Kingsford, East Ayrshire

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Kingsford
Kingsford, Annick Cottages.JPG
The Annick Cottages in Kingsford
East Ayrshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kingsford
Location within East Ayrshire
OS grid reference NS 44390 48175
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°42′07″N4°28′40″W / 55.701974°N 4.477776°W / 55.701974; -4.477776 Coordinates: 55°42′07″N4°28′40″W / 55.701974°N 4.477776°W / 55.701974; -4.477776

Kingsford is a hamlet or clachan in Strathannick, East Ayrshire, parish of Stewarton, Scotland. The habitation is situated on the B769, two miles north of Stewarton and fourteen miles from Glasgow.

Contents

History

The old school that was destroyed by fire. Kingsford School in the 1840s.JPG
The old school that was destroyed by fire.

The Annick Cottages, typical Ayrshire agricultural labourers accommodation, built circa 1967, are named after the nearby Annick Water. These more modern semi-detached buildings are located next to the old school that was designed by Thomas Leverton Donaldson (1795–1885), born at the nearby Williamshaw House and who later became professor of architecture at London University. [1] West Spittal Farm lies to the north and Broom Farm to the south. Robertland House lies nearby and once owned the farms of Broom, West and East Spittal.

Spittal refers to lands, the revenues of which supported a medieval hospital run by the church, or which may have been the site of such a hospital, however no local knowledge about this has been recorded. The older cottages at Kingsford bear the date 1837. [2] It is worth noting that a monastic Grange, probably belonging to Kilwinning Abbey existed at nearby Craignaught before the Reformation as suggested by the numerous placenames evidence, with Grangehill, Townhead of Grange, Mid Grange, South Grange, etc. A glebe field was also located here. [3] [4]

Kingsford School

The Kingsland Burn runs through the site. A small school existed here and has now been converted into a private dwelling. The previous school was destroyed by fire in the early 20th century. The architects Andrew and Newlands designed the changes to this circa 1875 school in 1904. The same company also worked on the harled and single storeyed school teacher's house. [5] The school gable has a set of quirky grotesques built into it of unknown age; they may represent the proverb "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".

King's Kitchen, Kingsford, Kingsland, King's Well and King's Stables

King's Well Inn site, Eaglesham Moor. King's Well, Eaglesham Moor, East Ayrshire.jpg
King's Well Inn site, Eaglesham Moor.

An old thatched cottage at the top end of Stewarton, on the B769 to Glasgow, had the name of "King's Kitchenhead", more recently called Braehead. The story is told of a King, possibly James V who whilst on his progress of administering justice was given hospitality, for some long forgotten reason, at this cottage. The wife of the house begged the King for the life of her husband who was one of those to be tried by the King. The others were hanged, but the King dismissed the husband with the admonition "to be a better bairn.". A version of the legend adds the detail that eighteen men were in the dungeon at Polkelly Castle and the king, being weary after crossing Fenwick Moor, was given hospitality at a wayside cottage. [6]

Kingsford, Kingsland Burn, King's well and King's Stable are said to have been on the route of the monarch. [7] King's well is linked to James V or James VI through the legend that he stopped to water his horse who then became firmly stuck in the bog, thus the ironic term King's Stable! [8]

This strange story may in some way link to James V's nickname of "King of the Commons" as it is said that he sometimes travelled around Scotland disguised as a common man, describing himself as the "Gudeman of Ballengeich." [7]

Cartographic evidence

In 1747 the clachan of Kingsford is indicated on Roy's map, on the West Spittal Farm side of the road. [9] Johnson's map of 1828 marks Kingsford as a building at Spittal Farm road end. [10]

Broom Farm is shown as having been a mill in 1858 with a dam on the Kingsland Burn, millpond and lade running to the mill. The school was present and two dwellings before the lane to Broom Mill. A row of houses, no longer extant, were located opposite the school. [11] By 1910 a teacher's house has been built next to the school and the row opposite has been demolished. [12]

Images

Micro-history

Surprisingly a summer house is shown in 1856, located in an enclosure to the east of the school. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

Stewarton The Bonnet Toun

Stewarton is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In comparison to the neighbouring towns of Kilmaurs, Fenwick, Dunlop and Lugton, it is a relatively large town, with a population estimated at over 7,400. It is 300 feet above sea level. The town is served by Stewarton railway station.

