In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Ecclesmachan like this:
Ecclesmachan (Celt. `church of St Machan'), a village and a parish of Linlithgowshire. The village stands 2 ¼ miles N by W of Uphall station, 3 WSW of Winchburgh station, and 4¾ ESE of Linlithgow. The parish consists of two portions, separated by a strip of Linlithgow parish, 1 mile broad at the narrowest. ...
The north-eastern of the two, containing the village at its SW corner, is bounded N by Abcrcorn and the Aldcathie section of Dalmeny, E by Kirkliston, S by Uphall, and SW and W by Linlithgow; and, with an utmost length and breadth of 1¾ and 1½ mile, has an area of 1107 acres. The south-western portion, bounded N by Linlithgow, E by Uphall, S by Livingston, and SW and W by Bathgate, is the larger, measuring 3 miles from E to W by 1 ¼ mile from N to S, and having an area of 1540½ acres. The surface rises gently from 300 to 600 feet above sea-level in the north-eastern, from 480 to 720 in the south-western, division; and the latter is drained by Brox, the former by Niddry, Burn. The rocks are partly eruptive, partly carboniferous. Sandstone is plentiful; and great beds of indurated clay, interspersed here and there with seams of clay-ironstone, occur in conjunction with trap; whilst coal has been mined in the N. Bullion Well, a mineral spring that issues from the trap rocks of Tor Hill, near the manse, and is weakly impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen, was formerly held in some medicinal repute. With the exception of 130 acres under wood, the whole almost of the land is in tillage. The eminent surgeon, Robert Liston (1794-1847) was a native, his father being parish minister; so too, perhaps, was the poet William Hamilton of Bangour (1704-54), who is best remembered by his exquisite Braes of Yarrow. The property is mostly divided among three. Ecclesmachan is in the presbytery of Linlithgow and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale; the living is worth £393. The church, which early in last century was mainly rebuilt, contains 153 sittings; and a public school, with accommodation for 115 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 68, and a grant of £61, 9s. Valuation (1882) £3361, 16s. 5d. Pop. (1801) 303, (1831) 299, (1861) 309, (1871) 329, (1881) 278.—Ord. Sur., sh. 32, 1857.
Ecclesmachan through time
Ecclesmachan is now part of West Lothian district. Click here for graphs and data of how West Lothian has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Ecclesmachan itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Ecclesmachan in West Lothian | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/16604
Date accessed: 18th April 2024
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