THE estate of Garnkirk is about six miles north-east from Glasgow, and in the parish of Cadder. The turnpike road to Cumbernauld intersects the lands. The present house was built, on the site of an ancient mansion, about 1820, from designs by David Hamilton, architect.
Anciently, Garnkirk belonged to the Church, and was first secularized in 1587, by charter from the Commendator of Glasgow, to John Stirling, son of Stirling of Balquharrage, a cadet of the Stirlings of Cadder. The purchaser of Garnkirk espoused a daughter of Boyd of Badenheath, in the vicinity, an old cadet of the family of Lord Boyd. The Garnkirk Stirling had several sons who settled in Glasgow, and became well known merchants.
On 10th March 1634, "Robert Stirling in Garnkirk, and John Stirling, his eldest "lauchful sone," conveyed "the town and lands of Garnkirk" to "Mr. John Dunlop, merchant burgess of Glasgow, and Elizabeth Dunlop his spouse, and longest liver." (1)
This John Dunlop was third son of James Dunlop of that Ilk, near Stewarton, a very old Ayrshire family. Besides being a merchant, John Dunlop appears to have been a sort of banker, or dealer in money, and a rich man. He built the original mansion house of Garnkirk, and died in March 1662. He was succeeded by his only son James, who was a member of the Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow.
James Dunlop espoused Elizabeth, daughter of James Roberton, advocate, afterwards Lord Bedlay. This marriage took place on 5th April 1654. The marriage contract is still extant, with the signatures of both John Dunlop and James Roberton, parents of the bridegroom and bride, as consenters, and granters of certain provisions.
Garnkirk remained the property of the lineal descendants of John Dunlop, through three generations, all the successive owners having been named James, and all of them having had large families. The second, James, a lawyer, had no less than sixteen children, between February 1690 and 31st July 1709, and his wife, a daughter of Robert Campbell of North-woodside, died in childbed of the last son, at the early age of thirty-four. The names, and dates of birth, of this numerous family, as well as the death, and age of their mother, are preserved in a holograph writing drawn out by the father.
The last of the three James Dunlops of Garnkirk died there, on 3rd August 1769. After his death the estate was sold, and purchased in 1782 by his nephew, James (son of his younger brother Provost Colin Dunlop of Carmyle), who thereupon took the title of James Dunlop of Garnkirk. He was father of the well known Colin Dunlop of Clyde ironworks, who some time represented Glasgow in Parliament, with Mr. Oswald, shortly after the passing of the first Reform Bill. Mr. James Dunlop was also uncle of the late Mr. Colin Dunlop Donald, Commissary Clerk, who was named after his maternal grandfather.
During the ownership of the last mentioned James Dunlop, he put a new front on Garnkirk House, as now seen. The estate was sold in 1799, to John M'Kenzie, merchant in Glasgow. It changed owners again in 1811, by sale to the Trustees of the then deceased Mr. Mark Sprot, whose nephew of the same name, and a member of the Faculty of Advocates succeeded. This latter gentleman, about 1820, rebuilt the old mansion of Garnkirk, allowing the front put up by Mr. Dunlop to stand, so that the house as it now exists is the combined result.
(1878).
THE DUNLOPS OF GARNKIRK.
The Dunlops of Garnkirk, now represented here by James Dunlop of Tollcross, are a very interesting old Glasgow family, and the following detailed account of them and their numerous descendants, seems a fitting sequel to the above.
I. - JOHN DUNLOP, first of Garnkirk, married Elizabeth Dunlop and died in 1662, leaving one son.
II. - JAMES DUNLOP, second of Garnkirk, who married, about 1654, Elizabeth, daughter of James Roberton of Bedlay, and had six sons and three daughters. He died in 1695. His family were - (I.) James, the eldest, of whom afterwards, (the third laird of Garnkirk); (II.) John, who died unmarried in 1683; (III.) William, merchant in Glasgow, married and had a family, of whom nothing, however, is known; (IV.) Alexander, died abroad; (V.) Thomas, was "a chirugean apothecary" in Edinburgh; he married and had a family who are now, however, unknown; (VI.) Archibald, was a merchant trading to New York and the Spanish Main. (I.) Jean, the eldest daughter, married, firstly, Robert Campbell of North Woodside, second son of Colin Campbell of Blythswood, and had an only daughter, Janet, who married, in 1701, Thomas Haliburton of Dryburgh Abbey : they had a large family. Jean Dunlop married, secondly, Patrick Coutts, "merchant burgess" of Edinburgh, and had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son was John Coutts, born 1699, banker in Edinburgh, and Lord Provost in 1742. He was father of Thomas Coutts who went to London and founded the famous banking firm of Coutts and Co., and was grandfather of the Baroness Burdett Coutts; (II.) Elizabeth, married in 1688 John Rae of Little Govan; (III.) Margaret, died unmarried.
