Hi Tom
Many thanks for looking that up at New Register House - checking the original registers is always best, but it's not easy to visit Edinburgh from southern England. It's very good of you.
I'll put the location down as 'The Garage' - I can't help but think of the modern usage of the term, but maybe it was applied more generally to outbuildings? Or maybe it was an independent residence?
Many thanks
Richard.
Back again, Richard, having had a look at the Valuation Rolls for 1916-1917 for Avontoun, Linlithgow. They don't give us a
definitive answer but I think we can work out what was intended. These are the details - Avontoun, 1916-1917:
House, gardens & offices
Proprietor: Charles Coenelius Maconochie
Occupier: proprietor
House at stables
Prop: as above
Occ: empty
West Lodge
Prop: as above
Occ: Alexander C. Mackenzie, gardener
East Lodge
Prop: as above
Occ: James dawson, forester
Plantations
Pro: as above
Occ: proprietor
Grass Parks - part of
Prop: as above
Tenant: William & George Gray
Grass Parks
Prop: as above
Occ: proprietor
1917-1918 was exactly as 1916-1917. The changes for 1918-1919 were that the house at the stables was occupied by
Alexander C. Mackenzie, the gardener; the West Lodge was occupied by a new forester, Thomas Roby and the East Lodge
was empty.
I consulted the Local History experts - extremely knowledgeable people - at the Local History Library, and their opinion is that
"The Garage" was the "house at the stables" in the V.R. because it was the done thing in those early days of motoring just to
convert one of the stables to house the car.
I'm persuaded.
Just out of interest, I noticed that a William Aitken, farmer and coal merchant, owned property at Mains Road just up the road
from Avontoun. By 1818-1819 he is letting the property to a married lady Mary McLeod and he has more property at
Stockbridge, Linlithgow. The experts thought he might well be the well known Willie Aitken who later became very wealthy
owning much property in Linlithgow.
As for Christina's husband William he was one of the brothers renting Woodcockdale Farm just a short distance west of
Avontoun. Related to Willie Aitken?
If you take a trip to:
http://maps.live.com/and type EH49 6SQ in the location box. This will place a marker at Kettilstoun Mains and you can zoom in keeping the
marker in the centre. Close down the navigation panel on the left - the marker will disappear - and change to an aerial view.
You should now see the junction of the A706 with Mill Road, Mains Road (the A706) and Kettilstoun Mains. Zoom right in and
the remains of a road can be seen just west of the roundabout (under A706 if the labels are turned on) which is all that remains
of the carriage road at the East Lodge. Scrolling south-west down the A706 takes us to Brookfield Metals whose scrap-yard
sits on the site of Avontoun House. Scrolling further south-west brings us to what I believe to be what's left of the West Lodge
and Stables although only the building between the trees and the road. The buildings behind the trees are modern. Continuing
further along the A706 the road takes a sharp bend across the River Avon and there is situated Woodcockdale Farm. Just out
of interest the field between Brookfield Metals and the River Avon is the site of the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge in 1526 - pity
someone has now flooded it for some reason.
Just for comparison I've attached a JPEG showing a small detail from the 1915 OS map of the West Lodge/Stables.
Hope these help.
mr-aitch
