Edrom, a village and a parish in the E of central Berwickshire. The village stands near the right bank of Whitadder Water, 5 furlongs NNW of Edrom station, on the Reston and Dunse branch of the North British, this being 3 ¼ . miles ENE of Dunse; at it is a post and railway telegraph office. The parish, containing also the village of Allanton, is bonded N by Bunkle, NE by Chirnside, E by Hutton, SE by Whitsome, S by Swinton and Fogo, and W by Langton and Dunse. With a very irregular outline, it has an utmost length from ENE to WSW of 77/8 miles, a varying breadth of 1 mile and 4¾ miles, and an area of 9634½ acres, of which 89¾ are water. Whitadder Water roughly traces all the northern and north-eastern border; and Blackadder Water, coming in from the SW, traces for a short distance the boundary with Fogo, and then runs 5 miles east-north-eastward, through the interior, to the Whitadder at Allanton. A mineral spring, called Dunse Spa, is on the W border, 1½ mile SSE of Dunse; and was long celebrated for its reputed medicinal qualities, but fell into disrepute and total neglect. The surface lies all within the Merse, is mostly low and flat, and rises nowhere higher than 286 feet above sea-level. The rocks are chiefly clay, marl, and sandstone. The clay occupies about two-thirds of the entire area; the marl is in thin beds, never more than 2 or 3 feet thick; and the sandstone is generally of a whitish hue, and has been quarried. The soils, to a small extent, are reclaimed moor; in general, are highly fertile; and, excepting over about one-eighth of the entire area, occupied by roads, buildings, and plantations, are all in tillage. Pools and lochlets formerly generated marsh, but have all been completely drained. Ancient fortalices were at Broomhouse, Nisbet, and Blackadder, and keeps or bastels were at Kelloe and two or three other places. Edrom House stands in the western vicinity of Edrom village, and has beautiful grounds. Other mansions, separately noticed, are Broom-house, Kelloe, Kimmerghame House, Nisbet House, Blackadder House, Allanbank, and Chirnside-Bridge House; and 6 proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 3 of between £100 and £500, and 2 of from £20 to £50. Edrom is in the presbytery of Chirnside and synod of Merse and Teviotdale; the living is worth £424. The parish church, built in 1732, contains 600 sittings; and a Free church at Allanton contains 450. Edrom public, Sinclair's Hill public, and Allanton school, with respective accommodation for 172, 101, and 95 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 83, 50, and 37, and grants of £81, 13s. 6d., £44, 14s., and £18, 4s. Valuation (1865) £18,879, 12s. 1d.; (1882) £21, 469, 11s. Pop. (1801) 1355, (1831) 1435, (1861) 1592, (1871) 15l3, (1881) 1514.—Ord. Sur., shs. 34, 26, 1864.
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