Fullarton

   FULLARTON, lately a quoad sacra parish, in the parish of Dundonald, district of Kyle, county of Ayr, 6½ miles (W.) from Kilmarnock; containing 3103 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the southwestern bank of the river Irvine, derives its name from its ancient proprietors, the Fullartons, by one of whom a convent was founded in 1240, on the site of the present town, and amply endowed for friars of the Carmelite order. The establishment continued to flourish till the Reformation, when it was suppressed; and while laying out the lands in allotments for the erection of the town, vestiges of the ancient building, consisting of the foundations of its walls, were discovered near the mansion-house of the founder. The town, which forms a populous suburb to the burgh of Irvine, on the opposite bank of the river, is well built, and consists chiefly of two streets, one being in a line with the main street of Irvine, with which it is connected by a handsome bridge: several smaller streets diverge in various directions. Its situation on the shore of the harbour of Irvine gives to the place a very interesting appearance, which is much heightened by the beauty of the surrounding scenery, and the numerous pleasing villas in the immediate vicinity.

   A public library is supported by subscription; and the inhabitants are partly employed in hand-loom weaving for the manufacturers of Ayr and Glasgow, and in the various handicraft trades connected with the wants of the neighbourhood. In 1707, William Fullarton, Esq., the superior, obtained for the inhabitants a charter erecting the town into a burgh of barony, with the privilege of two annual fairs; but, from the proximity of Irvine, the charter does not appear to have been carried into effect. The district of Fullarton was separated for ecclesiastical purposes from the parish, by act of the General Assembly, in 1838, and, with a part of the estate of Shewalton, erected into a quoad sacra parish, since abolished. The church, erected in that year, is a handsome substantial structure, built by subscription, and containing 900 sittings: the minister, who is chosen by a committee of subscribers and the male communicants, has a stipend of £88, derived from the seat-rents and collections, and guaranteed by bond. A school in connexion with the Established Church is supported by the General Assembly, who allow the master a salary of £15, in addition to the fees; and a schoolhouse for 300 children has been erected at an expense of £500, obtained from the trustees of Dr. Bell's bequest for educational purposes.