Towns > Kilmarnock (and Riccarton) > 1868, 1872 - Post Office Kilmarnock directory > 1868

OF KILMARNOCK. XI
Street. The long line of passage known as Fore Street, Soulis Street, and
High Street, is of very old date, and at the end of last century and
beginning of this, formed the principal thoroughfare of the town, and the
residences of our local aristocracy. There are evidences that this was
intended to be the leading road to the Dean, the residence of the Lord of
the Manor. But from various circumstances, most likely the misfortunes
which overtook the family immediately before the revolution of 1745, this
and other improvements in the upper part of the town were departed from
and never executed. Boyd Street and Back Street are also very old parts
of the town. One most noticable feature about Kilmarnock in these early
times was its enormous length compared with its breadth. And this remains
visible at the present day, notwithstanding all the additions and improve-
ments made on it both eastward and westward.
As few, if any of the younger portion of the community have any con-
ception of what " Auld Killie" was like, we shall give a rough pen and ink
sketcl 3f it during the last century, and even as late as the beginning of
the present one. Possibly a more irregular, zigzag, and unprepossessing
assemblage of houses could hardly be conceived of as forming a town.
There was not only irregularity, but there were encumbrances. The houses
were low, ill-built, and thatched. Coming from Glasgow, the road wound
like the letter S almost from above Beansburn to the head of Dean Lane.
It skirted the east side of Dean Street on the brow of the hill overlooking
the Townholm. The old toll house is still standing at the top of the lane.
Passing down this steep declivity, the road reached the head of High
Street. Thence the way was open till where Fore Street debouches on
the Cross. Here it abruptly turned in the direction of Cheapside, thence
across the Old Bridge, and along Sandbed, where on certain days j(m
might see the country farmers in the kitchen or spence of the houses dis^^-
ing of their wool. From Sandbed to Nethertonholm the road was neither
good nor straight. Taking the other course from the Cross, the way was
by Waterloo Street, across the Flesh Market Bridge, and up the nearly
preciptious ascent of Tankardha' Brae. The parish school was in Green
Street, where our worthy superintendent of pohce, Mr Gait, now resides.
Passing from the town to the people and their occupations, we find some
curious remains of these by gone days. About three hundred years since
the population did not, in all probability, amount to more than one
thousand. The leading surnames then were much the same as now. The
records show that Brown, Smith, Boyd, Paton, Adam, Wyhe, Crooks,
Wallace, and Tannahill, were leading names. About a couple of centuries
ago the population would be fully two thousand; and a hundred years
since it was barely five thousand. The occupations of the ancient Kilmar-
nock folk were considerably akin to those of the present day. Woollen
manufactures of various kinds, bonnet making, and iron working,
glove making, tanning, and shoemaking, were the principal arts practised