Scotland > 1868, 1878 - Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland > 1861
(381)
Download files
Complete book:
Individual page:
Thumbnail gallery: Grid view | List view
©fmttirg.
KILMARNOCK,. &c.
^grggtre-
richest colour and fabric : a few years since, the iSius-
sels carpet was successfully Imitated ; and after that,
a vaiiety, termed the three-plie, of extreme beauty and
durability was introduced. An extensive trade is car-
ried on "in the manufacture of shoes for exportation, —
likewise in that of leather, for the tanning and dressing
of which, there are several highly-respectable and large
establishments. Two breweries, the same number of
rope walks, several extensive nursery grounds, four
iron-founding and machine making establishments;
the Caledonian foundry, belonging to Mr. Andrew
Barclay, being the most extensive, and carried on iu a
highly spirited and scientific manner. One particular
description of productive industry and skill seems,
however, of late years, to have outstripped all those
before mentioned— namely, themaking and printing of
shawls : for, in the year 1832, the amazing number of
1,128,814 of this denomination of-garment issued from
the manufactories of this place, amounting in value to
upwards of £200,000; the demand since that year
greatly increased, and the productions of the various
establishments in this branch are excelled by no other
town. The shops of Kilmarnock are, many of them,
very handsome, and well furnished with taste in the
various wares suitable to the inhabitants of a large and
respectable town. The banking establishments are
branches of the Bank of Scotland, of the Royal Bank
of Scotland, of the Commercial Bank of Scotland, the
National Bank of Scotland, the Union Bank of Scot-
land, and the Clydesdale Banking Company, together
with a Bank for Savings. Surrounding the town are
extensive coal-fields, from which fuel is obtained for
the works of Kilmarnock; besides large supplies trans-
mitied continually by railway toTroon andlrvine,where
they are shipped to various places. There are five in-
corporated trades, namely,the bonnet-makers, skinners,
civic decorations as Lord Mayor, and is, altogether, a
very fine production of art. The civil government is
vested in a provost, four bailies, and eleven councillors;
the magistrates preside in their civil and criminal
courts by turns, and the justices sit once a fortnight in
what is c illed the small debts court. This town joins
with Dumbarton, Port Glasgow, Renfrew, ana Ruther-
glen, in returning one member to parliament. The
Duke of Portland is the principal proprietor of Kilmar-
nock and its neighbouring lands.
Kilmarnock consists of two parishes— High and Low
— each containing an established church. In the latter
parish there has been erected, in addition ; a large and
handsome edifice, connected with the establishment,
possessing accommodation for 1,700 persons: it is
ornamented with an admirable Gothic tower, and cost
£5,000. The United Presbyterian church, King street,
is a very neatly designed relief church, of recent
erection, with an elegant spire, it is a very con-
spicuous object in the scenery of the town; there are
besides, two other United Presbyterian chapels, and
one for the Independents, one for the Reformed, with
several other places of worship for various religious
denominations, including the new English or Episcopal
church. In a dry and elevated situation near to Saint
Andrew's church, was opened in 1838, a public
cemetery, covering an acre of land, purchased by means
of a town's rate.
