The following Report relating to Renfrewshire was drawn up at the desire of the Board of Agriculture

CHAPTER XI.

WASTES, COMMONS AND MOSSES.

LANDS which are unappropriated may be, .strictly speaking, called wastes, but there is nothing of this description in Renfrewshire. There are, however, extensive tracts of moss ground lying in a neglected state, and very properly denominated wastes. These are situated, as we have already stated, in the flat, and in the highest district of the county. In the former there are 1550 acres, in the latter a far greater extent. The mode of improving them shall be afterwards noticed.

A few years ago, there were more than 11,000 Scots acres, that is 13,800 English acres, or, about one-eleventh-part of the whole area of this county, held in common; but some of the most valuable of those commons have been judiciously divided, to the satisfaction of the owners, and to the great improvement of the county, under the act 1665, which is a most important Scottish statute. The words of the statute are; "All commons, excepting those belonging to the King in property, or royal burghs in burgage, may be divided at the instance of any individual having interest, by summons raised against all persons concerned before the Lords of session, who are impowered to discuss the relevancy, to determine upon the rights of the parties concerned, to divide the same among them, and to grant permission for perambulating and taking all other necessary probation, to be reported to the Lords, and the process to be ultimately determined by them; declaring that the interest of the heritors having right in the common, shall be estimated according to the valuation of their respective lands and properties (having right to that common), and that a portion be adjudged to each adjacent heritor in proportion to his property; with power to the Lords to divide the mosses, if any be in the common, among the parties having interest; or, in case they cannot be divided, that they remain in common with free ish and entry."

The moss of Paisley, which in the year 1719, contained 234 Scots, or 295 English acres, held in common by five heritors and the town of Paisley, was divided, at that period, under the direction and authority of Sir John Maxwell, Lord Pollock, one of the senators of the college of justice. The principle upon which the division took place, was, that the area should be divided in proportion to the length of front, or part of the circumference, belonging to each heritor.

One of the most valuable commons, called the Commonty of Mearns, or Mearns' moor, consisting of 1054 Scots acres, exclusive of roads and lakes, was divided, in 1799, into twenty-eight allotments. Various attempts had been made, from the year 1756, to divide this valuable property; but there were difficulties in ascertaining the state of interests; and, as there were forty-six claimants, (three of whom had acquired interest in this moor in consequence of managing and upholding the marches) it was not easy to reconcile the whole of them to this beneficial measure. The first step was, to make up a state of interests, which was accurately done by Mr Hill, factor on the estate of Upper Pollock; next, to get plans of the common, and ascertain its value; and lastly to make up a scheme of division. This was all effected in 1798 and 1799, in terms of the act 1665; and the scheme of division being reported to the court of session, was approved of, and held as the rule by which the heritors now occupy that property. Some of the heritors having sold their shares in the common to their neighbours, and others having classed themselves together, the division was facilitated, and the lots reduced to twenty-eight in-stead of forty-six. The various allotments were delineated on the map of the common, a copperplate engraving of which was afterwards executed,. specifying all the lines of division, and the area of each property. The whole expense of procedure in. accomplishing the division of this valuable property was about £400. The lakes called Black-loch and Brother-loch, extending to 86 acres, remain undivided property, and afford a rent of £62 as reservoirs for the mills &c. on the stream at Thornly-bank, and on the White-Cart. Since the division, the lots have been inclosed and subdivided, a few buildings erected and the value of the land has greatly increased.

***PLATE

Acres,

Robert Wallace of Kelly, 98

Robert M‘Fie of Langhouse, 82

Michael Hyndman of Lunderston, 20

John Allison, there, 10

Robert Jamieson, there, 10

1975

The expense of obtaining this division was about £300.

Acres,

Archibald Speirs Esq. of Elderslie, 125

Col. Napier of Blackstown, 315¼

Cochran Esq. of Clippens,41¼

654

The moss of Dargeval, containing about 250 acres, was also divided a few years ago, among the four adjoining heritors, Lord Douglas, Arch.' Campbell Esq. Boyd Alexander Esq. and John Maxwell Esq. by authority of the court of session, according to the length of front, or circumference of the moss; so that, it is believed, there are now no undivided mosses in the county, except Barrochan moss, containing about 300 acres, and in which the only two heritors who have interest, are Mr Speirs of Elderslie and Mr. Fleming of Barrochan.

Of these, Glenward-park, in the parish of Lochwinnoch, contains 208 acres, belonging to eight heritors. It generally brings £30 of yearly rent, which, by mutual consent, is divided into thirty-one shares; of these Mr Moodie, who purchased Mr. M‘Dowall's interest, holds fifteen, the remaining sixteen shares belonging to the other seven proprietors.

But the most extensive undivided property in that parish is MistyIaw-moor, held in common by the heritors in the barony of Glen, twenty three in number, according to their respective valuations. It contains 2130 Scots acres; and, at present, is probably worth not more than one shilling per acre of yearly rent. The marches on the confines of Ayrshire are not distinctly ascertained, so that 330 acres of this moor are disputed, and doubts entertained to what county, what parish, and what heritors these belong. The old extent, or oldest valuation, affords a pretty accurate view of the proportions of the moor of Mistylaw belonging to each heritor. According to this rule, Mr M‘Dowall held about one-third, which was lately sold at about £800.

The only other undivided property in the county is Duchal-moor, containing 4155 Scots acres, situated in the parish of Kilmalcolm. The whole of this extensive moor appears to have anciently belonged to Alexander Porterfield Esq. of Porterfield, as proprietor of the estate of Duchal; but there are at present, eight heritors who claim interest along with him on this common, either from their title deeds, or in consequence of uninterrupted possession for a long period. All of them claim peats for fuel, and the right of grazing sheep, cattle and horses. The following is a pretty correct state of the heritors and their respective claims:

Charles Cunningham Esq. of Cairncurran, for his lands of Nether-ton, Bridgeflat and half of Ladymuir, claims right to graze.

Mr Blair, for the remaining half of Ladymuir, claims

Mr Graham of Craigbait, claims

The three proprietors of Newton, Killochries and Pomillan have right to grazes

And the two small feuars of Caldside and Chapel have right to peats for fuel.

Mr Porterfield has by far the greatest interest in this common; and having commenced a process of division in 1799, an act and commission from the court of session, was granted to the Sheriff substitute of this county, to take a proof and proceed with the division; and on the 26th of June 1802 a renewed act and commission was granted to the Sheriff depute and another gentleman, jointly or separately: but the state of interests is not yet fully ascertained, and the division is now referred to David Cathcart Esq. and Duncan M’Farlane Esq. advocates.
Run-rig.—It may not be improper to mention, that, though anciently, there were in this county several instances of small intermixed allotments of land lying in narrow stripes called Run-rig, they are now, in every instance, abolished, excepting in the lands belonging to the royal burgh of Renfrew. About 50 burgh acres of rich arable land remain in that aukward situation on the south-west side of that town. No division is at present proposed. They are parcelled out into lots of from half an acre to two acres; are about half a mile long; and are the property of forty owners, each of them occupying his own narrow stripe. When any transference takes place, they sell, at present, notwithstanding the absurd situation in which they remain, at £140 per acre. By following out measures similar to the act 1695. c. 2S. this small property might be much improved: but that act of parliament does not apply to burgh lands.