Location
Horse Tax 1797-98 William Guthrie, Drumjoan , 5 horses , 3 taxed,
 |
Drumjoan Farm on top of hill, view looking west. |
 |
| Caledonian Mercury 1797 |
OPR Ochiltree
John Murdoch, formerly residing in Bellston, died at Drumjoan 24/1/1831 age 88yrs.
The History of Ochiltree Village & Parish - Dane Love
p317
Drumjoan
127 acres in 1797. 209 acres in 1878. 200 acres in 1993.
c1530 Drumjoan Estate - Allan Cathcart
-1797 Drumjoan Estate - David Guthrie
1797 Drumjoan Estate - William Guthrie
1827-1854 Drumjoan estate - James MacCosh (1781-18 )
1871-1878 Drumjoan Estate - James MacCosh
1878-1892 Drumjoan Estate - Robert Osborne (1853-1929)
1892-1901 Drumjoan Estate - David Purdie (1857-1910)
1914-1925 Drumjoan Estate - David Purdie reps.
1930-1940 Drumjoan Estate - David Purdie
1940-1999 David Purdie (1905-1999)
1999-2019 David Purdie (1935-2019)
Census
1841 James McCosh 60 farmer 6 children and Jane Brown
Robert Osborne (noted Ayrshire cattle breeder ) left to farm Morton Mains ( beside Morton Castle , near Drumlanrig) Thornhill. His wife Helen ( Nellie) Wardrop, was born at Changue.
The Purdie family were then in Drumjoan for over a hundred years
David Purdie, (grandson of David Purdie in 1901 census ) and farmer of Drumjoan, died late summer 2019 .
Valuation Roll 1895 prop. William Campbell, tenant David Purdie.
1841 James McCosh 60 farmer 6 children and Jane Brown
1851 James McCosh 74 farmer of 127 acres emp 3 agricultural labourers
1861 James McCosh 85 farmer of 127 acres emp 2 men & 1 boy
son James McCosh took over
1871 Census Drumjohn
Then James McCosh died and the farm was put up to let.
 |
| To let 1878 , Scotsman |
1881 Mary Osborne 58 and a widow- farmer of 209 acres emp 3 men & 1 girl
Previously at Shield Farm, Stair. Mary's maiden surname was Mair. She died at Drumjoan 6/4/1882. With her on the farm were;
Agnes 30, who became the wife of Robert Wallace, from Piperhill;
Robert 28 ,whose life is noted below;
James 23, who moved to Closeburn;
and Hugh 20, who died at age 27 at Drumjoan.
| 1890 |
1891 Robert Osborne farmer (wife Nellie Wardrop from Garlaff ). They had six children by the 1991 census, James 6, Agnes 5, Mary M 3, Maggie 2, Nellie 1 and Hugh, under 1. Two servants lived in, Jane Dunnachie 25, and Mary Brannan 14.
Robert Osborne (noted Ayrshire cattle breeder ) left to farm Morton Mains ( beside Morton Castle , near Drumlanrig) Thornhill. His wife Helen ( Nellie) Wardrop, was born at Changue.
 |
| Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser March 28 1890 |
2 medals won by Robert Osborne in 1882 and 1883 - donated to Ochiltree Farmers Society by his great grandson, Bert Hastings from Torthorwold.
The name of the winner is not inscribed on the medal but newspaper report confirms it
1882 Pair of (quey stirks. Silver medal from Wm. Wilson, Esq., spirit merchant, Cumnock. 1 R. Osborne (Drumjoan farm) later of Morton Mains.
1901 David Purdie - farmer (died Drumjoan 3/5/1910)
Probate: David Purdie farmer Drumjoan Parish of Ochiltree died 3/5/1910 at Drumjoan aforesaid testate. Conf granted at Ayr 11 June to Agnes Howat or Purdie his widow.
1911 Widowed Agnes Purdie 46 farmer (married 18 year 7 children 7 living) Agnes H 17 Mary H 15 Grace 14 Isabella 11 Jessie 9 David 5 John H 2, Thomas McGill 44 foreman, James Gardner 22 ploughman
The Purdie family were then in Drumjoan for over a hundred years
 |
| Robert Osborne's death in 1929. He had lost a son in WW1. |
David Purdie, (grandson of David Purdie in 1901 census ) and farmer of Drumjoan, died late summer 2019 .
Valuation Roll 1895 prop. William Campbell, tenant David Purdie.
1915 prop. Lord Skerrington.
John W Purdie had a website where he describes living at Drumjoan as a boy, written in 2018.
