Kennox House

Kennox House is situated on the road from Stewarton to Torranyard in North Ayrshire, Parish of Dunlop, Scotland. The house overlooks the Glazert Water, which runs into the Annick Water at Watermeetings.

History

Crivoch House

Kennox house was originally called Crivoch and a house nearby still retains that name. Sir Neil Montgomery of Lainshaw married Elizabeth Cunninghame of Aiket and one of their sons, John of Cockilbie, had a son named John of Crivoch in the mid 1600s. He may have lived at Crivoch before it was purchased by the Somervilles.Paterson, James (1863-66). "History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton". V. - III - Cunninghame. J. Stillie. Edinburgh.] The letters of Sir David Cunningham of Auchenharvie to his cousin the laird of Robertland preserved in the National Archives of Scotland detail his efforts to purchase some of these lands (NAS GD237/25/1-4) He sold some of them in turn to James Douglas of Chesters in 1642 (RGS, ix, (1634-1651), no.1189)

The Somervilles and MacAlisters

In around 1700 John Somerville of the Kennox Estate in Lanarkshire purchased the Bollingshaw (now Bonshaw) Barony and built Kennox House (also Kenox in 1832 and Kennoch in 1792) on the lands of Montgomerie - Crevoch.Paterson, James (1863-66). "History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton". V. - III - Cunninghame. J. Stillie. Edinburgh.] John Somerville married Janet, eldest daughter and heiress of Alexander Montgomerie of Assloss House (previously Aslois, Sloss or Asloace) near Kilmarnock. The family sold Assloss in 1725.Robertson, George (1823). "A Genealogical Account of the Principal Families in Ayrshire, more particularly in Cunninghame." Vol.1. Pub. Irvine.] William Somerville succeeded to the Kennox property in 1743 and married Lilias Porterfield of Hapland. A daughter, Janet, married Charles McAlester in 1792, only son of Angus McAlester of Loup, Chief of the Clan MacAlister, who died in 1797. Patterson records that the McAlester's were Jacobites and had lost their estates and money after 1745, however this marriage restored their fortunes and to this day 'Somerville' has been retained in the patronym and coat of arms.

Colonel Charles McAlester, Laird of Loup and Kennox, became Deputy Lieutenant of Ayrshire, and Commandant of the first regiment of Ayrshire Local Militia. It is recorded that when the regiment was disbanded he kept the banners, instruments and other items at Kennox, saying that "if anyone had a better claim" he would release the items to them.Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers Society. (1930). V.10. P. 62 & 133.]

Charles Somerville McAlister and Janet had four children. They bequeathed the part of the Barony of Bollingshaw named Chapelton to their younger son James, who never married and died in 1857. Charles the father died in 1847 and his eldest son, also called Charles Somerville McAlester, born in 1828 and married to Mary Brabazon, inherited the Kennox estate. It is recorded by Dobie that the older Charles was an eccentric and was one of the last of the country squires of old in his attitudes and behaviour.Captain Charles Somerville McAlester married Williamina P. Pollok - Morris of Craig House. She died aged 27 in 1872 and is buried in Saint Maurs - Glencairn church with her parents and not with her husband. This is arrangement is rather unusual and may have been a family tradition judging by the other married daughters buried here with the family. Kennox is not even in the same Parish as Craig House.

Kennox estate

The estate consisted of the lands of Crevoch - Lindsay, Crevoch - Montgomerie, part of the lands of Bonshaw and the lands of Fairlie - Crevoch, including the chapel lands and the glebe. These chapel lands would have been held in mortmain until after the reformationAiton, William (1811). "General View of the Agriculture of Ayr." Pub. Glasgow.] . The old cottage beyond the site of the old mill was formerly known as Fairlie - CrevochMiller, Florence (2006). Oral Communications to Roger S.Ll. Griffith.] and a building of that name is placed in this area in Pont's map of 1604. Another Fairlie - Crevoch is situated near Cunninghamhead and a Fairlie - Crevoch Mill existed on the Annick Water near Ramstane (1860 OS), however this had been known as Scroaggy or Scroaggie Mill until after the 'Kennox' mill fell into disuse.

James Somerville obtained Chapelton, however we know from Dobie that James McAlister, nephew of the aforementioned James, was the owner in 1874. This James McAlister, the nephew of James Somerville, also never married. Chapelton had been re-acquired into the Bollingshaw Barony for him by his father, Charles McAlister.Paterson, James (1863-66). "History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton". V. - III - Cunninghame. J. Stillie. Edinburgh.]

Micro history

Major McAlester of Kennox, then a heritor of Dunlop church, obtained the 1792 bell and Miss McAlester and Mr.Charles G. S. McAlester returned it to the Kirk Session in 1935 to honour the centenary of the present church.Bayne, John F. (1935). "Dunlop Parish - A History of Church, Parish, and Nobility". Pub. T. & A. Constable, P. 10 - 16.]

Colonel and Mrs MacAllister attended the famous 1839 Eglinton Tournament in what is now Eglinton Country Park and were alloted a seat in the Grand Stand.Aikman, J & Gordon, W. (1839) "An Account of the Tournament at Eglinton." Pub. Hugh Paton, Carver & Gilder. Edinburgh. M.DCCC.XXXIX.]

The Glazert burn, previously GlazartPaterson, James (1847). "History of Ayr and a Genealogical Account of the Ayrshire Families." P. 452.] has otters and the rare freshwater mussel (source of freshwater pearls) as winessed by broken shells found scaterred on the river bank.

The Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers

Over many years this society paid several visits to Kennox and on one visit in 1930 they were told by McAlister, the Laird of Loup and Kennox, that the nearby name Gallowayford is derived from the Gallows which permanently stood beside the ford on the Glazert.Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers Society. (1930). V.10. P. 62 & 133.] It was also noted that an ancient Yew tree grew in the grounds which challenged the Loudoun Castle yew in size and antiquity. A very fine specimen of a Hornbeam was also noted.

The Kennox estate saw pit

Kennox possesses one of the few surviving, although long unused, Saw pits, clearly marked on the first edition of the OS map. These pits were used for cutting local timber into planks, stobs and other forms of timber for fencing, building, etc.

References and Bibliography

See also

*Chapeltoun
*Corsehill

External links

* [http://www.nls.uk/maps/index.html/ Maps at the National Library of Scotland]
* [http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ 1860 OS Maps]
* [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A_Researcher's_Guide_to_Local_History_Terminology A Researcher's Guide to Local History terminology]

ee also