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
In the Parish of Kilbirnie were three baronies, Kilbirnie, Glengarnock and Ladyland. The first Lairds of Ladyland were a cadet branch of the Barclays of Kilbirnie. Archibald, as second son, is recorded as having the Barony of Ladyland bestowed upon him by his father, Sir Hugh Barclay. David Barclay of Ladyland was with Mary, Queen of Scots, at Hamilton in May 1568 and probably fought at the Battle of Langside where the Queen's side lost and she subsequently fled the realm.
Hugh (Hew) Barclay of Ladyland was a poet of considerable power and humourMcMichael, George (c. 1881 - 1890). Notes on the Way Through Ayrshire and the Land of Burn, Wallace, Henry the Minstrel, and Covenant Martyrs. Hugh Henry : Ayr. p. 164 and a fervent papist, married to Isobel Stewart,Paterson, James (1863–66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. V. II — Cunninghame. Edinburgh: J. Stillie, p. 297. meeting an unusual death by drowning on Ailsa Craig. Sir David Barclay of Ladyland and Auchinheiff (now 'Auchenhove')Robertson, George (1823), A Genealogical Account of the Principal Families in Ayrshire, more particularly in Cunninghame. Vol. 1. Pub. Irvine: Cunninghame press, p. 72–3 succeeded his brother Hugh and married Elizabeth Cunningham, the widow of John Craufurd of Craufurdland who had died in 1612, aged only 21, from an injury received at football.Robertson, George (1823), A Genealogical Account of the Principal Families in Ayrshire, more particularly in Cunninghame. Vol. 1. Pub. Irvine: Cunninghame press, p. 197. His son, also David, was unfortunate enough to inherit his father's debts and was forced to sell Ladyland to John Blair of Cloberhill in full payment. This was the end of the Barclay's involvement in the barony and by 1654 Sir David Cuninghame was the Laird of Ladyland, a property then valued at £546 17s 8d.Paterson, James (1863–66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. V. II — Cunninghame. Edinburgh: J. Stillie, pp. 296–98.
Captain William Hamilton of Ardoch or Airdoch in Kilwinning Parish was the first of the Hamiltons of Ladyland (see illustration of their Coat of Arms). Lieutenant William Hamilton of Gilbertfield in Lanarkshire still owned Ladyland, but rented Gilbertfield, where he lived, making only the occasional visit to Ladyland. William was a published poet and a friend and correspondent of the poet Allan Ramsay. In 1722, Hamilton published an abridged and modernised version of Blind Harry's Wallace, which, though an artistic failure, aroused Robert Burns's boyhood interest and enthusiasm and, as he recorded in the Autobiographical Letter: 'poured a Scottish prejudice in my veins which will boil along there till the flood gates of life shut in eternal rest.'Blind Harry and 'Wallace'.
John Hamilton, 8th of Ardoch, 2nd of Ladyland, sold Ardoch and Ladyland c1712 and purchased Ballybregach in Northern Ireland and renamed it Ladyland. Hamilton's became well established in Ireland and the name Ladyland still exists.John Hamilton John Hamilton sold Ladyland to an Ensign Henry Moncrieff, Collector of Cess for Renfrewshire; Moncrieff than sold the property to Alexander, 9th Earl of Eglinton.Paterson, James (1863–66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. V. II — Cunninghame. Edinburgh: J. Stillie, pp. 298–300.
William Cochran of Edge purchased Ladyland in around 1718 from the Earl of Eglinton and lived there with his wife Margaret Orr of Easter Gavin. They had a son and five daughters; William succeeding in 1756 and marrying Janet Glasgow of Pudevenholme, part of the Glengarnock estate. In 1803 their son William succeeded and married Catherine Hamilton on 5 September 1815. Catherine was a distant relation of the Hamiltons of Ladyland. They had two daughters, Agnes and Janet Glasgow Cochran; the eldest inherited upon his death in 1832; she had married William Charles Richard Patrick in April 1832. Agnes's husband, an advocate, was the second son of Dr. Robert Patrick of Trearne and Hessilhead and he took his wife's name to establish the Cochran-Patrick line.Paterson, James (1863–66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. V. II — Cunninghame. Edinburgh: J. Stillie pp. 300–1.
Robert William Cochran-Patrick (1842–1897) was Dean of Faculties at Glasgow University, 1882 to 1885 and was awarded an honorary LLD by the University in 1879. Robert was born at Ladyland and studied at the University of Edinburgh and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He returned to Ayrshire to live the life of a country gentleman and study archaeology, becoming a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and in 1874 he was one of the founders of the Ayrshire and Wigtownshire Archaeological Association. Robert was best known as a numismatist and he assembled one of the country's greatest collections of early Scottish coins and medals. He wrote the two volumes of 'Records of the Coinage of Scottish.'Cochran-Patrick, R. W. (1876), Records of the Coinage of Scotland. Pub. Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh. Cochran-Patrick was Conservative MP for North Ayrshire, 1880 to 1885. He was a president of the Irvine Burns Club and also the Chairman of the Governors of the Spier's school at Beith and Provincial Grand Master of the Masons of Ayrshire.Dedication Speech of the Spier School by B. W. Cochran-Patrick of Ladyland & Woodside. 28 April 1887. Mrs Cochran-Patrick, wife of R. W Cochran-Patrick, was the younger daughter of Mr. Hunter of Hunterston Castle.Hunterston Castle In 1969 the Lyon Court officially recognised Neil Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick (b. 1926) in the name of the Hunter of Hunterston as being 29th Laird of Hunterston and Chief of Clan Hunter.Cochran-Patrick and Hunter
Barclay, Montgomerie and Ailsa Craig
As stated Hugh or Hew Barclay of Ladyland was a Roman Catholic and became involved in a plot in 1592 and upon discovery he was imprisoned in the Tolbooth in Edinburgh, but was released, by the King's directions, in 1593 following assurances of good conduct. Hugh again became involved in plotting, for which he was imprisoned for a time in the Castle of Glasgow, but escaped and fled to Spain where he was in communication with Jesuits.
