Family History

A Memory of Duntarvie Castle.

My grandfather John Bartholomew was born in Duntarvie Caastle in 1848. Because of the spring line which went throught the "field" the house was wet and eventually the estate built a new farmstead - Duntarvie. This was situated just across the fields from the castle. My forbears who farmed this land did not turn the field into plough land - like other fields - but it was used to place cattle, imported from Ireland, which developed foot and mouth disease. The cattle did not die but became excessively thin and then eventually recovered and were sent to the cattle courts for fattening. My grandfather retired due to ill health in 1934 and the farm then passed out of the family. We have the "£rent book" given to my grandfather by the Marquis which show that the family first farmed this land in about 1600. Rent in the early days was paid by the farmer having to work so many days a year on the Hopetoun Estate. There were about 20 farm hands, ploughman, cattlemen, general workers and "the boy". The boy was usually slightly educationally subnormal and it was he that had to feed all the stock on Sundays as all other workers plus their families had to attend church at Wood End - a United free Church built by my family. The boy was given his religious education usually by my mother on Sunday afternoons. Additional to Sunday worship, all workers gathered in the Dining Room at 6.00 a.m for morning prayers.