Holmcraig

On the first floor was the original drawing room, again with a huge bay windows overlooking the Clyde. As well as a spare room (to the east), there were two master suites, which comprised a door opening onto a small hallway, from which the bedroom and dressing room/bathroom could be accessed separately.  Apparently, the original owners used the rooms facing west in the summer and those facing east in the winter. With prevailing SW winds, the room on the east would have been protected from the worst of the winter storms. ^[7]

A fixed stair from the first-floor landing leads to the attic level where today there are a further two bedrooms, and a snooker room with a full-size table originally used in the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. The larger room was most probably the original nursery/children’s playroom. ^[7]

Early owners and occupants

Mrs Elizabeth McFadyen or McArthur or Miller (1854 -c1871)

With so little information in the title deeds, it’s been a challenge to find records relating to the first owner of Homecraig. However, we now believe that Elizabeth McFadyen was born in 1814, the first child of David McFadyen, a Ships Agent and Margaret (Logan) McFadyen in the Barony Parish of Glasgow.^[1][9]

In 1843 when she was 29, she married Charles McArthur, a thirty-four-year-old baker in the Parish of Largs. Eleven years later in January 1854, Charles McArthur, died aged 45. In March of the same year Elizabeth McFadyen acquired the land for Homecraig and started building. ^[1][10]

We do not know whether Holm Cottage was just a summer residence for Elizabeth (she also owned/rented property in Glasgow) or whether it was a rental property and means of income.

In 1857, when she was 42, Elizabeth remarried. Her second husband was John Miller, a 50-year-old Mill Manager from New Lanark. They were married at her address, 51 Whitevale Street, Denniston, Glasgow, by W. J. Boyd, Minister of Skelmorlie. ^[10]

Six years later in 1863, the couple bought land on Montgomerie Terrace and built a house which they called Rockbank (Craignahuille today). ^[10][11]

The couple’s time in their new house was short-lived, as John Miller died of influenza the following year aged 61 and Elizabeth in 1865 aged 49. In the interim, we don’t know who was living at Homecraig. ^[10]

On Elizabeth’s death, Homecraig, passed to ‘Quinton Dick, Writer, Glasgow, trustees of the late Mrs Elizabeth McFadyen or Miller’. Interestingly Elizabeth’s beneficiaries appear to be her three sisters, Mrs Cecilia McFadyen or Dennison, wife of John Dennison (who together with her husband became the next owners of Rockbank/Craignahuille), Mrs Mary McFadyen or Underwood, wife of John Underwood, merchant, Largs and Hilda McFadyen, Tradeston Mill, Glasgow.  ^[3][4]

William Wylie M.D., Mrs Mary Jane Wylie and family (c.1871 – c.1942)

The second owners of Homecraig were Dr and Mrs William Wylie. ^[1]

William Wylie was born in 1845 to Robert Wylie, Writer and Agnes (Stobo) Wylie in Paisley. He attended University of Edinburgh where he studied medicine. ^[12]

In 1870, when he was 25 and already a surgeon, he married Mary Jane Scott, aged 19, at her parent’s home, 27 Esplanade, Greenock. Her father was a ‘Master’ in the Merchant Navy and her mother was Janet (McDonald) Scott. After the wedding the couple briefly lived in Largs at ‘Moselle Villa’, a 10 roomed house which sat on the Greenock Road between Glen Eldon and Hutton Park. ^[3][4]

A year later in 1871, William commissioned the design and build of Homecraig, as it was initially called, which was completed over the following 2 years.  Meanwhile the couple started their family with Janet born in 1871, Robert in 1872, Agnes in 1873, Mary in 1875, Catherine in 1877 and William in 1882. The first two children were born at home in Largs and Agnes through to William were born at Homecraig in Skelmorlie. ^[4][12]

At the time of the 1881 census, the family, except William Junior who was still to be born, were at home. Staying with them was an Elizabeth Steele, an accountant born in Ireland and there were two live in servants; Sarah Stewart, Cook and Domestic aged 23 born in Lochgilphead and Mary Blair, housemaid, also from Lochgilphead. ^[4]

In December 1885, William died, aged only 39, leaving Mary with six children aged between 3 and 14. The house was held in trust for Mary’s lifetime and the family continued to live there.^[12]

By 1891, the children were growing up fast. Janet, the eldest was 19. Robert then 18 was a Student of Arts and an apprentice writers’ clerk. Agnes (17), Mary (15), Catherine (14) and William (9) were all still studying/scholars. The head of the household was Mary, then only 39, widow, living on private means. Staying with them was a Rebecca Steele aged 15 from Ireland, who was most likely the daughter of the visitor ten years before and possibly a relative. There was one live-in servant, an Isabella McIntyre aged 19, who was cook and domestic servant and like her predecessors, had been born in Lochgilphead. ^[4]

Ten years later in 1901, Mary was still head of the household and aged 49. Apart from William, the children were all at home but now grown up; Robert 28, Clerk at Law and the girls Janet 29, Agnes 27, Mary 25 and Catherine 21. There were no visitors at the time of the census and just one live-in cook/domestic from Kilberry, Argyle. ^[4]

Later the same year, Janet got married to Arthur George Pinney aged 31, wine merchant, living in Strathmore, West Cliff-on-Sea in Essex. The wedding took place at Homecraig and was witnessed by her sister Agnes, who was presumably a bridesmaid. ^[12]

By 1911, only Mary, and her three daughters Agnes, Mary and Catherine were still at home. Catherine who was then 34, gave her occupation as Artist. ^[4]

Further research shows that Catherine, who was laterally referred to as Kate, studied at the Glasgow School of Art. She painted in both oil and watercolour and focussed on portraits, flower studies and landscapes. Today she is best known for her flowers. ^[13][14]

We have learnt that Kate often painted on the Isle of Arran where she had a cottage at Blackwaterfoot. When not in Arran, she lived and worked from Homecraig.  Over her life, she exhibited 47 works at the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts, 19 at the Royal Scottish Academy and 4 at the Royal Academy and today many of her works can be found in the Glasgow museums. ^[13][14]

Samples of her work can be seen below. It was exciting to discover that the landscape shown below was painted from the bottom of the garden at Holmcraig (the painting and actual view from the garden s were the same looking across the water). ^{[13][14] [15]}