Chapter I
Annandale:—The Old Home.

Early in the Nineteenth Century—viz., in 1803—were married Thomas Orr and Hannah Longmuir, the writer's grandparents, therefore the great grandparents of the young generation of Hays and Guthries—"the children of the Clan."

Thomas Orr's home was a good arable farm called "Annandale," two miles distant from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. It had been leased to the Orr family for generations back, a ninety-nine years' "tak" (lease) being the usual tenure in those days; and had, in each case, descended from father to eldest son. The landlords of the district were the Duke of Portland, to whom Annandale belonged, and the Earl of Eglinton—"Lairds," worthy the name of noblemen, between whom and their tenants a loyal friendship existed. The Orrs had always been practical farmers, and had gained a reputation for ability and shrewdness. Thomas inherited in a marked degree his father's strength of character, being keen and observant, very terse and quaint in speech, and of a most determined will. When only twelve years of age he gave evidence of page 10the stuff that was in him. His father sent one of his men to bring a bull from a distant "field" (paddock); when the man returned without the animal, declaring it impossible to manage it single-handed, the old man turning to his son said:—"Hoots! that laddie there could bring," and sent him for it forthwith. He did bring it home in his own way, which was sufficiently daring: he seized it firmly by the tail, and by means of a stout stick fearlessly drove it before him. In after years he was famed for his cool nerve in facing danger. When a young man he had a hand-to-horn encounter with a "raised" bull, and succeeded in killing the infuriated beast, which otherwise would have killed him-After his terrible fight he managed to walk home, a distance of several miles.

Our grandmother was a true woman, with a gentle, refined nature, whom to know was to love. She made an excellent wife and mother, being noted for her excellent house-keeping and the skill with which she plied her spinning-wheel. She was as well-born as her husband, although her pedigree is not so familiar to us. Mr. Orr was a lineal descendant of Lord Kilmarnock, who was executed, as also was Lord Balmerino, for espousing the cause of "Bonnie Prince Charlie." We hope to be pardoned for inserting here, for the benefit of our young people, the snatches of information we have been enabled to pick up on the subject of our "forebears." Details of the Rebellion of 1745 they can read for themselves in any history. For more minute and interesting particulars of the arrest and execution of the two rebel Scotch Earls above named, we refer them to Sir Walter Scott's "Tales of a Grandfather." It is interesting to know that the Hay family, as well as the Orr, trace their descent to the same ancestry. The Boyds of Kilmarnock and Hays of Errol being united, the present day Lord Kilmarnock is therefore a scion of both families. page 11The following paragraphs we quote from "M.A.P." of 9th June, 1900,^* as interesting in this connection:—

"Lord Kilmarnock, the bridegroom of a fortnight ago, is a very handsome young noble, with the dark hair and low forehead which ever and anon shows itself in the Errol family. The Hays of Errol have been settled in the Slains district of Aberdeen for centuries, and trace their descent to a stout yeoman who, many hundred years ago, performed prodigies of valour on the battlefield at Loncarty with the yoke of his plough! Lord Kilmarnock, for whom the Queen was sponsor, curiously enough comes of very rebellious stock on both sides. In the days of King James—the Solomon of Scotland—the then Earl of Errol defied the King, and got his Castle of Slains razed to the ground. Lord Kilmarnock of the 45 lost his head for his adherence to the Stuarts. But for this untoward event; the Errols, besides being hereditary High Constables of Scotland, would have had four Earldoms, viz.: Errol, Kilmarnock, Linlithgow, and Calendar."

