The direct ancestors of our family include Morton's (great-great-great-grandmother) Walker's (great-great-grandmother) and Wilson's (great-grandmother). These are common names, especially in Ayrshire. It is interesting ot note that several families of humble beginnings made good in the Kilmarnock area. Amongst them:

Thomas Morton of Blackwood and Morton Axminster carpet fame the maker of carpet looms
"Thomas Morton was the son of a brick manufacturer, who had served an apprenticeship as a turner and wheelwright, and then set up in this business on his own account. He was responsible for several innovations including a new improved carpet loom."

"It was built in 1818 by the late Thomas Morton, who was born at Mauchline in 1783, and died at Kilmarnock in 1862. Mr. Morton was a famed constructor of telescopes and other optical instruments, and was also an ingenious machinist. He conferred a great boon on carpet manufacturers by inventing the "barrel" machine for carpet manufacture, and by improving other pieces of mechanism in connection with the trade."

Johnnie Walker of "Kilmarnock" whisky fame - John Walker grew up on a Caldwell farm near Kilmarnock

Alexander Morton (1844-1923) of Darvel bought a lace-making machine in 1876 and set up the Darvel lace-making industry

Andrew and John Barclay who set up locomotive building firms had a Walker mother and a Wilson grandmother (John Barclay's second wife was a Caldwell)

Our Morton relationship is from Galston in the same general area where the other two "famous" Morton's came from

Joseph Caldwell was a "Lemonade Manufacturer" in Kilmarnock and for a while lived at "Wee Inchgotrick" (formerly "Inchgotrick Mains") which is effectively the "gatehouse" of "Treesbanks House" that became the residence of the Morton's of Blackwood and Morton. I don't think it is part of the same property.

A George Caldwell had an engineering works in Kilmarnock. Taken over by Grant & Ritchie when he retired.

Alexander Jack made agricultural machinery at Maybole - I know there is a Caldwell relationship to the Jack family in Ayr

None of these notable people who "made-good" is known to be a relative other than Joseph Caldwell who was my Great Grandfather and his sons Thomas and Adam and daughter Jean who also were involved in the "Lemonade business".

Just a whiff of indirect fame gently blowing around in an era when it first became possible for ordinary people to actually benefit from the use of their ingenuity, talent and hard work.

This is a quote from a book called "Ramble Round Kilmarnock : Chapter 2" (Written in 1875)

RAMBLE ROUND KILMARNOCK
WITH AN INTRODUCTORY SKETCH OF THE TOWN.
BY ARCHIBALD R. ADAMSON.
__________________

“Still o’er these scenes my memory wakes,
And fondly broods with miser care;
Time but the impression stronger makes,
As streams their channels deeper wear.”
_____________________

KILMARNOCK:
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY T. STEVENSON, “STANDARD” OFFICE
MDCCCLXXV

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/kilmarnock/part1c2.htm

"Turning down Bentinck Street, I pass Kay School, a Gothic building similar to the one already noticed in Wellington Street. It is surrounded by a spacious playground. In 1872 Bentinck Street was extended to East Shaw Street. This was a much-needed improvement, for it cleared away an unsightly old printwork, and opened what yet will become a handsome thoroughfare.

Arriving in East Shaw Street, I turn down in Glencairn Square. East Shaw Street has not an elegant appearance; the houses are, with few exceptions, one-storyed and covered with thatch. Environed with pleasant grounds, in this neighborhood is Shawbank, the handsome villa of Mr James Wilson, Irvin, and beyond it there is a fine view of an extensive tack of open country. There also stands the hydraulic engineering works of the Glenfield Iron Company; they employ about one hundred and fifty hands , and carry on a large export trade.

Entering Glencairn Square, I pause to look about me before turning my face toward the Cross. The square is spacious, but the building in it, with two or three exceptions, are thatched, low-roofed, dingy dwellings. Four streets branch off it, viz., High Glencairn Street, Low Glencairn Street, and East and West Shaw Streets. These streets are parallel to each other. High and Low Glencairn streets form part of the main artery of the town. Intersecting Glencairn Square, the thoroughfare passes through the adjacent village of Riccarton and on to Ayr. In Low Glencairn Street are situated the works of the Water Meter Company; they employ about one hundred and thirty hands, and carry on an extensive business in the manufacture of meters alone. At the foot of the same street are the Holm Foundry and the engineering works of Messrs Barclays & Co. At the foot of West Shaw Street is the carpet and rug factory of Mr John Wilson. The works, which are pretty expansive, are situated near the Kilmarnock Water, and close to the residence of the proprietor."

