Jean, or perhaps someone else might be able to answer this one. There was/is a monument at the Saltcoats end of Stanley road in Ardrossan. From memory it had a fence around it - this was in the early 1950s. Wonder if it had anything to do with the Eglinton family?

Hugh McCallum
in Melbourne

From: "Jean" <sparralegs@xxxx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners@iList.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 1999

Hi Hugh,
Haven't been able to find the monument, I'll ask around. At the Saltcoats end of Stanley Rd there's a roundabout there now and a new road to Saltcoats which brings you out at Burns Ave and that road take's you to Dalry Rd.
Cheers Jean Boyce.

Hi Jean, It was across the road from the McCrindle household. Does that make sense?

Hugh McCallum

Hi Hugh,
Found what's left of the monument is lying flat on the ground, it's where you said but it can't be seen from the road, it's a children's play area surrounded by shrubbery. I'll try and find out for who and why it was erected.
Cheers Jean.

Thanks Jean,
Then there's nothing wrong with my long term memory! The reason I remembered was that the well-kent constable Shearer had occasion to admonished me there-abouts. The reason, for picking tatties from what was at that time part of Wullie Hogarth's farm. Who can resist new Ayrshire tatties?

Hugh McCallum

Hi Hugh,
The Ayrshire tatties have never been the same since they stopped using the wrack from the shore, pretty tasteless now.
Had a bit of luck at the museum today regarding the monument in Stanley Rd. I did the highland fling round the table " Who am I kidding" It's the burial place of the Weirs of Kirkhall and the first Parish Church of Ardrossan which was blown down by a hurricane in 1695, it was only the Weirs that were allowed to be buried there, the common people were buried in the castle hill. The inscription as follows:-

"This burial-place was erected by Hugh Weir of Kirkhall.-
Dorothia Hunter, his wife, died Sept.26th, 1787. aged 67 years.-Hugh Weir
died Jany.9th1800, aged 72 years.-Helen Ferry,wife of Robert Weir, died
April 20th 1814, aged 56 years.- Robert Weir died 31st July,1838, in the
81st year of his age."- Hugh Weir, died 26th April, 1898, aged 83 years.
I've also got the inscription of Edgar Alan Poe's family if anyone is
interested.
Cheers Jean Boyce Saltcoats.

Hi Jean,

Well done! So that's what the monument on Stanley Road was all about, The Weirs of Kirkhall! I'm unsure if this is right but I think there was a road leading off Stanley Road about where the monument is. It led to a lone house where on a Sunday you could buy flowers to take to the nearby Sorbie Road Cemetery. I think the lady was known as Cissie. wonder if that was the place known as Kirkhall?

Hugh McCallum

Hi Hugh,
That road you were talking about, was it on the same side as the monument ? and was it before or after the Stanley burn that run's down to the plantation and under South beach railway station?.
Cheers Jean.

Hello Jean,
The Road was perhaps some 20 yards or so on Saltcoats side of the Monument well before the brae to the Galloway or Stanley burn. The road I remember was more like a tree lined driveway to the premises.

Hugh McCallum

Hi Hugh,
Just rectifing a wrong piece of information that I got from the curate of the North Ayrshire museum regarding the first parish church of Ardrossan.
At the museum I read bit's of a book dealing with ecclesiastical issues. quote:-
The Church of Ardrossan which stood on the Castle Hill is referred to in an Agreement in 1226 between Walter, Bishop of Glasgow, on one part and John, Abbot of Kilwinning, on the other. Further on it read:-
A new church embodying material from the original one was built at Stanley Clachan, Kirkhall, in the year 1697. In 1744 it was taken down and rebuilt in Saltcoats, where it still stands at the head of Kirkgate. ( The North Ayrshire museum). The senior curate said that this information was correct.
Had a look through your page, it's well done Hugh I really liked the info;
on the Ayrshire surnames.
By the way the rest of the info on the Monument is gen.
Cheers Jean Boyce.

Hi Hugh,
Had a look at an oranance survey map today, and there was a road there, it led up to Kirkhall Farm, further along and on the other side of the Stanley burn another small road, it went to Whitelees Reservoir, that road is still there.
Cheers Jean.

From: "hewmac" <hewmac@xxxx.com.au>
To: "Threetowners" <threetowners@ilist.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 1999

Hi Jean,
Thanks for that information! Sounds like I got it right and the Cissie I
remember who sold the flowers was perhaps the last of the Weir family at
Kirkhall - can't recall others by that name in the town. Pity about the
monument being flattened. I found a similar thing with my Kelly relatives at
Stevenston.

Hugh McCallum
in Melbourne