By far the largest property owner in the area was the Duke of Buccleuch, who also owned swathes of other parts of Scotland and England. It is said that it was possible to walk from Langholm, near the Scottish border, to Dalkeith, near Edinburgh, on his land.
The influence of the Maxwell family had diminished considerably in the Langholm area by the Great War, but Rev David Maxwell still had a significant property portfolio, including a couple of farms, numerous plots of land and various town properties.
Likewise, the Johnstone family no longer held such sway as before but Mary Johnstone (1847-1916) still owned many town properties.
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