Sunday, 26 July 2020

Polquheys, New Cumnock

Location
Alternate spellings Polkheys, Polquhise

What does the name Polquhise or Polquheys mean?  'Pol' seems to be connected to water.

Burntown of Polquhise in 1754 (on 20 August, baptism of John Howat son of Charles Howat and Agnes Howatson of Burntown of Polquhise

 John Black - Smith in Polquheys

New Cumnock OPRs - Some Births/Baptisms
02/02/1706 in Polquhise     child McMillan           Fa: John McMillan     Mo: Margaret Black
27/02/1715 in Polquhise     Margaret                     Fa: John Kirkwood     Mo: Mary Black    
06/06/1725 in Polquhise     Agnes                          Fa: John Muir             Mo: Sarah McKnight
20/06 1742 in Polquhise     John                             Fa: John Muir             Mo: Sarah McKnight
27/12/1728 in Polquhise     child to                        Fa: James McKnight  Mo: Sybilla Gemmell  
25/09/1748 in Polquhise     James                          Fa: Thomas Howat     Mo: Agnes Howatson
12/02/1749 in Polquhise     John                            Fa: James Howat         Mo: Janet Paterson
17/01/1753 in Polquhise     John                            Fa: Thomas Richard    Mo: Euphans McKnight
14/09/1755 in Polquhise     Barbara                       Fa: William Sloan       Mo: Abigail McKenzie
17/03/1767 in Polquhise     Janet                            Fa: John Mirchell        Mo: Sarah Herris
29/10/1788 in Polquhise     Mary                            Fa: Robert Kerr           Mo: Jennet Gibson
14/02/1822 in Polquhise     James                           Fa: John Craig            Mo: Margaret Spence

High Polquheys - A house with office occupied by farm servants on Polquheys Farm.

Polquheys - A farmhouse & offices occupied by Mr John Craig, the property of Mr Carmichael.


                                                 Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald 27/3/1875

The 1841 census for Polquheys shows John Craig 50 farming there with his wife Margaret (Spence) 45 and their children Janet 20, James 19 and William 15. There are 5 men and 3 women listed but with no status so presumably they are workers.

The 1851 census shows John Craig 63 farmer of 8000 acres employing 6 labourers. He is assisted by his wife Margaret 58, sons James 29, Daniel 22 and Robert 20 along with 2 female house servants, 1 dairymaid and 6 male agricultural workers.

By the 1861 census son James Craig 39 is farming 5650 acres employing 110 shepherds (2 different census sources checked and both say 110!?) and 8 labourers. He is assisted by his 30 year old wife Margaret (McCulloch whom he married 17/2/1857 in Ballantrae). They have three children John 3, Margaret 1 and infant son William. They also employ 1 female domestic servant, 1 nurserymaid, 2 ploughmen, 1 stable boy and 1 message boy. Margaret Milroy a farmer's daughter and Agnes Laing a minister's daughter are visiting.

The 1871 census shows James Craig 49 landowner and farmer of 10,000 acres of which 500 are arable and employing 12 labourers He and Margaret 42 now have 6 sons living with them John 13, William 10, James 8, Daniel 7, Robert 6 and Thomas 3.They also employ a 13yr old nurserymaid, 1 housemaid, 1 female cook, 2 ploughmen, 1 barnman, 1 groom, 1 shepherd, 1 female bower and 2 dairymaids. Margaret Milroy is visiting.


1881 census shows Andrew McCartney 33 and his brother James 39 farming 500 acres arable employing 2 men 1 boy and 2 girls.  James is a retired teacher.  James' wife Jane and children Joseph 9, Sarah 6, Jane 4, and Hugh 2 also live at Polquheys along with Alice McKnight 20 and Jane Cumming 19 general servants.

The 1891 census shows Andrew McCartney 45 farming Polquheys,  his mother Sarah age 77yrs, farm servants William Dorbie and Archibald Stevenson and domestic servant Martha Kelly.

The 1901 census shows Andrew McCartney 53, his wife Janet 44, daughter Jane 7, son Andrew 6, daughter Sarah 3, 1 male farm servant, 1 byre woman and 2 female domestic servants.

Auld Kirkyard New Cumnock
Lair Ref: 221 - William Craig 9/9/1826 died Dunfermline 9/3/1884 57, son John 6/8/1855 5yrs 10mths, son James 5/6/1860 7mths, wife Jane Sloan d Dunfermline 6/8/1886 58, son Dan 13/12/1874 4yrs 10mths.

Lair Ref: 501 - IMO John Craig, farmer, Polquheys 17/5/1812 55, Dan 8/8/1805 15, wife Barbara Kirkwood...

VR 1885 prop Mary McQueen Thomson Carmichael (10 houses shown in addition to the farm).  1905 prop Michael Carmichael, tenant Robert MacCartney.  1925 prop Alice Carmichael (Low and High Polquheys).  1935 tenant Robert Nelson.  1940 prop Edith MacNeill.