|
.On 1st April, 1764, Alexander Baird obtained a renewal of his lease from Archibald Hamilton of Rosehall. This Mr Hamilton was accustomed to ride through the country in a carriage with four horses, and three or four footmen running behind him. These runners could go very long distances, and in speed they were equal to most horses. It is related of Mr. Hamilton that one evening he gave to one of these footmen an important letter to carry to Edinburgh, and to bring back an answer. Happening early in the morning to go into the place where the man slept, Mr. Hamilton found him in bed, and in a fury at his supposed neglect of duty (believing he had never been away) he was about to stab him, when the man turned quietly round and handed to his master the answer to the letter. |
The lease which Alexander Baird obtained from this laird of Rosehall, in 1764, was for the further term of nineteen years. It embraces the same lands, with the addition of what is described as "Luggie Bridgend or Waukmill house." This time the rent was increased to 516 pounds 18 shillings Scots, with 7 bolls oatmeal, 8 bolls and 3 firlots "barley bear," 35 hens, and 12 capons. From a receipt among the papers by Mr. Hamilton to John Baird in 1767 (the year after his father's death), it appears that the Kaim fowl, stipulated as part of the rent, were paid for in money, at the rate of 8d. for each hen, and 12d. for each capon. From the terms of the receipt this must have been sterling money; and if so, it was a high price for fowls at that period.
Two years after
the date of this
lease namely, in
1766 Alexander Baird
died at High Cross,
and was succeeded in
his farms by his
eldest son, John
Baird. At the time
of his father's
death, John Baird
was in the
occupation, under
his father, of the
lands of Kirkwood,
and had been so for
some years
previously; and he
continued in the
same possession till
the time of his own
death in 1798.
After the death of
Alexander Baird,
John appears to have
held, under his
father's lease, all
the lands which had
been held by the
latter, his brother
Robert possessing
High Cross, and
William possessing
Woodhead, as his
sub-tenants. This
continued till 1786
On the 4th of February in that year, John Baird obtained from the then proprietor, Colonel John Hamilton of Rosehall, a renewal of the lease for a further period of nineteen years. The lands are described as "Kirkwood, High Cross, Woodhead, Waukmill, and Luggie Bridge, as the same were then possessed by him and his sub-tenants." This tack does not include the lands of Millhouse. In this and subsequent deeds John Baird continues to be referred to as "farmer in Kirkwood."
Alexander Baird was born in 1765 at the farm of Woodhead, by Old Monkland. He became tenant of the nearby farms of High Cross and Kirkwood, which had been the home of the family for centuries.
Baird married Jean Moffat and had eight sons and two daughters. While one of these continued to farm two, William (1796 - 1864) and James (1802-76), made their fortune through smelting iron and several of the others were involved in this company.
James Baird used to say that the success which Jean Moffat's sons achieved was in a great measure, owing to her precepts and good example. He thus wrote of her in 1874:- "She was married in comparative poverty while her husband was sub-tenant of the small, and not very productive, farm of Woodhead. By her sagacity and indomitable energy she contributed largely to her husband's prosperity, and to form in her children those habits of diligence and integrity by which they became distinguished". In the early years of the young Bairds they had hard work at the farm of High Cross and Kirkwood. Their house accommodation was very inferior, but the habits of hardiness there acquired were never lost.
Alexander Baird engaged in small-scale coal-mining, but in 1816, took the lease on a coal-field at Rochsolloch (south of Airdrie). The running of this fell to Baird's son William and the family gathered other coal mining concessions in the area. Baird was able to lease land at Gartsherrie, and it was here, in 1828, that they began to build the first of a series of blast furnaces.
In 1825, Baird acquired the estate of Lochwood (Glasgow), which he greatly improved. He died at his farm of High Cross in 1833 and is buried in the kirkyard at Old Monkland.
Woodhead Farm was
situated on Woodside
Street at the corner
of what is now Manse
Avenue. The
vacant space on the
corner is part of
the site where the
farmhouse stood.
High Cross Farm was situated on the east of the parish road, leading from Langloan to Old Monkland Church. The track to High cross Farm is now the road named Highcross Avenue.
Kirkwood Farm, was not far off on the other side of the road. It was accessed via a track which part of became what is now known as Dunbar Avenue. It certainly took its name from its vicinity to the kirk, and from a large wood, which is known to have existed on the lands. The family of the Gartsherrie Bairds were tenants in Kirkwood and High Cross.
Alexander
Baird
-
Double-ribbed
Sandy
1st
Generation
The
first
member
of
the
Gartsherrie
family,
of
whom
there
is
any
account,
was
Alexander
Baird,
who
was
tenant
in
Kirkwood
and
High
Cross.
