Categories
Food and Drink Uncategorized

The Sour Milk Rebellion

In 1829 when farmers hiked up the price of sour milk, women rioted at Kilmarnock cross. They smashed milk jugs on the heads of anyone who paid the new prices, threw milk at the police, and flooded streets with milk from the carts.

Their cause won out. The farmers went back to charging the old fair price for milk.

Categories
People

William Stevenson, miser

William Stevenson was a Kilmarnock beggar who died with the equivalent of £80K in cash. He paid for a wake party with cakes and wine for Ayrshire’s poor and homeless that lasted for two weeks. He chose Riccarton Kirkyard because the earth was “nice an dry”.