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Ardrossan

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"The parish of Ardrossan is a small area running north-east from the town of Ardrossan, a small seaport and watering place on the Firth of Clyde. The town was extensively rebuilt in the early 19th century, on a grid pattern under the sponsorship of the 12th and 13th Earls of Eglinton. The Earls also began development of the harbour and began a short-lived project to construct a canal to Glasgow."

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Cemeteries

Angus Mitchells's "Burial Grounds in Scotland: An Index of Unpublished Memorial Inscriptions" Scottish Genealogy Society, first published 1991; lists in their collection of Memorial Inscriptions some for Ardrossan:

  • Ardrossan Cemetery, 4,085 gravestones (all at time of recording)
  • Castlehill (Ardrossan Old) - 36 stones (all at time of recording)
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Church History

There were several churches within the town of Ardrossan. They include the following churches, that are found today; others have been replaced or demolished:

  • The New or Barony Parish Church (built in 1844 at a cost of over £3,000) in Arran Place
  • St Andrew's Episcopal Church (built 1875) in South Crescent.
  • Congregational Church (built 1905) in Arran Place.
  • St Peter ad Vincula Church (built 1938) also in Arran Place.
  • Free Church (built in 1859 at a cost of £1,300).
  • Church of the Nazarene (built 1857) in Glasgow Street.
  • Evangelical Union Church (built in 1861 at a cost of £550).

The ruined foundations of the original Parish Church are to be found on Castlehill.

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Church Records

The earliest surviving baptism or marriage record for the parish date from 1734.

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Description & Travel

The parish of Ardrossan is small area running north-east from the town of Ardrossan, a small seaport and watering place on the Firth of Clyde. The town boasted a small oil refinery and a fertilizer plant in the 1960s. The harbour is the sailing point for regular ferries to the Isle of Arran. The harbour and esplanade recall the town's past existence as one of the Clyde coast holiday resorts for people escaping industrial Glasgow during "Clyde Week". Just outside the harbour is Horse Isle, a small rocky island, now a nature reserve.

The hinterland of the town has become a residential belt lying astride the A 78 trunk road. The town merges seamlessly into the neighbouring town of Saltcoats (in Stevenston parish.) In the mid-19th century, Ardrossan took over the shipping trade of Saltcoats which thereafter gradually declined in commercial significance.

Above the town are the ruins of Ardrossan Castle, which is open to visitors. The 12th century castle was destroyed by the forces of Oliver Cromwell.

An 1837 description of Ardrossan, including a listing of the key personalities of the town, is given in this extract from Pigot's Directory for Ayrshire. The transcript was provided by Keith Muirhead from Queensland.

The North Ayrshire Museum, located in an 19th century church, has displays of local history.

John Kerr [1824-1907] the Scottish physicist who discovered the magneto-electric Kerr effect , was born in Ardrossan and studied and worked in a modest laboratory in Glasgow between 1857 and 1901.

You can see pictures of Ardrossan which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NS247449 (Lat/Lon: 55.665561, -4.788102), Ardrossan which are provided by:

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Population

Here are some figures showing the parish's population through time:

1961193118811871
18,00013,7367,6577,221
186118511841 
6,7762,071920