Editing Sanquhar (section)

==History==
The name "Sanquhar" comes from the Scottish Gaelic language ''An t-Seanchair'', meaning "old fort".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ainmean-aite.scot/placename/sanquhar/  |title=Sanquar|publisher=Ainmwan-Aite na h-Alba|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref> A 15th-century castle ruin overlooks the town, but the name predates even this ancient fort. The [[antiquary]], [[William Forbes Skene]] even considered it the probable location of the settlement named '''Corda''' in [[Ptolemy]]'s ''Geographia''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ErQHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA72|page=72|title=Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alban|volume=1|first=William Forbes |last=Skene|year=1876|publisher=Edmonston and Douglas}}</ref>

The ancient [[hill fort]] at [[Tynron Doon]] is located about 28 kilometres away from the town. This fort is described in ''Archaeology of late Celtic Britain and Ireland'' by L R Laing (1975) as "a well-preserved [[Hill fort#Types of hill fort|multivallate]] hillfort" which probably began its existence in the [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]] and continued to be used throughout the [[sub-Roman Britain|Dark Ages]] and into the early [[Medieval]] period. During Roman times the fort would have been in [[Selgovae]] territory; after the Romans departed it lay on the borders of the [[Kingdom of Strathclyde|Strathclyde Britons]] and the [[Galwyddel]]. This place is associated with a local legend of a "heidless horseman" who is supposed to have ridden down from it as an omen of death, a story which possibly has some origin in a Celtic head cult. The ''Poetical Works'' of [[Sir Walter Scott]] (1822) attest that [[Robert the Bruce]] hid in the forests about this hill after he had killed one of his rivals, [[John Comyn III of Badenoch|John "the Red" Comyn]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2oA-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA209  |title=Poetical Works|volume= 5–6|first= Walter |last=Scott |year=1875|page=209|publisher=A. and C. Black}}</ref>

In the 9th and 10th centuries, waves of [[Gaelic Ireland|Gaelic]] settlers came to the area from Ireland. These [[Scoti|Scoto-Irish]] people replaced the native Britons and became the dominant inhabitants for hundreds of years. In the 12th century, [[Normans|Norman]] colonization of the British Islands brought a [[feudalism|feudal system]] of government and squabbling barons and sheriffs ruled the land for several centuries. These border counties were constantly in a state of turmoil as groups raided each other across the dividing lines.<ref>{{cite book|last=Neville|first=Cynthia J.|title=Violence, custom and law : the Anglo-Scottish border lands in the later middle ages|location=Edinburgh|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|date=1998|pages=xiv, 1-226, p.1-2|isbn=0748610731}}</ref>

During the [[History of Scotland|war of Scottish Independence]] the English army took over the old castle at Sanquhar. The Lord of the Castle, Sir [[William the Hardy, Lord of Douglas]], learned of this and came up with a clever plot where one man sneaked into the castle and threw open the gates, allowing Lord Douglas to seize it. The English began a counter-attack, but [[William Wallace]] learned of the battle and came to the rescue. As the English army retreated, Wallace chased them down and killed 500 of them.  Wallace visited the castle on several occasions.<ref name=douglas>{{cite web|url=http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/Places/sanquharcastle.htm|title= Sanquhar Castle|publisher=Douglas History|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

===Crichton family===
During the reign of [[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce]] the [[Clan Crichton|Crichton family]] obtained the lands round about Sanquhar and ruled over the area from the mid-14th until the mid-17th centuries. [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], (cousin of [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth the 1st]]) came to Sanquhar in May 1568 after her defeat at the [[battle of Langside]]. Lord Crichton of Sanquhar was loyal to Mary, and harboured her until she escaped across the River Nith.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.cumnockchronicle.com/news/16247524.time-travel-sanquhar-mary-queen-scots-came-back/ |title=Time travel in Sanquhar as Mary Queen of Scots came back|date=27 May 2018|newspaper=Cumnock Chronicle|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

The end of the Crichton family power in the area was the result of a lavish party. In July 1617, the King of Great Britain, [[James I of England|James VI and I]], travelled through Scotland to [[Glasgow]], and on his way home stopped at the castle in Sanquhar. The Crichtons welcomed him with a display so huge that it bankrupted them. It is said that Lord Crichton escorted the king to bed carrying a lighted torch made from £30,000 in bond notes that the king owed Lord Crichton.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/folkloreandgene00wilsgoog/page/n210/mode/2up?q=%22William+Crichton%22 | title=Folk Lore and Genealogies of Uppermost Nithsdale | author=William Wilson | date=1904 | publisher= R. G. Mann}}</ref> By 1639, the Crichtons had moved to [[Ayrshire]], and sold their holdings in Sanquhar to the [[Marquess of Queensberry|Earl of Queensberry]].<ref name=douglas/>

