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William MacDowall the Second of Castle Semple 1748-1776

William was 30 years old when he inherited the estate. In the same year he married Elizabeth Graham, daughter of Admiral Graham, by whom he had 12 children. Four years later he bought the Garthland lands and title from his cousin in Galloway. His title became William MacDowall, 20th of Garthland and 2nd of Castle Semple.

He continued to manage family businesses in Scotland in close partnership with the Millikens and also the Houston family from Johnstone who had ships plying between the Clyde and the West Indies. Members of the family looked after the overseas interests. William was one of the founders of the Ship Bank in 1752. This was the first bank established in Glasgow to provide venture capital for traders and industrialists. He was a founder of Paisley Kilwinning and third master in 1754.

In 1760 Shawfield Mansion in Glasgow was sold to John Glassford and the Ralston Estate and lands at Cathcart were purchased. In the same year William had the wooden bridges over the River Calder in Lochwinnoch and the River Cart in the Howwood replaced with fine stone bridges. In 1768 William was elected Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire.

In the 1760’s the small tower on Kenmuir Hill was built almost certainly as a vantage point over the estate.Before William died in 1776, European wars during in the 1750’s/1760’s and the Ameri-

can War of Independence had damaged the MacDowall fortunes. The ensuing movement to abolish slavery would more significantly affect the family’s wealth and influence. Of note, Kelvingrove Museum has a set of silver Communion cups inscribed in Latin, “William MacDowall of Castle Semple generous man gave four of these cups for use in Lochwinnoch Church, 1756.”

William MacDowall, 21st of Garthland and 3rd of Castle Semple 1776-1810

William III (eldest son) remained unmarried, giving much of his life to politics and civic matters. He was a non-practising advocate and served as Rector of Glasgow University from 1795 till 1797. He was a Member of Parliament from 1783 until his death in 1810 and acted as Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire from 1794, again until his death. His contribution is recognised in a Memorial Plaque in Paisley Abbey.

The MacDowalls were prominent in Scottish society at this time ; William III’s brother, James was Lord Provost of Glasgow in the 1790’s and is assosciated with the foundation of the Royal Infirmary in the city. Another brother, David, was Governor General of Bombay.

By 1776, many of the MacDowall enterprises had been incorporated into the larger business of Alexander Houston & Co. This was involved in shipping sugar, rum, cotton and tobacco across the Atlantic and returning with herring and goods required on the plantations in the Caribbean. This business collapsed in 1795 bringing a significant reduction in the wealth of the MacDowalls.

William III’s time as Laird of Castle Semple witnessed the transformation of Lochwinnoch from a largely agricultural/cottage industry village economy to one with a greater industrial base. He joined Paisley Kilwinning in 1769 and became master in 1776 and master of Greenock Kilwinning No. XII in 1801. His brother, James, was Lord Provost of Glasgow during which time the