Harvieston

[Dannemois]

Hi John
Gosh this topic is growing since I added by initial bit on the trades in Harvieston.  I would be interested in anything related to the estate so if you do not mind sharing your details then I for one would be very interested in reading informtion about Harvieston.  It all helps to paint a picture of our ancestors time.

Best Regards
Roy   

[middlebank]

Roy.

I have no specific information regarding Harviston as in the House.

I have a feeling that all the people listed in the "Trades in Harvieston", did not actually live and work in the house.

It is very probable that there were a few cottages close by, where people such as perhaps "Walter Stoddart Weaver 1785" lived.
He was I believe employed at Catcune Mill quite close to the house.

The record keeping of the times lumped them all together under "Harvieston"

Certainly Peter Chisholm,  James Bell, Alexander Smith, William Smith and John Smith and others may well have lived in the "Big House".

I have other Stoddart relations from that area, some of whom were born in "Gardners Cottage" (from Scotlandspeople) in a location near Lasswade.

No doubt adjacent to a different "Big House"
What do you think?
John Stoddart

[Dannemois]

John
Sorry I am not able to help further but if you scroll back to the begin of this topic, somewhere you will find reference to estate books and letters of the 'Granstoun brothers' onetime farmers and owners of Harvieston which are held at the national records office. 

I made enquiries about copies but unfortunately the cost is way out of my reach [£100] so I will have to wait until I can visit Scotland to view the documents.   There may be details which could help knock down a few brick walls.

In the meantime there must be others out there whose ancestors had a connection with Harvieston in one form or another and wouldn't it be great if they would share their knowledge and details which could help us all build a picture of the times our ancestors worked there.

Regards, Roy

[Vickiduncan78]

Roy, can you email me? re: Alasdair Anderson

Thanks x

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[queenbee69]

Hello everyone,

Im a newbie to this site and came across the Harvieston House enquiries.

I thought everyone involved with this search would be interested in knowing that Harvieston House is up for sale, sign went up today.

queenbee69

[Dannemois]

It saddens me to know the home where my ancestors worked is going to be, I suspect, another housing estate.  What a shame the house couldn’t have been brought back to former glory and made into a local museum or some other venue for the community.   With the ancient Borthwick Castle close by, Temple Village and its ancient church, Aniston House, Vogrie House and others, the area has witnessed much in Scotland’s history.

I am so glad I visited the estate many years ago and although the house itself was in a run-down state then, it was so easy to conjure up images of workers in the fields as I drove along the tree lined roadway leading up to the house.

Regards, Roy 

[KiwiMartin]

I lived in Harvieston House from 1956 to 1960. At that time it was owned by the Catholic Church and was a retreat centre. My parents were the caretakers.
One major change made to the house while I was there was that in the main hall, there used to be an elevated platform at the end oppposite the front door with curving stairs on either side. The right hand stair was removed and the area was closed off to form a room.
When we first went there, the house was heated by steam radiators fed from a basement boiler which ran on coke. It was all hands to the shovels when coke came (4 ton at a time). Later the boiler was changed to oil fired.
The farm at the time was run by the Quigleys.
Just across the stream there was a pile of old stones, and we always understood that that had been Catcune Castle.
There is a stone spiral staircase near the kitchen with windows and mirrors so that from the kitchen, you could tell if the light was on in the "bad boys room" - my bedroom at the time. The house was previously an orphanage, and boys who mis-behaved were put into that room (Above the front door). The light switch was outside of the room, and there were bars on the window.
Writing this brings back memories of lots of great times, I was aged 6 when we went there.
No doubt more will come to me later, but I will leave my post at that.

[Dannemois]

Hello KiwiMartin
First off let me say welcome to the topic that is 'Harvieston' and a big thank you for contributing with your memories.  I have a great personal interest in the estate with generations of my ancestors employed there as servants to the Cranstouns of Harvieston.  From a selfish point of view I sincerely hope you will come back with more memories; it all helps to put flesh on the bones.  I wonder if you have any photographs to share also?, it would be great to see what the inside of the house looked like.

Best Regards
Roy [Dannemois]

[Dannemois]

You mentioned the farm?, where is the farm in relation to the house and has the farm a name?