brought by Crookshank, in his History of the State and Sufferings of the Church of Scotland, against the people of the neighbourhood, "that they were very cruel to the fleeing army of the Covenanters, many of whom they killed, and others they took prisoners." The battle was not fought in the parish, but a little to the eastward, so that those whom John Brown interred were most likely some of the unfortunate individuals alluded to by Crookshank, as having been killed by the people of Penicuik in their flight westwards. Antiquities.*-Newhall House seems, in former times, to have been the seat of a religious establishment of some note. Lying on the confines of a very extensive and desolate waste, and on the line of the principal route from Edinburgh to the south-west, from which at this point there was a pass over the Pentlands to the north, it seems to have been originally intended to serve as a hospice for the shelter and refreshment of travellers, over what must have been at the time a dreary tract of country. A farm house in its immediate neighbourhood bears the name of the Spittal; and though at present good roads and inns have rendered such institutions unnecessary, the poor wayfarer is still held entitled to receive gratuitously the accommodation of a night's lodging at the Spittal of Newhall. On the summit of the pass before alluded to, at the elevation of 1500 feet above the sea, there are the remains of a Roman Catholic station. The cross which hallowed it has disappeared, but the stone which formed its pedestal still remains, with two deep indentations, which have evidently been worn by the knees of the many passing worshippers. Some workmen rudely overthrew this stone last year, and were rewarded by obtaining possession of a few old copper coins. Brunstane Castle, on the Esk, upwards of two miles above Penicuik, is a ruin of considerable extent, and has evidently been a place of importance. It would seem to have been built in the year 1580. Logan House is another remnant of feudal times, which possesses rather an interesting character from its romantic situation, enclosed as it is on all sides by the Pentlands, and encircled by the rather classic stream of the same name.. It became a favourite hunting-tower of the Scottish kings. It was on the adjacent grounds that the celebrated match took place between the hounds of King Robert Bruce, and Sir Willian St Clair of Roslyn, as more particularly A very particular account of all that can pretend to the interest of antiquity, will be found in the Appendix to the last Statistical Account. detailed in the Notes to the Lay of the Last Minstrel, and which led to the erection by the latter of the Chapel of St Catherine's, about a mile below the hunting-tower. The picturesque ruins of this ancient monument of Sir William St Clair's gratitude to his propitious saint, was submerged, as has been stated, by the Edinburgh Water Company, on the formation of their great reservoir. The remains of its walls may still be perceived rising from the waters, when they are unusually low, as was the case last year (1835.) Some old coins were found under the altar piece, on its being turned up some years since. The scenery on this romantic stream has long disputed with that on the Esk at Newhall, the honour of being the local habitation of the dramatis persona of the Gentle Shepherd. They both have had and still have their advocates, and much has been written and still more said on the subject. But, as the amount of authorship in favour of the Esk rather preponderates, that stream, otherwise so classic, enjoys the envied honours. It is unnecessary to describe the mansion-houses of the gentry. They remain as they were when the last account was written; nor is any of them deserving of notice except Penicuik House, which is an elegant modern mansion, in the Grecian style, celebrated for its Ossian's Hall, a large room, the ceilings of which are painted by Runciman, the designs being taken from Ossian's Poems. Runciman was, when young, employed with others to paint Penicuik House. Whilst so engaged he attracted the favourable notice of Sir James Clerk, then a great patron of Scottish genius. By him he was sent to Rome, where he studied for some time. His death is said to have been occasioned by the painful exertions he was obliged to make in painting the roof of the hall, which he had to perform lying on his back. Pieces so executed cannot, of course, be expected to display the highest perfection of the art; but they present very fair specimens of Runciman's style, and perhaps both the ground and the subjects were the most favourable for his bold, but exaggerated manner. The most marked improvements have taken place within the last forty years on the farm-houses and steadings. All those on the Penicuik barony have been rebuilt in a substantial way, with slated roofs and other improvements, at once for use and comfort. The same may be observed as to the Newhall property. Nor have the manufacturing class been behind the agricultural, in improving their mills and dwelling-houses. A corresponding degree of improvement is discernible in the shops and dwelling houses in the village. The former being lighted with gas, and neatly fitted up, are equal to those of most country towns, and give to the place a greater air of prosperous comfort, than is generally to be met with in a Scotch village. A number of new dwelling-houses have been erected during the course of the last six years, and all in a style of superior convenience and elegance. It is believed that, did the proprietor encourage feuing, many more would be added. In the year 1831, an enterprizing individual converted the Government cavalry barracks, which stood to the north of Penicuik, and which had remained unoccupied since the end of