CUMNOCK AND
AUCHINLECK
Ayrshire
Directory - 1837 - by Pigot & Co
Cumnock
(or Old Cumnock) is a considerable village of thoroughfare; 60 miles
sw of Edinburgh, 16 e of Ayr, and the like distance sse of Kilmarnock; situate
on a line of road between Dumfries on the south-east and Glasgow on the north,
44 from the former town and 38 from the latter.
The village, which is of an irregular triangular form, in seated in a
deep sheltered hollow, at the confluence of the Glianock and Logan waters; it is
celebrated
for the manufacture of those beautiful wooden snuff boxes, a species of trade
which originated here nearly thirty years since, and, with some few
exceptions, as Lawrencekirk, Catrine and Mauchline, is still confined to Cumnock.
This branch furnishes employment to a considerable number of men, women
and children, all of whom get more wages by their ingenious labour than most
other artisans; and a good deal of money is thus caused to flow
through and enrich the town. Plane
tree is the wood used in the
manufacture, and great ingenuity is evinced in adorning the lids with devices,
which is choirs performed by boys; the very nice manner in which
boxes are constructed is admirable and although, in this part of the
box, many imitations have been attempted, but have failed to rival the
original manufacturer.
The places of worship are a church of the establishment, and one of the
united secession. To the
parochial school, which is well attended, the sum
of £25 annually, was left by Charles Duncan, esq., late merchant of London,
and a native of Cumnock; the Marques of Bute also allows the master a salary
for educating twenty poor children of this parish, and pays the schoolmaster
of New Cumnock and Ochlitree for the instruction of ten children in their
respective parishes. The principal
part of the town occupies the site of
what was formerly the church-yard; the present cemetary was, at one period,
the place of execution, and contains the remains of three persons who were
shot on the spot, in 1685, by a party of Highlanders, for their adherence to
the covenanted work of reformation; and the corpse of Peden, a martyr of the
covenanting body, who died in the parish of Sorn, was exhumed, by a party of
dragoons, after being interred six weeks, and ignominiously buried at the
gallows foot. An establishment of
the Ayrshire Banking Company , and two
saving's banks, are in the town; the first was opened in 1831, to which
Messrs Crawford and Nichol are the treasurers; the other in 1835, to which M.
Campbell is treasurer. There are
also two libraries, viz. the "Cumnock
Library" established in 1792 by shareholders, and the "Cumnock new
public
library", formed in 1832. The
castle of Terrenacen, now in ruins, is in the
neighbourhood - it gives the title of baron to the family of Dumfries. The
market is held on Thursday; and the fairs on the fourth Thursday after
Candleman, on the Wednesday succeeding the last Tuesday in May, and
Wednesday after the first Tuesday in July, and after the third Tuesday in
October, all old style.
Auchinleck
(pronounced Affleck) signifying a field of rock, is a respectable
village in the parish of its name, 1¼ mile from Cumnock, three from Sorn,
and the like distance from Catrine. Like
Cumnock, many are employed in the
manufacture of snuff boxes, and others in weaving and sewing muslins for the
Glasgow houses. The parish, which
is 18 miles in length, by only about two
in breadth, is watered on its northern extremity by the Ayr, and by the
Lugar on the south. Coal and
limestone are produced here, but the soil is
for the most part mossy and unproductive.
The places of worship are a
church of the establishment, and one belonging to the burghers; there is
also a parochial school. The ruins
of Auchinleck castle stand in an angle
formed by the Dopal burn and the Lugar; and in the neighbourhood is the
Place of Auchinleck. a handsome mansion, erected in the last centuary by
Lord Auchinleck, senator of the college of justice, and father of the
eminent and amiable James Boswell, Esq., the friend and biographer of
Johnson; the house is still the property of the Boswell family.
A well
attended fair, for the sale of lambs, is held annually on the last Tuesday
in August.
Post
Office, Cumnock. Andrew Rankin,
Post master. - Letters from Edinburgh
and Glasgow arrive every morning at nine, and are despatched every forenoon
at eleven - Letters from Sanquhar amd New Cumnock arrive every morning at
half past eight, and are despatched every morning at half past nine. -
Letters from England arrive every afternoon at five, and are despatched to
Douglas Mill every evening at 7.
Post, Auchinleck, Receiving house at Janet Dalrymple's - Letters from London
arrive every afternoon at half past four, and are despatched every evening
(to Sorn) at half past seven - Letters (excepting the London) arrive every
morning at nine, and are despatched every afternoon at five.
