N.B. A little more detail on the branch of this family since it covers several locations in the parish of New Cumnock including the Waterhead Estate.
As discussed Mary Murdoch’s birth/baptism is not recorded in the Old Parish Records of New Cumnock. (N.B. James Murdoch & Ann Fleming are identified as her parents in her Death Certificate). Similarly, there is no record of her marriage to Thomas McMillan, born at Straiton, Ayrshire, son of Thomas McMillan, shepherd and Margaret Wilson.
Mary and Thomas’s first four children were born in the parish of New Cumnock, all at different locations, namely Newhouse, Knockenlee, Greenhill and Burnside, where typically Thomas would find work as an agricultural labour or a shepherd.
Their first child, James McMillan was born in 1832 at Newhouse on the Afton Estate. The cottage had originally been built to house the workers arriving in the parish to work at the Afton Lead Mines on the estate. As the mine was later exhausted the house was typically tenanted by agricultural labourers or shepherds. A substantial ruin still exists. Second son, John was born in 1835 at Knockenlee on the Waterhead Estate. As shown above in ‘Johnston’s map of the county of Ayr’ Knockenlee was located between Maneight and Meiklehill on the road to Dalmellington. However, the Map of Turnpike Roads (1852) gives a more accurate location with Knockenlee resting alongside the road to Dalmellington beyond Meiklehill. No ruins exist, however LIDAR overlays on Ordnance Survey maps suggests a possible structure at a small tributary of the Knockenlee Burn.
Eldest daughter Ann was born in 1837 at Greenhill, some 3 miles to the north-east of Knockenlee, on the Ranken of Whitehill estate. Nothing remains to be seen of the building following extensive opencast coal working in the area.
Daughter Ann was born in 1839 at Burnside. This is probably Burnside Cottage that sits on the side of the Blarene Burn on the Afton Estate, about a mile east of Newhouse. Nothing substantial remains of the cottage. Alternatively, it may be a reference to Burnside of Rigg, one the divisions of Righill in the Waterhead Estate. However, other records of two baptisms associated with another family in (1834 & 1835) at Burnside of Rigg are recorded with the place name in full and not truncated to Burnside. Of course, it doesn’t help that the location of Burnside of Rigg does not appear in any known maps.
The McMillan family appear in the 1841 Census living at Laigh Hall in the parish of Muirkirk, Ayrshire about 16 miles due north of Burnside. A daughter Jane was born there that year and in 1844 a son Robert was born at Nether Hall, an alternative name to Laigh Hall; both names to differentiate it from the main farm of Hall.
The family then moved to Barr, Ayrshire (no settlement name) where daughter Mary (1847) and son Thomas (1849) were born. By the 1851 Census the family had returned to the parish of New Cumnock, living at Flush on the Waterhead Estate, where Thomas senior found work as an agricultural labourer. Sadly, daughter Jane, aged 13 years died at Flush in May, 1855. Her death certificate notes she had lived at Flush for 6 years, indicating the family had moved there in 1849. It also notes she was buried in the Auld Kirkyard, New Cumnock, sadly no headstone exists.
The OS Map (1856) shows a squared off field, with two buildings aligned against north-west and south-west side of the wall. Only the square wall exists.
Although the family had expanded in number, several of the older children had moved on.
Eldest son James McMillan worked as a shepherd at nearby Meiklehill on the Waterhead Estate, while his 11 year-old sister Margaret worked there as a farm servant. James would later marry Elizabeth Ferguson, daughter of John Ferguson, shepherd at Glenlee, New Cumnock, on the banks of the Water of Deugh, near the boundary with Kirkcudbrightshire. James and Elizabeth and their young family would settle at Glenlee for a time before moving to Carsphairn, Kirkcudbrightshire
Second son, John McMillan married Margaret McMurtie and together with their family settled at Whitesmuir farm, Old Cumnock, where he worked as a surface drainer.
As noted above daughter Jane had died at Flush in 1855, however four years later another child was born and called Jane, not at Flush but at Righill.
By the 1861 Census Thomas McMillan (50) and Mary Murdoch (49) had moved from Flush to Waterhead Cottage, where he worked as a shepherd. The household now included daughter Margaret (21) having returned from Meiklehill, son Thomas McMillan (12) while the two new additions were William (7) and the aforementioned Jane (2).
The above stone was once embedded in Waterhead Castle and after it was ruined the stone was embedded in Waterhead farm buildings. It was retrieved by local historian the late Donald McIver when the farm was demolished. The initials AC and AD are those of Allan Cathcart of Watterheid & Agnes Dunbar ca. 1600,
As for the rest of the family, Ann McMillan married John Rorison, coal carter and initially lived at Dalricket Mill Cottage, less than a mile from where she was born at Greenhill. They later settled with their large family at Crosshill, less than a mile away.
Robert McMillan found work as a shepherd at Meiklehill, living with the James Lees, shepherd and his family. Indeed, Robert later married Jane Lees, the ‘farmer’s daughter’ and moved to Dumfriesshire, living at Sanquhar and later at Kirkconnel.
Mary McMillan found work as a farm servant at Dalgig farmed by Ivie Campbell, the half-brother of William Campbell and uncle of Ivie Campbell married to Jane Murdoch (the cousin of Elizabeth!). She later worked as a farm servant at Old Cumnock and Ochiltree. The family then returned to their first home at Newhouse, but since renamed Littlemarkhill
Sadly, Thomas McMillan, agricultural labourer, aged 51 years passed away at Littlemarkhill on May 1862. Happier times on 18th December 1863 when daughter Margaret married Ivy McCaig, farm servant at Knockdunder, Old Cumnock at Littlemarkhill, under the Forms of the Church of Scotland. Ivie was the son of Thomas McCaig and Wilhelmina Campbell and cousin of Ivie Campbell, husband of Margaret’s cousin Jane Murdoch! The couple settled at Knockdunder, where Ivie became head of the house and worked as Hay and Manure Agent.
The 1871 Census found widow Mary McMillan (59), seamstress at Rigghead Cottage along with son Thomas (12) and Janet (8). N.B. presumably daughter Jane, albeit she is aged 2 in the 1861 Census. Rigghead Cottage was part of the Marquis of Bute lands and not to be confused with the Waterhead Estate ‘rig’ names. Nevertheless, it suffered the same fate, as nothing now remains of Rigghead farm or Cottage.
By the 1881 Census Mary was living with her son John McMillan and his wife Mary McMurtie and their six children at Whitesmuir. Also living there was Mary’s son William, supporting his brother as a surface-drainer. William later married Elizabeth Harvey and they settled, along with their family, in the neighbouring parish of Ochiltree.
Mary later moved to nearby Crichton Row, now home to Ivy McCaig and her daughter Margaret and their family. Sadly, she died there on 4th March 1888, aged 76 years.
Children of James Murdoch and Ann Fleming & their Spouses
NEW CUMNOCK HERITAGE 