By 1881 census, the farm has increased in size to 132 acres arable employing 1 man and 2 girls, but is now run by Robert Steel 32, and John's widow Janet. There is also Margaret Steel, John and Janet's daughter and three of her children, Helen M N 8, Alexandrina M 5, and John W 3. Servants are James Thomson 20, Agnes K McBryde 17, and William Morrison 25, boarder.
Macquittiston Farm from Ann Sutton
Dairy Farm until the late 1990s
Steele Family
The earliest record of the Steele family at Macquittiston is when John Steele (b.1764 d.1842) married Isabelle Colville (b.1778 d.1832) of Slatehole in 1797.
Their son John Steel (b.1813 d.1871) also farmed Macquittiston. He married Janet Millar (b.1816 d.1885)
Then John and Janet’s son Robert Steele (b.1848 d.1913) farmed Macquittiston. He never married. His niece Alexandrina was the last Steele at Macquittiston.
In the 1881 census when Robert Steele (37) is the farmer at Macquittiston 3 children are living there: Helen age 8, Alexandrina age 5, and John W. age 3. They are the recently orphaned children of James Steele (b.1845 d.1880) and his wife Martha Neilson (b.1850 d.1878). James (Robert’s brother) was a school teacher. James is shown in the 1861 census at Macquittiston as a 16-year-old and age 6 in the 1851 census.
Helen, Alexandrina, and James W. Steele grow up at Macquittiston and are shown on censuses as working on the farm as they get older.
Helen M. N. Steele (b. 1872 d.?) marries John Knox (b.1869 d?) of Lane Farm in 1912.
John Wm. Steele (b.1877 d? Montreal) marries Agnes Kirkpatrick Watson (b.1885 d.1953) (sister of John Neill Watson Snr. of East Tarelgin) in 1905 at High Tarbeg. They move to England in 1918. One of their sons, William Watson Steele was a noted Ayrshire cattle breeder in Essex. There is info on “Aylewards World Record Ayrshires” on Cumnock Connections family tree under Williams details.
Alexandrina marries William Hutton
William Hutton (b. 1876 d. 1948) farmer at Macquittiston from 1912 to the late 1930s.
Alexandrina (Drina) Steele (b.1875 d.1950) married William Hutton in 1914. He is on the 1911 census at Macquittiston as a ploughman, born in Ireland. She had lived at Macquittiston since young child and was a worker there. They take over farming at Macquittiston circa 1913 (likely around the time of the death of Uncle Robert Steele in 1913.) They are shown as renting Macquittiston in 1915 from Marquis of Bute. By 1920 they are proprietors/occupiers.
John Neill Watson jr. (b. 1908 d 1977) farmer at Macquittiston late 1930s till mid-1950s.
When the Huttons retired the farm was bought by John Neill Watson jr. a neighbouring farmer who had been farming East Tarelgin and Killochside with his father John Neill Watson Snr. (my great grandfather) (b.1876 d.1958), He married Mary Kennedy (b.1910 d.1991) of Walston Farm at Tarbolton in 1938.
They retired in the mid-1950s and moved to Alloway.
Andrew Crighton Mackie (b.1899 d.1986) farmer at Macquittiston mid-1950s till 1967.
My Grandparents; Andrew Crighton Mackie and Annie Neill Watson (b.1901 d.1973) of East Tarelgin married in 1935. Annie was a sister of John Neill Watson jr. Andrew was from Belltrees Farm at Lochwinnoch and they farmed at Belltrees before moving to Macquittiston when JNW jr. retired circa 1953.
John Neill Watson Mackie (b.1940 d.2017) farmer at Macquittiston 1967 till 2017
My father Neill farmed at Macquittiston with his family till 2017.
It was sold in 2018 to the Robb family.
At the time of sale, it was described in the sales brochure as “A fine livestock and grazing farm with a spacious 5-bedroom farmhouse and traditional buildings” About 111.95 acres (43.3ha)
“The land is gently undulating and south-facing all laid down to grass and generally in good heart. It is mostly ploughable grassland with some permanent pasture about its southern perimeter where burns cross the fields. There are 8 enclosures. There are 3 mains water troughs with access also to burns. It is at a height of about 120 meters to 150 meters above sea level and is John Hutton Classification Class 3(2) and 4(1).”
Ann Sutton March 2022
