Mary Murray Murdoch

From Commondyke to Zion

by Roberta McGee 

A Brief History of the Murdochs of Commondyke

James Crawford Murdoch's grandfather Robert Murdoch was born on 14th March 1713 at Murdochstown, Auchinleck and died on 12th November 1792 at Commondyke, Auchinleck. He married Margaret Wyllie on 2nd June 1737 at Auchinleck. Margaret was born in Kilmarnock. Their children were Janet born 1738, Ann born 1746, John born 1748, Robert born 1750, James born 1752 and Euphemia born 1757, all at Commondyke. 

It is interesting to note that Robert, who was born in 1750, married Grizzel Broadfoot on 8th February 1781. Their daughter Marion, who was born on 2nd May 1797 at Clockclounie, Old Cumnock married David Reid who was born 24th May 1793 at Auchengibbert, Old Cumnock. David Reid was tragically shot dead in the Poachers' Riot in Old Cumnock on 10th January 1833.

Learn more about the Poachers' Riot here -  Poaching (ayrshirehistory.org.uk).

Marion Murdoch on Cumnock Connections - Family Tree 

James Crawford Murdoch and Mary Murray

James Crawford Murdoch was born on 3rd July 1786 at Commondyke, Auchinleck. His father James was also born at Commondyke in 1752 and died there in 1846. His mother was Janet Osborne, who was born on 21st April 1756 at Fogston, Ochiltree and died before 1802 which is when widower James married Veronica Kirkland who was born at Commondyke in 1752.

James Crawford Murdoch married Mary Murray on 10th January 1811 at Auchinleck. Mary was born on 13th October 1782 at Glencairn, Dumfriesshire. Her father was John Murray and her mother was Margaret McCall.

James and Mary lived in Gaswater, a small hamlet on the Muirkirk Road, which was initially built to house workers from the lime works and for the miners from the small local mines. Gaswater Limeworks, a large lime quarry and limekilns, was established in the early 19th century to convert limestone into lime. A number of bell pits were sunk to supply coal for the works. It was here that James Murdoch lost his life.

pre-1855 Accidents - Scottish Mining Website

The Scotsman 2/11/1831

Two Men Suffocated

On Fri. last, the 21st ult., at Grass-water Limeworks, in the Parish of Auchinleck, two young men of the name of Baird, sons of a farmer in the neighbourhood, came to a coalpit five fathoms deep that was sinking. One prevailed to the other to let him down the pit to see it, but, when near the bottom, he fell down from the effects of the choke-damp. The brother gave the alarm, when a man of the name of Murdoch, came to his assistance, and went down the pit, but he shared the same fate. David McLeod, another man, now went down, and he also shared the same fate. James Davidson, a third person, next went down, but, before reaching the bottom, he called out to be taken up. He got a rope fixed round his body and attempted it again, but did not succeed. A fire was got and let down into the pit and one of them was heard to moan. The smoke was quite close in the pit and nothing could be seen. However, when the windlass was turned it was found some of the three persons below were attached to the rope, and when the windlass was hoisted to a certain height, there appears but one of the men, David McLeod, hanging by one hand to the rope. He was immediately rescued by the people at the pit mouth. The other two men were dead before they could be got out. We understand Murdoch has left a wife and young family to lament his loss. McLeod recovered so far as to be able to walk home to Auchinleck in the evening.

So, at 49 years old, Mary was left a widow with a family of six. The children were Janet born 8/12/1811 Boghead, James born 29/7/1814 Gaswater, Veronica born 16/6/1816 Gaswater, Mary born 23/11/1819 Gaswater, John Murray born 20/2/1820 Gassater and William born 3/7/1825 Gaswater. James and Mary had had two further children who had died in infancy - Mary born 16/6/1813 Boghead and Margaret 30/12/1822 Gaswater. She also had the responsibility of raising her orphaned niece Margaret Murray who was 4 years old.

Mary Murray Murdoch was only 4 feet and 7 inches in height and weighed about 90lbs. She came to be known as "Wee Granny". Mary was a hard worker and a few years after the death of her husband she built, with the help of her children and some neighbours, a small stone cottage with a thatched roof.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

About 1850 Mormon elders began arriving in the UK to preach the restored gospel. Their aim was to convert as many people as possible to Mormonism and convince then to move from the UK to Utah (Zion). James Steel, the brother of Mary's daughter-in-law Ann Steele, was one of the first to be converted to the faith. James had been in England for some time and had been converted by his future wife Elizabeth Wyllie. James then visited his brother-in-law John and his wife Ann Steele, his sister, in Kirkconnel and persuaded them to embrace Mormonism. After he returned to England he sent missionaries to John's home where they held many Church meetings. John and Ann were baptised into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 29th November 1850.

