MOUSWALD, a parish, in the county of Dumfries;
containing, with the hamlets of Old Brocklehirst and
Cleughbrae, 683 inhabitants, of whom 131 are in the
village of Mouswald, 7 miles (E. S. E.) from Dumfries.
The name was formerly spelt Muswaid and Mosswald.
Its termination is probably derived from the Saxon word
Walda, or Wealt, signifying " the woody district ", and
which, with the prefix moss, or mons, may be interpreted
" the forest near the moss ". Some, however, give to the
termination the sense of " a long range of high land ".
Few important events are recorded in connexion with
the parish. At Mouswald Mains was the seat of Sir
Simon Carruthers, laird of Mouswald, whose only daughter
married into the Queensberry family, who thus came
into the possession of the estate. The family of Grierson,
of this parish, are descended from Gilbert, second
son of Malcolm, laird of Mc Greggor, who died in 1374;
his son obtained a charter of the lands and barony of
Lag, in Nithsdale, and of Little Dalton, in Annandale,
and his descendants have continued in this part of the
country. Their present seat is Rockhall, in the parish
of Mouswald. The last inhabitant of the castle of Lag,
their former seat, which stands in the Glen of Lag, surrounded
by lofty hills, in Dunscore parish, was Sir Robert
Griersou, whose bailie, by virtue of Sir Robert's
prerogative as baron of the regality, tried, condemned,
and executed a sheep- stealer at Barnside Hill, about the
end of the seventeenth century. This is said to have
been the last instance in Nithsdale of a criminal suffering
death by the sentence of a baron-bailie.
The PARISH is between four and five miles long and
from two to three broad, and contains nearly 6000 acres.
It is bounded on the north by Lochmaben, on the south
by Ruthwell, on the east by Dalton, and on the west by
Torthorwald. In general the surface is tolerably even;
and what rising grounds there are, ascend so gently that
they are cultivated to the very summit: the highest hill
scarcely reaches 700 feet above the level of the sea. The
only river is the Lochar, and this runs through the
parish but for a few yards. Part of the extensive moss
called Lochar Moss lies within the parish, and contiguous
to it a considerable breadth of both the pasture
and arable ground is wet and marshy. A large portion
of the district near the farms immediately bordering on
the moss is of a light and sandy soil, or thin earth resting
upon gravel mixed with stones; and though carefully
laid down with grass seeds, it runs into broom in
two or three years. The land in the eastern part of the
parish, however, which is higher, has a tolerably deep
and rich soil, producing good crops. Upwards of 4000
acres are cultivated or occasionally in tillage; 1^60
acres, including more than 1100 of moss, afford indifferent
pasture; and 1 50 acres are in woods and plantations.
All kinds of white and green crops are grown.
The cattle are the Galloways, to the breed of which much
attention is paid; some fine draught horses are reared,
and large numbers of pigs, which latter are in general
sent to London. Most of the modern improvements
have been introduced; but the fences are still, to a great
extent, in an unsatisfactory state: the farm-houses are
generally of a superior description, most of them having
been rebuilt or improved of late years. The chief roclis
are greywacke and greyviacke-slate, and in one place
there is blue limestone. The great road from Carlisle
to Dumfries and Portpatrick runs through the parish
from south-east to north-west. There are also two excellent
parish roads, besides others, facilitating the communication
in every direction; and several convenient
bridges. The parish is likewise intersected by the Glasgow,
Dumfries, and Carlisle railway. The annual value
of real property in Mouswald is £3997- Ecclesiastically
the parish is within the limits of the presbytery of Lochmaben
and synod of Dumfries; patron, the Marquess of
Queensberry. The stipend averages £-200; and there
is a commodious manse, with a glebe of sixteen acres,
valued at £20 per annum. The church is a handsome
edifice, built a few years ago, and seats 386 persons.
A place of worship has been erected in connexion with
the Free Church. There is a parochial school, where
the classics and the usual branches are taught; the
master has a salary of £25. 13. 5., with the legal accommodations,
and about £10 fees. The remains of
several border forts are still to be seen, as also some ancient
cairns.