The most remarkable object in this vicinity is the
ruin of Dean castle — an ancient, extensive, and well
defended mansion, formerly the property of the Earls
of Kilmarnock ; it stands in a * dean ' or hollow, less
than a mile north from the town ; it was burnt down
in 1735, from the carelessness of a servant girl, who, in
preparing some lint, for spinning,heedlessly let it catch
fire. When in a perfect state, it was considered capa-
tailors, shoemakers, and weavers; the first named is ble of sustaining a long siege; as it had the means of
the mo-t ancient — it was incorporated in 1646. j drawing secret supplies through its subterranean ways,
The aspect of the town is agreeable, especially iu its i that communicated, it is said with Coperton castle,
central part, where'the -streets are regularly laid nut, | two tr.iles distant. Kilmarnock house, auother edifice
and the greater portion of the houses are of freestone; ! once belonging 10, and the last residence of, that noble
it has of late considerably extended to the south and j family, is also in the parish : from this house proceeded
east, and in these directions has now many elegant the last unfortunate Earl in 1745, to join the standard
edifices. The Town-house, built in 1805, contains a
court-room for the magistracy, and public offices. In
1814, a superb and commodious news-room was erec-
ted in the centre of the town, serving the double
of rebellion, which cost him his head. This building
is now occupied as a parochial school. The markets,
which are held on Tuesday and Friday, are abundantly
supplied wn ',yer,y necessary article of domestic con-
purpose of a reading room and a place of general sumption, including grain and cattle. Fairs are held
resort. The new court-house, in St. Marnock street, I (for cattle) second Tuesday in May, last Thursday in
erected in 1852, is an elegant structure, attached to ! July (commonly called ' the gooseberry fair 'J, and the
which, are the sheriffs chambers, and offices of the pro
curator fiscal, and iu the same locality a new goal has
recently been built. Kilmarnock posesses an excellent
academy, in which various branches of education are
'Might by able masters ; there are, besides, several
nfivate schools of a high character, and many others
Biat impart instruction to children of the poorer
dasses. The institutions likewise comprise some
well-conducted societies, amongst which, are the Pro-
curators' and the Merchants' ; a philosophical institu-
tion, and also an Athenaeum, with numerous benefit
clubs, associations, and several libraries — amongst the
latter is the Kilmarnock library, opened in 1797, and
now numbers in iis collection nearly three thousand
volumes. A great object of interest in this town is the
observaiory, erected by its proprietor, Mr. Thomas
Morton, at an expense of £1,000; who also originated
many important improvements in the manufacture of
carpets. The observ'atory.which is seventy feetin height,
and furnished with valuable telescopes and other appara-
tus,stands oh a fine site.that commands adelightful view
of the surrounding country as far as the Frith of Clyde.
Mr. Morton has obtained considerable celebrity for his
mechanical genius, and has received various honourable
testimonials from his countrymen and the Board of
Trade, and iu 1835, he was ejected a member of the
Royal Society of Arts. In 1847 was erected in the
market cross, a very handsome monument to the
memory of Sir James Shaw, Bart., late Lord Mayor of
London, who was a native of Moss-head in this neigh-
bourhood, where he was born in 1774, and died on the
'22ud October, 1843. The statue of the tie, eased is
eight feet in height, mounted on. a pedestal of the :■ ime
altitude. The former, which is cut out of a sojtd block
of marble, weighing ten tons, represents him in hisj
47
last Thursday iu October for horses.
The parish of Riccarton is in the district of Kyle,
lying on the left or south bank of the Irvine river,
which separates it from Kilmaruock. The village
stands on an eminence, a mile to the south of that
town, on the right hank ; but is almost connected with
Kilmarnock by a long street. The parish extends
about six miles in length, by between two and three iu
breadth; and includes the post office village of Hurl-
ford, at which latter place there is an extensive iron
smelting works called the Portland Iron Works, a large
fire clay works, and several extensive collieries, — a
very handsome Free church has also been erected here,
and a large suhscripiion school built for the education
of the children of the working class. The village of
Riccarton is remarkable for having been the residence
of the venerable Sir Rowland Crawford, the maternal
uncle of Wallace, with whom, it is said,thehero some-
times sojourned ; and it was to Riccarton that he
generally retirul after performing any of his very daring
exploits, before he openly unfurled his country.s
banner. On avenging the treacherous murder of his
uncle and other chieftains, by burning the barns of
Ayr, he took his way by night to this village, accom-
panied by a few followers ; when he reached a certain
eminence about six miles from Ayr, he turned round,
and seeing the flames still asceuding, exclaimed with
stern exultation, « the barns burn weil !' From this
laconic expression (tradition adds) the spot obtained
the name of ' Burn-weit,' which it still retains. The
church of Riccartou is a modern structure, having been
erected in 1823 ; it has a fine steeple, and from its
elevated position, has an ornamental effect upon the
country round. A new bridge across the Irvine mate-
rially improves the approach from the Ayr road to
VO
369
KILMARNOCK,. &c.
