Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/533

Rh LAMTATT. 525 LANARK. LAMTATT, a par. in tho hund. of Vhitstone, co. Somerset, 3 miles S. of Evercreech, its post town, and 2 N. of the Bruton railway station. The village, which , is small, is wholly agricultural. The chief part of the land is in pasture. The soil consists of loam and clay. There are quarries of stone for building. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 200. Tho living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Bath and Wells, val. 266. The church, dedicated to SS. Mary and John, is an ancient stone structure, with a tower containing three bells. The register dates from 1613. There is a National school for both sexes, in which a Sunday-school is also held. In the neighbourhood is Creech Hill, a work of tho Saxons. E. B. Napier, Esq., is lord of the manor. LANARK, or, as it is sometimes called, Clydesdale, is a large and important county in the western part of the Lowlands, or S. div. of Scotland. It is bounded on the N. by the cos. Dumbarton and Stirling, on the 8. by the co. Dumfries, on the E. by cos. Edinburgh, Linlithgow, and Peebles, and on tho W. hy cos. Ayr and Renfrew. Its extreme length from S.S.E. to N.N.W. is rather more than 50 miles, and its greatest breadth from E. toV. is 32 miles. Its area is 987 square miles, or 631,7 19 acres. The county, up to the time of James II., included the co. of Renfrew. For administrative pur- poses it is divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower wards. The Upper ward, although the most extensive of the three, is of the least value ; it is for the most part hilly and moorish, and from the nature of the soil, and altitude of the surface, cannot be considered susceptible of much agricultural improvement. The Middle ward is every- where diversified by frequent irregularities, and is nearly one-third moss-land ; the greater portion of its arable land lies between 200 and 300 feet above sea-level. The banks of the Clyde in the district are chiefly occupied by orchards and gardens, for which Clydesdale has so long been celebrated. Tho Lower ward is the smallest, but the most populated and fertile ; its surface in some parts is level, while in others it might be termed hilly, its highest point being at the ridge of Dechmont and Cath- kin. The greatest elevations of this county, with their altitude above the sea, are the Lowther hills, 2,450 feet; Tinto, 2,236; Culler Fell, 1,700; Welstoun Mount, 1,650; Leven Seat, 1,250; and Dickmount Hill, 700. The rivers are the Clyde, which flows in a winding course of more than 60 miles, dividing the county into nearly two equal parts ; tho Douglas water, the Mouse, the Aven, tho Nethan, the Kelvin, the Calder, and the North Calder. The minor streams are the Elwin, the Gotten, the Little Clyde, the Avon, &c., besides several tribu- taries to the Clyde. The Forth and Clyde, and also the Monkland canals, traverse the county. There are several Ulltes, the chief being, Bishop's Loch, Crane Loch, Wood- !0nd Loch, White Loch, Lane Loch, &c. The climate of the county is variable ; severe frosts of long duration are si-ldom experienced. The south-westerly and westerly Is prevail during the greater portion of tho year, in some parts of the county more rain falls than in other locality of Scotland. In mineral productions county is, perhaps, the richest in Scotland. Small itii's of gold and silver are occasionally met with, is extensively worked, the annual produce amount- to between 600 and 700 tons per annum. Coal various kinds abounds, the area of the coal-fields of county being about 120 square miles. Limestone and ,e are very plentiful. Tho district possesses
 * ke, trap-rock, and Old Red sandstone. The com-

ut of improvement in cultivation in this part 1 was not apparent until near tho latter end last century, and notwithstanding many difficulties, county is now in a high state of cultivation, much ing been done in the reclamation of waste, and tho
 * ilisation of naturally good lands. The inhabitants

