KIRKCUDBRIGHT, a Stewartry of a county, in
the south of Scotland, bounded on the north and northeast
by the county of Dumfries; on the north and northwest
by the county of Ayr; on the south and southeast
by the Solway Firth; and on the south-west by
the county and bay of Wigtown. It lies between 54° 43'
and 55° 19' (N. Lat.), and 3° 33' and 4° 34' (W. Long.),
and is forty-eight miles in length, from east to west,
and thirty miles in extreme breadth; comprising an area
of about 882 square miles, or 564,480 acres; 8485
houses, of which 8162 are inhabited; and containing a
population of 41,119, of whom 18,856 are males and
22,263 females. This district, which, from its ancient
tenure, is called a stewartry, though for all purposes a
county, occupies the eastern portion of the ancient province
of (lalloway. Prior to the Roman invasion of
Britain, it was principally inhabited by the British tribe
of the Ndvantcs. The Romans, on their invasion of the
island, erected several stations in the district of Galloway,
and constructed various roads; but though they
maintained something like a settlement in this ])art of
the country, which they included in their province of
I'nleiit'ui, they were not able completely to reduce the
original inhabitants under their doiniiiioii. After the
departure of the Romans from Britain, the county,
owing to its proximity to the Isle of Man and tlic Irish
coast, became the resort of numerous settlers from those
parts, wlio, intermingling with the natives, formed a
distinct people, subject to the government of a chieftain
that exercised a kind of subordinate sovereignty under
the kings of Northumbria, or kings of Scotland, to whom
they paid a nominal allegiance. Upon the death of
Allan, Lord of Galloway, in the thirteenth century, the
country was distracted by the continual struggles of the
various competitors for its government, and fell under
the power of Alexander II., King of Scotland. On the
subsequent marriage of Devorgilla, one of Allan's daughters,
with the ancestor of Baliol, King of Scotland, it
became the patrimonial property of that family. During
the contest between Baliol and Bruce for the crown, the
province was the frequent scene of hostilities; and from
the attachment of the inhabitants to the cause of Baliol,
it suffered severely. Ultimately it became the property
of the Douglas family, on whose attainder it escheated
to the crown, and was divided by James II. among several proprietors.
The stewartry of Kirkcudbright was for some time
included in the county of Dumfries, and was imder the
jurisdiction of the same sheritf; but every vestige of
that connexion was lost prior to the time of Charles I.,
since which period it has to all intents formed a distinct
and independent county, though still retaining its ancient
appellation. Previously to the abolition of episcopacy,
the district was part of the diocese of Galloway; it is
now mostly included in the synod of Galloway, and
comprises the presbytery of Kirkcudbright and parts of
others, and twenty-eight parishes. For civil purposes
it is under the jurisdiction of a sheriff, or Stewart, by
whom a stewart-substitute is appointed. Kirkcudbright,
which is the chief town, and New Galloway, are royal
burghs in the stewartry; it also contains the towns of
New- Galloway, Maxwelltown, Castle-Douglas, Creetown,
and Gatehouse of Fleet, and some inconsiderable hamlets.
By the act of the 2nd and 3rd of William IV., the stewartry
returns one member to the imperial parliament;
the number of qualified voters is 1260. Of the lands,
about one-third are arable, and the remainder principally
mountain pasture, moorland, and waste. The surface is
strikingly varied, and towards the coast is diversified with
numerous hills of moderate height, generally of bleak and
rugged aspect, and interspersed with masses of projecting
rock. In other parts are mountains of lofty elevation,
the principal of which are, the Criffel, rising 1900 feet
above the level of the sea, and the Cairnsmore and Cairnharrow,
nearly of equal height. The mountainous district
is intersected with valleys of great fertility, and in
a high state of cultivation. Many of the hills are easy
of ascent, and afford rich pasturage for cattle and sheep;
and some, which are of more moderate elevation, are
cultivated to their summit. The rivers are the Dee, the
Ken, the Crce, and the Urr. Of these, the river Dec
has its source in the western part of the stewartry, on
the confines of Ayrshire, and flowing south-eastward,
pursues an irregular course for about forty miles; it
forms in its progress some picturesque cascades, becomes
navigable at Tongland for vessels of 200 tons' burthen,
and falls into the bay of Kirkcudbright. The Ken rises
in the north-west part of the stewartry, and after a southeastern
course of several miles, expands into the loch to
which it gives name, and shortly forms a confluence with
the Dee. The river Cref has its source on the confines
of Ayrshire, and flowing south-eastward, forms a boundary
l)etween the stewartry and Wigtownshire; it runs
past Newton-Stewart, on the east, and falls into the
creek at the head of Wigtown bay. This river abounds
with smelts; and, for several miles in the latter part of
its course through a district abounding with romantic
scenery, is navigable for small vessels. The Urr has its
source in the lake of that name, on the northern boundary
of the stevvartry, and after a course of nearly thirty miles
through a pleasant and richly-wooded strath, falls into the
Solway Firth nearly opposite to the island of Hestan.
