The quotation below is from: Pigot & Co’s National Commercial Directory of Scotland 1837, page 759[1]

New Castleton is a modern village, in an extensive mountainous parish formerly known by the name of Castletown, but more generally by the popular title of Liddisdale, being the vale of the Liddle water. The village, which owes its rise to Henry Duke of Buccleugh, and has superceded the old parish village
(a little further up the vale), is 26 miles S.of Jedburgh, 20 S.E. of Hawick, and 5 N.E. of Canonby; situate in the centre of the lower and more arable part of the district, on the road which proceeds up Liddisdale. It consists principally of two long streets of neat new houses, which occupy a haugh on the right bank of the Liddle. The inhabitants are chiefly employed by the cotton manufacturers of Glasgow and Carlisle. The parish is upwards of eighteen miles in length by fourteen in breadth. The banks of the river are covered with natural wood and extensive plantations, which afford an infinite variety of the most picturesque scenery. Within the district are the ruins of no less than five churches, and many others of castles and fortified places; but the most remarkable object in Liddisdale is the ancient castle of Hermitage, erected on the thirteenth century by Comyn, Earl of Monteith, and was one of the largest fortresses on the border; it has lately been repaired by the Duke of Buccleugh, and during this operation several small pieces of cannon were found, evidently of very old manufacture, bearing the inscription – In Broderlie Amite.
Besids the parish church there is a dissenting meeting-house, and the inhabitants support two subscription libraries. Fairs or hiring days are held annually, in the months of April, May and November.

Post Office – Archibald Armstrong, Post Master – Letters from all parts arrive ( from Langholm) every evening at half-past seven, and are despatched every forenoon at half-past eleven.

Gentry & Clergy

Ballantyne, Mr. Robert, Shaws Barton, Rev. Angus, Castleton manse Black, Rev. John, Castleton Blacklock John. Esq. of Leehaugh Elliot George Scott, esq. of Larriston do. John, esq. (of Binks) Burnmouth do. John, esq. of Whithaugh do. Robert, esq. of Leehaugh do, Mr Thomas, Cairndean Jardine James, esq. of Thorlieshope Kyle William, esq. of Greenholm Rutherford William Oliver, esq. of Dinlabyre Stavert Mr Archibald, esq. of Saughtree

Schools

Auxiliary Parochial, Hermitage, James Elliot, master Auxiliary Parochial, Burnmouth, William Scott, master Auxiliary Prachial, Sauchtree, James Telfer, master Parochial, Castleton, Alexander Fisher, master Telford William, Castleton

Bakers

Murray Robert Thomson Betty

Blacksmiths

Little John Storrie Thomas

Boot & Shoe Makers

Elliot William Hardie John Nichol James Scott Andrew

Clog Makers

Armstrong James Crozier Robert Telfer Robert

Coopers

Martin Thomas Oliver Walter

Inn-Keepers and Vintners

Armstrong John ( Cross Keys) Kyle Jane (Grapes Mitchelhill Thomas Pott Thomas (Buccleugh Arms) Rutherford Susannah (King’s Arms) Scott Thomas (Crown) Watson John (Buck)

Linen & Woollen Drapers

Armstrong Archibald Hall Agnes Murray Helen Nicol Margaret

Masons

Armstrong John Ballantyne Adam Ballantyne Fras. Crozier Willliam Nichol John Purdon Archibd.

Millers

Armstrong James, Bickerton mill Armstrong Walter, Whithaugh mill

Straw Hat Makers

Murray Agnes Turnbull Elspeth

Surgeons

Binnie James Murray William

Tailors

Glendinning James Kerr Robert Oliver John Slack James

Wrights

Crozier James Douglas John ( and saw mill) Fleming John Scott Archibald Scott Thomas Scott Walter Scott William

Miscellaneous

Fletcher Alexander, saddler Haughton, watch, &c. maker Kyle William, flesher Lauder adam, slater Murray Robert, nail maker

Carriers

To Carlisle, Robt Elliot, every Mon. To Edinburgh, Thomas Turnbull, every Monday fortnight To Hawick, Robert Elliot, George Thorburn.and Jas. Hill, every Thurs. To Jedburgh, - Cranston, every Wednesday.

