Earnock Quarry

Was Earnock ever just a quiet, unassuming piece of land? It’s hard to imagine, standing here at Earnock Quarry, gazing at the rugged remains of what was once a grand estate. Earnock, a name etched in Lanarkshire’s history, stretches south of Hamilton, from Strathaven Road westward. The very name “Earnock” whispers tales of the past. Some believe it comes from the Celtic “Earnogg,” meaning “the old son’s possessions.” Others suggest a Gaelic origin, “earr an achaidh,” meaning “end/boundary of the field.” Earnock’s story begins long before the quarry. It was part of the Cadzow grant given to Walter fitz Gilbert, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Cadzow, in 1314. Then, between 1160 and 1200, the land passed to Robert de Robertoun, the progenitor of the Roberton family, future Lairds of Earnock. For centuries, the Robertons held Earnock, their presence woven into the fabric of the land. A grand house once stood here, its great hall adorned with the Roberton family’s armorial bearings, its fireplace a masterpiece of intricate carving. Can you almost picture it? But time, as always, marched on. Around 1700, the Robertons lost Earnock, a consequence of signing the Ragman Roll. Simon Roberton later reclaimed the estate through marriage, a testament to the family’s resilience. Yet, their hold on Earnock eventually weakened. At the turn of the 19th century, James Roberton, the 12th Laird, sold the estate to a Mr. Semple, who then sold it to A. Millar in 1810. Upon Millar’s death, Earnock passed to his sister, Mrs. Williams, who sold it to Sir John Watson, a baronet. The old Roberton house vanished, replaced by Watson’s new mansion. In a remarkable feat for the time, electricity illuminated the house in 1881, years before the town of Hamilton itself was electrified. The estate’s connection to the Robertons, however, wasn’t entirely severed. Earnockmuir, part of the original estate, went to Sir William Erskine Cochrane, a descendant of the last Laird of Earnock. He later sold it. Even across the globe, the name “Earnock” found a new home. John Roberton, who settled in New Zealand in the 19th century, named his Takapuna property “Earnock,” a touching tribute to his family’s legacy. Back here in Lanarkshire, Sir John Watson’s legacy also endures, not in the grand mansion, which was demolished in 1926, but in Earnock Quarry, a stark reminder of the passage of time and the changing fortunes of a once-grand estate.