 Fragments of History
Bairds of Kilhenzie and Kilkerran
In 1460 The lands of Kilkerran belonged to the name of Baird before King
James IV, as appears by a charter of that Prince in 1509, upon those lands, (which lie in the
shire of Ayr,) to David, Earl of Cassils, in which it is said that they belonged formerly to John Baird of Kilquhenzie.
Nisbet's Heraldly.
James Paterson, History of the County of Ayr 1852, also records that
the earliest family associated with the estate of Kilkerran were the Bairds of Kilhenzie, from
whom it seems to have been acquired by Alexander Kennedy of Craigoch, afterwards designated
'of Kilhenzie'. It remained in the family of Kennedy of Kilhenzie until 1766, when the heiress
married John Shaw of Dalton.
Kilhenzie Castle:
The Rev. William Ahercrombie,
writing in 1686, says: "Many of the pretty dwellings of the gentry here are sweet desyrable
places; but for the good building, gardens, orchards, and all other accommodations, Kilhenzie
is the chiefe, lying about a short myle south from the towne of Mayboll." In 1429, Kilhenzie
belonged to Thomas Kennedy of Kirkoswald; afterwards it passed into the hands of the laird of
Bargany; subsequently it became the residence of the Carrick branch of the Bairds; and finally,
it became the property of the Fergussons of Kilkerran.
In the old history of the Kennedys, an account is given of one of those
rough-handed deeds which were common in those days. It appears that John Baird, of
Kilhenzie, had married for his second wife a sister of the laird of Bargany.
In his absence, his son took possession of some victual left by his father with his step-mother.
She complained to her brother, the laird, who came with an armed force, "brak the yett" of
Kilhenzie, and carried off a quantity of grain equal in value to that taken by the son.
Baird, on his side, complained to the Earl of Cassillis, who threatened to carry fire and
sword into the halls of Bargany. But, apparently, he thought better of it, and so "jouked and
let the jaw gae by." The old historian remarks that the Earl had recently brought home some
gunpowder from Italy, which he could have used with effect; and this indicates that about
the end of the sixteenth century, powder was rather a scarce commodity in Scotland.
There are few relics to be seen now about Kilhenzie, except one or two carved stones which
evidently adorned the edifice in the days of its former grandeur.
Complaint that on 22nd November 1628 Mr John Fergussoun of Kilkerrane,
Francis Mure of Auchendraine, John McChutour in Furdhouse of Kilquhinzie, William McWattir
(in Kilkerrane) and others armed with "jacks, secreits, plaitsleaves, gantlets, steel bonnets"
hagbuts, pistols and other weapons came by night to the town of Maybole and used ladders to get
in through the roof of the house where James Kennedy of Blairquhan and Gilbert Baird of
Kilquhinzie were sleeping. The attackers took over the house before anyone knew they were there,
broke in all the chamber doors, and would have killed James Kennedy had he not managed to defend
himself. Johne Fergussoun aimed a loaded pistol at Gilbet Baird and would have killed him, but
the weapon (presumably a wheel-lock) misfired. [Defence that Fergusson had a warrant for the
arrest of James Kennedy's father, which entitled him to force an entry. He admitted carrying a
pistol, contrary to the law, and was fined 50 merks. Counter complaint by Fergussoun that
Kennedy had been riding about for a month with hagbuts and pistols to kill Fergussoun over a
debt. Upheld, and the elder Kennedy 'put to the horn'].
Gartsherrie Bairds
Alexander Baird (1765-1833), one of the great Lanarkshire
industrial -landowners of the 19th century took possession of Coodham (Ayrshire) sometime
around 1800. This Baird family also owned such estates in Ayrshire such as; Rosemount,
Auchendrane, Muirkirk and Drumellan. Then eventually owning some 20,000 acres in Ayrshire,
by the 1860's. But this will be expanded on at a later stage.
Through the Dockhead the Braes and Breezy Byways
From the Shopends at the foot of the roading- that centre of town life from which all its local
interests have ever diverged there stretches along the sea side of the Dockhead Street an
irregular perspective, typical of the all absorbing desire of the burgher to break through the
mist of old antiquity with which he is surrounded. One house leaps into the full blaze of modern
pretentiousness, while its neighbour demurely retains it aspect of the long past. The corner of
the Dockhead, which was John Montgomeries when houses were first rising on the brink of
Saltcoats Bay, fast became divided into many pieces. Some are links, others are landmarks.
The famous weaving agent, Hugh Baird, had his house here. Through his hands
went to Glasgow much of that beautiful flower material that has gained for the women of
Saltcoats a reputation that will not fade. Here they came on pay day to receive the reward of
labour. Here also came the weavers in their sleeved waistcoats and tall hats, maintaining the
dignity of toil in the full garb of their honourable calling. Baird had also for a time the Post Office.
From Saltcoats Old and New- P. Charles Carragher. 1909
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