In 1597 he returned and took possession, with several others, of Ailsa Craig. He was intent on using it as a provisioning and stopping off point for a Spanish invasion that would re-establish the Catholic faith in Scotland—a plot originally established by the Earls of Angus, Errol, and Huntly.Dobie, James D. (ed Dobie, J.S.) (1876). Cunninghame, Topographized by Timothy Pont 1604–1608, with continuations and illustrative notices. John Tweed : Glasgow, pp. 308–9. He was discovered on Ailsa Craig by the Protestant Minister of Paisley, Andrew Knox, and upon being discovered and reflecting upon his previous assurances of good conduct, he either tried to escape and had an accidental death or he deliberately drowned himself in the sea off the island. He had been a close friend of Alexander Montgomerie of Hessilhead, the famous poet, to whom he had on one occasion addressed his own poetry. Metcalfe records that Knox actually reached Ailsa Craig first and Hugh drew his sword, found himself under determined attack and falling into the sea, drowned. Knox was charged with Hugh's death by his friends, however upon appeal to the King in Council, his actions were justified as loyal and good service done to His Majesty and country. The King forbade any to molest him, and charged all magistrates and others in office to assist in protecting him.* Metcalfe, William M. (1905). A History of the County of Renfrew from the Earliest Times. Paisley : Alexander Gardner.
The history of Ladyland castle
Ladyland or Lady LandAitken, Robert (1827), Map of the Parish of Kilbirnie. Castle (NS 3230 5791) was the caput of the Barony of Ladyland and was a typical tower house of the 16th century, probably with three storeys and a typical corbelled parapet around the roof; each corner originally having a small turret, later modified, probably in 1669, when a typical pitched roof was added and the building made more comfortable and less defensive for William Hamilton of Ardoch who obtained the property from the Earl of Eglinton. A more impressive door was created at the existing first floor level, a pediment above being inscribed with W.H. I.B. and dated 1669. This inscription refers to Hamilton and his Barclay bride. This pediment survives and is now above the gateway into the walled garden.
The castle had low buildings either side that looked a little like wings, and were probably for stables and storage. A sundial dated 1673 survives, and may have been built to commemorate the completion of the 'modernisation' works. In the walled garden, another stone, dated 1817, bears the inscription W.C. C.H..
Workers discovered a cavity in one of the walls when the castle was being partially demolished in 1815;Paterson, James (1863–66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. IV. – I — Cunninghame. Edinburgh: J. Stillie, p. 288. this contained four small urns, a painted drinking glass and a large jaw bone, possibly of an ox. Two of the urns had handles and all were tightly closed with shreds or trimmings of woven cloth. One of the urns contained the breast and side bones of a chicken and the others a sort of greasy soil. A coin was found in the grounds near the old tower, bearing the legend 'FESTINA LENTE' ('Make Haste Slowly'); other details being too worn too make out.Paterson, James (1863–66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. V. II – Cunninghame. Edinburgh: J. Stillie, p. 289. No explanation has been put forward for these articles presence here.Love, Dane (2005), Lost Ayrshire: Ayrshire's Lost Architectural Heritage. Pub. Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd. , pp. 14–5. A portion of the castle survives, about 20 feet long and 25 feet in height, forming the north elevation of the walled garden. It has an elliptical gun port in it and a rectangular window. Some square bee bole recesses are also present.
In 1691 the Hearth Tax records show that Ladyland had ten hearths and eighteen other dwellings were associated with the estate.Urquhart, Robert H. et al. (1998). The Hearth Tax for Ayrshire 1691. Ayrshire Records Series V.1. Ayr : Ayr Fed Hist Soc . p. 79
W. C. Patrick of Ladyland strengthened the walls of Glengarnock Castle in 1841 as recorded on a tablet attached to the building.
Ladyland House and stables
Ladyland House is an A-listed building about two miles from Kilbirnie, and is one of David Hamilton's most picturesque country houses, designed for William Cochran. The large pilasters on each corner are a distinguishing feature for this architect and an interesting feature is the tartan-checked window-bar pattern and bold corner quoins. The nearby stables were designed by Brown & Wardrop Architects, most likely by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley in 1860 and 1861, who adopted a style similar to Hamilton. The stables have since been carefully converted into private dwellings; possibly incorporating original 17th-century building work in their wings.Love, Dane (2003), Ayrshire : Discovering a County. Ayr: Fort Publishing. , p. 73.Close, Robert (1992), Ayrshire and Arran: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Pub. Roy Inc Arch Scot. , p. 94. The house was built sometime between 1816–1821. In 1925 a wing designed to blend in with the original house was added by the architect James Houston of Kilbirnie. The house was purchased in 2017 by Dr. Kiril Sharapov and the landscape architect, Colin Burden.
The Ladyland sundials