Boyds from Ardrossan

[Lynne]

Hi All,

My 5th g.grandmother, Ann Boyd, married William Finnie in Ardrossan in 1745. William was living in Kilmarnock at the time of his marriage to Ann. Prior to this, he had been married to Mary Wilson (daughter of James Wilson in Largs...I think he was a JP), who he married in Stevenston in 1726. Ann too, had been married before.

I've searched Scotland's People for Ann's first marriage, and the only likely suspect I can find is a 1743 marriage between Ann Boyd who lived in Mill of Ardrossan and Hugh Morris who lived in Saltcoats. I have no idea as to what or where "Mill of Ardrossan" was or is, nor indeed if Hugh was her first husband. I'd be very grateful to anybody out there who could give me any information re: the Boyds in Ardrossan at this time; whether or not Hugh Morris could have been my Ann's husband (even if not, elimination is a good thing too, in family research!!); and what or where, "Mill of Ardrossan" is or was? Thank you. Kind regards, Lynne (writing from a very tropical and wet Melbourne!!).

[Penny Tray]

Lynne,

"Mill of Ardrossan" is not an expression I ever recall having heard locally. Mere mention of a "mill" in the town would have us thinking of the Mill Farm on the Ardrossan/Dalry Road. This farm building also sits at the junction of the Ardrossan/West Kilbride back road. West Kilbride sits between Ardrossan and Largs.

[georgersweir]

Although it may not help much in locating the place, there is mention of Mill of Ardrossan in a 16th Century manuscript. Here is the quotation, taken from a report on historical manuscripts (of 1885):

Contract of Marriage (Extract Registered) between James Duke of Chatelherault, Earl of Arran, etc., and Jane Hamilton his lawful daughter on the one part, and Hew Earl of Eglintoun and Dame Marion Seaton Countess of Eglintoun (his mother), Robert Lord Semple, Richard Maitland of Lethington, and Hew Wallace of Carnell his curators, on the other part, to the effect that the Earl of Eglintoun should marry the said Jane Hamilton, & secure her in a life-rent right of the lands of East and West Mains of Ardrossan, with tower, fortalice and castle, a piece of land called the Crags, the Mill of Ardrossan ; the lands of Knokbrehauch ; the lands of Sorby ; the lands of Mekle and Little Busbie, the lands of Greithill; the lands of Salcottis, with the Eischeartoun and haven of the same, lying within the bailliary of Cuningham and Sheriffdom of Ayr. In return the Duke of Chatelherault, having full power from his daughter the Lady Ann Hamilton, donatrix in and to the said Earl's ward and nonentries of his lands of all years to run, after the Earl's age of 16 to his majority, freely dispones to the Earl, in name of tocher, his marriage, with all claim that the said Lady Ann might have against him for said marriage ; and also dispones to the Earl and Lady Jane the longer liver of the two and their heirs, the ward, nonentries of the lands and lordship of Ardrossan, etc., and also of the 40 merk land of Eglinton, etc. ; the Earl binding himself to warrant that the liferent lands shall be worth 500 merks yearly : with other provisions. Dated at Edinburgh 13th February 1554 : Witnesses, George Cornmendator of Dumfermline, William Commendator of Culross, Sir Robert Carnagy of Kinnaird, knight, and others.
Recorded 14th February 1554.

[Penny Tray]

George,

That is very interesting and Crags or Craigs, Sorby or Sorbie, Mekle or Meikle. and Busby or Busbie are all place names Ardrossanites recognise, particularly as farm lands.

I think we're going to struggle however, to find a Threetowners who was about in the 16th Century to explain THE MILL OF ARDROSSAN for us. I wonder where Little Plum is tonight .

[georgersweir]

I'm not sure that Little Plum goes back beyond 1850, but...

From 'Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical' (edited by Francis H. Groome and published between 1882 and 1885), there is the following snippet about Ardrossan parish:

Montfode and Stanley Burns descend to the shore to W and E of the town, and Caaf Water with its affluent the Munnock Burn traces most of the northern boundary; Knockdewart Loch (1¾ x ½ furlong), in the NW, is the only lake of the interior, Ashmore Loch (½ x ¼ mile) lying just within Stevenston. The surface has a general northward rise, attaining 208 feet near the ruins of Montfode or Montfort Castle (1¾ mile NW of the town), 287 near Sorbie, 464 on Knockrivock Mount, 351 on Moss Mulloch, 500 near Drumcastle Mill, 356 near Low Dykehead, 536 near Coalhill, and 794 on the cairn-crowned Knockdewart Hills.

Drumcastle Mill seems to have been located toward Dalry but was clearly within the Parish of Ardrossan. Could this have been the Mill of Ardrossan?

[little plum]

Had a check at an old map of Ayrshire and could only find what P.T. had already posted about Mill farm and the Rowanside burn running through the Mill Glen, where would the Mill Glen get it's name from.
Something else came to my attention on the map, and I thought that Boyd may have been Boydston at one time. Along the North Shore the beach was identified as Boydston Shore with buildings named Lower Boydston, at Glenfoot there's a building identified as " Ann's Lodge". The sudden rise of land in that area is labeled as the Boydston Braes, heading inland there was Boydston and on the West Kilbride Rd sat High Boydston. High Boydston is not that far away from Mill Farm, don't know if this will help with your research , if I'm sending you on a wild goose chase my apologies.

