the life of thomas telford-第26节

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parish　of　Westerkirk　was；　it　possessed　the　advantage　of　that

admirable　institution；　the　parish　school。　　The　legal　provision　made

at　an　early　period　for　the　education　of　the　people　in　Scotland；

proved　one　of　their　greatest　boons。　　By　imparting　the　rudiments　of

knowledge　to　all；　the　parish　schools　of　the　country　placed　the

children　of　the　peasantry　on　a　more　equal　footing　with　the　children

of　the　rich；　and　to　that　extent　redressed　the　inequalities　of

fortune。　　To　start　a　poor　boy　on　the　road　of　life　without

instruction；　is　like　starting　one　on　a　race　with　his　eyes　bandaged

or　his　leg　tied　up。　　Compared　with　the　educated　son　of　the　rich　man；

the　former　has　but　little　chance　of　sighting　the　winning　post。



To　our　orphan　boy　the　merely　elementary　teaching　provided　at　the

parish　school　of　Westerkirk　was　an　immense　boon。　　To　master　this　was

the　first　step　of　the　ladder　he　was　afterwards　to　mount：　his　own

industry；　energy；　and　ability　must　do　the　rest。　　To　school

accordingly　he　went；　still　working　a…field　or　herding　cattle　during

the　summer　months。　　Perhaps　his　own　〃penny　fee〃　helped　to　pay　the

teacher's　hire；　but　it　is　supposed　that　his　cousin　Jackson　defrayed

the　principal　part　of　the　expense　of　his　instruction。　　It　was　not

much　that　he　learnt；　but　in　acquiring　the　arts　of　reading；　writing；

and　figures；　he　learnt　the　beginnings　of　a　great　deal。　　Apart　from

the　question　of　learning；　there　was　another　manifest　advantage　to

the　poor　boy　in　mixing　freely　at　the　parish　school　with　the　sons　of

the　neighbouring　farmers　and　proprietors。　　Such　intercourse　has　an

influence　upon　a　youth's　temper；　manners；　and　tastes；　which　is

quite　as　important　in　the　education　of　character　as　the　lessons　of

the　master　himself；　and　Telford　often；　in　after　life；　referred　with

pleasure　to　the　benefits　which　he　had　derived　from　his　early　school

friendships。　　Among　those　to　whom　he　was　accustomed　to　look　back

with　most　pride；　were　the　two　elder　brothers　of　the　Malcolm　family；

both　of　whom　rose　to　high　rank　in　the　service　of　their　country；

William　Telford；　a　youth　of　great　promise；　a　naval　surgeon；

who　died　young；　and　the　brothers　William　and　Andrew　Little；　the　former

of　whom　settled　down　as　a　farmer　in　Eskdale；　and　the　latter；

a　surgeon；　lost　his　eyesight　when　on　service　off　the　coast　of　Africa。

Andrew　Little　afterwards　established　himself　as　a　teacher　at

Langholm；　where　he　educated；　amongst　others；　General　Sir　Charles

Pasley；　Dr。　Irving；　the　Custodier　of　the　Advocate's　Library　at

Edinburgh；　and　others　known　to　fame　beyond　the　bounds　of　their

native　valley。　　Well　might　Telford　say；　when　an　old　man；　full　of

years　and　honours；　on　sitting　down　to　write　his　autobiography；

〃I　still　recollect　with　pride　and　pleasure　my　native　parish　of

Westerkirk；　on　the　banks　of　the　Esk；　where　I　was　born。〃



＇Image＇　Westerkirk　Church　and　School。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　I。



