Ayrshire and Arran

The county ~ Ayrshire

Ayrshire was the largest county in Southern Scotland, the county town being Ayr. The main industries in the 19th Century were agriculture, coal mining and textiles. Robert Burns was born in Alloway, now a suburb of Ayr, and spent most of his short life in the County. Kilmarnock is the largest town in Ayrshire, which is now divided adminstratively into North, South and East Ayrshire.

Clan and Family Heartlands

You can get a feel for the lives your ancestors lived by visiting the area they came from. These are areas where, for centuries, families lived together in a tightly-knit community. In the Highlands they are linked to clan heartlands, whereas, in the rest of Scotland the names are often those of the local landed families. Although it is unlikely that family historians can link their ancestry to clan chiefs or family dynasties, it can still be a moving experience to tour the clan and family heartlands.

Here is a selection of the most common names in this area.

Hunter: Whose traditional home is Hunterston Castle.

Cunningham

Montgomery

Stewart

Parishes

The Parish Church can unlock many secrets for ancestral researchers. Not only was it the place where children were baptised, proclamations of marriage announced and the dead buried, it was also the centre of most social activity within the Parish. There is, however, no such thing as a definitive list of parishes. Over the decades they have merged, divided, been renamed and had changes made to their spelling. The following list is based largely on the situation at the time of publication of the New Statistical Account (1834-1845).

Ardrossan,                     
Auchinleck,                          
Ayr,                              
Ballantrae,
Barr,                              
Beith,                                 
Colmonell,                     
Coylton,
Craigie,                         
Dailly,                                 
Dalmellington,                
Dalry,
Dalrymple,                     
Dreghorn,                           
Dundonald,                    
Dunlop,
Fenwick,                        
Galston,                              
Girvan,                         
Irvine,        
Kilbirnie,                        
Kilmarnock,                         
Kilmaurs,                       
Kilwinning,
Kirkmichael,                   
Kirkoswald,                          
Largs,                           
Loudoun,
Mauchline,                     
Maybole,                             
Monkton and Prestwick,   
Muirkirk,
New Cumnock,              
Newton-Upon-Ayr,                
Ochiltree,                      
Old Cumnock,
Riccarton,                     
Sorn,                                   
St Quivox,                     
Stair,
Stevenston,                  
Stewarton,                          
Straiton,                        
Symington,
Tarbolton 

* subsequently divided into seperate parishes, ( ) denotes alternative name or spelling

Detailed information on life and work within each of these parishes can be found in the Old (1791-99) and the New (1834-45) Statistical Account of Scotland. These are freely accessible on http://edina.ed.ac.uk/statacc. Part of their charm is the individual views of the minister, which can include some fascinating accounts of a parish's history, topography, employment, landowners, communications, agriculture and even the morality of the parishioners

Local Studies Libraries

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the libraries in your chosen area:

North Ayrshire

North Ayrshire Libraries
The Vennel Local and Family History Centre
10 Glasgow Vennel
Irvine
Ayrshire
KA12 0BD
Tel: +44 1294 275059
E-mail: localhistory@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

Open: Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri, 09:30 - 13:00 & 14:00 - 17:00 & Sat 10:00 - 13:00 & 14:00 - 17:00.

Newpapers include the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald and the Irvine Herald.

East Ayrshire

The Baird Institute History Centre & Museum
3 Lugar Street
Cumnock
Ayrshire
KA18 1AD
Tel: +44 1290 421701
Fax: +44 1290 421701
E-mail: baird.institute@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/comser/arts_museums/joint_baird_page.asp 

Open: Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri, 10:00 - 13:00 & 13:30 - 16:30.

Newspapers include Ayr Advertiser (1834-1971) and Cumnock Chronicle (1901 to date).

Dick Institute
Elmbank Avenue
Kilmarnock
KA1 3BU
Tel: +44 1563 554310 or 554326
Fax: +44 1563 554311
E-mail: libraries@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/comser/arts_museums/joint_di_page.asp

Open: Mon-Tue & Thur-Fri, 09:00 - 20:00, Wed 10:00 - 17:00 & Sat 09:00 - 17:00.

South Ayrshire

Scottish and Local History Library
Carnegie Library
12 Main street
Ayr
KA8 8ED
Tel: +44 1292 286385
Fax: +44 1292 611593
E-mail: carnegie@lib.south-ayrshire.gov.uk
www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/libraries

Open: Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri, 09:00 - 19:30, Wed & Sat 09:00 - 17:00.

Newspapers include Carrick Herald (1920 to date). There is a card index to the Ayrshire Post (1920-1940s).

