Torbolton, Failford, Stair, and Joppa



TORBOLTON, FAILFORD, STAIR, AND JOPPA Ayrshire Directory - 1837 - by Pigot & Co Torbolton or Tarbolton, is an attractive village, in the parish of its name and district of Kyle, 12 miles se from Irvine, 8 s from Kilmarnock, and 7 nne from Ayr; situate about five miles from the shore of the Firth of Clyde, surrounded by a fine country, and occupying a considerable space of ground, which is interspersed with some very handsome houses. The church, rather an elegant structure, having a beautiful spire, surmounted by a clock with four dials, was completed in 1821, and cost upwards of £2500. A neat chapel for burghers, a Sabbath school, and several benefit societies, are in the village; there is also a subscription library. The parish is about seven and a half miles in length, and its average breadth about four and a half. The Duke of Portland, the Earl of Ellingtoun, W A Cunningham, Esq., and Colonel Thomas Hunter Blair, are the principal heritors. A fair is held on the first Tuesday in June (old style), and on the first Wednesday in November (new style. Failford is a small village in the parish of Torbolton, three miles from that place. A manufactory for razor hones and strops, of a peculiar and excellent description, is carried on here by the inventor, Mr Smith; the cases are veneered with wood, and are finished much in the same style as the admired Scotch snuffboxes, forming an elegant and useful appendage to the dressing case. The parish of Stair is in the district of Kyle, lying on the south or right bank of the river Ayr, and extending six miles in length, by about two in breadth; it was first erected into an independent parish in 1653, when it was severed from Ochiltree for the accommodation of the noble family of Dalrymple, of Stair. The village of Stair, which comprises but a few dwellings and a neat parish church, is about two miles and a half from Torbolton; its situation is most romantic, and many highly ornamental mansions add tot he beauty of the surrounding country. The neighbourhood abounds with mines of coal. The earldom of Stair is now merged in that of Dumfries; and the principal heritors of the land, at the present day, are Lord Glencoe and Sir James Boswell. Joppa is a village in the parish of Coylston, five miles from Ayr. The church, which was erected in 1833, is a handsome structure, and contains sittings for seven hundred and fifty persons. The parish, which is adjacent to the west border of the district of Kyle, is about five miles in length, by about two in breadth. Post Office, Torbolton, Henry Gibson, Post master - Letters from Kilmarnock arrive every morning at nine, and are despatched every afternoon at three. NOBILITY, GENTRY AND CLERGY Bogle, George, esq., Enterkine/ Brown, Mr Robert, Torbolton/ Burnett, Joseph, esq., of Gadgirth/ Caldwell, James, esq., Smithfield/ Cooper, ___, esq., (of Failford), Smithfield house/ Duncan, Rev. Alex, Coylton manse/ Glenlee, Hon, Lord, Birskemming/ Gray, Mr Matthew, Torbolton/ Hamilton, John, esq., of Sandrum/ Hay, John Stewart, esq., Collsfield/ Heron, William, esq., Stair/ Ritchie, Rev. ____ Manse, Torbolton/ Rorison, Rev. William, Manse, Stair/ Stewart, Miss Grace, Afton lodge/ Stobo, Captain John, Torbolton SCHOOLS - PAROCHIAL McClement, John, Coylton/ Muir, Andrew, Stair/ Walker, R. Torbolton AGENTS TO MANUFACTURERS Clark, Robert, Torbolton/ Curie, David, Torbolton/ Dunlop, Andrew, Torbolton/ Dunlop, John, Torbolton/ Finlay, Bartholomew, Torbolton/ Strathdee, John & Ellen, Torbolton BAKERS Bryan, George, Torbolton/ Smith, Robert, Torbolton BLACKSMITHS Barr, William, Stair/ Cuthbert, James, Joppa/ Simpson, James, Stair/ Thom, Charles, Coylton/ Wight, Jas (and farrier), Torbolton/ Wight, John, Torbolton/ Wilson, David, Torbolton BOOT AND SHOE MAKERS Crawford, John, Torbolton/ Drinnan, Robert, Torbolton/ Hunter, William, Stair/ Lees, James, Torbolton/ Lees, John, Torbolton/ McGregor, Hugh, Torbolton/ McMaster, John, Torbolton/ McMillan, James, Joppa/ Smith, Thomas, Torbolton/ Somerville, John, Joppa CARPENTERS AND JOINERS Dickie, Matthew, Torbolton/ McIntyre, Archibald, Stair/ Stewart, John, Torbolton/ Wood, William, Joppa COOPERS Arthur, George, Joppa/ Wright, James, Torbolton FLESHERS McClement, George, Torbolton/ Oliver, Hugh, Torbolton GROCERS Brown, James, (and hardwareman), Torbolton/ Gibson, Henry, Torbolton HONE MANUFACTURERS Brown, Hugh, Milton/ Smith, John, (& razor strop), Failford MILLERS Lennox, James, Milton/ Stone, Robert, Torbolton SHOPKEEPERS AND DEALERS IN SUNDRIES Drinnan, William, Torbolton/ Dunlop, Robert, Milton/ Hay, Margaret, Failford/ Highet, John, Torbolton/ Kerr, William, Stair/ McConnell, Gilbert, Torbolton/ Reid, Andrew, Torbolton/ Thompson, James, Torbolton/ Weddell, Robert, Torbolton STONE MASONS Drinnan, William, Torbolton/ Gibson, John, Joppa/ McConnell, William, Torbolton SURGEONS Gibson, John, Torbolton/ Provan, C. Joppa/ Robertson, Humphrey, Torbolton/ Stevenson, James, Torbolton TAILORS Hood, William, Torbolton/ McCosh, Thomas, Torbolton/ Smith, William, Joppa VINTERS Arthur, george, Joppa/ Brown, Jas, (Cross Keys), Torbolton/ Dick, John, torbolton/ Donaldson, James, Failford/ Dunlop. Jno., (Black Bull), Torbolton/ Dunlop, Robert, Milton/ Fisher, Andrew, Torbolton/ Fisher, Mattw., (Cunningham Arms), Torbolton/ Hillhouse, William, (Plough), Stair/ McClownan, Andrew, Joppa/ McGill, James, Coal hill, Stair/ McJennet, Jas, (Crown), Torbolton/ Oliver, Hugh, (Thistle), Torbolton/ Oliver, William, Torbolton/ Pearson, Hugh, Failford/ Reid, William, Joppa/ Thom, Charles, Coylton/ Thomson, John, Joppa MISCELLANEOUS Andrew, Margaret, milliner &c, Torbolton Boyle, Robert, brick maker, Joppa Dawson, David, watch & clock maker, torbolton Hill, Robert, nail maker, Torbolton Hopkin, James, saddler, Torbolton McKinght, Alex, stocking manfr, Torbolton Murdock, James, tea dealer, Failford CARRIERS (from Torbolton) To Ayr, Andrew Fisher, John Highet and William Dunlop, every Friday To Glasgow, John Highet and William Dunlop, every Tuesday To Kilmarnock, Andrew Fisher, every Wednesday