There are various less important streams, some of which
are navigable for small craft; the chief are the Fleet, the
Tarf, the Deugh, and the Cluden. Numerous lakes also
adorn the county, but few of them are of sufficient extent
to require particular notice; the principal is Loch
Ken, measuring nearly five miles in length and about
half a mile in breadth.
The whole of the district appears to have been at a
very early period in a forward state of cultivation; and
during the war of the Scots with Edward I. of England,
it furnished the chief supplies of grain for the subsistence
of the English army after the conquest of Galloway. In
the subsequent periods of intestine strife, however, it fell
into a state of neglect, in which it remained till the commencement
of the eighteenth century, since which time
it has been gradually improving. The soil is generally
a brown loam of small depth, alternated with sand, and
resting usually on a bed of gravel or rock. In some
parts a clayey loam is prevalent; in others are large
quantities of flow-moss of considerable depth, which are
supposed to be convertible into a rich soil, a very wide
tract of such land having been rendered productive within
the last thirty or forty years. The crops raised in the
stewartry are oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, turnips, and
other crops; the farms on the arable lands vary from
150 to 500 acres in extent, and those on the moors from
4000 to 5000 acres. The rotation plan of husbandry is
adopted; the lands have been drained, and inclosed
principally with stone fences, called Galloway dykes.
The farm-buildings are not inferior to those in most other
parts of Scotland. In this county the cattle, of which
more than 60,000 head are pastured, are of the Galloway
breed; and great attention is paid to their improvement.
The sheep, of which upwards of 200,000 are fed on the
moorland and other farms, are of the black-faced breed,
with many of English breeds. Great numbers of swine
are also reared, and they form a valuable stock; the
horses are more than 6000 in number, and, though not
pure Galloways, are much esteemed.
There are no remains of the ancient forests with which
the district formerly abounded, except a few trees on the
banks of some of the streams; but considerable plantations
have been formed on the demesnes of the various
proprietors and in other parts, adding greatly to the appearance
of the country. The minerals, on account of
the scarcity of coal, have not been rendered available to
any profitable extent; copper is wrought near Gatehouse
of Fleet by an English company, and lead-mines were at
one time in operation in the parish of MinnigafF. Ironore
is found in abundance, but, from the want of coal,
is of little value; the limestone and coal used here are
brought from Cumberland. Indications of coal, and also
of limestone, have been perceived on the lands of Arbigland,
in the parish of Kirkbean; but no mines have as
yet been opened. The manufacture of linen, cotton, and
woollen goods is carried on to a considerable extent in
the towns and villages: the principal trade, however, of
this district, which is almost entirely pastoral or agricultural,
is the large export of cattle, sheep, and grain, for
which the facility of steam navigation affords ample opportunity.
The salmon-fisheries at the mouths of the
various rivers are highly productive, and the Solway Firth
abounds with fish of every kind; but little benefit is derived
from this source, and comparatively few fishermen's
cottages are to be found upon the shores. In general
the coast is precipitous, with intervals of low shelving
sands; and the navigation is for the most part dangerous,
though some of the bays afford safe anchorage.
Kirkcudbright harbour is easy of access, and affords
secure shelter from all winds; it has a considerable
depth at high water. About two miles from the small
island of Little Ross, at the mouth of Kirkcudbright harbour,
and on which a lighthouse has been erected, is a
fine bay called Manxman's lake, where 100 vessels of
large burthen can ride in safety. Communication with
Liverpool is maintained by steamers, which sail regularly
from the port. The annual value of the real property
in the county is £193,801, of which £182,926 are for
lands, £9444 for houses, £1204 for fisheries, and £22*
for quarries.