Strathendrick, and its inhabitants from early times

2 1 8 HIS TORY OF STRA THENDRICK
quite unfettered, they at once proceeded to carry out what they knew were
the wishes of their brother as to its final disposal. With this in view, they
executed a will within a month of his death which, while reserving the life-
rent to themselves, conveyed their whole estate, heritable and moveable, with
the exception of a few moderate legacies, to certain trustees who were directed
to apply the same to public purposes for the benefit of the City of Glasgow.
These estates and moneys now form the great Bellahouston Bequest which
adds another to the many benefits conferred on the City of Glasgow by natives
of Strathendrick.
Returning now to Thomas Steven, portioner of Wester Finnick-Tennant, and
who was in possession of both of the Camerons by 1772, we find that before
1774 he fell into difficulties. His part of Finnick-Tennant, as already mentioned,
was sold to James M'llquham, and his Cameron lands were sold by James
Buchanan of Carstoun, his trustee, in 1774 to William MacGoun, merchant in
Glasgow.
Robert MacGoun, as heir of his uncle William MacGoun, succeeded in 1808,
and Ann MacGoun succeeded her brother, Robert, before 17th December 1840.
On the 22nd December 1848 Miss M'Goun sold the two Camerons to James
MacNair.
This purchase completed the Aucheneck estate as held by Mr. MacNair
till his death in 1865. He had bought Aucheneck and Wester Finnick-Tennant
in 1828, Easter Finnick-Tennant in 1832, and the Camerons, as just related,
in 1848. His trustees, in 1869, sold the whole to Mr. John Wilson, whose
subsequent purchases and additions to the estate will be treated of presently.
James MacNair was a very well known man in the West of Scotland and,
though stone deaf, caused by a severe illness in his early childhood, he was a
man of great intelligence and information and an accomplished land improver
and agriculturist. In 1819 he had bought Balvie in New Kilpatrick, the ancient
holding of the Logans. He afterwards purchased Auldmarroch in the same
parish and finally Aucheneck in 1828; he sold Balvie to the late John Campbell
Douglas of Mains, and afterwards, till his death, resided at Aucheneck.
When Mr. MacNair bought Aucheneck and Wester Finnick-Tennant, the
greater part of his estate was a bleak, muirish place with a few trees only standing
around the old steadings and cottages and in the glen. The old steading of
Aucheneck was there, where the present offices now stand, and so, a little to
the east, was the old house of Wester Finnick, for long the home of the Stevens,
and the birthplace of Moses Steven, first of Polmadie, but by this time in ruins ;
and down in the glen was the old disused mill of Aucheneck, the walls entire
but roofless. 1
1 The last gable fell about thirty years ago.