Can't disagree with anything you say David.

Ayrshire was almost exclusively agricultural until a late date and towns were generally small.

It was a mixture of cultures and those with Norman ancestry, Flemings and English from Northumbria were mixed into the melting pot with English being the "town" language.

In passing I note that "Straiton" is a "modern" (but old) planned village in pastoral Carrick.

Keep up the work we will get to the bottom of this soner or later.

Tom