Ayrshire > Volume 1

THE SOCIAL MARCH OF THE SHTRE 315
•education to their children, but the lack of adequate
means for the remuneration of the schoolmasters had
resulted in no small measure in the appointment of a
class of men who were unworthy of their position, though
no doubt quite as good as could have been expected in
consideration of the wretched pittance on which many
of them had to exist — a pittance no greater than that of
the labourer, and much less than that of the relatively
well paid cotton or carpet weaver. It was frequently
remarked, Colonel Fullarton tells us, that the dominies
were neglectful of the manners of the rising generation,
" rather encouraging them in rough and boorish
incivilities than in those acts of reciprocal kindness and
urbanity which afford the best and most pleasing
-characteristic of any people."
The gallant Colonel was no less faithful in dealing
with the men of his own class. Many of the county
families were of ancient standing, but the majority of
them had been compelled to sell their property,
" embarrassed by the reigning spirit of conviviality and
speculation, disproportioned to their income. Indeed,"
he continues, " considering the expense and inattention
to affairs connected with the situation of a country
gentleman, and natural tendency of counting upon
imaginary rentals long before they became real ones,
including too the prevailing course of entertaining,
drinking, hunting, electioneering, show, equipage, and
the concomitant attacks upon the purse, and misappli-
cation of the time, it appears surprising that any property
unentailed should remain above two generations in the
same succession." To men of this class the starting of
the Ayrshire Bank, Douglas, Heron, and Co., was a
godsend. They mortgaged their lands for ready money.
They executed improvements without regard to any
early return from them. They acted as if a gold mine
had been opened in the county town. And when the
crash came, when the Bank " broke " in a disaster that
shook the whole west country and involved the large
majority of the shareholders in ruin, and they were