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AYR

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Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 74 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

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AYR , a royal, municipal and See also:

POLICE (Fr. police, government, civil administration, a police force, Gr. sroXumeia, constitution, condition of a state, roars, city, state)

police See also:

burgh and seaport, and See also:

COUNTY (through Norm. Fr. comae, cf. O. Fr. cunte, conk', Mod. Fr. comae, from Lat. comitatus, cf. Ital. comitato, Prov. comtat; see COUNT)

county See also:

TOWN

town of See also:

AYRSHIRE

Ayrshire, See also:

Scotland, at the mouth of the See also:

RIVER

river Ayr, 41m. S.S.W. of See also:

GLASGOW

Glasgow by the Glasgow & See also:

South-Western railway. Pop. (1891) 24,944; (1901) 29,101. It is situated on a See also:

FINE

fine See also:

bay and its beautiful sands attract thousands of summer visitors. Ayr proper lies on the south See also:

BANK

bank of the river, which is crossed by three See also:

bridges, besides the railway viaduct—the See also:

Victoria See also:

BRIDGE

Bridge (erected in 1898) and the famous Twa Brigs " of See also:

Burns. The Auld Brig is said to date from the reign of See also:

Alexander III. (d. 1286). The New Brig was built in 1788, mainly owing to the efforts of See also:

PROVOST (through O. Fr. prevost, mod. prevot, Lat. praepositus, set over, from praeponere, to place in front)

Provost Ballantyne. The prophecy which Burns put into the mouth of the See also:

VENERABLE (Lat. venerabilis, worthy of reverence, venerari, to reverence, to worship, allied to Venus, love; the Indo-Germ. root is wen-, to desire, whence Eng. " win, properly to struggle for, hence to gain)

venerable structure came true in 1877, when the newer bridge yielded to floods and had to be rebuilt (1879); and the older structure itself was closed for public safety in 1904. The town has extended greatly on the See also:

SOUTHERN

southern See also:

side of the stream, where, in the direction of the racecourse, there are now numerous fine villas.

The county buildings, designed after the See also:

temple of See also:

ISIS (Egyptian Ese)

Isis in See also:

Rome, accommodate the See also:

CIRCUIT (Lat. circuitus, from circum, round, and ire, to go)

circuit and provincial courts and various See also:

LOCAL

local authorities. The handsome town buildings, surmounted by a fine See also:

SPIRE

spire 226 ft. high, contain See also:

ASSEMBLY, UNLAWFUL

assembly and See also:

READING

reading rooms. Of the See also:

SCHOOLS

schools the most notable is the See also:

Academy (rebuilt in 188o), which in 1764 superseded the See also:

GRAMMAR (from Lat. grammatica, sc. ars; Gr. ypaµ)

grammar school of the burgh, which existed in the 13th See also:

CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century. The See also:

GOTHIC

Gothic See also:

Wallace See also:

TOWER (Lat. turris; Fr. tour, clocker; Ital. torre; Ger. Thurm)

Tower in High See also:

Street stands on the site of an old See also:

BUILDING

building of the same name taken down in 1835, from which were transferred the See also:

CLOCK

clock and bells of the See also:

DUNGEON

Dungeon See also:

STEEPLE (akin to " steep")

steeple. A See also:

NICHE (through Fr. niche from Ital. nicchia, nicchio, shell; possibly from Lat. mitulus, a sea-mussel; cf. " napkin " from mappa)

niche in front is filled by a statue of the Scottish See also:

hero by See also:

James Thom (28o2-185o), a self-taught sculptor. There are statues of Burns, the 13th See also:

EARL

earl of See also:

EGLINTON, EARLS OF

Eglinton, See also:

General See also:

Smith See also:

NEILL, JAMES GEORGE SMITH (1810-1857)

Neill and See also:

Sir See also:

William Wallace. The See also:

Carnegie See also:

FREE

free library was established in 1893. The charitable institutions include the county See also:

HOSPITAL (Lat. haspitalis, the adjective of hospes, host or guest)

hospital, See also:

DISTRICT

district See also:

asylum, a See also:

DEAF

deaf and dumb See also:

home, the Kyle See also:

COMBINATION (Lat. combinare, to combine)

combination poor-See also:

house, St See also:

John's See also:

REFUGE

refuge and See also:

INDUSTRIAL

industrial schools for boys and girls. The Ayr Advertiser first appeared on 5th of See also:

AUGUST (originally Sextilis)

August 1803, and was the earliest newspaper published in Ayrshire. 'In the suburbs is a racecourse where the Western See also:

MEETING (from " to meet," to come together, assemble, 0. Eng. metals ; cf. Du. moeten, Swed. mota, Goth. gamotjan, &c., derivatives of the Teut. word for a meeting, seen in O. Eng. Wit, moot, an assembly of the people; cf. witanagemot)

Meeting is held in See also:

SEPTEMBER (Lat. septem, seven)

September of every See also:

YEAR

year. The See also:

PRINCIPAL

principal manufactures include See also:

leather, carpets, woollen goods, flannels, blankets, See also:

LACE (corresponding to Ital. merletto, trina; Genoese Pizzo; Ger. spitzen; Fr. dentelle; Dutch kanten; Span. encaje; the English word owes something to the Fr. lassis or laces, but both are connected with the earlier Lat. laqueus; early French laces were

lace, boots and shoes; and See also:

FISHERIES

fisheries and See also:

SHIPBUILDING

shipbuilding are also carried on. There are several foundries, See also:

ENGINEERING

engineering establishments and saw See also:

mills.

Large quantities of See also:

TIMBER

timber are imported from See also:

CANADA

Canada and See also:

Norway; See also:

COAL

coal, See also:

IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

iron, manufactured goods and agricultural produce are the See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief exports. The See also:

HARBOUR (from M.E. hereberge, here, an army; cf. Ger. Heer and -beorg, protection or shelter. Other early forms in English were herberwe and haiborow, as seen in various place names, such as Market Harborough.. The French auberge, an inn, derived through

harbour, with wet and slip See also:

DOCK

dock, occupies both sides of the river from the New Bridge to the See also:

sea, and is protected on the south by a See also:

PIER (older forms per or Pere, from Med. Lat. pera; the word for piers out of water. For river piers, where a firm, watertight is of obscure origin, and the connexion with Fr. Pierre, Lat. stratum is found at a moderate depth below the river-bed, the pctr

pier projecting some distance into the sea, and on the See also:

north by a See also:

BREAKWATER

breakwater with a commodious dry dock. There are esplanades to the south and north of the harbour. The town is governed by a provost and See also:

COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council, and unites with See also:

IRVINE

Irvine, See also:

INVERARAY

Inveraray, See also:

CAMPBELTOWN

Campbeltown and See also:

OBAN

Oban in returning one member to See also:

PARLIAMENT (Anglo-Lat. parliamentum, Fr. parlement, from parler, to speak)

parliament. In 1873 the municipal boundary was extended northwards beyond the river so as to include See also:

Newton-upon-Ayr and Wallace Town, formerly See also:

SEPARATE

separate. Newton is a burgh or See also:

BARONY

barony of very See also:

ancient creation, the See also:

CHARTER (Lat. charta, carta, from Gr. Xap-rns, originally for papyrus, material for writing, thence transferred to paper and from this material to the document, in O. Eng. boc, book)

charter of which is traditionally said to have been granted by See also:

Robert See also:

Bruce in favour of See also:

FORTY

forty-eight of the inhabitants who had distinguished themselves at See also:

Bannock-See also:

BURN, RICHARD (1709-1785)

burn. The suburb is now almost wholly occupied with manufactures, the chief of which are chemicals, boots and shoes, carpets and lace. It is on the Glasgow & South-Westernrailway, and has a harbour and dock from which coal and goods are the See also:

main exports. About 3 M. north of Ayr is Prestwick, a popular watering-See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place and the headquarters of one of the most flourishing See also:

GOLF (in its older forms GOFF, GOUFF or GOWFF, the last of which gives the genuine old pronunciation)

golf clubs in Scotland. The outstanding attraction of Ayr, however, is the pleasant suburb of Alloway, 21 m. to the south,' with which there is frequent communication by electric cars. The " auld See also:

clay biggin " in which Robert Burns was See also:

BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born on the 25th of See also:

JANUARY

January 1759, has been completely repaired and is now the See also:

PROPERTY

property of the Ayr Burns's See also:

MONUMENT (Lat. monumentum or monumentum; from monere, to advise, bring to mind, remind; the German equivalent is Denkmal)

Monument trustees. In the See also:

KITCHEN (O.E. cycene; this and other cognate forms, such as Dutch keuken, Ger. Kiuche, Dan. kokken, Fr. cuisine, are formed from the Low Lat. cucina, Lat. coquina, coquere, to cook)

kitchen is the See also:

box See also:

bed in which the poet was born, and many of the articles of See also:

FURNITURE (from " furnish," Fr. fournir)

furniture belonged to his See also:

FAMILY

family.

Adjoining the cottage is a museum of Burnsiana. The " auld haunted See also:

KIRK, SIR JOHN (1832- )

kirk," though roofless, is otherwise in a See also:

FAIR

fair See also:

state of preservation, despite relic-hunters who have removed all the woodwork. In the See also:

churchyard is the See also:

GRAVE

grave of William Burness, the poet's See also:

FATHER

father. Not far distant, on a conspicuous position See also:

close by the See also:

banks of the Doon, stands the Grecian monument to Burns, in the grounds of which is the grotto containing Thom's figures of See also:

TAM, JACOB BEN MEIR (1100-1171)

Tam o' Shanter and Souter Johnnie. Nothing is known of the See also:

HISTORY

history of Ayr till the close of the 12th century, when it was made a royal See also:

RESIDENCE (Latin residere, to remain behind, to dwell, reside)

residence, and soon afterwards a royal burgh, by William the See also:

Lion. During the See also:

WARS

wars of Scottish See also:

independence the See also:

possession of Ayr and its See also:

castle was an See also:

OBJECT

object of importance to both the contending parties, and the town was the See also:

SCENE (Fr. scene, Lat. scaena, Gr. oflvil, a tent or booth, a stage or scene)

scene of many of Wallace's exploits. In 1315 the Scottish parliament met in the See also:

church of St John to confirm the See also:

SUCCESSION (Lat. successio, from succedere, to follow after)

succession of See also:

EDWARD

Edward Bruce to the See also:

THRONE

throne. See also:

Early in the 16th century it was a place of considerable See also:

INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence and See also:

trade. The liberality of William the Lion had bestowed upon the See also:

CORPORATION (from Lat. corporare, to form into a body, corpus, corporis)

corporation an extensive See also:

grant of lands; while in addition to the well-endowed church of St John, it had two monasteries, each possessed of a fair See also:

revenue. When Scotland was overrun by See also:

Cromwell, Ayr was selected as the site of one of the forts which he built to command the See also:

COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country. This fortification, termed the citadel, enclosed an See also:

AREA

area of ten or twelve acres, and included within its limits the church of St John, which was converted into a storehouse, the See also:

PROTECTOR

Protector partly indemnifying the inhabitants by contributing £150 towards the erection of a new place of See also:

WORSHIP (i.e. " worth-ship," O. Eng. weor8scipe)

worship, now known as the Old Church. A. portion of the tower of St John's church remains, but has been completely modernized.

The site of the fort is now nearly covered with houses, the See also:

barracks being in Fort See also:

Green.

End of Article: AYR

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