Hurlford, it's Outskirts
About 1820 there were several groups of houses which had been at times remote farm houses but then occupied by colliers. Most of the houses have been demolished and ploughed over. One of these was High Mill north of the Free Church and midway between it and Ralstonyards. High Mill was occupied by George Willock who conjoined farming with shoe making and several future shoe makers of Hurlford served their apprenticeships under Willock; people like John Gemmell and David Clark both well known makers of substantial boots and shoes at Hurlford. The successor of Willock of High Mill was David Reid who had been tenant of Ralstonyards but left it when Peter Galbraith, father of the present tenant Archibald Galbraith, in 1817, entered a lease of Ralstonyards. Few estates have changed hand so often as Shawhill. About the time the US Colonies were throwing off their dependance on Great Britain, the Shaw was the property of William Halbert who had 2 sons, John and George. William Halbert, The Laird of the Shaws suffered financially with friends in the US that he was obliged to dispose of his estate to John Carse, grandfather to well known families like Paxton, Cowies and Stewarts in Kilmarnock. Mr Carse built a house on the elevated esplanade and named it Shawhill
About 1820 there were several groups of houses which had been at times remote farm houses but then occupied by colliers. Most of the houses have been demolished and ploughed over. One of these was High Mill north of the Free Church and midway between it and Ralstonyards. High Mill was occupied by George Willock who conjoined farming with shoe making and several future shoe makers of Hurlford served their apprenticeships under Willock; people like John Gemmell and David Clark both well known makers of substantial boots and shoes at Hurlford. The successor of Willock of High Mill was David Reid who had been tenant of Ralstonyards but left it when Peter Galbraith, father of the present tenant Archibald Galbraith, in 1817, entered a lease of Ralstonyards. Few estates have changed hand so often as Shawhill. About the time the US Colonies were throwing off their dependance on Great Britain, the Shaw was the property of William Halbert who had 2 sons, John and George. William Halbert, The Laird of the Shaws suffered financially with friends in the US that he was obliged to dispose of his estate to John Carse, grandfather to well known families like Paxton, Cowies and Stewarts in Kilmarnock. Mr Carse built a house on the elevated esplanade and named it Shawhill