The Ayrshire History Web Site was first published on 29th February 2000.
It is designed, published and maintained by David McClure. Please send your comments and suggestions to: dmcclure@ayrshirehistory.org.uk
Added Derek Barber's Steps Through Stair (2000) to the bibliography, and a review of it by Rob Close.
29th August 2001
As a consequence of a hard drive failure, I have lost my archived emails and some site work-in-progress. My backing up was not as assiduous as it might have been. So if I have not replied to your email, or not added a research posting or link as promised, it is because I have lost all record of the matter. Please accept my apologies. If you email me again, I will try to deal with it promptly.
Added cover illustrations of more AANHS monographs, including The Street Names of Ayr by Rob Close, published this year.
18th March 2001
Added Tables of Contents of Ayrshire Notes No. 19 and Ayrshire Notes No. 20.
Added a report of a lecture given by Oscar Wilde in Ayr Town Hall on Tuesday 4th December 1883: Mr Oscar Wilde's Lecture
12th March 2001
Added Appendix 1: Innkeeper Gilbert McKinlay at the sign of the Cross Keys to the article The Dalmellington Volunteers.
11th March 2001
An apology: On 16th February I carelessly and unwittingly rendered many of the main links within the site useless. I corrected them this morning.
27th February 2001
Added: 19th Century Photographers in Ayrshire: a preliminary list.
16th February 2001
Added Appendix 1 to the article "Kilkerran Pyroligneous Acid Works 1845 to 1945".
Added better site navigation.
12th February 2001
Added a Research Posting: Ralston and Smith, Shipbuilders and Shipowners, Ayr c.1790 to 1806.
31st January 2001
Added an article by Rob Close, A Kilmarnock ‘Soiled Dove’ The sad history of Elizabeth Mulholland, born in Ireland about 1841, died in Kilmarnock in 1877.
Added links for the National Archives of Scotland and SCAN ("Access to the written history of Scotland").
The article Old Fingerposts in Ayrshire has been extended by: 1) the addition of photographs of all surviving fingerposts in Ayrshire; and 2) a postscript concerning a fingerpost at Howrat Toll.
11th December 2000
The bibliography of books about Ayrshire has been revised considerably, and now lists over 600 volumes.
21st November 2000
Added a review of the recently published: Donald L Reid, The Beith Supplement: The Story of Beith’s Newspaper
15th November 2000
Added one article: Quintin McAdam’s Dalmellington Bypass and Bryce Macquiston’s map
The article on the Eglinton Hotel in Dalmellington has been updated with a contribution from innkeeper Thomas McCubbin's great great grandniece.
There is a new section, Research Postings, and an inaugural posting by Thorsten Sjolin on the author David Wilson MacArthur.
25th September 2000
Added article: Index of Ayrshire Roads Trustees 1767 to 1805.
14th September 2000
I omitted the notes from the article below (11th September). These are now in place (explaining, among other things, the size of a mutchkin, and how much alcohol the villain had consumed).
11th September 2000
Added article: A Hanging at Symington Toll.
10th September 2000
I have entered the revised link for "Minishant is a Bonnie Wee Place" in the Ayrshire Bibliography, and added a link for North Ayrshire Museums to the Links page.
6th September 2000
After a gap of a few weeks during which I prepared Ayrshire Notes for the printer, had a short holiday on Orkney, and totally screwed up my computer, I have added three articles:
The King of Fanning Island (2) - Rob Close's postscript to his earlier article.
1st August 2000
With reference to the article 'Two Extant Bridges of John & James Rutherford', I have added the original design by the Rutherfords for Drumgirnan Bridge, which is in the Fergusson of Kilkerran records.
16th July 2000
I have split the new library catalogue into an introduction and four sections, to speed downloading [there are later, extensive changes - see 11th December 2000].
Added a map, a postcard and some more information to Thomas McCubbin.
12th July 2000
Added article: Thomas McCubbin, innkeeper, Eglinton Hotel Dalmellington 1870s/1880s.
7th July 2000
Added a list of over 200 Ayrshire local history books, part of the collection in the Carnegie Library, Ayr. This Ayrshire Bibliography will be extended from time to time [and was extended to over 600 volumes on 11th December 2000].
21st June 2000
Added cover illustrations for AANHS Monographs Nos.19 to 24.
Added new article: Old Fingerposts in Ayrshire
13th June 2000
Added article: McAdam's house in Penrith.
11th June 2000
Added an internet based search engine which will search the Ayrshire History Website for a word or phrase. This search engine, which is very fast, is provided by atomz.com.
10th June 2000
Added a list of Ayrshire sites found in John Hume, The Industrial Archaeology of Scotland (1976). See also 8th June 2000 (below).
Added volumes to the Ayrshire Bibliography. [This link has been removed because of later changes - see 11th December 2000].. One of these is John Butt, The Industrial Archaeology of Scotland (1967); a list of the Ayrshire sites he mentions has been added.
Added article: BBC Local Hero Caroline Burges and Eglinton Castle
23rd May 2000
Additions to Links page.
Added a illustration of a weaver at work by Henry W. Kerr to the article "The Riot at Deans Mill".
Added one article:
The Burning of Wallston Toll in the Parish of Tarbolton
AANHS Monographs: updated the list with two recent publications, and added brief descriptions of all the monographs in the list.
Added two articles:
James Boswell of Auchinleck 1740-1795: An Introduction
Killochan Castle (as illustrated on the home page)
Added a list of Yale Boswell Editions.
Additons to Ayrshire Bibliography. [This link has been removed because of later changes - see 11th December 2000].
10th April 2000
Added a new page: Ayrshire Bibliography. [This link has been removed because of later changes - see 11th December 2000]. Only a small number of the available works is listed, but more will be added from time to time. Note particularly The Hearth Tax of Ayrshire 1691, which was reviewed in Ayrshire Notes No. 15.
Added one article:
A Millennium Story: The King of Fanning Island
31st March 2000
Added one article:
The Disputed Location of Muirkirk Toll
24th March 2000
Added one article:
James Boswell's Address to the King
11th March 2000
Added two related articles:
Marion Paul Aird Revisited (with photo)
Added contents lists for: Ayrshire Notes No. 18, No. 12, No. 11.
Added AANHS Monographs Nos. 11 and 12 to list.
4th March 2000
Update: Information showing that Kilkerran sawmill existed in 1838. Note that if you click the link you will go straight to the update. From that you can click 'Back to text' to jump to the relevant paragraph in the article about sawmills on the Water of Girvan.
3rd March 2000
Added article: Records and Functions of Ayrshire Commissioners of Supply
2nd March 2000
Added three articles:
McClymont and Dunlop: Water-powered Sawmills on the Girvan
Two Extant Bridges of John & James Rutherford