Symington, Ayrshire, Scotland Genealogy

Symington, Ayr, Scotland (#618)

History
Symington and Kilmarnock are the nearest towns. The name of the parish is derived from a person who formerly resided here, call Simon Lockhart; Simon’s town or Symington. About the year 1770, Dr. Fullerton of Rosemount, on his return from India, rebuilt the mansion-house at Rosemount in a modern style, cultivated his land, and tastefully ornamented the grounds with belts of planting, giving employment to a great number of poor families.The major land owners were: Lieutenant-Colonel William Kelso of Dankeith; Lady Mary Montgomerie, who is patroness; Georg Bogle, Esq. of Rosemount; William Hay Boyd, Esq. of Townend; and  James Ogilvy Fairlie, Esq. of Whitehill. The land was primarily used for, sheep, cattle, swine, oats, beans, peas, potatoes, and hay.

The population in 1792 was 359, and in 1838 was 825. The registers have been kept as far back as 1642, but very irregularly until 1780. There is a Dissenting meeting held once a fortnight in a garret room, but there are not above five or six Dissenting families in the parish

This account was written in 1839 source: New Statistical Account of Scotland (FHL book 941 B4sa, series 2 vol. 5)