CHAPTER VI.

ALONG THE NORTHERN WALL.

N proceeding along the northern boundary, we observe

numerous high-class monuments, some few of which have been erected in honour of distinguished men. The first one next the gate bears the illustrious name of Sir Andrew Halliday. The true story of his life, how from being a poor herd boy in Dryfesdale he obtained European fame as a physician, became the confidential adviser of kings, and a benefactor to men of all ranks, reads like a romance. He claimed as his progenitor the patriot warrior Thomas Halliday, nephew of Sir William Wallace; and the knightly honours which he won by his worth were quite in keeping with his descent from Wallace's "sister's son so dear." It was on the advice of Sir Andrew Halliday that the immense fortune left by Dr. James Crichton of Friars' Carse, " £100,000, for beneficial purposes," was applied in building the Crichton Royal Institution for the treatment of the insane, and for a short period he officiated as its first medical superintendent. The stone, a stately one, of Grecian design, bears the following inscription :

"Virtute Parta." "Sacred to the memory of Sir Andrew Halliday, K.H., Deputy-Inspector-general of Hospitals, who died at Dumfries on the 6th Septr., 1839, in the 58th year of his age. He was a man of great information, and unbounded benevolence; was incessantly employed in devising means for ameliorating the condition of his fellow-creatures; and altogether his life was of the most extensive usefulness. This monument is erected to his memory by a few sincere friends."

In 1759 a rivalry that had long prevailed between the shopocracy and craftsmen of Dumfries rose to a violent pitch. It originated in persistent efforts made by the Merchant class to increase their ruling power at the expense of the Trades. Bailie James Corbet, who favoured the former party, and became their leader in the feud that followed, was chosen chief magistrate, by a "plurality of votes" only, at Michaelmas 1758; and on his seeking re-election at the ensuing term

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the Trade Councillors and the democracy out of doors resolved, if possible, to baulk his ambition, and place their favourite, John Graham of Kinharvie, in the civic chair. When the Council met on Saturday, the 29th of September, to proceed with the election, High Street was occupied by a riotous multitude, the leaders of which broke forcibly into the chamber, expelled the Corbet Councillors before the latter had time to elect their chief, and then, under the turbulent auspices of King Mob, the Deacons and some few Merchant members who sympathised with them were left free to choose Kinharvie as Provost, which they did by acclamation. At dead of night the members of the opposite party held a secret conclave in the George Inn, Southgate Brae, and when far into the Sabbath hours completed the election of Mr. Corbet, which had been so rudely interfered with. A furious collision ensued between the parties when they returned from churching their respective chiefs; and the punishment, by transportation or otherwise, of the principal rioters rendered this great burghal strife increasingly memorable. This is the incident in our local annals to which reference is made in preceding chapters as the conflict between the Pyets and the Crows-the supporters of Mr. Corbet taking that designation because his name resembled the old term for crow and because a raven figured on his family crest; while the Graham party were named after the pyet or magpye, on account of its well-known antipathy to the "ebony bird."

These remarks will perhaps cause the visitor to take special interest in the next monument. It is a handsome erection, between the Doric pilasters of which we read that it is dedicated to the memory of the Corbie leader, “James Corbet, Esq., late Provost of this Burgh, who died the 25th of January 1762, aged 53 years." His election, though irregular, was held to be valid by the Court of Session; and he was again returned as chief magistrate in 1760. The elegiac inscription makes no reference to the events which disturbed his civic reign; these are properly passed over, and a glowing eulogium finds place in the following terms:

"Endued with an understanding solid and acute; yet was he distinguished by an unassuming modesty. Honest and benevolent, sedate and good humoured, gentle and obliging: an agreeable and usefull member of society; a warm and steady friend; a husband and father affectionate and tender. In health he maintaind a conduct regular and virtuous; in sickness a behaviour patient and resignd; and in his last moments a fortitude decent and manly."

The next stone bears the name of Bailie William Denholm, died 8th September 1762, aged 67, his spouse, Nicholas Dalyell, their son, Captain William Denholm of the 63d Regiment, died 23d November 1810, aged 77, his spouse, Sarah, and their daughter Catherine, all belonging to a wellknown family long resident in Broomrig of Holywood.

Numerous members of another well-known family-the Lawsons of Kelton-are commemorated by two adjoining stones: the list includes Robert Lawson of Knockhornock, died 29th May 1800, aged 72; his wife, Helen Hannah ; and their son Robert, died at St. Kitts, aged 24; also, George Lawson of Knockhornock, died at Kelton, 2d February 1870, aged 69; his spouse, Mary; their daughter Margaret; Mary Lawson, spouse of Samuel Millar; Agnes Lawson, who lived to be four score; George Lawson of Kelton, who died two years older, 2d July 1845; his son William, died at Port Louis, Mauritius, 22d February 1845, aged 42; Jean, daughter of George, and wife of William Walker; Helen Hannah, another daughter; Jessie Newall Millar, wife of James Finlay; Janet Lawson; and the husband of the latter, Thomas Haining, who, after long worthily officiating as local clerk of sasines, died at Glencaple, 12th January 1873, aged 76.

