Situated high in the Lowther hills in Southern Lanarkshire and surrounded by bleak moorland, Leadhills was a once thriving mining village. Lead and silver had been mined there for hundreds of years.The road from Abington into Leadhills acquires the name Symington Street as it enters the village from the North. One mile to the south-west is Wanlockhead, the highest inhabited village in Scotland.

William Symington was born in Leadhills where he spent his formative years. His father John was a mechanic with the Scots Mines Company. His elder brother George also worked for the mining company. Little is known of his mother, Griszel Dixon. George departed Leadhills in 1776 to further his career as a mechanic. Local legend held that William was born in a cottage at Townfoot, below the site of the monument which was erected in his memory in 1891. The minister who officiated at the unveiling of the monument was the Rev. James Symington 1842-1921, who claimed he was related to William. That relationship would connect William Symington's family with the ancient lineage of the Symingtons of Monkshead, near Douglas (see the chapter on the Symingtons of Monkshead farm). 

William would join George at Wanlockhead where they built a working model steam carriage in 1786.  The first pumping engine to William's patented design was erected on the Bay mine at Wanlockhead in 1790.

A contemporary account of Leadhills, published in the Statistical Account of Scotland, [1] was written by William Peterkin 1749-1792, who had been appointed minister at Leadhills in 1785:  [2]

“Lead Mines.- Leadhills contains the moft famous ancient lead mines in Scotland. There are two companies there, the affairs of which are conducted with great judgement and oeconomy. The moft considerable is that known by the name of the Scotch Mining Company, of which Mr Stirling is overfeer. The firft object that strikes the eye, in this mountainous region, is the fpot of ground round this gentleman’s houfe. The houfe itfelf is on the fame level with the top of Tintock, which is looked upon as a very high hill in the part of the country where it is fituated. The fpot I mention, cannot amount to more than 3 acres. It contains, befide an houfe-ftead, offices, and counting-room, a bowling green, a garden, and a park which feeds two cows, with ftrips of planting, which beautifully interline and furround the whole. The park is not above an acre, ye, as I faid, it feeds two cows. The ground within half a gun-fhot of it, without the inclofure, would be highly rented at 1s. the acre. This fhews what culture will effect even in a wildernefs. There are nearly 200 men employed by the Scotch Mining Company. Thefe are fubdivided into pickmen, fmelters, wafhers, and labourers, befides carpenters and fmiths. The payment of the pickmen depends upon the quantity of lead found. Five or fix of them join, and take what they call a bargain, and according as it proves more or lefs productive of lead, their wages are more or lefs. But at an average, I am told every man receives from L. 18 to  L. 20 a-year. A smelter receives fully as much. But at an average, I am told every man receives fully as much. Most of the wafhers are very young, their wages therefore are lefs. The labourers who clear away rubbifh from behind the pickmen, make each from L. 12 to L. 14 a-year. Meal and barley are purchased by both overfeers, and referved in ftores, out of which all the hands employed by the refpective Companies, receive every week, a certain quantity for their families, which makes part of their pay. They work in the mines only 6 hours in the 24. Having therefore a great deal of fpare time, they employ themfelves in reading, and for this purpofe have been at the expence of fitting up a library, out of which every one who contributes to the expence receives books. There is a very good fchool in the place. I shall only farther obferve, that the lead has for feveral years paft been found very plentifully; and that it fetches a much higher price at market than it did 10 years ago. The Earl of Hopetoun receives the sixth bar for rent. His bailie, who fees all the lead weighed, and that for the rent fent apart, has favoured me with a note of the number of bars fmelted at Leadhills, that is, by the two Companies, in 1786 and 1790, and the crops, if I may be allowed to call them fo, in thefe feveral years, were to one another nearly in the proportion of 10 to 18; that of 1790 amounting to within a few bars of 18,000; whereas that of 1786 amounted to only 10,080. But the product of 1786 is looked upon as a very bad crop. The price of lead rofe confiderably after the conclufion of the American war. At one time it was about a third more. I am told, that at prefent it has rather fallen a little, and that the chief vents for it are Holland and Ruffia.”

