Pennyfadzeoch, Old Cumnock

Location 55 27 20N, 4 19 59W

 was originally a mill  Pennyfadzeochmill on Roy's map 1750

"Those McCowans who were tenants were probably still quite comfortably positioned in early eighteenth century Cumnock society.  Two of the most successful Cumnock McCowans in this period appear to have been Hugh McCowan in Pennyfadzeochmiln and Hew McCowan in Glengyron, both of whom made arrangements to settle their affairs in 1728.  Their debtors included farmers, merchants, smiths, fleshers and landowners... In 1728, the son-in-law of Hew McCowan in Glengyron was David McCowan, also then in Glengyron"  

(Cumnock Regality Court records, Scottish Record Office, SC6/79/1.  The entries relating to these two legal affairs are unusually long: seven pages for Pennyfadzeochmilne and twelve pages for Glengyron.) D B McCowan

Kirk Session records. by Yvonne Saunderson

On 28/01/1722, a Hugh McCowan of Pennyfadzeoch Miln was appointed as a church elder by Old Cumnock Kirk Session. Elders were generally mature men who had a good reputation in the community.

(At the same time, William Dalrymple of nearby Hill of Leifnorris was also appointed as an Elder - possibly a relative of Hugh McCowan's wife?)

1756 William Smith, a tenant at Pennyfadzeoch Mill but formerly of Ochiltree, was nominated as Kirk Elder in Cumnock on 29/02/1756. (Kirk Session Minutes, Vol 2 p217 refers.)  It appears that he had previously been a miller on Ochiltree - William Smith, in Ochiltreemiln, had a son Robert baptised in Ochiltree in 1732. No mother's details are recorded, as was common at the time. (OPR 609 10/434) 

1595, 1614, 1897

Wills

Watt

Williame

13/2/1595

in Pennyfadzeoch, sheriffdom of Ayr

Testament Dative and Inventory

Edinburgh Commissary Court

CC8/8/27

McTurk

Patrik

12/5/1614

in Pennyfadzeoche, parish of Cumnok  CC9/7/9

Kirkland

Hugh

30/7/1897

Farmer, Pennyfadzeoch, Parish of Old Cumnock, d. 15/05/1897 at Pennyfadzeoch, testate

Will

Ayr Sheriff Court Wills

SC6/46/26

Kirk Session Minutes

1722 Hugh McCowan Of ??Penny-fodach-miln. (Pennyfadzeoch) 28/01/1722 Proposed as church elder (unsuccessful)

Horse Tax 1798    Lieutenant  Graham 4 horses  3  taxed

1. Records
 
2. Ordnance Survey Name Books
 
3. Ayrshire OS Name Books, 1855-1857
 
4. Ayrshire volume 52
 
5. OS1/3/52/1 
A Farm house and offices property of the Marquis of Bute occupied by William Gilmour 

Extract from Dumfries House Conservation Plan (Heritage Consultancy 2008) - Works to Policies 1800 to1850


"Agricultural Improvements


New farm buildings were built, including the two elegant farmhouses of Pennyfadzeoch and Orchardton, both of which form set-pieces in the landscape. Pennyfadzeoch is ‘back-to-front’, presumably so that its principal front can be seen from within the policies. By the time of the New Statistical Account of 1837, most of the parish was enclosed by hedgerows.
The 2nd Marquess required his tenants to drain a proportion of their farms each year, and he provided free tiles to line the new drains from a tilework he had built for the purpose."

Censuses

1841 census  Pennyfadzeoch

STEEL Robert M 70 Farmer Ayrshire  
  STEEL Jean F 70 Ayrshire  
  STEEL Janet F 30 Ayrshire  
  STEEL Mary F 13 Female Servant Ayrshire  
  WILSON Jane F 10  (Granddaughter) Female Servant Ayrshire  
  WILSON Mary F 2 Ayrshire 
(Granddaughter)

1851 census William Gilmour 27 Farmer Of 130 Acres Empey 5 Labourer sister Agnes brother James

1861 census still William Gilmour 37 Farmer Of 135 Acres Employing 2 M & 2 Woman wife Agnes (Weir) 2 small children 2 female servant one male farm servant

Hugh Kirkland was previously stationmaster at Kilmarnock

1881 Hugh Kirkland 60 wife Elizabeth (Caldwell)

1891Hugh Kirkland 71 farmer

 

Valuation Roll 

1855 tenant George Vallance.  1895 prop Marquis of Bute, tenant Hugh Kirkland.  1905 tenant John Kirkland.  1915 - 1940 tenant David Caldwell.

 

Tenanted by the  Caldwell family for much of the 20th century, they now own the steading with the land owned by Great Stewards Trust and let out with Orchardton .


from Ian

I was re-reading The House With The Green Shutters and came across this paragraph in the editor’s explanatory notes.  You might find it of interest.

 

“[There is] a class of place names found all over Scotland which depends upon the value of the portion of land to which it is applied.  Alexander Murdoch [in] Ochiltree, Its History and Reminiscences lists the following in the neighbourhood of Ochiltree: Lochmark (the mark-land by the loch); Pennymore (the big penny land); Heidmark (the chief mark-land); Pennyfadzeoch (the humpy penny land); Fardenreoch (the mottled, or variegated, farthing land; Tenpoundland; Tenshillingland; Merkland; Shillingworth; Threepenny.”