Foreword
The family name of Murdoch often appears in my research into the placenames of the parish of New Cumnock and in particular as tenants in a number of farms belonging to ‘The Estate of Waterhead’ in the west of the parish, bordering with the parish of Dalmellington, Ayrshire.
Through this research Melissa Boyack, a descendant of the Murdoch family living in Australia, got in touch with me to let me know that it had helped to clarify some of their family history. Melissa then kindly shared with me the prolific family history research that her aunt, Phylls Parish nee Dimock, had accumulated over 50 years, long before the advent of ‘on-line family research‘. I soon became engrossed in this branch of Murdoch family history and was delighted to help where I could while also learning much more.
This research is dedicated to the late Phylls Parish and her neice Melissa.
The formation of the Estate of Waterhead in the parish of New Cumnock.
In 1374 Lord Alan Cathcart inherited the baronies of Sundrum and Dalmellington in Ayrshire through his wife Margaret Wallace, sister of Sir Duncan Wallace. Ten years later he entered into a written agreement with Roger Craufurd of Dalelglis, in the neighbouring barony of Cumnock, in which he renounced his own 10 merk lands in his barony of Dalmellington in return for £46 13s 4d, with the intention of paying back the money within an agreed period of time and recovering his lands.
At Edinburgh, 31 May (1427).
THE KING confirmed a certain indenture,- [in which Lord Alan of Kethkert knight, lord of the same, pledged and offered the title of pledge (?) and renounced to ROGER of CRAUFURDE lord of Daleglis*,-his own 10 merk lands in his barony of Dalmelyntoun, in the sheriffdom of Air, viz. the farthing land of Benbane, the obulatam land of Drumcalder, the farthing land of Lathanis, the farthing land of Molynnach, the farthing land of Dalwar, the farthing land of Rewach, the obulatam land of Knocbyrny, the farthing land of Marchaleholme,- for Ł46 13s. 4d. sterling; which the said Roger paid to the said Alan as necessary.
*10 merk-land comprises 2 properties of 2 obulatum (half-penny = 2 farthings) and 6 properties of one farthing.*N.B. At this time, the lands of Daleglis (now known as Dalleagles )- was in the parish of Cumnock, and part of the Barony of Cumnock held by the Dunbars of Cumnock. In 1650 the parish of Cumnock was divided into the two new parishes of Old Cumnock and New Cumnock, with Dalleagles located in the latter and the Waterhead estate in the parish of New Cumnock.
Although these lands formed part of Lord Alan’s barony of Dalmellingtom only those of Benbane were in the parish of Dalmellington while the remaining seven lands were in the parish of Cumnock.
These lands later passed on to a branch of the Cathcart family, known as the Cathcarts of Waterhead. Several references to Allan Cathcart of Waterhead (and variants of the placename) appear in several legal instruments in the Protocol Books of Gavin Ros N.P. (1512-1532). In one such instrument of 1519 he is referred to as ‘Allan Cathcart of Watterhed, baillie of John, Lord Cathcart’ presumably John, 2nd Lord Cathcart. His residence was Waterhead Castle on the banks of the River Nith.
Through time the spelling of the placenames changed and in some case the lands were renamed and/or divided into smaller divisions.
The second element of the placename Drumakalldyr is British caleto-dubron ‘hard water’ referring the to stony-bed of a river where Calder is a common river name in Scotland. The first element is Gaelic druim ‘ridge’ and it appears that the headwater of the River Nith was known as Calder when the settlement name Drumkalladyr / Drumcalder was coined. Sometime after that, the hill that the settlement sat on was named ‘The Ridge of Drumkalladyr’ unbeknown that this delivered ‘The ridge of the ridge of the hard water’! Sadly, these wonderful names would disappear. The second element, British kalldyr / calder, of Drumcalladyr was dropped and the first element Gaelic druim was replaced with Scots rigg, rig ‘ridge’. In turn ‘The Ridge of Drumkalladyr’ was reduced to Rig Hill. Smaller divisions of these lands retained the Scots element rigg, rig.
