Notes
on the Way - Through Ayrshire - 100 years ago
ARDROSSAN and STEVENSTON PARISHES
The town of SALTCOATS,
one mile east-south-east of Ardrossan, occupies a fine situation,
partly in Ardrossan and partly in Stevenston parish, with its main body on
a slight promontory, its two Nebbocks pointing seaward, its tail
extending northward, and its east and west wings outstretched along the
beach. It was in existence in, the early part of the sixteenth century,
when the once important saltworks, from which the name is ‘derived,
were commenced. It is now a seaport and watering place, and shares with
Ardrossan the pretty sea bathing bay
lying between them. The harbour, constructed in 1685, had an
export trade in coal,, and is a fishing station. Much of the town is old,
though some of it - especially the west wing - is new and bright
with numerous charming cottage residences; and, being fitted throughout
with modern sanitary improvements, enjoys excellent health. Saltcoats is a
police burgh; has a Town Hall; a post office, with telegraph, money
order, insurance,, and savings bank departments; a Bank of Scotland, a
Royal Bank of Scotland, two Established Churches two Free Churches (one of
them Gaelic), two United Presbyterian Churches, an Evangelical Union
Church, a Roman Catholic Church, an academy, a public good, lot of
shops, muslin weaving and rope making, a convalescent home, and a railway
station. Saltcoats is a suitable place for the invalid-sheltered from cold
north winds by rising grounds-lounging in sunny gardens, eyeing the bees
humming among the pea blossoms, inhaling
the soothing sea breeze from the
south west and singing with the poet (who must have sojourned somewhere
hereabouts), who sang -
"Saft is the
breezes that blaws frae the seases,
And bonnie’s the
beeses that bums ‘mong the peases."
Population in 1871,
4624; in 1881, 5096.
William Burns,
champion of the rights of Scottish nationality, was born at Saltcoats,
December, 1809. He became head of the firm of Burns, Alison, ,&
Aitken; writers; published " What’s in a Name," directed
against the unjust assumption of the name, of English for what is Scottish,
and British; also, "Scottish War of Independence," a history in
two volumes, dealing with the times of Wallace,
when the armed contention for the crown of Scotland between the houses of Baliol
and Bruce,
or Galloway and Carrick, threatened to destroy the
national independence. These are valuable works, to be read by every
Scotchman, and. why not by every Englishman ? who may learn to know and
have infinite pride in the knowledge, that he belongs to the never
conquered British Island nationality, crown and name successfully defended
by the Scotch against foreign invaders through all past ages, though his
English province of it was unfortunately conquered and ruled by foreigners
for some centuries, but was again restored to its own British crown and
nation, preserved as Scotland, by the will of a kind and wise Providence.
Mr Burns died at Moffat, August,
1876, aged 67.
The surface of Ardrossan
parish is of moderate elevation and levelness in the south and east,
marked here and there and yonder with small plantation clumps and heights,
and is nicely cultivated.
and .co.uk