Beith
Encyclopedia
Beith is a small town situated in the Garnock Valley
in North Ayrshire
, Scotland
approximately 20-miles south-west of Glasgow
. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "Hill o' Beith" (hill of the birches) after its Court Hill.
, which is sometimes referred to as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", ascribing names of trees to individual letters. Beithe in Old Irish means Birch-tree (cognate to Latin betula). There is reason to believe that the whole of the district was covered with woods. The town of Beith itself was once known as 'Hill of Beith' as this was the name of the feudal barony and was itself derived from the Court Hill
near Hill of Beith Castle
.
The Wood of Beit, now the 'Moor of Beith', has been identified as an Arthurian site where according to Taliessin in a poem under the name of 'Canowan' it was the site of a battle in the wood of Beit at the close of the day.
, a confessor of some celebrity, whose principal place of abode was Irvine
. He flourished about 839. Although he is said to have been a hermit
, according to tradition Saint Inan
often visited Beith, frequenting Cuff Hill with its Rocking Stone and various other prehistoric monuments. A cleft in the west-front of Lochlands Hill is still known as "St. Inan's Chair" and said to have been used by the saint as a pulpit. An unsuccessful search for the saint's writings which were said to be preserved in the library of Bonci, Archbishop of Pisa, was made by Colonel Mure of Caldwell in the 19th-century.
Saint Inan
is said to have preached to the assembled people from the chair on the hill. There was not a great population in the area at that time and the people were located not in Beith, but up on the top of the Bigholm near to the old Beith water dam
s. The first settlements were in the heavily wooded areas around the dams where people were safe from attack and could get food from the land, and fish in the lochs. The Saints of old went where the people were, and they also tended to go where there had been worship of heathen Gods. It has been suggested that High Bogside Farm, which used to be called Bellsgrove, was really “Baalsgrove”, which fits in with the story of Saint Inan
going to where the pagan gods were.
There is an annual civic fete held in the town bearing Saint Inan
's name.
was probably born in Hazelhead (now Hessilhead
) Castle, which is on the outskirts of Beith, beyond Gateside
. Montgomerie is regarded as one of the finest of Middle Scots
poets, and perhaps the greatest Scottish
exponent of the sonnet
form.
and built a reputation during the 18th century as being a town which harboured those whose intentions were not always lawful. In 1733 forty or fifty Beith smugglers sacked the Irvine
Customs House, escaping with a rich booty of confiscated contraband goods and by 1789 a company of 76 soldiers were quartered in the town dealing with the continuing illicit trade in tea, tobacco, and spirits. This caused great inconvenience to the law-abiding citizens on whom the soldiers were billeted. The town was policed in this fashion for some time thereafter. Hence, the Main Street's popular public house is still called the Smugglers Tavern, recalling the days when Beith's location between the coast and Paisley
and Glasgow
, made it a convenient stopping off point for those involved in nefarious activities.
A possible relic of the smuggling days of Beith is the ley tunnel
that is said to run from the site of the Grace Church on Eglinton Street to Kilbirnie Loch.
James Montgomery, an enslaved African, was brought from Virginia
to Beith by Sheddan. He wanted Montgomery, then called "Shanker", apprenticed to a joiner so that he would learn a skill and could then be sold for a large profit back in Virginia
. When Shanker decided to be baptised in Beith Parish Church with the name James Montgomery in April 1756, Sheddan objected. Montgomery was dragged nearly 30-miles to Port Glasgow
behind horses to be taken back to Virginia
but escaped to Edinburgh
before the ship sailed. Montgomery sought justice but before a decision could be made by judges he died in Tolbooth Gaol.
The practice of owning people did not become common in Britain
and it was a result a number of contradictory legal decisions made, that raised the question of the rights of the enslaved, as well as the legal right to own people in Britain
. The outcomes of these cases also influenced the abolition movement.
, was a former minister of one its Church of Scotland
parishes between 1745 - 1757. In 1745 he led the men of Beith to Glasgow to defend King George III against the Young Pretender in the '45 rebellion. Despite receiving orders to return to Beith, Witherspoon carried on, was captured at the Battle of Falkirk
and imprisoned for a time in Doune Castle
. He later emigrated and became a member of the US congress and in July 1776 he voted for the Resolution for Independence. In answer to an objection that the country was not yet ready for independence, according to tradition, he replied that it "was not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of rotting for the want of it." Witherspoon was also the sixth president of Princeton University
and showed great commitment to liberal education and republican government. He died in 1794 on his farm "Tusculum," just outside of Princeton
, and is buried in the Princeton Cemetery
. His direct descendants include actress Reese Witherspoon
, and he is commemorated by statues in Washington D.C., at the University of the West of Scotland in Paisley
, and a plaque in Beith town centre.
's relatives lived at Boghall Farm
near Gateside
. His mother, Janet Pollock, came from Boghall although she spent much of her life at the home of her uncle, Hugh Brodie, who farmed at Langcroft at the foot of Calder Glen, near Lochwinnoch
. Robert Tannahill
(3 June 1774 - 17 May 1810), was known as the 'Weaver Poet', his music and poetry is contemporaneous with that of Robert Burns
and they both died when relatively young.
, the originator of the concept of forensic use of fingerprint
ing, was born in Beith in 1843. A well-travelled man, he explained the suitability of fingerprint
ing for the identification of criminals and also wrote to Charles Darwin
to forward his ideas. The letter was never published and he died in 1930, aged 86, bitter at the lack of recognition he had received for his work. His work in Japan
is remembered by a memorial stone in Tokyo
. In addition, a small stone memorial dedicated to his memory was unveiled in the centre of Beith in 1984 and, in 2007, a memorial was also placed in view in Woolstanton near to St Margaret's churchyard, where he was laid to rest.
, trade in linen
cloth was introduced to Beith, which became so considerable, that the Beith markets were frequented by merchants from the neighbouring towns every week. By the 1730s, the declining linen
cloth business was being succeeded by considerable trade in linen
yarn. Beith merchants purchased the yarn made in the local area, and sold it to Paisley
and Glasgow
manufacturers. The demand for the commodity encouraged local farmers to raise great quantities of flax
, and the linen
yarn trade peaked around 1760. The manufacture of silk
gauze superseded both trades and, from 1777 to 1789, the amount of looms in the town producing the gauze peaked at approximately 170.
with a reputation for high-quality furniture. The origins of the industry can be traced back to Mathew Dale who started by making hand-built furniture for local people in 1845. An former employee of Dale, Matthew Pollock progressed the manufacturing by introducting machinery in a factory setting 3-miles outside of the town at Beith North railway station. After approximately 12-years Pollock and his brothers, sold the factory to Robert Balfour, and moved into the town to expand their business. Balfour suffered the same problems as the Pollock Brothers in being unable to attract workers from the town to walk the 3-miles to work. In 1872 he built a factory near the Beith Town railway station and persuaded the railway company to build a siding to allow easy transportation of raw materials and finished products.
