The amount of the population is slowly but steadily progressive. After the middle of last century, there was a temporary diminution, occasioned by the union of small farms; but this was more than compensated by the increase of the village, which anciently contained about twenty families, clustered near the church. About the year 1770, Sir James Montgomery laid the foundation of its improvement, by granting building-leases of 99 years. The rent was L.2 per Scotch-acre.- The extent varied from two roods to six acres. As the village is far from fuel, and even from running water, it did not seem a place favourable for the establishment of manufactures. It was desirable, however, to prevent the introduction of pauperism; and for this purpose, by the suggestion of the late Rev. James Graham, it was stipulated, that each possession, as originally let, was to remain entire, and to be occupied by only one family. As the proprietor was non-resident, this stipulation was not strictly observed. When Mr. Blackburn purchased the estate of Killearn in 1814, he expressed his approbation of the restriction, and his intention to enforce it- In l830, he raised an action hefore the Court of Session, against those who would not dismiss their subtenants. By that time, there were two families at an average on each possession; and in many cases,  the practice had continued, for upwards of forty years. Several tenants, trusting to the plea of prescription, resolved to litigate the point; but before they entered the Court, compromise was proposed, and ultimately agreed to, on the intervention of the minister, viz. that subtenants should be allowed, provided they be natives of the parish, or strangers who had previously acquired a legal domicile by three years' industrial residence. This limitation, by excluding vagrants, secured every good purpose of the original stipulation in the lease, while it allowed the tenants to enjoy the full benefit of their existing buildings. The village is scattered and irregular; yet., as the generality of the inhabitauts possess fixed property, they are free from the vices and vicissitudes of a manufacturing population. The number of inhabitants, at different periods, is shewn in the following table :-
 
 

	Village	Country	Total
1755	-	-	959
1769	74	854	948
1794	223	750	973
1831	388	818	1206

 

The register of baptisms and deaths is not correct; that of marriages only can be depended upon. During the last seven years there have been 56 marriages, and, consequently, 8 at an average every year. In this list are included those marriages, where both parties, or at least the males, resided in the parish. During this period, 20 female parishioners were married to males residing in other parishes but of these, none are included in the present list. It were desirable that this rule should be observed, as otherwise, the same marriage may be twice reported, where the parties reside in different parishes.

There may be one illegitimate birth in the parish, annually, at an average.

It is not probable that any great difference will take place in the number or condition of the inhabitants, either in the village or country. The following particulars are taken from the Go vernment census of 1831:-
 
 

Inhabited houses		182
Families		215
Males	623
Females	583
Population		1206
Families employed in agriculture	59
employed in trade, crafts.etc	69
all other families	87
		215

The character of the parishioners is decent and pious, occasioned mainly by the constant intercourse subsisting between householders and their domestics. Farmers, as well as villagers, sit in the same apartment with the inmates of their houses, and eat with them at the same table. Kindly feelings are thus generated between masters and servants; while the latter are prompted to diligence, and prevented from irregularity, by the presence of the former.