[georgersweir]

... I thought that Boyd may have been Boydston at one time. Along the North Shore the beach was identified as Boydston Shore with buildings named Lower Boydston...

LP, as you may know, the 'ston' added to Boyd to give Boydston indicates a farm or group of dwellings belonging to a family called Boyd:

-TON - suffix - village, settlement, farm (Old English, tun; Scots, ton, toun), as in Haddington - Hada's tribe's farm; Broughton - Brook (Broc, Old English) village; Gilmerton - Gilmour's farm; Gilcolmston - Gillecolm's farm

[sweet caroline]

1742 BOYD - John Boyd and Jean Caldwell in Ardrossan Miln had a lawfull son called John Born Aprill the 21st Baptized the 25th-
1744 Down as Millen
1746 Down as Millen
1748 Down as Miln
1749 Down as Miln

http://www.ayrshireroots.com/Genealogy/ ... 742-58.htm · Cached page

1691 Hearth Tax has a John Boyd in Montfode,Boydstone,Cadell.Barony of Ardrossan
Ardrossan 1841-920 People.Only those 2 marriages of an Ann Boyd that fits in the IGI.Be aware that marriage records for Ardrossan start 1728.IF Hugh Morris married in 1726 ,he would have been born c 1704 ,Ann 's marriage in 1743 to Hugh Morris as a first marriage makes her birth c 1720,or she missed the boat.Also would like to know where the running water was in Ardrossan to power a mill ?

[Lynne]

Thank you so much for all the information!! Even if I find myself eliminating some of the possibilities, that's a good thing, since it narrows down the field a little. ) I have often wondered if Ann was related to the Earls of Kilmarnock, because although William was a hammerman in a foundry when he married Ann, the family very quickly became notable industrialists in the Kilmarnock region, and with it, very wealthy. William & Ann's descendants married into the nobility and royalty.

The problem is, of course, that I might well be on a wild goose chase here, as I don't really know how egalitarian Scottish society was at that time. But given that it was around the time of the Jacobite Rebellion, perhaps social norms might have been thrown to the wind for a while? Still, it does make me wonder.

According to an obituary for one of the Archibald Finnies (from memory, c.1883), the Finnie family originally went to Kilmarnock from Constablewood (near Largs?) and there were members of the various branches of the family buried at Millport. So confused here!! )

I find the mention of the name "Meikle" to be interesting, because the other day I glanced fleetingly at a reference to some law report to do with a William Finnie and something to do with a person or place called Meikle. I think that it was to do with inheritances.

[Lynne]

Had a check at an old map of Ayrshire and could only find what P.T. had already posted about Mill farm and the Rowanside burn running through the Mill Glen, where would the Mill Glen get it's name from.
Something else came to my attention on the map, and I thought that Boyd may have been Boydston at one time. Along the North Shore the beach was identified as Boydston Shore with buildings named Lower Boydston, at Glenfoot there's a building identified as " Ann's Lodge". The sudden rise of land in that area is labeled as the Boydston Braes, heading inland there was Boydston and on the West Kilbride Rd sat High Boydston. High Boydston is not that far away from Mill Farm, don't know if this will help with your research , if I'm sending you on a wild goose chase my apologies.

Thank you!! This is fascinating, and wild goose chase or not, it's going to be interesting chasing it up. I'm a writer (of dusty history tomes, since I am devoid of imagination so can't write dialogue...no "Harry Potters" coming from me, alas!!) so enjoy the research part...even when bashing my head against my brickwalls...William & Ann.

[Lynne]

1742 BOYD - John Boyd and Jean Caldwell in Ardrossan Miln had a lawfull son called John Born Aprill the 21st Baptized the 25th-
1744 Down as Millen
1746 Down as Millen
1748 Down as Miln
1749 Down as Miln

http://www.ayrshireroots.com/Genealogy/ ... 742-58.htm · Cached page

1691 Hearth Tax has a John Boyd in Montfode,Boydstone,Cadell.Barony of Ardrossan
Ardrossan 1841-920 People.Only those 2 marriages of an Ann Boyd that fits in the IGI.Be aware that marriage records for Ardrossan start 1728.IF Hugh Morris married in 1726 ,he would have been born c 1704 ,Ann 's marriage in 1743 to Hugh Morris as a first marriage makes her birth c 1720,or she missed the boat.Also would like to know where the running water was in Ardrossan to power a mill ?

I think that there might have been a sawmill there somewhere at the time? Although please don't quote me on that...I've read so many references of late, chasing these elusive shades, that it's all becoming a bit of a blur. ) my great-grandfather being John, perhaps there might be a connection between she and the John Boyd in the Hearth Tax rolls? I haven't been able to prove it, but family legend (most of ours turn out to be urban myths!!) has it that Ann might have been born in the 1720s. Anyway, thank you for the extra ideas and information...it's all very helpful and greatly appreciated. Lynne.

[sweet caroline]

Lynne.There is a Meigle outside Largs on the way to Wemyss Bay.

Ellen