Chapeltoun is an estate on the banks of the Annick Water in East Ayrshire, Scotland. This is a rural area famous for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle.

Lambroughton Human settlement in Scotland

Lambroughton is a village in the old Barony of Kilmaurs, Scotland. This is a rural area famous for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle.

Cunninghamhead is a hamlet in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the centre of the lands of Cunninghamhead, Perceton and Annick Lodge in Cunninghame. This mainly rural area is noted for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire, Cunninghame or Dunlop breed of cattle.

Clan Cunningham Noble family

Clan Cunningham is a Scottish clan. The traditional origins of the clan are placed in the 12th century. However, the first contemporary record of the clan chiefs is in the thirteenth century. The chiefs of the Clan Cunningham supported Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Clan Cunningham feuded with the Clan Montgomery. Historically, the chief of Clan Cunningham held the title of Earl of Glencairn. However, in modern times the chief of the clan is Cunningham of Corsehill. On 18 December 2013, Sir John Christopher Foggo Montgomery Cunninghame, Baronet of Corsehill, was recognized by Lord Lyon as Clan Chief after the chiefship had been vacant for over 200 years.

Barony and Castle of Corsehill Barony in East Ayrshire, Scotland

The old Barony and castle of Corsehill lay within the feudal Baillerie of Cunninghame, near Stewarton, now East Ayrshire, Scotland.

Dunlop, East Ayrshire Human settlement in Scotland

Dunlop is a village and parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies on the A735, north-east of Stewarton, seven miles from Kilmarnock. The road runs on to Lugton and the B706 enters the village from Beith and Burnhouse.

River Irvine River in southwest Scotland

The River Irvine is a river that flows through southwest Scotland. Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of 810 feet (250 m) above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill, Drumclog, and 7 miles SW by W of Strathaven. It flows 29+12 mi (47.5 km) westward, dividing the old district of Cunninghame from that of Kyle, until it reaches the sea via Irvine Harbour in the form of the Firth of Clyde, and flows into Irvine Bay by the town of Irvine. It has many tributaries, some of which form parish, district and other boundaries.

Auchentiber Human settlement in Scotland

The hamlet of Auchentiber is in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. Auchentiber is four miles northeast of Kilwinning on the Lochlibo Road, 2+14 mi (3.5 km) from the hamlet of Burnhouse and 2+12 mi (4 km) from the village of Barrmill. Grid Ref. NS3647. Some new housing has been built, but the settlement is still very much a hamlet. The settlement is on the Lugton Water, which runs into the River Garnock after running through Montgreenan and Eglinton Country Park in Irvine.

The Barony of Peacockbank was in the old feudal Baillerie of Cunninghame, near Stewarton in what is now East Ayrshire, Scotland.

The Lands of Lochridge

The Lochridge estate was in the old feudal Baillerie of Cunninghame, near Stewarton in what is now East Ayrshire, Scotland.

Kennox House House in North Ayrshire, Scotland

Kennox House is situated on Kilwinning Road between Stewarton to Torranyard in North Ayrshire, Parish of Dunlop, Scotland. The house overlooks the Glazert Burn, which runs into the Annick Water at Watermeetings.

Castle and Barony of Robertland

The Castle and Barony of Robertland is located near Stewarton, off the B769 road, in the old district of Cunninghame, Parish of Stewarton, and now part of East Ayrshire, Scotland.

Lands of Lainshaw The Lands Of Lainshaw Have Been In Place For Many Years And Was Used In The War.

The Lands of Lainshaw lie in Strathannick and were part of the Lordship of Stewarton, in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Lainshaw House is a category B listed mansion, lying in a prominent position above the Annick Water and its holm in the Parish of Stewarton, Scotland. Part of the much older Lainshaw Castle is contained within the several later building phases of the present day Lainshaw House. The names 'Langshaw' or 'Langschaw' were used in historic times. Law Mount near the High and Laigh Castleton farms has been suggested as the site of the original castle, granted in the 12th century to Godfrey de Ross by Hugo de Morville.

