Short History of Ayrshire

(1/8) Newmilns, a town in East Ayrshire once famous for its lace industry, was one of the loudest voices in Scotland’s anti-slavery movement during the American Civil War. The town - now with a population of just 2700 – was once a 6000 strong centre of industry.

Happy St Andrews Day everybody. In Ayrshire we know that the best night of celebration is still a couple of months away though😉

If the instagram links don't lead to clear ways to donate, just let me know and I'll give more info. In general, if you have some spare cash and want to help, you can find ways to do so, and something is better than nothing. Thanks for reading and sorry for breaking from the history gimmick account.

All causes are worthy, but my mate told me that as the war drags on, it’s incredibly clear to her how much those participating and effected need psychological help, and I think that’s clear to see. Any donations or help would be amazing and would directly help the victims of the invasion.

...She's the only person in the list not connected to psychological health.”

“Olha Halushko: Some jerk threw a heavy flowerpot from 20m high during a demonstration near to the city hall during the orange revolution. She's been through coma but is fit now and continues her volunteer work helping those effected by the war in Cherkasy...

“Natalia Logvinenko: She does psychological support for soldiers and families. Part of the NGO Atlant, but I think it's better to support her directly, she works a lot and doesn't have money. She's from Cherkasy.”

Above these larger groups, through her mother who still lives in Cherkasy and directly supports them, two women who provide psychological help individually. The details are here, and if you want to help them personally, get in touch with me and I’ll tell you how:

“Then there's these bigger organisations like “Atlant” (www.instagram.com/atlantsuppor...), who have mobile groups of psychologists or “Varto Zhiti” (vartozhyty.com.ua) , they both are good but bigger and better organized.”

...change the direction into the psychological help for soldiers and families. There are 4 psychologists in the office.” www.instagram.com/openheartua/

...relate directly to effected people of Cherkasy. The easiest of her choices to donate to are, in her words: “An NGO called Open heart Ua. A guy who started the NGO 20 years ago and firstly helped children, but after spending time with soldiers in a hospital, decided to...

...who’s Ukrainian, and her friends, family, and people are suffering in ways that we are lucky not to understand. I asked her to send me some links to worthy (although I think they all are) causes to donate to. She is from the central Ukrainian city of Cherkasy and some of her suggestions...

A bit of a personal appeal here. Ayrshire has been blessed with relative peace for centuries, but there are parts of the world which are going through the worst at the moment. I know it’s hard, and morally impossible, to prioritise just one tragedy right now, but I’ve a very good friend...

(1/7) The reputation, perception, and role of Kilmarnock – as with any place – has changed over time. Some historical depictions have been kind, others not so much. in 1609, Timothy Pont visited Kilmarnock when making a survey of Cunningham, and gave a quaint description:

Aye I'm sure if they just asked nicely they'd get what they were after!

(6/6) With the residents gone the church and school closed too. The houses were demolished under the Slum Clearance Act in the 1940s and Darnconner faded into history. For more about Ayrshire’s lost villages you can buy a book on the topic here: www.carnpublishing.com/lostvillages...

(5/6) A combination of dwindling resources and uninhabitable conditions led to the emptying of the village. Some had to leave when the jobs started disappearing, and by the 1930s the rest were moved to new housing in Auchinleck.

(4/6) The report stated: ‘The population of Darnconner is approximately 400, and there is not a closet, for the whole of the population, with a door on it. There is not a washing house, and the whole place reeks of human dirt and ‘glaur’.

(3/6) Surveyed by the Ayrshire Miner’s Union in 1913, they found that Darnconner had been badly neglected by the mine owners who acted both as employer and landlord, leaving the families who lived and worked there to live in squalor next to an open sewer.

(2/6) At it’s peak the East Ayrshire village had a population of 1,198 in 1891, but in the space of just ten years this dropped to 457 in 1901. Most of the population lived in one continuous miners’ row of 96 houses, one of the longest in the country.

(1/6) Over the centuries many Ayrshire villages have come and gone, abandoned due to loss of industry or relocation of residents. The largest of these is Darnconner, a village that grew out of the farming, iron, and mining industries near Auchinleck.

(3/3) Interestingly, one of the arrowheads is described as "undoubtedly" of North American origin, while another is described as being in the Italian style.

(2/3) "A fine set of barbed and tanged arrowheads and a pressure flaked flint borer come from the estate of Lanfine, 4km W of Loanfoot. One of the arrowheads was found in peat 3km SW of Loanfoot at NS 5684 3440."

(1/3) In the 1850s several Neolithic arrowheads were found on Lanfine Estate in the Irvine Valley and donated to the Museum of Science and Art in Edinburgh. One was found under 10-feet of moss, as described by the museum. Jane Murray provioded more information in her 1994 PhD saying:

(4/4) ...evidence of a fenced village of around eight huts, including a kiln, evident in the pottery that was uncovered. This potentially makes Dreghorn Britain’s oldest continuously inhabited village.

(3/4) ...did suggest though, that there could have been a Mesolithic hunter/gatherer camp at that location dating to 5200 BC.

In 2004, another archaeological dig at Dreghorn uncovered a well dating to 3500 BC. (the Neolithic era in Britain). Further investigation found...

(2/4) ...to the south and north respectively as part of the conquest of the Ayrshire area.

Evidence of Mesolithic (9600-4000 BC. in Britain) people in Ayrshire is scant to say the least, but their presence can be assumed by their evident existence in the areas around Ayrshire. The site in Ayr...

(1/4) Prior to the construction of the new Ayr Academy in 2015, an incredible excavation was undertaken by GUARD Archaeology. The strongest evidence uncovered was of a Roman camp, set up strategically around AD 80 between camps near Girvan and Strathaven...

Just did a quick search and the claim was actually Corsehillmuir Wood as opposed to the abbey.

I did say in my first ever post that posts will be poorly researched! Thanks for the correction, I'm sure there will be many more to come.