Vol 13 - Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian ...

16
Antiquities of Eskdalemuir.
And now that you may have a less general and more parti-
cular idea of the parish than you may have been able to form from
these few and fragmentary descriptions, I propose starting from
the head of the parish, particularising as I proceed downwards,
and commenting briefly upon any object, scene, or locality that
that may be supposed to possess the smallest degree of interest
for the Antiquarian. Well ! looking down from our present point
of vantage upon the spacious glen beneath our feet, we are look-
ing upon what once formed, on the opposite side of the river, the
lands given by Robert Avenel to the Monks of Melrose for
pastoral, hunting, ajid sporting purposes generally. Then the
wild deer and boar as wild frequented these upland solitudes—for
Ettrick Parish coupled with Eskdalemuir was once a favourite
hunting ground of the Scottish Kings. These lands appear to
have been known by the ancient name of Weid-Kerroc or Weit-
Kerrock. If a single passage cr two in Armstrong's " History of
the Debateable Land" are to be relied upon, then, during the
reign of David First (1124 to 1153) Robert Avenel received from
that Monarch a Charter of the lands of Tom-loher and 'Weit-
Kerrock in Upper Eskdale. We are further told that the teinds
of Eskdale were granted by him to the Monks of Melrose, and it
is also stated for the repose of the souls of certain individuals
whose names are given, and for his own soul and for the soul of
his wife, Sibilla, he granted the aforementioned lands to the
Monastery of Melrose. It may be proper to mention in this con-
nection that David I. was uncommonly fond of establishing
relio-ious or Monastic Houses. As he was the great Benefactor of
the Church, the clergy willingly bestowed on him the epithet of
Faint, a character which one of his successors seemed to consider
rr.thir dubious. The alienation of so much of the Royal property
led him to remark that " St. David had been a sair sanct to the croon."
But to return to the name of the lands thus given to the monks at the
head of Eskdale—viz., Weit Kerrock, I would have you note that the
term Caer (c-a-e-r) which occurs in the Kerrock is, according to
Professor Veitch, one of the most frequent names for a hill-fort in
all the Lowlands of Scotland ; it is a Celtic, even a Cymric term,
and appears everywhere in the names of places already existing
before the times of Caesai- and Agricola. This being so, we at
once look for a hill-fort, and we are not disappointed, for over
ao-ainst us, on the western side of the river, tliere .stands a fine