Catrine, a small manufacturing town in Sorn parish, Ayrshire, pleasantly seated, 300 feet above sea-level, on the right bank of the river Ayr, 2½ miles ESE of Mauchline station, with which it communicates by omnibus. It owes its origin to the extensive cotton factory, established in 1787 by Clande Alexander, Esq. of Ballochmyle, the proprietor, in partnership with the well-known Mr David Dale, of Glasgow. By them the mill was sold in 1801 to Messrs Jas. Finlay & Co., who, having greatly enlarged it, added a bleachingwork and three huge waterwheels in 1824. Regularly built, with a central square, and streets leading off it E, S, and W, the town has a post office under Mauchline, with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph departments, a branch of the Royal Bank, a penny savings' bank, nine insurance agencies, two hotels, a gas company, a public library, and a brewery. The principal building is the Wilson Bequest Hall (1880), which, measuring 52 by 22 feet, can accommodate 500 persons, and has a reading-room attached. There are Established, Free, U.P., and Evangelical Union churches; and in 1871 Catrine was formed into a quoad sacra parish. Two public schools, Catrine and Woodside, with respective accommodation for 315 and 207 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 310 and 177, and grants of £280,9s., and £122,5s. Pop. (1841) 2659, (1861) 2484, (1871) 2584, (1881) 2638.Ord. Sur., sh. 14,1863.
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