Newton Stewart, police burgh, Penninghame par., Wigtownshire, and market town, including also the suburb of Creebridge, in Minnigaff par., Kirkcudbrightshire, on river Cree, 23 ½ miles E. by N. of Stranraer and 50 miles W. by S. of Dumfries by rail - police burgh, pop. 2645; town, pop. (including 425 in Creebridge) 3070; P.O., T.O., 3 Banks, 1 newspaper. Market-day, Friday. Newton Stewart has 2 endowed schools. The river is here spanned by a 5-arched bridge.

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