Newmilns was
created a free Burgh of Barony on 9 January 1490, a dispensation
granted to George Campbell of Loudoun by King James IV. This
allowed the town freedoms to control its own economy, the right to
elect local officials and the right to hold regular markets and
fairs.
Newmilns is
Ayrshire's oldest inland burgh and was upgraded to a Burgh of
Regality in 1707 and a Police Burgh in 1834.
Towards the end of the 16th century
Newmilns craftsmen and women became famous for their skill in
weaving and by the 18th century the town's handloom industry rose
to national importance. As a result of this textile trade the
town's population quadrupled between 1750 and
1850.