"The Handsome Boyds.—The Boyds, Earls of Kilmarnock, were singularly handsome men, and it was of the son of the beheaded earl that the famous Dr. Johnson wrote: 'He is of the most graceful form, and the most elegant, polished, and popular manners.' The Doctor was positive that he resembled Homer's character of Sarpedon. An anecdote is told of this nobleman to the effect that when he attended the coronation of George III. he forgot to remove his cap, and, when apologising, the King commanded him to remain covered, as he felt highly honoured and flattered by his presence. Slains Castle, the seat of the

^* "M.A.P." ("Mainly About People") is a modern society weekly paper edited by T. P. O'Connor; published in London. We are indebted to our dear old friend, Mrs. McNaught, of Worcester, England, for sending us "M.A.P."

page 12Earls of Errol, is a very plain building, but picturesquely situated—perched on a rock overlooking the sea. In the grounds there is magnificent timber."

We may add that the Hay Crest—a "stout yeoman's" arm holding up the yoke of his plough—and the motto "Serva Jugum" is something which even the distant New Zealand Hay family is justly proud of. Like their ancestor the "stout yoeman" they too have served under the yoke. The tradition is that the brave yeoman was offered a reward from the king for his valour, and given his choice, a "greyhound's race" or a "hawke's flight," he choose the latter. That meant that his lands were to be bounded by the hawk's flight. The hawk with out-spread wings is also used as a Hay Crest. Before leaving the subject of our ancestry, we are tempted to add yet another present-day quotation, touching the romantic story of Lord Kilmarnock, taken from an interesting letter written by our nephew, Jack Guthrie while on a visit to our old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Carruthers, of Kilmarnock. He writes: "Mr. Carruthers is a great archæologist and historian. He knows all about Ayrshire, has books full of crests and family histories. He knows about the Hays and Boyds, will talk for hours of the unfortunate Earl of Kilmarnock, who lost his head metaphorically and literally. It is a pity his Lordship was so indiscreet, for the castle and estates might have been flourishing in more thrifty hands today, if he had lived. Dean Castle, his old country residence, is in bad repair, partly in ruins, but is still habitable. Close to the castle there is a huge excavation, an old quarry full of water, bounded on one side by a wall of rock, on the other by a plantation of pines reaching to the water's edge. There are boat houses on the banks and white swans floating majestically on the calm water. It belonged to the late Duke of Portland, who left it to Lady page 13Howard de Walden. The grounds, if renovated, could be made most picturesque. The town house of the Boyds is interesting also, very old and quaint. It is now used as an industrial school. It was once considered a great mansion, and the pride of the Boyds. When the Earl got into trouble he was adding to the house and building a great dining hall (great for those days!) You will know the story of his death. The warrant was sent three times for his capture. Twice the messenger was waylaid on the border by a highwayman, and that highwayman turned out to be the Earl's own daughter in disguise (probably our ancestress "Mary Boyd"). When he was taken to London and beheaded with Lord Balmerino (a brave nobleman), the additions to the mansion were stopped, and the great hall locked up, no one allowed to enter.' After long years' it was re-opened—not very long ago and was found with the carpenters benches, tools, shavings half-sawn beams, etc., just as it had been left when the fatal news arrived."

Our grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Orr, were a thrifty couple, who reared a large family of healthy children in all the elements of industry and hardihood, having hours of hard work to get through before setting off to school in Kilmarnock. Here the discipline was severe, the "Dominie,' one of the real "old school," literally hammered the "three R's" into the unfortunate little mortals, his thrashings being so energetic as to be vividly remembered in after-years. There were seven daughters and three sons in the Annandale family. For the benefit of any of their descendants who may be wishful to find out the various connections between the older branches of our family tree, we shall recall each of these grand-aunts and uncles by name and seniority. The first child, William, died in infancy. Hannah, eldest daughter, married a farmer page 14named William Richmond; their home was near Campbel-town, Kintyre, Scotland. This couple, now many years dead, left a large family of children and grand-children, some of whom found their way to New Zealand; one, a namesake of his grandfather's, is now manager of Nelson Bros. Freezing Works, Napier.

