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Ardrossan
signifies a rocky height, terminating at a rocky point in the sea, from
Ard,
a height; & rossan,
a small peninsula. Ardrossan
is indicated in a map of Scotland of the thirteenth century.
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1140 |
The Castle |
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The date of the
building of the castle was probably about 1140, and it was owned by
Simon
de Morville,
later passed on to the de Barclay
Family (also known as Craig), then in the 13th century
it came to Arthur de Ardrossan,
after came a succession of knights who became heirs to the castle.
The Barclays were the owners of the
castle and estate during the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries, until the
death of Godfrey de Ardrossan. He died without leaving a son and
the estate passed by marriage to the Eglinton family.
The castle was designed on the 'Courtyard
Plan' as a defensive structure, surrounded by a man made ditch on a motte,
and a steep natural slope down to what was then the sea shore. Made from
local red sandstone or freestone the walls vary from one to two metres
thick. Richard
Barclay de Ardrossan witnesses granting of charter to Kilwinning
Abbey. |
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The Horse Isle
According
to Pont, is so named from Philip
Horsse son in law to
Sir Richard
Morvell,
who, in old evidences, was styled Philip
de Horssey.
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Baecon Tower
was
erected on Horse Isle
by Hugh,
Earl of Eglinton, at the instance of the celebrated Artic explorer, Sir
John Ross.
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A number of iron rings
were found attached to the rocks at the foot of the
Castlehill by which boats were
frequently moored, indicative of
the water level during the 12th century.
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|
1226 |
Arthur Barclay de
Ardrossan witnesses granting of land of Monnoch in Dalry Parish to
Hugh Crawford. |
1248 |
Fergus Barclay de
Ardrossan witness between Bishop of Moray and Friskin de Morey. |
1260 |
Fergus Barclay de
Ardrossan judged a dispute over common pasture. |
1263 |
King Hakone's
fleet
emerging from
Lamlash Bay, behind Holy Isle, and sailing north towards
Largs to do battle with King
Alexander of Scotland, an armament
of 120 vessels. Hakone's own ship having 27 banks of oars.
|
1266 - 71 |
Brice
Barclay de Ardrossan a witness to several charters. |
1280 |
Sir
Christopher Barclay de Ardrossan witness to a charter granted to his
daughter Avicia, who married Robert Boyle of Kelburn. |
1292 - 96 |
Castle in
English hands during the reign of John Balliol.
|
1296-1328 |
Scottish War
of Independence again in the hands of the Barclays. Godofredos, Fergus,
and Robinus Barclay de Ardrossan all fought in the War of Independence. |
1305 |
Hugh de Ardrossan
regained the Barony of Ardrossan
|
1307 |
Robert the Bruce
leaves Kings Cross Point on Holy
Isle, with his band of followers
to Turnberry.
|
1316 |
Fergus Barclay de
Ardrossan who fought for Robert Bruce was killed in Ireland. |
1320 |
Fergus Barclay de
Ardrossan (son of Fergus above) was one of the signatories of The
Declaration of Arbroath on 6th April 1320 and in that year was granted
a charter from King Robert Bruce confirming to him and his heirs The
Lands of Ardrossan. |
1357 |
Godfrey Barclay de
Ardrossan was the last of the Barclays and died without a male heir to
succeed him. The estate was carried by marriage to the Eglinton Family. |
1507 |
The union of the
Montgomerie and Eglinton families when Hugh, fourth Lord Montgomerie
was created Earl of Eglinton. |
1558 |
The Spanish Armada
sailed up the Clyde after being defeated by Drake.
Many ships were wrecked in a violent storm, one on the rocky shore at
Portencross
Castle, on that ship seventeen men
survived including the captain, the survivors were provided with food
drink and lodgings, many Spaniards
eventually stayed in the area.
|
1638 |
National Covenant signed
|
1652 |
Stanley Farm (ancient
Stainely) possessed by Mrs Mary Hamilton. Now the site of
Stanley
School.
|
1647 |
A collection is taken by
the people in Ardrossan, and 50 merks is sent to Largs
where " the people were very destitute"
|
1648 |
Cromwells
troops destroyed the castle;
taking much of the stonework by boat to Ayr to build the Fort
there. All that remains are part of the walls, a portion of one of the
towers, a vaulted kitchen and two cellars. The castle is shown on the
Ardrossan coat of arms as having three towers, but this cannot be proved
and may just be simply following the traditional heraldic depiction of a
castle.
