Ayrshire > Volume 1

THE SOCIAL MARCH OF THE SHIRE 333
small, ancient breed, but mostly of a mixed breed
between that and the Cunningham kind." The people
lived largely on potatoes, and, as a rule, raised sufficient
flax for their own domestic purposes. With exceptions,
they were " on the whole a peaceable, sober, industrious
people, contented with their lot, regular in their attend-
ance upon public worship, and attached to the principles
of the British Constitution." Very few of them ever
enlisted in the regular army. The minister of Cumnock
thought it worth while to emphasise the fact that in
1790 there were an uncommon number of twins born,
not only in his parish, but in the country generally,
and in other countries as well ; " a fact," he observes,
" remarked at the time, but never attempted to be
accounted for." The rev. gentleman gives a somewhat
qualified estimate of his parishioners. " At present,"
he says, " the great body that make up the inhabitants
of the parish may be said to enjoy work or to be idle ;
strangers in general to intemperance, their living is
chiefly supplied by the dairy ; the manufacturers
excepted, who, with a few others, may be said to be
better acquainted with a meat diet and with the use of
beer, which, it were to be wished, could be substituted
for the prevalent use of spirituous liquors. Education
is little valued. And next to the occupations peculiar
to their several lines of life, their leading object is to
converse and dispute about religious subjects and
Church government, concerning which there is a consider-
able diversity of opinion amongst them." The Ochiltree
folks were looked upon by their minister as in general
remarkable for the simplicity, integrity, and purity of
their manners. The children of the farmers were
pretty numerous, " four neighbouring farmers having
two of them eight and two of them nine children apiece."
The patron of the parish had given the people a minister
agreeable to their wishes, " and what are called the New
Light doctrines, contrary to our Confession of Faith,
though prevalent in other parts of Ayrshire, have
obtained ver3' little countenance in Ochiltree." When