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Lambroughton

Lambroughton is in the old Barony of Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, Scotland

The Origins of the Name Lambroughton

The surname and placename both appear to be derived from that of the clan McLamroch. Only a handful of people in Great Britain have that name today. The surnames Lamberton and Landsborough are variants. The lands of Lambroughton lies in the parish of Dreghorn and it has obviously given rise to a fairly common personal name. Several graves in the neighbouring parish church of Kilmaurs Glencairn carry the name Lamberton, a William Lambroughton was the 'Kilmaurs poet'(See Additional notes) and the name is now found all over the World.

The placename has many variants, such as Lambrochton, Lambrachton, Lambrachtoune, Lambroughtoune and Lambristoune.

The 'Mc' part of the name was dropped and Lamrochton became Lanbroughton after passing through several intermediate stages.

Today there are several farms with 'Lambroughton' incorporated, namely 'Townhead of Lambroughton', 'East Lambroughton', 'West Lambroughton' and 'Mid Lambroughton'.

'Timothy Pont's map of 'Cuninghamia', surveyed in the early 1600's (1604-1608), but not published until the 1654 by J.Blaeu indicates the placenames of 'Lambrochmill', 'Mains of Lambrochton' and 'Lambrochton B.(bridge?)'.

The Cunninghame Family and its connections with Lambroughton

It is likely that the Lambroughton mentioned in the early records refer to the site the farm now known as Townhead of Lambroughton. Pont records a Mains of Lambrochtoun in 1604 and as the term 'mains' refers to the home farm of an estate, cultivated by or for the 'owner' (Robinson 1985), then we can assume that the main dwelling was here or hereabouts.

Warnebald/Wernebald or Vernebald was a vassal of Hugo de Morville, hereditary Constable of Scotland. They both came from Flanders in France via Burg in Cumbria. Hugo granted the Barony of Kilmaurs to Wernebald in around 1140 and Lambrochton was the most important of the lands given in this grant (Beattie 1990). By the early 1200's the family had taken the surname of Cunynghame now Cunninghame. Paterson (1863-66) argues that the original name was Cunigham and that local people pronounced it that way until relatively recently.

It is said by Chalmers in his Caledonia as quoted by McNaught, that the settlement of Kilmaurs was known as Conygham until it was changed sometime in the thirteenth century.

Robertson points out that the various branches of the family spell their name differently; as Cunninghame for Glencairn and Corsehill, Cuninghame for Caddel and Monkredding, Cunningham for Baidland and Clonbeith and finally Cuningham for Glengarnock. Robertson states that the name is variously described as originating from the Danish appelation 'King's House' or the Gaelic Cuineag, a 'milkchurn'.

Another possibility stated by McNaught is that the name derives from the coney or rabbit country. This is not as ridiculous as it might sound, for Hart-Davis points out that no Anglo-Saxon or celtic word for 'rabbit' exists and no mention in the Domesday Book of 1086, also 'coneys' were adults and the term rabbits was only used for the young. The normans, such as Warnebald, introduced them for their meat and fur. They were either kept in warrens behind stone walls or kept on small islands, such as on Little Cumbrae (McNaught). Only later did they escape into the wild and become a successful member of Britain's fauna. Black rabbits were especially valued for their fur.

The earliest reference to the use of the Lambroughton name in any form of personal context seems to be that of a Gulielmus (william) de Lambristoune who was a witness to a charter conveying the lands of Pokellie (Pokelly) from Sir Gilchrist More to a Ronald Mure at a date around 1280. We do not know if this Guilielmus was a Cunninghame, however we are told by by Timothy Pont the cartographer and topographer in the early 1600's that Lambrouchtoune was the 'ancientest inheritance of the predecessors of the Cunninghames of Glencairne'.

It should be noted that it was the custom of a landowner or farmer to take the name of the land which he owned or cultivated.

The barony of Kilmaurs was composed of the lands of Buston (now Buiston), Fleuris (now Floors), Lambroughton, whyrrig (now Wheatrig), and Southwick or Southuck (now South Hook). The barony was originally held by the powerful De Morville family who were related to John Baliol through his mother, Devorgilla, a daughter of the De Morville family and the founder of Sweetheart Abbey in Kirkcudbright. Baliol lost the crown to Robert the Bruce who rewarded his loyal supporters, the Cunninghames, by granting the lands of Lambrachton and Polquharne to a Hugo de Cunynghame who died without issue and in 1321 the king gave the lands of Lambrachton and Grugere to Robertus de Conyngham of Kilmaurs. De La Zuche and de Ferreres who had held the lands before from Hugh de Morville (see Floors Farm) were sent into exile.

