“McMillan’s Treatise on Pasturage of Sheep, 1790”
This Treatise on Sheep Management has been very kindly lent to the Group
by the Ewart Library, Dumfries, and is the only copy at present know
to exist. They have also supplied us with the photocopies of the complete
book, and we are most grateful to them.
The book is unique on two counts:
Firstly- it is the very first book ever to treat solely on sheep
management, and remained so for a hundred years, although, of course, other
books on general farming matters touched on sheep as well.
Secondly – it is written by a member of probably the oldest Carsphairn
family, who have been land-owners, traditionally, since Bruce’s time, and
flockmasters as long as there have been sheep in the parish.
Anthony McMillan, Writer to the Signet, the author, although born just over
the Parish boundary at Corlae on 9th January 1759, was a branch of the
family who owned Dalshangan, and are all buried in Carsphairn Kirkyard,
including himself. He was unfortunately drowned in the Ken, near Earlstoun
while returning, from visiting Mr. Barbour of Bogue, (Bogue Toll, Dalry), to his
sister’s Mrs. Kennedy of Knocknalling, where he was living at that time,
in March, 1821.