Ploughing Up Our Past: Garclaugh, New Cumnock

Saturday, 11 July 2020

Garclaugh, New Cumnock

Location Meikle and Little Garclaugh and Garclaugh Pendicle

A substantial estate owned by Lady Jane Bailey in the 1880s including several farm steadings, Glen Little, Meikle, parts of Clayslaps Meadow, and house with additional buildings (pendicle) at Meikle Garclaugh. (EC)

also know as Meikle Garclaugh and High Garclaugh (KM)

1754 George Campbell, birth of son Ivie Campbell

George Muir farm horse tax rolls 1797-8

Born 1907, she was exported to the USA by her breeder Andrew Mitchell Baird. Her son Penhurst Man O War can be found in many pedigrees in N America.

Census

1841 John Houston farmer 52. Mary 40, James 17, Elizabeth 14, John 7, Mary 5, Wilhelmina and Janet both under 1. David Houston 55, Janet Hunter 23, Elizabeth Blacklock 18, William Hunter 26 and Elizabeth Cook 75

1851 John Houston 64 - farmer of 180 acres emp 2 labourers. Mary 50, and daughters Elizabeth 24 and Mary 15, son William 10, and servants David Houston 67, Margaret McMillan 21 and John McMillan 18.

1861 Little Garclaugh. John Houston farmer of 200 acres. Wife Mary 60, brother David 76, and servants James Fergusson 17, Susan Pearson 14, and Isabella Dermand 20, dairymaid.

John Houston died in December 1861

In 1866 John Baird, farmer, Garclough, married Flora Mitchell at Back Rodgerton, Auchinleck. Her parents were Andrew Mitchell and Mary Crawford farming there. (Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald)

1871 John Baird 36 is farming 180 acres arable with his wife Flora 27 and they have one son, Thomas under 1. Servants are Margaret McMillan 25, dairymaid, Isabella White 19 general domestic, Janet Gilmour 13, nursemaid, and John McClun 27, farm servant.

1881 John Baird 44, wife Flora 36, and four children under 10 farming 150 acres, 110 arable employing 1 man and 3 girls. Sharing the house are a dairymaid, general servant and Agnes Smith Nurse domestic servant along with their ploughman.

1891 John is 56, Flora 45 and family Thomas 20, Mary 18, Andrew M 16, John J 14, Hugh 10, William 7, Christina J 2. Ellen D Stewart 23 is the dairymaid and Sarah M Houston 13 is the nurse domestic.

1901 Flora is 56 and a widow farming with her family. Thomas 30, Mary 18, Andrew M 25, William 17, Gilbert 14, Christina J 12. Mary Coe 17, is their general domestic. John James Baird 24, has a job at Mid Buiston farm, Dreghorn as a farm manager.

1900 Probate - John Baird farmer Meikle Garclaugh, New Cumnock died 7/9/1900 at Meikle Garclaugh . Conf granted at Ayr 13/5/1901 to Thomas Baird farmer residing at Garclaugh, New Cumnock, Andrew Mitchell Baird farmer residing at Meikle Garclaugh there and John James Baird farmer also residing there, his sons.

1920 death of Andrew Mitchell Baird

1921 sale at Garclaugh (presumably following the death of Andrew Mitchell Baird in 1920. From Louise McClounie who has photographed the whole catalogue which is the property of John Nairn.

Valuation Rolls

1865 prop Sir James Stuart Menteith, tenant John Baird.

1885 prop Lady Jane Bailey, tenant John Baird.

1905 prop Sir James Stuart Menteith, tenant James Shankland.

1925 tenant Gilbert Baird brother of Andrew in both Garclaugh and Little Garclaugh.
1930 and 1935 Valuation roll shows James McLounie at Meikle Garclaugh and Sharp's Cottage

1940 Valuation roll has William McLounie at Meikle Garclaugh and Sharp's Cottage
Landowner is Sir William Frederick Stuart Menteith, Baronet

Iain Baird has written a book: My father was a farmer in New Cumnock.

One of John Baird's children was known as 'Wee John'. No longer 'Wee' he answered an ad in the Ayr Advertiser where a manager at a Stewarton farm was needed. He applied and from then on he was the manager for Mid-Buiston Farm just outside Stewarton.

Source: My Father Was a Farmer in New Cumnock - The story of a Scottish farming family, p. 206. Note: Mid-Buiston Farm stands between the small towns of Stewarton and Kilmaurs in Ayrshire and in the 1880s was the property of the Earl of Eglinton. From Debbie Rea