Do you know where Girgenti is? Girgenti is a farm situated near the Torranyard on the Irvine side of Stewarton. The estate originally went by the name of Bonnyton prior to a Captain John Cheape, late of the Scots Fusilier Guards, purchasing the property in 1827. Captain Cheape demolished the buildings and erected a mansion house of his own which he called Girgenti. Girgenti was a sea-port in Sicily and as a serving soldier during the Napoleonic Wars would no doubt be familiar with the region. It was perhaps from some love of the country that he renamed the estate after the sea-port. Incidentally it has been known as Agrigento since 1927.

The Captain believed in reincarnation, or transmigration of the soul, and was so convinced that he would return in the form of a bird that he built a large tower, with a dovecote on top, next to his mansion. Built in 1843 it stands 80 feet tall, has four clock faces, a coat of arms and a motto - Didus Fructus (Let it spread its fruit abroad) - all on the outer surfaces. Captain Cheape was born in 1774, the son of James Cheape of Sauchrie, Stirlingshire, and died on 10th February, 1850. In his Will he had made provision for his sister, Marianne, to receive the income from his estate for the rest of her life and thereafter it was to be equally divided amongst the main hospitals of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Dumfries. Unfortunately his sister had died on October 23rd, 1849, and the estate was sold as arranged. The amount from the sale was £8,000 plus the money which he had amounting to £11,972 4/8d. Total realised £19,972 4/8d. A vast amount in those days.

His sister provides an interesting aside to Girgenti. She was married to Thomas, 11th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Their residence was Glamis Castle, where the Queen Mother spent a great deal of her childhood and where Princess Margaret was born. The estate was purchased by a Glasgow businessman for private use then sold, in 1900, to Glasgow Corporation as a reformatory for females. After less than 10 years assuch it was sold again and transformed into a privately owned training centre for homeless boys between the ages of 14 and 20. From there it was sold to The Scottish Labour Colony Association who continued its use as a training centre. In 1918 it changed hands again and this time it returned to farm use. The owner was now a Mr Muir who was the great-grandson of Mr Thomas Reid of Stacklawhill who had owned the estate in 1827. The farm was sold once again in 1932 to a Mr Sword who took considerable interest in the outbuildings. He had the tower restored and the clock repaired. The present owners, Mr and Mrs Smith, have owned and worked the farm since 1960.

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