^grggtre-
richest colour and fabric : a few years since, the iSius-
sels carpet was successfully Imitated ; and after that,
a vaiiety, termed the three-plie, of extreme beauty and
durability was introduced. An extensive trade is car-
ried on "in the manufacture of shoes for exportation, —
likewise in that of leather, for the tanning and dressing
of which, there are several highly-respectable and large
establishments. Two breweries, the same number of
rope walks, several extensive nursery grounds, four
iron-founding and machine making establishments;
the Caledonian foundry, belonging to Mr. Andrew
Barclay, being the most extensive, and carried on iu a
highly spirited and scientific manner. One particular
description of productive industry and skill seems,
however, of late years, to have outstripped all those
before mentioned— namely, themaking and printing of
shawls : for, in the year 1832, the amazing number of
1,128,814 of this denomination of-garment issued from
the manufactories of this place, amounting in value to
upwards of £200,000; the demand since that year
greatly increased, and the productions of the various
establishments in this branch are excelled by no other
town. The shops of Kilmarnock are, many of them,
very handsome, and well furnished with taste in the
various wares suitable to the inhabitants of a large and
respectable town. The banking establishments are
branches of the Bank of Scotland, of the Royal Bank
of Scotland, of the Commercial Bank of Scotland, the
National Bank of Scotland, the Union Bank of Scot-
land, and the Clydesdale Banking Company, together
with a Bank for Savings. Surrounding the town are
extensive coal-fields, from which fuel is obtained for
the works of Kilmarnock; besides large supplies trans-
mitied continually by railway toTroon andlrvine,where
they are shipped to various places. There are five in-
corporated trades, namely,the bonnet-makers, skinners,
civic decorations as Lord Mayor, and is, altogether, a
very fine production of art. The civil government is
vested in a provost, four bailies, and eleven councillors;
the magistrates preside in their civil and criminal
courts by turns, and the justices sit once a fortnight in
what is c illed the small debts court. This town joins
with Dumbarton, Port Glasgow, Renfrew, ana Ruther-
glen, in returning one member to parliament. The
Duke of Portland is the principal proprietor of Kilmar-
nock and its neighbouring lands.
Kilmarnock consists of two parishes— High and Low
— each containing an established church. In the latter
parish there has been erected, in addition ; a large and
handsome edifice, connected with the establishment,
possessing accommodation for 1,700 persons: it is
ornamented with an admirable Gothic tower, and cost
£5,000. The United Presbyterian church, King street,
is a very neatly designed relief church, of recent
erection, with an elegant spire, it is a very con-
spicuous object in the scenery of the town; there are
besides, two other United Presbyterian chapels, and
one for the Independents, one for the Reformed, with
several other places of worship for various religious
denominations, including the new English or Episcopal
church. In a dry and elevated situation near to Saint
Andrew's church, was opened in 1838, a public
cemetery, covering an acre of land, purchased by means
of a town's rate.
The most remarkable object in this vicinity is the
ruin of Dean castle — an ancient, extensive, and well
defended mansion, formerly the property of the Earls
of Kilmarnock ; it stands in a * dean ' or hollow, less
than a mile north from the town ; it was burnt down
in 1735, from the carelessness of a servant girl, who, in
preparing some lint, for spinning,heedlessly let it catch
fire. When in a perfect state, it was considered capa-
tailors, shoemakers, and weavers; the first named is ble of sustaining a long siege; as it had the means of
the mo-t ancient — it was incorporated in 1646. j drawing secret supplies through its subterranean ways,
The aspect of the town is agreeable, especially iu its i that communicated, it is said with Coperton castle,
central part, where'the -streets are regularly laid nut, | two tr.iles distant. Kilmarnock house, auother edifice
and the greater portion of the houses are of freestone; ! once belonging 10, and the last residence of, that noble
it has of late considerably extended to the south and j family, is also in the parish : from this house proceeded
east, and in these directions has now many elegant the last unfortunate Earl in 1745, to join the standard
edifices. The Town-house, built in 1805, contains a
court-room for the magistracy, and public offices. In
1814, a superb and commodious news-room was erec-
ted in the centre of the town, serving the double
of rebellion, which cost him his head. This building
is now occupied as a parochial school. The markets,
which are held on Tuesday and Friday, are abundantly
supplied wn ',yer,y necessary article of domestic con-