The importance of the tenement is illustrated by the fact that William Cunninghame of Lamberton (1297-1328) was Archbishop of St.Andrews in 1322 (McNaught 1912) and he was the 'Guardian of Scotland' for a time during the inter-regnum when Cumyn, Baliol and Bruce were disputing the crown of Scotland. see 'Lamberton in the Scottish Borders'.

King Robert III (1340 - 1406) granted the lands of Lambrochton and Kilmaurs to Sir William Cuninghame and Sir Robert (knighted by James I), the Duke of Albany later granted these lands to a Robert Cuninghame.

In 1413 Sir William de Cunynghame (McNaught 1912) lord of Kilmaurs endowed the collegiate church at Kilmaurs with all of his lands of the Southuck (now South Hook) within the tenement of Lambrachtoun and other properties. The income was to pay for three priests to say prayers for the safety of his soul, that of his parents and of Hervy the church's founder, etc.

South Hook (previously Southeuck, Southwick, Southhoock or Seurnbenck) is near Knockentiber and being part of the tenement of Lambroughton, this shows that the lands of Lambroughton were fairly sizeable at this time.

In 1520 the Lambrochton lands were acquired by Hugh, first Earl of Eglintoun (see Townhead of Lambroughton).

Sir John Cunninghame of Lambroughton was the patron of Dreghorn and Kilmaurs kirks in 1670. He was an advocate and obtained the sanction of parliament to use vacant stipends for the purpose of repairing churches and manses in these parishes.

In 1675 Sir John Cunninghame Bart., conveyed to Robert Cunningham, druggist, Edinburgh, the lands of 'Langmuir, Langsyde (possibly now Langlands), Auldtoun and Lambrochtoune in whose family they seem to have remained until 1820, when George Cunninghame was the owner.

Townhead of Lamroughton (Lambrochtoune) itself must have passed to the Longmuirs by 1734 as it is recorded by McNaught that Gabriel Longmuir of what is now High Langmuir owned the farm at this date.

The Legend of Friskin and Malcom Canmore

One version of the story is given by Robert Cunnighame in 1740. In his manuscript, entitled the Right Honorable the Earl of Glencairn's family, MacBeth murdered his cousin, King Duncan 1 and the king's son, Malcolm Canmore (big head in gaelic) tried to reach temporary safe refuge in his castle of Corsehill outside Stewarton. MacBeth's men were almost upon Malcolm when he saw a peasant, Friskin (or Friskine), turning hay in a barn nearby. Friskin hid Malcolm who then escaped to England with Friskin as a retainer.

King Harthacanute of England and Norway gave them protection. When Harthacanute died his successor King Edward the Confessor gave Malcolm an army which permitted him to conquer Scotland and kill MacBeth. The grateful King Malcolm 111 (1031 to 1093) gave Friskine the thanedom or Baillery of Cunninghame and the family took this name, together with the motto of 'Over fork over' which they retain to this day.

It is also said that the Cunninghames were 'Masters of the king's horses' and that they took their motto from this position in the 'punning way' which is typical of the armorial bearings and mottos of many an aristocratic family.

In another version of the story, it is stated by Frederick van Bassen (Douglas 1764) who was a learned Norwegian, that the saviour of Malcolm was actually a Malcolm, son of Friskin, however in other respects the story is the same.

This story does not fit with the historical record, however it is of ancient origin and a grain of truth must in some way relate it to real events. The lands given to the family would have included the tenement of Lambroughton.

Lambroughton and the Murder of Thomas a Becket

In 1887 it is recorded (McNaught 1912) that a manuscript containing the geneology of the Cunninghames of Glencairn stes the following;-

"The founder of the family of Cunningham was Neil Cunningham, designed governor of Lambroughton, born in England in the year of our Lord, 1131. Being ane English gentleman , and come of ane ancient family, he, together with others, was enticed or rather forced by his lawful prince, King Henry II of England, his private orders, to commit murder upon the person of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, which he accordigly put in execution 30th. Decr., 1172, after which he was held in so great hatred by his countrymen that for shelter from their fury he flees to Scotland and takes up habitation in the country of Cunningham, after which he becomes in great favour with our King for his good service in saving the King's life at ane battle in Cunningham at Kilmairs, where he was enclosed by his enemies, and for which good service in saving the King's life he obtained from the King the lands of Lambroughton, and was made sole governor thereof."