Local Archives Centres

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the archive offices in your chosen area:

Ayrshire Archives HQ
Watson Peat Building
Auchincruive
AYR
KA6 5HW

Telephone 01292 521819
email: archives@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
website: www.ayrshirearchives.org.uk
 
Open: Tuesdays 09:30 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 16:00 by appointment only

The archive comprises local government records for the whole of Ayrshire and Poor Law records for many parishes.

East Ayrshire

Burns Monument Centre
Kay Park
Kilmarnock
KA3 7RU

Telephone: +44 (0)1563 576695
email: info@burnsmonumentcentre.com

Open: Mon-Thu  09:15 - 16:45, Friday 09:15 - 15:45 and Saturday 10:00 - 16:00

Additional material includes poor relief applications, lease books and trade union contribution books.

North Ayrshire

Vennel Local and Family History Centre
10 Glasgow Vennel
Irvine
KA12 0BD
Telephone: +44 (0)1294 275059
email: localhistory@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
website: www.ers.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/localandfamily.cfm

Open: Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri, 09:30 - 17:00, Sat 10:00 - 13:00 & 14:00 - 17:00.
Records of Royal Burgh of Irvine, Millport, plus Poor Committee of Irvine minute books and local coal mining records.

Museum and Heritage Centres

Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no surprise that Scotland is home to a remarkable collection of museums and heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned collections in Edinburgh's Royal Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres that specialise in the history of local communities. The following museums are all in your chosen area. A visit to any one of them may well shed new light on the lives led by your ancestors.

North Ayrshire

North Ayrshire Museum
Manse Street
Saltcoats
KA21 5AA
Tel/Fax: +44 1294 464174
E-mail: namuseum@globalnet.co.uk
www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/museums

Open: Mon-Tues, Thurs-Sat 1000-1300, 1400-1700

Largs Museum
Kirkgate House
Manse Court
Largs
KA30 8AW
Tel: +44 1475 687081

Open: June-early September, or by arrangement.

A pictorial record of old Largs in this museum. Operated by Largs and District Historical Society.

Scottish Maritime Museum
Laird Forge
Gottries Road
Irvine
KA12 8QE
Tel: +44 1294 278283
Fax: +44 1294 313 211
E-mail: smm@tildesley.fsbusiness.co.uk
www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org

Open: Daily 10:00 - 17:00.

The museum occupies much of Irvine's harbourside and includes a Clyde puffer, a tug and a fishing boat. A typical 1914 tenement shipworker's flat may also be visited.

Dalgarven Mill and Country Life Museum
Dalgarven Mill
Dalry Road
Nr. Kilwinning
KA13 6PN
Tel: +44 1294 552448
E-mail: admin@dalgarvenmill.org.uk
www.dalgarvenmill.org.uk

Open: Easter-October, Tue-Sun, 10:00 - 17:00,
November-Easter, Tue-Fri, 10:00 - 16:00 & Sat-Sun, 10:00 - 17:00.

Dalgarven Mill is a 17th Century restored water mill and houses the Ayrshire Museum of Country Life & Costume which hold an extensive collection of memorabilia and photographs relating to rural families of North Ayrshire. Also there is a large collection of vintage costume worn by local families over the last tow centuries.

East Ayrshire

Doon Valley Museum

Cathcartson
Dalmellington
Tel: +44 1292 550633
Fax: +44 1292 550937

Open: Mon-Fri, 10:00 - 13:00 & 13:30 - 16:30.

History of weaving in the Doon Valley.

Dunaskin Open Air Museum
Waterside
Dalmellington Road
Patna
KA6 7JF
Tel: +44 1292 531144
Fax: +44 1292 532314

Open: April-October, daily 10:00 - 17:00.

Best preserved Victorian ironworks and brickworks in the UK.

South Ayrshire

McKechnie Institute
40a Dalrymple Street
Girvan
KA26 9AE
Tel: +44 1465 713643

Open: Tue, Thurs-Fri 1300-1600; Wed 1330-1630; Sat 1030-1600

Local history museum.

Family History Society

Local societies are run by volunteers who meet together periodically. Most maintain an index of members' interests - and this could well lead to the discovery of a long lost cousin or two. If there are any such societies in your chosen area, they will be listed below.

Largs and North Ayrshire Family History Society
The Secretary
Largs & North Ayrshire F.H.S.
c/o Largs Library
26 Allanpark Street
Largs
Ayrshire
Scotland
KA30 9AG
E-mail: webmaster@largsnafhs.org.uk
www.largsnafhs.org.uk

A family registry is maintained listing surnames and those researching them.

