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The
parish, which is about ten
miles in length, and varying from three to four in breadth,
is a rich
agricultural district, highly cultivated and improved, and adorned by
several gentlemen's tastefully laid out seats.
For centuries Stewarton
remained an inconsiderable and unnoted village; and it is only of a
comparatively recent date that, owing to the general extension of trade and
manufacture, it has increased to its present dimensions and consequence.
It
has, however, been long distinguished by the production of Highland or
tartan and other bonnets, especially of regimental bonnets and caps; this
business, which is chiefly carried on domestically, and partially in
factories, furnishes employment to from three hundred and fifty to four
hundred hands; whilst in the manufacture of carpets one hundred and fifty
more persons find occupation. The
making of spindles for cotton and woollen
mills is an extensive branch here, and a considerable number of the cotton
mills of Scotland are supplied from hence.
The manufacture or forging of
clock-work, for which this town is peculiar in North Britain, is a trade of
some significance, as it forms an item of exportation to the continent of
Europe and America. Several
woollen mills are engaged in carding and
spinning for the carpet and bonnet trades;
the largest concern is that
belonging to
Alexander Esq of Robertland, and occupied by Messrs
Muir,
Dunlop & Co, who have a steam engine for propelling the machinery on the
occurrence of droughts or frosts. A
large portion of the population
consists of silk and muslin weavers, who are employed by the Glasgow and
Paisley establishments; linens and damasks are also issued from the
Stewarton looms to some extent; and in the ingenious pursuits of "Ayrshire
Needlework" not fewer than three hundred females enjoy the fruits of
industry. The "Glasgow Union
Banking Company" have a branch of their firm
in this place, and there is likewise a bank for savings; this latter
institution, together with several benefit or friendly societies, creates a
stimulus to the spirit of dilligence and frugility in the working classes.
This
thriving little town has no magistracy or police; but regular district
courts for the recovery of small debts, and such business as falls under the
jurisdiction of Justices of the peace for the parishes of Stewarton, Dunlop
and Fenwick, are held by quorum of the neighbouring magistrates.
Beside the
established church, there are three other places of worship, including a
united seccession church, one for original burghers, and the third for
independant congregationalists. The
market day is Thursday. The fairs
are
held as follows: on the Monday
before Irvine fair, for the sale of horses,
cattle, dairy produce and dairy utensils, and for the hiring of servants; on
the last Thursday of June, or Thursday following (Shotts and Kelton Hill
fairs), for horses and cattle; on the next Friday after the 12th November,
for fat cattle, dairy stock, and hiring servants; and on the last Thursday
of December, for horses and cattle.
Dunlop
is a small village, two miles and a half from Stewarton,
romantically
situate on the banks of the Swiney, about three hundred yards off
the road
leading from Kilmarnock to Paisley; and when seen from a little distance,
through the trees in which it is embounded, has an agreeable retired
appearance. The houses being
mostly old, and the street narrow, it does not
improve on a nearer view, though in this respect it does not suffer by
comparison with other places of similar rank throughout the country.
A new
and handsome church was erected in 1835, its predecessor having suffered
much from the continued effects of age and weather; it is a great ornament
to the neighbourhood. In the
church-yard is a small arched chamber, formed
under the direction of Lord Viscount Clanaboyes, in 1641, over the grave of
his father, the Rev Hams Hamilton, who for 45 years was minister of this
parish; it contains a well executed monument in marble, justly deserving
attention.
The
parish, to which the village gives name, lies principally in the bailery
of Cunningham, and county of Ayr; but on the north it extends into
Renfrewshire. It has long been
noted for the excellent quality of its
cheese, which bears a rich character throughout Scotland.
About the close
of the seventeenth centuary one
Barbara Gilmour is said to have
commenced
the practice of making cheese from the entire milk, nothing but skimmed milk
having been used in the process, in this district, previously to that
period; at present all the cheese similarly made in the western counties
receives the appellation of "Dunlop"; about 25,000 stones imperial
are made
in this parish annually. There is
also a very considerable trade in meal
carried on by the inhabitants of the village and the surrounding territory.
Dunlop House, in this parish, the seat of John Dunlop, Esq. member of
parliament for Ayrshire, is one of the handsomest mansions in the county; on
this estate, resting on a small knoll, is a stone of large dimensions,
called the "O Great Stone", supposed to have been employed in some
ancient
rites of worship. Two fairs, for
the sale of dairy stock, take place here
annually; one about the middle of May, the other on the 12th of November;
both are almost invariably well attended.
