 |
| Caledonian Mercury 1797 |
Thomas Symington died there in 1802
His widow Marion (nee Wallace) married her farm worker James Smith, and the farm was run by the family for more than 100 years. Marion and James retired to Whitehill Cottage and lived there with Marion's daughter Helen Symington.
The History of Ochiltree Village & Parish - Dane Love
p337
Whitehill
84 acres in 1851. 110 acres in 1871. 140 acres in 1881.
1786 - William Reid (d1786)
1797 - Adam Currie
-1802 - Thomas Symington (1753-1802)
1802-1860 Drumjoan Estate - James Smith (1774-1860)
1860-1881 Drumjoan Estate - Robert Smith (1808-1881)
1881-1914 Drumjoan Estate - Hugh Smith (1851-1914)
1914-1940 Drumjoan Estate - John Smith
1948- James Harvey (d1966)
2010-2014 James Harvey
Census records
Census records
1841 Robert Smith 30 and wife Jane (Guthrie)30, are living at Whitehill with their children David 9, James 7, Robert 5, John 3, and William 9 months. They have servants Ann All, 15, and Margaret Murdoch 15.
1851 Robert Smith 42 and wife Jane 42 are farming 84 acres and employing two agricultural labourers. Family at home are David 19, James 17, John 13, William 10, Jane 6, and Thomas 4. Their other son Robert 15, was in Ochiltree village with Elizabeth Wallace where he was studying (EC)
There is also Isabella Mitchell 20, house servant and Margaret Murdoch 24, dressmaker.
1861 Robert Smith 53 and wife Jane 54 are farming 210 acres employing 1 man and 1 boy.
Family are John 23, William 20, Thomas 14 and Hugh 9.
Servants are Alexander Matthewson 16 , ag lab, Isabella Cowan 22, and Elisabeth Cumming 15 both domestics. In 1861 Jane, 16 is staying with Elizabeth Wallace in Ochiltree village.
1871 Robert Smith widower is farming 110 acres employing 1 labourer and 1 boy.
His daughter Jeanie 26, Thomas 24, and Hugh 19 are there with him. Their servants are Annie Rowan 18, dairymaid, and Thomas McKelvie 13, farm servant. Elisabeth Baird 38 is a visitor, dressmaker.
In 1875 Jane (Jeanie) Smith married John Young, and they farmed and raised their family at West Park, Coylton.
The 1881 census shows Robert Smith 72 and his son Hugh 29 farming 140 acres arable employing 2 men and 1 girl. Jean Osborne 24 is housekeeper, Elizabeth McLatchie 19 is the dairymaid and John Arthur 14 general servant.
1891 Hugh Smith 38 and Catherine M 38 and child Jane M, 1. Also at Whitehill is their nephew Mather, (record says Matthew) 18 an apprentice engineer, son of the Robert Smith that was in the process of moving his family to South Africa after the death of his second wife (her maiden name was Mather). The other two sons and daughter were in Glasgow with their late mother's sister. ( information from Elaine Corbett's family research)
Their servants are James Bell 23, and Elizabeth 16, and Susan Brannan 13, nurse.
".....the Smiths of Whitehill have earned and almost world-wide reputation as cheesemakers."
Matthew Mair Osborne at the Ochiltree Schoolfellow's Reunion 1895
1901 Hugh Smith 49, and wife Catherine 50, are farming at Whitehill with daughters Agnes 18 and Jane 11, and sons Robert 9, and John 6.
The Robert Smith in the newspaper cutting refers to Mr Robert Smith, (third son of Robert Smith and Jane Guthrie in Whitehill) who joined the bank. He became the manager of the Bank of South Africa in King William's Town, East Cape Province. Three of his sons fought in the Boer War including the doctor. David Guthrie Smith, the doctor's brother, lost his life at Ladysmith.
From the Smith family papers (EC)
Sadly, after such fanfare and leaving a proud family, he died there in 1896 aged only 30.
 |
| Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald 11 January 1889 |
Sadly, after such fanfare and leaving a proud family, he died there in 1896 aged only 30.
Some of the sons of Robert Smith and Jane Guthrie moved down to Kirkcudbright, and by 1888 had established themselves as dairy farmers and cheese producers. The descendants of James Smith still continue the business today at Rascarrell farm near Auchencairn.
 |
| Extract from article on the Kilmarnock Show Ayr Advertiser or West Country Journal 4 November 1888 |
The Smiths of King Williams’s Town, SA, are also farming - bees, in the beautiful Golden Bay area of New Zealand.
Valuation Rolls
1855 prop. Robert Campbell (Whitehill), Sir James Boswell (Speirston and Whitehill), tenant Robert Smith (Whitehill) and John Woodburn (Speirston and Whitehill).
1875 prop. Robert Campbell (W) and Lady Boswell (S & W), tenant Ann Brown (W) and Robert Smith (S & W).
1885 prop. William Campbell, tenant Hugh Brown.
1905 tenant Hugh Smith. 1915 prop. Lord Skerrington.
1925 tenant John Smith.
There is also Whitehill Cottage near to Whitehill
There is also Whitehill Cottage near to Whitehill
'In 1921 Ochiltree Parish Council agreed to rent 2 1/2 acres of land on Whitehill farm as a recreation ground for the residents. This was located east of the Bardarroch Road between the railway and the small burn that drained the nearby fields, as well as the rows' drains. The field was noted for being rather rough, but that didn't stop the local children from playing on it.'
(The History of Ochiltree Village & Parish - Dane Love - p75)
Harvey family bought the farm from Galbraith family in 1948. The current owners are David and Catherine Harvey