*＇1＇　Sir　Waiter　Scott；　in　his　notes　to　the　'Minstrelsy　of　the

Scottish　Border；'　says　that　the　common　people　of　the　high　parts　of

Liddlesdale　and　the　country　adjacent　to　this　day　hold　the　memory　of

Johnnie　Armstrong　in　very　high　respect。



*＇2＇　It　was　long　before　the　Reformation　flowed　into　the　secluded

valley　of　the　Esk；　but　when　it　did；　the　energy　of　the　Borderers

displayed　itself　in　the　extreme　form　of　their　opposition　to　the　old

religion。　　The　Eskdale　people　became　as　resolute　in　their

covenanting　as　they　had　before　been　in　their　free…booting；　the

moorland　fastnesses　of　the　moss…troopers　becoming　the　haunts　of　the

persecuted　ministers　in　the　reign　of　the　second　James。　　A　little

above　Langholm　is　a　hill　known　as　〃Peden's　View；〃　and　the　well　in

the　green　hollow　at　its　foot　is　still　called　〃Peden's　Well〃that

place　having　been　the　haunt　of　Alexander　Peden；　the　〃prophet。〃　　His

hiding…place　was　among　the　alder…bushes　in　the　hollow；　while　from

the　hill…top　he　could　look　up　the　valley；　and　see　whether　the

Johnstones　of　Wester　Hall　were　coming。　　Quite　at　the　head　of　the

same　valley；　at　a　place　called　Craighaugh；　on　Eskdale　Muir；　one

Hislop；　a　young　covenanter；　was　shot　by　Johnstone's　men；　and　buried

where　he　fell；　a　gray　slabstone　still　marking　the　place　of　his　rest。

Since　that　time；　however；　quiet　has　reigned　in　Eskdale；　and　its

small　population　have　gone　about　their　daily　industry　from　one

generation　to　another　in　peace。　　Yet　though　secluded　and　apparently

shut　out　by　the　surrounding　hills　from　the　outer　world；　there　is

not　a　throb　of　the　nation's　heart　but　pulsates　along　the　valley；

and　when　the　author　visited　it　some　years　since；　he　found　that　a

wave　of　the　great　Volunteer　movement　had　flowed　into　Eskdale；

and　the　〃lads　of　Langholm〃　were　drilling　and　marching　under　their

chief；　young　Mr。　Malcolm　of　the　Burnfoot；　with　even　more　zeal　than

in　the　populous　towns　and　cities　of　the　south。



*＇3＇　The　names　of　the　families　in　the　valley　remain　very　nearly　the

same　as　they　were　three　hundred　years　agothe　Johnstones；　Littles；

Scotts；　and　Beatties　prevailing　above　Langholm；　and　the　Armstrongs；

Bells；　Irwins；　and　Graemes　lower　down　towards　Canobie　and　Netherby。

It　is　interesting　to　find　that　Sir　David　Lindesay；　in　his　curious

drama　published　in　'Pinkerton's　Scottish　Poems'　vol。　ii。；　p。　156；

gives　these　as　among　the　names　of　the　borderers　some　three　hundred

years　since。　　One　Common　Thift；　when　sentenced　to　condign

punishment；　thus　remembers　his　Border　friends　in　his　dying　speech：



　　　〃Adew！　my　bruther　Annan　thieves；

　　　　That　holpit　me　in　my　mischeivis；

　　　　Adew！　Grosaws；　Niksonis；　and　Bells；

　　　　Oft　have　we　fairne　owrthreuch　the　fells：



　　　　Adew！　Robsons；　Howis；　and　Pylis；

　　　　That　in　our　craft　hes　mony　wilis：

　　　　Littlis；　Trumbells；　and　Armestranges；

　　　　Baileowes；　Erewynis；　and　Elwandis；

　　　　Speedy　of　flicht；　and　slicht　of　handis；

　　　　The　Scotts　of　Eisdale；　and　the　Gramis；

　　　　I　haf　na　time　to　tell　your　nameis。〃



Telford；　or　Telfer；　is　an　old　name　in　the　same　neighbourhood；

commemorated　in　the　well　known　border　ballad　of　'Jamie　Telfer　of

the　fair　Dodhead。'　Sir　W。　Scott　says；　in　the　'Minstrelsy；'　that

〃there　is　still　a　family　of　Telfers。　　residing　near　Langholm　；　who

pretend　to　derive　their　descent　from　the　Telfers　of　the　Dodhead。〃

A　member　of　the　family　of　〃Pylis〃　above　mentioned；　is　said　to　have

migrated　from　Ecclefechan　southward　to　Blackburn；　and　there　founded

the　celebrated　Peel　family。



*＇4＇　We　were　informed　in　the　valley　that　about　the　time　of　Telford's

birth　there　were　only　two　tea…kettles　in　the　whole　parish　of

Westerkirk；　one　of　which　was　in　the　house　of　Sir　James　Johnstone

of　Wester　Hall；　and　the　other　at　〃The　Burn；〃　the　residence　of

Mr。　Pasley；　grandfather　of　General　Sir　Charles　Pasley。





CHAPTER　II。



LANGHOLMTELFORD　LEARNS　THE　TRADE　OF　A　STONEMASON。



The　time　arrived　when　young　Telford　must　be　put　to　some　regular

calling。　　Was　he　to　be　a　shepherd　like　his　father　and　his　uncle；

or　was　he　to　be　a　farm…labourer；　or　put　apprentice　to　a　trade？

There　was　not　much　choice；　but　at　length　it　was　determined　to　bind

him　to　a　stonemason。　　In　Eskdale　that　trade　was　for　the　most　part

confined　to　the　building　of　drystone　walls；　and　there　was　very

little　more　art　employed　in　it　than　an　ordinarily　neat…handed

labourer　could　manage。　　It　was　eventually　decided　to　send　the

youthand　he　was　now　a　strong　lad　of　about　fifteento　a　mason　at

Lochmaben；　a　small　town　across　the　hills　to　the　westward；　where　a

little　more　building　and　of　a　better　sortsuch　as　of　farm…houses；

barns；　and　road…bridgeswas　carried　on　than　in　his　own　immediate

neighbourhood。　　There　he　remained　only　a　few　months；　for　his　master

using　him　badly；　the　high…spirited　youth　would　not　brook　it；　and

ran　away；　taking　refuge　with　his　mother　at　The　Crooks；　very　much　to

her　dismay。



What　was　now　to　be　done　with　Tom？　　He　was　willing　to　do　anything　or

go　anywhere　rather　than　back　to　his　Lochmaben　master。　　In　this

emergency　his　cousin　Thomas　Jackson；　the　factor　or　land…steward　at

Wester　Hall；　offered　to　do　what　he　could　to　induce　Andrew　Thomson；

a　small　mason　at　Langholm；　to　take　Telford　for　the　remainder　of　his

apprenticeship；　and　to　him　he　went　accordingly。　　The　business

carried　on　by　his　new　master　was　of　a　very　humble　sort。　　Telford；

in　his　autobiography；　states　that　most　of　the　farmers'　houses　in　the

district　then　consisted　of　〃one　storey　of　mud　walls；　or　rubble

stones　bedded　in　clay；　and　thatched　with　straw；　rushes；　or　heather；

the　floors　being　of　earth；　and　the　fire　in　the　middle；　having　a

plastered　creel　chimney　for　the　escape　of　the　smoke；　while；　instead

of　windows；　small　openings　in　the　thick　mud　walls　admitted　a　scanty

light。〃　　The　farm…buildings　were　of　a　similarly　wretched

description。



The　principal　owner　of　the　landed　property　in　the　neighbourhood　was

the　Duke　of　Buccleugh。　　Shortly　after　the　young　Duke　Henry　succeeded

to　the　title　and　estates；　in　1767；　he　introduced　considerable

improvements　in　the　farmers'　houses　an