Post Office, Avenue street, Stewarton, Andrew
Barr, Post Master. Letters
from all parts arrive (from Kilmarnock) every morning at half-past eight,
and are despatched every evening at ten minutes before five.
GENTRY & CLERGY
(Marked thus * are Justices of the Peace)
Brisbane,
Rev Jas, Manse, Dunlop/ * Brown, Andrew Esq. (of Hill
house)
surgeon in the Hon. East India Company's service, Clerk hill/
Cairns,
Rev
Peter, Bridge end/ * Cuninghame, Wm Esq of Lainshaw/
Dickie, Rev Matthew,
Borland/ *Dunlop, John Esq. MP of Dunlop/ *Kerr, Alexander Esq.
of
ACADEMIES
AND SCHOOLS
Brownlee,
John, High st/ Buchanan, Walter, Dunlop/ Holborn, John, Avenue
st/
Marshall, Peter, Langton/ Parish School, near the Church - Duncan
McFarlane,
master/ Parochial School, Dunlop - Wm Bryce, master/ Smith,
Alexander,
Kingston/ Sutherland, Dundas, Avenue st
AGENTS TO
MANUFACTURERS
Brown,
John, Townhead/ Caskie, Mary, Vennel st/ Dunlop, Alexander,
High st/
Kerr, James, Avenue st/ Logan, Andrew,
High st/ Logan, Robert, Townhead
BAKERS
Craig,
Robert, High st/ Mackenzie, Duncan, (& spirit dealer),
High st/
BANKERS
Glasgow
Union Banking Company (Branch of) - (draw on Robert Burns, Glasgow,
the Union Bank, Edinburgh, and Jones, Loyd & Co, London) - James
Anderson
BLACKSMITHS
Baird,
John, Lainshaw smithy/ Brown, Thomas, Townfoot/ Edgar, William,
Dunlop/
Simpson, Thomas, Sidehead/ Wyllie, James, Avenue st
BONNET
MAKERS - TARTAN, MILITARY etc.
Bicket,
James, Kirkford/ Bicket, Mary, Kirkfoot/ Black, Hugh,
Darlington/
Black, Mary, Darlington/ Bowles, James, Darlington/ Caskie, Jane,
Holm/
Currie, Alexander, Darlington/ Currie, Andrew, Townhead/ Currie,
David,
Darlington/
Currie, James, Darlington/ Currie, John, Darlington/
Currie,
Thomas, Darlington/
Gibson, James, Kirkford/ Gibson, James jnr, Kirkford/ Harper, Margaret,
BOOT &
SHOE MAKERS
Dunlop,
William, High st/ Dunlop, William jnr, High st/ Ferguson,
Robert,
High st/ Fulton, Robert, Dunlop/ Hall, Roger, High st/ Hood,
Thomas, Dunlop/
Jamieson, James, Dunlop/ McFarlane, Andrew, Kingston/ Picken,
Alexander,
High st/ Smith, David, Dunlop/ Young, David, Rigg
st/ Young, William,
Society buildings
CABINET
MAKERS
Alexander,
John, Cross hill/ Dunlop, John, Avenue st/ Paton, Adam,
Avenue st/
Smith, George, Townhead
CARPENTERS,
JOINERS AND CARTWRIGHTS
Bowies,
James, Townhead/ Conn, James, Avenue st/
Dunlop, John, Avenue st/
CARPET
MANUFACTURERS
Deans,
John, Thomas & Co. Scoto, Turkey & Persian carpet & rug, & three
ply
superfine & fine carpet
manufacturers ,
Holm
Muir, Dunlop and Black, Nether Robertland mill
CATTLE
DEALERS
Dunlop,
Gabriel, Rigg st/ Dunlop, Gabriel and John, Vennel st
CHEESE &
MEAL DEALERS
Cochrane,
John, Dunlop/ Cochrane, Robert, Chapel house/ Cochrane, Thomas,
Mains/ Malcolm, James, Dunlop/ Maxwell, Frame, Dunlop/ Nairn,
Robert,
Dunlop/ Nairn, William, Dunlop/ Peacock, Andrew, Dunlop/ Reed,
Robert,
FIRE &
LIFE OFFICE AGENT
Insurance
Co of Scotland (fire) & Standard (life), James A Snodgrass,
High st
FLESHERS
Kerr,
John, High st/ Kerr, William, Cross/ Mackie, Peter, High
st/
GROCERS
(marked thus * are also spirit dealers)
*
Anderson, William, High st/ Barr, Andrew, Avenue st/ * Blair,
James, High st/
* Blair, Joseph, Townhead/ * Dalgleish, John, Avenue st/ Dunlop,
Robert,
High st/ * Ferguson, James, High st/ Ferguson, John,