This Neil married the daughter of the Laird of Arnot and had four sons.

This version does not agree with the others, however it does confirm a ancient battle in the vicinity of Kilmaurs, involving King Malcolm III(Douglas 1764).

Lamberton in the Scottish Borders

Logan Mack records that a village of the name Lamberton once existed in the Scottish Borders at the extreme north and east end of the border march. It was destroyed in 1548 by a raid led by the Earl of Hertford and only a farm of that remains today. It is suggested that the name came from the Saxon name Lambert and was in use by the date 1098.

We know of a William, Henry and a John de Lamberton; Logan Mack states that it probably from this ancient family that the famous William Lamberton, Archbishop of St. Andrews arose. His fame derives from his role in advising and assisting King Robert the Bruce in his ultimately successful efforts to throw off the English yoke.

Only further research will settle the question of any relationship between the two Lambertons.

Townhead of Lambroughton

Armstrong's map of 1775 shows a Lamberton as a group of buidings with the road passing between, Pont's map of the 1600's shows a Mains of Lambrochton and Aitken's map of 1829 gives a Townhead of Lamberton, occupied by a Mr.Orr esq. By 1866 Alexander Orr Esq. is the owner (Dobie 1876). The name Lambroughton Head is indicated by the 6 to the mile 1858 OS map, by 1897 the 6 to the mile OS shows the name Townhead of Lambroughton which it has retained ever since.

McNaught states that one Hugh Lamberton, a merchant of Glasgow, left £300 in the early 1800's as the Lamberton Mortification to be used to provide fuel, food or clothing for the local poor. He may not of come from Townhead of Lambroughton, but he was obviously a man with local connections.

Lambrouchton-head was owned in 1734 by Gabriel Longmuir (Dobie 1876) who was succeeded by Alexander Longmuir, whose sister, Margaret, married William Orr in Langmuir, Kilmaurs. Their eldest son William Orr succeeded to the property in 1808 and built the present mansion house. William married Grizell Lock of Hollybush in Paisley and had eight sons and two daughters. The The eldest son, Alexander inherited the property in 1856 and married Margaret Gilmour of Dunlop. They had seven children who inherited the property conjointly.

Langmuir and its connection with Townhead of Lambroughton.

The Estate of Langmuir (now High Langmuir) used to include Auldtoun, Langsyde, part of Lambroughton and also part of Busbie (McNaught 1912).

Robertson has the family of Langmuir of Langmuir (Pont gives Langmoor) in his desiderata as an ancient and respected family who are either extinct or no longer live in the area. He asks for any details of the family to be passed to him.

East Lambroughton Farm

Aitken's map of 1829 names this farm as Lamberton, however by 1858 the name becomes East Lambroughton, presumably to clarify potential confusion with the other farms, as indicated by the 6 to the mile OS map. The farm is not marked on the Pont's (1604) or Armstrong's (1775) map.

Mid Lambroughton Farm

Aitken's map gives the name Mid Lamberton. The farm is not marked on the Pont's (1604) or Armstrong's (1775) map. It is marked on the 1858 OS with a milestone (Irvine 5 3/4 miles and Stewarton 1 mile) opposite its entrance, but now presumably buries (see 'The Turnpike').

West Lambroughton Farm

Aitken's map gives the name as both South and West Lamberton on different pages. The farm is not marked on the Pont's (1604) or Armstrong's (1775) map.

Lambroch Bridge

Lambroch bridge could be a bridge over the Annick, however it seems to be located by Pont where the Bracken burn has its confluence with the Garrier burn. The Garrier's name is thought to be derived, according to McNaught, from the Gaelic for 'fast running water'. Ironically the Garrier burn is now seasonal as its headwaters are the drained loch at Lochside near Buiston (previously Buston). This loch is famous as the site of the crannog (lake dwelling) discovered and excavated by D.McNaught, the author of 'Kilmaurs Parish and Burgh.'

Lambroch Mill

The existence of Lambroch Mill is shown up until 1775 (Captain Armstrong snd Son's - A New Map of Ayr Shire, scale 1 inch to 1 Mile), however the positioning is not near the river and unless the Lochridge (formerly Lochrig) burn was used to fill a millpond then the site was probably on the river Annick near where the farm of Laigh Castleton, (formerly Nether Castleton), at one time part of the Lainshaw estate, is situated.