The Rev. Mr. James Maconochie, the minister of Crawford from 1781 to 1806 [3] wrote a less than glowing account of Leadhills:

"The external appearance of Leadhills is ugly beyond deſcription: rock, ſhort heath, and barren till. Every fort of vegetable is with difficulty raifed, and feldom comes to perfection. Spring water there, is perhaps as fine as any in the world: but, the water below the fimelting-mills, the moft dangerous. The lead before fmelting is broke very fmall and washed from extraneous matter. It contains frequently arfenic, fulphur, zinc, &c. which poiſons the water in which it is washed. Fowls of any kind will not live many days at Leadhills. They pick up arfenical particles with their food, which foon kills them. Horſes, cows, dogs, cats, are liable to the lead-braſh. A cat, when feized with that diſtemper, ſprings like lightning through every corner of the house, falls into convulfions, and dies. A dog falls into ſtrong convulfions alſo, but fometimes recovers. A cow grows perfectly mad in an inſtant, and must be immediately killed. Fortunately this diſtemper does not affect the human species. About 30 years ago, most of the ſmelters died either mad-men or idiots. Now they retain their ſenſes as well as other people. The reaſon given is: formerly ſpirits were cheap, and the fmelters partook liberally of them at their work. For many years paſt they drink nothing at their work, but pure ſpring water; they now live as long and as rationally as others." [4]

[1] Sinclair, Sir John, The Statistical Account of Scotland 1799 Volume XXI  pages 97-99

[2] Scott, Hew, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae 1920 Volume 3 page 312

[3] Scott, Hew, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae 1920 Volume 3 page 296

[4] Sinclair, Sir John, The Statistical Account of Scotland 1792 Volume IV pages 511-512  

Viewed from the front, the assembly hall of the Established Church of Scotland is on the right side of the building. The accommodation wing is to the left. The building fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1938. There is now a medical centre where the church once stood.

The church building was erected in the late seventeenth century for the Hope family and was then known as Hopetoun Hall.  The Hope family had acquired the lands of Leadhills through the marriage of the lawyer Sir James Hope (1614-61) to Anne, the daughter of Robert Foulis of Edinburgh. The house was retained as a hunting lodge after Sir Charles Hope 1681-1742, grandson of Sir James, moved to Edinburgh in 1707. In 1736 a Chapel of Ease associated with the Crawford parish was established in one of the wings of Hopetoun House. This remote Chapel was to assist parishioners who lived far from the parish church.  The Chapel became a church in its own right in 1867.  The congregation split in 1862 when the Free Church was formed in the village. The congregations reunited in 1937 and from then on used the newer Free Church premises. [1]

An advertisement in the Glasgow Herald revealed that, in the 1880's, the manse of the Established Church in Leadhills contained three sitting rooms, four bedrooms, kitchen, servants' accommodation and a garden. [2]

REV. JAMES SYMINGTON OF LEADHILLS

Rev. James Symington M.A. was appointed minister of the Free Church of Scotland in Leadhills in 1878. A popular minister for nearly forty years, he retired in 1917 because of age and ill-health. The son of Rev. James Symington of Muirkirk, his grandparents were William Symington and Grizzie Weir  of Monkshead Farm (see section on the Symingtons of Monkshead). He gave the benediction at the unveiling of the monument to William Symington at Leadhills. He claimed a relationship but he was not a descendant of the inventor.

Rev. James Symington was born at Muirkirk in 1842. His father, the Rev. James Symington of Muirkirk, was born at Leadhills on 19 June 1787; he died at Muirkirk 5 October 1852 and had been the minister of the Muirkirkirk Parish for over twenty years. Educated at Glasgow Academy and Glasgow University, Rev. James Symington of Leadhills was ordained in the Presbytery of Dunbar on 18th February 1869. He was transferred to Leadhills on 25th July 1878. He married Sceva Grubb at Tenby on 12th January 1887. Sceva died in 1897. He married Elizabeth Renny on 23rd December 1903 at Glasgow. He retired to The Grange, Hunter Street, Kirn where he died on 23 September, 1921. His second wife Elizabeth lived on at The Grange until she died in 1939 aged 69.

Ayr Advertiser 4 March 1886 page 5

PUBLIC LECTURE. – The Rev. James Symington, of Leadhills, delivered on Monday evening a public lecture to the Sabbath school teachers and bible class, the general public being admitted on payment of a small charge. The reverend gentleman was accompanied to the platform by the Rev. Robert Montgomery and Mr Alexander Donald, the former of whom occupied the chair. The attendance was good, considering that the evening was without exception the stormiest of this long inclement season. Mr Symington some years ago during a holiday made a trip through France to the South of Italy, and on Monday night he held the audience riveted for upwards of two hours by the graphic and glowing pictures, racy and apt anecdotes, and, let us say it with all praise, the introduction of illustrative songs, which he rendered in a highly artistic manner. Very rare it is to enjoy a lecture where a rich mellifluous voice, vivid descriptive powers, copious and expressive language are all brought to bear on the subject. On concluding Mr Donald in a few remarks proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Symington, and a like compliment having been paid by the chairman, the meeting broke up. Miss Glass with great taste presided at the piano.