Alloway and Southern Ayrshire Family History Society
c/o Alloway Public Library
Doonholm Road
Alloway
Ayr
KA7 4QQ
www.maybole.org/history/resources/asafhs.htm

East Ayrshire Family History Society
Hon. Secretary
c/o Dick Institute
Elmbank Avenue
Kilmarnock
KA1 3BU
E-mail: sec@eastayrshirefhs.org.uk
www.eastayrshirefhs.org.uk

Troon and District Family History Society
Hon. Secretary
c/o MERC
Troon Library
South Beach
Troon
KA10 6EF
E-mail: info@troonayrshirefhs.org.uk
www.troonayrshirefhs.org.uk

Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Society
Unit 5, 22 Mansfield Street
Glasgow
G11 5QP
Tel: +44 141 339 8303
www.gwsfhs.org.uk

Open: Tue 14:00 - 16:30, Thu 10:00 - 21:30 & Sat 14:00 - 16:30.

A members' surname index database is maintained. Various indexing projects in progress.

Irvine Historical Society
info@irvineayrshire.org
www.irvineayrshire.org

It may seem a little odd, but a visit to the burial ground of an ancestor can make you feel more closely connected to them.  However, tracking down the specific plot, or lair as they were referred to in Scotland, depends on the period of time when the deaths occurred.

Up to the mid-19th century it was the normal practice for people to be interred in the Parish Kirk burial ground - although this was only rarely marked with anything as grand as a headstone. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) is currently co-ordinating a major project to develop a National Burial Index, relating to pre-1855 records.  This will eventually be available on CD ROM.  Although this will help to confirm that burials took place in parish burial grounds, it will not, unfortunately, indicate the location of the lair.

If your ancestor was wealthy enough, their grave may have been marked by an inscribed headstone.  Over the years, family history societies and other volunteer groups have painstakingly transcribed and indexed such inscriptions - and these are nearly always held in the relevant local history libraries or family history research centres.

By the mid-19th Century, many parish burial grounds had become seriously overcrowded, especially those in urban areas, and this led to the creation of both private and municipal cemeteries.  If you know the place and date of death, you should be able to discover the location of a lair, although not all cemeteries and records have survived.

The concept of cremation started to gain popularity in the late 1940s and has increased ever since. Ashes may be taken away by the family, scattered in the garden of remembrance or buried either in the crematorium or in a family plot.

North Ayrshire

Cemeteries Office
Cleansing, Grounds Maintenance and Transport Services
43 Ardrossan Road
Saltcoats
KA21 5BS
Tel: +44 1294 605 436
Fax: +44 1294 606 416
Email: CemeteriesOffice@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

Enquiries relating to the location of lairs, and requests of copies or transcriptions of extracts, are dealt with without charge. It is not essential to provide specific dates although this helps to ensure a prompter service.

South Ayrshire

Cemeteries and Crematorium Service
South Ayrshire Council
Masonhill Crematorium
By Ayr
KA6 6EN
Tel: +44 1292 266 051
Fax: +44 1292 610 096
Email: Margaret.johnston@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

East Ayrshire

Burial Adminstration
East Ayrshire Council
Western Road
Kilmarnock
KA3 1LL
Tel: +44 1563 555 292/3
Fax: +44 1563 554 777
Email: burialadmin@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

The county ~ Buteshire

The county of Bute comprised the Isle of Bute together with Arran and some other small islands. The isle is separated from the mainland by the Kyles of Bute. In the early part of the 20th Century it became a popular holiday resort for the people of Glasgow who flocked to the main town of Rothesay in the summer using the regular ferry services from Wemyss Bay on the Clyde coast. It is now part of Argyll & Bute Council, except for Cumbraes, Kilbride and Kilmory which fall within North Ayrshire.

Clan and Family Heartlands

You can get a feel for the lives your ancestors lived by visiting the area they came from. These are areas where, for centuries, families lived together in a tightly-knit community. In the Highlands they are linked to clan heartlands, whereas, in the rest of Scotland the names are often those of the local landed families. Although it is unlikely that family historians can link their ancestry to clan chiefs or family dynasties, it can still be a moving experience to tour the clan and family heartlands.

Here is a selection of the most common names in this area.

Boyd

Parishes

The Parish Church can unlock many secrets for ancestral researchers. Not only was it the place where children were baptised, proclamations of marriage announced and the dead buried, it was also the centre of most social activity within the Parish. There is, however, no such thing as a definitive list of parishes. Over the decades they have merged, divided, been renamed and had changes made to their spelling. The following list is based largely on the situation at the time of publication of the New Statistical Account (1834-1845).