His
son
was
Alexander
Baird,
the
great-grandfather
of
the
Gartsherrie
brothers.
The
exact
date
of
his
birth
is
not
known,
but
an
approximation
may
be
made
to
it.
There
is
documentary
evidence
to
show
that
his
eldest
son
John
was
married
to
his
first
wife
on
the
9th
of
August,
1749.
Assuming
that
John
was
then
thirty
years
of
age,
this
would
give
as
the
date
of
his
birth
1719;
and,
on
the
assumption
that
his
father
was
at
that
time
thirty,
this
would
give
the
date
of
Alexander
Baird's
birth
as
in
1689.
On
the
same
computation
"Double-ribbed
Sandy"
would
be
born
about
1659.
Alexander
died
in
or
immediately
before
1766,
as
appears
from
a
deed
in
that
year,
executed
by
his
widow,
his
second
wife,
discharging
her
legal
rights.
This
deed
will
be
afterwards
noticed.
His
age
at
the
time
of
his
death,
on
the
computation
made
above,
would
be
seventy-seven.
How
long
the
ancestors
of
the
Gartsherrie
family
were
in
Kirkwood
and
High
Cross
does
not
appear,
but
it
must
have
been
for
a
very
long
period.
In a
renewal
of
the
lease
granted
by
Sir
James
Hamilton
of
Rosehall
on
the
20th
of
July,
1745,
Alexander
Baird
is
designed
as
then
occupying
"High
Corsse";
and
there
is
let
to
him,
for
another
period
of
nineteen
years
the
lands
of
High
Cross,
Millhouse,
Woodhead,
and
Kirkwood,
all
in
the
Parish
of
Old
Monkland.
On
1st
April,
1764,
Alexander
Baird
obtained
a
renewal
of
his
lease
from
Archibald
Hamilton
of
Rosehall.
This Mr Hamilton was accustomed to ride through the country in a carriage with four horses, and three or four footmen running behind him. These runners could go very long distances, and in speed they were equal to most horses. It is related of Mr. Hamilton that one evening he gave to one of these footmen an important letter to carry to Edinburgh, and to bring back an answer. Happening early in the morning to go into the place where the man slept, Mr. Hamilton found him in bed, and in a fury at his supposed neglect of duty (believing he had never been away) he was about to stab him, when the man turned quietly round and handed to his master the answer to the letter.
The
lease
which
Alexander
Baird
obtained
from
this
laird
of
Rosehall,
in
1764,
was
for
the
further
term
of
nineteen
years.
It
embraces
the
same
lands,
with
the
addition
of
what
is
described
as "Luggie
Bridgend
or
Waukmill
house."
This
time
the
rent
was
increased
to
516
pounds
18
shillings
Scots,
with
7
bolls
oatmeal,
8
bolls
and
3
firlots
"barley
bear,"
35
hens,
and
12
capons.
From
a
receipt
among
the
papers
by
Mr.
Hamilton
to
John
Baird
in
1767
(the
year
after
his
father's
death),
it
appears
that
the
Kaim
fowl,
stipulated
as
part
of
the
rent,
were
paid
for
in
money,
at
the
rate
of
8d.
for
each
hen,
and
12d.
for
each
capon.
From
the
terms
of
the
receipt
this
must
have
been
sterling
money;
and
if
so,
it
was
a
high
price
for
fowls
at
that
period.
Wauknmill
-
mill
producing
woolen
cloth
 William Baird1796-1864 |
James
Baird
|
|
Woodhead Farm
|
High Cross
The area was
James Baird
1802 - 1876
James Baird
©1995-2009 Gazetteer for Scotland
Foundryman and industrialist. Born in Old Monkland (North Lanarkshire). With his elder brother, Baird founded William Baird & Co which went on to become the largest producers of iron in Britain. He made use of the blast furnace developed by James Beaumont Neilson (1792 - 1865) and by his death the company ran more than thirty of these furnaces.
Baird was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for the Falkirk Burghs (1850-57), which was the same seat his brother had served just four years previously.
While Baird was strongly against any trade-union activity, he paid for the education of his workers and encouraged their moral and religious development. He also gave the enormous sum of £500,000 to the Church of Scotland during his lifetime. In addition, he contributed generously to the building of individual churches in Glasgow and Aberdeen.
In 1852, he acquired the Greenfield Estate, near Ayr, renaming it Cambusdoon. He bought the Knoydart Estate in 1857. Baird served as Deputy-Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Invernesshire.
He died at Cambusdoon.
William Baird
1796 - 1864
Baird served as Conservative Member of Parliament for the Falkirk Burghs (1841-6) and was a director of both the Forth and Clyde Canal and later the Caledonian Railway Company.
Baird acquired an estate at Elie (Fife) in 1853.
