KIRKOWEN, or Kirkowan, a parish, in the county
of Wigtown; containing, with the hamlet of Kiltersan,
1423 inhabitants, of wh(mi 607 arc in the village of
Kirkowan, 6 miles (S. \V. by. W) from Newton-.Stewart.
This place, which derives its name from the dedication
of its church to St. Owen, of whose history few particulars
are recorded, anciently formed part of the adjacent
parish of Kirkinner, from which it appears to have been
separated about the time of the Keformation. The
parish is bounded on the east by the river Hladenoch,
and on the west by the river Tarf. It is about fifteen
miles in length, and varies from less than two miles to
nearly seven in breadth, comprising .'jO,.'').SO acres, of
w-hich 7000 arc arable, 300 woodland and plantations,
and the remainder meadow, pasture, and waste. The
surface is diversified with numerous hills, few of which,
however, attain any considerable degree of elevation,
and with large tracts of moor, interspersed with patches
of arable land of moderate fertility and in a tolerable
state of cultivation. The principal rivers are the Bladenoch
and the Tarf. Of these, the former has its source
in Loch Maebearie, in the north, and flowing in a southern
direction, separates the parish from that of Penninghame:
on quitting Kirkowen, it changes its course to
the east, and runs into the bay of Wigtown. The Tarf,
which rises on the southern confines of Ayrshire, bounds
the parish for some miles in a beautifully-winding course,
and, afterwards altering its direction, intersects the
south-eastern portion of the parish, and flows eastward
into the Bladenoch near the church. There are several
lakes; the most extensive is Loch Maebearie, about a
mile and a quarter in length, and half a mile in breadth.
Nearly in the centre of the parish, and within a mile of
the Tarf, is a continuous chain of three lakes, connected
with each other by rivulets, and extending a mile and a
half in length. Salmon, trout, pike, and eels are found
in the rivers and lakes, but not in great abundance.
In the north-west district the soil of the arable lands
is cold and thin, but in the south-east of richer quality,
light and dry, and, under good management, producing
excellent crops of grain, chiefly oats and barley. The
system of husbandry is much improved: the lands
have been drained and inclosed; the farm-buildings are
generally substantial and commodious, and most of the
improvements in the construction of agricultural implements
have been adopted. On the hills is good
pasturage for sheep, of which about 9000 are kept, principally
of the black-faced breed; they are much prized
for the fineness of their fleece, and about 1200 stone of
wool are annually sold, producing an income of £900.
The cattle are all of the pure Galloway breed, and are
usually disposed of when two years old to dealers from
Dumfries, whence they are sent southwards, and, after
a year's pasture in England, sold in the London market,
where they are in great estimation. The plantations are
in general under careful management and in a thriving
state. In this parish the substrata are greywacke and
clayslate, and large boulders of granite are found in
several parts: the granite, which is of good quality, is
hewn into blocks for lintels, door-posts, and other purposes
in which strength or ornament is required. There
is also a quarry of stone, of good quality for building,
at no great distance from the village. A vein of slate
was discovered on the Culvennan hill, and was for a
time in operation; but the (juality was not such as to
render the working of the C|uarry desirable. The annual
value of real property in the parish of Kirkowen is returned
at £.5393.
Crniglaw Mouse, an ancient mansion finely situated
in a wcU-plantcd demesne, is the principal seat. The
village stands on the road to Wigtown, and near the
river Tarf, on which a mill was erected in 1822 for the
manufacture of woollen clothes, affording employment
to about seventy persons; the articles made are blankets,
plaidings, flannels, and plain and pilot cloths, for the
dyeing and dressing of which the water of the Tarf,
from its peculiar softness, is well adapted. A i)ost-onice
has been established under that of Newton-.Stewart.
There are several handicraft trades carried on for the
accommodation of the district, and some shops in the
village for the sale of various kinds of merchandise.
Four annual fairs were formerly held here. Facility of
communication is maintained by the roads to Wigtown
and Portpatrick, which pass through the parish, and by
bridges over the rivers. Ecclesiastically the parish is
within the bounds of the presbytery of Wigtown and
synod of Galloway. The minister's stipend is £29^. 11.
8., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £6 per annum;
patrons, the family of Agnew of Sheuchan. Kirkowen
church, erected in the year ISSQ, is a neat substantial
structure, with a tower, and is conveniently situated in
the village. A congregation of dissenters assembles for
public worship in an old barn which has been fitted up
for the purpose. The parochial school is well conducted;
the master has a salary of £25. 13., with a house and
garden, and the fees average about £30 per annum.
There are some remains of the ancient castle of Mindork,
in the south-western portion of the parish; but nothing
of its history is recorded.