'By an Act of Parliament 1855, all births, marriages and deaths had to be officially registered. Up to then the Parish church minister kept a note of christenings, that was all. First name in the marriage register was Ivie CAMPBELL, a widower who was marrying his housekeeper, Jean LEE. (Please note that this Ivie was in fact the father of Ivie (1833-1910). Jean Lee was his stepmother.) Ivie farmed Dalgig and since another CAMPBELL in Dalhanna was now aged, Ivie had replaced him as the leading farmer in the district. Witnesses to the marriage were the surgeon and a landowner. Ivie's father or more probably his mother had wished him to enter the ministry and after study he was licensed to preach but his father died suddenly and Ivie returned to farming. He looked like a farmer with the fashionable mutton chop-whiskers.(Ivie was educated at the University of Glasgow and was training to be a Presbyterian minister.) Ivie, unlike other farmers, wouldn't employ women on fieldwork, felt that it demeaned them. Any tramp passing through, if he said his name was CAMPBELL was certain of porridge and milk. Hungry Irish travelers searching for work and a place to stay could always rest for a few days at Dalgig till they regained their strength. By mid century he had reclaimed most of the moors up to 1000 feet altitude and was awarded the Highland Society gold medal for his efforts. All this time he was breeding Ayrshire cattle and Clydesdale horses and was on the committee of the Ayrshire Agricultural Society. One of his farm servants, was easily recognised, he was a black West Indian, Geordie GRAHAM, who regularly carried home to Dalgig the red tickets from the cattle shows. Away from farmwork he was an elder of the church, one of the originators of a library in 1828 and the curling challenge cup sat on his sideboard for years. He was famous for breeding greyhounds. The Waterloo Coursing Club championship was, in 1861, at Liverpool and he entered Canaradzo (see CARABRADZO) he always dreamed up names that no else had used; in the final the dog romped home to take a small fortune of £500 prize and the great Waterloo Cup, the Blue Riband of hare-coursing. Ivie refused offers for the dog; a week later when bounding over the mosshags at Dalgig it met with an accident and had to be destroyed'

bn New Cumnock AYR

Smith and family)

BURIED Auld Kirk New Cumnock. Obit - Death of Ivie Campbell, Esq of Dalgig - Mr Campbell was a remarkable man in many respects, and was known far beyond the bounds of the county of Ayr. As an improver and breeder of stock for the last forty years he took a lead in Ayrshire. Holding, as he did, by far the largest farm on the estate of the Marquis of Bute, besides several large sheep farms in Galloway, he by his skill and good judgement, always exhibited the model of a good farmer, and he held several medals from the Highland Society for the improvements of waste land. He was proverbial for his benevolence, and in his death the poor have lost a never-failing friend. Gentleman’s Magazine - Undated A quiet evening with some really good coursers (racers of greyhounds) is no light privilege, especially if the kettle is singing a pleasant winter tune and you have a good glass of rum at your elbow. We must say a few words in memory of our old dear friend, Ivie Campbell of Dalgig. In his build a man of burly frame, in a capacious black tail coat, from which he had rather shrunk. He was good tempered but always able to hold his own with quick Quaker-like retorts when he was chaffed. Coursing men liked him, and enjoyed his terse sayings and stories when he was leaning on his black oak stick and in conversation about greyhounds. He sold all his dogs except Coonereena in the spring of 1865 for the large sum of 300 pounds. Mr Campbell was much exercised in the manufacture of names for his dogs and was wont to say it often relieved him of fits of toothache. Cazabradzo, and Colooxarda he considered his masterpieces of composition. He said his dogs has no luck in competitions unless he has named them himself and their record bore him out. He loved hunting with his beloved dogs, and his friends said no amount of wet would turn him back before nightfall. Dalgig was not far from the springs of Nith and every wandere on the moors was sure of a nights shelter and plenty of porridge and milk. He was a great student of human nature and loved a bit of character wherever he found it, especially if it indulged in unshackled Scotch. He made a point of asking every tramp his name and they invariably said "Campbell". The outlying members of the clan seemed to increase in a most marvellous manner, but still he was content to ask no more questions. They repaid his kindness by very seldom stealing from him. He was fond of reading but confined himself principally to religious works. He spent several terms at Glasgow University where he studied Greek and Latin and attended the divinity hall with no small ardor. Curling and draughts were his chief amusements until he took up coursing, and he kept up the former for over forty years. He would drive 17 miles to Sanquhar to play and held the New Cumnock Challenge Medal for years. In draughts he entered with the same devotion and on special occasions he and a neighbour would be at it until three in the morning. For two or three years he had been very poorly, and six months before his death was stricken with palsy. He was able to ride out in his gig until October and passed away 19 Dec 1910. (Taken from Canadian Campbell book but obit wrongly attributed to his cousin Ivie Campbell with date changed to fit)