the inland and upland districts breed and graze, vast "f black cattle and sheep. Some of the leases i ninr-leen years. According to a recent return, tho imntnd gross produce is 209,324 bushels of wheat, ,1S bushels of barley, 1,930,027 bushels of oats, 8,837 bushels of bere, 108,336 bushels of beans, 160,564 tons of turnips, and 34,872 tons of potatoes. The number of live stock amounted to 7,241 horses, 30,528 milch cows, 9,938 calves, 18,488 other bovine cattle, 127,916 sheep, and 8,891 swine. Previous to the beginning of tho last century tho county was not remarkable either for commerce or manufacture. At the time of the Union considerable trade was carried on in the towns and vil- lages in collecting yarn for tho English markets, and many branches of the linen manufacture had been brought to considerable perfection. The rapid rise of Glasgow led to the discontinuance of most of tho small establishments of the county. Those which now exist are so many branches of the extensive establishments of Glasgow, to such an extent, indeed, as to render it almost unnecessary to treat of the subject under this head. Tho facilities of communication by railway, road, river, and canal, are very great. It is intersected by the Caledo- nian railway, and Edinburgh and Glasgow line, as well as by tho rivers and canals already mentioned. The burghs in the county sending members to parliament, are Glasgow, Lanark, Hamilton, Airdrie, and Ruther- glen. Glasgow alone sends two members ; Lanark, Ha- milton, and Airdrie, with Linlithgow and Falkirk, send one member; and Rutherglen, Port Glasgow, Renfrew, Kilmarnock, and Dumbarton, unite in sending one. The burghs of barony are Strathaven, Biggar, and East Kil- bride. Population of the county in 1851, 530,169 ; 1861, 631,566 ; having more than quadrupled since the com- mencement of the century, when it had only 147,692. There are in tho county 49 entire, and 4 parts of quoad civilia pars., 10 quoad sacra pars., and 34 chapels- of-ease. One of the part quoad civilia, pars, is in tho presb. of Lochmaben, and synod of Dumfries ; 9 of tho quoad civilia pars, are in the presb. of Biggar, and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale ; 11 of the quoad civilia pars, and 2 of the chapels-of-ease are in the presb. of Lanark, and synod of Glasgow and Ayr; 15 of the quoad cieilia pars, and 8 of the chapels-of-ease are in the presb. of Hamilton, and synod of Glasgow and Ayr; and 14 of the quoad civilia pars. , 3 of tho part quoad civilia. pars. , tho 10 quoad sacra pars., and 24 of tho chapels-of-ease, are in the presb. of Glasgow, and synod of Glasgow and Ayr. The places of worship in the county are divided between the Established Church, Free Church, United Presbyterians, Reformed Presbyterians, Original Se- cession, Independents, Baptists, Episcopalians, Mora- vians, Unitarians, Evangelical Union, Campbellites, Mormonites, Glassites, Roman Catholics, &c. The ancient inhabitants of the county were the Caledonian tribe called the Damnii. Tho Romans possessed them- selves of the district, and have left a great many (races behind them in the shape of camps and roads. Through- out the great struggle for Scottish independence, tho county was the theatre of many miseries and military excesses ; and at a subsequent period the turbulences of tho Douglases, with the intrigues of the first Lord Hamilton, involved the county in the various calamities consequent upon intestine warfare. Peace reigned from the time of James II. until the escape of Queen Mary from Lochleven Castle, the assembling of her army at Hamilton, and its defeat by tho Regent Murray at Langside. The county subsequently became subject to " 4l - : -*" -ears' civil commotion, stimulated by tho perse- cution of the more zealous Presbyterians of this district by Charles I. The revolution of 1688, however, was the harbinger of a more tranquil future, and it has ever since advanced in wealth and every species of improve- ment. The county contains many noteworthy family scats : Hamilton Palace, Bothwell Castle, Wishaw House, Douglas Castle, Core House, Lee Castle, Dalziel House, Airdrie House, Cleland House, Bonniton House, Car- stairs House, besides the mansions of the county gentry, which are very numerous. The sheriff ordinary court is held at Glasgow on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays ; the appeal court on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thurs- days during session ; and the small-debt court on Mon- days and Thursdays. Sheriff courts are held every Tuesday and Friday during session at Hamilton, Airdrio, 3 x