NOBILITY,
GENTRY & CLERGY
Allanson,
James, Esq of Glasnock/ Bannatyne, Rev. Ninian,
Manse/ Boswell,
Sir James, baronet of Auchinleck house/ Brown, Rev. Robt, Bankhead manse/
Bute, the Most Noble the Marques of Dumfries house/ Chrystal, Rev. James,
Auchinleck manse/ Cunningham, William Allanson, Esq of Logan and Enterkine
ACADEMIES
& SCHOOLS
Gilmour,
Edward, Auchilleck/ McCrae, John,
Cumnock/ McCrae, William,
Cumnock/ Parochial School, Cumnock - James Campbell, master/ Parochial
School, Auchinleck - William Robertson, master
AGENTS
TO MANUFACTURERS
Boyd,
James, Cumnock/ Gibson, Andrew, Auchinleck/ Millroy, John, Auchinleck/
Murdock, James, Auchinleck/ Nicol,
James, Cumnock/ Ronald, John,
Cumnock/
Torrence, John, Cumnock
AUCTIONEERS
French,
Alexander, Cumnock/ Hamilton,
George, Cumnock/ Hamilton, Thomas,
Cumnock
BAKERS
Anderson,
Agnes, Cumnock/ Crichton, David,
(and flour and grain dealer),
Cumnock/ Templeton, John, Auchinleck
BANKERS
Ayrshire
Banking Company, Cumnock - (draw on the Royal Bank of Edinburgh and
Glasgow, Williams, Deacon & Co., London) - James Crawford, Agent
BLACKSMITHS
Drinnan,
George, Cumnock/ McCarrick, Thomas,
Garralland/ McClellan, Alx (&
carrier) Cumnock/ McKerrow, James, Auchinleck/
Merry, Henry, Cumnock/
Morrison, David, Cumnock/ Reagans
, William, Cumnock
BOOT
AND SHOE MAKERS
Ferguson,
Walter, Cumnock/ Hamilton, David,
Auchinleck/ McClatchie, Hugh,
Cumnock/ McGeachin, Hugh, Cumnock/
McGeachin, Hugh jnr, Cumnock/
McKerrall, Robert, Cumnock/
McMillan, James, Cumnock/ Murdock,
David,
Cumnock/ Robertson, William, Cumnock/
Smith, George, Cumnock/ Wilson,
John, Auchinleck
CARPENTERS
AND CARTWRIGHTS
Black,
William (and cabinet maker), Cumnock/
Bryan, William, Cumnock/
Drummond, James, Cumnock/
Galbraith, Wm (& cabinet maker), Cumnock/ Hodge,
Andrew, Cumnock/ McClatchie,
William, Cumnock/ Morton, William,
Auchinleck/
Murdock, Robert, Auchinleck/
Thomson, Hugh, Cumnock
COOPERS
Gibb,
John, Cumnock/ Howat, James,
Cumnock
FACTORS
Crichton,
Adam, to the Marques of Bute, Dumfries House
Gibb, Andrew, to Sir James Boswell, bart, Auchinleck house
FIRE
& LIFE OFFICES
West
of Scotland (fire) the Scottish Amicable (life) Offices, James
Cranford, Cumnock
FLESHERS
Baird,
Thos, (& shopkeeper) Cumnock/
Clemis, Andrew, (and shopkeeper),
Cumnock/
Crawford,
James, Cumnock/ Crawford, James jnr,
Cumnock/ Purdie, James,
Cumnock/ Vallance, Robert & David, Cumnock
GROCERS
(marked
thus * are spirit dealers) (See also
Wine and Spirit merchants)
Anderon,
William, Cumnock/ * Baird, David,
Cumnock/ * Bell, Agnes, Cumnock/
* Boyd, James (and general merchant), Cumnock/
* Crawfrd, Quinton, (and
general merchant) Cumnock/
Crichton, Adam, Cumnock/ Dixon,
Helen, Cumnock/
* Eadie, Daniel, Auchinleck/ Hair,
John, Cumnock/ Howard, William,
Cumnock/
* Kirkland, David, Cumnock/
McCrindle, Alexander, Cumnock/
McGeachin, Hugh
jnr, Cumnock/ * Nichol, James,
Cumnock/ Richmond, Margaret, Cumnock/
Simson, Mary Ann, Cumnock/ Sloan,
Mary, Cumnock/ * Templeton, George,
Auchinleck/
* Weir, John, Cumnock
INN
Dumfries
Arms (commercial and posting) Jas
McKinlay, Cumnock
IRONMONGERS
Kirkland,
David, Cumnock/ Weir, John,
Cumnock
LINEN
DRAPERS
Gibb,
Alexander Boswell, Cumnock/ Hair,
William, Cumnock/ McKirrow,
Andrew, Cumnock/ McKirrow,
Matthew, (and discounter), Cumnock/
Paterson,
James, Cumnock/ Torrance, John,
Cumnock
MASONS
Morton,
Andrew, Auchinleck/ Murdock,
