The Lands of Montgreenan

Montgreenan is an estate in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. The Lugton Water runs through the policies and farmland of Montgreenan. Nearby are the hamlets of Torranyard and Auchentiber.

The Lands of Montgreenan

Location map
Scotland
label = Montgreenan Castle/Bishop's Palace
position = Right
lat = 55.672667
long = -4.637361
mark =
caption = Location of the Lands of Montgreenan , Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
width = 150The first reference to Montgreenan is contained in the description of the ancient county of Cuninghame by Timothy PontPont, Timothy (1604). "Cuninghamia." Pub. Blaeu in 1654. P. 50] in the period 1604-1608. In it he describes 'Mongrynen Castle' as “…"ane old strong Dunijon veil and pleasantly planted ye inheritance of Cuninghame Laird thereof sone to the abott of Kilwinin quho wes brother to James Earle of Glencairne”". The 10 merk [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Local_History_Dictionary/ Local History Dictionary] ] land of Montgreenan was held in the 15th century by the Ross family, who had many lands in Ayrshire, such as those of Dunlop and its castle. The Ross's held their lands as vassals of the De Morvilles. Following the murder of James III of Scotland, Sir John Ross de Montgreenan lost all his lands, only to rapidly return to royal favour under the rule of James IV and regain the Manor or Barony of Montgreenan. The manor or barony is said to have passed to the Monastery of Kilwinning and then to Alexander Cunninghame and his wife Jean Blair in 1582 - 83 following the reformation, of which, Alexander had been a prominent supporter.Dobie, James D. (ed Dobie, J.S.) (1876). Cunninghame, Topographized by Timothy Pont 1604-1608, with continuations and illustrative notices. Pub. John Tweed, Glasgow. P. 333 - 338.] Lady Jean Cunninghame died in 1621, leaving the lands to her son William, and by 1632 Alexander Cunninghame, a grandson of Lady Jean was the owner, succeeded by his son Thomas in 1656. Thomas's son, of the same name, fought at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge and was sentenced to death for his actions. His life was spared, however his lands were forfeited and given to Lieutenant-General Douglas who sold it on to High Stevenson, clerk to the Privy Council. The estate remained with the Stevenson's until 1778, when they sold it to John Bowman of Ashinyards, who in turn sold it to Dr. Robert Glasgow. The doctor married a daughter, Rachel, of John Dunlop of that Ilk, but they had no offspring and died in 1827. The funeral was famous for the generosity shown to 616 poor people of the parish. Mrs. Rachel Glasgow was an authoress with great literary taste and she died at Pau, in the Pyrenees, on 19 July 1828. Robert Robertson of Prenderguest, a son-in-law, inherited the estate, changing his surname to 'Glasgow'. Robert Roberton Glasgow, his son, inherited in 1845 and in 1860 his son, Robert Bruce Robertson Glasgow inherited Montgreenan in his turn.Dobie, James D. (ed Dobie, J.S.) (1876). Cunninghame, Topographized by Timothy Pont 1604-1608, with continuations and illustrative notices. Pub. John Tweed, Glasgow. P. 333 - 338.]

The Castle or Bishop's Palace

The ruins of the old Montgreenan Castle or Bishop's Palace lie in a loop of the Lugton Water at the its confluence with the Cowlinn Burn. The name Dunach Brae for the strip of woodlands nearby, suggests that a hillfort or 'Dun'Warrack, Alexander (1982)."Chambers Scots Dictionary". Chambers. ISBN 0-550-11801-2.] may have been in the vicinity at a much earlier date. Alexander Cunninghame, the Commendator [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Local_History_Dictionary/ Local History Dictionary] ] of Kilwinning Abbey, was shot at his gate at Montgreenan by Sir Robert Montgomerie of Skelmorlie on August 1st 1586, as a direct result of the assassination of the Fourth Earl of Eglinton at Stewarton a few years before.