Cumbray(Cumbraes),   
Kilbride,     
Kilmorie(Kilmory),  
Kingarth,
Rothesay,
North Bute

* subsequently divided into seperate parishes, ( ) denotes alternative name or spelling

Detailed information on life and work within each of these parishes can be found in the Old (1791-99) and the New (1834-45) Statistical Account of Scotland. These are freely accessible on http://edina.ed.ac.uk/statacc. Part of their charm is the individual views of the minister, which can include some fascinating accounts of a parish's history, topography, employment, landowners, communications, agriculture and even the morality of the parishioners

Local Studies Libraries

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the libraries in your chosen area:

Argyll and Bute Library Service: Local Collection
Highland Avenue
Sandbank
Dunoon
PA23 8PB
Tel: +44 1369 703214
Fax: +44 1369 703214
E-mail: eleanorharris@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Open: Mon-Fri 09:00 - 17:00.

An occasional "Local History" magazine is published.

Local Archives Centres

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the archive offices in your chosen area:

Argyll and Bute Council Archives
Kilmory
Manse Brae
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8QU
Tel: +44 1546 604774
Fax: +44 1546 606897
www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/content/freedomofinformation/corporateservices/archives

Open: Tue-Fri, 10:00 - 13:00 & 14:00 - 16:30 (by arrangement only).

Museum and Heritage Centres

Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no surprise that Scotland is home to a remarkable collection of museums and heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned collections in Edinburgh's Royal Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres that specialise in the history of local communities. The following museums are all in your chosen area. A visit to any one of them may well shed new light on the lives led by your ancestors.

Bute Museum
Stuart Street
Rothesay
Isle of Bute
PA20 9JT
Tel: +44 1700 502248

Open: April-September, Mon-Sat 10:30 - 16:30 & Sun 14:30 - 16:30,
October-March, Tue-Sat, 14:30 - 16:30.

Includes exhibits on trades and professions and the social history of the island. Extensive collection of old Rothesay photographs.

Arran Heritage Museum
Rosaburn
Brodick
Isle of Arran
KA27 8DP
Tel: +44 1770 302636
E-mail: arranmuseum@btinternet.com

Open: Easter-October, daily 10:30 - 16:30.

Comprises an 18th century croft farm with smiddy, cottage house and stables. Some Arran archival material is also held.

Family History Society

Local societies are run by volunteers who meet together periodically. Most maintain an index of members' interests - and this could well lead to the discovery of a long lost cousin or two. If there are any such societies in your chosen area, they will be listed below.

Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Society
Unit 5, 22 Mansfield Street
Glasgow
G11 5QP
Tel: +44 141 339 8303
www.gwsfhs.org.uk

Open: Tue 14:00 - 16:30, Thu 10:00 - 21:30 & Sat 14:00 - 16:30.

A members' surname index database is maintained. Various indexing projects in progress.

It may seem a little odd, but a visit to the burial ground of an ancestor can make you feel more closely connected to them. However, tracking down the specific plot, or lair as they were referred to in Scotland, depends on the period of time when the deaths occurred.

Up to the mid-19th century it was the normal practice for people to be interred in the Parish Kirk burial ground - although this was only rarely marked with anything as grand as a headstone. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) is currently co-ordinating a major project to develop a National Burial Index, relating to pre-1855 records. This will eventually be available on CD ROM. Although this will help to confirm that burials took place in parish burial grounds, it will not, unfortunately, indicate the location of the lair.

If your ancestor was wealthy enough, their grave may have been marked by an inscribed headstone. Over the years, family history societies and other volunteer groups have painstakingly transcribed and indexed such inscriptions - and these are nearly always held in the relevant local history libraries or family history research centres.

By the mid-19th Century, many parish burial grounds had become seriously overcrowded, especially those in urban areas, and this led to the creation of both private and municipal cemeteries. If you know the place and date of death, you should be able to discover the location of a lair, although not all cemeteries and records have survived.

The concept of cremation started to gain popularity in the late 1940s and has increased ever since. Ashes may be taken away by the family, scattered in the garden of remembrance or buried either in the crematorium or in a family plot.

Bute
Operation Services
Argyll & Bute Council
Kilmory
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8RT
Tel: +44 1546 604 113
Fax: +44 1546 604 643
Email: alison.mcilroy@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Requests for searches of the cemetery register and for extracts are required to be made by form. The standard fee is £11.33, to be paid in advance, for work up to half an hour. Subsequent research is payable at the same rate.

Arran and Cumbrae
Cemeteries Office
Cleansing, Grounds Maintenance and Transport Services
43 Ardrossan Road
Saltcoats
KA21 5BS
Tel: +44 1294 605 436
Fax: +44 1294 606 416
Email: CemeteriesOffice@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

Enquiries relating to the location of lairs, and requests of copies or transcriptions of extracts, are handled with without charge. It is not essential to provide specific dates although this helps to ensure a prompter service.