A Church of Scotland presbytery. It was in the synod of Dumfries and originally consisted, under the name of the presbytery of Nithsdale, of all the parishes in that synod but at some point prior to 1638 it was divided into the four separate presbyteries of Annan (or Middlebie), Dumfries, Lochmaben and Penpont (or Sanquhar). In the twentieth century it was joined with Penpont to form the presbytery of Dumfries and Penpont.