III. - JAMES DUNLOP, third of Garnkirk, married, 1689, Lilias Campbell, only daughter of Robert Campbell of North Woodside, by his first wife Katherine, second daughter of John Napier of Kilmahew : they had sixteen children : Mrs. Dunlop died at the birth of the sixteenth in 1709, aged 34. James Dunlop married, secondly, Mary Douglas, but by her he had no family. He died in 1719. His children by his first wife were - (I.) Robert, born 1690, and died young; (II.) James, born 1697, of whom afterwards (the fourth laird of Garnkirk); (III.) Robert, born 1700, became a prosperous merchant in Glasgow, and bought from Andrew Blackburn, Househill, a property which was acquired by his great-grand-uncle, Thomas Dunlop, in 1646, and afterwards sold to the Blackburns (see Househill); (IV.) John, born 1702, was apprenticed to Francis Congalton "chirugeon apothecary," burgess of Edinburgh, but nothing further is known of him, and he probably died without issue; (V.) Thomas, born 1704, was a Virginia merchant in Glasgow, of the firm of Thomas Dunlop and Co. He had a very fine house on the west side of the Candleriggs, nearly opposite what is now the City Hall. He died unmarried in 1783 aged 79; (VI.) Colin, born 1706, was a rich Virginia merchant in Glasgow. He purchased Carmyle and was Provost in 1770. His eldest son was James Dunlop, who in 1782 bought Garnkirk from his uncle, James Dunlop the fourth of Garnkirk (see Tollcross for a full account of Provost Colin Dunlop's family and descendants); (VII.) William (a twin), born 1708, married Mary Boyd, only daughter of "a genteel and wealthy family in Ireland." They had two daughters, Martha and Mary, who both died very old and unmarried, and one son, Robert, who married Catherine, fourth daughter of John Corbet of Tollcross. This Robert Dunlop had a daughter, Janet, who never married, William, a captain in the army, whose family are settled in Ceylon, and Boyd, who had two daughters, Helen, Mrs. R. A. Morehead, and Catherine of Albyn Place, Edinburgh, and one son, Robert, who went to Australia; (VIII.) Archibald, born 1709, died 1719. (I.) The eldest daughter died an infant; (II.) Elizabeth, born 1692, died an infant; (III.) Jean, born 1693, married Thomas Peter of Crossbasket, and died 1729; (IV.) Katherine, born 1695, married to William Douglas of Leith, she died aged upwards of ninety. They had two sons and one daughter unmarried. Robert, the eldest son, married and had a family; his descendants mostly went abroad. Their second son, John Douglas, became a merchant in Glasgow. He married Cecilia, daughter of George Buchanan, brewer, Bailie 1732 (see Mount Vernon), and had by her seven sons and one daughter, viz.: 1) William; 2) John; 3) Cecilia; 4) Neil (afterwards Sir Neil, G.C.B.); 5) Thomas Dunlop, a well-known citizen of Glasgow, who afterwards bought the estate of Dunlop, and died in 1869 aged 94; 6) Archibald; 7) James; 8) Colin. (V.) Lillias, born 1696, died unmarried; (VI.) Elizabeth, born 1698, married to Robert Rae of Tannochside. Their son was Colin Rae of Little Govan, Aitkenhead, Polmadie, &c.; (VII.) Janet, born 1701, died 1711; (VIII.) Margaret, a twin, born 1708, and died young.
