An interesting piece of trivia is that John Walker of Johnnie Walker whisky fame was born at Todriggs Farm on 25 July 1805 to Elizabeth and Alexander Walker who were tenants of the farm.
There was a Caldwell of Todriggs circa 1500 (and presumably for some time afterward). Only 300 years apart. I doubt if they still "owned" Todriggs in 1805. "of" didn't necessary mean absolute ownership in any case.
My GGrandfather Joseph Caldwell became a soft drink "baron" around the late 1800's early 1900's in a town made famous by the name on the cap of the Walker whisky bottles.
Our ancestors were poor people cutting coal at the time the Walker family were making good.
But by 1909 when the Johnnie Walker caricature was devised Joseph Caldwell was a man of some substance in Kilmarnock - but obviously not world-wide.
Joseph and his wife Janet Wilson had 13 children of which Thomas - my grandfather was the youngest.
Of further trivial interest - Joseph's mother was Helen Walker - but there were a lot of Walker's and a lot of Caldwell's.
If anyone can prove that we have an interest in the Johnnie Walker empire I will happily pay a finder's fee.
By the way Walker is an occupational term from "Waulking" the cloth in wool processing (same as Fuller in England) and has nothing to do with Walking.
If anyone can help with some history of the Caldwell's of Todriggs and of nearby Annanhill (now a well-known golf course) I think that they would advance the cause for the history of the Caldwell's of Ayrshire.
There also was an early grant of land to a Caldwell at "Gaylis fromerly Scottishaw" which is modern Gailes on the coast of Ayrshire between Irvine and Troon.
... and a grant of the land of Kempisland (near Largs)to Thomas Caldwell son of Robert Caldwell of Todriggs by Sir Adam Mure which reinforces the Mure connection.
Also note that Robert II of Scotland's first wife was Elizabeth Mure of Rowallan and it was all "in the pot" around the same time in history shows that this is possibly the time when the Caldwell family came as close as any to being influential in national affairs. Robert II of course lived in the royal castle of Dundonald. He is not regarded as a particularly good king but he did come into his kingship in his 50's and was regarded as a valiant warrior in his youth. He was just probably tired as his procreation was legendry.
The Caldwell's of Ayrshire seem to have been just as ancient a family as the Caldwell's of the Lochwinnoch-Paisley area of Renfrew. Seekers after family history home in on the latter area due to the presence of the property known as "Caldwell" which is truth has had little to do with our direct ancestors since the 1300's and passed through an heiress so no present day Caldwell's can claim direct descent from the Caldwell's of Caldwell. Cadet branches - well, maybe, but consider that there were a number of sources of the family and ONE of these ancestors wound up with the Caldwell property. Consider that the Mure family had Cowdams (modern Coudham near Todriggs) Rowallan Glanderstoun and Caldwell properties and that these properties range the area where Caldwell seem to originate. It is also a fact that Mure of Caldwell was the feudal superior of all the Mures. Is it possible that the proto-Caldwell's without a surname took their surname from the name of the property of their "boss" their chief - Mure of Caldwell?
I am not stating this as a fact - just asking for some erudite debate on its possibility.
It would certainly make it easier if you were looking for a Caldwell tartan! There is a More(Mure) tartan (at least the Caldwell's were better educated and "more" consistent with the spelling of "their" name!)