Location OS 6 inch map first edition Birneknowe
On Roy's map of 1755 as Birney Know
Alternate spelling Birnieknow
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| By Bob Forrest 2007 from Geograph |
Horse Tax 1797-98 John McBurnie, Birnieknow, one horse.
OPRs Parish of Auchinleck
Marion Gibson aka Murdoch formerly residing in Birnieknow died 1/4/1780. Wife of Hugh Murdoch. Cause of death - old age
Anne McBurnie age 40 formerly residing in Birnieknowe died 7/1/1786.
Allan McRae age 74 formerly residing in Birnieknowe died 7/12/1785. Cause of death - old age
Jean McRae formerly residing in Birnieknow died 21/2/1785. Cause of death - lingering illness. A person who had been long on charity.
Janet Merrie. Girl age 12 died 23/9/1786. Daughter of Jas Merry. Cause of death - killed by a machine at Birnieknowe coal work.
Janet Merry aka Murdoch age 45 formerly residing in Birnieknowe died 20/8/1786. Spouse of John Merry. Cause of death - fever
Robert Merry age 80 formerly residing in Birnieknowe died 5/12/1788. Cause of death - somewhat suddenly
William Merry age 14 formerly residing in Birnieknow died 22/3/1787. Son of John Merry. Cause of death - fell into coal pit.
Marion Merry formerly residing in Birnieknow buried 29/6/1830.
Hugh Murdoch, smith age 80 formerly residing in Birnieknow died 27/11/1783 a person on charity
Marion Murdoch aka Gibson formerly residing in Birnieknow died 1/4/1780 wife of Hugh Murdoch. Cause of death -old age
Rented Lands - Barony of Auchinleck *p214
Birnieknowe included in Barglachan, was acquired with Orchard from John Cochrane c1740. The coal work, established in 1787, was let to David Lennox in 1782 and 1786, and to James & John Dinsmore in 1787. With colliers' houses built in 1792-93, it was let to James Dinsmore in 1796 after his brother resigned the tack.
* The Correspondence of James Boswell with James Bruce and Andrew Gibb,
Overseers of the Auchinleck Estate
Edited by Nellie Pottle Hankins and John Strawhorn
Edinburgh University Press and Yale University Press 1998
The History of Auchinleck Village & Parish - Dane Love
p308
Birnieknowe
138 acres in 2015
1875-1901 Auchinleck Estate - John Begg (1827-1901)
1911-1919 Auchinleck Estate - Thomas Baird
1929-1947 John Baird
1947-1956 Robert Wardrop
1957-1961 James Purdie (1909-1994)
1961-2015 John Purdie (1938- )
The 1851 census for 6 Birnieknowe shows Hugh Begg 27 farmer of 60 acres employing 1 labourer. John Begg 24 a coalminer also lives there along with 1 female housekeeper.
The 1861 census for Birnieknowe Farm shows John Begg 33 farming 95 acres employing 1 dairymaid and 1 female cow herd (both girls with surname Merry)
The 1871 census for Birnieknowe Farm shows John Begg 43 farming 100 acres of which 70 are arable employing 1 woman and 1 boy. His wife Jane 43 (Peden) also lives there along with 1 female general servant.
The 1881 census for Birnie Know Farm shows John Begg 53 farming 100 acres (80 arable, 20 pasture) employing 1 man. He is assisted by his wife Jane 53, niece Elizabeth Hamilton 12 and 1 female domestic servant.
The 1891 census for Birnieknowe Farm shows John Begg 63 farming assisted by his wife Jane 63, niece Elizabeth Hamilton 22 who is a dairymaid and 1 male farm servant.
The 1891 census for Birnieknowe Farm shows John Begg 63 farming assisted by his wife Jane 63, niece Elizabeth Hamilton 22 who is a dairymaid and 1 male farm servant.
The 1901 census for Birnieknow Farm shows Jane Begg 74 now a widow farming with the help of Kate Begg 27 niece/mother's help, 1 female general servant and 1 ploughman.
John Baird did well at the London Dairy Show in 1936
1865 prop Lady Boswell, tenant John Begg. 1885 prop Marquis of Bute, tenant John Begg. 1905 tenant Thomas Baird. 1930 prop Lord Talbot de Malahide, tenant John Baird.
18/9/1934 The Scotsman
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| John Baird judging cattle at Changue 1945 Cumnock Connections |
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| Kilmarnock Herald and North Ayrshire Gazette 1934 |
This is the first reference found in the newspaper archive showing poultry farming on a large scale.
650 White Wyandotte, White Leghorn, and Rhode Island Red. At this time, chickens were usually housed in small groups far apart to protect them from cross infection, and were labour intensive, needing to be let out in the morning, fed and watered, eggs collected, and then shut in at night to protect from foxes.
The next stage was the washing of the eggs in preparation for sale. Pullets are chickens about to begin their first, and most productive phase of egg laying, around twenty weeks old.
In 1949 John Baird made history with his farm move via rail to Andover, Hants.
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| Aberdeen Press and Journal May 1949 |
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| Daily Mirror May 1949 |
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| Portsmouth Evening News May 1949 John with the dog on the left of picture. |
