Southdean, a large Border parish of SE Roxburghshire, containing Chesters hamlet, near the left bank of Jed Water, 7 miles SSW of Jedburgh and 9 ESE of Hawick, under which there is a post office of Southdean. Comprising since 1777 one-half of the ancient parish of Abbotrule, it is bounded NW and NE by Jedburgh, E by Oxnam and the two detached portions of Jedburgh, SE by Northumberland, SW by Castleton, and W by Hobkirk. Its utmost length, from N by E to S by W, is 10½ miles; its utmost width is 7½ miles; and its area is 43 2/3 square miles or 27,983¾ acres, of which 55 are water. Jed Water, rising, as Raven Burn, at an altitude of 1500 feet, on the western slope of Carlin Tooth, within ¾ mile of a head-stream of the English Tyne, has here a north-north-easterly course of 15 miles -over the first 9 through the interior, and then along the Jedburgh and Oxnam boundaries-until, just above Fernieherst, it passes off from this parish, whose western border is drained by head-streams or early affluents of Rule Water. In the extreme N the surface sinks along the Jed to close on 400 feet above the sea; and chief elevations, from N to S, are Faw Hill (1086 feet), Mervins Law (836), Belling Hill (1162), Wolflee Hill (1288), Carter Fell (1899), and Carlin Tooth (1801), summits of the Cheviots these, which separate Tynedale and Liddesdale from Southdean, itself a portion of Teviotdale. The southern district is boldly hilly; and the northern also contains much upland pasture, yet is softer in feature than the southern district, and comprises a considerable extent of arable land. About 500 acres are under wood, and about 3000 in tillage. The soil of the arable lands is variously gravel, light black earth, and strong clay. Excellent red and white sandstone has been worked in several quarries; limestone is inexhaustible; coal has been vainly sought for; and antimony occurs, but not in such quantity as to be profitably worked. British camps and Border peel-houses exist in such number as to show how stirring and blood-stained an arena the parish must have been of early wars and marauding. Close to the English Border, 5¾ miles ESE of Chesters, is the scene of the ` Raid of the Redeswire, ' 7 July 1575, when some Scots, resenting the slaughter of one of their countrymen, made a vengeful attack on the offenders, and were repulsed. But meeting in their flight a body of the men of Jedburgh, who joined them, they wheeled round on their pursuers, completely routed them, killed Sir George Heron, an eminent Northumbrian, and carried prisoners to Dalkeith, Sir John Forster, the warden, and some considerable persons, his attendants. (See Jedburgh.) James Thomson (1700-48) was the son of a former minister, who removed here from Ednam a few weeks after the poet's birth, and whose monument in the churchyard was renewed in 1866. Thus most of the impressions which formed his characteristic style of poetry were gained from Southdean and its neighbourhood. The Rev. Mr Veitch and Mr Bryson found among the Southdean hills a retreat from persecution. Mr James Davidson, who had terriers called Pepper and Mustard, and was an enthusiastic lover of field-sports, occupied the farm of Hyndlee, 2½ miles N of the mountain pass into Liddesdale called ` Mote o' the Gate, ' and 10 SE of Hawick. He is believed, in the district, to have been the original of Sir Walter Scott's ` Dandie Dinmont ' in Guy Mannering. Mansions are Wolflee, Abbotrule, and Glendouglas ; and 3 proprietors hold each an annual value of more, 2 of less, than £500. Giving off a portion to Edgerston quoad sacra parish, Southdean is in the presbytery of Jedburgh and the synod of Merse and Teviotdale; the living is worth £450. The old church stands in ruins on the right bank of Jed Water, 1 ¼ mile S by E of Chesters. The present parish church, at Chesters, successor to one of 1690, was built in 1876, and is a tasteful Early English edifice, one of whose stained windows is a memorial to the poet Thomson. The public school, with accommodation for 111 children, had (1884) an average attendance of 51, and a grant of £53, 14s. 6d. Valuation (1864) £8922, 3s. 3d., (1884) £10, 777, 1s. 10d. Pop. (1801) 697, (1841) 868, (1861) 759, (1871) 753, (1881) 724, of whom 641 were in the ecclesiastical parish.—Ord. Sur., sh. 17, 1864.
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