The industry expanded across the local area making it a centre of excellence in furniture manufacturing and building its reputation throughout the world. In the late 1920s transportation switched away from the railway but the industry continued to burgeon with many companies producing high-quality furniture; McNeil Bros, specialised in board room and library fittings, Stevenson and Higgins
made lift cages, which were fitted in many hotels and department stores, Balfours were for a number of years the main manufacturers of mantlepieces in Scotland
, some were designed in the elegant style, and required the expert skill of woodcarvers. Matthew Pollock Ltd supplied furniture to both the RMS Queen Mary
and the RMS Queen Elizabeth II.
Furniture is no longer produced in Beith due to the closure of the various manufacturing firms. The closures were caused by a multitude of problems such as the state of the economy and an inability to compete with self-assembly furniture firms and their increase in popularity. The last big furniture manufacturer to close was Beithcraft (formerly Balfours) which finished in 1983 (after a major fire a few years earlier that destroyed large sections of the plant) with the loss of 420 jobs. With this final closure came the end of the Beith reputation for being one of the main furniture manufacturing centres in the country.
This history of carpentry is remembered in the nickname of the local football team, Beith Juniors, who are commonly referred to as "The Cabes" (Cabinet Makers).
continues to maintain an armament depot, DM Beith, in the area. As part of Ministry of Defence
reorganisation plans in 2005, the 360 posts at DM-Beith were cut by 60. This was attributed to changes in the way equipment and supplies were stored and distributed, and it was hoped that it would reduce costs by £50m a year by 2010.
Steelworks and the Linwood car manufacturing plant. Outwith the furniture industry, a large proportion of the local population were employed within these industries. At its peak, the local Steelworks had 3,000 employees, but by the time it closed in 1985 it had been reduced to 200. The Linwood car plant manufactured the Hillman Imp
, a competitor to BMC's
Mini
, and provided up to 9,000 jobs during peak production but was closed by Peugeot-Citroen in 1981. It has been estimated that 13,000 workers were left jobless in the region as both direct and indirect consequences of the Linwood closure.
.
is ranked fifth highest in Scotland
in terms of percentage of the population living in the most deprived areas. These areas have been targeted for regeneration by the local authority. This involves the targeting of activity and resources by the community planning partnership in relation to housing, crime, income, employment, health, skills and training and access to services.
A small area of Beith is one of three regeneration areas in the Garnock Valley
. These are the smallest regeneration areas in Ayrshire
. This is partly because rural deprivation tends to be less geographically concentrated than urban deprivation, and so it remains more hidden, being experienced by individuals and households rather than the larger communities. The area of Beith targeted for regeneration amounts to 359 households and 635 people (approximately 10% of the town's population).
. The church got a bell tower and clock in 1800. The old bell still stands, and bears the following inscription: “This bell was given by Hew Montgomerie, sone of Hessilhead, anno 1614, and refounded by the Heritor
s of Beith, anno 1734″.
The kirk had been built in a rather precarious position on a cliff-side, and from 1807-10 it was rebuilt a little further up the hill as the new Parish Church
. The Heritor
s then moved the older portions of the Auld Kirk to the new one, leaving only the front door and the clock and the belfry.
There was not much left of the old kirk after that, and it came to be used as a burial ground for the Woodside family. Later on, however, it was closed for further burials and partly renovated, with the old high wall replaced by railings and paths dugs over the ground. Presently, there are no sepulchers left standing of the old baronial families, and the earliest graves date back only till 1710.
There are a number of memorials to the Spier and Dobie families within the grounds of the Auld Kirk, and also a memorial to Robert Patrick of Hazelhead (Inspector General of Army Hospitals). A sundial dating from the 1840s is also visible, and a stone coat of arms thought to originate from the Auld Kirk manse can be seen nearby, in Reform Street.
Small Debt Circuit Court, meeting of the road trustees and as a public meeting room. It was also used as a public reading room. For the first twenty years the management of the Town House was in the hands of the JPs of Beith, Dalry, and Kilbirnie, the heritors of the parishes, the propietors of certain houses in Beith, and finally tenants of said houses within half a mile of the cross.
of the Church of Scotland
, and the Roman Catholic Church
of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.
. A deaf-and-dumb
young man lived in the cottage in earlier times, hence the acquired name "Dummy Cottage," an unacceptable term today.
File:Beith Town House, Ayrshire, Scotland.JPG|Beith Town House
Image:Beith High Church.JPG|The High Church
Image:Beith_Trinity_Church_-_geograph.org.uk_-_34619.jpg|The Trinity Church
File:Scapa Cottage.JPG|Scapa cottage
(NS 330 543), is situated in the floodplain of between Kilbirnie
, Glengarnock
and Beith, and runs south-west to north-east for almost 2 km (1.2 mi), is about 0.5 km (0.310686368324903 mi) wide for the most part and has an area of roughly 3 km2 (761 acres). The loch is fed mainly by the Maich Water and is drained by the Dubbs Water that runs into Castle Semple Loch
. Early authors often use the term 'Garnoth' or 'Garnott' and may be referring to a single large loch incorporating Kilbirnie Loch
and Loch Winnoch (Barr and Castle Semple Lochs). Boece in his book of 1527 the 'Historia Gentis Scotorum' (History of the Scottish People), says that this one entity was nocht unlike the Loch Doune full of fische.
There is a long history of drainage schemes and farming operations in the Lochwinnoch
area, with co-ordinated attempts dating from about 1691 by Lord Sempill
, followed by Colonel McDowal of Castle Sempil in 1774, James Adams of Burnfoot, and by others. Until these drainage works Loch Winnoch and Kilbirnie Loch nearly met and often did during flooding, to the extent that, as stated, early writers such as Boece, Hollings and Petruccio Ubaldini
regarded the lochs as one, using the name 'Garnoth' or 'Garnott'.
Spier's (pron. Speers) school stood on the Barmill Road near the old Marshalland Farm. It was built for Mrs Margaret Spier of the Marshalland and Cuff estate in 1887 to commemorate John Spier, her son, who had died at the age of 28, the last of her ten children. The school started as a fee paying day and boarding school, becoming part of the county education system in 1937. Following the construction of Garnock Academy, Spier's school closed in 1973 and the buildings were demolished in 1984. Robert Spier and family lived in Beith at number 62 Eglinton Street, formerly Whang Street, and they unusually had their own private chapel in the grounds.
The 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) of woodland and gardens remain a popular site for dog walkers, bird watchers, and those out to enjoy the rural surroundings. There are a number of memorials to the Spier's family in the Auld Kirk grounds and in the local area.
William Fulton Love, writer and bank agent in Beith, built Geilsland House
and developed this small estate near Gateside in the 19th-century although the deeds go back to the 17th-century. Geilsland
is a special school, run by the Church of Scotland
as part of its CrossReach initiative.
to Glasgow
road. Built for the Kerr family in the 18th century, Crummock was sold in 1815 to William Wilson, who added to the house and improved the grounds. James Dobie, the historian and author, and his family lived here from 1836. Now demolished and a housing estate built on the site, some boundary walls and a cottage remain. Historic stones which had been built into the kitchen garden were donated to the North Ayrshire Heritage Centre, including the arched stone known as the shrine. Images of these shrine
stones can be viewed in The Gallery section below. A plaque remembering James Dobie resides in Beith Auld Kirk.
