Newtoun Wamfrey

**Newtoun Wamfrey** (English: **Newton Wamphray**) is a veelage in the historical coonty o Dumfriesshire in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. Wamphrey is the name o the surroondin pairish an o the Wamfrey Watter that flowes soothwast throu the Wamfrey Glen tae jyne the River Annan near the clachan o Newtoun.

## History

The veelage is near the A74(M) motorwey, near Annandale Watter, aboot haufwey atween Moffat and Lockerbie, an his for centurys been clase til the direct Glesga-tae-Cairl route that aroond 1776 wis made intil a towl road suitable for mail coaches traivelin atween England an Glesga. Newtoun is on the main railwey line sooth fae Glesga, an fae aboot 1847 hit is ain station cried Wamphray, bit this closed in the 1960s.

Newtoun Wamfrey primary schuil his been closed for several years, local childer general gang til the primary schuil in Lockerbie. The auld schuil biggin noo lies lairgely abandont while the naitur o its awnerskip is speirt oot. The auld manse near the 1834 kirk his become a hottle; the historic kirk his been uised for raiglar services ower the past wheen o years.

The're various historic an prehistoric sites near Newtoun Wamfrey, includin staundin stanes an the remeens o a motte-an-bailey. A feid atween local reeivin faimilies in the 16t century is myndit in the ballant *[[The Lads o Wamfrey]]*.

Ane o the mair kenspeckle residenters wis John Broun o Wamfrey, a Kirk o Scotland theologian that served as the meenister o the local pairish durn the mid-17t century. He flittit tae Wamfrey tae begin servin the pairish at an unkent date (estimates vary fae 1637 until 1655) an remeent in residence until 1662, whan he wis preesont lat late fleme't fil the Netherlands for his public opposeetion til the ryal imposeetion o bishops on the Kirk.

Afore the 20t century the veelage wis wiles cried Newton, or Newtoun, o Wamphray and descrived as bein in Annandale. Newtoun suggests "new veelage o fermtoun", a placename derive't fae Auld English *niwe' (new) + *tun* (ferm). Scots *toun* meant a ferm sattlement afore it cam tae mean a 'toun'. The etymology o Wamfrey isna certaint; some suggestions link 'Wam' tae [[Scots Gaelic|Gaelic]] *Uamh* (cove). Aulder spellins include Wamfry o Wamfray.

==Governance==

Newtoun Wamfrey is in the UK pairlamentary constituency o [[Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweedale]]. [[David Mundell]] is the praisent [[Scots Conservative Pairty]] [[Member o Pairlament]].

It is pairt o the [[Sooth Scotland (Scots Pairlament electoral region]] in the [[Scots Pairlament]], bein in the constituency o [[Dumfriesshire (Scots Pairlament constituency)|Dumfriesshire]]. [[Oliver Mundell]] o the Scots Conservative Pairty is the [[Member o the Scots Pairlament|MSP]].

Afore [[Brexit]], for the [[European Pairlament]] its residenters votit tae elect [[Member o the European Pairlament|MEPs]] for the [[Scotland (European Pairlament constituency|Scotland]] constituency.

==Namely fowk==

* Professor [[Archibald Charteris]] (1835-1908) - Scots theologian, Moderator o the General Assemmly, professor o biblical creeticism at the [[Varsity o Edinburgh]], an a leadin vyce in Kirk reforms. He is creditit as bein the faither o the [[Wumman's Guild]].

* Professor [[Matthew Charteris]] (1840-18997) - Professor o Materia Medica at the [[Glesga Varsity]]. He wis kent as the author o the standart medical textbeuk *The Practice of Medicine*. He wis an uphauder o the influence a guid climate on the halth. 

* Very Rev. [[John Gillespie (moderator)|John Gillespie]] (1836-1912) - Scots meenister, served as Moderator o the General Assemmly o the Kirk o Scotland in 1903.

* Rev Dr [[James Williamson (mathematician)|James Williamson]] DD FRSE (1725-1796) - Scots meenister an mathematician, jynt foonder o the [[Ryal Society o Edinburgh]].

==Soorces==
* *Statistical Accounts of Scotland*
* [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10096959 Great Britain Historical GIS Project: Wamphray]
* [http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/getent4.php?plen=27772&startset=68774224&query=Toun&fhit=toun&dregion=form&dtext=dost#fhit *Dictionary of Scots Language'': toun] 

## References

## External links

* Photaes o Wamfrey Pairish Kirk 
* Ordnance Survey c.1900: Sheet 10, Dumfries