Scotlands Places of 1855/57 has several references to Ashmark:
Coalcreoch - A small farm house on the farm of Ashmark sublet to John Paterson
Ashmark - a good farm house with a sheep farm attached occupied by James Sloan (some word are unreadable)
Laglaff - a farm house sublet from Ashmark
1841 John Russell 40, Jane 35, James 15, John 10, William 10, Gavin 7, Elizabeth 5, Robert 3, Andrew under 1. Servants are Michael Kirk 35, John Scott 25, John McCa 30, Robert Vallance 15, Robert Sampson 13, Mary Ben 15, Elizabeth Brown 35, Mary Lees 20 and Agnes Wilson 20.
1851 John Russell 49 farmer of 2000 acres with wife Jane 47, sons James 26, John 24, William 22, Gavin G 16, Robert 17, Andrew 10, and daughters Jane 19, Elisabeth 14, and Christina 7. Shepherd George McKae 25, farm labourers William Anderson 24 and Watson Gibbert 24, dairymaid Margaret Foster 22, housemaid Marion Merry 21, and Jannet Mitchel 14, cow herd.
1861 James Sloan 41 Farmer Of 2000 Acres Employing 9 Labourers 1 Boy 1 Girl. Wife Mary 34, sons Hugh 12, George 10, and daughters Jennet 7 and Euphemia 1. Father in law Hugh Ferguson, 58, widower, and servants Margaret Reid 18, Jannet Hyslop 20, dairymaid, Jannet Peden 20, Mary Duncan 13 nurse, William McWhat 22, shepherd, Thomas Gibson 17, ploughman, and James Gibson 14, ag lab.
1871 James Sloan family members, Mary 45, Hugh 22, George 20, Janet 17, Euphemia 11, and new children Mary 5 and Alexander 1.Father in law Hugh Ferguson 67, R Stirling Sloan, 34, (brother of James Sloan),General Practitioner graduate of Edinburgh universdity, and servants James Corson 24, Elizabeth Dempster 18, Mary Blackwood 19, dairymaid, Elizabeth Gibson 16, and nurse Margaret McDonald 16.
1881 census John Brown 38 and brother Robert 27 farming 2750 acres 358 arable employing 1 man 2 girls and 1 boy. Robert Brown is a shepherd, and they have a live in dairymaid Elizabeth Ritchie.
The 1881 census also has James Blackwood 58, shepherd living at Carcow with his wife Christina 52, daughter Elizabeth 21, and soon James 18 also a shepherd. They also have three grandsons James Menteith 15, John Heron Blackwood 9, and William Hewet Blackwood 5.
The farm was put up for letting in 1881
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| The Ayr Advertiser 1881 |
Improvements made.....
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| Ayr Advertiser 1882 |
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| Ayr Advertiser 1882 |
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| Ayr Advertiser 1886 |
1891 James Wilson 50, and wife Agnes Mair 50 with daughters Jane 18, Margaret 17, Mary 15, and sons David 18, James 13, Hugh 11, and servants Emily K Lang 17, Margaret V Brown 21, dairymaid, John Barry 28, ploughman, John Kerr 17, ploughman, and John McDowall 25, shepherd.
1901 James Wilson 61, now a widower with daughters Jane 28, Margaret 27, Mary 25, and sons David 28, James 23, and Hugh 21, with shepherd James Dickson 25, and Margaret Scott 18, domestic.
1901 James Wilson 61, now a widower with daughters Jane 28, Margaret 27, Mary 25, and sons David 28, James 23, and Hugh 21, with shepherd James Dickson 25, and Margaret Scott 18, domestic.
Valuation Roll
1865 Tenant James Sloan, Land Carcow and Ashmark
1885 Proprietor William Hyslop. Tenant William Howat, house Ashmark, and James Blackwood, house Ashmark
1895 Proprietor Horatio Ross MacCrae. Tenant James Wilson, house and farm of Ashmark (also Andrew Murdoch, house Ashmark)
1920 New tenant John Douglas
1930 New tenant John Guild, no proprietor listed, continued until 1940 record.
1886 Slater's Directory: James Howat
David Guild, Ashmark. and Glen his collie, Cumnock Chronicle 1964 Lockerbie Sheep Dog Trial Winner.
1971 John Murray and Glen winner at Cardiff. He was a shepherd at different places Nether Whitehaugh , Middlefield Muirkirk, Craigman New Cumnock
