MOCHRUM, a parish, in the county of Wigtown;
containing, with the villages of Eldrig, Kirk of Mochrum,
and Port-William, '2539 inhabitants, of whom 187
are in the village of Kirk of Mochrum, 7^ miles (S. W.)
from Wigtown. This jilace, the name of which is altogether
of unknown derivation, appears to have formed
part of the possessions of the Dunbar family, having
been conferred about the year 1368 upon the second son
of Patrick, Earl of Mar, their ancestor. Among his
descendants, who were subsequently raised to the dignity
of baronets, the most distinguished was Gavin, son of Sir
John Dunbar, who, having devoted himself to study,
was in 1504 made prior of Whithorn, and in 1522 succeeded
James Beaton as archbishop of Glasgow. In
1526 he was made lord chancellor of Scotland, and in
1536 was chosen one of the lords of the regency during
the absence of James V. at the court of France while
celebrating his marriage with Magdalene, daughter of
Francis I. The original residence of the Dunbars,
knights of Mochrum, was an ancient castle called the Old
Place of Mochrum; the walls, of great strength, are still
nearly entire, and it has an interesting and highly picturesque
appearance. The castle, and the lands attached
to it, remained in the possession of the Dunbars till
towards the close of the last century, when they passed
to the Earls of Dumfries, and subsequently to the family
of the present Marquess of Bute; the title of baronets
of Mochrum is still retained by their descendants, represented
by Sir William Rowe Dunbar, Bart. The Maxwells
settled in the parish in the early part of the 17th
century, and the great body of its rental is received by
their representative. Sir William Maxwell, Bart.
The PARISH is bounded on the south-west by the bay
of Luce, and is nearly ten miles in length and from four
to five miles in breadth, comprising from 20,000 to
22,000 acres, of which 200 are woodland and plantations,
about 1000 waste, a number of acres underwater,
and the remainder, almost in equal portions, meadow,
pasture, and arable land in good cultivation. Its surface,
though not rising into hills of any considerable
elevation, is boldly undulated, and diversiBed with tracts
of level land and gentle acclivities in pleasing variety.
The higher grounds command a fine view, extending
over the bay of Luce and the Irish Channel, and embracing
the Mull of Galloway, the Isle of Man, the mountains
of Morne on the Irish coast, and the heights of
Skiddaw in Cumberland. Towards the north-west are
numerous lakes, of which the most important are Mochrum
and Castle lochs, each about a mile and a quarter
in length and a quarter of a mile in width, and containing
islets of picturesque appearance. From these, and
also from the smaller lakes, issue rivulets that intersect
the lands in various directions; and some, uniting their
streams, form the Maizie water, which flows eastward
through the parish into the Bladenoch, and is the only
water approaching in character to a river. The coast
extends nearly ten miles, and for the greater part is a
flat smooth gravelly beach about fifty yards in width,
but is bounded by a precipitous bank rendering communication
with the interior difficult, and at about a
mile from the western extremity terminates in a steep
rock projecting into the bay, and forming a bold and
almost inaccessible shore. There are several indentations
or creeks affording shelter to boats; but the only
harbour accessible to trading vessels of any considerable
burthen is Port-William, near the eastern extremity of
the bay: it has safe anchorage for vessels of 200 tons,
and was constructed during the last century by Sir
William Maxwell. The bay abounds with fish of almost
every variety, and of excellent quality; salmon and
herrings are taken in moderate quantities, and cod,
mackerel, whiting, and other white-fish are found in considerable numbers.
Along the coast the soil is mostly a rich deep loam,
alternated with patches of lighter quality: towards the
central part it gradually becomes thin and stony; and
in the west and east are some tracts of moor and moss,
with intervening portions of dry and fertile arable land.
The system of husbandry has been greatly improved
under the auspices of Sir William Maxwell, who gives
liberal encouragement to his tenants; favourable crops
are raised, and considerable numbers of cattle and
sheep are reared here. The farms are well inclosed,
chiefly with hedges of thorn; the farm houses and
offices are generally substantial and commodiously arranged,
and all the more recent improvements in the
construction of agricultural implements have been
adopted. Though not extensive, the plantations add
much to the beauty of the scenery, and such of them as
are sheltered from the sea breezes are in a thriving state:
the soil does not appear to be adapted to their extension.
The annual value of real property in the parish is £8980.
Monreith House, the seat of Sir William Maxwell, is a
modern mansion, situated on an eminence near the
eastern boundary of the parish, about a mile from the
sea, and at the head of a small but beautiful lake surrounded
with plantations. Myrton Cottage, a handsome
residence, was built by the same gentleman within
the last few years. The village of Mochrum, in which
the church stands, is neatly built; and its inhabitants
are chiefly employed in agricultural pursuits. The villages
of Eldrig and Port-William are described under
their respective heads; at Port-William is a post-office
which has six deliveries in the week. Facility of intercourse
is maintained by good roads, of which the turnpike-
road to Glenluce passes along the coast for several
miles, opening a communication with the Rhinns of
Galloway. Ecclesiastically the parish is within the
bounds of the presbytery of Wigtown and synod of
Galloway. The minister's stipend is £153. 3. 5., with a
manse, and a glebe valued at £25 per annum; patron,
the Crown. Mochrum church, built in 1*94, and successively
enlarged by the addition of galleries in 1822
and 1832, is a substantial structure containing 700 sittings.
There is a place of worship for members of the
United Presbyterian Church. The parochial school is
well attended; the master has the minimum salary,
with a garden, and an allowance in lieu of a house, and
the fees average upwards of £20 annually. The schoolroom
is a handsome building, adapted for the reception
of 150 children. Near the church is a large earthen
mound surrounded by a deep fosse. On the summit of
an eminence not far from the eastern extremity of the
coast, are some very distinct traces of an Anglo-Saxon
camp; and near the shore, about two miles from the
western extremity, are the ruins of the ancient chapel of
St. Finian.