, Gateside
, in the old Barony of Beith. Dobie states that this is the moot hill
on which the Abbot of Kilwinning
used to administer justice to his vassals & tenants. It is a sub-oval, flat-topped mound, situated at the foot of a small valley
. A number of large stones are visible in the sides of the mound. It is turf-covered, probably situated on a low outcrop, and is mostly an artificial work. Pre-dating the channelling of the burn which detours around it, the mound was probably isolated in this once marshy outflow of the former Boghall Loch (see NS35SE 14).
In the 12th century the Barony of Beith was given to the Tironensian
monks of Kilwinning Abbey
by the wife of Sir Richard de Morville
. The farm or Grange of the monks is indicated by the name Grange Hill and a castellated tower indicated as once existing in the area may have been the local dwelling of the Abbot of Kilwinning
when he was visiting the barony to deliver justice at the Court Hill or attend to other business and later the local laird. No clarly undisputed remains have been found of the tower or grange buildings, however the New Statistical Account of 1845 written by the local minister, George Colville, states that the castle stood close to the Court Hill.
Loch Brand
or Bran was the name by which Boghall Loch was formerly known. The loch, now almost completely drained, is the main source of the Powgree Burn and partly lay on the lands of Boghall. On or around the margin of the loch piles or stakes of oak or elm have been discovered and it is thought that these may be the remains of crannog
s.
, weighing 11 tons, sits on top of Cuff Hill. According to local folklore, Saint Inan
frequented the stone, that legend states rocked from side-to-side on a balance point.
FoS encourages other groups to become involved at Spier's through membership, carrying out conservation projects; biodiversity enhancement initiatives; photographic and other surveys; as well as arranging events and furthering the educational and ecotherapeutic uses of the Spiers woodlands and open spaces.
The first substantial signs of the regeneration of the site was the construction of the Spier's Commemorative Wall, erected in 2010 and the restoration of the Coronation Garden, completed in 2011.
YMBB meet in the Beith Community Centre twice a week and are supervised by adults from the NAC Youth Services. The YMBB committee includes youth members, adults from the community and local councillors who assist in the overview of the group and with forward planning.
YMBB members are frequently featured in online media and local newspapers, and a have a long term commitment at the Spier's Old School Grounds on Barrmill
Road, working towards the stages of the John Muir Trust
Awards. YMBB have set up a number of geocaches
to encourage locals and visitors to visit the areas many beauty spots and sites of interest.
The town was once served by two railway stations: Beith North
, commonly referred to as "the Low station" and Beith Town
. Beith North
closed in 1951 and the Town station closed in 1962. The nearest station is just over 2 miles away, at Glengarnock
which provides direct rail links to Glasgow Central station
and services to the Clyde coast
and Glasgow Prestwick airport.
Beith is approximately 13 miles south of Glasgow International Airport
, 21 miles north of Glasgow Prestwick airport and 60 miles west of Edinburgh
airport
.
. The team participate in the SJFA West of Scotland, Super League Premier Division and play their home games at Bellsdale Park, which is famous for its slope. The club's most famous former player is Steve Clarke
, who went on to play for Saint Mirren and Chelsea
, and is currently first-team coach at Liverpool
. A list of former players to play at senior professional level can be viewed at Beith Juniors' eteamz website.
in 1972 when Spier's School, Dalry High, Kilbirnie Central and Beith Academy schools were closed to form Garnock Academy. The Old Spierians club had been founded in the early years of the 20th century and joined the Scottish Rugby Union
in 1911. Garnock play their home games at Lochshore on the banks of Kilbirnie
Loch and currently (2010) participate in the Scottish Hydro Premier League 3.
's chair at Lochland's Hill.
Image:Beith house.JPG|House nearby to Beith High Church
Image:Beith Memorial.JPG|A sundial recording the donation of the Beith War Memorial plot by Lady Cochran-Patrick of Ladyland and Mosside
Image:Beith War Memorial.JPG|War memorial
File:Shrine Stone - Shrine Stone 2.jpg| Shrine Stone: A horse with what may be a mason's tools above
File:Shrine Stone 1.jpg| Shrine Stone: A standing figure holding a horse with carved letters or tools above
File:Arthurian Ayrshire map.jpg|Arthurian locations showing Beith Moor
Garnock Valley
The Garnock Valley is an area in the northern part of North Ayrshire, Scotland, adjoining Renfrewshire.The region includes the towns of Beith, Dalry, and Kilbirnie, and some smaller villages such as Gateside, Barrmill, Longbar and Glengarnock....
in North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
approximately 20-miles south-west of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "Hill o' Beith" (hill of the birches) after its Court Hill.
History
Name
Beith's name is thought to emanate from OghamOgham
Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Old Irish language, and occasionally the Brythonic language. Ogham is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.There are roughly...
, which is sometimes referred to as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", ascribing names of trees to individual letters. Beithe in Old Irish means Birch-tree (cognate to Latin betula). There is reason to believe that the whole of the district was covered with woods. The town of Beith itself was once known as 'Hill of Beith' as this was the name of the feudal barony and was itself derived from the Court Hill
Moot hill
A moot hill or mons placiti is a hill or mound historically used as an assembly or meeting place. In early medieval Britain, such hills were used for "moots", meetings of local people to settle local business. Among other things, proclamations might be read; decisions might be taken; court cases...
near Hill of Beith Castle
Hill of Beith Castle
The old Barony and castle, fortalice, or tower house of Hill of Beith lay in the feudal Regality of Kilwinning, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame, and the Sherrifdom of Ayr, now the Parish of Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland.-The Abbots of Kilwinning Abbey:...
.
The Wood of Beit, now the 'Moor of Beith', has been identified as an Arthurian site where according to Taliessin in a poem under the name of 'Canowan' it was the site of a battle in the wood of Beit at the close of the day.
Saint Inan
Beith is said to have been the occasional residence of Saint InanSaint Inan
Saint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
, a confessor of some celebrity, whose principal place of abode was Irvine
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
. He flourished about 839. Although he is said to have been a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
, according to tradition Saint Inan
Saint Inan
Saint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
often visited Beith, frequenting Cuff Hill with its Rocking Stone and various other prehistoric monuments. A cleft in the west-front of Lochlands Hill is still known as "St. Inan's Chair" and said to have been used by the saint as a pulpit. An unsuccessful search for the saint's writings which were said to be preserved in the library of Bonci, Archbishop of Pisa, was made by Colonel Mure of Caldwell in the 19th-century.
Saint Inan
Saint Inan
Saint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
is said to have preached to the assembled people from the chair on the hill. There was not a great population in the area at that time and the people were located not in Beith, but up on the top of the Bigholm near to the old Beith water dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s. The first settlements were in the heavily wooded areas around the dams where people were safe from attack and could get food from the land, and fish in the lochs. The Saints of old went where the people were, and they also tended to go where there had been worship of heathen Gods. It has been suggested that High Bogside Farm, which used to be called Bellsgrove, was really “Baalsgrove”, which fits in with the story of Saint Inan
Saint Inan
Saint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
going to where the pagan gods were.
