Stewarton 1846
STEWARTON, a parish, in the district of Cunninghame, county of Ayr, 9 miles
(N. E.) from Irvine; containing, with the late quoad sacra parish of New
Church, and the burgh of Stewarton, 4656 inhabitants, of whom 1396 were
included in the quoad sacra parish. This place derived its name from its
ancient proprietor, James, High Steward of Scotland in the 13th century, and
is supposed to have been subsequently the residence of some of the kings of
the Stuart line. Among the charters granted to the proprietors of the lands
is one by Robert III. to John Stuart, Earl of Buchan, son of the Regent,
conferring upon him the lands of Stewarton, and others in Cunninghame, on
the resignation of the Earl of Douglas. The lands afterwards became the
property of the earls of Glasgow, who take their title of lords Boyle of
Stewarton from this place, and of three members of the Cunninghame family,
who were respectively baronets of Corsehill, Robertland, and Auchenharvie.
They are now divided among numerous proprietors, of whom William
Cunninghame, of Lainshaw, Esq., Alexander Kerr, Esq., of Robertland, Sir A.
D. M. Cunninghame, of Corsehill, Bart., James S. Burns, Esq., and Col.
Macalister, are the principal. Few events of any historical importance are
recorded in connexion with the place. The castle of Robertland, the
stronghold of the Cunninghames, was burnt by the Montgomeries, of Eglinton,
in a feud between them and the Cunninghames, in 1586, in revenge of which,
Hugh, the fourth earl of Eglinton, was afterwards waylaid and shot at the
ford of Annock.
The parish, which is situated on the confines of Renfrewshire, is nearly ten
miles in extreme length, and from three to four in extreme breadth;
comprising about 13,000 acres, of which 2500 are arable, almost 7000 meadow
and pasture, 200 woodland and plantations, and the remainder hill pasture,
moss, and waste. The surface is beautifully diversified, rising by gentle
acclivities from the south-west towards the north-east (where it terminates
on the border of Renfrewshire) in hills of various elevation, commanding
from their summits extensive and finely-varied prospects over the
surrounding country. On the west are seen the isles of Jura, Arran, and
Ailsa, with the coast of Ireland faintly in the distance; on the north, the
mountain of BenLomond; and on the south, the hills of Kirkcudbright and
Dumfries-shire. The principal river is the Annock, which has its source in a
lake in the parish of Mearns, and, taking a south-western direction, flows
in a beautifully winding course through this parish, and falls into the
Irvine. There are several small streams tributary to the Annock, which
intersect the lands in various directions: of these, the Swinsey, and the
Corsehill and East burns, flowing into the Annock at the town of Stewarton;
and the Glazart, which joins it about four miles to the south, are the
chief. At the hamlet of Bloak is a mineral well, of which the properties are
not perfectly known; it was discovered in 1810, and a small but handsome
building has been erected over it by the proprietor of Lainshaw, who has
appointed a person to take care of it. The soil is generally fertile; in
some parts light and friable, and well adapted for green crops; in others,
of deeper and stronger quality, producing wheat and other grain. The arable
lands are under good cultivation; but the greater portion of the parish is
in pasture. The crops are, oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, and turnips; the
system of husbandry is in a highly improved state; the farm buildings and
offices are substantial and well arranged, and the lands have been drained,
and inclosed chiefly with hedges of thorn, kept in excellent order. Great
attention is paid to the management of the dairy-farms, on all of which the
cows are of the Ayrshire breed; and the produce, which is abundant and of
fine quality, is sent chiefly to Glasgow, Paisley, and Kilmarnock, where it
obtains a ready sale. The cattle are all of the Ayrshire breed, and about
3000 are annually reared in the pastures, which are luxuriantly rich; about
300 horses, principally for husbandry, are bred in the parish; and 700 sheep
and 500 swine are fed, and sent to the markets.
There are few remains of the ancient woods. The plantations, which are
chiefly on the lower lands, are comparatively of recent date, and consist of
the various kinds of fir interspersed with forest-trees, for both of which
the soil is well adapted, and which are under careful management and in a
thriving condition. The principal substrata are, whinstone, freestone, and
limestone. The freestone is of good quality for building, for which purpose
it is occasionally quarried; the limestone, which lies near the surface, and
is easily wrought, is burnt into lime on several of the lands. Coal is found
in some places, and, being readily obtained, is used on the spot for burning
lime; but no seams sufficiently thick to encourage the sinking of a pit have
yet been discovered, though some attempts have been made to find them, at a
considerable expense. The rateable annual value of the parish is £17,023.
