WILTON, a parish, in the district of Hawick, county
of Roxburgh; containing, with the hamlets of Appletree-
Hall and Dean, 1 867 inhabitants. This place, whose
name in ancient records is written Walltown and IVilllstown,
is of uncertain origin; and little worthy of historical
notice occurs in respect to the parish, which may
be regarded as a suburban district to the town of
Hawick, the village of Wilton being completely identified
with that town. The parish is situated on the river
Teviot, along the banks of which it extends for nearly
five miles; it is about three miles and a half in breadth,
and comprises an area of seventeen and a half square
miles. Wilton is bounded on the north by the parishes
of Minto and LiHiesleaf, on the east by Cavers, on the
south by Hawick, and on the west by the parishes of
Ashkirk and Roberton. About two-thirds of the land
are under tillage and the remainder in pasture, with the
exception of about 100 acres of woodland. The land
is of moderate quality, the agriculture good, and the
four and the five shift courses of husbandry prevail;
considerable progress has been made in draining, and
along the banks of the river excellent crops of wheat are
raised. The plantations are of oak, ash, elm, and beech,
with larch, Scotch, spruce, and silver firs to nurse. In
general the farm-buildings are commodious; the lands
are all inclosed, and the arable fields are fenced with
thorn, which is thriving and well kept. Considerable
expense has been incurred in an embankment of the
Teviot, which is however not sufficient fully to protect
the lands from the overflowing of that river. The chief
fuel is coal, which has recently been procured at a more
moderate price than formerly. Nearly one-half of the
lands are the property of the Duke of Buccleuch, who is
also owner of the teinds; the remainder is divided
among numerous minor heritors. There are various
neat family residences, of which Wilton Lodge, Stirches,
an ancient mansion, Burngrove, Briery- Yards, Whitehaugh,
and Midshiels, are the principal.
A considerable portion of the population are employed
in the woollen manufacture, which is extensively carried
on in the parish, and for which considerable facilities
are afforded by the river, and by the tributary streams
of the Borthwick, which falls into it near the southern
extremity of the parish, and the Slitrig, which joins it
at Hawick. There are five mills for spinning wool; two
of them are the property of persons in this parish, and
three of persons resident in Hawick. The manufactured
articles are, lambs' wool yarn and hosiery, blankets,
plaidings, flannels, tartan shawls, and other goods of a
similar kind. The mills contain fifty teazing, scribbling,
and carding engines, preparing wool sufficient for the
constant working of 9578 spindles. The quantity of
wool consumed weekly is nearly 12,000 pounds. About
230 persons have the care of the machinery and supply
it with the material; there are 240 employed in the
manufacture of stockings, about seventy-five weavers,
and forty persons engaged in scouring, dyeing, and
finishing the goods. Some of these mills employ two sets
of workpeople, and are continued in operation day and
night. A communication has been opened with Hawick,
by the construction of a bridge of four arches over the
river Teviot; and the line thus formed joins the Edin
burgh road at a place called Dovemount Well. Great
facility of intercourse is afforded by the Edinburgh and
Hawick railway. The nearest post is Hawick, and the
market of that place is frequented by the inhabitants of
this parish. There are two inconsiderable hamlets, in
addition to what may be called the suburban village;
these are, Appletree-Hall to the north, and Dean to the
south. The annual value of real property in the parish
of Wilton is £9794.
It is ecclesiastically in the presbytery of Jedburgh,
synod of Merse and Teviotdale, and in the patronage
of the Duke of Buccleuch: the minister's stipend is
£294. 2. 9., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £30
per annum. A considerable portion of the glebe, called
the Mains of Wilton, lying contiguous to the manse, is
said by tradition to have been originally given to the
then minister by his relative, the laird of Langlands.
There are also about sixteen acres of land lying at some
distance from the manse, which were acquired by the
incumbent on the division of Wilton common in 1765;
but the soil is of very inferior quahty. The church was
built in 1762, and in 180f a new aisle was added by
subscription: the edifice is conveniently situated, and
affords accommodation to 460 persons. Wilton parochial
school gives a useful education: the master has a
salary of £34. 4. 4.; the school-house and the dwellinghouse
are both indifferent and incommodious, and the
master receives a compensation in money for deficiency
of garden-ground. The Rev. Mr. Crawfurd, incumbent of
the parish in 1713, was eminent for his literary attainments,
and was author of a work entitled Dying Thoughts,
and various other theological works. Dr. Charters, also,
a subsequent minister, was distinguished as a preacher,
and for his exemplary piety.