A well made road runs from Laigh Castleton down to the river Annick (formerly Annock). The Annick is a fair sized river with a significant flow, rising in the White Loch, six miles east of Stewarton in the parish of Mearnes. The shape of the enclosure at the end of this road, the presence of piles of stones and what may have been a weir fairly conclusively show this to have been the site of the Lambroch Mill. The 1829 Robert Aitken's 'Survey of Cunninghame Parishes' and the 1858 OS map indicates 'stepping stones' here (the old weir) and a ford a few yards upstream.

A house is indicated, which may have been the miller's dwelling, on the other side of the river and the ford would have provided access. A track from here to High Chapeltoun is shown on one of Aitken's 1829 maps.

Running from nearly opposite the new entrance to Townhead of Lambroughton is what appears to have been a track, leading directly to the mill, with hedge banks on either side. Grain could have been easily lowered down or hauled up from here.

Thirlage was the feudal law by which the laird could force all those farmers living on his lands to bring their grain to his mill to be ground. Additionally they had to carry out repairs on the mill, maintain the lade and weir as well as conveying new millstones to the site. The Thirlage Law was repealed in 1779 (Ferguson 2005) and after this many mills fell out of use as competition and unsubsidised running costs took their toll. This may explain why no sign of the mill is visible on Aitken's 1829 or the 1858 OS map.

Floors Farm

On Aitken's 1829 map Floors is written as Fleurs and one possibility is that the farm is named after William de Ferreres who obtained lands in Lambrachton and Grugere (now Grugar) (McNaught 1912) from Hugo de Morville, upon his marriage to his daughter Margaret in the 1300's.

In 1572 the name was written as Fluris in a charter granted to John Cunninghame of hill.

Allan de La Zuche married her sister Ela and was also given lands in Lambrachton and Grugere (now Grugar). It is not clear how the lands were apportioned other than the possible clue of the application of the name Ferreres to the farm now known as Floors, and thus a Ferreres to Fluris to Fleurs to Floors transition would provide a logical explanation.

Floors does not however appear on either Pont's (1604) or Armstrong's (1775) map.

The Turnpike

The road running up from Cunninghamehead was made into a turnpike by the 'Ayr Roads Act of 1767' (McClure 1994) and the opportunity was taken to move it away from Townhead of Lambroughton which it had run through. The nearest toll house was on the left as the road joins with the Stewarton to Kilmaurs road opposite the site of the old Lainshaw Mill.

The name 'Turnpike' originated from the original 'gate' used being just a simple wooden bar attached at one end to a hinge on the supporting post. The hinge allowed it to 'open' or 'turn' This bar looked like the 'pike' used as a weapon in the army at that time and therefore we get 'turnpike'.

Other than providing better roads, the turnpikes settled the confusion of the different lengths given to miles (Thompson 1999), which varied from 4,854 to nearly 7000 feet. Long miles, short miles, Scotch or Scot's miles (5,928 feet), Irish miles (6,720 feet), etc. all existed. 5280 seems to have been an average!

Another important point not often realised is that when the toll roads were constructed the Turnpike Trusts went to considerable trouble to improve the route of the new road and these changes could be quite considerable.

Red sandstone milestones were positioned every mile. Only one survives in the hedge opposite the entrance to the Law Mount field, indicating Stewarton 1 mile and Irvine 6 3/4 miles. Another was positioned opposite the entrance to Mid Lambroughton farm and as with the others the only remaining clue is a 'kink' in the hedgerow as seen near Langlands Farm. The milestones were buried during the Second World War so as not to provide assistance to invading troups, german spies, etc.

A Ghost Story

The Lambroughton Crossroads were the site for festivities wehere the farm hands would meet for singing, dancing and trials of strength. One 'ghost story' relates that when a well respected octogenarian farmer from West Lambroughton died in the 1990's, at around midnight on the night before the funeral the sound of dancing in hobnail boots could be heard coming from the crossroads with a tawny Owl screeching its presence from a nearby telegraph pole for the first and only known time.

The Law Mount

The Law Mount (OS maps), Moat Hill (Aitken) or Moot Hill (Smith 1885) overlooking Lainshaw House and above High Castleton (Previously Over Castleton) is an artificial mound which was thought to have a bailey and therefore be a castle motte, hence the name of the farms. Linge is of the opinion that the supposed bailey is a natural geographic feature. The mound is 19m in diameter and 3.5m in height. At the top its diameter is 12m.

