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J Retter 1978
The Mill of Shield or Mill o' Shiel was a corn mill, fed by a lade running from the Taiglum Burn, water being stored in a mill pond that is no longer extant.
The History of Ochiltree Village & Parish - Dane Love
p326
Mill of Shield
Miln o' Shiel in 1791, Mill of Shiell of Drongan in 1844. 70 Scotch acres in 1844. 446 acres in 1919. Conversion into courtyard development granted.
-1791 Drongan Estate - James Gibson (d1791)
1797-1818 Drongan Estate - John Murdoch
-1844 Drongan Estate - James Kerr
1844- Drongan Estate
1851-1866 Drongan Estate - George Anderson (1813-1866)
1866-1899 Drongan Estate - William Mair & David Mair
1914 Drongan Estate - David Mair
1919 Drongan Estate
1925-1942 James Wilson (1880-1955)
Steel
Douglas
-2007 Dunlop
2007-
The 1851 census for Mill of Shiel, Stair shows George Anderson farming 70 acres assisted by his wife Mary 29, farm servants William Pettigrove 23 & William Cowan 14 and female servant Jean Lawsen.
In 1861 George Anderson 44 is still farming 70 acres there along with his wife Mary 39, 21yr old dairymaid Margaret Graham, ploughman William Cowan 23, labourer John Leve 16 and a 20yr old corn miller whose name seems to be Johnston Andras.
On 4th January 1866 George Anderson, farmer at Mill of Shield, and his wife Mary Ferguson were crossing the Water of Coyle at Barbieston when they were both carried away in the raging flood and they were both drowned.
(Source: p46 The History of Ochiltree Village & Parish by Dane Love)
8/1/1866 Edinburgh Evening Courant
The 1871 census shows William Mair farming 60 acres arable along with his wife Mary 41 (Symington). Daughter Janet 17, Agnes 16 and son William 15 are all employed on the farm with the help of farm servant Hugh Springton. William & Mary have 7 more younger children - Elizabeth 13, John 12, James 10, Hugh 9, Mary 7, David 5 and Jane 4.
The 1881 census for Mill of Shiel, Stair lists wife Mary 51 farming 90 acres arable employing her children William 25, Elizabeth 23, Hugh 19, Mary 17 and Jane 14. Two other sons also live there - John 22 who is a joiner and David 15 who is a blacksmith.
Mary Mair died at Mill o' Shiel 4/4/1883.
Son William Mair 45 took over the farm after his mother's death and the 1891 census shows he was assisted by his sister Elizabeth 33 and his brothers James 30, Hugh 29 and David 25.
Boundary changes meant that Mill o' Shield was moved from the Parish of Stair into the Parish of Ochiltree
The 1901 census for Mill o' Shield, Ochiltree shows William Mair 45 still farming there with the help of his sister Elizabeth 43 and brothers Hugh 38 & David 35. Their invalid sister Agnes 47 is also living there. 18yr old Mary Duff is employed by them as a general servant.
William Mair died 24/5/1913 at Low Holm, a field at Mill o'Shield.
Valuation Rolls
1855 & 1865 Lands of Mill of Shield, Stair Prop: Alexander Oswald Esq.
Ten/Occ: George Anderson
1885 Mill of Shield Farm & House Prop: The Hon John Manners Yorke
& others
Tenant: William Mair
1895 House & Farm of Mill of Shields Prop: The Hon John Manners Yorke
& others
Tenant: David Mair