There is an annual civic fete held in the town bearing Saint Inan
Saint Inan
Saint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
's name.
Alexander Montgomerie
The sixteenth century poet Alexander MontgomerieAlexander Montgomerie
Alexander Montgomerie , Scottish Jacobean courtier and poet, or makar, born in Ayrshire. He was one of the principal members of the Castalian Band, a circle of poets in the court of James VI in the 1580s which included the king himself. Montgomerie was for a time in favour as one of the king's...
was probably born in Hazelhead (now Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
) Castle, which is on the outskirts of Beith, beyond Gateside
Gateside, North Ayrshire
Gateside is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about half a mile east of Beith on the B777.-The village:Gateside Primary School, headteacher Ms Fiona Dunlop, was opened in 1903, and nowadays it has 74 pupils...
. Montgomerie is regarded as one of the finest of Middle Scots
Middle Scots
Middle Scots was the Anglic language of Lowland Scotland in the period from 1450 to 1700. By the end of the 13th century its phonology, orthography, accidence, syntax and vocabulary had diverged markedly from Early Scots, which was virtually indistinguishable from early Northumbrian Middle English...
poets, and perhaps the greatest Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
exponent of the sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
form.
Smugglers
Beith has a historical connection to smugglingSmuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
and built a reputation during the 18th century as being a town which harboured those whose intentions were not always lawful. In 1733 forty or fifty Beith smugglers sacked the Irvine
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
Customs House, escaping with a rich booty of confiscated contraband goods and by 1789 a company of 76 soldiers were quartered in the town dealing with the continuing illicit trade in tea, tobacco, and spirits. This caused great inconvenience to the law-abiding citizens on whom the soldiers were billeted. The town was policed in this fashion for some time thereafter. Hence, the Main Street's popular public house is still called the Smugglers Tavern, recalling the days when Beith's location between the coast and Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, made it a convenient stopping off point for those involved in nefarious activities.
A possible relic of the smuggling days of Beith is the ley tunnel
Ley tunnel
Ley tunnels are a common element of the local folklore tradition in the United Kingdom and they also occur in Europe. In Norwegian a ley tunnel-like passage is called a "lønngang" and in Swedish a "lönngång"...
that is said to run from the site of the Grace Church on Eglinton Street to Kilbirnie Loch.
Morishill and James Montgomery
Now a small housing estate, the house and land of Morrishill stood a short distance south of Beith. It commanded an excellent view and was well sheltered with trees. Owned by Robert Shedden, who purchased the land in 1748, it is notoriously linked to the case of James Montgomery.James Montgomery, an enslaved African, was brought from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to Beith by Sheddan. He wanted Montgomery, then called "Shanker", apprenticed to a joiner so that he would learn a skill and could then be sold for a large profit back in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. When Shanker decided to be baptised in Beith Parish Church with the name James Montgomery in April 1756, Sheddan objected. Montgomery was dragged nearly 30-miles to Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
behind horses to be taken back to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
but escaped to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
before the ship sailed. Montgomery sought justice but before a decision could be made by judges he died in Tolbooth Gaol.
The practice of owning people did not become common in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and it was a result a number of contradictory legal decisions made, that raised the question of the rights of the enslaved, as well as the legal right to own people in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The outcomes of these cases also influenced the abolition movement.
Rev. John Witherspoon
One of Beith's various claims to fame is that a signatory of the American Declaration of Independence, the Rev. John WitherspoonJohn Witherspoon
John Witherspoon was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. As president of the College of New Jersey , he trained many leaders of the early nation and was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration...
, was a former minister of one its Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
parishes between 1745 - 1757. In 1745 he led the men of Beith to Glasgow to defend King George III against the Young Pretender in the '45 rebellion. Despite receiving orders to return to Beith, Witherspoon carried on, was captured at the Battle of Falkirk
Battle of Falkirk (1746)
During the Second Jacobite Rising, the Battle of Falkirk Muir was the last noteworthy Jacobite success.-Background:...
and imprisoned for a time in Doune Castle
Doune Castle
Doune Castle is a medieval stronghold near the village of Doune, in the Stirling district of central Scotland. The castle is sited on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn flows into the River Teith. It lies north-west of Stirling, where the Teith flows into the River Forth...
. He later emigrated and became a member of the US congress and in July 1776 he voted for the Resolution for Independence. In answer to an objection that the country was not yet ready for independence, according to tradition, he replied that it "was not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of rotting for the want of it." Witherspoon was also the sixth president of Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and showed great commitment to liberal education and republican government. He died in 1794 on his farm "Tusculum," just outside of Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, and is buried in the Princeton Cemetery
Princeton Cemetery
Princeton Cemetery is located in Borough of Princeton, New Jersey. It is owned by the Nassau Presbyterian Church. John F. Hageman in his 1878 history of Princeton, New Jersey refers to the cemetery as: "The Westminster Abbey of the United States."...
. His direct descendants include actress Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
, and he is commemorated by statues in Washington D.C., at the University of the West of Scotland in Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, and a plaque in Beith town centre.
Robert Tannahill
The Scottish Poet Robert TannahillRobert Tannahill
Robert Tannahill was a Scottish poet. Known as the 'Weaver Poet', his music and poetry is contemporaneous with that of Robert Burns.He was born at Castle Street in Paisley on 3 June 1774, the fourth son in a family of seven...
's relatives lived at Boghall Farm
Loch Brand
Loch Brand or Loch of Boghall was situated in a depression between the Grange Estate, Crummock, Hill of Beith Castle site and Boghall in the Parish of Beith, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The loch was fed by the Grange Burn and surface runoff, such as from the old rig and furrows indicated by Roy's Maps...
near Gateside
Gateside, North Ayrshire
Gateside is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about half a mile east of Beith on the B777.-The village:Gateside Primary School, headteacher Ms Fiona Dunlop, was opened in 1903, and nowadays it has 74 pupils...
. His mother, Janet Pollock, came from Boghall although she spent much of her life at the home of her uncle, Hugh Brodie, who farmed at Langcroft at the foot of Calder Glen, near Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying on the banks of Castle Semple Loch and the River Calder, Lochwinnoch is chiefly a residential dormitory village serving nearby urban centres such as Glasgow and Paisley...
. Robert Tannahill
Robert Tannahill
Robert Tannahill was a Scottish poet. Known as the 'Weaver Poet', his music and poetry is contemporaneous with that of Robert Burns.He was born at Castle Street in Paisley on 3 June 1774, the fourth son in a family of seven...
(3 June 1774 - 17 May 1810), was known as the 'Weaver Poet', his music and poetry is contemporaneous with that of Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
and they both died when relatively young.
Dr. Henry Faulds
Dr Henry FauldsHenry Faulds
Dr Henry Faulds was a Scottish scientist who is noted for the development of fingerprinting.-Early life:Faulds was born in the Scottish town of Beith, North Ayrshire into a family of modest means...
