John & Mary Hunter
Views of places in Ireland & Scotland where they lived
These are a few of the photos/graphics which I have found which give some idea of the places where John & Mary were born and raised in and around Bruslee in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and where they settled in Dalmellington, Ayrshire, Scotland. In most cases a larger picture will open in a new window by clicking on the image.
County Antrim, Northern Ireland:-
John was christened in the 1st Ballyeaston Presbyterian Church in May 1832. (Click on the aerial view on left to look at photo taken 2003 by Archie Reid of the Ballyclare Historical Society ). The congregation dates back to 1678, the first minister William Adair meeting William of Orange when he landed in Antrim prior to the Battle of the Boyne. The church building dates to the 18th century and the marriage records date back to early 1800's It is believed that John's parents, Samuel Hunter & Mary A Cameron were also married in this church C1828.
In 1837 a new congregation was established at Ballylinney which is closer to Bruslee and it would appear that Samuel and his family moved to that church for worship and family events.
The Presbyterian Church (meeting house) at Ballylinney is pictured in a recent photo on the left (courtesy of Archie Reid). John & Mary called Linney (a foundling) were married in this church in 1856. It is conjectured that Mary was brought up by a Campbell family and this is the name she took as a maiden name for records when they moved to Scotland. It was also here that their first two children, James & Patrick (who had changed his name to Alfred by the time he reached Australia) were christened in 1856 and 1858.
To see a photo showing the church in the snow taken in 2003 by Ian Andrew Click here and it will open in a new window.
The photo of the Bruslee Farm was taken by Ian Andrew whose mother inherited the property from her mother (an only child). The farm had been willed to Elizabeth Hunter (Samuel's spinster daughter) as a life interest and on her death in 1882 passed to his eldest son William Hunter (the eldest brother of my great grandfather John Hunter). John received a legacy of 20 pounds under the terms of Samuel's will at that time. William in turn willed it to his son James who die in 1915 with his only issue being a girl - Jane Hunter (Ian's grandmother). The farm has therefore remained in the hands of a member of the Hunter line for 170 years. It has been modernised over the years and remains in good order as can be seen by the photo. It was here that John Hunter was born in 1832 and raised with his other siblings.
Dalmellington, Ayr, Scotland:
The recent photo above is of some of the cottages remaining at Waterside in Dalmellington where John & Mary lived when they moved to the area in C1860. It was in cottages like these where six children were born between 1861 & 1871. They were John, Samuel, Mary Ann, Jane, Thomas & Elizabeth These cottages are preserved as part of the Dunaskin Open Air Museum centred around the Iron Works which operated in the area and for the employees of which the cottages were built. 
This row of cottages owned and built by the Iron Company in Dalmellington, is called Burnsfoothill. It was in cottages in this row that two sons, William & David Hunter were born between 1873 & 1876. The buildings are now demolished although they were still being used into the 1950's.
This row of cottages is call Lethenhill where iron workers lived. It is where the last child Robert Hunter was born in 1877. In 1881 the family emmigrated to Australia.
John and his sons, as they grew to maturity; became workers in the quarries that fed raw materials to the ironworks. The quarries provided the ironstone, coal & limestone for the furnaces which manufacture pig iron and other steel products for industry and shipbuilding. The ironworks were set up in the 1840's and operated into the 20th century.
Use the link below to go to the website where you can find out more about the history of Dalmellington and the Ironworks which operated there.
Dunaskin Open Air Museum
To view a site about Dalmellington check out this page:- Dalmellington, Ayrshire
John was christened in the 1st Ballyeaston Presbyterian Church in May 1832. (Click on the aerial view on left to look at photo taken 2003 by Archie Reid of the Ballyclare Historical Society ). The congregation dates back to 1678, the first minister William Adair meeting William of Orange when he landed in Antrim prior to the Battle of the Boyne. The church building dates to the 18th century and the marriage records date back to early 1800's It is believed that John's parents, Samuel Hunter & Mary A Cameron were also married in this church C1828.