IV. - JAMES DUNLOP, fourth of Garnkirk, born 1697, married, first in 1722, "Henrietta Maxwell, daughter lawful to George Maxwell of Southbar, in the citie of Glasgow," and by her he had five sons and six daughters. He married, secondly in 1749, "Mrs. Jean Campbell in the citie of Glasgow." She was a widow of the ripe age of 65, thirteen years older than Mr. Dunlop. She died in 1759, without issue, aged 75. Mr. Dunlop married, thirdly, in 1761, Margaret Hamilton, daughter of Hamilton of Cochna. By this marriage there were no children. Mr. Dunlop died at Garnkirk, 3rd August, 1769, aged 72. The children of his marriage were - (I.) James, married 1753, Mary Ritchie, daughter of John Ritchie of Craigton. He died leaving two sons and five daughters. The elder son, James, married and had twelve children, the eldest of whom was James, a judge of Georgetown, Maryland, United States. He was therefore the direct heir of line and male representative of the old lairds of Garnkirk. The brother of the judge, named George, died unmarried. The five granddaughters of the last laird by his eldest son, James, were - 1) Helen; 2) Henrietta; 3) Margaret; 4) Mary; 5) Grace; all died unmarried except Henrietta. She became the first wife of Captain Robert Davidson, and dying left one son, James, who died young, and one daughter, Margaret. This lady was married, first, to the late Gilbert Watson, banker in Glasgow, and secondly, to Dr. David Patrick of Athole Place, Glasgow, without issue. She was the nearest surviving direct descendant in this country of the last old laird of Garnkirk, who died in 1769. She had a number of interesting portraits of the old Dunlops; she died in 1870, and the pictures now belong to James Dunlop of Tollcross, who is now the representative in this country of the old Dunlops of Garnkirk. (II.) George, died young. (III.) Robert, died young. (IV) William, died young. (V.) Thomas, died young. (I.) Grizel, the eldest daughter, married Andrew Sym, merchant in Glasgow, and had four sons and five daughters: 1) John Sym, merchant, "Gallowgate Bridge." 2) Robert Sym, born 1752, became a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh, a man greatly esteemed, and one of the tallest and handsomest men in that city. He died unmarried. 3) James Sym, merchant in Glasgow, married Miss Melville and had issue. 4) Andrew Sym, merchant in Glasgow, died unmarried. 1) Margaret, the eldest daughter, married John Wilson of Paisley, and had a large family, of whom the eldest was Professor John Wilson of the University of Edinburgh, well known by his writings and his connection with Blackwood's Magazine. 2) Henrietta, married, 1771, Archibald Hamilton of Overtoun, Lanarkshire, about the end of last century agent in Glasgow for the Paisley Bank; their children were Captain Andrew Hamilton, long proprietor of the "Glasgow Courier," who died in 1856 leaving two daughters, - and two daughters, Mrs. Robert Garden and Mrs. Tatnall. 3) Catherine, died unmarried about 1844. 4) Grace, was the second wife of Captain Robert Davidson; no surviving issue. 5) Agnes, married James Robertson, merchant and banker in Glasgow - issue one daughter. (II.) Henrietta, married James Douglas of Mains (see Mains). (III.) Lilias, married in 1750 George Buchanan, merchant in Glasgow (see Mount Vernon). (IV.) Elizabeth, married Hugh Wyllie, merchant, Glasgow, Lord Provost in 1780. They had two sons and one daughter: 1) Hugh, settled in America; 2) John, went to sea and died unmarried; 1) The daughter married John Hay, of the firm of Hay, Barclay and Co., King Street, Glasgow (the John Barclay of this firm was the father of the well known Hugh Barclay, Sheriff-Substitute of Perthshire). Mr. Hay afterwards became proprietor of the estate of Morton in Fifeshire, which is still in the family. (V.) Jean, married Robert Marshall, a native of Kendal, who settled in Glasgow about the middle of last century, and became a partner and manager of the extensive concern of the "Glasgow Tanwork Company," which commenced soon after the union. The Marshalls had three sons and three daughters: 1) Robert, law agent for his cousin, Mr. Campbell of Blythswood, - he died unmarried; 2) Thomas, died unmarried; 3) Captain William Marshall, died unmarried at Rothesay, 1864, aged 90 years. Of the daughters, the first and third died unmarried, the second, Agnes, was a great beauty - she married Campbell Douglas of the Mains family. They had one son, John Campbell Douglas, who succeeded to that estate (see Mains). (VI.) Marion, died unmarried.
This note has thus given in detail the descendants of the four old lairds of Garnkirk. The descendants of James Dunlop, the nephew of the fourth old laird, and who bought the estate in 1782 from his uncle's representatives, and who held it for about ten years, will be found in the notice of Tollcross, where Provost Colin Dunlop of Carmyle and his family are treated of.
(1) These Stirlings, represented by James Stirling of Cordale, and these Dunlops, represented by James Dunlop of Tollcross, are undoubtedly the two oldest families of our old burgher aristocracy. It is curious to find them, thus early in their long career, having dealings with each other.
Back to Contents