns in existence in those old times are presently carried on by the descendants of those who founded them. The most extraordinary and successful of all the com- mercial ventures in the village has been that of the Co-operative Association. An account of its origin and progress has been printed in pamphlet form, and it is there recorded that in the year 1859 four pa per- workers, named James M'Beath, Andrew Cowan, Joseph M'Diarmid, and James Skinner, met from time to time in each other's houses for the purpose of discussing the principles of Co-operation as carried on by the Rochdale pioneers. They finally determined to advocate the benefits of the system among their

THE VILLAGE OF PENICUIK IT

fellow- workers, and amongst others they sought the counsel and assistance of Robert Veitch and Stephen Cranston. The ultimate identification of these two shrewd and intelligent men with the movement went far to make the venture the success it afterwards proved. On 24th April 1860 arrangements were so far complete that a meeting was summoned in Mr. White's hall for the enrol- ment of members. On 2d June of the same year a meeting of shareholders was held, at which a scheme of association was drawn up, and a committee appointed, consisting of Robert Veitch, treasurer ; James Skinner, secretary ; Alexander Forbes, Alexander Clapperton, Stephen Cranston, Joseph M'Diarmid, Andrew Cowan, David Smail, James Cossar, and Alexander Porteous. Mr. Cranston was elected chairman. A small shop was secured in old Thorburn Terrace, and opened two nights a week for the first three months, the committee serving the customers in turn. On 5th July 1860 the association was fairly floated with a member- ship of forty-eight and a capital of £61, 5s. The total sales for the first year amounted to £195, lis. 8|d., and the profits to £24, 4s. 5|d., yielding a bonus to members of 4^d. per pound upon their purchases. It is needless to describe in detail the struggles of these early pioneers of Co-operation in our village, or to chronicle the development year by year of their business ; suffice to say that it progressed by leaps and bounds. A glance at the present position of the society will sufficiently explain its success. Its report for the half-year ending 13th March 1890 states that the capital at that date was £31,125, 10s. ; sales for the six months, .£32,438, 10s. 8|d. ; profits for corresponding period, £6317, 0s. llfd. ; and reserve fund, £1993, 2s. 2id. Branch establishments have been opened in Loanhead and Roslin. The employes in all the various departments of business carried on by the association number over eighty, all being under the

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18 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

personal superintendence of Mr. Andrew M'Gregor, the present excellent manager.

Considerable enterprise has also been shown in our village from time to time in the engineering and building departments of business by Messrs. Paterson, M'Gill, Idling, Lawson, Ewart, and Tait. The last-named gentleman many years ago purchased the old foundry buildings, used as cavalry barracks at the time when the French prisoners were at Valley field, fitting them up with elaborate machinery for sawing, planing, and moulding timber. As many as seventy and eighty workmen have frequently been employed there by Mr. Tait in the various departments of the building industry carried on by him. Messrs. Ewart and Son also go largely into the cutting and sawing of wood by steam- power, besides carrying on their ordinary work as carpenters.

A branch of the Edinburgh and Leith Hank was opened in the village before the middle of the present century, and Mr. James Symington was appointed to the agency. In 1844 the business of the Glasgow Joint-Stock Bank became amalgamated with the former, under the title of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Bank. This joint concern continued thereafter to be represented in our village by Mr. Symington until the date of his death. He was succeeded in the agency by Mr. John Paterson, a man of great vigour and public spirit. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Bank developed into a successful concern, but in the commercial panic of 1857 the directors proved unable to cope with the crisis, and its valuable business fell into the hands of the Clydesdale Bank. The branch at Penicuik was continued by the latter company under Mr. Paterson's charge until his death in the spring of the year 1878, when the directors appointed the author of this volume as agent. It is noticeable that all the three gentlemen who have been identified with banking interests in Penicuik were members of

THE VILLAGE OF PENICUIK 19

families who have been for many generations resident in the parish.

After thus attempting to place before my readers an account of the village and its commercial progress, it is fitting that a short space should be devoted to a description of the educative and literary opportunities which from time to time have been placed within reach of its citizens.