Polkelly Castle

Polkelly Castle, also Pokelly, was an ancient castle located near Fenwick, at NS 4568 4524, in the medieval free Barony of Polkelly, lying north of Kilmarnock, Parish of Fenwick, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The castle is recorded as Powkelly (c1747), Pockelly (c1775), Pow-Kaillie, Ponekell, Polnekel, Pollockelly, Pollockellie, Pokellie, Pothelly, Pathelly Ha' and Polkelly. The name is given circa 1564 as Powkellie when it was held by the Cunninghams of Cunninghamhead.

Bloak Human settlement in Scotland

Bloak was a hamlet or clachan in East Ayrshire, Parish of Stewarton, Scotland. The habitation was situated between Auchentiber and Stewarton on the B778. It was originally built as a row of housing for crofters and farm workers. The small school remained open for some years after the hamlet ceased to exist. Robinson gives the Scots word "blout" as meaning "an eruption of fluid", or a place that is soft or wet.

Lands of Broomlands Human settlement in Scotland

The lands of Broomlands or Broumlands formed a small country estate about a mile to the east of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland situated on the east bank of the Annick Water in the Parishes of Dreghorn and Irvine.

Murder of Hugh Montgomerie

The Murder of Hugh Montgomerie, 4th Earl of Eglinton at the Annick Ford in Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland, took place in 1586 as a consequence of a long running feud between the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and the Cunninghames, Earls of Glencairn, families who were competing for power and influence locally and nationally. The significant repercussions of this act were felt throughout the county of Ayrshire and beyond. The spelling 'Montgomerie' is used throughout for both the family and Montgomery for the clan and clan and district names 'Cunninghame' in the same fashion.

Lands of Tour and Kirkland Human settlement in Scotland

The Lands of Tour and Kirkland (NS416406) formed a small estate close to the old Kirktoun and St Maurs-Glencairn collegiate church about 1 km south-east of Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, Parish of Kilmaurs, Scotland. The word 'Tour' in Scots refers to a 'tower' and 'kirk' to a parish church.

Lands of Blacklaw Human settlement in Scotland

The Lands of Blacklaw formed a small property of five merks worth, in the Lordship of Stewarton at the eastern extremity of Strathannick, between the hamlet of Kingsford in East Ayrshire and the East Renfrewshire boundary, Scotland. It was first recorded in 1484 in the Acta Auditorum. Black Law is a prominent whinstone crag lying above Blacklaw Hill Farm.

References

Notes
  1. Love, Page 100
  2. Google Maps Retrieved : 2012-07-22
  3. Downie (2009)
  4. Hall, Page 136
  5. Close (2012), Page 480
  6. Love (2009), Page 62
  7. 1 2 Dobie, Page 274
  8. Love, Page 104
  9. Roy's Map Retrieved : 2012-07-21
  10. Johnson
  11. 1858 OS Map Retrieved : 2012-07-21
  12. 1910 OS Map Retrieved : 2012-07-21
  13. OS Map Retrieved : 2012-07-21
Sources
  1. Close, Rob and Riches, Anne (2012). Ayrshire and Arran, The Buildings of Scotland. New Haven : Yale University Press. ISBN   978-0-300-14170-2.
  2. Crawford, William (1779). Plan of the Estate of Lainshaw.
  3. Dobie, James D. (ed Dobie, J.S.) (1876). Cunninghame, Topographized by Timothy Pont 1604–1608, with continuations and illustrative notices. Glasgow: John Tweed.
  4. Hall, Derek (2006). Scottish Monastic Landscapes. Stroud : Tempus Publishing. ISBN   0-7524-4012-8.
  5. Houston, John (1915). Auchentiber Moss, 14 August 1915. Annals of the Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers Society. 1913 - 1919.
  6. Johnson, William (1828). Map of Ayrshire from Estate Plans.
  7. Lainshaw, Register of Sasines.
  8. Love, Dane (2003). Ayrshire : Discovering a County. Ayr : Fort Publishing. ISBN   0-9544461-1-9.
  9. Love, Dane (2009). Legendary Ayrshire. Custom : Folklore : Tradition. Auchinleck : Carn. ISBN   978-0-9518128-6-0
  10. Paterson, James (1863–66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. V. - III - Cunninghame. J. Stillie. Edinburgh.
  11. Robinson, Mairi (2000). The Concise Scots Dictionary. Aberdeen. ISBN   1-902930-00-2.
  12. Smith, John (1895). Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire. Pub. Elliot Stock.
  13. Topographical Dictionary of Scotland (1846).