McCulloch One Name Study

Alexander had made a substantial fortune in China and, before succeeding to Kirkclaugh, had already, in 1855, purchased property in Anwoth Parish, namely the farms of Mark, Glen, Whiteside and Calside (or Slaicks). To these he also added in 1859 the farm of Pibble.

It was Alexander’s wish to enlarge the mansion house of Kirkclaugh and otherwise improve the property, but in this he was faced with a difficulty. He was now past 50 and unmarried and in the event of his death without children, the property would pass, under the will of his uncle, Alexander, to the Qualtroughs. He was unwilling to spend money for these people, who were distantly, if at all, related, and for whom he cared little or nothing. The titles do not disclose how the difficulty was overcome but it appears that the Qualtrough interest must have been purchased or otherwise disposed of.

The farm of Pibble was bought in 1859 and the titles shew that in the following year a part of it was sold to the railway company for the building of their new line through the Stewartry. The farm is said to contain valuable minerals, and in 1862 a lease of the mining rights was entered into with the Creetown Mining Company, which assigned its rights to the South of Scotland Mining Company. In 1872 the rights were in the bands of the Champion Silver, Lead and Copper Mining Company, which also owned workings in Minnigaff, and on the farms of King’s Laggan and Lachintyre. At one time these mines employed about 100 men but they never paid any royalties and, moreover, were a trouble to the farming tenant. Accordingly, in 1872, legal proceeding were taken to eject the company. The action was settled and a fresh agreement entered into, but in 1883 the company went into liquidation. A further attempt to work the Pibble mine was made in 1914, an inauspicious moment. It was abandoned in 1919.

Alexander McCulloch died in 1887 at the age of 73. He left Kirkclaugh to his sister, Penelope, for her life; after her death, to his niece, Janet Brown, wife of Edward Cliff, for her life; and on her death, to her eldest son, William. It was a stipulation of his will that anybody succeeding to Kirkclaugh should assume the name McCulloch.