Location not named on the OS first edition, but close to the churchyard.
High House - A farm steading occupied by Hugh Brown the property of Sir James Boswell.
Barony of Auchinleck - Rented Lands*
pp216,217
Highhouse, with parks at Auchinleck Kirk, was let to David Murdoch (d1780), to Jean Barry (d1782), 'a person disordered in judgement and thought to be an hundred years old', in 1786 to Henry Gibb (d1793) and to his daughter Janet Gibb in 1808.
* The Correspondence of James Boswell with James Bruce and Andrew Gibb,
Overseers of the Auchinleck Estate
Edited by Nellie Pottle Hankins and John Strawhorn
Edinburgh University Press and Yale University Press 1998
Auchinleck OPRs
David Murdoch formerly residing in Highhouse of Auchinleck d 3/2/1780. Cause of death: cancer. Buried in Auchinleck. See also Auchinleck churchyard blogpost.
Jean Barry age c100 formerly residing in Highhouse of Auchinleck d 8/3/1782. Old age - disordered in judgement. Lived many years at Highhouse.
The History of Auchinleck Village & Parish - Dane Love
pp316,317
Highhouse of Auchinleck
1782 Auchinleck Estate - Jean Barry (c1682-1782)
1875 Auchinleck Estate - David Morton
1899 Auchinleck Estate - William Baird & Co.
1925 William Baird & Co.
The 1851 census for High House shows John Sillars 58 farmer of 9 acres and his wife Mary (Borland) 64.
John Sillars died at High House 6/8/1852
1861 census - cannot find
The 1871 census shows for High House shows David Morton 47 farmer of 10 acres arable, wife Mary 42 and children Helen 12, James 10 and Elizabeth Smith Morton 8.
(In 1861 David was a curling stone manufacturer employing 2 boys)
The 1881 census shows High House now being farmed by Mary Morton a 52yr old farmer's widow (10 acres). Also living there is daughter Ellen 22 a grocer shopwoman , son James a 20yr old grocer and daughter Elizabeth S. a 19yr old seamstress.
The 1891 census shows High House is being farmed by son James Morton who is 30 and unmarried. He is assisted by his sister helen 32 who is housekeeper.
Only Highhouse Rows are shown in the 1901 census.
The History of Auchinleck Village & Parish - Dane Love
p149
Highhouse (coal) - 1894-1983
p173
From 1890-1940 the village population trebled from 1,489 to 4,837 as the Rows at Highhouse & Dalsalloch were built.
p178
Baird had erected the 96 new houses at Highhouse in 1905 to accommodate workers at Highhouse Pit.
Auchinleck Churchyard Lair Ref: 293
IMO John Sillers, High-House d 6/8/1852 59, wife Mary Borland 8/8/1872 84, sister Christian 19/11/1819 25, sister Sarah 26/8/1821 33.
Close to Highhouse Colliery and Highhouse Rows, Auchinleck
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| From the Wigton Advertiser 1908 |
There is a detailed report of all the accidents at The Scottish Mining website, free to view.
Valuation Rolls
1865/1874/1875 David Morton tenant/occupier Land Highhouse
1885/1895/1905 David Morton tenant/occupier Farm of Highhouse & house Highhouse
1915/1916 Trustees of the late Lady Jessie Jane Cunningham or Boswell tenant Wm Baird & Co. House & Farm Highhouse & Merlinhill
1930/31 Col. John Douglas Boswell of Garrallan - tenant Wm Baird & Co.
Damaged ground Highhouse & Merlinhill
