Counties > Ayrshire > 1830 - Brief historical reminiscences of the county and town of Ayr, from its earliest period to the present day, to which is added a correct list of the lieutenancy, freeholders, commissioners of supply of the county, magistrates of the town of Ayr, Newton, Pr

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warrior was declared his successor, the King's daughter,
Marjory, having assented to the preference of her uncle, ow-
ing to the emergency of the times. Soon after this important
settlement, Edward Bruce, with an army of 6000 men em-,
barked at Ayr, in May 1315, for Carrickfergus. Among;
other considerable Barons who accompanied Edward on this a
dangerous expedition was Sir Fergus of Ardrossan. It required t
not many blows to deprive Edward of his hopes and of his life. — •
This event was followed by an incident of still greater consequence, l
On the 7th of June 1329, the great and gallant Bruce died, and ![
was succeeded by his son, David, an infant. And Randolph, the}'
Barl of Moray, in consequence of the Acts of Settlement, assumedj
the character of Regent. 'i
There was established in Irvine, a convent of Carmelites orj
white Friars, which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Itisi
•aid to have been founded in the fourteenth century, by Ful- 1
larton qf Fullarton. Raynauld FuUarton of Crosby and Dregri
horn, granted to the same white Friars at Irvine, an annual Ik
""ent of six marks. mm |
In June 1498, Hugh, Lord Montgomery obtained a charter toil
him and his heirs, of the office of Baillie of Cunninghame, and
chamberlain of the Town of Irvine, t» be held according to the te •
nor of the old Charter thereof, which had been granted to hi«
grandfather Alexander de Montgomerie.
In the year 1560, the splendid Abbey of Kilwinning was almost
destroyed by that religious ruffian, Alexander Earl of Glencairn,
who enjoyed pensions from Heiury VIII. for injin-ing the country
of his birth, and benefits. The Earl endeavoured to derive some
property to his family from this demolished Abbey — But the Earl
of Eglinton finally obtained its various possessions under several
grants from the King and Acts of Parliament. This Monastery
vraM by far the most opulent religious establishment in Ayrshire.—
At the epoch of the Reformation there belonged to it sixteen parish
Chxu'ches, with their tythes and lands. |
There was before the Reformation, a religious establishment,
which was popularly called *' Our Lady Kirk of Kyle " but the