Lainshaw House, the seat of Mr. Cunninghame, is a spacious and handsome
mansion, erected in 1828, and pleasantly situated on the banks of the Annock,
in a demesne embellished with some ancient timber and with thriving
plantations. Lochridge, built in 1637; Kennox, an ancient mansion with
recent additions; Girgenti, a modern residence; Robertland, also a modern
structure; and Williamshaw, partly ancient and partly modern, are all finely
situated; and in the immediate vicinity of the town are several other
substantial residences, of which some are in the cottage style.
The town of Stewarton is situated on the banks of the river Annock, nearly
in the centre of the parish; and, since the establishment of its
manufactures, has greatly increased in population and extent, now containing
nearly 3000 inhabitants. It is more than three quarters of a mile in length,
consisting of several well-formed streets intersecting each other at right
angles; the houses are well built, and to each of them is attached a portion
of ground for the cultivation of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, which gives
to the town the appearance of a pleasing rural village. The streets are
lighted with gas from works established in 1832, at a cost of £1200; and the
inhabitants are amply supplied with water. A public library, which was
founded in 1810, and has a large collection of volumes in the various
departments of literature, is supported by subscription; and there is a
public news-room, well supplied with journals and periodical publications. A
horticultural and florists' society, also, has been recently formed. The
environs of the town, which are pleasant, and abound with picturesque
scenery, are studded, as already observed, with handsome houses and villas
occupied by the proprietors of the several manufacturing establishments. The
manufacture of regimental bonnets and caps for the army and navy, and also
of bonnets for the country people in general, has long been established
here, and affords constant employment to 500 persons; and in the cotton and
silk manufacture, of more recent introduction, about 300 persons are
employed. Mills for carding and spinning cotton and woollen yarn and tow,
and fulling-mills, have been erected on a large scale; the articles are,
shirtings, sheetings, towelling, table-linen, blankets, druggets, and other
fabrics. There are also two carpet-manufactories, in one of which 150, and
in the other about forty, persons are employed. The making of steel
clock-work is peculiar to this place, and the produce is in great demand
both at home and for the American market. A very extensive manufacture of
bricks, and of tiles for roofing and for draining, is carried on in the
vicinity of the town; the quantity of tiles alone produced annually is
estimated at 500,000. All the handicraft trades necessary for the repair of
the machinery in the several factories, and for the wants of the
neighbourhood, are pursued extensively; and there are numerous shops in the
town, amply stored with various kinds of merchandise. Branches of the Union
Bank of Glasgow, and that of Messrs. Hunter at Ayr, have been opened here,
and also a savings' bank; the post-office has a tolerable delivery, and
there are numerous good inns. The market is weekly, on Thursday; and fairs
for horses, cattle, and dairy-stock, are held on the first Monday in May,
the last Thursdays in June and December, and the first Friday in November.
The May and June fairs are also for hiring servants. Facility of
communication is maintained by the turnpike-roads to Glasgow, Paisley, and
Kilmarnock, which pass through the town; by other roads kept in good repair
by statute labour, which intersect the parish in various directions; and by
bridges over the several streams. The burgh is governed by a baron-bailie
appointed by the superior of the barony, Mr. Cunninghame, of Lainshaw, but
whose jurisdiction extends only over the markets and fairs; there are no
incorporate trades; and the police is wholly under the superintendence of
the magistrates of the county, who hold justice-of-peace courts for petty
offences. A commodious court-house for the trial of prisoners, and a lock-up
house for their temporary confinement, have been erected in the town, and
are both the property of Mr. Cunninghame. The suburbs are chiefly on the
lands of Sir A. D. M. Cunninghame, of Corsehill.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery
of Irvine and synod of Glasgow and Ayr: the minister's stipend is £280. 19.
2., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £12 per annum; patron, Mr.
Cunninghame. The church, originally built in 1696, and repaired and enlarged
in 1825, is a handsome edifice centrically situated, and containing 1400
sittings. A second church in connexion with the Establishment was erected in
1828, and a quoad sacra district was till lately annexed to it; it is a neat
structure with a spire eighty feet high, and contains 800 sittings. There
are places of worship for members of the Free Church, the United Secession,
and the Congregational Union. The parochial school is attended by about
thirty children: the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with a house, an
allowance of £2. 2. in lieu of garden, and the school fees, averaging £30;
he also receives £5 per annum, from a bequest by Mr. Smith for the
gratuitous instruction of poor children. There are some remains of the
ancient castles of Corsehill and Auchenharvie. On the braes of Carnduff, the
property of Mr. Deans, of Peacock Bank, have been found three urns
containing human bones. About a mile from the town, on the farm of Chapelton,
were recently dug up the foundations of an ancient chapel, of which,
however, no authentic records have been preserved. Among the most eminent
persons connected with this place was Dr. Robert Watt, compiler of the
Bibliotheca Britannica, a work of celebrity; he was born on the farm now
called Girgenti, in the year 1774, and died in 1819.
Stewarton and Wishawton
From: A Topographical Dictionary
of Scotland (1846)
and .co.uk