Maybole Historical Society Exhibits

Maybole Historical Society are putting on several exhibitions in Maybole Castle as part of the “Robert Burns – where it began” festival, which, throughout 2007, commemorates the meeting and marriage in Maybole of the Bard’s parents William Burnes and Agnes Broun. Already there has been a very successful Market Fair and the annual gala took on a Burns’ theme, both of which attracted a great response from the community.

Their first exhibition, of local embroidery and whitework, in June attracted more than two hundred visitors. (see story and photos below) Currently the exhibition running is “Auld Maybole, photographs, artefacts and stories. The exhibition is open on Tuesday 17th July form 6pm till 9pm, on Saturday 21st July from 10am to 1pm and on Sunday 29th July from 2 till 4.30pm.

Further exhibitions are planned in August and September. In August the theme will be traditional basket weaving in Burns’ times and in September in conjunction with Ayrshire Archives, the Historical Society plan an inaugural exhibition entitled Maybole – Story of a Burgh”

Mrs Helen McAdam, president of the Historical Society, commented that she has been very happy with responses to the exhibitions and their contribution to heritage awareness in the local community.

At right Helen McAdam chair of Maybole Historical Society.

Centre Murray Cook Hon President of Maybole Historical Society with committee members and some visitors.

Historical Society Lace Exhibit

Maybole Historical Society hosted an Open Day in Maybole Castle on Sunday with a "Whitework Exhibition'" on show. The display was a presentation of Ayrshire Lace which was kindly lent to the Society by South Ayrshire Council which consisted of 2 christening gowns, a child's dress and a collar. Whitework is white material with white embroidery which signifies a symbol of purity and elegance. Other exhibits were tablecloths which had a variety of edging either embroidered, crocheted, knitted and of course lace which had been given to the Society for the purpose of the display.

The centre piece of the majority of cloths was Irish Linen. Many years ago when the borders were completed they were sent to Ireland to be finished with the linen and returned to the owner on completion. There was a christening robe on display which was made circa 1890, the hemline of the robe had been embroidered by an eight year old girl as she sat by her grandmother's knee. This robe is now a family heirloom and the lady who owns it used it for her own two sons' christenings.

Maybole has a special connection with the embroidery and the Society organised the display as part of the current heritage project. In James T Gray's book, "Maybole, Carrick's Capital" it says, "In the eighteenth century the women of Maybole were famous for their needlework and their specialty was "flowering", in which some were expert, and their work was much sought after throughout the whole country. Two women were the acknowledged mistresses of this craft and these were Ann Jenkinson and Janet Inglis, both of whom lived in the Kirkwynd. This was the start of the famous Ayrshire embroidery and this unique style of white embroidery on muslin and cotton gave work to a large number of the local womenfolk whose husbands worked the looms which made the cloth to be embroidered."