Burgh of Barony of Newmilns
Newmilns and Greenholm lies in East
Ayrshire about seven miles east of Kilmarnock within the Irvine
Valley. As the name suggests, the burgh is made up of two areas -
Newmilns to the north of the river and Greenholm to the
south.
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.