LEADHILLS, an ecclesiastical parish (formerly), in
the parish of Crawford, Upper ward of the county of
Lanark; containing about 1200 inhabitants, of whom
950 are in the village, 18 miles (W. N. W.) from Moffat.
The village derives its name from its situation in a romantic
valley surrounded by hills that abound with
mineral produce, of which the principal is lead-ore; the
hills are generally covered with heath, and towards the
south-east form a lofty ridge, well known as the Louthers,
rising to an elevation of nearly 2500 feet above the level
of the sea. From the summit of this ridge is an imposing
and richly-diversified prospect, embracing the
Solway Firth, the Isles of Arran and Man, and the
mountains of Skiddaw, Ben-Lomond, and Helvellyn,
with the whole range of the Pentland hills. The village
is of peculiar appearance, the houses, which are chiefly
inhabited by persons employed in the mines, being placed
on eminences, or a kind of terraces. The principal
mansion of importance is the Hall, a seat of the Earl of
Hopetoun's, whose family take their title from this place,
formerly called Hopetoun; it is an ancient structure,
and one of the wings has been converted into a commodious
chapel. The house, also, belonging to the representative
of the Scottish Mining Company, is a handsome
building in tastefully-disposed pleasure-grounds,
surrounded by thriving plantations of beech, larch, mountain
and common ash, elm, and other trees. A library
established in 1741 by Allan Ramsay the poet, a native
of Leadhills, is well supported, and has a collection of
nearly '2000 volumes. The lands near the village are
not by nature fertile; but a considerable part of them
has been brought into profitable cultivation by spade
labour, and good crops of potatoes, with hay and summer
grass, are raised by the industry of the persons working
in the mines, to whom the proprietor gives portions of
land rent-free.
The mineral district extends about three miles in
length and two miles and a half in breadth, and consists
of a substratum of greywacke and greywacke-slate combined
with transition clay-slate, in which most of the
mineral ores are deposited. The chief veins of lead run
in a north and south direction, with a dip of about one
foot in three, and have produced large quantities of ore.
Lead-mines are believed to have been wrought here by
the Romans, an opinion partly confirmed by the fact of
one of their principal roads having passed thro\igh the
parish, and by the remains of Roman camps, several of
which may be distinctly traced in this and the adjoining
parish. The chief mines at present in operation are
those of High-Work, Meadow-Head, and Brow: that of
Susannah, after having been worked to the depth of 140
fathoms, has been discontinued, the price of lead being
insufficient to remunerate the expense of sinking to a
greater depth. The average produce of the mines is 500
tons annually, valued at about £8000. The common
galena ore is that chiefly raised; but there are several
veins of green, yellow, and black ore, sulphate and
sulpho-tricarbonates of lead, and phosphate and earthy
lead ores; and copper and iron pyrites, malachites,
azure copper-ore, grey manganese, blende, and calamine
are also found. In the various veins are likewise discovered
quartz, calcareous and brown spar, and sparry
ironstone. Silver is found in the lead-ore, in a very
small proportion; and gold occurs in all the streams
that intersect the district. In the sixteenth century
many men were, by permission of the Scottish regent,
employed in searching for gold, of which considerable
quantities were collected, and sent to Edinburgh, to
be coined, and manufactured into different ornaments.
Specimens of native gold, weighing some ounces, w'ere
at times discovered; but of late few have been found
weighing more than half an ounce, and these are now of
very rare occurrence. There are also considerable leadworks
at Wanlockhcad, in Dumfriesshire, not more than
a mile distant from this place. A post-office has for
about a century been established in the village; and
facility of intercourse with the neighbouring towns is
maintained by good roads. Fairs are held on the second
Friday in June, and the last Friday in October; the
principal articles sold arc provisions and merchandise,
for the supply of the inhabitants. Leadhills was separated
from the parish for ecclesiastical purposes under
an act of the General Assembly in 1K34, but in consequence
of the subsequent abrogation of that act, it has
now ceased to exist as a quoad sacra parish: the minister's
stipend is paid by the Earl of Ilopetoun and the
Scottish Mining Company, with a house and garden.
The church is adapted for a congregation of iibout 850
persons. A school has been established for more than
a century, and is attended by 100 children; the master
receives a salary from the earl and the company.