KEIR, or KiER, a parish, in the county of Dumfries,
2 miles (S. W.) from Thornhill; containing, with the
village of Barjarg, 984 inhabitants. This ])arish is supposed
to derive its name from the British word Cuer,
signifying "a fort ", used in reference to some fortress
of importance, all traces of which have now disappeared.
It is thought to have anciently belonged to the abbey of
llolywood, or, an nome say, was a vicarage belonging
to the parish of Caerlaverock, which latter was a par-
Honage connected with the abbey. After the Reformation,
the feus thot used to be paid to the Church
were given to the Earl of Morton; but that nobleman
having disobliged the sovereign, they were afterwards
granted to the Earl of Nithsdale, whose successors were
the chief heritors of the parish till 1702, when James,
Duke of Queensberry, purchased the barony of Keir.
The property has since been increased by several purchases,
and consists at present of three large portions,
held by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, and
extending to nearly one-half of the whole parish. The
other estates are Capenoch, Waterside, Barjarg, and
Blackwood, one of which is still in the possession of a
very ancient family.
The PARISH is about seven miles and a half long, and
two miles and a half in extreme breadth, containing between
7000 and 8000 acres. It is bounded by the parish
of Penpont on the north, by Dunscore on the south, by
Closeburn on the east, and by Tynron and Glencairu on
the west. The surface is diversified with numerous hills,
affording excellent sheep pasture: the rivers are, the
Nith, and its tributary the Scar, the former of which constitutes
the eastern boundary of the parish. The Edinburgh
road passes within the south-east end of the parish
for half a mile. The holm land on the banks of the
rivers consists of a fine rich loam. In other parts where
the ground is level there is a light, dry, and fertile earth,
producing good crops in moist weather, but soon parched
up with drought. The soil on the high grounds is deep
and strong, but very stony, and generally covered with
coarse though nutritious grasses. About 3375 acres are
cultivated for the usual white and green crops; 750 are
meadow land, and nearly 2600 natural pasture: between
600 and 700 acres are occupied by wood, natural and
planted. The sheep are chiefly the black-faced, and the
cattle of the Galloway and Ayrshire breeds. Many improvements
have been introduced into the district, the
chief of which is the reclaiming of waste land by drainage
and other means, so as to increase the extent of
arable ground in a very great degree. The rocks in the
parish consist of greywacke in many varieties, with
sandstone and abundance of limestone, of the latter of
which a quarry is worked, producing annually lime
worth about £2500. The annual value of real property
in Keir is £4562. The mansions are Barjarg, Capenoch,
Waterside, and Blackwood Houses, all of them modern
with the exception of the first, which is |)artly an old
edifice. There are two villages, namely, Keir-Mill and
Barjarg. About eight miles and a half of turnpike-road
run through the parish, and five bridges connect Keir
with the adjoining districts: one of these bridges, a
suspension-bridge of a new ccmstruction, was lately
erected by the Duke of Buccleuch over the Scar; the
span is 110 feet. Ecclesiastically the parish is within
the bounds of the presbytery of Penpont, synod of Dumfries
and Galloway; patron, the Duke of Buccleuch.
The stipend is about £220; and there is a good manse,
with a glebe of ten acres, worth about £1S per annum.
Keir church, which is inconveniently situated .it KeirjNlill,
near the upper end of the parish, was bviilt in 1814;
it contains 430 sittings, and is in good repair. There
are two parochial schools, in which Greek, Latin, mathematics,
and all the usual branches of education are
taught: each of the masters' salaries is £25. 13.4., with
from £14 to £18 fees.