The old church and churchyard

Dalgarnock church (NX 8758 9362) stood about a mile south of Thornhill, dedicated to St Michael and granted to Holyrood Abbey by Edgar, son of Duvenald of Strathnith and confirmed by William the Lion. Edgar was the grandson of Donegal, a Scots-Irish chief, during the reign of David I (died 1153) who is said to have held Nithsdale or Strathnith^[12] with a castle at the site of the later Morton Castle near Durisdeer. The monks held the church until the reformation. The location may have been chosen owing to the rich lands of the holm bordering the River Nith.

A person just recorded as Andrew is recorded in 1296 as the vicar of Dalgarnock, having sworn fealty to the English king Edward I, despite which in 1296 he had to petition the Sheriff of Dumfries to return the church to him. The church was confirmed to the Holyrood Abbey monks by William, Bishop of Glasgow, in 1240, by John Lindsay, Bishop of Glasgow in 1322-3 and by the Pope. From 1568 to 1585 the reader at the church was James Williamson who received a stipend and the use of the church lands of Kirkbog and Kirkland, the glebe of four and a half acres originally being located near Trigony. In 1593 Richard Brown served the church, followed by David Rogers in 1601 and Alexander Fleming in 1612.^[13]

The income from the church went to the Bishop of Edinburgh and after the reformation were used to help maintain Edinburgh Castle.^[14]

Dalgarnock burial ground from Kirkbog Farm lane.

After the Reformation Dalgarnock was granted to Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig who then passed it in 1594 to Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn. In 1621 King Charles I granted it to Sir John Spotiswoode, however in 1633 the king established the bishopric of Edinburgh and granted them the church of Dalgarnock, with the manse, glebe, church lands and tithes, with a number of other churches which had belonged to the monastery of Holyrood Abbey.^[15] Kirkpatrick of Closeburn obtained the church and it stayed with that family until 1783 when it was sold to Menteth of Closeburn who in 1852 sold it to Douglas Baird, Esq., however he died in 1854 and is buried in Closeburn parish church cemetery with his wife Charlotte who died in 1864.^[16]

Annexed to Closeburn in 1606, the church fell out of use in the 18th century when all services were transferred to Closeburn^[17] and has entirely disappeared due to robbing for the building of field dykes and near by houses with only the font surviving, preserved in the porch of Closeburn Church at first and then returned to Dalgarnock where it has been given a stand made from sections of possibly pre-reformation gravestone sections. Some ruins remained until the early 1800s. The parish was disjoined in 1648 and rejoined again in 1697.^[18]

The Category B Listed churchyard contains several 17th and 18th century gravestones^[19] and a collective memorial to the Covenanter martyrs of the Nithsdale district.^[20] A cross's socket stone stood with a rectangular slot to the left of the churchyard entrance in 1950, however although this had been removed by the 1970s^[21] it was present again in 2017. One of the older graves is that of Nicola McMillan, wife of William Ferguson who died aged thirty in 1754, however a grave dated 1694 stands against the west wall with the village name, given as Dalgarnock.^[22] Burials were still taking place in the 1850s. A family burial plot of the Menteths of Closeburn dominates part of the burial ground. The oldest recorded grave is that of 'Iohn Smith Barnhil D Ian 1607'.^[23]

A very unusual grave, given the Presbyterian links, is that of John Nivison, a surgeon who died in 1732, aged 42. His gravestone also commemorates his wife and four of his children. In addition to the traditional elements a figure is carved with arms that form part of a Green Man on the chest and foliage that reaches to the ground. In pagan religious beliefs such figures are seen as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of growth each season.^[24]

Cartographic evidence

Timothy Pont's map of 1583-96 clearly marks the 'Kirk of Dalgairnock'.^[25] In 1654 the 'Kirk of Daloairnock' is marked,^[26] with the same spelling in 1732,^[27] however in 1747 it is not show at all, neither the church or the village.^[28] In 1804 'Dalgarno' is shown with two buildings and no 'kirk' designation,^[29] 1821 and 1828 gives the same details.^[30] A gravestone dated 1694 gives the spelling as 'Dalgarnok'.

St Ninian's Well

Although recorded as St Ninian's Well (NX 8762 9365) on the Ordnance Survey map it is also known as St Michael's Well, the same dedication as the Dalgarnock Church.^[31] A small well, it was filled in 1857, but was re-opened and in 1975 was visible with some stones around it, but overgrown.^[32] It seems to have been known locally and provided good cool and wholesome water.^[33] The well is now located in undergrowth and hard to see.

