Hi, By chance I came across an old topic (By WiggyHobbes-Cauldhame - Dumfriesshire 1853- COMPLETED- Jan 11) re the above. I thought I would add a new comment but the topic was closed and thus my new topic. My partner and I actually live at Cauldholm Farm having bought the house from the Crown Estate last year. We are keen to gather some history about the house and people who lived here and would be very pleased to receive any information. If you would like to a see a current picture of the house, we have a website for our b&b at
www.moffatcountrysidebedandbreakfast.co.ukI also came across an old book on Upper Annandale area and this has reference to a court case in 1693 with witnesses from Cauldholm - I have copied this below as it may be of interest,
116 Upper Annandale.
Now for the story of William Wilkins, as told in the
Session Records of Kirkpatrick-juxta, and related by the
Rev. William Brodie in a lecture : — "After the Rabbling of
the Curate, Mr Thomas Goldie was ordained to the
ministry. He was a son of the Moffat schoolmaster, a
clever man, who had been a teacher in the High School
of Edinburgh. He filled the charge for about forty-three
years. This Mr Goldie seems to have been a bit strict.
But, doubtless, there was a reaction after the strain of
the Killing Time. At the first Session held after Mr
Goldie's ordination there were no less than seventeen
persons cited to appear before the Session at next meeting :
two women for ' scandalous carriage ' on the Lord's Day,
two men for * scandalous language,' etc. A month after,
one William Wilkin in Red Brae was delated for the sin
of Sabbath breaking. He was summoned to appear at
next Session, as also Andrew Gillespie and Robert Dalzell,
both in Cauldholm, as witnesses against him.
"At next Session, accordingly, on 30th July, William
Wilkins was called and interrogated if he would acknow-
ledge breaking of the Sabbath. Absolutely denied.
Andrew Gillespie, witness, called and examined thereanent,
declared that upon a Sabbath day, about twenty days or
a month ago, he saw ye said William Wilkins, four or five
seal (several) times at a pit (peat) stack, and lifting some-
thing as if he had been righting pits ; but because of ye
distance could not be sure if it was pits he lifted. Wilkins
was again called, and being charged upon this presumption
absolutely denied that he took up any peats ; but that he
only lifted a little bit of mossy turf to put under his
horse girding, that was near by, his horse having a sore
back. The affair was continued owing to the absence of
Robert Dalzell, a second witness, who, being examined at
another meeting, declared that as he was returning to
Cauldholm on a Sabbath day, with Andrew Gillespie, he
saw ye said William Wilkins stoop four or five seal (several)
times at a peat stack, and take up something from ye
ground and lay it on ye stack, which he judged to be
mending of ye stack, whereon he cried : ' Ye base rascal,
how dare ye big ye peats on such a day 1 to which he said
nothing.' William Wilkins then waited behind the stack,
and came out after he thought they had gone. Dalzell
did not see any horse.
Witches and Warlocks. 117
" William Wilkins not appearing was cited to come to
next meeting, or he would be declared * contumacious/
Wilkins did come; but Robert Dalzell did not turn up.
Wilkins declared he was innocent, said the witnesses
should be made to depone on oath, and gave the name of
James Martin of Knockhill as a witness for the defence,
* who could clear him of the scandal.' On the 20th March,
1694, James Martin was asked what he knew of the
matter, and said he saw Wilkins go from the horse to the
stack, and the horse go into a field, *but whether the
horse was with him at the stack he knew not.' "
So the matter was delayed till Dalzell should be again
examined. This case went on for a year and a half. Poor
William Wilkins could not get them to believe in his
innocence. It all turned on whether ye said William
Wilkins did or did not " lift one of two peats on ye Lord's
day." There it went on, till it was written in the Session
Records : " William Wilkins' affair, delayed by reason of
Robert Dalzell's absence, is now cut off by his own death."
Very short. But some of the saddest things in life can
he summed up in a few words.
