Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1886 - Slater's (late Pigot and Co's) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland

AYRSHIRE SLATER 'S
purposes of the dairy and the hutcher. As agriculture thus successfully progressed, excellent roads were formed, aud these have been
followed up by railways for the transmission of goods and persons ; a line was formed as far as Girvan, but is now carried on to Stranraer
and from thence to Portpatrick. From the fostered spirit of industry, and the enhanced value of land, resulted a corresponding exertion
for the establishment of manufactures; the abundance of fuel, the plenty and cheapness of the necessaries of life, materials for building,
and means of transit to the large towns in the adjacent shires, presented facilities for this purpose which were obvious and encouraging.
The manufacture of stockings, carpets, cloths, and bonnets extended generally, but Kilmarnock became the most noted. At the capital
of the county have been established dyeworks, woollen manufactories, iron foundries, tanneries, large steam-engine manufactories and
chernica works ; at Oatrine, well-known and extensive cotton works ; at Kilbirnie aro several works for the manufacture of fishing nets ;
Mauchline is noted as the place where fancy wood-work articles aro made ; at Stevenston are iron works and a dynamite manufactory ;
at Old Cumnock is an extensive pottery and a woollen manufactory ; at Irvine, chemical manufactories and iron forges, and Muirkirk is
noted for its ponderous iron works. Fishing is also carried on at all the large seaports, herring; cod, ling, &c. being caught, and in the
lochs and streams there is an abundance of trout, and in the larger rivers are to be found salmon. During the forty years between 1841
and 1881, the population of this county had increased! 53,148. This large addition to the population is in a great measure owing to the
prosperous manufacturing state of the county. Ayrshire possesses inexhaustible coalfields, freestone quarries, and ironstone mines,
with several rich ores, particularly those of lead and copper, but the two latter have not been wrought to any great extent ; marble,
gypsum, and marl have been found, and black lead has been discovered ; fire-proof stone and whetstone are obtained, and petrefactions
exist in various parts of the county. In the hills of Carrick are agates, porphyries, and other valuable fossils ; and traces of antimony
have not escaped the searching eye of the mineralogist.
Eivees, Lakes, Speings and Railways.— In the ridge of the hills which intersect the district of Carrick, almost all the rivers in
the south originate. The Tweed, the Esk, the Nith, the Annan, the Urr, and others float to the east and soath ; while the Stinchar, the
Girvan, the Doon, the Ayr, and the Lugar, traverse the county, and pour their fruitful streams into the Irish Channel. Besides these
the Irvine and some smaller rivers water the northern parts of Ayrshire. In the midst of so many minerals, a number of springs
impregnated by their qualities are to be expected ; and indeed almost every parish has its mineral water, though none have attained the
dignity of spas. There are various inland lakes, particularly in Carrick— the most extensive being Loch Doon, which is six miles long
and about three-quarters in breadth, from whence the Doon river flows. Ayrshire participates extensively in the conveniences afforded
to commerce and general transit by railways. The Glasgow and South- Western enters the county from Glasgow and passes Berth,
Kilbirnie and Dairy, from which latter place a branch runs on to New Cumnock, and thence by* Dumfries to Carlisle, while another
trave rses the county by Kilwinning, Ayr and Girvan to Stranraer. There are also branches from Kilwinning to Ardrossan, from Ayr to
Dalmellington, Mauchlino and Muirkirk ; one from Auchinleck joining the latter at Cronberry ; one from Kilmarnock to Troon ; and one
from Irvine to Kilmarnock. The Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Line runs from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, and a new line has
recently been completed from Ardrossan to Largs.
Ecclesiastical and Civil Divisions, Population, &c. — The whole of Ayrshire was formerly comprehended in the bishopric of
Glasgow; and it formed three deaneries, corresponding with the three divisions before mentioned. The county now comprises forty-
six parishes, forming two presbyteries in the Synod of Ayr and Glasgow. The contributory burghs (or those which, iu conjunction with
others, are represented in the Senate) belonging to this county are Ayr and Irvine ; two members also represent the shire at large.
The present county members are: for the Northern division, R. W. Cochran-Patrick. Esq. ll.d. and for the Southern division, Major-
General Claud Alexander The lord lieutenant of the county is the Earl of Stair, k.t. The county by the Government returns for 1871
contained a population of 200,809, and by those for 1S81, 217,519, exhibiting an increase over 1871 of 16,710. The parliamentary
constituency of the Northern division of the county in 1S84-85 was 3,858, that of the Southern division being 4,109. The number o
inhabited houses in 1881 wasjll,733 ; uninhabite , 3,316 and in course of erection, 260.
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