The Eglintons
took refuge in "
Sma
Cumbrae Castle ". (The
Eglintons returned in 1813 to a mansion called The Pavilion, later
demolished in 1930, the site where St Peters Church now stands.)
|
1650 |
The first Parochial
Church of Ardrossan was in existence at this time. Session Records
were only kept for a short period 2-4-1691 to 7-9-1693. No further ones
appear to have been recorded until 1739.
|
1691-5 |
The Parochial Church of
Ardrossan,
which stood within the
grounds of the graveyard overlooking the seashore, was blown down by a
hurricane and never restored.
In it were altars
to St Peter and the Virgin Mary. It was excavated in 1912, when it was
shown to be a long, oblong building , its chancel of the same width as
the nave, above which it was raised by three low steps, placed at wide
intervals. Considerable areas of stone paving remained. A stone coffin,
with a carved lid, was found within the church, near the N wall. It was
removed and is now in the North Ayrshire Museum in Saltcoats. A 13th
century date is suggested for it.
The Second Parochial Church
was
built 3/4 of a mile NE of the castle on the right bank of the Stanley
Burn near Stanley Clachan. Minister Rev. Mr Thomas Clarke.
The only memorial
or trace of this church is the tombstone of this minister, who was
buried within the precincts of the church. This small monument was
erected after the church had been translated to Saltcoats.
|
1744 |
The Second Parochial
Church abandoned and
the Third Parochial Church
built in
Saltcoats at the site of the present North Ayrshire Museum. The population
at this time was increasing much faster in the Saltcoats part of the
Parish.
|
1773 |
The Fourth Parochial
Church was rebuilt on the same site as the third. (What is now the
present Museum)
|
1793 |
Betsy Miller
who was born in Saltcoats became the first woman to be recorded as a
Ship's Captain.
|
1769 |
After the murder of the
Earl
of Eglinton,
his successor Hugh,
12th Earl of Eglinton decided to
convert the place into a commodious seaport, which would connect to
Glasgow by means of a canal. He employed the services of the celebrated
engineer Mr Telford
to survey the Bay of Ardrossan; and in 1805 an Act of Parliament was
obtained, empowering a company to be formed to construct a harbour and
canal to Glasgow.
|
1805 |
Prior to the year 1805,
the site of the town presented a mere solitude, there not being a place
of dwelling of any kind on it, or nearer to it than
Parkhouse, by the side of the old
highway, one quarter of a mile distant to the north east. A ridge of
rocks, which ran from the Castlehill into the sea, near the baths, was
popularly known as the "Castlecraigs"
and all intrusion from Saltcoats was strictly disallowed.
|
1806 |
July
31st Harbour
Foundation Stone laid. During the
first 12 years of the harbour's existence, the number of houses erected
were few. One here and there marked out the sites of Montgomerie
Street,
Glasgow Street,
and Princess Street,
in the course of the years the gaps were filled in. The shoreline was
close to the houses at Montgomerie Street up to the Cale Station.
Glasgow Street building
started.
Hugh, the 12th Earl of Eglinton
was raised to the British Peerage as Baron Ardrossan.
|
1807 |
Bath Villa,
a hydropathic bathing facility built by the 12th
Earl of Eglinton.
Eglinton Arms Hotel built.
|
1808 |
Foundation stone of the
harbour laid - 31-5-1808 |
1810 |
First Foreign Vessel
sailed
into the harbour, named "HELEN" on 24th July with timber from
Salem Bay North America, voyage 31 days Captain
Miller. The pier swept 900 yards
and was semicircular, lofty and strong, this gave protection from the
southern and western gales. Harbour works at a standstill.
|
1811 |
13th Earl of Eglinton
born, Archibald William Montgomerie,
in Palermo, Italy. He was also
Earl of Winton, Lord Seaton & Trenent, Baron Ardrossan, and
Hereditary Sheriff of Renfrewshire.
|
1813 |
First cargo of coal was
shipped by "CLYDE" of Saltcoats, Captain
Brown.
|
1813 |
Eglinton Hotel
built by the 12th Earl of
Eglinton at a cost of £10,000
|
1819 |
Hugh 12th Earl of
Eglinton died.