purpose of a reading room and a place of general sumption, including grain and cattle. Fairs are held
resort. The new court-house, in St. Marnock street, I (for cattle) second Tuesday in May, last Thursday in
erected in 1852, is an elegant structure, attached to ! July (commonly called ' the gooseberry fair 'J, and the
which, are the sheriffs chambers, and offices of the pro
curator fiscal, and iu the same locality a new goal has
recently been built. Kilmarnock posesses an excellent
academy, in which various branches of education are
'Might by able masters ; there are, besides, several
nfivate schools of a high character, and many others
Biat impart instruction to children of the poorer
dasses. The institutions likewise comprise some
well-conducted societies, amongst which, are the Pro-
curators' and the Merchants' ; a philosophical institu-
tion, and also an Athenaeum, with numerous benefit
clubs, associations, and several libraries — amongst the
latter is the Kilmarnock library, opened in 1797, and
now numbers in iis collection nearly three thousand
volumes. A great object of interest in this town is the
observaiory, erected by its proprietor, Mr. Thomas
Morton, at an expense of £1,000; who also originated
many important improvements in the manufacture of
carpets. The observ'atory.which is seventy feetin height,
and furnished with valuable telescopes and other appara-
tus,stands oh a fine site.that commands adelightful view
of the surrounding country as far as the Frith of Clyde.
Mr. Morton has obtained considerable celebrity for his
mechanical genius, and has received various honourable
testimonials from his countrymen and the Board of
Trade, and iu 1835, he was ejected a member of the
Royal Society of Arts. In 1847 was erected in the
market cross, a very handsome monument to the
memory of Sir James Shaw, Bart., late Lord Mayor of
London, who was a native of Moss-head in this neigh-
bourhood, where he was born in 1774, and died on the
'22ud October, 1843. The statue of the tie, eased is
eight feet in height, mounted on. a pedestal of the :■ ime
altitude. The former, which is cut out of a sojtd block
of marble, weighing ten tons, represents him in hisj
47
last Thursday iu October for horses.
The parish of Riccarton is in the district of Kyle,
lying on the left or south bank of the Irvine river,
which separates it from Kilmaruock. The village
stands on an eminence, a mile to the south of that
town, on the right hank ; but is almost connected with
Kilmarnock by a long street. The parish extends
about six miles in length, by between two and three iu
breadth; and includes the post office village of Hurl-
ford, at which latter place there is an extensive iron
smelting works called the Portland Iron Works, a large
fire clay works, and several extensive collieries, — a
very handsome Free church has also been erected here,
and a large suhscripiion school built for the education
of the children of the working class. The village of
Riccarton is remarkable for having been the residence
of the venerable Sir Rowland Crawford, the maternal
uncle of Wallace, with whom, it is said,thehero some-
times sojourned ; and it was to Riccarton that he
generally retirul after performing any of his very daring
exploits, before he openly unfurled his country.s
banner. On avenging the treacherous murder of his
uncle and other chieftains, by burning the barns of
Ayr, he took his way by night to this village, accom-
panied by a few followers ; when he reached a certain
eminence about six miles from Ayr, he turned round,
and seeing the flames still asceuding, exclaimed with
stern exultation, « the barns burn weil !' From this
laconic expression (tradition adds) the spot obtained
the name of ' Burn-weit,' which it still retains. The
church of Riccartou is a modern structure, having been
erected in 1823 ; it has a fine steeple, and from its
elevated position, has an ornamental effect upon the
country round. A new bridge across the Irvine mate-
rially improves the approach from the Ayr road to
VO
369
Set display mode to: Large image | Transcription
Images and transcriptions on this page, including medium image downloads, may be used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence unless otherwise stated.
Scottish Post Office Directories > Scotland > Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland > 1861 > (381) |
---|
Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/90205848 |
---|
Attribution and copyright: |
|
---|---|
More information |
Description | Directories of the whole, or large parts of, Scotland. |
---|
Description | Around 700 Scottish directories published annually by the Post Office or private publishers between 1773 and 1911. Most of Scotland covered, with a focus on Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. Most volumes include a general directory (A-Z by surname), street directory (A-Z by street) and trade directory (A-Z by trade). |
---|