The Castle of Clonbeith is in the old feudal Baillerie of

Cunninghame Cunninghame () is a former History of local government in Scotland#Provinces, comital district of Scotland and also a Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996, district of the Strathclyde Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996, ...

, near

Auchentiber The hamlet of Auchentiber (Scottish Gaelic, ''Achadh an Tiobair'') is in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. Auchentiber is northeast of Kilwinning on the Lochlibo Road, from the hamlet of Barony and Castle of Giffen, Burnhouse and ...

, on a sideroad off the B778, in what is now

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire (, ) is one of 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and s ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Structure

It was a simple oblong mansion, about with walls thick. The ground floor was vaulted and the entrance was central, leading into a passage with a straight staircase branching off to the right up to the first floor hall. A wheel-stair in a square chamber led to the upper floors. The hall was lit by windows in three of the walls and had a large fireplace on one side, and a circular bow window on the opposite side, boldly projected on a series of corbels (see photograph). The

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

style door bears the date 1607.MacGibbon, David & Ross, Thomas (1887 - 1892). ''The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland from the 12th to the 18th century.'' Vol. III. Reprint 1990. Pub. James Thin, Edinburgh. . P. 374 - 375. The name "Clonbeith" is said to be derived from the Celtic words "Cluan" (grazing land) and "Beithe" (birch).

Lairds of Clonbeith

Given as "Klonbyith" by Pont in the 1690s it was then the property of William Cunningham,

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of this cadet branch of the Glencairn Cuninghames through those of Aiket Castle. He was married to Agnes who died in 1612. Cunninghame of Clonbeith coat of arms

In 1691 the Hearth Tax records show that "Clonbeith House" had five hearths and nineteen other dwellings were associated with the house. Alexander Cuningham (sic) is said to have assaulted a professor in the College gardens at Glasgow and was forced to make an open acknowledgment of his faults in front of an assembly of his friends. Together with around thirty other participants, it was John Cuningham shot and killed, the coup de gras, Hugh, the fourth

Earl of Eglinton Earl of Eglinton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created by James IV of Scotland in 1507 for Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Lord Montgomerie. In 1859, the thirteenth Earl of Eglinton, Archibald Montgomerie, was also created Earl of Winto ...

in 1586 and was caught hiding in a chimney at

Hamilton Palace Hamilton Palace was a country house in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was the seat of the Dukes of Hamilton and is widely acknowledged as having been one of the grandest houses in the British Isles.Ker, Rev. William Lee (1900) ''Kilwinnning''. Pub. A.W.Cross, Kilwinning. P. 161. in

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, possibly at Hamilton palace. James Cunningham of Clonbeith and Darnmuyle (1581) was the father of John Cunningham of Corsehill. Robertson points out that the various branches of the family spell their name differently; as Cunningham for Baidland and Clonbeith, Cunninghame for Glencairn and Corsehill, Cuninghame for Caddel and Monkredding, and finally Cuningham for Glengarnock.McNaught, Duncan (1912). ''Kilmaurs Parish and Burgh.'' Pub. A.Gardner. The Cunninghams of Clonbeith are usually referred to as being of "Clonbeith and Darnmyule", with Darmule being nearer Kilwinning. Daniel Cunningham, whose wife was Mary Wallace, with the consent of his son William, sold the property to James Scott, Provost of Irvine in 1633. Paterson, James (1863-66). ''History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton''. V. - III - Cunninghame. J. Stillie. Edinburgh. p. 253. In 1691 Walter, brother of James, sold the lands to Patrick Warner, Minister of Irvine. William Cunninghams wife was Jean; in 1717 a reference is made to a George Cunningham of Clonbeith. In 1698 the Monkredding estate was sold to Hugh Cuninghame of Clonbeith, Writer to the Signet, and became the family seat.Paterson, James (1863-66). ''History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton''. V. - II - Cunninghame. J. Stillie. Edinburgh. p. 515.

Stories

Lady of Clonbeith

The "Leddy o'Clumbeith" is a ghost story told by Dr. DuguidService, John (Editor) (1887). ''The Life & Recollections of Doctor Duguid of Kilwinning.'' Pub. Young J. Pentland. P. 81 - 83. in the 1820s. A servant girl from the farm of Clonbeith was making her way to the Blair Tavern to keep a tryst when she fell into a mine shaft, horse and all, and was killed. Others say that her "lad" killed her and then jumped into the shaft after her. Her ghost is said to haunt the fields around Auchentiber.

Lady in the Peat

Dr. Duguid in around the 1840s records that near Clumbeith (Clonbeith) on the way to "Meg'swa's" he met Pate Glunch cutting peats. Pate was normally a still, dour man, but on this occasion he was highly animated and took the doctor to see the long dead corpse of a "bonnie lady" lying in a hole in the peat. She was around 18 to 20 years of age, had rosy cheeks, a sweet smile playing around her lips and blonde hair. Her identity was unknown, but a rumour linked her to the family of Montgreenan.

History

In around 1691 the Rev Patrick Warner, having purchased Clonbeith and likewise purchased Scott's lands in Irvine, went on to drain much of the "Loch of Irving" or Trindlemoss, later called Scott's Loch, after returning from exile in Holland. The Cowlinn Burn runs down to join the Lugton Water at the site of Montgreenan castle or the Bishop's Palace. A dwelling called Cowlinn is marked on the Thomson's 1820 map and a Clonbeith Mill was nearby. A limestone pit and workers row existed near the castle in the 19th century, providing a constant supply for the local limekilns.''Ayrshire Notes'' (2003), Ayrshire Arch Nat Hist Soc. ISSN 1474-3531. Vol. 24, P. 4. A finely-shaped round and oval stone implement was found at Clonbeith or Clonkeith by Mr. Baird Kirkland in the 19th century.Smith, John (1895), ''Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire''. London : Elliot Stock. p. 60.

References

Sources

* Strawhorn, John (1985). ''The History of Irvine''. Royal Burgh and Town. Edinburgh : John Donald. .

External links

General Roy's Military map of Scotland.

Details of the De Soulis, De Morville and other Cunninghame families.

A photograph of Clonbeith castle. {{Castles in North Ayrshire Castles in North Ayrshire Category B listed buildings in North Ayrshire Listed castles in Scotland History of North Ayrshire Reportedly haunted locations in Scotland