The second daughter, Mary Boyd, never married, but lived most of her life with her brother William's family, whom she accompanied to New Zealand in 1882. "Aunt Mary," who attained the great age of ninety-five, was a marvel to her many friends of mental and physical strength and brightness. She had a wonderful memory for details, especially in regard to the ramifications of the Genealogical Tree, no question of pedigree being too intricate for her to unravel; and of her name, "Mary Boyd," she was pardonably proud. She was ever held in loving veneration by each and all of her relatives for her true, earnest goodness. Her infirmity of deafness—almost a life-long one—she regarded as a blessing in disguise, for she was thereby kept "unspotted from the world." This good old Aunt had ever the tenderest care in the home of her sister-in-law, Mrs. Orr, in Christchurch, whose charge she was up till the day of her death.^*

Next in order came Jean, who was twice married; her first husband, Mr. Cameron, died young and her second, Mr. Caldwell, a good, true man, also predeceased her. Years afterwards her son came to New Zealand, then her two married daughters, Mrs. Reid and Mrs. Hunter, and families, with whom she came out and made her home in New Zealand. We shall come across these cousins again at a later stage in our story.

Elizabeth ("Leezie") came next. She also was twice married; first to John Hay, elder brother of our Ebenezer, and after some years of widowhood, to Mr. William Aitken, grain merchant, Londonderry, Ireland. They also came to New Zealand in after years, their only daughter, Eliza, having married Thomas Caldwell, her cousin-Aunt Jean's only son.

William, next in age, succeeded his father in Annandale farm, where he and his excellent wife spent the first five years of their married life. The long lease having then run out was not renewed to them, a new landlord having by that time succeeded to the Eglinton estates, who raised the rent on the old tenants. He left the old home of his fathers in first-class order, being an efficient practical farmer of the old school, and removed to Castle Farm, Glenarm, Ireland.^* Castle Farm was beautiful for situation and scenery; but proved to be a delusion and a snare, for there he and his brother Thomas lost all their-means (except a few hundreds each) in the rabbit-ridden and game-infested place. Though he got another good farm a few years later in Ayrshire ("Kirklands," near Maybole), he never recovered ground, and gradually lost health and hope. After his death, early in 1876, his widow and family came out to New Zealand and with, them Aunt Mary.

Next to William in age came Agnes, the best beloved of

^* After a lapse of thirty-nine years our brother, Dr. T O. Guthrie date of Lyttelton) when travelling in Ireland with his wife and sister-in-law, "Auntie Hannah" in September, 1900, spent some time in the beautiful old places so familiar to him as a boy; Garron Tower, Antrim Castle, and, last but not least, "Castle Farm." Garron Tower, then the luxurious home of the Marchioness of Londonderry, is now leased by a hotel-keeper; all the beautiful appointments within and without laid open to the public use. There our party stayed while they re-visited the dear old haunts where the "Guthrie boys" enacted many wild pranks in the happy old days. Antrim Estate is also sadly changed, being now denuded of its splendid timber; but the Castle Farm retains its old landmarks and associations. Wherever our party went they were welcomed as soon as they named Mr. and Mrs. Orr, whose names still live in the memories of the older residents, so beloved were they both.

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AnnanDale.

Midbuiston.

page 16her father, and the one from whom he had to part for life, when, just after her marriage to Ebenezer Hay, youngest son of Mr. James Hay, Midbuiston, Ayrshire, they set sail for New Zealand, then a practically unknown country.

Ann comes next in age; she and Agnes being closely united as girls with a sympathy that repeated itself in the familes, as we shall hereafter see. She married (five years after Agnes) Rev. John Guthrie, M.A., of Kendal, Westmoreland; and there the writer of these reminiscences and Uncle John (Guthrie) were born; for it goes without saying that to three of our families this latter couple bear the same relationship as Mr. and Mrs. Hay, viz., grand-parents, the course of after events having brought about a triple alliance of the Hay and Guthrie families.

Next in order comes Julia, youngest daughter, who married the Rev. A. M. Wilson, of Airdrie, and died young. She bore great sufferings with patient fortitude for years before "kind death" released her. Her family was scattered and lost sight of in after years, her husband having formed new connections.