the war, into a foundery, which employs a number of hands, and is in constant operation. III. POPULATION. It has not been in my power to ascertain from any authentic documents the ancient amount of the population. There occurs, at times, in the minutes of session a note of the number of communicants, as, for example, in June 1721, there were 375, in June 1779, there were only 345. The diminution is not, however, to be ascribed to a falling off in the population, but to the erection of a Dissenting place of worship at Howgate, in the year 1750. Under the date of 1779, I find a note intimating that it appears from a roll made up by the minister at that time, there were then in the parish 1349 individuals young and old. From these it appears that the population has been progressively on the increase. This must be ascribed chiefly to the paper manufactories; for though there has been during the last fifty years, a great improvement in the agriculture of the parish in reclaiming waste lands, &c. still, from the converting of small farms into large ones, which has taken place to a considerable extent, the increase of the agricultural population has been checked. Inhabitants of the parish now living can easily remember the days when upwards of twenty heads of families would regularly cross the Pentlands to worship at Penicuik; now scarce a single individual comes from that quarter of the parish, all the families there being reduced to two or three. Improvements in machinery are now also beginning to operate in the same way on the manufacturing population, as a much larger amount of produce can now be raised by fewer hands. It would be incorrect, therefore, to estimate the prosperity of the parish by the increase of the population. In the month of November 1835, the writer took up a new census, when he found no more than 2286 souls,-which shews that the population has not been much on the increase since 1831. Of this number, 1250 are resident in Penicuik or its immediate neighbourhood. The following table exhibits the yearly average of births, deaths, and marriages for the seven years preceding Whitsunday 1831. a The register of deaths may be presumed to be correct, because no interment could take place without registration. The list of marriages may also be considered as pretty accurate, but no reliance can be placed on that of births,—which may be taken to exhibit only one-half of the actual number of births. The Dissenters, who amount to one-third of the whole population, rarely, if ever, register the births of their children, and many of the Established Church neglect it, notwithstanding all that can be said to induce them to do so. Seventy births per annum, at an average, I should consider as fair approximation, instead of 33, as the table would make it. There are 417 persons under seven, and 97 above the age of seventy. Instances of individuals reaching to the term of ninety are pretty frequent. I have seen a reel danced in the neighbourhood of Penicuik by four persons, whose united ages came to 320 years. There are at present 55 males above fifty years, who are unmarried, or are widowers, and 64 females above forty-five, who are unmarried. The total number of families was 522 in 1835, the average number in each family being 44. In the village of Penicuik it is, however, under 4, but in the landward part of the parish it is upwards of 5. Number of inhabited houses, 500. The people are, in general, strong and healthy, but not so in any remarkable degree. Insanity has prevailed more than might have been expected. In the year 1830, two individuals committed suicide under its influence, one of whom accomplished the death of her attendant relative, and the other nearly succeeded in a similar attempt. There were then 5 others in confinement for lunacy, and nearly the same number fatuous. There are only two deaf mutes, and one blind at present. The number of deaths from suicide, murder, or other violent causes within the last ten years in the parish and vicinity seems deserving of record, as remarkably great, amounting to no fewer than 20. Of these, 8 persons committed suicide; 2 were murdered; 2 drowned; 2 lost in snow; 1 killed by lightning; 1 killed violently without intent to murder; 2 by machinery; and 2 by intemperance. Number of illegitimate births in the parish during the last three years, 16. Sir George Clerk, and H. Brown, Esq. of Newhall, are at this period the only resident proprietors of considerable fortune. There are, however, altogether nine landed proprietors whose income exceed L. 50. Before the passing of the Reform Bill, the parish yielded only five qualifications; there are now three old freeholders and 77 new voters enrolled, as qualified to vote. Amusements.-The favourite game in this part of the country is curling, to which the parishioners of Penicuik have long been devoted. In their contests with the neighbouring parishes, they have hitherto been very successful. There is a numerous Curling Club, whose members annually play for a silver medal given by their patron, Sir G. Clerk.* Character, &c. of the People.-The habits of the people are in general cleanly, but there is not in this respect, nor as regards their dress and style of living, any thing remarkable. By the following returns, which may be relied on as accurate, it is to be feared that intemperance prevails to a greater extent than might have been expected: Stock of spirits in hand within the parish at 5th January 1838, Total at 22d March 1838, 1461 gallons. 737 2198 888 gallons. Stock in hand 22d March 1838, This club has presented their excellent patron with a finely mounted hunting horn, the crest of his family; and their indefatigable secretary, Mr Jackson, with an elegant ink-stand, in the form of a curling stone, of the value of L. 12. |