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".