James was a prominent land owner born around 1590 of Auchentibber, Park and Crossbasket. Park and Auchentibber are in Blantyre parish, and Crossbasket is in East Kilbride Parish. The lands are all adjacent to each other.
In the early 1610’s he married Katherine (Catherine) Hamilton, the daughter of John Hamilton of Gilkerscleugh, and his wife Jean Hamilton.
1622 – James Baillie of Park and his father, Robert Baillie of Park, are noticed in Lanark Sasines, RS40/IIB/104. James is also noticed in Lanark Sasines, RS40/IIB/140, RS40/IIIA/350, with John Baillie of Park in RS40/V/183, and with James Baillie grandson of James Baillie, portioner of Park, in RS40/V/197A.
From an early age, James Baillie owned land with his father.
1623 – A Letter of Redemption dated October, 1623 by Mr. David Mathie, schoolmaster in Hamilton and Catherine Muirhead, his spouse of 250 merks. They had been receiving an annual rent of 25 merks out of the lands of Park of Blantyre from James Baillie of Park, following on a contract made between Robert Baillie of Park and her deceased father, James Muirhead of Lachope, recorded in a sasine dated 08 March, 1577. Their discharge was dated 07 September, 1623.
James and Catherine had seven children before Catherine was forced to leave him, because his bad behaviour threatened her life. At the time of her departure he had two sons and three daughters who were still in life.
1630 – Robert or James Baillie of Park acquired the lands of Crossbasket from Archibald Stewart. The land may have passed to James from his father Robert, either through inheritance or gifted by his father noting what James had lost personally. In any case, the lands of Park, Auchentibber, and Crossbasket, belonged to James Baillie of Park by 1630.
1634 – Acquiring Crossbasket and seeing it still attached to the Parish of Kilbryde may have aggrieved the Baillies of Park, whose extensive lands, otherwise were in Blantyre Parish. It may also have caused problems owning property in another Parish, or caused them additional considerations. This is likely the case, for in 1634 a decreet was issued to remove Crossbasket from the lands of Kilbride and place them in Blantyre Parish. This however was never signed, despite James being one of the Blantyre heritors who attended the meeting.
Around this time, a corn mill had “recently” been established at Crossbasket, which we now know more commonly as the Bridge Mill. This mill would go on to have several uses and may have been the mill attracting attention that particular decade from nearby John Millar of Millheugh.
1661 – James Baillie passes away.
Extract from “The History of Crossbasket Castle” by P Veverka. Pictured also is the ancient right of way at Park, High Blantyre.
very interesting. My ancestors include george and Robert Baillie who had a far in that area, lost it in the early 1900’s and moved to a dairy shop in London road which also went bankrupt in the Depression.
My dad & granny lived in Meadowpark street in Dennistoun around the war years.
Any help in filling in gaps would be greatly appreciated.
baillief@hotmail.com