Features: Scottish Parishes » Historic Shires » Ayrshire » Tarbolton

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Alternate Names and Spelling
• Location
• Parish Timeline
• Records
• Residents
• Notes

ALTERNATE NAMES AND SPELLING:

Tarbolton And Barnweil

LOCATION

Location Description:

Tarbolton is a parish in Kyle, Ayrshire. It is bounded by Craigie, Mauchline, Stair, St Quivox, and Monkton. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).

Shire, District, and Region Timeline:

• Shire: Ayrshire (Before 1707)
• County: Ayr (After 1707)
• District: Kyle (Before 1930)
• Landward District: Ayr (1930-1975)
• Region: Strathclyde (1975-1996)
• Sub-Region: Ayr (1975-1996)
• District: Kyle and Carrick (1975-1996)

Cities, Towns, Villages, and Hamlets:

Annbank, Burnbrae, Tarbolton

Estates:

Coilsfeld, Enterkine, Smithstone

PARISH TIMELINE

PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:

• Diocese: Glasgow
• Deanery: Kyle and Cunningham

POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:

• Synod: Glasgow and Ayr
• Presbytery: Ayr

PAROCHIAL OVERVIEW:

The parishes of Tarbolton and Barnweil were united in 1673.
Tarbolton. The rectory of Tarbolton was a prebend of Glasgow. Tarbolton Church was rebuilt in 1821.
Barnweil. The church of Barnweil belonged to the ministry of Fail within the parish. Of this religious house, founded in 1252, there are now but very scanty remains. It was the chief Scottish convent of the Order of the Red Friars, or Friars of the Holy Trinity. The parish was suppressed by the Commissioners of Teinds, 9 July 1673, and annexed to the parishes of Tarbolton and Craigie.

Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Annbank. A chapel was built at Annbank in 1871. This parish, erected 10 July 1914 by the Court of Teinds, was disjoined from the parishes of Tarbolton and St Quivox.

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND CLERGY:

Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.

Tarbolton (QO)

Barnweil (QO)

Annbank (QS)

(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)

RECORDS

Parochial Registers:

Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.

• (1) B. 1730-96; M. 1782-93; D. 1783-85
• (2) B. and M. 1795-1820
• (3) B. and M. 1820-54; D. 1829-48

(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)

Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)

Population:

Statistics from informal and official censuses

• 1755: 1,365
• 1821: 2,174
• 1831: 2,274
• 1841: 2,612
• 1861: 2,669
• 1881: 3,598
• 1901: 3,961
• 1911: 4,583

RESIDENTS

Common Surnames:

Allan, Brown, Clark, Dunlop, Gibson, Kerr, Patton, Smith, Thomson, Wilson

Land-owners, teachers, and other professionals:

Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.

• John BELL, Esq., of Enterkine
• William Henry Cavendish Scott BENTINCK, Duke of Portland
• Colonel Thomas Hunter BLAIR, of Brownhill
• Hay BOYD, Esq., of Law
• James CAMPBELL, Esq., of Craigie
• Samuel COOPER, Esq., of Smithston
• William COOPER, Esq., of Temple Bog Wood
• Alason CUNINGHAME, Esq., of Afton
• Thomas DAVIDSON, Esq., of Drumley
• Hugh HAMILTON, Esq., of Halrig
• John LEES, Esq., of Millburn
• Archibald William MONTGOMERIE, Earl of Eglinton
• William Smith NEILL, Esq., of Barnweill
• James OSWALD, Esq., of Auchencruive
• William PATERSON, Esq., of Ladykirk
• William PATRICK, Esq., of Gillhead
• Robert PETTIGREW, Esq., of Tarshaw
• William RONALD, Esq., of Bennels

Other land-owners:

• HUME, of Spittleside
• M'HAFFIE, of Overton
• PATERSON, of Smithfield

Other residents:

By a Friend to Statistical Inquiries.
"The number of the inhabitants of this parish may be at present calculated not greatly to exceed 1200; of whom about 450 are inhabitants of the village of Tarbolton. The farmers are in number about 130. In the village are several stocking-makers. The capital species of industry followed by the farmers, is, the management of cattle for the uses of the dairy. A prodigious quantity of butter and cheese is annually made here for sale."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)

NOTES:

Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 19, p. 453
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 5, Section I, p. 741

See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.