For about fifty years, with occasional breaks, a Debating Societv existed in the village. It has unfortunately come to an end, but many there are, botli at home and abroad, who trace much of their success in public life to the confidence they acquired in giving audible expression to their opinions on the various subjects brought before the meetings of the Society in Valley field School- room. Perhaps it reached its point of greatest popularity about twenty years ago, having then had a membership exceeding fifty, and many of those members men possessing the gift of great natural eloquence. None who, like the writer, were privileged to attend these meetings, will readily forget the absorbing interest of the debates, or the culture exhibited in the treatment of literary subjects.

In the month of February 1853 there appeared the first number of the Penicuik and Valleyjield Monthly Journal of Literature, Science, and Art. This somewhat ambitious publication consisted of twelve small pages, and the arrangement and composition of its articles, not always confined to the subjects on its title-page, showed considerable ability. Notwithstanding its modest price of one penny, its editors did not find sufficient encouragement to continue its publication beyond ten months. Local news are now supplied through the medium of the Peeblesshire Advertiser and Midlothian Journal, both of which devote a portion of their columns to Penicuik.

20 THE ANNALS OF PENICUIK

Another literary entertainment has been the winter course of Lectures. The initial move in what has since proved such an interesting and valuable educative influence was made by the late Rev. David Duncan of Howgate. In a letter written to Mr. John Cowan, on 16th July 1852, he suggested the propriety and desirableness of a village like that of Penicuik having such a course, offering himself to give a series of eight lectures on the ' Natural History of Man."1 Mr. Cowan took up the scheme warmly, and a committee was very soon formed to carry out the necessary arrangements. It consisted of Rev. W. Scott Moncrieff, Rev. D. Duncan, Rev. T. Girdwood, Rev. A. Mackenzie, Dr. Symington, Dr. Alison, Messrs. John Wilson, Eastfield, John Paterson, James Jackson, Thomas M'Dougal, Adam Cranston, Alexander Anderson, James Ramage, and Thomas Chalmers, with Mr. John Cowan as treasurer.

The first course, 1852-53, contained fifteen lectures, and at their conclusion a statement of accounts was read by the treasurer, show- ing a creditor balance of £% 17s. 2d. Mr. Charles Cowan, M.P., in proposing a vote of thanks to the committee, especially com- plimented Mr. Duncan for his valuable services in initiating and contributing to such a successful and interesting course. Mr. Duncan's services were afterwards more substantially recognised by a presentation of a selection of valuable books.

In the years immediately following, prominent strangers like Gerald Massey, Stevenson Macadam, and Professor Blackie, and intelligent residenters like Mr. John Wilson of Eastfield, Dr. Donaghy, Dr. Thin, and Mr. Charles Howden, lectured to large and appreciative audiences in the Parish School.

So popular were these lectures that they were continued with- out a break until the year 1865. After an interval of three years they were resumed for a like period, after which they were discon-

THE VILLAGE OF PENICUIK 21

tinued until 1883. In the winter of that year they were begun again with renewed vigour. The services of prominent lecturers like Archibald Forbes, Oscar Wilde, Rev. David Macrae, Professor Blackie, and many others, were secured from time to time during successive years, and the consequence was continuous and absorbing interest shown on the part of the public. Owing to the gloom cast over the district by the Mauricewood Pit disaster of 5th September 1889, the committee thought it wise not to have the usual course last year, but they have again presented an attractive syllabus for the present winter.

Another useful institution was the Village Library, so long carried on by Mr. James Jackson and his much-respected daughters, the Misses Jackson. It was formed in the year 1797 by Mr. Alexander Cowan of Valleyfield, and one or two others interested in the place and neighbourhood. It continued for a long period thereafter to be a prized possession of the Penicuik citizens. In the year 1837 it contained 1200 volumes, and had fifty regular subscribers, and for thirty years afterwards its literature was freely taken advantage of by a large circle of members. During that period valuable libraries had also been formed in connection