Rockvale - split from Fresh-Air Fortnight

[down south]

REV. D. LANDSBOROUGH, A.L.S.,

Member of the ■Wernerian Society of Edinburgh, and Author of
" Excursions to the Isle of Arran."
He appears to be the main resident of Rockvale House, Saltcoats in 1849 so possibly it was the Manse House for the Landsborough Church, when were the ' Disruptions ' ?

The 'Disruption ' was in 1843, and the first Free Church in Saltcoats, the one later known as the Landsborough Church, and of which Dr Landsborough was the first minister, was built in 1844.

He can only have lived at Rockvale until 1849 though, because according to Chapter 10 of Saltcoats Old and New ( right at the bottom of the page ), Dr Landsborough from 1849 had his manse in Hamilton Street, and died there of cholera in 1854 ( I found the date of his death elsewhere on the site ). As stated there, the house was no longer standing when the book was written ( in 1909 ), but in an 1886 directory the Landsborough Church Manse is indeed listed as being in Hamilton Street.

Returning to Rockvale House, it existed at least as far back as 1819, because in the census of Stevenston parish ( including part of Saltcoats of course ) for that year, which like ' Old and New ' we have on the Threetowners part of the site, the McKinlay family were living there. ( Coincidentally, guess who compiled that census...Dr Landsborough ... )

I have had a thought about the possible origin of the name. Up the hill at the top of Guthrie Road, we have an area long described as " Rockypark " and " Rockyknowe "; see this map by Scott McCallum. So wouldn't it be quite reasonable for a spot just below the foot of that hill , to be known as " Rockvale " ?

Susan

[sweet caroline]

1901 Census
Name:
Elizabeth Allan
Age:
10
Estimated birth year:
abt 1891
Gender:
Female
Where born:
Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Registration Number:
615
Registration district:
Stevenston
Civil Parish:
Stevenston
Town:
Saltcoats
Address:
62 Canal St Rockvale Home For Destitute Children

Wonder if it is all Glasgow Children.
SC
Edit-http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/recor ... vi/os6inch

[sweet caroline]

51 Census
Name:
David Landsborough
Age:
71
Estimated birth year:
abt 1780
Relationship:
Head
Gender:
Male
Where born:
Dassy, kirtensbright-Dalry ,Kirkcudbright
Parish Number:
576
Civil Parish:
Ardrossan
Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Maps:
View related Ecclesiastical Parish
Town:
Saltcoats
County:
Ayrshire
Address:
Hamilton St
Occupation:
D D Stinister Free Church
ED:
6
-------------------------------
His Son
David Landsborough
Age:
24
Estimated birth year:
abt 1827
Relationship:
Son
Father:
David Landsborough
Gender:
Male
Where born:
Stevenston, AYR
Parish Number:
576
Civil Parish:
Ardrossan
Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Maps:
View related Ecclesiastical Parish
Town:
Saltcoats
County:
Ayrshire
Address:
Hamilton St
Occupation:
Probatuner Of Free Church

[ardrossanrentboy]

thanks for the info sweet caroline - neil diamond must be proud of you. Fascinating story of David Landsborough and although Pigot's directory of 1837 shows Samuel Croker at Rockvale before Landsborough there is a rare Rockvale and Rockvale Quay at Brighouse Bay south of Kircudbright and St.John's Town of Dalry from whence he came and I'm guessing he would have been familiar with the place and the name Rockvale. Two of his seaweed researchers lived on Jersey, another place which strangely has a house named Rockvale. I've unearthed so much info I'll need to severely edit it. Turns out the census of the early 1800s featured in 3Towners was carried out by David Landsborough.

[Scott McCallum]

From 1901 onwards it is likely that the street numbers would have changed due to adding extra housing etc. but by the time that it became the Miners' Home the address of (what was) Rockvale was 92 Canal Street. I lived for about 18 years in 88 Canal Street - the wee cottage (eventually) next door.

Scott McCallum.

[ardrossanrentboy]

I'm still trying to find the origins of the original house and what it may have originally been called. The area was probably in the sphere of Cunningham / Montgomery / Warner and it appears to have been a church manse before the disruptions in the Scottish Church. I've read that Landsborough chose to leave the 'official kirk' and became ' free ' although his living was cut from 320 shillings to 200 or so and also lost his garden. In one of his seaweed discoveries he mentions that he found it in Saltcoats Harbour opposite the Free Church. From whom was the land for Rockvale originally purchased and who was the first owner. It seems that Samuel Croker was a manager for Coal Mines so that would suggest Warner or Cunningham.
Where born:
Dassy, kirtensbright-Dalry ,Kirkcudbright
this appears to have been electronically scanned and should read Dalry, Kirkcudbright, I think, though now in Dumfries & Galloway.
Does 3Towners have a d'base for famous & worthy residents from history ?

[sweet caroline]

1861
Elizabeth Thompson -died 1870 Rockvale Cottage
Age:
71
Estimated birth year:
abt 1790 England
Spouse's name :
Adam Thompson -c1795 Glasgow-Pensioned Conducter E I Service
Saltcoats
County:
Ayrshire
Address:
1 Sandilands

http://www.ayrshireroots.co.uk/Towns/Sa ... erland.htm

SC

[ardrossanrentboy]

SC, which Rockvale Cottage would that be? I've found Saltcoats, Hawick, Brighouse Bay, Cove by Helensburgh, Innellan and some on the east coast.
Found it on your link, also a mention of the ' Rock Park ' which I've not read of before.

Parkend House rests upon the old Smelting House of the Cuninghames. The grounds enclose the " Rock Park " the " Beatelha’," the Beer Yard (slightly westward), parts of the Townhead given by the Earl of Eglinton to Thomas Campbell of Killyleoch, Provost of Irvine; " the Storehouse," between the town and the house of Seabank, lying to the east of "the road leading to Beatelhall." To the north lie the lower dykes of the " Beatelhall" yard ; eastwards the enclosures of Seabank. On a plot in front of Parkend House stood the old counting house of the Stevenston Colliery Company, removed in 1884. A barn at the back of the ground is all that is left of the historic " Beatelhall."
But why RockVALE - it doesn't sound typical of North Ayrshire ?

[sweet caroline]

ARB ,It's the one in Saltcoats, and if they did not move after that Census ,then that is where it stood.

SC

Edit- 1870 THOMSON ELIZABETH WEBBER F 81 STEVENSTON /AYR 615/00 0119

Down to my last unit for the week ,and it's only halfway gone.

[ardrossanrentboy]

Down to my last unit for the week ,and it's only halfway gone
What do you mean?

[morag]

I think ARB, you subscribe and get so much use from ancestry or Scotland's people..and such.

[sweet caroline]

Thanks Morag,Yes I only had enough units left to find the death of Elizabeth Thomson, but not enough to view it, so don't have the address of where she died ,wether it is written as just Rockvale Cottage, or if it gives a street name.Maddening.

SC