Hi: Looking for an enthusastic & knowledgeable history buff

[Karin Craig]

Hi

 

I'm presently a student at the University of the West of Scotland, Ayr. I'm currently working on making a short pitch for a Scottish history documentary series entitled 'Secret Scotland'. I would really like to hear from someone who would be happy to act as a history expert or even possibly as a presenter. Anyone interested, or if you know of anyone with an interest - please get in touch. Two of the topics to be covered/investigated will be the Barns of Ayr and the history of Maybole Castle/ the Kennedy family.

 

Best Regards

 

Karin

[kdi...@aol.com]

Karin

I am a Kennedy from North Carolina USA who derived from Maybole area through an ancestor, William Kennedy of Kilhenzie, who came to America in 1730's.. I am very interested in what you are doing and would like a copy of the writing you do. I believe the historian at Culzean Castle would love to help you with your research. Go to Culzean and ask for Paul Pomfret, ppom...@nts.org.uk, who is the general manager of Culzean. He is a great guy and wants to be of help to everyone! The present historian also could discuss Maybole and the Kennedy family. Lord David Kennedy owns a farm close by and is in the phone book. He is a nice man and might give you guidance on Kennedy "barns" from the past. Maybe I can help if these leads do not work for you.

Good luck

K. D. Kennedy Jr.
Kdi...@aol.com

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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From: Karin Craig <karin63...@gmail.com>

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Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:39:46 -0700 (PDT)

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Subject: [Ayrshire History] Hi: Looking for an enthusastic & knowledgeable history buff

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[William Thomson]

Hi,

     I am also interested in history especially stuff which isn't well known and presenting it to the general public, I have a fairly good knowledge but i'm not sure what skills set you are looking for someone to bring to the table, interested in having a chat anyway to see if I can help, i'm from Ayrshire mining stock originally and went on the study engineering

From: Karin Craig <karin63...@gmail.com>
To: ayrshir...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, 17 October 2013, 6:39
Subject: [Ayrshire History] Hi: Looking for an enthusastic & knowledgeable history buff

[kymerp]

Karin,

I know a man (my Mums cousin) who is clued up on local history. Maybe you could chat with him. He has just had a book published also so may be useful for you??

You can let me know what you think.

Good luck

Kirsty

Sent from Samsung Mobile

[Karin Craig]

Hi K.D

 

Thank you so much for getting back to me on this - you have been more than helpful and I will follow up your leads as suggested. At the moment I am involved in producing a trailer for a proposed documentary series that aims to take a closer look at some of the less well known, but nonetheless fascinating aspects of Scottish history....the 'Barns of Ayr' I mentioned was an incident in about 1297 ( avid local historians will correct me if I'm slightly out) involving William Wallace and the revenge he wrought on English soldiers for the betrayal and hanging of over 400 Scottish notables...basically he set the barn on fire with them inside...I am looking for someone who can tell this story in a knowledgeable and exciting way.

 

Regards

 

Karin x

[Karin Craig]

Hi William

 

Thanks for your reply. I'm looking for someone who has a good knowledge and enthusiasm for local history and can pass that enthusiasm on to others. Can I email you on this?

 

Regards

 

Karin

[Karin Craig]

Hi Kirsty

 

Thanks for replying to my message - you are a lovely bunch in this group :)

 

I'd love to get more details and find out more about your mums cousin - would he want to be involved in helping out with this project? Is be possible for me to contact him direct?

 

Regards

 

Karin

[Karin Craig]

Hi

 

Thanks for the kind replies to this post - u are a lovely bunch in this group :)

 

I'm happy to follow up on all of these suggestions so please feel free to email me directly at karin...@ymail.com and I'll get back to you asap.

 

Regards

 

Karin x

[iama...@comcast.net]

Does you Mum's cousin have in info on the Knights Templars in Aryshire, especially the Gemmill Family (Mine) from Dunlop, who hekd the lands Templehouse, until 1962, now back to the crown and known as Templehouse Woods?

Thanks

Deane GeMMell

[Kirsty Jess-Taylor]

Karin,
Would it be alright for me to forward your email address on to my Mums cousin as I mentioned before??
We are meeting with him today.

Kirsty

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[Karin Craig]

 Hi Kirsty

 

Sorry - haven't checked into the group over the last few days but I'm very happy for u to pass on my email address.

 

Cheers

 

Karin

[scotjohn]

Aye Karin, whit' a guid' scoats' NAME yiv' gote' lass' . [Craig] - Would be great to be nearer to assist in such an interesting & most needy programme that the country needs more of. I am a scots exile that lives out in NSW Australia for over 30 years - but don't let that put you off as I was last home in 013 & keep in touch with many historical interests. I could help with wee snippets that could be 1 of or could be expand to give more expanse or length of your productions or @ the very least more details for your background narrative which are so lacking in many today & filled with unnescessary music to make up space rather inform your viewers of factual details that not only add to but let them go chase for themselves [seeing is believing]!