A joke in the region is that many a young woman who worked for the Crichtons would "Go in the servants' entrance and come out [[pregnancy|the family way]]". However, one well-regarded member of Crichton family was [[James Crichton]] (known as 'The Admirable Crichton').<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle = Crichton, James (1560-1585?)}}</ref>

===Religious upheaval===
[[File:Sanquhar Declarations Obelisk - geograph.org.uk - 1472916.jpg|thumb|The Sanquhar Declarations Monument]]
Sanquhar was a hotbed of unrest during the [[Covenanter|Covenanting]] period. With its position as the only major town in a large area, and situated by the [[River Nith]], it seemed that whenever any remarkable political movement was going on people would go to Sanquhar to proclaim their testimonies on the subject. It was here, in 1680, that [[Richard Cameron (Covenanter)|Richard Cameron]], with a band of armed supporters, posted on the town cross the first declaration of Sanquhar renouncing allegiance to Charles II.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.covenanter.org/CivilGovt/sanquhardeclaration.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070406113256/http://www.covenanter.org/CivilGovt/sanquhardeclaration.htm |archive-date=2007-04-06  |title=Sanquhar Declaration|publisher=Covenantor.org|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

The year 1685 saw the second declaration, by James Renwick, who also took a large armed party into Sanquhar, frightening all the townspeople who thought a battle was coming. The ''[[Sanquhar Declaration]]s'', as they are known, set forth the basis of religious freedom in Scotland.<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle = Renwick, James}}</ref>

In the [[Victorian era|Victorian]] period the town's [[mercat cross]] was transformed into a monument bearing the inscription: In commemoration of the two famous Sanquhar Declarations, which were published on this spot, where stood the ancient Cross of the Burgh; the one by the Rev. Richard Cameron, on 22 June 1680; the other by the Rev. James Renwick, on 25 May 1685, during [[the Killing Time]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/13166625.one-farm-place-history-books/  |title=One farm and its place in the history books|date=23 June 2014|newspaper=Herald Scotland| access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

The end of the Covenanting period in the early 18th century was not the last religious upheaval for the area. The [[Church of Scotland]] was torn by several disputes over the years. One of the major issues was whether the local populations or church headquarters could hire local ministers. In the 1830s many churches seceded and in 1843 a large number of churches broke away to form the [[Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900)|Free Church of Scotland]]. The time was known as the “Great Disruption”. In Sanquhar the minister joined the splinter group in 1843.<ref>{{cite book|first=William|last=Ewing|title= Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843-1900|volume=2|page=48|
location=Edinburgh|publisher= T. & T. Clark|year=1914}}</ref>

===Later history===
In the 1780s, the legendary Scottish poet [[Robert Burns]] was a frequent visitor to Sanquhar. When he was renovating a farm in 1788, he often passed through on the way back to his wife, Jean, in Ayrshire. Afterwards, he became a well-known face because of his excise duties. Burns called the town "Black Joan" in his ballad "Five Carlins" in which he represented the local burghs as characters. He would stay overnight at the Queensberry Arms in the High Street, making friends with the owner, bailie [[Edward Whigham]] and calling it "the only tolerable Inn in the place".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Purdie|first=David|year=2013|title=Maurice Lindsay's The Burns Encyclopaedia|publisher=Robert Hale|isbn=978-0-7090-9194-3|page=330}}</ref>

[[File:The oldest Post Office in the world (6680788521).jpg|thumb|right|The oldest Post Office in the world]]
Sanquhar is notable for its tiny [[post office]] and held to be the oldest working post office in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://linns.com/news/postal-news/392/Worldand#8217s-oldest-post-office-founded-in-1712-offered-for-sale|title=World's oldest post office, founded in 1712, offered for sale|last=McCarty|first=Denise|date=18 April 2014|work=Linn's Stamp News|access-date=19 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=idCmAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1163 | title=Guinness World Records 2014 | date=12 September 2013 | publisher=[[Guinness World Records]] | isbn=9781908843562 | access-date=10 August 2015}}</ref> Established in 1712, its closest rival is a post office in [[Stockholm]], Sweden which opened in 1720. In 2019 it was put up for sale and was finally bought by new owners, the 17th in its operating history, in 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-66842343 | title=World's oldest post office in Sanquhar finds new owners | work=BBC News | date=18 September 2023 | access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref>

