were conftantly employed, honour acquired, and the strongeft national antipathies gratified, there were obvious confiderations of intereft, which rendered the fituation of the Borders more eligible, after violence and hoftility were repreffed, by the union of the two Crowns, and the confequent interpofition of the legislature of both kingdoms. The inhabitants of the Borders, while the taxes and the commercial regulations of the two kingdoms were different, enjoyed the opportunity of carrying on a very advantageous contraband trade, without danger to their perfons or fortunes. Into England they imported, falt, fkins, and malt, which, till the Union, paid no duties in Scotland; and from England they carried back wool, which was exported from the Frith of Forth to France, with great profit. The veftiges of forty malt-barns and kilns are now to be feen in the town of Jedburgh, while at prefent there are only three in actual occupation; and the corporation of skinners and glovers, formerly the most wealthy in that town, have, fince the Union, greatly diminished, both in regard to opulence and number. The proprietors of estates upon the Borders were well aware of the detriment which their property would fuffer by the incorporating Union, and in general ftrenuoufly oppofed it; and the commiffioners for carrying on that treaty, were fo fenfible of the lofs they would fuftain, that they agreed to appropriate part of the equivalent money, as it was called, to their indemnification and benefit *.

The Union has also been the cause of the depopulation of the Border country, by enlarging the sphere, and facilitating the means of emigration. While the two countries were in

* See Defoe's Hillory of the Union, minute 47. obfervation 47.

a hoftile state, there was neither inducement nor opportunity to move from the one to the other. The inhabitants often

made inroads upon one another; but when the incurfion was over, they returned to their own homes. Their antipathy and refentments were a rampart which excluded all focial intercourse, and mixture of inhabitants. In this fituation, misconduct and infamy at home were the only motives to emigration, and while this was the cafe, the exchange of inhabitants would be nearly at a par: But after the Union of the two kingdoms, and the decline or extinction of national antipathies, the balance arifiing from the interchange of inhabitants would run much in favour of the more wealthy country. Artificers and labourers would naturally refort where wages were higher, and all the accommodations of life were more plentiful, efpecially if this could be effected without the unpleafing idea of relinquishing home. To pafs from the Borders of Scotland into Northumberland, was rather like going into a nother parish than into another kingdom.

Union of Farms.-The monopoly of farms, or the conjoining a number of fmall poffeffions into one, has long been prevalent in this part of the kingdom. There are inftances in this, and in the neighbouring parishes, of individuals renting and farming lands formerly poffeffed by fix, eight, or ten tenants; and there are inftances, particularly of fheep farmers, holding two, or three farms in diftant parts of the country, each of which was formerly confidered as fufficiently large and extenfive for one perfon. On the whole, this has not perhaps contributed to make the condition of the lower ranks of people worfe, nor to diminish the population of the kingdom at large, though it certainly has had the effect of reducing the number of the inhabitants in every district where fuch a junction has taken place.

The

Births, Deaths, and Marriages.-The number of births within the parish of Jedburgh exceed 90 per annum. burials in the parish church amount, at an average of three years, only to 49; but then, fome families, in the country part of the parish, continue to bury in an old chapel ground, five miles fouth of Jedburgh, and feveral in the churchyards of Oxnam and Southdean; fo that no certain conclufion can be formed upon this article. The number of marriages, at an average for the last three years, amounts only to 22; but it must be obferved, that there are many irregular marriages in this parish and neighbourhood.

Rent of the Parish -The valued rent of the parish is L. 23,264:6:10 Scots; the real rent, probably, above L. 7000 Sterling. The rent of the land varies. Sheep farms let from 3 s. 6d. to 5 s. per acre. Some arable farms at the rate of 10s. 15 s. and even 20 s.

Land in the immediate neighbourhood of the town of Jedburgh, at from L. 2 to L. 3. Houses, in the town, from 10s. to L. 15 per annum.

Number of Proprietors, Tenants, &c.-There are fixteen greater, and a confiderable number (about a hundred) of fmaller proprietors, called here Portioners, from their having a fmall portion of land belonging to them. Of the greater proprietors, eight, either occafionally, or conftantly, refide in the parish. There are two farmers who pay above L. 300 per annum; three who pay above L. 200; about fourteen who rent above L, 100; and a number of fmaller tenants. There are three phyficians, three furgeons, and ten writers, or attorneys.

Crops. The principal crops in the parish, are oats and barley. Of late years, a confiderable quantity of wheat is YOL. I.

B

fown

4

fown in the ground immediately furrounding the town of Jedburgh, and fome on Tiviot fide; but little or none in the fouth part of the parish. Turnips and potatoes are a general crop all over this country. The culture of turnips, in particular, has been much ftudied, and is greatly extended; every farmer laying out a great portion of his land in them. The foil of this country is believed to be more fuitable to the growth of turnips, than that of any other part of Scotland. Formerly they were accustomed to feed cattle, in the houte, with turnips; but it is now found more profitable, and has become more frequent, to let the fheep eat them in the fields. It may be proper to obferve, that, from the experience of fome of the moft skilful farmers, calves and sheephogs may be fed, with great profit and fafety, upon turnips; and that young beafts fed on turnips attain the fame fize and value, at two years old, that they formerly did at three, when fed on grafs. It was formerly a common prejudice in this country, and still prevails in other places, that turnips were noxious to young animals.

A confiderable quantity of peafe, a few beans, a great quantity of clover and rye-grafs, are fown in this parifh; but little flax or hemp, excepting fome for private ufe. Oats are fown from the beginning of March to the end of April. Early oats have been much used of late, and are found to be a great improvement. The barley is fown from the middle of April to the end of May: The turnips from the beginning of June to the middle of July: The greater portion, I believe, in drills. Some wheat is fown in September, but more in October. The wheat is generally fown after potatoes, or fallow; the barley, and grafs feeds, after turnips; oats upon ley, or after fallow, or pairing and burning. A greater quantity of every fpecies of grain, than what is neceflary for the maintenance

• maintenance of its inhabitants, is raised within the bounds of this parish. There may, perhaps, be fome doubt with respect to wheat; but it is certain that oats, and oat-meal, are exported in confiderable quantities to Lothian and Tweedale.

Orchards. A great quantity of pears grow in the gardens or orchards of the town of Jedburgh. The trees, though very old, are remarkably fruitful; and it is calculated that the value of the fruit amounts, at a medium, to about L. 300 per annum.

Ecclefiaflical State of the Parifb.-There are four clergymen in the town of Jedburgh; the minifter of the Established Church, of the Relief congregation, of the Burgher, and the Antiburgher, feceders. Their refpective examination rolls are as follows: Established Church 800; Relief congregation 1200; Burgher congregation 600; Antiburgher 150. Total 2750 examinable perfons; that is, perfons from fix to feven years old, and upwards. In order to account for the great proportion of diffenters, it must be observed, that the fect called the Relief Congregation had its origin in Jedburgh. In the year 1755, the council, and the generality of the inhabitants of the town, applied for a presentation to Mr Boston, minifter of Oxnam, and being disappointed in that application, built a large meeting-house, by contribution, and invited Mr Bofton to be their minifter; feveral of the moft fubftantial members of the congregation binding themselves to pay him L. 120 per annum. He accepted of their call; and prevailed upon Mr Gillespie, who had been depofed for difobedience to the orders of the General Affembly, to join him, under the denomination of the Prefbytery of Relief; profeffing to differ from the Established Church upon no other point, than the right of patrons to appoint ministers against the inclina