KIRKMICHAEL, a parish, in the district of Carrick,
county of Ayr; containing, with the village of
Crossbill, 2933 inhabitants, of whom 499 are in the
village of Kirkmichael, 3 miles (E. by S.) from Maybole.
This place, which derived its name from the dedication
of its church, appears to have been at an early period
part of the possessions of the Kennedy family, to whose
ancestor a grant of the lands was confirmed by charter
of David II., about the year 1360. By the marriage of
Sir James Kennedy with the daughter of Robert III.,
this family obtained a considerable degree of rank and
influence. Gilbert Kennedy, the second Earl of Cassilis,
was employed in many of the most important offices of
state; he was assassinated at Prestwick by Hugh Campbell,
sherifiF of Ayrshire. His son, Quintin Kennedv,
who became Abbot of Crossraguel, is distinguished for
having maintained the tenets of popery in a discussioa
with the celebrated reformer John Knox, and on his
decease was canonized for his zeal and constant devotion
to the Roman Catholic faith. Gilbert, the third earl,
was the friend and pupil of the historian George Buchanan;
and John, the sixth Earl of Cassilis, was one of
the ruling elders who attended the assembly of divines
at Westminster, in 1643.
The PARISH is about twelve miles in length, and rather
more than five miles and a half in extreme breadth. It
is bounded on the north and north-east by the parish of
Dalrymple, on the east by that of Straiton, on the south
by Dadly, and on the west and north-west by the parishes
of Kirkoswald and Maybole. The surface generally,
with the exception of some level tracts along the banks
of the rivers, is undulated and hilly, in some parts attaining
considerable elevation. Glenalla hillis 1612 feet
above the level of the sea; and there are several other
eminences, of which Guiltree hill commands a beautiful
prospect, embracing on one side the valley of the Girvan,
with the Galloway hills, and on the other the bay of
Ayr, the peaks of Arran, and the towns along the coast,
with the Highlands and Ben-Lomond in the background.
The river Girvan has its source among the hills of Barr
and Straiton, and, running below Blairquhan, enters this
parish, which it divides into two nearly equal parts,
passing by the grounds of Cloncaird, where it assumes a
wide expanse, and presents a finely-picturesque appearance:
flowing between richly-wooded banks, it pursues
its course to the village of Crossbill, and then forms a
boundary between the parishes of Kirkoswald and Dailly.
The river Doon passes by one extremity of the parish,
about two miles below Patna, washing the base of the
eminence on which the stately mansion of Cassilis is
situated; and the Dyrock, issuing from Shankston loch,
and augmented by the streams of the Barnshean and
Spalander, flows by the church and village of Kirkmichael
into the Girvan. There are numerous lakes in the parish,
the principal of which are. Loch Spalander, about fortyfive
acres in extent, abounding in excellent trout, and
sometimes with char; Loch Barnshean, twenty-eight
acres in extent; Loch Croot, ten acres; Shankston loch,
twelve acres; Drumore, nine acres; and Kirkmichael
loch, about five acres in extent.
The SOIL in the low lands is extremely fertile, producing
luxuriant herbage; in some parts, and especially
near the bases of the lower hills, light and gravelly;
and in others, clayey, and intermixed with loam. The
whole number of acres in the parish is estimated at
1 5,2,50, of which about 11 ."iO are in natural woods and
in plantations, 500 waste, and the rest arable, meadow,
and pasture land. The system of agriculture has greatly
advanced; and the lands have been nmch improved
under the influence of the example given by the Rev.
John Ramsay, incumbent of the parish about forty or
fifty years since, and founder of the Carrick Farmers'
Society; and also under the encouragement afforded to
the tenants by the late Earl of Cassilis and the present
proprietors. Furrow-draining has been extensively carried
on J and in 183'J Ilcnry Ritchie, Es(|., of Cloncaird,
erected a work for the manufacture of draining-tilcs,
which at present produces on the average about 330,000
tiles annually. The farm-buildings are substantial and
commodious, and generally slated; and all the recent lie
improvements in husbandry are practised. In this parish
the substrata are chiefly sandstone, greenstone, and
limestone; clay of excellent quality for making tiles is
found in abundance, and there are some veins of galena,
which appear to have been wrought, and are said to
have yielded a considerable proportion of silver. The
surface of the land in several parts is thickly strewn
with boulders of granite, some of them of vast magnitude.
There are quarries of freestone at Auchalton, Clonclaugh,
Balgreggan, and Glenside, which have been all extensively
wrought; and also a quarry of peculiarly fine
quality at Trochain, on the lands of Cloncaird. The
annual value of real property in the parish is £10,035.
Cloncaird Castle, an old castellated mansion, has been
entirely new fronted, and is now a very elegant residence:
it is beautifully situated in a highly-embellished demesne
abounding with stately timber. Kirkmichael House
stands near the lake of Kirkmichael, which forms an
interesting feature. Cassilis House, the property of the
Marquess of Ailsa, who bears the inferior title of Earl
of Cassilis, occupies an eminence rising from the bank
of the river Doon, and is an ancient mansion, supposed
to have been built about the fifteenth century. It was
enlarged and much improved in 1830, and is a stately
structure, surrounded with trees of noble growth, and
with thriving plantations. Under the ancient castle
was a subterraneous apartment, which, on being cleared
out some years since to form a wine-cellar, was found to
be replete with human bones. The village of Kirkmichael
is neatly built and pleasantly situated, and has a
post-office dependent on that of Maybole. Its inhabitants,
in addition to the various trades usually carried
on, are employed in weaving for the Glasgow and Paisley
manufacturers, and the females in working muslins,
which branches of trade are pursued to a still greater
extent at Crossbill. Facility of communication is afforded
by numerous good parish roads, and there are
about twenty-six miles of turnpike-road.
For ECCLESIASTICAL purposcs the parish is within the
limits of the presbytery of Ayr, and synod of Glasgow
and Ayr. The average stipend of the incumbent is
£260; the manse is a handsome antique building of
modern erection, and a very comfortable residence, and
the glebe comprises about sixteen acres of profitable
land. Kirkmichael church, which is pleasantly situated
on the Dyrock stream, and surrounded by a spacious
burying-ground planted with ash-trees of stately growth,
was built in 1*87; it is in good repair, and adapted for
a congregation of about 556 persons. A chapel of ease
has been erected for the accommodation of the inhabitants
of Crossbill, chiefly by the munificence of Sir Charles
Dalrymple Fergusson, of Kilkcrran, Bart.; it is a neat
edifice, adai)ted for nearly 460 persons, and may be
considerably increased by the additicni of galleries. The
parochial school affords instruction to about seventy
children; the master has a salary of £34, with a house
and garden, and the fees average £30. There is also a
school at Crossbill, for which a former proprietor erected
a spacious schoolroom; the master used to receive an
annual ])ayment of £3. 10. from the proprietors of houses
in the village, in addition to the school fees. A parochial
library is supported l)y subscription; and two savings'
banks have been established. In several parts of the
parish are traces of ancient circular forts, about 100
yards in diameter, and surrounded by a ditch fifteen feet
broad: on being removed by the plough, fragments of
spears, horns, urns, and ashes were found in profusion.
There were also till lately some remains of a chapel, supposed
to have been subordinate to the abbey of Crossraguel;
the well is still known by the name of the "Chapel
well".