, the originator of the concept of forensic use of fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
ing, was born in Beith in 1843. A well-travelled man, he explained the suitability of fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
ing for the identification of criminals and also wrote to Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
to forward his ideas. The letter was never published and he died in 1930, aged 86, bitter at the lack of recognition he had received for his work. His work in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
is remembered by a memorial stone in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. In addition, a small stone memorial dedicated to his memory was unveiled in the centre of Beith in 1984 and, in 2007, a memorial was also placed in view in Woolstanton near to St Margaret's churchyard, where he was laid to rest.
Textiles
About the time of the Act of UnionActs of Union 1707
The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,...
, trade in linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
cloth was introduced to Beith, which became so considerable, that the Beith markets were frequented by merchants from the neighbouring towns every week. By the 1730s, the declining linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
cloth business was being succeeded by considerable trade in linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
yarn. Beith merchants purchased the yarn made in the local area, and sold it to Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
manufacturers. The demand for the commodity encouraged local farmers to raise great quantities of flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
, and the linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
yarn trade peaked around 1760. The manufacture of silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
gauze superseded both trades and, from 1777 to 1789, the amount of looms in the town producing the gauze peaked at approximately 170.
Furniture making
From 1845 until the 1980s Beith had the honour of being the most important furniture-manufacturing town in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with a reputation for high-quality furniture. The origins of the industry can be traced back to Mathew Dale who started by making hand-built furniture for local people in 1845. An former employee of Dale, Matthew Pollock progressed the manufacturing by introducting machinery in a factory setting 3-miles outside of the town at Beith North railway station. After approximately 12-years Pollock and his brothers, sold the factory to Robert Balfour, and moved into the town to expand their business. Balfour suffered the same problems as the Pollock Brothers in being unable to attract workers from the town to walk the 3-miles to work. In 1872 he built a factory near the Beith Town railway station and persuaded the railway company to build a siding to allow easy transportation of raw materials and finished products.
The industry expanded across the local area making it a centre of excellence in furniture manufacturing and building its reputation throughout the world. In the late 1920s transportation switched away from the railway but the industry continued to burgeon with many companies producing high-quality furniture; McNeil Bros, specialised in board room and library fittings, Stevenson and Higgins
Stevenson and Higgins
Stevenson and Higgins Cabinet works were a firm founded in Beith in the nineteenth century. Their main claim to fame was that they made some of the panelling for the Queen Elizabeth....
made lift cages, which were fitted in many hotels and department stores, Balfours were for a number of years the main manufacturers of mantlepieces in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, some were designed in the elegant style, and required the expert skill of woodcarvers. Matthew Pollock Ltd supplied furniture to both the RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
and the RMS Queen Elizabeth II.
Furniture is no longer produced in Beith due to the closure of the various manufacturing firms. The closures were caused by a multitude of problems such as the state of the economy and an inability to compete with self-assembly furniture firms and their increase in popularity. The last big furniture manufacturer to close was Beithcraft (formerly Balfours) which finished in 1983 (after a major fire a few years earlier that destroyed large sections of the plant) with the loss of 420 jobs. With this final closure came the end of the Beith reputation for being one of the main furniture manufacturing centres in the country.
This history of carpentry is remembered in the nickname of the local football team, Beith Juniors, who are commonly referred to as "The Cabes" (Cabinet Makers).
Armaments
Commonly referred by locals as "the Admiralty", the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
continues to maintain an armament depot, DM Beith, in the area. As part of Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
reorganisation plans in 2005, the 360 posts at DM-Beith were cut by 60. This was attributed to changes in the way equipment and supplies were stored and distributed, and it was hoped that it would reduce costs by £50m a year by 2010.
Regional industries
Historically in recent times, the major employers in the area were the GlengarnockGlengarnock
Glengarnock is a small village in North Ayrshire that lies near the west coast of Scotland. It forms part of the Garnock Valley area and is approximately 25 miles away for Glasgow, the nearest city...
Steelworks and the Linwood car manufacturing plant. Outwith the furniture industry, a large proportion of the local population were employed within these industries. At its peak, the local Steelworks had 3,000 employees, but by the time it closed in 1985 it had been reduced to 200. The Linwood car plant manufactured the Hillman Imp
Hillman Imp
The Hillman Imp is a compact, rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1963 to 1976...
, a competitor to BMC's
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
, and provided up to 9,000 jobs during peak production but was closed by Peugeot-Citroen in 1981. It has been estimated that 13,000 workers were left jobless in the region as both direct and indirect consequences of the Linwood closure.
Beith today
Today Beith is a dormitory town with a reputation as a friendly and welcoming place in which to work, live and socialise. In 1966 a local survey estimated that 48% of the population worked outside the town whilst today the figure is more likely to be around 80%. The current population is around 7,000 helped by the completion of ten private housing estates dating from 1966 to the present and by redevelopment of sites within the town. The town has an abundance of social organisations for everyone and there are excellent transport links to GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
Deprivation and regeneration
North AyrshireNorth Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South...
is ranked fifth highest in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in terms of percentage of the population living in the most deprived areas. These areas have been targeted for regeneration by the local authority. This involves the targeting of activity and resources by the community planning partnership in relation to housing, crime, income, employment, health, skills and training and access to services.
A small area of Beith is one of three regeneration areas in the Garnock Valley
Garnock Valley
The Garnock Valley is an area in the northern part of North Ayrshire, Scotland, adjoining Renfrewshire.The region includes the towns of Beith, Dalry, and Kilbirnie, and some smaller villages such as Gateside, Barrmill, Longbar and Glengarnock....
. These are the smallest regeneration areas in Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
. This is partly because rural deprivation tends to be less geographically concentrated than urban deprivation, and so it remains more hidden, being experienced by individuals and households rather than the larger communities. The area of Beith targeted for regeneration amounts to 359 households and 635 people (approximately 10% of the town's population).
The Auld Kirk
The Beith Auld Kirk started out as a parish church in the form of a cross way back in 1593, built in dedication to Saint InanSaint Inan
Saint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
. The church got a bell tower and clock in 1800. The old bell still stands, and bears the following inscription: “This bell was given by Hew Montgomerie, sone of Hessilhead, anno 1614, and refounded by the Heritor
Heritor
Heritor, was a privileged person in a Parish in Scots Law. In its original acceptation, it signified the proprietor of an heritable subject, but, in the law relating to Parish government, the term was confined to such proprietors of lands or houses as were liable, as written in their title deeds,...
s of Beith, anno 1734″.
The kirk had been built in a rather precarious position on a cliff-side, and from 1807-10 it was rebuilt a little further up the hill as the new Parish Church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
. The Heritor
Heritor
Heritor, was a privileged person in a Parish in Scots Law. In its original acceptation, it signified the proprietor of an heritable subject, but, in the law relating to Parish government, the term was confined to such proprietors of lands or houses as were liable, as written in their title deeds,...
s then moved the older portions of the Auld Kirk to the new one, leaving only the front door and the clock and the belfry.
There was not much left of the old kirk after that, and it came to be used as a burial ground for the Woodside family. Later on, however, it was closed for further burials and partly renovated, with the old high wall replaced by railings and paths dugs over the ground. Presently, there are no sepulchers left standing of the old baronial families, and the earliest graves date back only till 1710.
