Wamphray
Wamphray is a parish in Dumfriesshire. The Wamphray Water flows south-west through the Wamphray Glen to join the River Annan near the small village, or hamlet, of Newton Wamphray.
History
The village is near the M74 motorway, near Annandale Water, roughly halfway between Moffat and Lockerbie, and has for centuries been close to the direct Glasgow to Carlisle route, which around 1776 was made into a turnpike road suitable for mail coaches travelling between London and Glasgow. Newton is on the main railway line south from Glasgow, and from about 1847 had its own station, but this closed in the 1960s.
The old manse near the 1834 church has become a hotel; the historic church has been used for regular services over the past few years.
There are various historic and pre-historic sites near Newton Wamphray, including standing stones and the remains of a motte-and-bailey. A feud between local reiving families in the 16th century is remembered in the ballad, The Lads of Wamphray.
One of the more prominent local residents was John Brown of Wamphray, or "John Broun of Wamfrey", a Church of Scotland theologian who served as the minister of the local parish during the mid-17th century. He removed to Wamphray to begin serving the parish at an unknown date (estimates vary from 1637 until 1655) and remained in residence until 1662, when he was imprisoned and later exiled to the Netherlands for his public opposition to the royal imposition of bishops on the Church.[1]
Before the 20th century the village was sometimes called Newton, or Newtoun, of Wamphray, and described as being in Annandale. Newton suggests "new village or farmstead", a place-name derived from Old English niwe (new) + tun (farm). Scots toun meant a farm settlement before it came to mean a 'town'. The etymology of Wamphray is uncertain; some suggestions link 'Wam' to Gaelic Uamh (cave). Older spellings include Wamfry or Wamfray.
Famous Residents
- Prof. Archibald Charteris (1835-1908)
- Prof. Matthew Charteris (1840-1897)[2]
Sources
- Statistical Accounts of Scotland
- Great Britain Historical GIS Project: Wamphray
- Dictionary of Scots Language: toun
References
- ↑ Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology. Nigel M. de S. Cameron, organizing ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity P, 1993, 98.
- ↑ https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Wamphray) |
- Location map: 55°14’24"N, 3°23’46"W
- Photographs of Wamphray Parish Church
- Ordnance Survey c.1900: Sheet 10, Dumfries
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