DUMBARTON, a parish and burgh (royal), the county town, in the county of
Dumbarton, L5 miles (N. W.) from Glasgow, and 58 (w. by S.) from Edinburgh;
containing 3828 inhabitants, of whom 3782 are in the burgh. This place derives
its name, formerly Dunbriton, from an ancient fortress which, though its founders
are unknown, became the
principal seat of the Strathclyde Britons, who at a very
remote period established themselves in this part of the
kingdom. The Romans, however, during their invasions
of Britain, are supposed to have made themselves
masters of this fortress and the territories adjacent;
and on the western peak of the rock on which the castle
is built, are still some vestiges remaining of a lighthouse
said to have been erected for the accommodation
of their galleys stationed in the Clyde, which flows round
its base. After the departure of the Romans, the Britons
of Strathclyde quickly repossessed themselves of their
previous settlements, which they maintained against the
assaults of the Picts and Scots. In 756, the fortress
is recorded to have been taken by Egbert, King of Northumbria.
The name of the place, while in the hands of
the Britons, was Alcluyd, supposed to be the Balclutha
celebrated in the poems of Ossian. " I have seen the
walls of Balclutha, but they were desolate. The fire had
resounded in the halls: and the voice of the people is
hecird no more. The stream of Clutha was removed from
its place, by the fall of the walls. The thistle shook
there its lonely head: the moss whistled to the wind.
The fox looked out from the windows, the rank grass of
the wall waved round its head. Desolate is the dwelling
of Moina, silence is in the house of her fathers."
The CASTLE was made a royal fortress at a very early
date, and the town which had arisen under its protection
was in 1222 erected into a royal burgh by Alexander
II., who in 1238 granted a charter to the Earl of
Lennox, confirming to him the earldom and its possessions,
with the exception of the castle and some lands
adjoining. During the disputed succession to the Scottish
throne on the death of Alexander III., the castle,
which had been surrendered with many others to the
custody of Edward I. of England, was in 1298 delivered
by that monarch to John Baliol, whom he declared to be
the rightful heir to the crown. After various captures
and recaptures, the castle again fell into the hands of
Edward, who in 1305 placed it under the government
of Sir John Monteith, during whose occupation the
heroic Wallace, being treacherously made prisoner, was
delivered into the power of his inveterate enemy, and
sent to England for trial. The castle was taken by
Robert the Bruce in 1300; and during the siege of Dumbarton
by the English fleet in 1481, it was bravely defended
by its governor, Andrew Wood, to whom, for his
services on that occasion, James III. granted the lands
of Largo, in the county of Fife. In the beginning of
the reign of James II'., the castle had been placed under
the custody of the Earl of Lennox, on whose attainder
for rebellion his estates and title became forfeited to the
crown, and the castle was besieged by the Earl of Argyll,
chancellor of Scotland; but its strength resisted all his
efforts, and it was not till after a protracted siege by a
numerous force, headed by the king in person, that the
garrison surrendered. After the disastrous battle of
Pinkie in 154", Mary, the young Queen of Scots, was
conveyed for safety to the castle of Dumbarton, where
she remained till her embarkation for France; and after
her return, she visited the town while on an excursion
into Argyllshire. During the hostilities consequent on
the deposition of the queen, the castle was held for her
by Lord Fleming for a considerable time; hut in 1571
it was surprised and taken for the regent by Captain
Crawford, who, having learned by bribery the easiest
mode of access, succeeded by scaling the walls; and
Hamilton, Archbishop of St. Andrew's, was made prisoner,
and afterwards hanged at Stirling.
At the commencement of the war in the reign of
Charles I., the castle, which was garrisoned by the royalists,
was taken by the parliamentarians in 1639, but
was soon recovered by the king's forces. It again, however,
fell into the hands of the republicans, and the
Scottish parliament ordered the fortifications to be destroyed.
This order was not carried into effect; in 1652
it was garrisoned by Oliver Cromwell, and at the time
of the union of the two kingdoms, the ancient castle
was one of the forts ordered to be kept in repair. The
present garrison consists of a governor, lieutenantgovernor,
barrack-master, storekeeper, and surgeon, with
thirty rank and file, and twelve artillery of the royal
corps. The buildings are situated on a stupendous rock
rising precipitously from the Clyde to a height of 350
feet, and dividing into two conical peaks of nearly equal
elevation. The entrance, which is far below the point
where the rock divides, is defended by a rampart containing
the guard-house and apartments for the officers,
whence a long flight of steps leads to the interval between
the summits. Here are the barracks for the garrison,
a battery, and a well of excellent water, behind
which is the governor's house. Above these, on the
lower summit of the rock, are several batteries, strongly
mounted, commanding an extensive range of the Clyde;
and at high water the rock is nearly insulated by the
river Leven. The higher summit of the rock, the ascent
to which is precipitously steep, still retains the name of
Wallace's Seat, and that portion of the castle in which
the brave Wallace was confined is called Wallace's
Tower. Among other relies of antiquity is a large twohanded
sword, said to have belonged to that hero. In
1847, when visiting Scotland, Her Majesty the Queen
landed at Dumbarton, where she stayed for about threequarters
of an hour, and inspected the ramparts.