There are a number of memorials to the Spier and Dobie families within the grounds of the Auld Kirk, and also a memorial to Robert Patrick of Hazelhead (Inspector General of Army Hospitals). A sundial dating from the 1840s is also visible, and a stone coat of arms thought to originate from the Auld Kirk manse can be seen nearby, in Reform Street.
The Town House
Beith’s townhouse was built by public subscription in 1817; the lower part of the building originally consisted of two shops, one of which was an ironmonger's operated by George B Inglis from 1862 until around 1900. There was also a small room where prisoners were kept prior to their appearance in the upper hall which was used as a JP Court, SheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Small Debt Circuit Court, meeting of the road trustees and as a public meeting room. It was also used as a public reading room. For the first twenty years the management of the Town House was in the hands of the JPs of Beith, Dalry, and Kilbirnie, the heritors of the parishes, the propietors of certain houses in Beith, and finally tenants of said houses within half a mile of the cross.
Places of worship
Beith hosts two listed 19th century Beith Parish ChurchesBeith Parish Churches
Beith High Church and Beith Trinity Church are linked congregations of the Church of Scotland in the Parish of Beith in North Ayrshire, Scotland.-Beith High Church:...
of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, and the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.
Scapa Cottage
Scapa Cottage is known locally as "Dummy Cottage". The entire outside of the sandstone building is indented with marks giving it a most unusual appearance; in earlier years it was a Toll HouseToll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
. A deaf-and-dumb
Deaf-mute
For "deafness", see hearing impairment. For "Deaf" as a cultural term, see Deaf culture. For "inability to speak", see muteness.Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was both deaf and could not speak...
young man lived in the cottage in earlier times, hence the acquired name "Dummy Cottage," an unacceptable term today.
File:Beith Town House, Ayrshire, Scotland.JPG|Beith Town House
Image:Beith High Church.JPG|The High Church
Image:Beith_Trinity_Church_-_geograph.org.uk_-_34619.jpg|The Trinity Church
File:Scapa Cottage.JPG|Scapa cottage
Kilbirnie Loch
Kilbirnie LochKilbirnie Loch
Kilbirnie Loch , is situated in the floodplain of between Kilbirnie, Glengarnock and Beith, and runs south-west to north-east for almost , is about wide for the most part and has an area of roughly 3 km2 . It has a general depth of around 5.2 metres to a maximum of around 11 metres...
(NS 330 543), is situated in the floodplain of between Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie is a small town of 7280 inhabitants situated in North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland...
, Glengarnock
Glengarnock
Glengarnock is a small village in North Ayrshire that lies near the west coast of Scotland. It forms part of the Garnock Valley area and is approximately 25 miles away for Glasgow, the nearest city...
and Beith, and runs south-west to north-east for almost 2 km (1.2 mi), is about 0.5 km (0.310686368324903 mi) wide for the most part and has an area of roughly 3 km2 (761 acres). The loch is fed mainly by the Maich Water and is drained by the Dubbs Water that runs into Castle Semple Loch
Castle Semple Loch
Castle Semple Loch is a 1.5 mile long inland loch at Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Originally part of an estate of the same name, it is now administered by Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park as a watersports centre...
. Early authors often use the term 'Garnoth' or 'Garnott' and may be referring to a single large loch incorporating Kilbirnie Loch
Kilbirnie Loch
Kilbirnie Loch , is situated in the floodplain of between Kilbirnie, Glengarnock and Beith, and runs south-west to north-east for almost , is about wide for the most part and has an area of roughly 3 km2 . It has a general depth of around 5.2 metres to a maximum of around 11 metres...
and Loch Winnoch (Barr and Castle Semple Lochs). Boece in his book of 1527 the 'Historia Gentis Scotorum' (History of the Scottish People), says that this one entity was nocht unlike the Loch Doune full of fische.
There is a long history of drainage schemes and farming operations in the Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying on the banks of Castle Semple Loch and the River Calder, Lochwinnoch is chiefly a residential dormitory village serving nearby urban centres such as Glasgow and Paisley...
area, with co-ordinated attempts dating from about 1691 by Lord Sempill
Lord Sempill
Lord Sempill is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in circa 1489 for Sir John Sempill, founder of the collegiate Church of Lochwinnoch. Sempill was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. His grandson, the third Lord, was known as "The Great Lord Sempill"...
, followed by Colonel McDowal of Castle Sempil in 1774, James Adams of Burnfoot, and by others. Until these drainage works Loch Winnoch and Kilbirnie Loch nearly met and often did during flooding, to the extent that, as stated, early writers such as Boece, Hollings and Petruccio Ubaldini
Petruccio Ubaldini
Petruccio Ubaldini was an Italian calligraphist and illuminator on vellum, who was working in England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and seems to have enjoyed the favor of the Court...
regarded the lochs as one, using the name 'Garnoth' or 'Garnott'.
Spier's school
The 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) of woodland and gardens remain a popular site for dog walkers, bird watchers, and those out to enjoy the rural surroundings. There are a number of memorials to the Spier's family in the Auld Kirk grounds and in the local area.
Geilsland House
Geilsland House
Geilsland House lies in between the village of Gateside and the town of Beith in North Ayrshire, Scotland.- Geilsland House:Geilsland was a half merk land, part of the 4 merk land of Marshalland, in the Barony of Braidstone. An earlier name is said to have been 'Neilsland'. The name is pronounced...
and developed this small estate near Gateside in the 19th-century although the deeds go back to the 17th-century. Geilsland
Speir's school
Spier's school, at Beith, in North Ayrshire, Scotland, NS 35355327, KA15 1LU, was opened in 1888 and closed in 1972. The school, now demolished, was built using Ballochmyle red sandstone and was reminiscent of the ancient Glasgow University. The school motto was 'Quod verum tutum'...
is a special school, run by the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
as part of its CrossReach initiative.
Crummock House
This mansion house and estate stood on the outskirts of Beith in an area now cut through by the main DalryDalry, North Ayrshire
Dalry is a small town in the Garnock Valley in Ayrshire, Scotland.-History:Dalry means "King's Valley" or more simply the "Rye Meadow"; indicating a small settlement on the Rye Burn. Its history has signs of early inhabitants in the area...
to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
road. Built for the Kerr family in the 18th century, Crummock was sold in 1815 to William Wilson, who added to the house and improved the grounds. James Dobie, the historian and author, and his family lived here from 1836. Now demolished and a housing estate built on the site, some boundary walls and a cottage remain. Historic stones which had been built into the kitchen garden were donated to the North Ayrshire Heritage Centre, including the arched stone known as the shrine. Images of these shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
stones can be viewed in The Gallery section below. A plaque remembering James Dobie resides in Beith Auld Kirk.
The Court Hill
The Court Hill is near Hill of Beith, below the site of Hill of Beith CastleHill of Beith Castle
The old Barony and castle, fortalice, or tower house of Hill of Beith lay in the feudal Regality of Kilwinning, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame, and the Sherrifdom of Ayr, now the Parish of Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland.-The Abbots of Kilwinning Abbey:...
, Gateside
Gateside, North Ayrshire
Gateside is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about half a mile east of Beith on the B777.-The village:Gateside Primary School, headteacher Ms Fiona Dunlop, was opened in 1903, and nowadays it has 74 pupils...