My Grandfather, Thomas Caldwell, had a "Lemonade factory" at Shawbank in East Shaw Street at a guess from sometime in the mid to late 1930's to 1949. Again there is a Wilson connection in relation to this site but is is from many years earlier and I do not rate its siignificance anything other than coincidental.

The engineering works of "Messrs Barclay & Co" at the foot of Low Glencairn Street is the locomotive manufacturing works of John Barclay in Greenholm Street and known as the "Riverbank Works". As I have mentioned, John's second wife was a Caldwell and after his death the business was liquidated. After a short spell when the works were operated as an engineering factory by a William Caldwell it was acquired by Joseph Caldwell for his "Lemonade factory".

The carpet and rug factory of John Wilson may have been an antecedent of Blackwood and Morton, but I will have to do some more research before I return to comment further.

There seems to be considerable cross references to my family creating a little smoke but I have no found any fire at this point in time.

I believe that this reference comes from the "Kilmarnock Standard" Newspaper:

http://icayrshire.icnetwork.co.uk/news/localnews/kilmarnock/content_objectid=13280022_method=full_siteid=73592_headline=-Local-drinks-companies-remembered-name_page.html

"Local drinks companies remembered

A RECENT item in the Memories page featured the old Kilmarnock firm of Rankin and Borland.

This was a local chemist's shop which dominated the scene for many years.

Mention was made that among their many products was a range of their own aerated waters.

Now, a reader has written to say that in the years before the Second World War there were at least two other important makers of soft drinks.

Turner and Ewing, which had been established in 1810, was based at Tannock Street, Kilmarnock, and then there was Caldwell's which was located at the bottom of East Shaw Street.

Caldwell's bottles were usually a penny cheaper than their rivals and they also sold small bottles.

Most of the shops in the area sold drinks from more than one of the manufacturers and lorries used to go round the doors selling crates of either six or 12 bottles.

Caldwell later moved to Low Glencairn Street and was eventually taken over and renamed Adams."

As correction I would mention that the "Caldwell's" of East Shaw Street was the business of Thomas Caldwell, my grandfather. His sons: Joseph, James and Thomas worked in the business until it was sold in 1949. The business mentioned as "Adams" in Lower Glencairn Street was a quite separate soft drink business operated by Thomas' brother Adam and his family. This business was operated until the 1960's when it was closed down and is now apparently the site of a "Tesco" Supermarket. I am fairly sure that the business operated by Adam Caldwell did not take over the business of Thomas Caldwell (although I can understand the apparent confusion).

Perhaps I should also note that the business of Soft Drink manufacture was carried on by Joseph Caldwell from perhaps sometime in the 1870's until his death in 1917 when it continued to be operated by some of his children at "Riverbank" Greenholm Street (Moved to Riverbank in the 1890's). Sometime after that the sons Adam and Thomas split with their sister Jean and set up their own factory in Lower Glencairn Street (about 1925/26) as "Caldwell Brothers". Jean closed the Riverbank factory. Some years later Thomas and his sons left the Lower Gelncairn Street business (which continued as "Adam Caldwell") and set up his own business in East Shaw Street (date not known but sometime before WWII). The name "Hendry's" has been mentioned in relation to this business and I do not know if my grandfather actually bought out an existing business on that site or whether this is a red herring. Certainly I do know that he traded as Thomas Caldwell & Sons.

I have since found out that the Scottish Wholesale Co-operative Society who purchased my Grandfather's business ran a chain of Soft-Drink factories over Scotland that traded under the common trading name "Hendry's".

This area at the upper end of the Irvine Valley in Ayrshire must always have been a defence point for the people of Ayrshire. This commment may well be worth exploring further.

The Roman's had a fort there but no trace of a road into Ayrshire has been found. It is thought that one must exist but perhaps the reason for the fort was to bottle up the "head of the glen"? and prevent the tribes of Ayrshire bursting out and cutting Roman lines of communication up the Clyde valley to the Antoninine Wall.