The [[wool]] trade had been an important one in the coastal trading towns of [[Dumfriesshire]] and [[Kirkcudbright]] since medieval times and by the 18th century Sanquhar had developed as an inland market centre. The Sanquhar Wool Fair, held in July, regulated the prices for the whole south of Scotland. A distinctive two-coloured pattern of knitting which is widely known as 'Sanquhar knitting' takes its name from this small parish. A traveller's account early in the 18th century tells us: 'Gloves they make better and cheaper than in England, for they send great quantities thither.' Many a poor farm family supported themselves with extra income from these sought-after knitted garments. While knitting died out as an industry, the presentation of traditional Sanquhar gloves is an important part of local celebrations even today.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pieceworkmagazine.com/by-the-dexterous-use-of-two-threads-gloves-and-the-handknitting-industry-of/|title=By the Dexterous Use of Two Threads: Gloves and the Handknitting Industry of Sanquhar, Scotland|publisher=Piecework|date=26 April 2020|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref> Sanquhar resident, May MacCormick, has written down numerous glove designs many of which had not been previously recorded. Incorporating the owner's initials into the cuff to personalise the gloves is part of the tradition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Davies |first=Georgina |date=14 April 2024 |title=Knitter records glove patterns to save Sanquhar designs |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-68469193 |access-date=20 April 2024 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

[[File:Sanquhar Tolbooth (geograph 5785308).jpg|thumb|[[Sanquhar Tolbooth]]]]
[[File:Sanquhara.JPG|right|thumb|The re-opened [[Sanquhar railway station|Sanquhar station]] from the roadbridge looking towards Kirkconnel. 2007.]]
The decline of traditional industries hurt the town, but now new manufacturers are moving in and there is a strong sense of community in the burgh. [[William Adam (architect)|William Adam]], a famous Scottish architect, designed [[Sanquhar Tolbooth]] in the centre of town, which is the only surviving building of this type designed by him. Completed in 1739, much of the building materials for it were taken from the old castle in Sanquhar and it is currently used as the town museum, containing local artifacts and memorabilia.<ref>{{canmore|num=45425|desc=Sanquhar, High Street, Tolbooth|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

The town has the world's oldest curling society, formed in 1774 with sixty members. James Brown, who wrote an important history of the town, is also credited with writing the rules universally used for the sport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://electricscotland.com/history/sanquhar/chapter09.htm|title=The History of Sanquhar Chapter IX.—Curling|publisher=Electric Scotland| access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

The [[Glasgow South Western Line|railway line]] has remained open for freight and passenger traffic, however [[Sanquhar railway station]] was closed and only re-opened in recent years.<ref>{{Butt-Stations}} p.206</ref>

===Crawick Village===
Other work came in the form of a carpet factory, along the [[River Nith|Crawick Water]]. At first, it consisted of a few separate looms, but by the 1830s, there was a large factory, boasting 54 looms at its height. The carpets made here were world-renowned for their durability and orders came from as far away as South America. A large proportion of their total production was shipped to [[Valparaíso]], [[Chile]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socantscot.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mar2012.pdf|title=A rare Victorian Scotch carpet|date=1 March 2012|publisher=Society of Antiquaries of Scotland|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

The location along the Crawick River was also the home of John Rigg's forge. In the late 18th century, he had been persuaded to move here from Dalston in Cumbria to supply tools for the coalfields. He made a damhead opposite the village of Crawick and used the water to power his factory. The water separated the parishes of Sanquhar and [[Kirkconnel]], and although the forge was on the Kirkconnel side, Sanquhar always laid claim to it. The forge produced shovels and other tools into the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.futuremuseum.co.uk/collections/life-work/key-industries/engineering-firms/riggs-of-crawick-forge.aspx|title=Riggs of Crawick Forge|publisher=Future Museum| access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

The village of Crawick had once been known as a haven for [[witchcraft|witches]]. One story is that the parish minister's cows began making milk that would not churn. He sent one of his servants to tie a branch from a [[rowan]] tree over the doorway of the witch's house in Crawick, which ended the curse. For a long time, a large rowan tree flourished in the front yard of the church, perhaps partly to keep these evil spirits away. Life in Crawick was described beautifully by James Brown, in his ''History of Sanquhar'':

<blockquote>“Crawick Mill was a clean tidy little hamlet pleasantly embosomed on the banks of the Crawick and sheltered from almost every wind that blew, and there was no happier colony of weavers to be found in any country district in Scotland. They were almost all natives, whose whole life associations were connected with the place. We have no pleasanter memory than that of the weavers playing quoits, of which they were very fond, on the summer evenings on the "Alley", a long strip of ground on the banks of the stream behind the Village, while their wives, with their clean "mutches" sat about or sauntered up and down chatting and gossiping, and the bairns were either scrambling along the wooded banks of the Crawick or "paidling" in its clear water, the pleasant babble of the stream as it rushed over the dam-head mingling with the voices of the men at their game and the joyous shouts and laughter of the children.”<ref>{{cite book|first=James|last= Brown|title=History of Sanquhar|year=1891|publisher=J. Anderson}}</ref></blockquote>