Andrew, Cumnock/ Reid, John,
Cumnock/
Richmond, John, Cumnock/ Simson,
John, Cumnock
MESSENGERS
McCowan,
Archibald, Cumnock/ White, William,
Cumnock
MILLINERS
& DRESS MAKERS
Burns,
Jane, Cumnock/ Douglas, Mary,
Cumnock/ McFarlane, Janet, Cumnock/
McGeachin, Jane, Cumnock/
Paterson, Agnes & Jemima, Cumnock/
Sliman, Sarah
& Agnes, Cumnock/ Williamson,
Marion, Cumnock
NAIL
MAKERS
King,
John, Cumnock/ McClimont, John,
Cumnock/ Weir, John, Cumnock
SADDLERS
Black,
Peter, Cumnock/ McKinlay, James,
Cumnock
SNUFF-BOX
MAKERS
Crawford,
William (and original maker), Cumnock/
Crichton, Adam, Cumnock/
Crichton, David & Co, Cumnock/
Crichton, Peter, Cumnock/ Drummond
& Co,
Cumnock/ Eadie, Daniel, Auchinleck/
Findly, John, Auchinleck/ Gibson,
John, Auchinleck/ Lammie,
Alexander, Cumnock/ McCallum,
Peter, Cumnock/
McGregor, James, Auchinleck/ McKie,
James, Auchinleck/ McMillan,
Thomas,
Cumnock/ Murdock, David, Auchinleck/
Samson & Co, Cumnock
SNUFF-BOX
PAINTERS
Douglas,
John, Cumnock/ Lammie, Thomas,
Cumnock/ McCallum, William, Cumnock/
McKinnon , John, Cumnock/
Robertson, Andrew, Cumnock
STRAW
HAT MAKERS
Lammie,
Janet, Cumnock/ Paterson, Agnes
& Jemima, Cumnock
SURGEONS
Crichton,
William, Cumnock/ Gregg, Alexander,
Auchinleck/ Wills, Douglas,
Cumnock
TAILORS
Baird,
Thomas, Cumnock/ Crawford, Hugh,
Cumnock/ Hastings, Thomas, Cumnock/
Kerr, Alexander, Cumnock/ Lammie,
John, Cumnock/ McCartney, Francis,
Cumnock/
McMorland,
Hugh, Cumnock/ McMorland, James,
Cumnock/ Wilson, Walter,
Auchinleck
VINTERS
Baird,
John (Craig Head), Cumnock/ Black,
Peter (Eagle), Cumnock/
Dalrymple, Janet (Auchinleck Arms), Cumnock/
McKerrow, William,
Auchinleck/ Morton, Rbt, (Black Bull), Auchinleck/ Murray, Jas, (Black
Bull), Cumnock/ Templeton, Andrew
(Wheat Sheaf), Cumnock/ Templeton,
George, Auchinleck/ Torrance,
Agnes, Cumnock
WATCH
& CLOCK MAKERS
Moore,
George, Cumnock/ Silman, Archibald,
Cumnock
WINE
& SPIRIT MERCHANTS
Campbell,
Hugh, Cumnock
Crawford, Quinton (and iron, wool, palm oil, butter & tar),
Cumnock
WRIGHTS
See
Carpenters and Cartwrights
WRITERS
Rose
Hamilton (and notary and procurator fiscal for the Cumnock district of
the county), Cumnock
White, William (and notary and justice of peace clerk),
Cumnock
MISCELLANEOUS
Crawford,
Jas., sub-distributor of stamps,
Bank, Cumnock/ Douglas, John,
portrait painter, Cumnock/ Finlay,
Alexander, salt dealer,
Cumnock/ Gibb,
Joseph, tinsmith,
Cumnock/ Hair, Andrew, grain
&c dealer, Cumnock/ King,
Jas., woollen dyer & carder, Cumnock/
Logan, Janet, tea dealer,
Cumnock/
McCarthy, Geo., millwright &c, Cumnock/
McGeachin, Wm, hardware dealer,
Cumnock/ McKelvie, John, hair cutter, Cumnock/
Murdock, Robt, horse
dealer, Auchinleck/ Nichol,
Alexander, seedsman, grain dealer
and road
contractor, Cumnock/ Taylor, Robt,
earthenware manufr., Cumnock/
Walker,
William, coal master,
Cumnock/ Wills, Alexander, druggist,
Cumnock/
Wyllie, James, gunsmith,
Auchinleck
PLACES
OF WORSHIP
Established
Church, Cumnock - Rev Ninian Bannatne
Established
Church, Auchinleck - Rev James Chrystal
Original
Seccession Chapel, Auchinleck
Seccession
Chapel, Cumnock - Rev Robert Brown.
COACHES
To
Ayr - the "Independant" (market coach) from the Dumfries Arms, every
Tuesday and Friday morning at seven
This transcript was
kindly provided by Keith Muirhead
from the Sunshine Coast of Queensland.
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