Both Wallace and Bruce fought small battles here and Drumclog is not far away. There are more than likely many other instances of conflict in this area which is a defendable spot in a main route between Ayrshire and Lanark.

The surrounding moors of the Upper Irvine may well have been ideal to be traversed by smaller bands of local men but more difficult for a formal army with baggage. Consequently a slow advance down the Irvine Valley by an invading force may have been difficult and supplying them fraught. No harder than many another campaign perhaps but possibly considered not worth the effort.

14 February 2005 8:15pm

Heavy fall of rain last night but it is fine today. Still 29C inside. Barometer 75.8, Humidity 48%.

Grass has gone mad as we have had a reasonable amount of rain this month after a long "dryish" spell. Weather is pretty good really, just a trifle hot, but not too bad. 22-26C is about "perfect" - over 30C uncomfortable - pushing 40C is b-hot. Another 3/4 months of this before it cools down for winter, find it a bit hard to take really ...

15 February 2005 7:15 am

A few small black clouds studding the sky, once the sun really gets going they are like to disappear, doubt if it will rain. Not going to be hot enough to bring up a storm this afternoon. Very nice outside with a slight sea breeze. 23C inside and very pleasant. Barometer 75.8, Humidity 64%

15 February 2005 10:30 pm

Didn't rain - pleasant sunny day. 27C inside right at the moment. Barometer 75.6, Humidity 58%

16 February 2005 7:10 am

Fine and sunny, no cloud, slight chill in a very soft breeze this morning - "good to be alive" feel. Going to be hotter today I think. At the moment 25C inside Barometer 75.6, Humidity 66%.

16 February 2005 9:55 pm

Hot and sticky 29C. Barometer 75.4, Humidity 66%. Those 4 degrees make a big difference.

17 February 2005 8:30 am

There is a cyclone near the Cook Islands and some generally nasty weather out there in the Pacific Ocean. We don't seem to get the winds here but the flow on clouds and rain are here. Have had rain overnight but it is not raining at the moment. Heaviily overcast and cooler - when it rains it sure is gunna rain ... Cool and very pleasant none the less. 27C inside, Barometer 75.7, Humidity 72%

3:10 pm I was right - been pouring on and off all day ..

Official weather today : COFFS HARBOUR Thu, Feb 17 Fri

min: 19°C max: 26°C 21.6°C Last updated: 5:00:00 PM
Wind: 11.1 kph 180° S
Rain: 57.4 mm (2.25")
Sunrise: 06:29 Sunset: 19:34

Our house is very weather efficient and our inside temperature more constant than that outside.

17 February 2005 11:25 pm

Stopped raining for now : 27C (work that out), Barometer 75.6, Humidity 72%

19 February 2005 2:15 pm

Hot and sunny, wouldn't know it had been raining - great day outside 30C inside, Barometer 75.7, Humidity 60.2%

Only nut-cases are sitting behind a computer at the moment

"Oor hoose" corner Portland & Fullarton Roads Kilmarnock, my home 1945-1950. My bedroom was in the attic.

My ancestor's in Galston were John Caldwell and Mary Morton

There were a number of Morton's in the Newmilns and Darvel area and especially around Darvel. Birth details in the IGI are a bit shy on the mother's names so there is a bit of guessing going on. Using the basis of "family names" I know that John & Mary used the conventions.

I know that John's parents were Alan and Janet and duly enough the first boy was named Alan and the third son was John after his father. Applying this technique the second son should be named after the wife's father consequently the second son "Mathew" is a good indication of Mary's father's name.

John kept this up after his second marriage naming the eldest children by that marriage David and Agnes after his new wife's parents.

The girls are a bit harder. The first was recorded as Mary when it should have been Janet. The second was Janet. However there is a 2 year gap between Mathew and Mary which might indicate the loss of an unrecorded child. Furthermore I don't know when John and Mary married so it is possible that there was a girl before Alan, the first son.

Following convention there would have had to have been two unrecorded early infant deaths for the first surviving female child to have been named after the mother.

