Fergushill

Fergushill is a small community in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. The Barony of Fergushill was held by the Fergushill family of that Ilk and the area has a complex history.

The area is either named after the family of this name, Fergushill of that Ilk, or more likely, the family took the name of the area as their patronym, as with the Cunninghame clan. Robert de Fergushill de Eodem had an extensive estate here in 1417. Robert Fergushill died in the late 17th-century and was the last of the family to be local lairds. The expression 'de Eodem' refers to the patronym being the same name as the barony.

Robert Fergushill is shown in a charter from Robert Hunter of Hunterston to have a share in the 46s 8d land of Annanhill-Hunter, however William Henry Dunlop remained the proprietor.

In the 17th-century it was the custom in respectable families for the names of the principal friends present to be entered into the baptismal register. Mr. Baillie of Monkton's register had the names Fergushill, Ashinyards and Muncardine entered.

The Laird of Fergushill in the early 18th century was amongst a number of local lairds who ordered the bailies of Kilmarnock to proceed with the causewaying of the streets. A very early example of road improvements in Ayrshire.

In 1577 A. Fergushill was a burgess of Ayr and sold the lands of Gallisholmes to John Wallace of Craigie.

John Fergushill (1592–1644) was a covenanter minister and martyr who is remembered by a monument erected at Fenwick kirk.

Fergushill as a surname is a sept of the Clan Fergusson.

In 1605 Patrick Lowrie was convicted of being a warlock and sentenced to be strangled and then burned at the stake in Edinburgh. One of Lowrie's crimes was stated as being for art and part of the Bewitching of certain milk kye, pertaining to Johnne Fergushill, younger, in Halie, at Beltane 1604 years; whereby the kye gave no milk but blood and worsome (purlent) therafter.

In 1671 David Fergushill went to the Corsehill Barony Court to obtain payment for a boill bear from one Thomas Wylie of Little Corsehill.

In 1691 the 'House of Fergushill' itself had seven hearths listed in the Hearth Tax records and eighteen other properties within the barony.

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