John Buchanan Owner of the

Silk Mill and Glenlora Estate

Calderhaugh Mill, locally known as the New Mill and latterly as the Silk Mill was established by a consortium of well-established Paisley weavers. Herbert Buchanan was one of the original partners and in 1817 his son John took over his position.

John Buchanan was keenly Conservative both in matters of Church and State. He never failed to let his word be heard or his influence felt about both as opportunity occurred. He always let it be known that Messer’s. Fulton, Buchanan & Company expected from the grown-up people and the children in their employ, that they should all give attendance at the church or Sabbath school. Mr Buchanan caused a schedule to be drawn up from time to time, and a competent person was sent through the works gathering statistics from the whole workers as to their regular attendance at church, day or evening schools and Sabbath schools. This had a very salutary effect on all concerned. Mr. Buchanan, in the year 1832, was able to present the Honourable Leonard Horner, Chief Inspector of Factories for Scotland, with a copy of one of those statistical tables of the factory, which that gentleman took away with him as a very fair specimen of approved factory management.

The house at Calderhaugh, opposite to the mill which had been home to William Fulton till he died in 1798, served Mr. Buchanan as a residence till he built Glenlora Mansion-bouse in 1839. The pleasant little estate that afterwards was named Glenlora, consisted of the lands of Langyard, Auldyard, and Lorabank, three farms lying on the west end of Lochwinnoch parish and in the “Barony Glen” or what used to be called, in ancient times, the “Lordship of Glen,” or the “ Great Glen of Lochwinnoch.” This portion of the parish anciently belonged to the family of the Glens of Barr, from whence, it is said, the lands or barony received the name.

In the year 1839, after Mr. Buchanan had resolved to build the mansion-house of Glenlora, he set himself to have a proper, and, if possible, significant name to his newly-acquired estate. Several titles were suggested to him for that purpose. There were two farms in the parish known by the names Lorabar and Lorabank. The latter was one included in his lands. The question came to be whether these names had their root in Lowland or a Gaelic word, - whether from some person named Lawrence in former days, or from a pure Gaelic root. That question was settled by the late Dr. Andrew Crawfurd Johnshill, an eminent antiquary, assisted by a friend well versed in Gaelic and much given to the extraction of words and proper names from its roots. Taking the “Glen” and the little moorburn - the Lora - together, the place was called by the rather euphonious appellation, “Glenlora,” - “The Lower Glen,” (Lora, Gaelic for Lower.).

That was in the summer of 1839, and, when the walls of the house were rising somewhat above the ground, the foundation-stone was laid on the 15th day of November, 1839, with Masonic honours. The Garthland St. Winnoch Lodge mustered in strong force for the occasion, with George Buchanan, elder brother of the laird of Glenlora, acting as Grand Master, and representing the Grand Lodge of Scotland for the time being. The Laird himself was initiated as a brother “of Garthland St. Winnoch” on that occasion. The Lodge, for that purpose, was opened in the house of Mr. Buchanan, opposite the Factory.

On the decline of the cotton trade in Lochwinnoch and throughout the country, Calderhaugh Mill was sold; and, after a time, Glenlora and other properties in Lochwinnoch were parted with. He retired to Bridge of Allan, where he died on 27th September 1880. He had married his cousin, Jane Fulton, daughter of Lieut. Colonel Robert Fulton, formerly of the 79th Regiment of Foot, and afterwards laird of Hartfield, in the Abbey Parish of Paisley, and other lands. They had no issue. Jane pre-deceased him dying in 1852.

His name and presence were long familiar in the parish Lochwinnoch. He often took active part in the public affairs of the district; and, whether acting as magistrate, an employer of labour, or a country gentleman having landed property, he generally made himself useful, always in the interest of social order and respect for the laws and constitution of the country, whether relating to the Kirk or the State.