Burnton
Still in the Nairn Family
Meaning - 'ferme-town at the burn'. Burn is the Scots word for stream and 'ton' means ferme-town.
Burnetoun (1603)
Over Blackwood was also known as Burnetoun since it sat on the east bank of Blackwood Burn as it made its way to the River Nith. Through time the name Over Blackwood was replaced by Burnetoun and then later Burnton. Blackwood Burn became Burnton and Nether Blackwood shortened to Blackwood.
Farm horse tax - Burnton Hillhead - William Lorimer - 4 horses, 2 liable 4s.
ScotlandsPlaces - Burnton - a farmhouse, the property of The Marquis of Bute, occupied by Hugh Kirk
Old parish records baptisms
1744 7th October, Hugh son to John MUIR and Elizabeth REID in Burntown
1746 24th August, Jean daughter to James McCRONE and Marion BAIRD, in Burntown.
1778 25th July, Jennet lawful daughter to James Rankin and Jennet Murray in Burnton.
From Ayrshire Roots, baptismal records.
1752 23 February, William son to James McCrone and Marion Baird in Burntown of Polquhirter
The 1841 census for Burnton shows 75yr old Jane Lorimer farming there with William Lorimer 35, James McMillan 20 an agricultural labourer, Janet Stillie 30 a farm servant and Archibald Murray 13 also an agricultural labourer.
The 1851 census for Burnton shows John Dewar a ploughman of 42 living there with his wife Janet 31 (Dalziel, born Muirkirk), son William 8 and James Hamilton their 15yr old nephew who is working as a farm servant.
In 1851 Hugh Kirk was working as a farm servant and living with his wife and family at Burnton Hill.
The 1861 census for Burnstone shows Hugh Kirk 39 farmer of 300 acres, wife Sarah Clark 39, son James 18, daughter Margaret 15, son Andrew 11, daughter Isabella 8, daughter Mary 5, son William 3, infant daughter Sarah, Thomas Kirk 41 ploughman and dairymaid Margaret Croughan 17.
1863 tack to Hugh Kirk for 19 years with conditions:
BuildingsAn addition to byre, a boiler shed and a piggery for ten to be built
Fences
The Tenant to provide and lay stones for about 30 falls3 of dyke along the road by Polquhirter march and the building to be done. The march fence4 with Blackwood being ruinous, if the Tenant along with the Tenant of that farm put up to the satisfaction of the Factor a good and sufficient wire fence, the Proprietor is to repay the expense of the wood The upper half is to be maintained and left in good order by the Tenant of Burnton.
3 a fall or fa: a unit of measurement about 6 metres https://www.scan.org.uk/measures/distance.asp 4 march-fencesin Scotland, in relation to lands exceeding six acres, there has been since the March Dykes Acts1661 and 1669 an obligation for neighbouring proprietors to pay for the maintenance of division fences or dykes or to attend to the straightening of said dykes. https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/march-fences
The 1871 census for Burnton shows Hugh Kirk 48 farmer of 300 acres of which 215 are arable, his wife Sarah 48, son James 28, daughter Margaret 25, son William 12, daughter Sarah 10, son Hugh 7, daughter Sibella 2, farm servant Agnes Clark 18 and a visitor Elizabeth Kirk 54 who was formerly a servant.
The 1881 census for Burnton shows Hugh Kirk 58 farmer of 300 acres of which 200 are arable. He is assisted by his wife Sarah 58, son Andrew 31, son Hugh 17 and daughters Mary 25, Sarah 20 and Isabella 13 (Sibella)
The 1891 census for Burnton shows Hugh Kirk 69 is still farming there along with his wife Sarah 69, son Andrew 41, daughter Mary 35, son Hugh 28 and daughter Sibella 23.
The 1901 census shows that Burnton is now being farmed by James Wilson 51 assisted by his wife Helen 51. Also living there is his 82yr old father-in-law James Sharp who is a widower and retired farmer, nieces Maggie 15 & Agnes 13 Sharp, 22yr old ploughman George Gracie, Bella Farquhar 21 who is a domestic servant and Bessie Hendry 21 who is a dairymaid.
Valuation Roll
Valuation Roll
1855 tenant William Pagan. 1865 prop Marquis of Bute, tenant Hugh Kirk. 1895 tenant James Wilson.