Examples of what  mean is such as your name - many farms, places localities carry it in pre or post, such as Craighead farm or a pool on the river Ayr called Coalcraig, then in Ayr Craigie!  The to your story on the Barns of Ayr carried out by one of heroes William Wallace, the locality east of the main bridge in Ayr is still called after him & the event > Wallacetown, an engineering company also carried the same name! to expand even further - on that day it was said Wallace was going to see his Uncle who lived in the castle just east of Ayr, on roadside an old lady told him the English were in Ayr, he about turned with a score to settle. The castle of his uncle is called Sundrum, still there & majestic yet, now made into flats. Going even further, it was known that Wallace hid for many years, on the banks of the river Lugar is his cave, by coincidence not far [as the bird flies] from Sundrum castle?? Also to in the area/parish of Auchinleck are more of his movements noted, such as the farms of Wallacetown. Lastly on the Ayr side of Kilmarnock's suburbs & well sign posted is the claim to his birthplace in Ayrshire - Ellerslie!!

WALLACETOWN, lately a quoad sacra district, in the parish of St. Quivox, district of Kyle, county of Ayr; containing 4620 inhabitants. This is wholly a town district, and formed of the villages of Wallace and Content, which adjoin the burgh of Newton-upon-Ayr, on the east side, and are separated from Ayr by the Ayr river, over which is the handsome structure at this place, called the Bridge of Ayr. The villages are built on the lands of Sir Thomas Wallace, of Craigie, and have arisen since the year 1760, in consequence of the establishment of coal-works in the immediate neighbourhood, and of the increase of manufactures in this part of the country. They consist of indifferent houses, inhabited chiefly by persons engaged in the mines and in weaving, and by agricultural labourers, and artisans in various handicraft trades: the weavers work at their own houses for the manufacturers of Paisley and Glasgow. From the moderate rents, and consequent cheapness of lodgings, numerous of the labouring classes from Ireland have settled here permanently, and many more make it a place of temporary abode. Owing to this district of the parish being by far the most populous part of it, a chapel was erected by subscription in 1835, at a cost of £1550; in the following year it became an independent church, and Wallacetown was then constituted a parish in itself,

Sir William Wallace

The ancestors of both William Wallace and Robert Bruce came to Britain from France - East Ayrshire played a formative part in William Wallace's early life, and saw many of his activities  the Wallaces held the Barony of Riccarton - an area encompassed by the modern Kilmarnock suburbs of Riccarton, Caprington, Shortlees and Bellfield, along with the surrounding countryside and the village of Hurlford. A host of modern farm names can be traced back to names found in the Barony of Riccarton. Intriguing evidence for Ayrshire as Wallace's home comes from the seal on the Lubeck Letter sent by Wallace and the dying Sir Andrew Murray to the traders of Lubeck and Hamburg following their victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. Wallace's seal describes him as "William, son of Alan Wallace". An Alan Wallace is among those Crown tenants of Ayrshire who made their humiliating submission to King Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, through the infamous Ragman's Roll of 1296. There is a local legend that William Wallace was born at a place called Ellerslie near Kilmarnock. River Irvine. On the south side of the river near Riccarton is Caprington, Riccarton and Caprington exist to this day. Due south of there, between Caprington and Craigie Castle (whose ruins can still be seen), the notes refer to a place called Elderslie. East Ayrshire has many place names and sites associated with Wallace, in East Ayrshire. He led a successful ambush of the King's baggage train at Loudoun Hill in 1297.Kilmarnock's Dean Castle has strong Wallace connections. This was the ancestral home of the Boyds, one of whom was with Wallace at the ambush at Loudoun Hill and also at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Legend There are many local legends about Wallace,the common memory of a people, are based on facts.One of the earliest legends relates to an incident involving the young William Wallace in the spring of 1292 or thereabouts, at a site known as the Bickering Bush, by the confluence of the Kilmarnock Water with the River Irvine, near Riccarton and Caprington. This is reputed to have been the site of one of his earliest altercations with the King's men, when he killed two members of a five-strong patrol who had demanded his catch of fish. The bush where he hid the bodies is reputed to have survived into the 19th century.Several sites in the Riccarton/Caprington area have been suggested for the location of Riccarton Castle, owned by the Wallaces. It is said that Wallace mustered his support at Mauchline, before the ambush at Loudoun Hill.The former Blackcraig Castle at New Cumnock is said to be where Wallace spent part of the winter of 1297, after agreeing a temporary truce with the enemy.Pursued by troops, Wallace is said to have made it to Galston and Lockhart's Tower (rebuilt later in the middle ages and subsequently referred to as Barr Castle - a structure which still stands). He later made his escape from the Tower by leaping from a window on to a nearby tree.Another legend associated with that location concerns a particular type of handball game played against one of the walls of the Tower, which Wallace ordered his men to play, in order to keep fitThe game continued to be played by local people up until World War II.Two ideas relate to the birthplace of William Wallace's mother whose name, confusingly, appears as either Jean, Joan or Margaret Crawford, Craufurd, de Craufuird or Crawfoord. Some sources suggest that she may have come from Crosshouse, while others think that she was Margaret de Craufuird, who was born at the former Arclowdon Castle, near the later Loudoun Castle, Galston.So, legend has it that Wallace hid in Wallace's Cave, near the present site of Auchinleck House, which was the family home of the writer James Boswell.Sir William Keith of Galston brought the heart of Robert Bruce back to Scotland from Spain, after an unsuccessful crusade. To this day, the Galston coat of arms incorporates an armoured gauntlet clutching Bruce's heart. Sundrum Castle is amongst the oldest inhabited castles of Scotland, dating back to the wars for Scottish Independence when it was declared forfeit to the crown.Sir Robert Wallace, a relative of Sir William Wallace, the Scottish freedom fighter, was appointed Sherriff of Ayr in 1342, succeeded by his son Duncan! All the best in your venture, john