Stair, Ayrshire, Scotland Genealogy

Stair, Ayr, Scotland (#614)

History

This account was written in the year 1841. Stair was first erected into a parish in 1673 for the accommodation of the noble family of Dalrymple of Stair, whose residence was a great distance from Ochiltree, their parish church. In 1709 several lands were disjoined from, and others untied to the parish. Ayr and Tarbolton are the nearest towns. The Stair family is so well known to history, as to render superfluous here any account of their eminence, civil, military, and literary, or of the influence (almost unparalleled in the history of any other family in Scotland), which they possessed during a long and most interesting period.

Sir William Miller, Bart. Of Barskimming; smith, Esq. of Drongan; John Hamilton, Esq.; the Earl of Stair; and Mrs.Reid of Keyshill were the major land owners. The land was primarily used for, horses, milk cows, cattle, sheep, oats, peas, barley, potatoes, turnips, and beans.

The population in 1755 was 369 and in 1840 was 739. The earliest parochial register is of date 1736; the early part not very correctly kept. A register of births and marriages has been kept since 1805, and one of deaths since 1815. The number of families in the parish is 144, ten of which belong to the Associate Synod, two are Roman Catholics, the rest belong to the Established Church. source: New Statistical Account of Scotland (FHL book 941 B4sa, series 2)