AYR SHOW PREVIEW May 01, 1993
Just like the Scottish Farmer, the Purdie family is celebrating 100 years of farming Drumjoan near Drongan in Ayrshire. And for the senior member David Purdie, it holds a host of memories. Born in 1905 and now in his 88th year Mr Purdie is still carrying out the milking twice-a-day seven days a week, a task he's been doing since he was 12 when he first helped out his father before going "full time" on leaving school at 14.
Today he is still very much the "boss" as far as the milking is concerned and a great help to his son - also David, the current Scottish NFU's Ayr area executive
Drumjoan totals some 200 acres and carries a 70- strong commercial herd of black and white cows. There are also 20 suckler cows, 40 ewes and 32 acres of barley is grown for feed.
CHEESE
As a boy Mr Purdie remembers how it was only during the winter months that milk left the farm - destined for two Glasgow dairies.
During the summer all the milk was used for producing cheese on the farm and sold to merchants in Kilmarnock and Ayr.
In these early days the majority of the dairy farmers were aligned to the Scottish Milk Agency. - set up by farmers and really the forerunner of the Scottish Milk Marketing Board as it is known today. Said Mr Purdie: "We milked around 36 cows in those days and the first lot of milk ever to leave the farm went to Ayr to a dairy which supplied us with wooden butts capable of holding between 6 and 12 gallons.
Through the agency we struck up deals to supply two dairies in Glasgow. It was taken by horse and cart from the farm to catch the milk train.
The milk agency was formed by farmers grouping together and although it didn't have 100 percent support of producers it was successful in finding us buyers. The price was higher during winter and we were well pleased to get between 9d and 10d a gallon.
The only problem was that dairies could stop supplies as and when they wanted. We could be told the day before we were due to send milk that it was not wanted and if this happened the milk had to be made into cheese."
For twenty years, Mr Purdie carried out the milking by hand. The first milking machine was introduced to Drumjoan in 1939 and since then the farm has changed with the times to its present day modern unit.
Unlike today, 99 percent of the cows in the county were Ayrshires with the other 1 per cent Dairy Shorthorns. "The gradual swing to black and white is no real surprise because although their life is shorter than Ayrshire their plus factor is their capability of producing more milk," he points out.
Mr Purdie is bitterly disappointed however, that the SMMB is now facing deregulation. "I think it is a big mistake to get rid of the board. It has been a great friend to producers and I only hope it can keep producers with it when it changes to a co-operative” he said.
It may surprise some people that he doesn't believe that farming in the past was any harder than it is today - but it did involve more physical work.
Said Mr Purdie: "Three Clydesdales did all the ploughing and much of the work was carried out with a horse and cart. All the manure was spread with a graip (a four pronged fork).
We got our first tractor, a Fordson, in 1940 and mechanisation has been the biggest change in farming over the years. Many of the jobs that took days to complete can now be done in less than half the time it took then.”
He is also convinced that there has been a distinct change in the weather pattern over the years. "We don't get the same severe frosts we used to get and there are also fewer long sunny spells.
The jobs we carried out in the early days couldn't be done now if we were using the same methods. It used to take us three weeks to gather in the hay which was cut with a reaper and tied by hand. Today you seldom get three weeks of dry weather in a row."
Although never involved in showing cattle, Mr Purdie enjoys a day at the show. Until recently he never missed Ayr Show and could be back there next week if he can be persuaded to take a day out.
Mr Purdie rises every morning at 5.15 and goes to bed around 10 o'clock and is a fitting tribute to the theory that "early to bed early to rise" does work.
Throughout his life he has never smoked or drank whisky. As far as smoking is concerned he owes a debt of gratitude to one of the early farm workers on Drumjoan.
He recalls, "When I was eight I was asked by one of the workers to get him a packet of Woodbine on the way home from school. He offered me one to try and I was violently sick behind a hedge. I never smoked again!”
OBITUARY - GLASGOW HERALD December 18, 1999
Ayr Pioneer Dies
David Purdie, Drumjoan Farm, Ochiltree, Ayrshire, who has died at the age of 94, was an enthusiastic and pioneering dairyman.
He was the first in the area to buy a tractor at a time when horses held sway for heavy work around the farm.
Following the premature death of his father he had taken over the running of the family farm at an early age. It was his harsh experience back then, selling milk in the days before the establishment of the Milk Marketing Board, that made him such a strong supporter of that body. He was a pioneer of milking machines in Ayrshire and his mechanical ingenuity was often called upon by his neighbours when problems arose.
His affinity for technical innovation extended beyond milking techniques, keeping him abreast of technical innovations on all fronts. He erected two haylage towers which were in use on the farm for nearly 20 years.
Purdie is survived by two sons, three daughters and their families.