, in the old Barony of Beith. Dobie states that this is the moot hill
Moot hill
A moot hill or mons placiti is a hill or mound historically used as an assembly or meeting place. In early medieval Britain, such hills were used for "moots", meetings of local people to settle local business. Among other things, proclamations might be read; decisions might be taken; court cases...
on which the Abbot of Kilwinning
Abbot of Kilwinning
The Abbot of Kilwinning was the head of the Tironensian monastic community and lands of Kilwinning Abbey, Cunningham , founded sometime between 1162 and 1167. The patron is not known for certain, but it is likely to have been Richard de Morville, Lord of Cunningham...
used to administer justice to his vassals & tenants. It is a sub-oval, flat-topped mound, situated at the foot of a small valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
. A number of large stones are visible in the sides of the mound. It is turf-covered, probably situated on a low outcrop, and is mostly an artificial work. Pre-dating the channelling of the burn which detours around it, the mound was probably isolated in this once marshy outflow of the former Boghall Loch (see NS35SE 14).
In the 12th century the Barony of Beith was given to the Tironensian
Tironensian
The Tironensian Order or the Order of Tiron was a Roman Catholic monastic order named after the location of the mother abbey in the woods of Tiron in Perche, some 35 miles west of Chartres in France)...
monks of Kilwinning Abbey
Kilwinning Abbey
Kilwinning Abbey is a ruined abbey located in the centre of the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire.-The establishment of the Abbey:The ancient name of the town is 'Segdoune' or 'Saigtown', probably derived from 'Sanctoun', meaning the 'town of the saint'. Saint Winnings festival was on 21 January...
by the wife of Sir Richard de Morville
Richard de Morville
Richard de Morville , succeeded his father Hugh de Morville as Constable of Scotland and in his Scottish estates and English lands at Bozeat in Northamptonshire, and Rutland, as well as a number of feus of the Honour of Huntingdon....
. The farm or Grange of the monks is indicated by the name Grange Hill and a castellated tower indicated as once existing in the area may have been the local dwelling of the Abbot of Kilwinning
Abbot of Kilwinning
The Abbot of Kilwinning was the head of the Tironensian monastic community and lands of Kilwinning Abbey, Cunningham , founded sometime between 1162 and 1167. The patron is not known for certain, but it is likely to have been Richard de Morville, Lord of Cunningham...
when he was visiting the barony to deliver justice at the Court Hill or attend to other business and later the local laird. No clarly undisputed remains have been found of the tower or grange buildings, however the New Statistical Account of 1845 written by the local minister, George Colville, states that the castle stood close to the Court Hill.
Boghall Loch
Loch Brand
Loch Brand or Loch of Boghall was situated in a depression between the Grange Estate, Crummock, Hill of Beith Castle site and Boghall in the Parish of Beith, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The loch was fed by the Grange Burn and surface runoff, such as from the old rig and furrows indicated by Roy's Maps...
or Bran was the name by which Boghall Loch was formerly known. The loch, now almost completely drained, is the main source of the Powgree Burn and partly lay on the lands of Boghall. On or around the margin of the loch piles or stakes of oak or elm have been discovered and it is thought that these may be the remains of crannog
Crannog
A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...
s.
Beith Rocking Stone
The Beith Rocking StoneRocking stone
Rocking stones are large stones that are so finely balanced that the application of just a small force causes them to rock. They are found throughout the world. Some are man-made megaliths, but others are natural, often left by glaciers.Logan or rocking stones are known in Scotland sometimes as...
, weighing 11 tons, sits on top of Cuff Hill. According to local folklore, Saint Inan
Saint Inan
Saint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
frequented the stone, that legend states rocked from side-to-side on a balance point.
Willowyards (Angel's Share fungus)
The area surrounding Willowyards and its whisky bond are characterised by a black staining that covers all living and non-living surfaces to varying degrees. The research that first led to the scientific identification of the organism causing this black and velvety encrustation was partly carried out using samples from Willowyard. The organism causing what is commonly known as 'Warehouse Staining', is a black fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis which is harmless and feeds upon the 'Angels's Share' of alcohol evaporating from the whisky barrels.Saint Inan's Fete
There is an annual celebration that parades through the town each summer. It normally commences outside the town's Community Centre, going through the town and ending in the grounds of the Primary School for the Fete in the afternoon. A gala dance is normally held in the evening.Friends of Spiers (FoS)
This is a Garnock Valley support group, affiliated to the British Trust For Conservation Volunteers (BTCV), which works with the Spier's Trust, North Ayrshire Council Ranger Service, Beith Cultural & Heritage Society, Youth Making Beith Better (YMBB) and others to further the development and maintenance of the Spier's Parkland.FoS encourages other groups to become involved at Spier's through membership, carrying out conservation projects; biodiversity enhancement initiatives; photographic and other surveys; as well as arranging events and furthering the educational and ecotherapeutic uses of the Spiers woodlands and open spaces.
The first substantial signs of the regeneration of the site was the construction of the Spier's Commemorative Wall, erected in 2010 and the restoration of the Coronation Garden, completed in 2011.
Youth Making Beith Better (YMBB)
The YMBB youth group was set up by members of the community to give the young people of Beith and district an opportunity to involve themselves in improving their town and the surrounding area, whilst at the same time providing a forum for learning additional skills, sharing ideas and socialising with their peers. The group is closely involved with the Saint Inan's parade and other local events.YMBB meet in the Beith Community Centre twice a week and are supervised by adults from the NAC Youth Services. The YMBB committee includes youth members, adults from the community and local councillors who assist in the overview of the group and with forward planning.
YMBB members are frequently featured in online media and local newspapers, and a have a long term commitment at the Spier's Old School Grounds on Barrmill
Barrmill
Barrmill is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about a mile and a half a mile east of Beith on the road to Lugton. Locally it is known as the Barr.- History :General Roy's survey of 1747 - 55 shows only the farm of High Barr...
Road, working towards the stages of the John Muir Trust
John Muir Trust
The John Muir Trust is a Scottish charity established as a membership organisation in 1983 to conserve wild land and wild places for the benefit of all...
Awards. YMBB have set up a number of geocaches
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
to encourage locals and visitors to visit the areas many beauty spots and sites of interest.
Local pubs and hostelries
- The Anderson Hotel
- The Caledonian Inn
- The Eglinton Inn
- The GatesideGateside, North AyrshireGateside is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about half a mile east of Beith on the B777.-The village:Gateside Primary School, headteacher Ms Fiona Dunlop, was opened in 1903, and nowadays it has 74 pupils...
Inn - The Masonic Arms
- The Saracen's Head Hotel
- The Smuggler's Tavern
Transport
Beith North railway station
Beith North railway station was a railway station serving the north of the town of Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway .-History:The station opened on 21 July 1840 when it was simply known as Beith...
, commonly referred to as "the Low station" and Beith Town
Beith Town railway station
Beith Town railway station was a railway station serving the town of Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway.- History :...