[1] From Ken Ledger, Leadhills local historian

[2] Glasgow Herald 19 May 1885 page 2

THE MANSION HOUSE AT LEADHILLS

In the 1730's, the Earl of Hopetoun had a substantial house and offices built at Leadhills for the manager of the Scots Mines Company. The design of the house and garden has been attributed to William Adam. Venetian windows dominate the east wall of the northern wing. In 1734, the brilliant mathematician James Stirling of Garden FRS 1692-1770 was appointed manager of the lead mines.  Archibald Stirling, his nephew and son-in-law, succeeded him as mines manager on his death in 1770. 

Known as the Mansion House, the manager's residence was built on elevated ground overlooking the village. Situated in a woodland setting, the house is sheltered by trees which date from the eighteenth century. In a compilation called Household Works, Charles Dickens published the following description of the gardens of the Mansion House in 1852: "a charming house, embowered with trees, with honeysuckle hanging about its walls, flowers in its parterres, and a respectable kitchen-garden, where the boast is that currants can be induced to ripen, and that apples have been known to form, and to grow to a certain size, though not to ripen. This is the agent's house, and here are the offices of the Mining Company. The plantation is really wonderful, at such an elevation above the sea: and it is a refreshing sight to the stranger arriving from below. There may be seen, growing in a perfect thicket, beech, ash, mountain ash, elm, plane and larch, shading grass-plats, and enclosed walks, so fresh and green that, on a hot day, one might fancy one's self in a meadow garden, near some ample river." This extract is from an article titled "News of an Old Place", and is attributed to the journalist and sociologist, Harriet Martineau (1802-1876).  

Thomas Newbigging and his family occupied the Mansion House at the time the Symington monument was erected in 1891. He died in the Mansion House in 1894 at the age of sixty-two years. He had been manager of the mining company for fifteen years.

THE ENGINE HOUSE ON THE HUMBY MINE

A deep scar in the hillside to the north-west of the Leadhills village points to the site of the Susanna mine which was the largest of the mines at Leadhills. Closely linked with the Susanna vein was the Humby vein, where a rich lode of ore was mined.  The steam pumping engine for the Humby mine at Leadhills was designed by William Symington. His engine was set to work in 1794. [1] [2] W.S. Harvey found cinders high on the hillside, revealing the site of the Humby engine for which he gave the reference NS 883159 (55 deg 25" 27" N 3 deg 46" 11" W)

The engine house at the Humby mine once dominated the approach to Leadhills from Abington. Standing like a stone sentinel the engine house must have resembled a medieval stronghold. Built to accommodate a steam engine of gargantuan proportions, the engine house was an imposing three story stone edifice. The top of the cylinder was at the middle chamber of the engine house and the upper chamber accommodated the massive overhead timber beam. This edifice would have been built to withstand the ravages of climate and time, yet not a trace remains above ground. The pumping engine for the Humby mine was built to the specifications of William Symington's 1787 patent and was working by 1794.

[1] Harvey, W. S. and Downs-Rose, G., The First Steam Engine on the Leadhills, Mines British Mining Number 28 NMRS 1985 pages 46-47

[2] Harvey, W. S., Pumping Engines on the Leadhills Mines, British Mining Number 19 1980-1982 pages 5-14

I made this copy of the engine and boiler house for the Humby mine from the original Boulton and Watt plans, dated 1792, which William Symington had retained. His son brought some of those plans to Australia in 1855.

The three storied engine house reached a height of 50 feet to the ridge of the gable roof; the width of the gable wall measured about 22 feet at the base; the side walls stood 39 feet high. The massive oak beam overhead protruded from the upper window.

Constructed of ashlar (dressed stone) and squared rubble, a rare surviving example of a late eighteenth century engine house in Scotland is the Middlefield engine house at Thornton, near Markinch. The Humby mine engine house would have been even more impressive, standing at least ten feet taller.

THE LEADHILLS MINERS' LIBRARY

Thus learning makes the Genius bright. 

Formed for the miners as the Leadhills Reading Society, the Leadhills Library dates from 1741. The list of library members dates from 15 April 1745. The site of the original library is uncertain; the library moved to the current location in 1821.

The Preses (president's) chair in the library was donated by William Williamson of Loughborough, the younger brother of John Williamson who was responsible for the Symington monument in Leadhills. The chair bears the inscription "Thus learning makes the Genius Bright", a quotation from Allan Ramsay's pastoral play, The Gentle Shepherd, which was first published in 1725. Allan Ramsay was born in Leadhills in 1686. The road passing the library bears his name. His father, John Ramsay, was superintendent of the mines at Leadhills.