The TOWN is situated on the west bank of the river
Leven, near its influx into the Clyde, and consists principally
of a street in the form of a crescent, from which
several smaller streets diverge. It is connected with a
suburb on the west side of the Leven by a handsome
stone bridge of five arches, nearly 300 feet in length.
The houses are well built; the streets are paved, and
lighted with gas, and the inhabitants are amply supplied
with water. There is a public subscription library with
a collection of more than 2000 volumes, and two reading
and news rooms are supported by subscription. The
chief manufacture is that of glass, which was formerly
carried on to a very great extent, paying duties to government
amounting in one particular year to £119,000;
it is still very considerable, and the principal articles produced
are crown and bottle glass. There are tanneries,
rope-walks, and brick and tile works, and various handicraft
trades are pursued for the supply of the neighbourhood;
ship-building is also carried on extensively
in three commodious yards belonging to the town, and
another yard in the adjoining parish of Cardross. In the
rivers Clyde and Leven are some good salmon-fisheries.
The Leven is navigable at high water for vessels of large
burthen to the quay of Dumbarton; but at low tides, a
bar and some sand-banks at the mouth of the river,
though partly removed, allow access only to steamers
and small vessels. The number of vessels employed in
the trade of the port is about forty, of 1220 tons' aggregate
burthen.
The market, which is on Tuesday, is amply supplied
with grain and with provisions of all kinds. Fairs are
held on the third Tuesday in March and May, the Thursday
before Easter, the first Wednesday in June, which
is a large cattle-mart, and the second Tuesday in August
and November. The post-office has two deliveries
daily; and branches of the Commercial and Western
Banks of Scotland, and several insurance agencies, have
been established in the town. Facility of communication
is afforded by steam-boats, which ply thrice a
day to Greenock and Glasgow; and in summer there is
a daily conveyance for passengers to the Loch Lomond
steamers, which touch at Balloch. In 1846 an act was
passed for the construction of a railway from Glasgow
to Dumbarton and Loch Lomond, with branches to
Helensburgh and other places. By charter of Alexander
II., extended by several of his successors, and
confirmed by charter of James VI., who added a grant
of land, the town possesses all the privileges of a royal
BURGH, and the burgesses, and their vessels and cargoes,
enjoy exemption from river-dues on the Clyde and harbour
of Glasgow. Under the Municipal Reform act,
the government is vested in a provost, two bailies, a
dean of guild, treasurer, and ten councillors. There are
five incorporated guilds, viz., the hammermen, tailors,
shoemakers, coopers, and weavers, for admission into
which the fees are inconsiderable, the highest not exceeding
£1.2. The magistrates have civil and criminal
jurisdiction within the royalty, for which they hold
courts as occasion requires, assisted by the town-clerk,
who acts as assessor; but owing to the facilities secured
to sheriff-court procedure by recent statutory forms, the
business is now chiefly brought before the sheriff of the
county, who holds sheriff and commissary courts every
Thursday during the session, and small-debt courts
every alternate Thursday. Dumbarton is associated
with Kilmarnock, Renfrew, Rutherglen, and Port-Glasgow,
in returning a member to the imperial parliament;
the number of qualified voters is 158. The county gaol
and court-house are at the end of the main street.
The PARISH is bounded on the south by the river '^r
Clyde, and on the west by the river Leven, which separates
it from Cardross. It is from seven to eight miles
in extreme length, from three to four miles in breadth,
and comprises 6529 acres. The surface in the south is
level for nearly two miles from the Clyde, but afterwards
rises abruptly towards the north, becoming chiefly
moorland diversified with small hills of moderate height.
In many parts the scenery is beautifully picturesque.
The soil, though in some places shallow, is generally
fertile, partly clay alternated with gravel, and the lands
are in a good state of cultivation; the crops are wheat,
oats, barley, bear, peas, and beans, with the usual grasses.
The system of husbandry is improved; the lands are
inclosed, principally with fences of thorn, which are
well kept, and the farm-houses and offices are substantial
and commodiously arranged. The substrata are
chiefly limestone and sandstone; of the former there is
an extensive supply at Murroch glen, and on Dumbarton
moor are quarries of red freestone. The annual value of
real property in the parish is £10,810. For ecclesiastical
purposes the parish is within the bounds of the
presbytery of Dumbarton, synod of Glasgow and Ayr.
The minister's stipend is £233, with a manse, and an
allowance of £16 in lieu of glebe; patrons, the Town
Council. The church, built about IS 10, and situated in
the town, is a spacious structure containing 1500 sittings.
A missionary is established here, who receives a stipend
of £52, raised by subscription; there are places of worship
for members of the Free Church and the United
Presbyterian Synod, and a Roman Catholic chapel. The
parochial school is attended by nearly 200 children;
the master has a salary of £40, with a school-house, and
the fees, though very moderate, are considerable from
the number of scholars: the school is under the patronage
of the council. Dr. Smollett, the novelist, received
the rudiments of his education in this town; and Dr.
Colquhoun, author of a treatise on the Wealth, Power,
and Resources of the British Empire, was born here. It
is said that George Buchanan the historian received part
of his education at the place. Dumbarton conferred the
title of Earl on a branch of the Douglas family, but it
became extinct on the demise of the second earl without
issue, about the middle of the last century.