The following records can be found at Sornweb and I have transcribed the relevant pages which refer to the earlier ties with the Stewarts and the first residents of Nether Catrine House.
IV. George Farquhar of Over Catrine, who is mentioned in the retour, 1681, of his son,
V. Robert Farquhar of Over Catrine. He was deeply involved in the religious discussions of the age, but, at last took the test and submitted to Government. He was an elder of Dalgain in 1693, having been re-elected on the accession to the ministry of the parish of Mr. Mungo Lindsay, although “he had taken the abominable oath called the Test,” “ because he had grievously repented thereof.” His wife’s name was Margaret Campbell, and by her he had one son and three daughters:—
1. Agnes, married, 1701, to John Aird, son of Adam Aird of Wester Catrine
2. Mary, married, 1714 to William Beg second son of James Beg of Dornal :- Witnesses, John Beg of Dornal, and William Beg of Dernlaw.
3. Margaret, married to the Rev. Mr Connal, minister of Sorn, after Mr. Lyndsay.
It would seem that he had been twice married, as the son of Mrs Connal must have been born many years after the first two daughters. He was succeeded by
VI. Robert Farquhar of Over Catrine, his son, who married, first, Annice, daughter of James Beg of Dornal; and secondly, Anna, daughter and co-heiress of John Chalmers of Gadgirth. He had no issue by either of his wives, the last of whom long survived him, she having died about 1790. The property was then sold to a Mr Allan, who possessed it some years, when it was purchased by the present proprietors, the Buchanans of Catrine Bank, It was sometimes called Townhead, probably to distinguish it from the other Catrine,
AIRD OF NETHER CATRINE AND STEWART OF CATRINE.
I. william aird of Nether Catrine had a Crown charter, dated 26th October 1593, of these lands, and his son,
II. Adam Aird of Nether Catrine had a Crown charter to him and his son, of the lands of Catrine, dated 15th March 1634. This son, whose name is not given, was probably father to
III. Adam Aird of Nether Catrine, who is witness to the marriage of John Mitchell. yr. of Turnerhill, with Margaret Reid, in 1683. His wife’s name does not appear, but he had a daughter named Agnes, married, 8th June 1693, to the Rev. Mr William Fleming, minister of the gospel at Innerkip. He was succeeded by his son, who is several times mentioned, during his father’s lifetime, as witness in the parish records,
IV. Adam Aird of Nether Catrine, whose wife’s name was Jean Dunbar, and they had two daughters, Christian and Helen, baptized, respectively, in 1697 and 1700. We find no other issue of this marriage, and it is known by tradition that one of his daughters married the Rev. Mr Stewart of Rothsay, (minister there,) and that Professor Mathew Stewart, of Edinburgh University, was the offspring of that marriage. The Professor succeeded to the estate of Nether Catrine, but whether by purchase or in right of his wife, does not appear. He married Marjory, daughter of Archibald Stuart, Writer to the Signet, and by her had Dugald Stewart, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the same University; afterwards so famous for his works. The lives of both these eminent men will be found detailed, at greater length than our limits will permit, in the Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen. Dugald Stewart married, first, Helen, daughter of Neil Ballantine, merchant in Glasgow, and by her had one son, Mathew, and one daughter, Margaret, married to the Rev. Dr Miller of Cumnock, and had issue; secondly, Helen. D’Arcv, daughter of the Honourable George Cranstoun, without issue. He died in 1828, and was succeeded in Catrine by his son, Lieutenant-Colonel Mathew Stewart, who served long in India, and was the author of an able pamphlet on Indian affairs. Colonel Stewart was an accomplished scholar, and deeply versed in the learning of the east. He died in 1851, and in 1852, his estate was purchased by Arthur Campbell, W.S., son of the late Arthur Campbell of Auchmanoch.
BUCHANAN OF CATRINE BANK.
Archibald Buchanan of Catrine Bank was the second son of James Buchanan of Carston in Stirlingshire. He married, first, Miss Robertson, daughter of the Rev. Mr Robertson, and by her had two sons, James and John; secondly, Hannah, daughter of Robert Struthers, merchant in Glasgow, and by her had four daughters and one son:-
1. Hannah, married to the Rev. Dr Keith, minister of Hamilton, and has issue.
2.
Margaret, married George Bogle of Rosemount, and had issue. She
died in 1839.
3. Janet.
4. Agnes, died in 1837.