Notes –

Pigot’s directory of 1837 gives a much fuller picture of Newcastleton than its predecessor in 1825[2] with a longer list of prominent citizens (gentry, principal farmers and clergy) plus the names of about 60 traders. The impression is of a small but thriving rural market town which despite being only 40 years old has reached a degree of maturity and prosperity.

The postal service had improved considerably in the 12 years between the two directories. There was now a post office (Archibald Anderson being the postmaster) and the mail had improved to daily - arriving from Langholm each evening at 7.30 and being despatched every morning at 11.30.

The 1825 directory had stated that the inhabitants of Newcastleton were ‘without manufacturing pursuits’ but the 1837 directory says they are ‘chiefly employed by the cotton manufacturers of Carlisle and Glasgow’. Wondering how many weavers there might have been be, I turned to the nearest census of Castleton Parish taken in 1841, only four years after the directory was published.[3] There were only 8 cotton handloom weavers and 11 woollen weavers in the village. Conditions may have changed in those four intervening years, but it’s an indication that Pigot’s information should be treated cautiously, and we need to ask how he came by his information.

Pigots’s comment about recent repairs at Hermitage Castle can be confirmed by the Kelso Mail (July 28, 1834) but the paper mentions only one cannon, not several. Workmen were employed in the summer of 1834 by the Duke of Buccleuch to restore Soulis’s ancient stronghold to something like its appearance in olden times. On July 14th they had taken a holiday to celebrate the birthday of Lord John Scott ( the Duke’s brother).

‘As good luck would have it, the men employed in the excavations, had that morning come upon an ancient piece of cannon, which must have been buried in the ruins for many along day; but it was soon brushed up, and placed in one of the old Portholes, and a supply of gunpowder having been procured, it contributed its full share to the noisy joviality of the day, by repeated discharges, amidst the cheers of the spectators, and martial airs from the music in attendance’.[4]

The Duke’s interest in rebuilding the castle ruins may have come about as a result of his visit to Liddesdale the previous year (March 15,1833) for a ‘great meeting’ of the duke’s tenantry and friends from Eskdale, Teviotdale, Canonbie and Ewes as well as Liddesdale. [5] The duke was met by local people at the Note o’ the Gate, and accompanied down to the village by an ever growing procession – nearly 400 horsemen, 300 on foot and ten carriages, with a band of music at the front. Triumphal arches had been erected across the road at Riccarton, Larriston and at the entrance to the village. Despite the cold weather ( there was snow lying on the hills) two football matches took place on the Holm Hill and spectators witnessed wrestling and athletic competitions. In Douglas Square, and connected to Rutherford’s Inn by a covered passage, a huge wooden booth had been put up so that the Duke and his guests could dine in comfort. There were many toasts and speeches, but one speech had a lasting effect on the village. The Duke referred to a proposal to set up an Agricultural Society in the south of Scotland. His preference, he said, was for district societies not merely because they would contribute to the advance of agriculture, but ‘because they tended directly to improve every condition of society, and to promote the public good’. By August of that year the Eskdale and Liddesdale Agricultural and Pastoral Society had been set up with the Duke as its patron[6] and the first agricultural show took place a few weeks later on 17th October.[7]


[1] Pigot & Co’s National Commercial Directory of Scotland 1837. p 759
[2] Pigot & Co’s New Commercial Directory of Scotland for 1825-26, p643
[3] 1841 Census Returns, Castleton Parish
[4] Kelso Mail, July 28, 1834, p 4
[5] Kelso Mail, March 25, 1833, p 4; Carlisle Patriot, March 23, 1833 [page number not known]
[6] Kelso Mail, August 12, 1833, p 4
[7] Kelso Mail, October 21, p 4