High st/ * Grubb,
Thomas, High st/ * Jackson, David, High st/ King, Alexander,
High st/ Logan,
John,
High st/ Nairn, James, High st/ Stirling, James, Cross/ *
Wallace,
Francis, High st
INNKEEPERS
& VINTERS
Anderson,
William, High st/ Angus, Malcolm, Leighmoor/ Barbour, John, High
IRONMONGERS
Miller,
Hugh, (and nail maker, and printer & stationer), High st
LINEN AND
WOOLLEN DRAPERS
Armstrong,
Jane, High st/ Gavin, Hugh, High st/ McHardie, Joseph,
High st
MILLERS
Anderson,
James, Aiket mill/ Eaglesham, William, Lainshaw mill/ Kerr,
Robert, Old mill/ Orr, William, Crosshill mill/ Wyllie,
John, New mill
MILLINERS
& DRESS MAKERS
Dalrymple,
Mary, High st/ Picken, Martha, High st/ Richmond, Janet &
Sister,
high st/ Snodgrass, Margaret, High st/ Wallace, Margaret &
Sister, High st/
Wilson, Mary & Sister, Avenue st
SHOPKEEPERS
& DEALERS IN SUNDRIES
Anderson,
John, Dunlop/ Greig, Margaret, Dunlop/ Morns, John, Dunlop
SLATERS
Kirkland,
James, High st/ Stevenson, John & Son, High st
SPINDLE
MANUFACTURERS
Skeoch,
Charles & Son, Avenue st
STONE MASONS
Anderson,
William, High st/ Brown & Steel, Dunlop/ Brown, Matthew,
High st/
SURGEONS
& DRUGGISTS
Caskie,
John, High st/ Ferguson, Alexander,
Langmoor/ Fer
guson, Alexander, Avenue st/
Newman, William, Avenue st/ Renfrew,
William, Langmoor/ Skeoch,
Charles R.N. Avenue st/ Wyllie, Andrew, Townhead
TAILORS
Aird,
John, Dunlop/ Allan, John, High st/ Borland, James, High st/
McRaith,
Stewart, Andrew, Dunlop
WATCH
& CLOCK MAKERS
Cameron,
James, Rigg st/ Wilson, Thomas, High st
WOOLLEN
SPINNERS
Bowes,
James, Crosshill mill/ Harper, Margaret, Scrogle mill/ Muir,
Dunlop &
Black, Nether Robertland mill/ Somerville, William,
Hapland mill
WRIGHTS
(See
carpenters, Joiners &c)
WRITERS
Miller,
Robert (and Notary Public & justice of peace clerk), Clerk
hill
Snodgrass,
James Anderson (and Notary Public and proctor in the Ayr court),
High
st
MISCELLANEOUS
Aitken,
James, cooper, Vennel st/ Faulds, Andrew, factor to
Lainshaw/ Gas
Works, Holm -
James Stirling, manager; John Caskie, treasurer;
Andrew
Dunlop, clerk/ Gordon, William, tinsmith, Avenue st/
Kerr, James, damask
manufer, Avenue st/ Kerr, Robert, saddler, High st/ McKie,
Thomas, dyer,
Darlington/ Patrick, William, auctioneer, Kirkford/ Skoech, (J?),
clock-work
forger, High st/ Smith, Robert, wheel maker, High st/ Templeton,
Robert,
flax dresser, Aiket mill/ Thomson, Wm, skinner &c,
Robertland/ Watt, Alexr.,
horse dealer, Peacock bank/ Wilson, John, umbrella maker, High
st/ Wilson,
Thomas, painter, oil and colour man, and druggist, High st
PLACES OF
WORSHIP
Established
Church, Rev Chas B Steven
United
Secession Church, Rev Peter Cairns
Original
Burgher, Rev James Clelland
Independent
Congregational
COACHES
To
Glasgow - the "Union" (from Irvine), calls at the
Buck's Head, Stewarton,
every
morning at eight; goes through Barrhead and Pollockshaws
To
Irvine - the "Union" (from Glasgow), calls at the
Buck's Head, Stewarton,
every
evening at seven.
CARRIERS
To
Glasgow - George Russell & George Smith every Tuesday and
Friday
To
Kilmarnock - Alexander Picken, daily, and George Russell and
George Smith
every
Tuesday and Friday
To
Paisley - Alexander Russell, every Monday and Thursday
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