|
1820 |
Seafield House
built. |
1825 |
Harbour works restarted,
Mathew Henderson
began to build small wooden ships, 100 tons and under.
|
1827 |
Railway link,
"Stevenston Coal Co"
|
1831 |
The Pavilion,
Earl of Eglintons mansion built.
|
1833 |
Arran mail service
transferred from Saltcoats to Ardrossan.
|
1833 |
Bath Villa,
the complex was taken over by Dr
MacFadzean a greatly respected
philanthropist and tireless physician, he catered for the poor and
unfortunates of the town never charging them for bed or bath, he died in
1849.
|
1836 |
Ardrossan Railway Co.
(36,000 passengers per year).
|
1837 |
The Independent Church
was formed and the congregation met for the next 20 years in an upper flat
in Glasgow Street.
|
1840 |
Extensions to the
harbour and dockyard.
Ardrossan Pier
Station. Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway opened. This station
formed the terminus of the Ardrossan Harbour branch of the Glasgow and
South-Western Railway and opened (as Ardrossan Pier Station) by that
company on 27 July 1840, was renamed Ardrossan Winton Pier
Station on 2 June 1924 and closed to regular passenger traffic on
6 May
1968. The new (British Rail) Ardrossan Harbour station was opened on the
same site on 19 January 1987 and remains in regular passenger use. |
1841 |
Shipbuilder Barr
& Shearer started
(employed 300 men)
|
1841 |
Ardrossan Steamboat Co.
started daily service to Arran
(weekly during the winter)
|
1842 |
Bowling Green formed.
June 1842. |
1844 |
Barony Church
built (Then the New Parish
Church, now Barony St John's Church))
Free Church organised.
Trade with Belfast
begun.
|
1845 |
Wet Dock
opened 21st February.
|
1846 |
Act of Parliament
erecting the town into a Burgh.
Act lapsed in 1877, and the Police and
Improvement Act adopted.
|
1849 |
Obelisk erected on
Castlehill in memory of Dr Alexander Mac Fadzean |
1851 |
Population 2071
|
1850s |
The era of the package
holiday into Ayrshire started with Thomas Cook, who charged people in his
native Leicester a guinea for a tour of the lowlands in Scotland. They
sailed by steamer from Fleetwood to Ardrossan, and then travelled
to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Cook brought tens of thousands of holidaymakers
north of the border, and established tourism as Scottish industry for the
first time. [ The trains travelled north throughout England and the
Fleetwood to Ardrossan sailing lasted until the railway was connected up
to Scotland ] |
1851 |
Castlecraigs:
Originally known as Graham's Castle,
built by Duncan Graham a gentleman from the North of Scotland. |
|
1893 - 1920 Owned
by Archibald Russell |
|
1920 - 1927
Ardrossan Dockyard |
|
1927 - 1939 The
Masons |
|
1939 - 1945 Navy
requisitioned as barracks
|
1853 |
The Ardrossan
and Saltcoats Herald, first
newspaper in the district. Published June 1853. The
Stamp Law prevented it appearing
oftener than once a month; this lasted for 2 years.
|
1854 |
First Lifeboat
brought to Ardrossan. February.
Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway
acquired by Glasgow and South-Western Railway 31st July.
|
1855 |
Lighthouse
erected.
September. This
lighthouse was damaged on several occasions. In December, 1900, during a
terrific gale, the top of the tower was carried away. New lighthouse was
erected in a position protected by the outer wall, early in 1901. Light on
the end of the breakwater, above Crinan Rock, was established in 1900.
|
1856 |
New Burying Ground
was opened, situated at the upper corner of one of the fields attached
to the farm of Parkhouse.
Kirkhall Cist.
A cist, built of
six stone slabs, oriented E-W, and measuring about 24 ins by 16 ins and
12 ins deep, was found in 1856 on the lands of Kirkhill, Ardrossan.
It contained fragments of burnt bones and wood charcoal, accompanied by
a food vessel, now in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland
|
1857 |
United Presbyterian
Church opened.
Royal Bank succeeded the
Western Bank in Ardrossan and Saltcoats. Agents: John Jackson and R.
King Barbour.
|
1858 |
Foundation Stone of
Town House laid, 30th October 1858. |
1859 |
St Johns Church
built, (originally the Free
Church)
|
1859 |
Paddle steamer ADELA made her first voyage to Belfast.