Another reason could be that "Mary" was also the name of Mary's mother. This might indicate the infant death of one child only (a "Janet") and there is a "gap that fits". Every death would be a tragedy and the fact that there was a name-gap indicates that the child survived long enough to be christened. There is another later daughter Jean and they had six recorded children (the last was John 1811). John snr remarried to Agnes McClanachan in 1815 and I presume that his first wife, Mary Morton, had died between those two dates.

Two unrecorded infant girl deaths who had been christened, is possible, but missing just one might be more probable. The matter is complicated by not finding the marriage details so I might conclude that they had moved between marriage and Alan's birth.

There are several Mary Morton's who could possibly have been born to a Mathew (single "t" was the Morton spelling) at about the right time. I am guessing that "Mary" was in fact her mother's name. Although "Jean" is also possible, by tradition it should have been "Mary" but in fact it is the name of one of John's sister's - correct in chronology as "Janet" had already been "taken". "Jean" may well have been John's paternal grandmother's name.

There was a Mary Christened in Galston on 3 March 1779 who would be the correct age to be "our" Mary and her father's name is Mathew but the mother's is not recorded. Mary Richmond was born about 1755 and would have been in the right age range to have been "our" Mary's mother.

If my guessing is correct then there is an outside chance that her parent's were Mathew Morton and Mary Richmond of Gowersbraehead farm. It is less likely when I found the farm on an 1856 ordinance survey map the other side of Darvel (but still not a great distance from Galston). On a more modern map it is shown as Gorsebraehead.

Newmilns and Darvel are in Loudoun Parish but Gowersbraehead is south of the Irvine and in Galston parish although the former two villages are closer to the farm.

I will continue looking in the Loudoun Parish records.

(Possible parents of Mary Morton married to John Caldwell)

"Richmond Deaths in Loudoun Parish"

Feb 25, 1845 Mary Richmond or Morton Wedow of the Decessed Mathew Morton of Gawrsbreaheade She is intered in the northmost Graff in the Lair belonging to John Broun in dyke & Morton Writer in Glasgow on the east end of the Lair She was above 90 years old

(note "Dyke" is a farm just south of Darvel on the map)

From: "George M. McCaig" casagem@sympatico.ca
Subject: Ayrshire Deaths
Date: May 2001

Margaret Donald, 71, October 18, 1860 at Loudoun,
Widow of an Agricultural Labourer,
[parents] Mathew Morton, Landed Proprietor (dec) and May Richmond (dec),
[informant] John Donald, Son
(note "Margaret" is not a family name)

Thomas Morton, 81, January 11, 1866 at Galston,
Married to Margaret Wilson,
[parents] Matthew Morton, Farmer (dec) and Mary Richmond (dec)
[informant] Mathew Morton Son
(note "Thomas" was not used as a family name although there was a Thomas on John's side of the family)

Matthew Morton, 76, May 16, 1868 at Galston,
Road Surfaceman, Married to Janet Morton,
[parents] Matthew Morton, Farmer (dec) and Mary Richmond (dec)
[informant] Thomas Morton, Cousin.
(note "Mathew" is a family name)

Mary Richmond was born aboout 1755 (or earlier)

Thomas b about 1785 (mother then aged about 30+)
Margaret b about 1789 (mother then aged about 34+)
Mathew b about 1792 (mother then aged about 37+)

All had same parents. "Our" Mary was born 1779 - her father was Mathew her mother's name not stated. (If her mother was Mary Richmond she would have been about 24+ when Mary jnr was born). Thomas, Margaret and Mathew look like the last of a large family. It is unusual for a late son to be named after his father but perhaps he was just the third son and there was a whole "tribe" of girls in between :) Therefore Thomas would have been a sure bet for the next son if Mary (Morton) Caldwell survived. I might guess that perhaps she died in childbirth bearing a "Thomas". It was strange that John did not name one of his children by his second wife "Thomas" as he had a brother Thomas as well. Perhaps this is the reason why Thomas was not used in our family for another three generations. He did name another son Francis after one of his other brothers. All this is conjecture and I realise this but by recording it I can demonstrate a methodology of clues that might help others.

I think that there is a reasonable case for Mary to be a daughter of Mathew and Mary Richmond eve though there is no proof at this stage - I think I should keep looking.

In an amazing way how history reinvents itself I should note that my Uncle Mathew Caldwell married another Mary Richmond.

An alternative: Mathew Morton married Mary Cameron Loudoun Parish 23 March 1770 but I can find no children.

