Macnaught in the OS six inch first edition. Note also Macnaught Hill to the south of the farm house.
Associated with Meiklehill farm
No Farm Horse Tax found
Covenanters (New Cumnock History)
On 5th May 1684 Charles 11 issued a Proclamation 'for the apprehension of persons who were supposed to have been under arms or to have harboured those who were'. On 17th October 1684 the parishioners of Cumnock (Old & New) were interrogated. They had to depone (swear under oath) and give names to the authorities of any fellow parishioners who were involved in non-conformist activities such as failing to attend church, failing to have children baptised at church, attending conventicles.
'Georg McCarteney in McKnight, present upon oath, of the age of 50yrs or therby, deponds idem with the rest, as he shall answer to God.'
Births & Baptisms - New Cumnock OPRs
Some children born to Robert Gemmell & Christian Dunbar in McKnight
Baptisms - 15/8/1725 Gavin, 19/10/1729 Margaret, 25/11/1733 Elizabeth, 16/3/1740 William,
26/8/1744 George, 20/6/1751 Quintin
Birth - Agnes born 16/9/`823 daughter to William Campbell & Jean Scott in MaNeght
Scotlands Places describes this in 1855/57 as Macnaught, McNeight and Maneight, "A very poor looking farm house on the road from New Cumnock to Dalmellington occupied by J P Willison of Meiklehill"
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| Maneight, New Cumnock by Robert Guthrie 2004 From Geograph |
Census
1841 Freecen for McKnight has Ivie Campbell 30, farmer with Jean 30, William 5, James 2, and Ann 7 months. Servants are Catherine Murdoch 15, William Murdoch 20, Samuel Kerr 10, William Sams 10, Agnes Laidlaw 15, Margret Martin 10 and Charlotte Watson 35.
Ivie Campbell was a cousin of the Campbells of Dalgig, and left here for Craig Farm, Balmaghie, Kirkcudbright.
1851 For Macknight, John Ferguson,10, James Kirk 18, shepherd, and Mary Martin 17, house servant.
1861 census Macknayght John Murdoch 46 dairyman wife Elizabeth (Kerr) 31 4 small children father James Murdoch 81 2 servants
In 1861 James Murdoch the father died at Maneight. He was a bower.
In 1870 death certificate of 2 year old Sarah Murdoch father John Murdoch farmer Maneight and wife Elizabeth Kerr. By d to the 1871 census the Murdochs had moved to Low Rigend, New Cumnock
1891 William Sloan 27 and wife Jane with 1 year old son John W McGill Sloan. They have a number of servants. brother in law John McGill 24, farmer, William Wilson 24, shepherd, and farm servants John Wilson 17 and William Hose 16, and two domestics, Elizabeth Hose and Isabella Brown 21 and 14.
1901 and William and Janet (?) have added to their family with Alexander 9, James MT 7, William MK 5, Thomas MT 3, and Robert 1 and daughter Mary M under 1. Servants are John Wilson 28, John Rennie 14, Margaret G Campbell 17, Mary Brechany 17, and Janet B Brechany 15, nurse domestic.
William Sloan, originally from Barnhill Farm, Coylton gained much success with his quality Blackface sheep at Maneight. He was brought up on a farm of 1093 acres, 125 arable.
(from British Newspaper Archive)
Valuation Rolls
1855 Lands of Maneight, Proprietor William Cunningham, tenants Samuel Bennet and J Willison
1865 Land Meiklehill and Maneight Proprietor John Cathcart and tenant James Paterson
1885 Farm and House Meiklehill and Maneight, Proprietor Sir Reginald Cathcart, tenant James MacMin
1895 Tenant William Sloan
1915 Tenant Andrew Hamilton
1920 Proprietor Captain Ivo Heneage, tenant Andrew Hamilton
1935 Owner and Occupier Andrew Hamilton
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| 1934 from The Scotsman |
1917 from the Dumfries and Galloway Standard
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| The Mole Catcher’s Been - by Stuart Brabbs in 2007 From Geograph taken near Dalblair |
This is a rare sight these days but used to be common practice. There are suppositions about why the moles are presented like this, such as scaring away other moles, but from a practical point of view it gives the farmer evidence of exactly how many moles have been caught. The usual method of payment is per head.
My mother, born in 1924 recollected that they used to trap and skin moles to sell - a horrible smelly job she heartily disliked. Can anybody confirm her story? It must have been around the second war.
When poisoning the moles became the most efficient method, this changed, as the moles died underground. Nowadays, trapping is again favoured and the sight of mole gibbets such as this one may return. So far the fashion for ladies to wear moleskin capes etc has not made a comeback.
The job of the molecatcher was often a part time one used to supplement family income and quite a skill. Each person engaged in catching the mole would have his favoured trap - often hand made! The other essential tools are rods to feel for tunnels close to the surface, and a short bladed spade to cut into the run to place the poisoned worms, or to set the trap.
The “mowdie catcher” in the latter part of the 1900s around Cumnock was David Gorman. His brother John was a miner who unfortunately lost his life in the time of the 1980s miners strike when a tunnel collapsed on him while digging coal in a railway embankment.