(5 1/4 hours)
|
1860 |
Piped Clean Water:
supply to town houses completed, an improvement fro artesian pumps which
were often the cause of cholera and other diseases.
|
1861 |
Population 2931
New
church erected in Harbour Lane.
|
1863 |
The harbour was raised
to the position of a Port.
1st July.
|
1870 |
Ardrossan Lifeboat,
"The Fair Maid of Perth"
rescued 53 people.
|
1871 |
Population 3929
|
1874-5 |
St Andrews Episcopal
Church built in South Crescent.
|
1878 |
Rock face removed at the
castle to give greater
accommodation to the Railway reveals human remains, a number of bodies
were found in these "cists". (Stone
tombs). In each case the bones lay
head to the west & feet to the east, and armbones alongside
thighbones, age estimated 600 years plus.
|
1878 |
Rail Line
to West Kilbride opened
1st May. To Fairlie 1-6-1880. To Largs 1-7-1885.
|
1881 |
Population 4009
|
1883 |
South Beach Railway
Station.
This intermediate station was opened on 1 January 1883 and remains in
regular use by passenger traffic |
1884 |
The paddle steamer
"Glowworm"
provided the first regular service to Belfast and owned by Ardrossan
Steam Navigation Co.
|
1885 |
Formation of The
Ardrossan Harbour Co.
25th Sept.
|
1886 |
Major extensions to Eglinton
Dock, first pile driven in.
Contractor Mr Lawson.
Between 1886 and 1891, the Eglinton Dock,
an outer basin, and a new breakwater were constructed by the Ardrossan
Harbour Company. 4th
May. Gas and Water Works bought by the town.
|
1887 |
Gale and high tide burst
cofferdam at dock construction, workings flooded; 400 men employed on
the excavations escaped.
Union Bank opened - 27th July
1887. Agent William Crichton
First pile in the construction of
Eglinton Dock driven, 4th May 1887. Contractor, Mr Lawson.
|
1888 |
Breakwater
construction
started, rock came from "Castle
Crag" which is now the site
of the Town Station in Ardrossan.
Lanarkshire & Ayrshire
Railway opened 3rd September.
It was called Ardrossan Station and was
renamed Ardrossan Town Station on 1 October 1906, closed on 1 January 1917
and reopened on 1 February 1919. It was renamed Ardrossan North Station on
2 June 1924, and closed to regular passenger traffic on 4 July 1932.
Barr & Shearer commenced the
building of the first iron vessel at the yard. They were repairers and
builders of vessels of a moderate tonnage.
|
1890 |
Glasgow & South
Western Railway Co. & Caledonian
Steam Packet Co. started to
compete on the Arran run, the record time was
80 mins Glasgow to Arran.
Ardrossan
(Montomerie Pier) Station, opened 30th May 1890 by the Lanarkshire and
Ayrshire Railway. A two-platform terminal station with a 15-bay
iron-framed wooden-clad building, originally with a glazed overall roof
supported on lattice girders. This station formed the terminus of the
Ardrossan Harbour branch of the Caledonian Railway. It closed on 1 January
1917, reopened on 1 February 1919, and was renamed Ardrossan
Montgomerie Pier station on 2 June 1924. It officially closed to
regular passenger traffic on 6 May 1968, the last train having run on 25
September 1967. |
1891 |
Population 5226
|
1892 |
Eglinton Dock
opened 12th April by Lady Gertrude
Montgomerie, from the bridge of
RMS Mastiff,
she cut a ribbon stretching across the entrance.
Power House at the Dock opened.
Clydesdale Bank Opened - 1st
July 1892. Agents John Hoggarth & Son.
|
1892 |
G & J Burns paddle
steamer "Adder"
began new daylight service to Belfast.
|
1899 |
Winton Primary School
built. |
1900 |
Steam power
gradually took over from sail.
Ardrossan Shipyard -
The yard
was originally designed for the building of ships made of wood. By 1900,
the shipbuilding yard had three berths for building boats, a graving
dock (for ships up to 1,000 tons) and a repair slip (for boats up to 400
tons). Equipment was renewed in 1888 and in 1898 the yard changed hands
and became the Ardrossan Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co Ltd.
