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Relatives: Wife of John Mitchell of Cairn. Stone Condition: Sound, Tilted Material: Granite Height: 1.95 Breadth: 1.03 Depth: 0.42 Inscription Condition: Mint Inscription Technique: Incised Mason: Not known Pre 1855 no. N/A ( What's this? )

Monument Inscription

ERECTED
BY THE FAMILY

IN MEMORY OF
JOHN MITCHELL, BLACKHOUSE,
WHO DIED 12TH OCTOBER 1873,
AGED 87 YEARS.
AND
JEAN MITCHELL, HIS WIFE
WHO DIED 17TH FEBY 1876,
AGED 82 YEARS
ALSO JANET HARVIE
WIFE OF JOHN MITCHELL, CAIRN,
WHO DIED 13TH NOVEMBER 1904,
IN HER 75TH YEAR.
AND JOHN MITCHELL, OF CAIRN
WHO DIED 12TH FEBRUARY 1907,
IN HIS 82ND YEAR.

ANDREW MITCHELL, OF MIDDLETON FARM BEITH
WHO DIED 6TH FEB. 1946, IN HIS 83RD YEAR.
ALSO HIS SISTER
MARGARET MITCHELL
WHO DIED 12TH SEPT. 1953, IN HER 81ST YEAR

Family History

John Mitchell of Blackhouse Farm was born in Sorn, Ayrshire on 9th March, 1786. His parents were John Mitchell and Margaret Merry. On 19th July, 1816 he married Jean Mitchell, a first cousin also from Sorn. The marriage took place in Mauchline, Ayrshire. Both parties lived lengthy life spans, as did many of their children.

John Mitchell Jnr., son of the above, married a Janet Harvie who was the only daughter born to Alexander Harvie and Bethia Strang, farmers at Greenhags. Janet having had seven brothers to contend with, six of whom were younger than her, was possibly very relieved to take up John’s offer of marriage.

John and Janet set up home after their marriage in 1853 at High Cairn Farm, a one hundred and ten acre holding, only eighty acres of which were classified as arable. The farm would have supported mostly sheep and rough pasturage for black cattle. Situated as it was out on the high moorland south-west the Mearns Kirk it occupied an isolated and weather exposed spot. Despite its drawbacks this couple remained there for six decades and raised a family of ten children.

Amongst this large offspring group was son Andrew, fourth youngest, and his sister Margaret the youngest. It appears that Andrew went off to farm at Middleton Farm, Beith to be joined there by his sister Margaret.

All the aforesaid persons enjoyed extremely long lives as can be seen on this memorial.