315 JULY 2021 - Gryffe Advertizer

history spot
Kilbarchan Parish Church Burial Ground
Who lies here? Who do you think they are?
Before the neglected Kilbarchan Parish Church burial ground
completely disappears below the undergrowth, some research into
the identity and lives of the people who were interred therein may
be of interest. The two stones shown in the image above stand side
by side against the wall of the old church. Both stones have the
same shape and identical ornamentation, and appear to be carved
by the same stone mason and dedicated to the same James Black.
The inscription on the larger stone on the left of the image above
reads “Dedicated to the memory of James Black farmer in Penneld
who died April 1785 aged 64 years”. The inscription on the smaller
stone reads “JB MW 1785”. But who was James Black?
James Black, in Lochermiln, married Mary Wilson (MW) in 1851.
Mary was the eldest daughter of John Wilson, and Mary Henderson
of Sandholes. James and Mary started their married life in Locher
Mill where the first two of their seven children, Agnes and Mary,
were born in 1752 and 1754. Before 1757, the family moved to
nearby Penneld where James converted the old corn mill at Nether
Penneld on the River Locher into a barley mill which he operated
for some years. By his early forties, James appears to have been
a man of significance in the community and a prosperous farmer
and miller. In 1760 he was wealthy enough to purchase Glentyan
Mill in Kilbarchan village from Patrick Crawfurd, the last laird of
Auchinames, and in 1763 he was appointed as an elder in the Parish
Church. In 1770 he demolished his barley mill and on June 12th,
1775, he sold the lands of Glentyan with the corn mill to Alexander
Speirs, the linen merchant who built Glentyan House. By 1782 he
was carrying on both lime and coal work at his farm called Moor
e: info@advertizer.co.uk | www.advertizer.co.uk | July 2021 51
of Waterston and Tween–of-hills, the property of Robert Napier of
Milliken. Both John and his wife died in 1785. It can be assumed
that Mary died a few months after the death of her husband, and a
second stone was erected.
James and Mary’s second daughter, Mary Black, married James
Semple, Jun. of Middleton in 1776. The Semples of Middleton (now
part of Linwood) were thread manufacturers in the old Kilbarchan
Parish. Mary died young, in June 1779, aged 24 years. She too is
interred in the burial ground. Her large gravestone lies flat on the
grass beside Captain Stirling’s fenced enclosure.
© June 2021, Helen Calcluth, Renfrewshire Local History Forum
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Johnstone History Society
Sadly we have no definite information as to when
our monthly meetings will be able to resume,
however be assured as soon as we can you will
be informed either in the press, social media or by
email from Valerie our secretary.
The Museum continues to open Wednesday Friday
and Saturday from 10.30am till 4pm. Government
guidelines are in place and restricted numbers are
still in force. We have all our usual books leaflets
and maps on sale and these can also be purchased
online at johnstonehistory.org these can be paid
for through PayPal.
One piece of good news is that Doors Open day
will take place in September and we plan to take
part as usual.