Chairman C Wilkinson of Sunderland. The
yard was further modernised in 1907 and by 1912 was enjoying great
prosperity.
|
1900 |
Light fitted to Crinan
Rock
|
1901 |
Population 5933.
Population of the Parish of Ardrossan 11,846.
|
1901 |
New Lighthouse
erected.
|
1901 |
Joint Hospital of
Ardrossan and Saltcoats completed at Springvale.
|
1902 |
One third of shipping
still sail driven.
|
1905 |
Congregational Church
in Arran Place built. |
1911 |
Population 5760
Excavations of the Parish Church on
Castle Hill brought to light a beautifully carved stone coffin said to
be one of the finest examples of its kind in Scotland. It is probable
that in it was buried one of the Barons of Ardrossan. It is now on show
in the North Ayrshire Museum, Saltcoats.
|
1913 |
Christies Yard,
timber from the Baltic produced railway sleepers, then shipped to India,
Africa, and the Middle East, gutted by fire, resulting in closure.
1st September - Board of the
Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company Ltd. changed transferring
the whole of the interests to the Clyde. NORTH DOCK developed
with vessels launched into a wet dock.
|
1914 |
First World War, HMS
Pactolus was placed in the harbour
to care for submarines. A pier was modified (Montgomerie Pier) with 3 x
6000 ton fuel tanks, pipes and pumps for refuelling.
|
1916 |
South Shipyard / New
Shipyard.
This yard was completed in about 1916. It
covered 22 acres and had five building berths capable of accommodating
400-500 feet boats of up to 9000 tons. This new shipyard allowed vessels
to be built and launched directly into the Firth of Clyde. The yard was closed in 1930. By
1969
some
of the South Yard land was acquired by the McCrindle group
and some small scale shipbuilding work was taking place. |
1918 |
First keel plate laid in
new SOUTH YARD. Now 2300 employees at the shipyard.
The first 5 vessels that were launched from
the south yard were:- SS Hunstanworth 2580 gross tons; SS Glassford 2580
gross tons; SS Poljana 3886 gross tons; SS Dunkerquois 3160 gross tons and
SS Skrymer 1990 gross tons.
|
1920 |
Shell Oil Co.
|
1920 |
The Inches,
occupied by Ardrossan Shipbuilding
Co.
180,000 tons of rock and cold-blast slag had been deposited onto the
series of rock islands to form the foundation of the South Yard.
|
1931 |
Population 6888
|
1934 |
Metlox
formed to undertake shipbreaking at lighthouse pier.
|
1938 |
St Peters RC Church,
build on site of the Earl of Eglinton's former mansion - The Pavilion.
|
1939 |
The Inches,
site of an Air Ministry factory for canning aviation petrol.
|
1940 |
The harbour
taken over
by the Admirality and
named HMS Fortitude.
All passenger services were suspended and relocated to Fairlie.
|
1941 |
Population 7500
|
1943 |
HMS
Dasher sank on 27th March
between Ardrossan and Brodick with the loss of 379 crew.
|
1947 |
Isle of Man
service restarted
|
1949 |
Death of Dr Alexander
McFadzean. A generous worker on behalf of the people of Ardrossan, and
with whom originated the proposal to form the town into a burgh. A
monument has been erected in his memory on the highest point of Cannon
Hill (Castle Hill). |
1950s |
Work in the Dockyard
declined.
|
1955 |
Ardrossan, one of the
first ports in the UK to handle containers on a large scale.
|
1955 |
Anglo-Continental
Containers began regular trade
with Ireland.
|
1964 |
Shipyard
put up for sale and sold to the Ardrossan Harbour Co.
|
1969 |
William McCrindle
aquired
13 acres to build ships. (The last ship was constructed in 1987)
|
1960s |
The Harbour was
still very busy with ships.
|
1968 |
Burns Laird
service to Belfast, MV Lion
Ro-Ro facility installed.
|
1968 |
Caledonian Railway
Station, closed.
|
1970 |
Caledonian MacBrayne
to Arran, Ro-Ro facility installed, MV
Caledonia.
|
1976 |
Shell
closed
|
1976 |
Burns Laird
vessel MV Lion
passenger service terminated due to the troubles in N Ireland, freight
services continued.
|
1985 |
Isle of Man
service
terminated, August.
|
1995 |
Ardrossan Harbour closes
as a port, to make way for a marina.
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