Newton Wamphray

Houses in Newton Wamphray

Newton Wamphray is a village in Dumfries and Galloway. Wamphray is the name of the surrounding parish and of the Wamphray Water, which flows south-west through the Wamphray Glen to join the River Annan near the small village, or hamlet, of Newton.

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 England and Glasgow. Newton is on the main railway line south from Glasgow, and from about 1847 had its own station called Wamphray, but this closed in the 1960s.

Newton Wamphray primary school has been closed for several years, local children generally go to primary school in Lockerbie. The old school building now lies largely abandoned while the nature of its ownership is investigated. 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 placename 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

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

External links

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Coordinates: 55°14′24″N 3°23′46″W / 55.240°N 3.396°W / 55.240; -3.396

Civil parishes in Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfriesshire	Annan Applegarth Caerlaverock Canonbie Closeburn Cummertrees Dalton Dornock Dryfesdale Dumfries Dunscore Durisdeer Eskdalemuir Ewes Glencairn Gretna Half Morton Hoddom Holywood Hutton and Corrie Johnstone Keir Kirkconnel Kirkmahoe Kirkmichael Kirkpatrick-Fleming Kirkpatrick-Juxta Langholm Lochmaben Middlebie Moffat Morton Mouswald Penpont Ruthwell Sanquhar St Mungo Tinwald Torthorwald Tundergarth Tynron Wamphray Westerkirk

Kirkcudbrightshire	Anwoth Balmaclellan Balmaghie Borgue Buittle Carsphairn Colvend and Southwick Crossmichael Dalry Girthon Kells Kelton Kirkbean Kirkcudbright Kirkgunzeon Kirkmabreck Kirkpatrick Durham Kirkpatrick Irongray Lochrutton Minnigaff New Abbey Parton Rerrick Terregles Tongland Troqueer Twynholm Urr

Wigtownshire	Inch Glasserton Kirkcolm Kirkcowan Kirkinner Kirkmaiden Leswalt Mochrum New Luce Old Luce Penninghame Portpatrick Sorbie Stoneykirk Stranraer Whithorn Wigtown

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