Newcastleton in 1825

An extract from :
Pigot & Co’s New Commercial Directory of Scotland 1825/26
(page 643)

Castletown is a newly built village, in the parish of the same name, in the county of Roxburgh, situate 20 miles south from Hawick, and 26 from Jedburgh. It is at present but a small village, and the inhabitants possess no manufacturing pursuits. The parish is extensive being upwards of 18 miles in length, and 14 in breadth, and occupies that district anciently called Liddisdale, from the river Liddel, which runs through it from north-east to south-west. The banks of the river are covered with natural wood and extensive plantations, which afford an infinite variety of the most picturesque scenery. The romantic cascade, and natural stone bridge, that once crossed the river Blackburn, are still to be seen in this district, and in this parish are the ruins of no less than five churches, and many others of castles and fortified places. In this village are two subscription libraries, also a friendly society; and here are three hiring days, well attended, to transact business, and principally to engage domestic servants. The first day is in April, the second early in May, and the third in November.

Letters are conveyed to Langholm three times a week.

Places of Worship	Established Church – Rev. A. Barton, minister United Secession – Rev John Law, minister
Gentry, &c.	Blacklock, John, esq. of Leehaugh Elliot John, esq. of Redheugh Elliot Jno. esq. (of Binks) Burnsmouth Elliot John, esq of Whithaugh Oliver Wm. esq. of Dinlabyre
Tradesmen, &c.
Corn Mills	Bickerton Mill, James Armstrong Whithaugh Mill, Wm. Armstrong
Shopkeepers, Traders, &c.	Armstrong Walter. Linen & woollen draper, and wholesale spirit dealer Crozer William, mason Dodd William, flesher Douglas John, joiner and cabinet maker Elliot Wm, boot & shoe maker Fletcher Alexander, tailor Fisher Alex, schoolmaster of the parochial school Hall Thos. Linen & woollen draper and spirit dealer Hardie John, boot & shoe maker Haughton John, watch and clock maker Jardine James, public house Kerr Robert, tailor Kyle Jane, public house Lauder Adam, slater Mitchelhill Thomas, public house Murray Jn, linen & woollen draper Murray Robert, baker Nichol John, boot & shoe maker Nichol John, mason Nichol Thomas, cooper Oliver John, tailor Purdon Archibald, mason Scott Alex, grover & meal dealer Scott Andw. Boot & shoe maker Scott Archibald, wright Scott Thomas, Crown Inn Scott Thomas, wright Scott Walter, public house Scott Walter, wright Smith John, public house Storry Thomas, blacksmith Temple Robert, surgeon Turnbull Adam, tailor Turnbull John, grocer and spirit dealer
Carriers	Hawick, Geo. Thorburn, on Wednesday, and returns on Thursday Long Newton, William Beattie, on Tuesday, and returns same day

Notes -

The commentary given below is a re-working of an article which I originally wrote for issue number 8 of the Copshaw Clatter (February 1984).

Today we are all familiar with the Phone Book and the Yellow Pages, which we use for finding current information about people and businesses. Directories have existed since the 18th century, and old directories can provide an important source of historical information about residents, businesses and local organisations of the past. Newcastleton features in directories published in 1825, 1837, 1860, 1866, 1878, 1882 and 1893.[1] The earliest of these is Pigot & Co’s New Commercial Directory of Scotland 1825/26 quoted above.

At less than 30 years old Newcastleton could still be referred to as a ‘new’ village. However, Pigot was a bit behind the times by calling our village ‘Castletown’. That was the usual spelling of the parish name till 1804 judging by references in the Kelso Mail. The earliest use of ‘Castleton’ I have come across is a Kelso Mail article about the Napoleonic invasion dated February 6, 1804.[2] The village was also called Castletown at first but ‘New Castleton’ (two words) starts to creep in to the Kelso Mail from 1803.[3] The modern spelling ‘Newcastleton’ makes a first appearance in the newspaper on May 2, 1808.[4]

Pigot mentions that ’the inhabitants possess no manufacturing pursuits’. Although the village was conceived as a weaving settlement, weaving on an industrial scale never developed and the village effectively became a small market town serving a wide rural area and picking up some passing trade from the Canonbie - Jedburgh turnpike road. However, Liddesdale did possess an industry in the 1820s – lime burning. The lime works at Larriston opened in June 1811 as a commercial venture[5] and were enlarged in 1820 to meet increased demand from farmers keen to improve the fertility of their land [6]. Also the Stobs Limery at the Limekilnedge, which had been in commercial production since the 1790s was flourishing at this time [7].

The natural bridge over the Blackburn collapsed in April 1810. It was 55 feet long 10 feet wide and 28 inches thick and stood 31 feet above the water level.[8]
The bridge is illustrated in the Border Magazine, 1931.[9]

The hiring fairs are the basis for the well-known song Copshawholm Fair and continued until the 1890s.[10]

Of the traders listed in the directory, William Crozer and John Nichol built the Holm Brig.[11]
Thomas Mitchelhill’s public house was the long defunct Black Bull at 45 North Hermitage Street[12] but Jane Kyle’s inn (The Grapes)[13] is thriving today. John Haughton has given his name to a street (Houghton Park); his sons John and Thomas founded the London & Liddesdale Benevolent Society.[14]


References:

Image of Natural Bridge on the Black Burn is from The Border Magazine, vol 36, 1931, page 75.

[1] Pigot & Co’s New Commercial Directory of Scotland for 1825-26; Pigot & Co’s National Commercial Directory of Scotland 1837; Slater’s Directory, 1852; Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory 1860; Rutherford’s Southern Counties Register & Directory 1866; Slater’s Directory 1878; Slater’s Directory 1882; Slater’s Directory 1893
[2] Kelso Mail, 6 Feb 1804, p4
[3] Kelso Mail, 7 Jul 1803, p4
[4] Kelso Mail, 2 May 1808, p1
[5] Kelso Mail, 10 Jun 1811, p1
[6] Kelso Mail, 24 Aug 1820, p1
[7] Kelso Mail, 21 Sep 1826, p1 and 16 Jul, 1827, p1
[8] Groome, Francis. Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, 1882-84. Available at http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/gaztext_page.jsp;jsessionid=D3055364C0196C359 [accessed Sep 7, 2007]
[9] Border Magazine, 36, 1931, p75
[10] Border Magazine, 1915, p59
[11] [check reference ? Byers, John . Liddesdale:histrorical and descriptive, 1952, page?]
[12] Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory, 1860; Valuation Roll, 1869, Castleton parish
[13] Pigot & Co’s National Commercial Directory of Scotland 1837, p759
[14] [check reference: Border Magazine, 1934, p177-179?]