Map: Part of Ordinance Survey Landranger Series 1:50 000 Lanark & Upper Nithsdale Sheet 71 (used for academic illustrative purposes only - copyright is acknowledged)

Note: the site of an Roman Fort near Loudoun Hill also the site of an early successful "ambush" battle of Robert the Bruce nearby. The site of Drumclog is in the top right hand corner. "Henryton" is another Morton farm (also "Ladybrow")

"Francis FINDLAY b. 17 Oct 1781 Galston, Ayr, Scotland (father William FINDLAY)
m. Agnes MORTON chr 29 March 1780 Galston, Ayr, Scotland (parents Thomas MORTON of LADYBROW and Helen MILLER)"

Ladybrow is next to Gowersbraehead and the child Agnes Morton is christened in Galston and about the same vintage as our Mary Morton. Is it possible that the respective parents: Thomas Morton of Ladybrow and Mathew Morton of Gowersbraehead were brothers?

I thought that there is enough information here to be of great use to those who may be researching Caldwell's originating in Galston Ayrshire:

There were at least three Caldwell families in Galston at about the same time:

John Caldwell & Janet Mair

(It is faintly possible that this John might have been a brother of "our" John's father Alan and therefore his uncle. Though there is no Francis, Charles or Alan in this family nor is there George, William, James or Alexander in our line. Thomas, John and Janet are common to both lines. "Our" John had brothers Thomas, Charles and Francis but did not use Thomas or Charles for his children signifying a family split or untimely deaths.) The family names suggest a connection to the family of William Caldwell and Elizabeth Breckenridge who came from Kilwinning

Children:
George Caldwell born 8 October 1790 christened 10 October 1790 Galston Ayrshire
William Caldwell born 18 January 1793 christened 20 January 1793 Galston Ayrshire
John Caldwale born 15 October 1795 christened 1 November 1795 Galston Ayrshire (mother Janet Hair)
James Caldwall born 11 July 1798 christened 22 July 1798 Galston Ayrshire
Thomas Caldwell born 13 September 1800 christened 21 September 1800 Galston Ayrshire
Alexander Caldwell born 17 March 1806 christened 28 March 1806 Galston Ayrshire
Alexander Caldwell (2) born 19 September 1808 christened 7 October 1808 Galston Ayrshire
Janet Caldwell born 28 March 1811 christened 7 April 1811 Galston Ayrshire

"Our" John was first married to Mary Morton and then to Agnes McClanachan and had 13 children

John Caldwell Paper Maker (Labourer on Death Certificate) m (1) Mary Morton about 1802
John was the son of Alan Caldwell and Janet Guthrie and born at St Quivox on 24 February 1780 he died at 5 Kiln Knowe Galston on 4 February 1855
Mary was the daughter almost certainly of Matthew Morton and is wife possibly named "Mary"

Children:
Alan Coalminer b 14 July 1803 Maxwood Galston d 1835 Sydney Mines Nova Scotia m Janet Hunter @ Galston 18 June 1826
"Our" Mathew Coalminer b 2 November 1804 Straithmiln Galston d 1849 Riccarton m Helen Walker @ Galston 25 November 1827
Mary b 13 January 1806 Little Maxwood Galston d 1848 m Samuel Wallace @ Galston 7 August 1825
Janet b 1807 @ Galston d 1848
Jean b 13 May 1809 Straithmiln Galston d 1854 m James Templeton @ Kilmarnock 3 March 1826 OR m Malcolm Kerr @ Galston 22 June 1828
John Coalminer b 1811 Galston d 3 April 1869 Henrietta Street Galston m (1) Ann Woodburn Possibly (2) Martha Yeudall

m (2) 23 May 1815 @ Galston Agnes McClanachan b 4 May 1789 @ Muirhead Galston d 29 June 1865 @ Kiln Knowe Galston the daughter of David McClanachan and Agnes (Jean) Donald
Agnes b 1816 Galston d 1817
Francis b 1818 Galston d 1855
Agnes b 1820 Galston d 1855
David Coalminer b 1823 Galston d 13 November 1908 Temple Street Darvel m (1) Isabella McCallum (2) Isabella Robertson @ Galston 21 January 1844
Elizabeth b 1825
Ann b 1828 m 15 June 1850 John Robertson @ Galston
Janet b 1832 Galston d 1849

