Spierston

A number of enquiries have appeared on the Spiers.net web site concerning the places of Spierston and Little Spierston both of which are close to Ayr in Scotland. The following will be of interest to enquirers. The two places are farms in the parish of Stair which is close to the town of Ayr. There is a survey of farms in about 1775 and Spierston is given the alternative name of Pierston. It is shown as Pierston on a map of c1775. A map of 1654 of the same approximate area has the name Spirstoun on it. The nearest graveyard is at Stair and the list of Gravestone Inscriptions for Stair Churchyard does not list the Spiers name before 1918. Therefore it is probable that neither Spierston nor Little Spierston are a source of the Spiers name. However a Johnne Speir does appear in the April 1587 Ayr Borough Accounts. He was from Alloway. John Speir appears in the 1597 Accounts and Jonet Speir appears in the April 1605 Accounts. The Spir/Speir/Spier name appears in records much earlier than either of those in both England and Scotland. It is suggested that a look is taken at the Origins of the Spiers name under the History section of the Spiers.net website. The only real way to trace ancestors is to work backwards from the present day. I hope this will be of help to researchers.

Ron Spiers.