Parton, a post-office hamlet and a parish of central Kirkcudbrightshire. The hamlet, lying near the northern shore of the lakelike expansion of the river Dee, has a station on the Dumfries and Portpatrick railway, 6¾ miles NW of Castle-Douglas.
The parish, containing also o Corsock village, is bounded NW and N by Balmaclellan, E by Kirkpatrick-Durham, SE by Crossmichael, and SW by Balmaghie and Kells. Its utmost length, from E to W, is 6¾ miles; its utmost breadth, from N to S, is 6½ miles; and its area is 16,248¼ acres, of which 407¼ are water. Urr Water flows 43/8 miles southward along all the eastern boundary; and two of its affluents, Crogo and Plan Burns, trace part of the northern and south-eastern boundaries. The Ken and the Dee, from the middle of Loch Ken to the middle of Loch Dee, a distance of 55/8 miles, wind along all the south-western border, here widening to 700, there narrowing to 100, feet. Dullarg Burn runs to Loch Ken along the north-western boundary, and Barend Burn through the interior; whilst Boreland and Craichie Burns fall into Loch Dee. Of seven lakes and lakelets, much the largest is Corsock Loch (2¼ by 12/3 furl.; 550 feet), in the NE corner of the parish. A chalybeate spring of small note is on Little Mochrum Farm; and another on North Dullarg Farm, supposed to be similar to the old spa of Moffat, at one time drew considerable attention, but has been destroyed by draining operations. Sinking along Lochs Ken and Dee to 150, along Urr Water to 250, feet above sea-level, the surface thence rises to 619 feet near Boghall, 737 near Shaw, 850 at Glenhead Hill, and 1038 at Mochrum Fell. The rocks are mainly Silurian; and slates of tolerable quality, though inferior to English, have been quarried in the northern vicinity of Parton hamlet. The soil of the arable lands is mostly light, incapable of yielding heavy crops. Nearly two-fifths of the entire area are heath or moss; and but a small proportion is under wood. From the middle of the 15th to the middle of the present century Parton barony was held by the Glendonwyn family; now it belongs to Benjamin Rigby Murray, Esq. (b 1822), who owns 1256 acres in the shire, valued at £1217, 6s. per annum. His seat, Parton House, is situated on a rising ground, with fine old trees, 13/8 mile ESE of Parton station, and commands a fine view of Loch Dee. Other mansions, noticed separately, are Corsock and Glenlair. Antiquities are remains of Corsock Castle, an old causeway across the Dee below the influx of the Ken, two artificial circular mounds near Parton village, two cairns, and remains of the old parish church (1592), which now is used as a family burying-place, and whose carved oak pulpit of 1598 has found its way to the Edinburgh Antiquarian Museum. Six proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 6 of between £100 and £500, and 2 of less than £100. Giving off a portion to Corsock quoad sacra parish, Parton is in the presbytery of Kirkcudbright and the synod of Galloway; the living is worth £266. The present parish church, at Parton hamlet, was built in 1834, and contains 418 sittings. The public school, with accommodation for 118 children, had (1883) an attendance of 44, and a grant of £56, 9s. Valuation (1860) £6109, (1884) £9964, 11s. 2d. Pop. (1801) 426, (1831) 827, (1861) 764, (1871) 737, (1881) 716, of whom 459 were in the ecclesiastical parish.—Ord. Sur., shs. 9, 5, 1863-57.
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errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from
the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be
different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original
text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity.
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