John SmithSmith, John (1895). "Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire". Pub. Elliot Stock, London.] in 1895 recorded that in "the Montgreenan Woods are the remains of a Bishop's Palace, sometimes called a castle, of which little appears to be known." Not far away is part of an ancient gateway, and just South of the house there are the remains of a mound which once contained an ice-house. All that remains at this site is a small piece of wall at the side of the stream, and a slight hollow, partly surrounded by a bank formed by the rubbish of the old walls. Mr R. Glasgow, the proprietor, stated in the 1856 Name Book of the ordnance Survey that the dwelling probably became disused in 1680, when the last Cunninghame of Montgreenan was forfeited. Much of its remains were removed about 1765 by the previous proprietor, Mr Stevenson, to build a house at Kilwinning. [cite web|url=http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/|title=The RCAHMS's Canmore Website|accessdate=2007-04-27]

A visit in 1956 recorded that in the thick vegetation were traces of buildings, enclosed by a wall on the West and South sides. The details were unclear, but the castle plan seemed to be that of a courtyard with internal buildings on all sides except perhaps the East, where there is a wall running along the edge of the Lugton Water. Such a building design with a central courtyard was called a 'Place' or 'Palace' due to its construction, not its size.McKean, Charles (2001). "The Scottish Chateau." Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-2323-7. P. 53.] All the walls were merely heaps of rubble, and the drystone "courtyard" wall seemed to be of later construction than the internal remains, acting as a revetment to the mass of rubble inside. This wall was 1.4m high. No clear evidence was encountered for this being a "Bishop's Palace".About 65.0m to the South was a mound, 1.5m high, which had been cut through by a track, and may be the ice-house referred to by Smith, although no stone-work exists. No trace of a gateway was found, although the possible entrance shown on OS plan may be the gateway referred to. [cite web|url=http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/|title=The RCAHMS's Canmore Website|accessdate=2007-04-27]

Montgreenan Castle or Bishop's Palace gallery 2007

The Mansion House and estate

Location map
Scotland
label = Montgreenan Mansion House
position = Right
lat = 55.665861
long = -4.635417
mark =
caption = Location of the Lands of Montgreenan, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
width = 150The present Georgian mansion with architectural features by Alexander 'Greek' Thompson [http://www.ayrshirescotland.com/mansions/montgreenan.html Alexander (Grek) Thompson] ] was built by Sir Robert Glasgow in 1817. Sir Robert, in common with other entrepreneurs from the Glasgow area, made his fortune through a shipping company based in St Vincent in the West Indies, undoubtedly trading between Britain, Africa and the sugar plantations of the West Indies. Montgreenan mansion house was a private dwelling until 1982, since when it has been a hotel. [http://www.montgreenanhotel.com/welcome_history.asp - Montgreenan Hotel] ] The building is Category A listed by Historic Scotland.

Alexander Craufurd of Fergushill inherited Fergushill from his father and it next passed by inheritance to the Kincaid family who alienated the lands to Neil Macvicar and his wife Elizabeth Montgomerie in 1728. The Macvicars retained the lands until 1802 when they were acquired by Robert Glasgow of Montgreenan.Paterson, James (1899) "History of the County of Ayr with a Genealogical account of the families of Ayrshire." Vol. 2. Pub. Thomas George Stevenson, Edinburgh. P. 504..

The estate had a curling pond, a fine stable block, offices, a mains farm and a walled garden. The buildings still survive as private dwellings (2008). Cavan Mill is likely to have been the barony mill to which the tenants were thirled; this building is now a ruin.

The Montgreenan milestones

Beside the driveways running to the Montgreenan mansion house from the Lodges are a number of red sandstone pillars, these are milestones. They look like gatepost-like and were 'rescued' after they became redundant or 'in the way' as a result of road widening works, etc. They have been brought from various places in Ayrshire. Sir James Bell of Montgreenan had a hobby of collecting milestones and other stones.Houston, John (1922), Montgreenan and Lylestone Quarry, 23/09/1922. Annals of the Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers Society. 1919 - 1930. P. 85.] Many Ayrshire milestones were buried during the Second World War as an invasion precaution. Two are near the West Lodge and three of these milestones are near the East Lodge at Montgreenan Mains.

The Montgreenan to Auchentiber carriageway

The 1858 OS map shows a carriage or driveway running from close to the surviving Auchentiber schoolhouse on the Lochlibo road, passed the old Murchland farm site (Murghland in 1747. Murchen is the Scots for a hare.) through the Montgreenan plantations, crossing the road near Cavan Mill and finally running on down to Montgreenan house. A track and later a road ran from Auchenharvie Castle across the Lochlibo toll road and up to Megswells (Meggs Walls in 1747), crossing the Lugton Water by stepping stones and later by a ford. This route ran under the aforementioned Montgreenan carriageway via a bridge which has an embankment leading up to it. The area near the old Mosside farm has been the site of several limestone quarries and limekilns in 1858 (OS), but by 1897 these had closed.