. Beith North
Beith North railway station
Beith North railway station was a railway station serving the north of the town of Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway .-History:The station opened on 21 July 1840 when it was simply known as Beith...
closed in 1951 and the Town station closed in 1962. The nearest station is just over 2 miles away, at Glengarnock
Glengarnock railway station
Glengarnock railway station is a railway station in the village of Glengarnock, North Ayrshire, Scotland, serving the towns of Beith and Kilbirnie...
which provides direct rail links to Glasgow Central station
Glasgow Central station
Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line railway terminals in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The station was opened by the Caledonian Railway on 31 July 1879 and is currently managed by Network Rail...
and services to the Clyde coast
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
and Glasgow Prestwick airport.
Beith is approximately 13 miles south of Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire...
, 21 miles north of Glasgow Prestwick airport and 60 miles west of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
airport
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
.
Football
The local football club, Beith Juniors, formed in 1938, to succeed Beith who had played in the Scottish Football LeagueScottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
. The team participate in the SJFA West of Scotland, Super League Premier Division and play their home games at Bellsdale Park, which is famous for its slope. The club's most famous former player is Steve Clarke
Steve Clarke
Stephen "Steve" Clarke is a Scottish association football player and coach, currently the assistant manager at Liverpool. He played for St. Mirren, Chelsea and Scotland, winning three major trophies with Chelsea towards the end of his career...
, who went on to play for Saint Mirren and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, and is currently first-team coach at Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. A list of former players to play at senior professional level can be viewed at Beith Juniors' eteamz website.
Rugby
Beith's only rugby football club, Old Spierians was amalgamated, along with Dalry High School FP into Garnock RFCGarnock RFC
Garnock Rugby Club is an amateur rugby union club based in Glengarnock in Scotland. They currently play in the Scottish National League Division One.-History:...
in 1972 when Spier's School, Dalry High, Kilbirnie Central and Beith Academy schools were closed to form Garnock Academy. The Old Spierians club had been founded in the early years of the 20th century and joined the Scottish Rugby Union
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
in 1911. Garnock play their home games at Lochshore on the banks of Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie is a small town of 7280 inhabitants situated in North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland...
Loch and currently (2010) participate in the Scottish Hydro Premier League 3.
Golf
Beith also has its own 18-hole, 68-par golf course, situated in the Bigholm area just east of the town, a short walking distance from Saint InanSaint Inan
Saint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
's chair at Lochland's Hill.
Cinema
The town's George cinema was put up for sale in the autumn of 1982, but a surprisingly good run of E.T. over that Christmas period helped keep it open until the following summer. It finally closed on 25 June 1983 for conversion to a snooker club, although the building has since been demolished.Gallery and other images
Image:Beith house.JPG|House nearby to Beith High Church
Image:Beith Memorial.JPG|A sundial recording the donation of the Beith War Memorial plot by Lady Cochran-Patrick of Ladyland and Mosside
Barony of Ladyland
The Barony of Ladyland was in the old feudal Baillerie of Cunninghame, near Kilbirnie in what is now North Ayrshire, Scotland.- The history of the Barony of Ladyland :...
Image:Beith War Memorial.JPG|War memorial
File:Shrine Stone - Shrine Stone 2.jpg| Shrine Stone: A horse with what may be a mason's tools above
File:Shrine Stone 1.jpg| Shrine Stone: A standing figure holding a horse with carved letters or tools above
File:Arthurian Ayrshire map.jpg|Arthurian locations showing Beith Moor
See also
- Beith Juniors
- Hill of Beith CastleHill of Beith CastleThe old Barony and castle, fortalice, or tower house of Hill of Beith lay in the feudal Regality of Kilwinning, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame, and the Sherrifdom of Ayr, now the Parish of Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland.-The Abbots of Kilwinning Abbey:...
- Blae Loch, BeithBlae Loch, Beith- Natural history :The site is a designated 'Local Wildlife Site' following a survey in 1981 by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and others. The survey recorded that the site is a 'Phragmites dominated area with open water'. The surveyors record that "The loch is surrounded to a great extent by bed of...
- Broadstone, North AyrshireBroadstone, North AyrshireBroadstone lies close to the small village of Gateside in North Ayrshire, Scotland about half a mile east of Beith in the old Barony of Giffen.-The castle:The ruins of Braidstone or Broadstone Castle remained until about 1850...
- Giffen, Barony and CastleBarony and Castle of GiffenThe Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
- Clark, KatyKaty ClarkKathryn Sloan Clark is a British Labour Party politician and former trade union official who has been the Member of Parliament for North Ayrshire and Arran since 2005.-Early life:...
- Clarke, SteveSteve ClarkeStephen "Steve" Clarke is a Scottish association football player and coach, currently the assistant manager at Liverpool. He played for St. Mirren, Chelsea and Scotland, winning three major trophies with Chelsea towards the end of his career...
- Corrie, JohnJohn CorrieJohn Alexander Corrie is a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party politician and chief of Clan Corrie. He describes himself in Who's Who as a "consultant on African affairs and financial adviser to developing countries"....
- Faulds, HenryHenry FauldsDr Henry Faulds was a Scottish scientist who is noted for the development of fingerprinting.-Early life:Faulds was born in the Scottish town of Beith, North Ayrshire into a family of modest means...
- Gateside, North AyrshireGateside, North AyrshireGateside is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about half a mile east of Beith on the B777.-The village:Gateside Primary School, headteacher Ms Fiona Dunlop, was opened in 1903, and nowadays it has 74 pupils...
- Gibson, Kenny
- HessilheadHessilheadHessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
- Inan, SaintSaint InanSaint Inan was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where he resided during the 9th-century AD. His holy well still exists in the Kirk Vennel beside the Old Parish kirk, near the River Irvine...
- Kilbirnie LochKilbirnie LochKilbirnie Loch , is situated in the floodplain of between Kilbirnie, Glengarnock and Beith, and runs south-west to north-east for almost , is about wide for the most part and has an area of roughly 3 km2 . It has a general depth of around 5.2 metres to a maximum of around 11 metres...
- Lambie, DavidDavid LambieDavid Lambie is a former Scottish Labour Party politician.Lambie was educated at Ardrossan Academy and at Glasgow University and Geneva University. He became a teacher and was chairman of the Scottish Labour Party 1965-66....
- Montgomerie, AlexanderAlexander MontgomerieAlexander Montgomerie , Scottish Jacobean courtier and poet, or makar, born in Ayrshire. He was one of the principal members of the Castalian Band, a circle of poets in the court of James VI in the 1580s which included the king himself. Montgomerie was for a time in favour as one of the king's...
- Nevill, TedTed NevillTed Nevill is a British author. He specializes in military history and has contributed to many books on military history. He currently resides in Beith, North Ayrshire where he is the director of the military history picture library, Cody Images...
- Spier's school
- Wilson, AllanAllan Wilson (Scottish politician)Allan Wilson is a former Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament. He represented Cunninghame North, a seat which he held between the inaugural Scottish Parliament general election in 1999 until 2007....
- Wilson, Brian
- Witherspoon, JohnJohn WitherspoonJohn Witherspoon was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. As president of the College of New Jersey , he trained many leaders of the early nation and was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration...