James Millar was a Professor of Mathematics in the University of Glasgow and owned the Milheugh Estate from 1801 until his daughter Margaret Millar inherited the property on 10th November 1838, having married to Andrew Bannatyne 10 years earlier. Around that same time, Milheugh was massively extended. The old Georgian part of the house was maintained, but a grand stone building on two storeys was added most with a firm Victorian design statement. The 1859 Valuation register for the Parish records that this “modern home”, a reference to that recent construction. The gardens were heavily landscaped and reprofiled to suit the new building and evidence of new estate paths is apparent on old maps, filling in the old lade that ran across the Milheugh fields. At this time, the two estate cottages were also built at Pathfoot, on the Pech Brae, itself part of the Estate. The cottages were leased out to the groundskeeper and as a stable.
The old name of Millheugh with two “Ls” was confined to history. The name of the new house was changed to Milheugh, with one L likely around the 1830’s perhaps to distinguish it from Millheugh in Larkhall. The name with one L is noted in James Millars inventory.
Alex Rochead recently sent me James Millar’s inventory of possessions and property. This was a list of personal wealth (other than the Milheugh House itself given to Elizabeth and Andrew Bannatyne). It makes for interesting reading. I’ve enclosed the records here for reference, and noted the highlights below.
The Inventory was recorded and read in Glasgow on 10th November 1838, by the Trustees of James Millar’s estate, one of whom was Andrew Bannatyne, his son in law. James Millar had died on 11th July 1838.
Inventory Highlights
1. Cash found in repositories £2.00
2. Shares in several Glasgow companies worth £13,494, £5,500 of which was in Forth and Clyde Canal. (In 2015 money his shares would have been worth several millions of pounds)
3. Glasgow college owed James a salary of £75, 14 shillings and 9 pence.
4. An entitlement to part of the rents of the Island of Shuna (off West Coast of Scotland midway between Oban and Lochgilphead). The sums due to James was £31.
5. Owning a lot of Properties in nearby Barnhill, rent was owed to James of a total £72, £31 of which was from Jean Pollock alone. The inventory noted this would be difficult to collect and wrote the amount owned to James downwards to £30.
6. A further £36 due to him by others, namely James Frame and John Anderson.
7. The household furniture and linen were valued at £191.
In all , an estate of £13,860, excluding the property Milheugh itself. It is clear how important from this inventory, that his business share were. The inventory concluded an estate worth between £13,000 and £14,000.