Another possibility that suggests the purpose of the mound and fits with its local name is that it was the site of proclamations of the Lainshaw Castle Barony Court judgements and sentence was carried out here. For capital crimes the men were hung and women were drowned in the river Annick below the mound. This situation existed at other sites, such as at Drumclog, where the castle, mound and lochan have this scenario attached to their history.

William C. Lamberton of kilamurs was a shoemaker and Kilmarnock town chaplain. He published a volume of verses in 1878 under the nom de plume of 'An Ayrshire Volunteer'.

Aiket castle had a court hill mound nearby.

Stacklawhill - a mound nearby is now marked as Whin (Gorse)hill, but the farm name suggests an older alternative.

Near Langlands Farm in the hedgerow of the main road is a rare example of a wild pear tree. The blossom is splendid in the month of may.

The old sandstone parapet of the bridge overlooking the site of Cunnighamehead station has many carvings on it, probably made by local children and pupils from the primary school as they waited and watched the old steam and diesel trains going by.

At Jock's Thorn Farm near Kilmaurs a petrosphere or highly carved Stone Ball was discovered in the 19th. century (Smith 1895) and (Marshall 1976/77). 387 are known from Scotland, but only two from Ayrshire. They are from the neolithic or bronze age and their function is not known, however they may be symbols of power, equivalent to the orb in the coronation ceremony.

In 1911 McNaught records that the last sighting of an otter. This took place at the Brackenburn Bridge on the 9th. of September in full moonlight.

Next to the Kilmaurs-Glencairn is a patch of woodland which was once an orchard. The Tour streamlet joins the Carmel nearby and before the confluence can be found an old well, arched over, known as the Lady's well with never-failing, excellent and refeshingly cool water. A small wooden bridge used to run across to it from the church glebe side (McNaught 1912).

Definitions and Scot's Words

Barony - lands held directly from the crown.

Dyke - a stone wall. In English it can mean a ditch (Mack 1926).

Glebe - land apportioned to a minister in addition to his stipend.

Mains - the home farm of an estate, cultivate by or for the owner.

March - an estate or property boundary, from the old English Mearc a mark.

Merk - a land value of 2/3 of a Scot's pound.

Shaw - a small natural wood.

Teins - a tenth of the income of a property, payable to the church.

Temple - lands belonging to the Knight's Templar.

Tenement - land built on and held in tenure.

Toun or Ton - a farm and its outbuildings.

References

• Aitken, John (1829). Survey of the parishes of Cunningham. Pub. Beith.

• Adamson, Archibald R. (1875). Rambles Round Kilmarnock. Pub. T.Stevenson, pps.168-170..

• Armstrong and Son. Engraved by S.Pyle (1775). A New Map of Ayr Shire comprehending Kyle, Cunningham and Carrick.

• Bayne, John F. (1935). Dunlop Parish - A History of Church, Parish, and Nobility. Pub. T.& A. Constable, pps.10-16.

• Beattie, Robert (1990). kilmaurs Past and Present. Kilmaurs Historical Society.

• Dobie, James D. (ed Dobie, J.S.)(1876). Cunninghame, Topographized by Timothy Pont 1604-1608, with continuations and illustrative notices. Pub. John Tweed, Glasgow.

• Davis, Michael C. (1991). The Castles and Mansions of Ayrshire. Pub. Spindrift Press, Ardrishaig, pps.206 & 207.

• Douglas, Robert (1764). The Peerage of Scotland. Pub. R.Fleming. p.289.

• Ferguson, Robert (2005). The Life and Times of the Dalgarven Mills. ISBN 0-9550935 p.4.

• Hart-Davis, Duff (2002). Fauna Britannica. ISBN 0-297-825321. p.84

• Linge, John (1987). Re-discovering a landscape: the barrow and motte in north Ayrshire. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland. V.117. p.28.

• Mack, James Logan (1926). The Border Line. Pub. Oliver & Boyd. pps.317-322.

• Marshall, D.N. (1976/77). Carved stone balls. Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 108, pps.4-72.

• McClure, David (1994). Tolls and Tacksmen. ISBN 0-9502698-5-9. pps.27-28.

• Paterson, James (1847). History of Ayr and a Genealogical Account of the Ayrshire Families. P.452.

• Paterson, James (1863-66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton.

• Pont,Timothy (1604). Cuninghamia. Pub. Blaeu in 1654.

• Robertson, George (1823). A Genealogical Account of the Principal families in Ayrshire.Pub. A.Constable, Irvine.

• Smith, John (1895). Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire. Pub. Elliot Stock p.85.