Mckervails in the 1930s
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| A Nairn 2008 Texel/Beltex - Burnton |
The ruins in the photograph above are of Burntonhill, also known as Pikeson. This lies on the hill between Burnton farm and High Polquhirter farm.
1863 19 year tack for Hugh Kirk was found by the late Donald McIvor and is in the possession of William Nairn late of Burnton. It mentions that Burnton was formerly in the possession of William Pagan (who died in 1858). Hugh Kirk named a son William Pagan Kirk born April 1858 in Burnton. He became a draper in Nottingham.
BurntonTackThe Commissioner for the Marquess of ButeTo Hugh Kirkof the Farm of Burnton1863Compd.TMEntryMarts. (Martinmas) 1862 and Whity. (Whitsunday) 1863Endurance 19 …………. 19expiry Marts. 1881 and Whity. 18821863It is contracted and agreed between the parties following viz. David Mure Esquire advocate member of Parliament for the Shire of Bute Commissioner for the most honourable John Patrick Crichton Sttewart Marquess of Bute, Earl of Dumfries and Windsor re heritable proprietor of the lands after mentioned conform to commission granted by the said Marquess with consent of Sir James Fergusson of Kilkeran Baronet member of Parliament for Ayrshire Major General Charles Stewart of Hubborne Lodge Christchurch in the county of Hants after mentioned conform to commission granted by the said Marquess with consent of Sir James Fergusson of Kilkeran Baronet member of Parliament for Ayrshire Major General Charles Stewart of Hubborne Lodge Christchurch in the county of Hants and Lieutenant Colonel William Stuart member of Parliament for a majority of the Curators of the said Marquess in favor of the said David Mure dated 27th and 28th June and recorded in the books of Council and Session 1 July 1862 on the one part and Hugh Kirk in Burnton on the other part in manner following, that is to say that David Mure as Commissioner foresaid has set and in consideration of the Tack duty and other prestations and obligations after specified and referred to hereby sets and assedation lets to the said Hugh Kirk and his heirs but expressly secluding assignees and subtenants whether legal or voluntary All and whole the lands of Burnton as formerly possessed by William Pagan and latterly by the said Hugh Kirk lying within the parish of New Cumnock and the Shire of Ayr for the space of nineteen years from and after the term of Martinmas 1862 as to the arable lands and Whitsunday (15 May) thereafter as to the house and pasture grass but always with and under the whole reservations conditions and stipulations specified and contained in the document entitled “Conditions of let of the farms on the Dumfries Estate in the County of Ayr belonging to the Most Honourable John Patrick Marquess of Bute Earl of Dumfries and from and after the term of Martinmas 1862” subscribed by the said Marquess and a majority of his Curators of date the ninth eleventh and fourteenth of May 1862 and recorded in the Sheriff Court books of the county of Ayr the twenty second June 1863 of which a printed copy is hereto annexed. Which Tack theDavid MureMemorandumBuildingsAn addition to byre, a boiler shed and a piggery for ten to be builtFencesThe Tenant to provide and lay stones for about 30 falls of dyke along the road by Polquhirter march and the building to be done. The march fence with Blackwood being ruinous, if the Tenant along with the Tenant of that farm put up to the satisfaction of the Factor a good and sufficient wire fence, the Proprietor is to repay the expense of the wood The upper half is to be maintained and left in good order by the Tenant of Burnton.David MureHugh Kirk6 June 1873New walk settles & Crevices in new cattle byre executed by the Tenant in summer of 1872. The Proprietor allowed £7 towards the cost. The whole to belong to the Estate and to be maintained and left in good order & repair.Hugh Kirk
Glossary from Dictionaries of the Scots Language dsl.ac.uk
tack: a lease
prestation: a.A payment due by law or custom. b. A liability for performance of some customary duty or payment. c. Performance of some action legally incumbent on one.
assedation: in Scottish legal terminology used as a synonym for lease or tack. Although falling into disuse it is still found in modern leases, as in the phrase: “hereby sets and in tack and assedation lets.” SDL
march-fences:
in Scotland, in relation to lands exceeding six acres, there has been since the March Dykes Acts1661 and 1669 an obligation for neighbouring proprietors to pay for the maintenance of division fences or dykes or to attend to the straightening of said dykes.
a fall or fa: a unit of length about 6 metres https://www.scan.org.uk/measures/distance.asp
