Background and career John Howie (businessman)

shawhill house, riccarton, owned howie family

born son of william howie, , second cousin margaret howie, howie joined family firm , established 1 of foremost fireclay works in britain (later bought armitage shanks), producing huge range of items bricks, sanitary ware such toilets , baths, drainage materials, feeding dishes , troughs, chimneys , garden ornaments. owned several large coal mines , pits. howie s family owned of town of hurlford, including marchmont place, salisbury place, collier row, office row, chapel cottages, skerrington row , howie s square. owned small mining villages including hemphill , corsehill. j & r howie continued operate under national coal board, , still exists legally company today, though dormant , non-trading.

in spite of vast wealth, howie did not live extravagantly, living @ family home of newhouse in hurlford, mansion-house nearby mine, extended 22-bedroomed residential care home. howie calvinist, family having been involved in covenanting movement.

howie s son, frederick, bought templetonburn house, 1 of aryshire s finest mansions built @ cost of £20,000, before burning down later in 20th century, , estate.