Last of all comes our much-loved Uncle Tom, the youngest of his clan. He was a farmer for a time in partnership with William; but his love of letters and ardour in the cause of Christ at a time of universal religious awakening in Scotland, led him to study for the ministry. He continued an earnest eloquent preacher to the close of his long useful life. He died in London in October, 1896, at the age of seventy-one.

As one after the other of this family—who at the time of which we are writing, were in the bloom and vigour of youth—pass before our mental vision, we are reminded of the Patriarch's requiem "and he died." These all served page 17their day and generation here, and have all now entered within the gates of the Celestial City. May we worthily walk in their footsteps, as we too pass along life's highway.

The writer is not so conversant with the early family history of Mr. Hay; but he also was one of a large family of sons and daughters. Their father, at the time of which we are writing, was a clear-headed, clever old man, fully capable of managing his own affairs. His farm, Midbuiston, a few miles distant from Annandale, will be frequently mentioned in connection with these records. The two old farmers, James Hay and Thomas Orr, had many a passage-at-arms when they met on market days at Kilmarnock Cross (where the markets were held), a place famous for generations as a resort of farmers and dealers intent on business, with a dash of pleasure thrown in! It was a case of Greek meeting Greek when Midbuiston and Annandale crossed swords; their wit was keen and caustic at the expense of each other's foibles; but accompanying each sally was ever the gleam of a kindly smile. It would be too much like drawing on our imagination were we at this late date to try to recall any of those rare flashes of Scotch humour which are associated with these two veterans, each in his own way inimitable. Though very dissimilar in character, both were true and estimable men, staunch supporters of the "Kirk" of which both were elders. They seldom agreed, however, on any point open to controversy; a result of their widely-different temperaments quite to be expected, and which each exulted in as matter for self-satisfactson. Mr. Orr with his shrewd, long-headed schemes of worldly wisdom, touched with a sly humour all his own, was sometimes hard to fathom by Mr. Hay, who was himself straightforward, practical, unsuspicious, though at the same time keen in business. It may not be interesting to the present generation to have too page break

St. Marnock Street and Court House Kilmarnock.

The Cross, Kilmarnock Looking East

page 18many details given them of their ancestors, who after all represent but types of Scottish character obscure to young Colonials of this advanced age. But the types are so admirable and now, alas! so rare in these days of cultured ease, we may well feel honoured to claim descent from those grand old pillars of the Scottish race. Those very types have been famed in fiction in our own days; as for instance in "The Days of Auld Lang Syne," by Ian McLaren; the works of Barrie, Crockett, and others, descriptive of Scottish life and character. Why should we not dwell with pride on the real lives to whom we owe so much, whose strength, truth and faith formed the foundation of all that is noble, true and good in their descendants? The families were of course thoroughly intimate, and two marriages resulted, viz., John Hay and Elizabeth Orr (elder brother and sister of Ebenezer and Agnes), whose marriage took place years before that of the latter couple. This first connection between the Hay and Orr families in course of time perhaps led to the second, as it was in this brother's and sister's home in Glasgow that Ebenezer Hay and Agnes Orr became engaged. Before they were married, however, old Mr. Hay died, and only two of his sons were left to lay him in the grave, viz., Robert and Ebenezer, eldest and youngest; James, William and John having all died previously.

Five sisters were at this time alive, all married: Mrs. Raeburn, Glasgow; Mrs. Steel, "Moneyacres"; Mrs. Muir, "Titwood"; Mrs. Dickie, "Tannacrief"; and Mrs. Lindsay, "Gairdrum"; all but the first named were Ayrshire farmers' wives. These all died-most of them very suddenly-before Robert, who reached the ripe old age of ninety-four. He died in 1894, so it will be seen he was the age of the century, and about fourteen years older than Ebenezer. Uncle Robert's memory is held dear by page 19all who knew him. He left behind him the impress of a noble nature, for all his influence was given unostentatiously to the cause of truth and justice. He was an indefatigable curler, the only recreation he allowed himself in his busy life. Two of his sons are now, in New Zealand, of whom more anon.