Covenanters

Claverhouse known as 'Bloody Clavers'^[34] summoned the adult parishioners after the 'Enterkin Raid' near Drumlanrig Castle where in 1684 a short battle took place in the Enterkin Pass' at Glenvalentine when Covenanters ambushed some of Claverhouse's soldiers with the intention of rescuing prisoners on their way to Edinburgh and some troopers were killed with some soon to be martyred Covenanters were released. 'Cruel Lag', as Sir Robert Grierson, 1st Baronet was known, is remembered as a notorious persecutor of the Covenanters who lived at Lag Tower near Dunscore and held lands in the parish of Dalgarnock at Nether and Lower Dalgarnock.

The old font, Dalgarnock Churchyard

A story is related of the marriage of the Covenanter John Porter and Agnes Milligan at Dalgarnock that was disturbed by the sudden arrival of 'Cruel Lag' resulting in the John trying to escape across the Nith that was in flood using stilts, however some floating debris knocked him into the fast flowing waters at which point Agnes dived in to try and save him. The couple, it is said, were found drowned but in each other's arms at a site still known as Porter's Hole.^[35]

Some of the memorials are said to be the work of Robert Paterson, Sir Walter Scott's ‘Old Mortality’ himself.^[36]

The Covenanter Andrew Ferguson of Moniaive was buried here, together with many other Fergusons, following his death from disease in a Glasgow prison having been taken prisoner at a conventicle held at Glencairn.^[37]

The following Dalgarnock local inhabitants were declared "Outlaws and Fugitives" in May 1684 :

The white marble ten and a half foot Northumbrian Cross, the 'Martyrs Cross', that stands in the Dalgarnock burial ground was erected in 1925 and carved by D J Beattie & Son of Carlisle as a memorial to the 57 (54 men and three women) Nithsdale Covenanters who gave their lives for their faith. A letter book relating to the erection of this cross was kept at Hornel Library, Kirkcudbright.^[39] In front the 'Martyrs Cross' is a small stone given by Australian sympathisers and admirers.^[40]

The names of the martyr's are listed with the places and dates of death where known, taken from King-Hewison's book "Dalgarnoc: its Saints and Heroes" :

James Harkness was a farmer and is one of 38 members of his family who are buried here. he led the aforementioned 'Enterkin Raid' when he led a band of 40 Covenanters who rescued seven out of nine fellow Covenanters who were being taken to Edinburgh to be sold into slavery in America. He was captured by Claverhouse but escaped and fled to Ulster, only returning after the 'Killing Times' ended. His brother Thomas was hung at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh and his name will be found on the Martyrs Cross. This is the famous Harkness family who were staunch Covenanters with many stories told of their trials and tribulations.

His memorial reads :

The Parish of Closeburn and Dalgarnock had to pay "Fines and Losses" of £3,671 18s.^[43]

Conventicles

On Sunday 25 July 1925 a Conventicle was held in the Dalgarnock Kikrkyard by the Rev. Charles Rolland Ramsay of Closeburn Church, assisted by other local clergy. The intention was to publicly commemorate the sacrifice of the Nithsdale Covenanters and an appeal was made for funds to provide a memorial for the martyrs and to restore the kirkyard and its graves.^[44]

On 22 July 1928 a second Conventicle was held to unveil and dedicate the Northumbrian style 'Martyrs Cross', Mr John Cunninghame Montgomerie of Dalmore performing the official unveiling. A large number of people were in attendance as were a large united choir and the regimental band of the 7th Battalion of the Cameronian Territorial Regiment, commanded by Lieut. Colonel Vandaluer. A religious service was held and several clergy of other denominations also participated. A number of descendants of the martyrs were present, including several of the Harkness family.^[45]

A further conventicle was held in the Dalgarnock burial ground in 2013.^[46]

Robert Burns

Burns makes reference to Dalgarnock in the 1795 song "Last May a Braw Wooer" in which the lady singer complains that a man who she was playing hard to get with transferred his affections to her cousin "..up the Gateslack".^[47] Ellisland Farm is only a few miles to the south and Burns saw Dalgarnock as a romantic spot beside the River Nith.

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