In 1570, the castle was taken and sacked by the Eng lish under the Earl of Sussex and Lord Scrope, who at the same time did not fail to ravage the town also.
In 1617, after having been many years resident in England, James VI. being seized, as he told his privy council, " with a longing to see the place of his breed ing, a salmon-like instinct," set out on a tour through the northern division of his empire, and in his return passed through Dumfries, a place which he had not seen for 29 years before. Here he experienced a recep tion at once dutiful and affectionate; and it is helieved that, on this occasion, as a reward for their loyalty, and an encouragement to martial exercises, he presented to the incorporated trades of the burgh a small silver tube in the form of a gun-barrel, as an honorary prize, to be awarded from time to time to the best marksman amongst their members.? There does not appear to be any thing in the annals of the town worthy of record from this date till 1706, in which year the inhabitants manifested their keen parti cipation in the jealousy excited among their countrymen, by the incorporation of the kingdom with England. On the 20th Nov. a tumultuous meeting assembled at the cross, and there indignantly committed to the flames the articles of Union, with the names of the commissioners. When the rebellion broke out, however, in 1715, the Dumfriesians retrieved their character, and evinced the most ardent zeal in the cause of the reigning family.
Hearing that the insurgents intended to march upon the town, they constructed a rampart' from the margin of the river, near the moat above the town, to St Michael's church-yard, and from thence to the river again helow the town, which was thus completely insulated, being embraced betwixt the extreme points by the natural curve of the Nith. These preparations for resistance proved effectual. The enemy, seeing the determined loyalty of the inhabitants, did not venture forward to the assault, but judged it most prudent to alter the direction of their march. In the rebellion of 1745, however, the town was found in a defenceless state, and was entered without resistance by the insurgent army under Charles, who remained from Saturday evening till Monday morn ing, and laid the citizens under contribution.
Dumfries has one vote out of five for a member of Parliament. The other burghs grouped with it are
Annan, Lochmaben, Sanquhar, and Kirkcudbright. Its municipal government is vested in a town council, aid ed, in terms of an act of Parliament passed in 1811, by 12 commissioners of police. The council consists of a provost, three bailies, a dean of guild, a treasurer, 12 merchant councillors, and seven deacons of incorpora tions,—in all 25 members. These choose their succes sors in office, except the deacons, who are annually elected by their respective trades. As nearly as can be ascertained, there are 30 hammermen, 77 squaremen, 60 weavers, 40 tailors, 132 shoemakers, 8 skinners, and 17 fleshers,—in all 464 freemen.
The council chamber being an inelegant and incom modious apartment, the magistrates, on solemn occasions, assemble in the county court-house, in which they have a share. Here, too, the circuit Court of Justiciary for Dumfries-shire and Kirkcudbright, the sheriff's court, and the quarter sessions, are held, as well as all county meetings. The place, however, though new, is ill suit ed to these purposes, and a large building on the oppo site side of the street, originally a place of worship, is about to be prepared for the more convenient accommo dation of these courts, after the plan of an eminent ar chitect.
Behind this court house, in a low damp yard, surround ed by a high wall, stands the new county jail. The debt ors have the liberty of exercising themselves in this in closure, the situation of which has certainly not been se lected by a medical man. The building is, withal, in convenient, and much too small for the accommodation of the prisoners; but the removal of the courts, accord ing to the projected improvement, will enable the coun ty to provide more effectually for their health and com fort. Till 1807, the jail was in the centre of the town. The trades' hall, a chaste and handsome structure, was built in 1804. Besides the apartment peculiarly appro , priated to the incorporations, there is one allotted to the meetings of friendly societies for the aid of sick mem bers, or widows and orphans. The trades, as a body, possess a fund of this nature, and each incorporation se parately has one of its own; but besides these, there are many private institutions of the same kind in the town.