Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Selkirk

Selkirk, parl. and royal burgh, par., and county town of Selkirkshire, on Ettrick Water, 6½ miles S. of Galashiels and 40 miles S.E. of Edinburgh by rail - par. (partly in Roxburghshire), 22,559 ac., pop. 7432; parl. and royal burgh, pop. 6090; police burgh, pop. 5977; P.O., T.O., 2 Banks, 1 newspaper. Market-day, Wednesday. Selkirk has extensive manufactures of tweeds, tartans, shawls, and other woollen goods. It was made a royal burgh in the reign of David I., and played a prominent part in Border warfare, its burgesses, known as the "Souters (shoemakers) o'Selkirk," being distinguished for valour. It gives the title of earl to a branch of the Douglas family. Selkirk is a member of the Hawick (or Border) District of Parliamentary Burghs, which returns 1 member.


(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "parliamentary and royal burgh"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Selkirk ScoP       Selkirkshire ScoCnty
Place: Selkirk

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