230 CowHiLL Estate. 



extent of the property (235 acres), but one has to remember 

 that it includes the ground occupied by the Glasgow and 

 South-Western Railway and also, as will subsequently be 

 shown, part of the Farm of Summerhill (formerly called Over 

 Killylung) sold along with Muirside, and parts of the Farm of 

 Bellfield (a portion of the Mains of Cowhill) sold on two 

 different occasions to the Proprietor of Portrack. 



The Reformation took place in Scotland in 1560, and 

 Queen Mary having procured a Resignation in her own favour 

 of the temporalities of Holywood Abbey at once gifted them 

 to Lord Maxwell of Nithsdale, who appears to have utilised 

 them for endowing two collateral branches of his family, one 

 of which became subsequently known as Maxwell of Cowhill. 

 In response to his request, charters were issued under the 

 Great Seal on 15th March, 1566, i8th November, 1580, and 

 30th July, 1582, in favour of Robert Maxwell and Elizabeth 

 Maxwell of Tinwald his Spouse in conjunct fee conveying to 

 them and to their heirs the subjects that formed the original 

 Cowhill Estate together with the fishings in the River Nith. 

 The earliest of these charters was granted by Queen Mary, 

 the two later ones by her son James VI. The property with 

 which this branch of the Nithsdale family was endowed re- 

 mained in their possession for over 200 years till 1783, when 

 it was sold by public roup by Charles Murray Maxwell, who 

 married Miss Campbell of Skerrington, and who thereupon 

 assumed the name of Campbell. The farm and lands of 

 Abbey had been added to the estate prior to 171 3, while the 

 lands of Nether Killylung, Muircroft, Cardiesland, and Lang- 

 myreside had been sold off between 1740 and 1769. 



At the roup on 17th November, 1783, the Cowhill Estate 

 as it then existed was purchased on behalf of George John- 

 ston, Esq., Merchant, Liverpool, for the sum of ;!^ 12, 050, it 

 being previously arranged that the purchaser should forthwith 

 resell to Mr Bryce Johnston, then Minister of the Parish of 

 Holywood, at the price of ;^22io, the part thereof embracing 

 the lands of Moss-side, Birkhall, Carlingcroft, and Slaethorn- 

 croft. The Conveyance therefore that was granted in Mr 

 Johnston's favour embraced only the remainder of the sub- 

 jects, and the nett price that he paid was ;^984o. In virtue of 