Three of his daughters are married; two live in Ayrshire, the other in Canada, near Lake Winnipeg. The eldest son and two daughters remain at Midbuiston still, the same old house in which Uncle Robert spent all the years of his long life.

Uncle Robert alone kept up a regular correspondence with Ebenezer, and it is to his kindness in sending out all he had preserved of these old letters (as well as to the kindness of other old friends elsewhere mentioned) that the writer is indebted for the main facts relating to the first years of Mr. and Mrs. Hay's life in New Zealand. Though long gaps occurred in their correspondence, yet sufficient scraps of information remain, aided by the early recollections of the seniors of the family, to connect the main features of their life-story.

Before following them to their far-off home, let us linger yet a little on those good old days of their youth, so full of romantic charm to us because of their remoteness from our own days and ways.

With what delight as a child has the writer listened to tales of the merry "rockin's," as those happy parties were called in Ayrshire, when lads and lasses, as well as their elders, enjoyed feast and frolic after the day's work. What preparations for weeks beforehand for a rockin'! What polishing of furniture and silver, scrubbing of spotless floors! What cooking of dainties innumerable: page 20"jeelies," "tairts," etc., which were but the accompaniments to the more solid viands: turkeys, hams, rounds of beef, etc. (for a "beast" was usually killed on such occasions), for the excellence of which the happy hostess received special compliments, the notes of praise extending throughout the feast and echoing from all parts of the long "weel set-oot" table. Then came the huge punch bowl of antique design, flanked by the quaint tody glasses, large and small (the latter for the "leddies"), and the treasured silver ladles with which each gentleman doled out to his nearest lady her modest allowance of the smoking beverage. At this stage tongues were loosened, songs and jokes abounded; then to clear away the tables and dance till the "twal-hoors" (midnight) to the music of fiddle or flute. These homely parties were more enjoyable than the less frequent, if more stately, county balls of the time, at which the gentry freely mingled with their tenantry, thus promoting reciprocal good feeling.

At the time of which we are writing, viz., 1839, there was an unusual season of gaiety in Ayrshire, for this was the year of the world-renowned "Eglinton Tournament." The Earl of Eglinton, wishing to devise a new and more magnificent pageant than usual for the amusement of his numerous noble guests, revived, for once, the scenes of ancient chivalry so graphically described by Sir Walter Scott in "Ivanhoe." Guests were invited from all parts of the kingdom, till Eglinton Castle, Kilmarnock, and even the whole County of Ayrshire were taxed to their utmost to accommodate all the "Knights, Barons, and Fair Ladies "taking part in the show. The grounds were specially arranged for the tilting, and all the old traditions were adhered to, and chivalric games and jousts-or feats of arms - the order of the day. Lady Seymour was "Queen of Beauty," and she had the honour of award-page 21ing the prizes to the successful Knights. Amongst the distinguished guests was Prince Louis Napoleon, afterwards Napoleon III., Emperor of France. To this splendid entertainment all the Duke's tenantry were invited, and the display was a sight long to be remembered by all who saw it. Unfortunately, however, it rained in torrents on the first day especially, changing the bright, fairy-like scene into a dismal misty quagmire, ruining the gay attire of the ladies, and damping the ardour of the Knights. The festivities were carried on all the same, though under difficulties, and the Duke gained the distinction of creating a novel and gorgeous spectacle, but at the cost of many thousands of pounds.

To witness this brilliant display the two young sisters, Agnes and Ann Orr, rode forth under the escort of Ebenezer Hay; and here under the falling rain, surrounded by gay, if somewhat damp, crowds, the momentous question of their future habitation was settled; for on this day, at that memorable scene of gaiety, Agnes promised to go with "Ebe," even to the world's end. How they came to decide for such an undertaking as it was in those days, we shall relate in the next chapter.