Bowhouse, East Muirshiel, Caddell, HolmbyreHighLynn, Giffordland Mill, Skellyhil

[A Whiteford]

I'm interested in farms and farming families in Ayrshire if anybody is able to provide further information.

Thomas Wyl(l)ie and Jean Morton.  Banns in April 1806 at Craigie by Kilmarnock (Jean's parish) and Kilmaurs (Thomas).

Their children were James bn Dec 1806 and christened at Craigie, George bn Dec 1808 Bowhouse farm, Mary bn Symington 1811, Margaret bn 1813 Dunlop, Thomas bn 1817 Dunlop,  David bn June 1819 Stewarton and Jean bn 1821 Stewarton.  They farmed around Stewarton, and for several years prior to Thomas’ death in 1844 at Caddell farm in Ardrossan. There is an East Muirshiel farm at Dunlop which is where two of the children were born.

On the 1841 Census Thomas, George, and Jean are at Caddell farm together with a Jane Wyllie who is the same age as Jean.  Holmbyre farm which adjoins Caddell also had Wyllies there. I'm not sure that they were related but would love to find out.

Jean married James Whiteford in Campbeltown in 1849 and they emigrated to Melbourne, Victoria with George and his wife, Mary Leggart, following soon after.

John married Rachel Taylor and they emigrated to the US, farming in Wisconsin.

Margaret married Robert Kerr and they remained in Ayrshire, with family farming at High Lynn (Kerrs there on the 1891-92 Valuation Rolls), and Giffordland mill also Dalry and Cranberrymoss (sometimes Cranberry Moss), Kilwinning.

Mary married John Dick and John Wylie may have married Elizabeth Sawyers.

Skellyhill farm may have been associated with Jean Morton's family.  An article on James and Jean's golden wedding anniversary in Melbourne mentions Skylahill which may be Skellyhill farm.

I would be really pleased to hear back from anyone who knows of these families or the farms they worked.
Anne

[Ian Nelson]

Here's a link to a map of North Ayrshire.  The farms of Caddell and Giffordland are close by each other halfway between Ardrossan and Dalry.  If you have found reference to them in records as being Ardrossan that'll be ' in the Parish of Ardrossan ' but not in sight of the town '.  Road access to Caddell is from the Saltcoats to Dalry road.  There are threads on Rootschat relating to neighbouring farms of Ittington, (Meikle and Little.)   My wife's ancestors are Ayrshire farming families named Hair.   I'm sure there was much intermarriage of the farming families.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/91578744

[Forfarian]

Another thread on the same people
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=837296.0

[pharmaT]

Here's a link to a map of North Ayrshire.  The farms of Caddell and Giffordland are close by each other halfway between Ardrossan and Dalry.  If you have found reference to them in records as being Ardrossan that'll be ' in the Parish of Ardrossan ' but not in sight of the town '.  Road access to Caddell is from the Saltcoats to Dalry road.  There are threads on Rootschat relating to neighbouring farms of Ittington, (Meikle and Little.)   My wife's ancestors are Ayrshire farming families named Hair.   I'm sure there was much intermarriage of the farming families.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/91578744

You have no idea how much of a small world moment your post has just given me.  Just last week I was chatting to one of the Hairs (hadn't seen any of the family for a while) and we were talking about all the farms and where people were now, discussing Young Farmer days. There is still a lot of marriage within farming families as they were laughing at me (in a friendly way) having married someone from so far away.

Caddell and Holmbyre farms are still very much in operation.  I remember High Lynn from when I was a child (when we can go visiting again, I'll see if I have any photos of my friends and me there). Sadly it has since been demolished, new houses built and the rest of the land sold off to other farms. Cranberry Moss farm buildings are still there but they're now a community centre in the middle of a housing estate.

One of 7x Grt Uncles married a Wylie in Stewarton in the 1770s  so wonder it a connection.  I also have ancestors from Craigie. 

[Ian Nelson]

The Hairs of Barskimming Mill, Mauchline ( sadly now demolished) and their cousins from Muirkirk and Saltcoats are the closest relatives to my wife.