HOBKIRK, or HOPEKIRK, a parish, in the district
of Jedburgh, county of Roxburgh, 8 miles (E. S. E.)
from Hawick; containing 776 inhabitants. This parish
appears to have derived its name from the situation of
its church in a hope, or narrow dale. It is eleven miles
in length from north to south, and three miles in breadth;
and is bounded on the north by the parishes of Cavers
and Bedrule, on the east by the parish of Southdean
and a small part of that of Jedburgh, on the south by
Castleton, and on the west by Cavers and Kirkton.
The surface is strikingly varied. In the southern extremity
is a chain of hills forming part of the Cheviot
range, and on the northern boundary is the Rubberslaw
hill, which has an elevation of 14'20 feet above the level
of the sea. Between this hill and the southern range is
the level valley of the river Rule, on the eastern bank of
which is the beautiful hill of Bonchester, rising in a
spherical form to a height of 1260 feet, and covered with
rich verdure to its summit. The river Rule rises in the
southern range of hills, flows northward through the
whole length of the parish, and two miles beyond falls
into the Teviot, after having been augmented in its course
by many springs of salubrious water, and many streams
from the surrounding heights. This stream, with its
valley, is one of the prettiest and most sequestered in
the south of Scotland. It abounds with excellent trout,
and affords capital sport to the angler, though the shallows
are too often swept by the net.
In general the soil is a red tenacious clay, presenting
numerous boulders, frequently of greenstone. The greenstone
rock forms caps to certain of the hills; red sandstone
pervades the northern and eastern, and greywacke
the western division of the parish, while a bed of limestone
encroaches on its south-western border. A little
northward of this, at Robertsliu, occurs a stratum of
agate or coarse jasper, from which brooches, seals, and
other ornaments are made. The sandstone is freely employed
for building purposes, and the limestone, when
burnt, offers to the enterprising husbandman a proper
application to the stiff clay of the district. The cultivated
lands stretch along the valley: in the higher grounds
heath or spongy moss prevails, except upon the limestone
bottom around Langburnshiels, which yields
perhaps the best pasturage of all unimproved farms in
the country. The whole number of acres in the parish
may be estimated at 19,000, of which 3.500 are under
the plough, 900 in woods or plantations, and the remainder
in meadow, pasture, and waste land. The
crops are principally oats and turnips, with potatoes.
barley, peas, wheat, and grasses: the system of agriculture
is improved; the lands have been drained and
partly inclosed, and a considerable portion of waste has
been reclaimed and brought into cultivation. On the
lower grounds the fences are chiefly of thorn, sometimes
of whin raised upon mounds, of paling, or of reiss, for
which the thinnings of the woods afford ample materials;
on the higher or pasture grounds, stone walls are maintained.
The old farmhouses or onsteads are indifferent,
but improvement is rapidly advancing, and all the buildings
of modern erection are substantial and commodious.
Much attention is paid to the rearing of live stock.
About 10,000 sheep, of the Cheviot breed, or with a
cross of the Leicestershire, called half-bred, are pastured
in the parish; and nearly 1500 stones of wool are annually
produced, all pure white, that is, unlaid. Upwards
of 300 young cattle, principally of the shorthorned
breed, are grazed here, and either fitted for the
butcher, or prepared for being fattened off upon turnip.
The parish is highly ornamented with trees. The older
woods consist of birch, hazel, alder, which are natural,
and Scotch fir, beech, oak, and elm; on some estates
regularly thinned; on others so much neglected that
large quantities of valuable timber might be cut with
obvious advantage to the remainder. The newer plantations,
of larch and Scotch fir, with oaks, ashes, and
spruces interspersed, are extensive, and thriving vigorously.
The annual value of real property in the parish
is £6269. There are no villages, and but two small
hamlets, each of six or eight dwellings. Facility of
communication is afforded with the neighbouring markettowns
by roads kept in excellent order, and by the turnpike-
road from Hawick to Newcastle, and that from Jedburgh
to Castleton, which pass nearly at right angles
for several miles through the parish.
For ecclesiastical purposes the parish is within
the bounds of the presbytery of Jedburgh, synod of
Merse and Teviotdale; and the patronage is in the
Crown. The stipend of the incumbent is £206; the
manse, which has been repaired within the last few years,
is a comfortable dwelling so far as its accommodation
extends, and the glebe, with half the glebe of the suppressed
parish of Abbotrule, is valued at £40 per annum.
The church, erected in 1700, and repaired in 1777 and
in other years, is well situated, but a damp uncomfortable
edifice, capable of accommodating a congregation of 400
persons: the floor, as in most ancient churches, is below
the level of the churchyard. The parochial school, which
is yet more incommodious, affords education to SO or 90
children; the master has a house, with a salary of £32.
10., including an allowance in lieu of a garden, while the
school-fees average £24 per annum. A subscription
library has been established, and meets with due encouragement.
A bequest of £100 was made some time
since by Lady Yester; the interest is divided between
the heritors (for charitable purposes) and the schoolmaster.
On Bonchester hill are considerable remains of ancient
fortifications, some of which are square, and others of
circular form, intersected also by lines of more modern
construction. This hill, which is admirably adapted for
the site of a camp, is supposed to have derived its name
from its having been occupied by the Romans for that
purpose. Querns, arrow-heads, and various other relics
of antiquity have been found here. On Rubberslaw and
other heights are also traces of camps. Two cairns
were lately removed, which are thought to have been
raised over the remains of warriors slain in some battle
that occurred near the spot; one of these was situated
on the eastern side of Rubberslaw, and the other at
Fodderlee. Of a battle at the latter place, there are
some traditionary records; but nothing is recorded
respecting the former. At Langraw, a great quantity of
burnt bones and ashes have been discovered, within a
circular inclosure about eighteen feet in diameter. On
their removal, there were found, in the sandstone underneath,
four holes, in which upright poles had been fi.\ed,
and secured by stones wedged in from above; but of
the purpose of the erection of these, or the use to which
they were applied, nothing is known. Several urns have
been dug up in different situations. Mary, Queen of
Scots, passed through this parish on her route from
Jedburgh to Hermitage Castle, and, near its extremity,
was obstructed by a bog, which has been ever since
called the " Queen's Mire". Thomson the poet resided,
or frequently visited, here, and wrote his first sketch of
Winter from the view of Rubberslaw.