We next arrive at a very neat but plain upright tombstone, erected over the dust of a worthy and accomplished gentleman. The words upon it contrast by their severe simplicity with some other epitaphs we have quoted, they merely intimating that the monument is

"Sacred to the memory of the Rev. William Burnside, D.D., who was admitted Minister of the New Church, Dumfries, June 22d, 1780, translated to St Michael's June 19th, 1794, died January 6th, 1806, aged 55 years."

His spouse, Anne Hutton, died 29th July 1838, aged 79; and five of their offspring are also named in the inscription : Helen and John, cut off when young; James, died in India in 1815, aged 27; William, died at London 21st March 1857, aged 66; and Janet, died 17th March 1856, aged 75.

A manuscript History of Dumfries remains in the library of the Dumfries and Galloway Club, as a memorial not less of Dr. Burnside's amiable nature than of his literary taste and skill. It is a folio volume of 172 closely written pages, compiled for Sir John Sinclair's "Statistical Account,” and only to a small extent embodied in that work. Strictly speaking, it is not so much a history as a valuable collection of statistics, shewing how Dumfrles looked and fared at the close of the eighteenth century, accompanied by unconnected jottings of many prior historical events relating to the town and parish.

William Stothert, a successful Dumfries merchant, and his spouse, Mary Johnstone, are noticed laconically on the next monument: "He died 1st October 1767, aged 73. She died 22nd March 1763, aged 59." Their son, James Stothert of Cargen, died 1st March 1800, age not mentioned; and his spouse, Margaret Cockburn, are borne in remembrance by another stone within the same enclosure. A third bears the honoured name of a son of James, grandson of the Dumfries merchant, to wit William Stothert of Cargen, who is still well remembered by many as a pious and devoted officebearer of Maxwelltown Chapel during the early years of its existence. He died 23d May 1863, aged 72, in Edinburgh, where he had been sojourning for a lengthened period. Mr. Stothert was twice married, first to Rebecca Thomson Monteith, who, it is stated, "fell asleep" 5th December 1825, aged 28; secondly to Jemima Deborah Dean, who "entered into rest" 2d March 1835, aged 29. A fourth monument within the same compartment is dedicated to Thomas Cockburn Stothert of Blaiket, died at Hastings 30th June 1817, aged 24.

Of all the compartments in the entire range of the burialground, that which belongs to the Craigmuie family is kept

in the finest order. It seems almost like a section cut from the Cemetery of Pere la Chaise. Two stately old-fashioned monuments help to supply a fitting framework on the north, while in front are seen several smaller modern erections, mostly cruciform, on which some rare workmanship has been lavished. Bushes of dwarf yew, not pining alone, like Blair's "cheerless unsocial plant," but growing up lovingly alongside of geraniums and other cheerful flowers, and the beautiful artistic products combining finely with the spring-revived or evergreen garniture of the enclosure; the emblematic stones and the flowers telling alike of a resurrection day. Three leading families of the district-the Goldies, Corries, and Lawsons-have contributed to the population of the sepulchre below.

One of the wall monuments commemorates Thomas Corrie of Steilston, died 15th April 1859, aged 70; his wife, Clementina Blair Ross; and their son, Hugh Corrie, died 5th June 1860, aged 41. The elder Mr. Corrie was manager of the British Linen Company's Bank, Edinburgh, and proprietor of Newtonairds and Priestlands, as well as Steilston. One of his daughters was married to the late Vice-Admiral Archibald M'Murdo of Cargenholm, in which way the Corries became connected with another distinguished Dumfries family. Walter de Corrie, the first of the name upon record, was constable of the Castle of Dumfries in 1291-2. James Corrie, another of the race, bore rule as provost in 1718-19-20, and during two subsequent biennial periods.

A lengthened obituary, as follows, appears upon the other principal monument: John Goldie of Craigmuie, who was many years Commissary of Dumfries, died 1776, aged 64; Jean Corrie, his wife, daughter of James Corrie of Speddoch; James, their eldest son, died 1763, aged 26; Catherine, wife of David Corrie of Newlaw, died 1782, aged 35; Thomas, the fifth son, who officiated also as Commissary of Dumfries, died 4th March 1823, aged 75; Helen Lawson, his wife, daughter of Hugh Lawson of Girthead; and Grace, Janet, and Jane, their daughters, the latter a lady of high mark in many respects, who died at Summerhill 13th February 1852,