South Crescent - the promenade at Ardrossan - is graced by several large mansions of the early 1800's, built for the businessmen and merchants of that era. The house at No.8, was originally the home of Hugh Hogarth.

There is a story at the Hogarth site below that might interest locals. You can scroll down in the left panel on the opening page and click on 'Hungry Hogarths'. http://www.hogarth.org.uk/default.htm

Regarding the Hogarth farmers, From memory there was a William and a Walter Hogarth. One at the Mill Farm and the other probably at Sorbie farm. Might even have been one at Chapelhill farm too at one stage before Matt Stevenston. Can anyone correct or add to my assumptions.

Hugh McCallum

Hugh,
Willie Hogarth was Stanley Farm. His brother had the farm halfway up the big brae up the Cemetery Rd in Ardrossan, (Sorbie Farm). There was another one in Saltcoats. The Reaper (Matt Stevenson's) wasn't a Hogarth's neither was the Mill. Bob.

Thanks Bob,
I got the Stanley Farm and the Mill Farm mixed up. I should have thought along the lines of the Stanley Burn then I would have been on the right track. The Stanley farm was/is off Stanley Road. That's where the Eerie Tunnel is - Mark Twain's Huckelberry Finn springs to mind when I think of that long dark tunnel that seemed to go on forever. It was a must do thing for all us young chaps in the town to prove how brave we were to go through it.

The Mill Farm was the farm on the Ardrossan to Dalry Road at the West Kilbride turn-off. The view on that West Kilbride Road overlooking Ardrossan's North Shore and the Firth of Clyde is magnificent.

Hugh McCallum