Hessilhead - The History of The Lands of Hessilhead

The History of The Lands of Hessilhead

The first recorded holder of the lands of Hessilhead was Hugh de Eglintoun, who obtained the lands following forfeiture. Eglin, Lord of Eglintoun is the first of the family recorded, living during the reign of King Malcolm Canmore; he may have been one of the Saxon barons who accompanied King Malcolm (who died in 1093) on his successful return to Scotland. The family continued until Elizabeth de Eglintoun, the sole heir, married Sir John de Montgomerie of Eaglesham. Elizabeth's mother was Giles, daughter of Walter, lord high steward of Scotland, and sister of King Robert II.

• The memorial to Robert Patrick of Hazlehead in Beith Auld Kirk.

• The memorial to William Ralston Patrick in Beith cemetery.

• Beith Auld kirk.

• A Hessilhead shelter belt and estate wall.

When Hugh Eglintoun of that Ilk, her father, died soon after 1378 the Montgomerie family inherited the lands and hereafter Hessilhead's history is bound up with that family.

Sir John Montgomerie of Hessilhead and Corsecraigs inherited the estate from his father, Hugh Montgomerie of Bawgraw (Balgray). John was slain at the battle of Flodden in 1513 and the estate passed to his son Hugh, who died on 23 January 1556. Hugh's heir was his son John who was appointed one of the tutors to Hugh, third Earl of Eglintoun. John married Margaret Fraser of Knock and was succeed in 1558 by his son Hugh. This young Hugh was a member of the Convention Parliament of 1560, at which the Protestant Confession of Faith was established.

In around 1576, Gabriel Montgomerie of nearby Scotston was slain by adherents of the Montgomeries of Hessilhead. Hugh had a son Robert who inherited in 1602, passing the estate on to his son Robert circa 1623. This Robert was a Commissioner of Supply for Ayrshire and his son, also Robert, succeeded in 1648 and was one of the representatives for Ayrshire in the first parliament of King Charles II. He had a daughter, Mary, who married MacAulay of Ardincaple.

Robert Montgomerie sold Hessilhead to the seventh Earl of Eglinton's (1613–1669) second son, The Right Hon. Francis Montgomerie inherited the nearby Giffen Castle and lived an eventful life. He was one of the Lords of the Privy Council, and a Commissioner of the Treasury, in the reign of William III and Queen Anne. He was appointed in 1706 as one of the Commissioners for Scotland for the Treaty of Union.

The Act of Union was very unpopular in some quarters. A song of 1706 on the Union reads:-

In another, called "Lines upon the Rogues in Parliament," is the following stanza :-

Francis built an addition to the old tower as well as slating the roof, making it one of the finest properties in the district. Francis also planted extensively, mostly as avenues or rides running to the mansion house. This Dutch style had the avenues in straight lines and at right angles. In the 1860s much of this designed landscape still existed.

In 1697 Francis was made one of the commissioners looking into witchcraft following the Christian Shaw case in which five out of 24 accused persons were burned at the stake. In 1692 the spelling of the name was Hyslehead.

Francis's son John contracted such debts that Hessilhead had to be disposed of by judicial sale in 1722 and was bought by Colonel Patrick Ogilvie who had married Elizabeth, one of John's sisters. The colonel sold the property to Robert Brodie of Calderhaugh, who in turn in 1768 sold it to Michael Carmichael.

The coat of arms of the Montgomeries of Hessilhead are Azure, two lances of Tournament, proper, between three Fleurs-de-lis, Or, and in the chief point an Annulet, Or, Stoned, Azure, with an Indentation in the side of the shield, on the Dexter side.

The Auld Kirk of Beith had the Hessilhead loft in the East Wing. The loft and the carved wood Montgomerie of Hessilhead coat of arms were removed when the new church was built.

The OS map shows that Hessilhead Cottage sat next to a well maintained walled garden, however by 1897 the garden had fallen into ruin. A gamekeepers cottage with a nearby pheasantry is marked from 1912, when a curling pond makes its first appearance, to the north-west of the castle ruins. In 1827 a lime works is shown on the map in the grounds of the castle.