"As the rough Di'mond, from the Mine,

In breakings only shows its Light, 

Till polishing has made it shine:

Thus learning makes the Genius bright,"

The list of library members records that William Symington was admitted as member number 184 on 3 November 1784. Member 131 was Andrew Symington, who became a member on 2 October 1773. Andrew was no doubt related. He may have been William's elder brother, possibly an uncle. Andrew Symington, an original member of the Wanlockhead Curling Society which was founded in 1777,[1] was an overseer and clerk with the Wanlockhead Mining Company in 1778-1789.[2] [3]

[1] Wanlockhead 26 Decr 1777 A Copy of the fundamental articles & by Laws belonging to the Curling Society Wanlockhead, held by late Sheriff David Smith of Troon

[2] Queensberry MSS Letter from Andrew Symington February 1778

[3] BRL Boulton and Watt Collection Letter from Murdock to Watt 20 July 1779

THE SYMINGTON MEMORIAL

An obelisk was erected in Leadhills as a memorial to William Symington. Situated beside the cemetery and facing east across Symington Street, the monument was unveiled on Friday 12 June 1891. The memorial was funded by public subscription. The key individual responsible for raising the monument was John Williamson 1841-1900 who appears to have been William Symington's great nephew by marriage. He was a justice of the peace and a gamekeeper who lived in Rosebank cottage, on the Elvanfoot road.

The report of the unveiling in the Glasgow Herald offers the following description of the monument: The Memorial takes the form of an obelisk of pure Greek design, about 30 ft. in height. It is of polished granite from the Ben Cruachan quarries, near loch Awe. On the back and front are inserted bronze medallions, the front being a portrait medallion of Symington, taken from the photograph of an old chalk drawing. Underneath is the inscription: - “William Symington, the inventor of steam navigation. Born 1764.; died 1831. Erected by public subscription.”

WANLOCKHEAD

The highest village in Scotland, Wanlockhead is a historic mining settlement near Leadhills. The village lies sprawled along the Wanlock Water, at the foot of a prominent rounded hill, the Wanlock Dod. The parish boundaries of Crawford, Crawford John and Sanquhar meet at its peak. At the foot of the Dod and just beyond the mining museum lies the entrance to the Loch Nell mine.

In 1786, William Symington and his brother George demonstrated their working model steam carriage on the turnpike road at Wanlockhead. George had been employed to erect a Watt engine on the Margaret mine in 1779.  The Margaret mine was situated at Mennock Hass, the entrance to the narrow pass leading into Wanlockhead from Mennock Water. In 1786, a replacement engine was built. William modified the original Watt engine according to his own design which he patented in 1786. Trials confirmed that his modified engine worked more efficiently.  Gilbert Meason 1725-1810 was then managing partner of the Wanlockhead Mining Company and he was William's staunch supporter.  Meason enabled William to enrol in the University of Edinburgh where he attended a series of lectures in the summer of 1786. 

William had an illegitimate son, James, who was born in Wanlockhead in 1788. The mother was Ann Miller who would later marry Alexander McMillan, a lead miner. 

William and George, along with other Symington relatives were members of the Wanlockhead Curling Society (see the section on curling).

THE MINERS' LIBRARY AT WANLOCKHEAD

William Symington's illegitimate son was brought up in Wanlockhead by his mother Ann Millar and her husband, Alexander McMillan. James was admitted as a member of the Library on 6 January 1813 on the right of his stepfather. There is no record of Alexander McMillan's first admission to the library at Wanlockhead, but library records reveal the following entries: 

1 November 1787 Fined

2 October 1793 Fined 1/- for "abusing a book"

6 January 1796 Demitted

3 January 1798 Re-admitted

1798 Re-entered

2 January 1799 Demitted again

William Symington was a member of the Leadhills Library but there there is no indication he was a member at Wanlockhead, nor is there any record of any other Symingtons apart from his son James.

THE BAY MINE

William designed the pumping engine which was erected on the Bay mine in 1790. "Bay" was a contraction of "Botany Bay," the popular name for the mine. The footings of that construction can be found at the base of Whyte's cleuch, an elevated valley on the north-western slopes of the Wanlock Dod, which overlooks the Meadowfoot cemetery. A memorial plaque has been erected on a stone pillar which marks the site of the Bay Mine (Map reference 55 deg 24' 15" N 3 deg 47' 23" W)