The Murdoch family of the Estate of Waterhead
This short history of ‘The Murdochs of the Estate of Waterhead’ in the parish of New Cumnock has been inspired by the meticulous and some 50 years of research carried out by Phyll Parish (nee Dimmock) in tracing her family roots from Australia to New Cumnock. Her niece, Melissa Boyack kindly shared her late aunt’s research and inspired me to dig deeper into my own research into the placenames of New Cumnock and follow the footsteps of the Murdoch family.
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland
A. William Gemmell and Agnes Samson
‘The Murdochs of the Estate of Waterhead’ begins with the family of William Gemmell and Agnes Samson. The Old Parish Records of baptisms in the parish of New Cumnock covers the period 1706-1855 and one of the earliest entries is that of Sibela Gemmell born at Knockburnie, one of the farms on the Estate of Waterhead. Her sister Helen was born there the following year. The reference to Knockburnie is probably the farm of Knockburnie, although it may be the nearby Knockburnie Cottage (now ruinous). The family resettled at Boig in the parish of New Cumnock, some 3 miles or so to the north-east, beyond the Estate of Waterhead where daughters Elizabeth and Agnes were born. From here the Gemmels moved to Blackbraes, a placename that has long since disappeared, where William was born to be followed by Ann, her father William having died before her birth.
N.B. The milestone (on the road notes that the town of New Cumnock is 5 miles away (to the east) and Dalmellington is 5 ½ miles away (to the west).
B. Hugh Murdoch & Sybella Gemmell
N.B. It has been assumed that the Sybella Gemmell, wife of Hugh Murdoch is the daughter of William Gemmel and Agnes Samson.
Their first three children were born at Greenholme/Greenholm. However, neither form of that placename does not appear on the available maps of the parish of New Cumnock and thus far, no records can be found associating it with the Waterhead Estate. It should be noted that the name Greenholm also appears in Old Parish Records of New Cumnock (1814-1821), coincidentally in the baptisms of Murdoch children, i.e. those of Hugh Murdoch & Mary McKerrow, in Greenholm, namely twins Agness (1818) & Mathew (1818), Sarah (1819) and Hugh (1821).
N.B. Greenholm Mills once stood on the banks of Glaisnock Water near the town centre of Cumnock and gave their name to Greenholm Road. However, it is unlikely that the series of baptisms (1737 -1744) and (1814-1821) recorded in the Old Parish Records of New Cumnock refer to baptisms in the parish of Old Cumnock.
Jean Murdoch, the fourth child of Hugh Murdoch was born at Cairnhill, New Cumnock, a farm almost 4 miles to the north-east of Knockburnie. The farm was demolished in the late 1950s, as new housing was to be built on the face of the hill.
It is perhaps worth noting that the row of houses known as Greenhead sits less than a mile from Cairnhill farm close to the banks of the Afton Water. Perhaps part of the land between Greenhead and the Afton once housed Greenholm, but unlikely.
C. John Murdoch & Mary Campbell
John Murdoch married Mary Campbell, a very common surname in the parish and thus far it has not been possible to identify her parents*. Furthermore, this generation of Murdochs were born during the period that many of the baptism records in the parish of New Cumnock did not include the place of birth in the parish.
* A fantastic resource in Ancestry (woodfour_1, Tasmania, Australia) suggests Mary Campbell may be the daughter of Hugh Campbell, Whitehil & Agnes Logan
N.B. Their son Hugh Murdoch (b.1872) married Catherine Anderson and lived at Clocklownie farm, parish of Old Cumnock, some 4 miles north of Knockburnie. He died there on 20 June 1859, aged 77 years.
| Introduction |
The Research now progresses to James Murdoch & Ann Fleming and their children. D. James Murdoch & Ann Fleming |
Children of James Murdoch and Ann Fleming & their Spouses
NEW CUMNOCK HERITAGE 