Middlebie

Middlebie Kirk

Pennersax Kirkyaird

Middlebie is a clachan an pairish in the historical coonty o Dumfriesshire in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. It is aboot 2 mile east o Ecclefechan, an 6 mile nor'east o Annan, on the banks o the Middlebie Burn.

Middlebie Pairish conseests o the auncient pairishes o Middlebie, Pennersax (Pennersaughs), an Carruthers, unitit in 1609. Middlebie wis the seat o a Presbytery fae some time efter the Reformation until 1743. It wis then dividen tae form the Presbyterys o Langham an Annan. Middlebie Pairish is noo in the Presbytery o Annandale an Eskdale. It is boondit bi the pairishes o Tundergarth, Langham, Canobie, Hauf Morton, Kirkpaitrick Fleemin, Annan, an Hoddam.

The veelages o Eaglesfield, Middlebie, an Watterbeck lie within the pairish, wi Kirtlebrig on its soothren boond. Eaglesfield an Hottsbrig by Watterbeck hae primary schuils yet. The schuil at Middlebie closed in 1972, nearly 100 year efter it appent. The Eaglesfield biggin is noo juist ower a hunder year auld. The umwhile schuil in Watterbeck veelage, built aboot 1900, is noo the public haw. Eaglesfield's public haw wis built 1892-3. Middlebie's auld haw (a wuiden ex-airmy biggin, bocht in 1928) wis demolisht and a new ane built in 2001.

The West Coast Main Line railwey rins throu the pairish fae Lunnon tae Glesga. Afore the Caledonian Railway, the line haed a station at Kirtlebrig, whaur the writer Thomas Carlyle wad alicht afore walkin up tae his paurent's ferm at Scotsbrig abuin Middlebie. Fae Kirtlebrig the Solway Junction Railway ran doun tae Annan an across the Solway Viaduct tae Cumbria. It wis built tae transport airn uir til the Lanrikshire steelwarks.

In 1841 the population o the pairish wis 2,154 an aboot saxty o thir people wis haund-luim weavers. Thare wis inns an shaps an the Lime Warks Blacketridge. Tredsmen leetit in 1841 include jyners, snabs, cairters, strappers, gairdeners, mantie makkers, strae-hat makkers, etc. Nouadays, anely Eaglesfield haes yet a general store an a post office. In 1841, as weel as 73 fermers, 314 people wis employed as agricultural wirkers and 60 mair as servands.

References

• Overview of Middlebie, Gazetteer for Scotland, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh

External links

• www.middlebieparish.co.uk Middlebie Parish History Group