Mosside bridge is of a very high quality of workmanship and ornamentation. It has false windows, diamond / lozenge shaped embellishments, a thistle on the keystones and raised random patterns and other designs which represent leaves.

The Ness Papers state that the false windows were for the insertion of a coat of arms and that the old coach road ran across this bridge on its way to Cavan Mill and beyond.The James Ness papers. North Ayrshire Local and family history centre, Irvine. P. 53.]

Mosside bridge and carriageway gallery

Montgreenan railway station

The Glasgow and South Western Railway built a station at Montgreenan which opened on 1 February 1878 [Wham, Alastair (1997). "The Lost Railways of Ayrshire". G.C. Book Publishers Ltd, Wigtown. ISBN 1-872350-27-5.] , and closed permanently to passengers on 7 March 1955, [Butt, R. V. J. (1995). "The Directory of Railway Stations". Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.] . The station building is now a private residence. The house near the old entrance was the manse for Fergushill church at Benslie and was not built by the railway.

The Lady in the peat

Dr. DuguidService, John (Editor) (1887). The Life & Recollections of Doctor Duguid of Kilwinning. Pub. Young J. Pentland. Pps.81 - 83.] in around the 1840's records that near Clumbeith (Clonbeith) on the way to 'Meg'swa's' he met Pate Glunch cutting peats. Pate was normally a still, dour man, but on this occasion he was highly animated and took the doctor to see the long dead corpse of a 'bonnie lady' lying in a hole in the peat. She was around 18 to 20 years of age, had rosy cheeks, a sweet smile playing around her lips and blonde hair. Her identity was unknown, but a rumour linked her to the family of the Montgreenan estate.

Natural History

The Old Wood in particular has a high biodiversity, some of the species noted in 2007 beingWoodruff, Bird cherry, Primrose, Common violet, Oak, Stitchwort, Opposite-leaved Golden saxifrage, Bluebell, Greater Woodrush, Dog's mercury, Broad buckler fern, Lord and Ladies, Lady fern, Male shield fern, Easter ledges, Wood-rush, Wood-sedge, blackthorn, hawthorn, elm, alder, Wood anemone, Wood sorrel, Wood avens, Herb Robert, Red campion, and many liverworts. A number of badger setts are present.

Archaeology

John Smith in 1895 recorded that a pot of silver coins was found in the Chapel Park, on Montgreenan lands (NS 343 445). The existence of a pre-reformation chapel is not recorded other than this field name record.

The Montgreenan geocache

A geocache, 'A Bridge Lost in Time' is located in the Montgreenan area at co-ordinates - 'Register and look it up :-)' You will really need a GPS device to find it. A Geocache 'Grand Master' (who suffers with Suriphobia - a fear of mice!) dwells nearby at Auchentiber, so you will be in good company.

Micro history

The OS maps show that Benslie village was named 'Montgreenan' up until at least 1938, with the name Benslie given to the wood, the old farmhouse on the 'island' created by the three roads and the term Benslie Square. The postal address may have been the direct cause of the name change, preventing confusion with the Montgreenan estate.

Opposite Janburrow in Benslie is Burnbrae cottage, built as the Montgreenan Estate factor's house in 1846.

The ruin of Auchenharvie Castle is a prominent feature of this flat landscape in the Torranyard area.

Bloak Moss [http://www.snh.org.uk/Peatlands/wc-RaisedBog.htm Raised bogs ] ] has been scientifically investigated to ascertain its vegetational history through the analysis of core samples.

South Fergushill church in Benslie was built to serve Montgreenan, Fergushill, Doura and Benslie. It was consecrated on Sunday, 3 November 1879 and the first minister was then Rev. William McAlpine.Ker, Rev. William Lee (1900) "Kilwinnning". Pub. A.W.Cross, Kilwinning. P. 153.]

References and Bibliography

ee also

* River Irvine
* Eglinton Country Park
* Auchentiber

External links

* [http://www.nls.uk/maps/index.html/ Maps at the National Library of Scotland]
* [http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ 1860 OS Maps]
* [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A_Researcher's_Guide_to_Local_History_Terminology A Researcher's Guide to Local History terminology]
* [http://www.ayrshirescotland.com/mansions/montgreenan.html The Mansions of Ayrshire]