The other family was:
William Caldwell m Elizabeth Breckenridge @ Kilwinning 23 May 1800

Children:
John b 18 March 1803
Ann b 16 November 1806 Galston
Isabella b 18 Septemmber 1808 Galston m William Yeudall @ Galston 27 June 1828 d 9 June 1878 @ Henrietta Street Galston
William b 28 October 1810 Loudoun
James b 22 November 1812 Loudoun
George b 19 July 1815 Loudoun

All these "Caldwell's" in the Galston area and virtually none left - where did they go?

Little bits and pieces may one day add up to something tangible:

They are here because they may be of interest but they are not currently connected to anything

Thomas Caldwell m Janet Wallace 17 August 1823 at Galston Ayrshire (probably son of John Caldwell and Janet Mair)

Allan Caldwall & Anna Wilson
Children:
John Caldwall born 31 January 1736 at Ayr Ayrshire
Francis Caldwall born 27 July 1747 christened 10 August 1747 at Ayr Ayrshire

Jean Caldwall m John Gottray 26 April 1698 at Ayr Ayrshire
John Caldwall m Jean Crawford 9 December 1697 at Ayr Ayrshire
John Caldwall m Marion Reid 9 September 1726 at Ayr Ayrshire

Robert Caldwell & Margaret Guthrie
Children:
Anne Caldwell christened 27 May 1827 Coylton Ayrshire

Allan Caldwell (known relation) m Jane Bowie 29 December 1871 Dreghorn Ayrshire
Elizabeth Caldwell m John Bowie 25 August 1871 Dreghorn Ayrshire
Janet Caldwell m John Wilson 13 December 1855 Dreghorn Ayrshire
Mary Caldwell m Archibald Gray 3 July 1857 Dreghorn Ayrshire

"Our" connection to Burns? (smile)
Janet Caldwell m Gilbert Armour June 1769 Irvine Ayrshire

CALDWELL Mary; SCT; 1740

Does anyone have any info about Mary CALDWELL - daughter of Thomas Caldwell and
Christina ( SANDERS or SANDBERG) - born about 1741 in Ayr - Mary Caldwell
married Francis DICKSON - I was told the DICKSONS lived on Wallace Street in
Ayr as a Robert Bruce grant for services rendered - Their son William DICKSON
is buried in St.Quivox cemetery in Auchincruive.

William Dickson would be my g.g.g.grandfather and I would greatly appreciate
any names, places, or other information about the family.

ailsamp@aol.com
Ailsa MacLean Peterson

Link to John Caldwell of Ayr's interest in the 120 ton "James of Ayr" expedition to Port Royal Sound, South Carolina (near present-day Beaufort) "Stuart's Town" 1684. Robert Rodger of Kilmarnock was his son in law:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/immig_emig/scotland/s_sw/article_1.shtml

Margaret ALLAN (487) (Elizabeth Logan, James, David, John); born 6 Sep 1800; married Alexander Caldwell (490) 1 Feb 1820 at Kilbirnie Parish, Ayr; died 3 Sep 1848 at Greenock, Ayr, at age 47.

Alexander and family emigrated to America after Margaret died.

Alexander CALDWELL (490) was born circa 1800.

Children of Margaret Allan (487) and Alexander Caldwell (490) were as follows:

i. Elisabeth (1363); christened 15 Apr 1821 at Kilbirnie Parish, Ayr.
ii. Andrew (1364); christened 23 May 1823 at Kilbirnie Parish, Ayr.
iii. Alexander (1365); christened 15 Jan 1826 at Kilbirnie Parish, Ayr.
iv. William (1366); christened 18 May 1828 at Kilbirnie Parish, Ayr.
v. William (1367); christened 7 Nov 1830 at Kilbirnie Parish, Ayr.
vi. Margaret (1368); christened 11 Aug 1833 at Kilbirnie Parish, Ayr.
vii. James (1369); christened 28 May 1837 at Kilbirnie Parish, Ayr.

Barlanark Property: http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/smihou/smihou008.htm

Where did he go? Enthusiatic team members search for the opposition player.

Opposition player remonstrates over a brief break to inspect for grass stains on the uniform