James Steele

                                                

                                                               "Yes my native land, I love thee

                                                               All the scenes I love them well,

                                                               Friends, connections, happy country,

                                                            Can I bid you all farewell

                                                             Can I leave thee

                                                           Far in distant lands to dwell"

                                                                                        LDS Hymn Book

On 10th January 1852 John Murray Murdoch, his pregnant wife Ann Steele and their two children Elizabeth, who was three and a half years old, and James who was one and a half years old, boarded the ship "Kennebec" at Liverpool to start the first stage of their perilous journey to America. The journey would take nine weeks and their first stop would be New Orleans. Nearing the end of the voyage they ran out of food and water and both children took ill from lack of nutrition. No-one had any food to share and they were nearing starvation. When they reached New Orleans they were transferred to a steamboat on the Mississippi River. The steamboat was crowded and there was still no food. The children were crying with hunger and they grew weaker by the day. Sadly young John died on the steamboat on 20th March 1852 and they buried him in a woodyard on the banks of the Mississippi. They landed in Saint Louis where, tragically, daughter Elizabeth died on 4th April 1852.

After remaining in Saint Louis for about a month, they again boarded a ship and sailed up the Missouri River to Kansas City where they picked up their equipment for crossing the plains. However, cholera broke out and they had to wait until it had passed. On 20th May 1852, in the midst of a thunderstorm and in a tent, Ann gave birth to their daughter Mary Murray Murdoch, named after her grandmother. Then started the long trek across the plains to Zion with Ann walking while carrying her new baby almost all the way. Finally, on 3rd September 1852, the travellers reached Salt Lake City, safe but very, very weary. It was a bitter-sweet end to their long journey from Scotland. Sadness because they had lost two children on the way. Joy because they had reached Zion.

Mary Murray Murdoch's Journey

Mary Murray Murdoch, who was known affectionately as "Wee Granny", was baptised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 22nd December 1851 by her son John. When John left for America he promised his mother that he would save enough money to pay for her journey to join him in Utah (Zion). True to his word he did, so, on 25th May 1856 Mary boarded the "Horizon" and sailed out of Liverpool heading for Boston on the first part of her journey to join him. She was a 72yr old widow and was determined to be with her son in Zion. She was accompanied by James Steele, who was her daughter-in-law Ann Steele's brother, James's wife Elizabeth and their two children James aged 3yrs and George aged 1yr. Also accompanying them was James's mother-in-law Mary Ann George Wyllie. The ship was chartered by the Church.

When they arrived in Boston on 28th June they then travelled by rail to Iowa City, arriving there on 8th July 1856. It would not have been a comfortable journey as they would have had to travel in converted freight cars and sit on wooden benches. At Iowa City they made their way to the Mormon encampment site where they received their handcarts. Mary was assigned to the Martin Handcart Company which was one of five handcart companies participating in the migration of members of the LDS Church to Utah using handcarts to transport their belongings. Handcarts were used as a low cost and more efficient way of transportation where pioneers pulled the wooden carts themselves instead of using wagons which were pulled by oxen. Martin's handcarts turned out to be poorly made and unfit for the job they were supposed to do, and, because the handcarts and tents were not ready, they were forced to wait until late July to continue on their journey, with disastrous results.

Willie and Martin handcart companies - Wikipedia

The Martin Company was the last to leave Iowa City in 1856. The Company consisted of 576 people, 146 carts, 7 wagons, 30 oxen and 50 cows and beef cattle. The first leg of the handcart journey across Iowa to Florence, Nebraska, was 277 miles long and would take them about four weeks. They started out in the stifling heat feeling quite upbeat. However, the problem with the badly constructed handcarts soon raised its ugly head.  They were breaking down frequently. The heat was unbearable, they encountered numerous sand hills making it difficult to push their carts and they began to run out of food and water. It was a relief to them when they crossed the Missouri River and arrived in Florence, Nebraska, the last settlement for hundreds of miles. 

They had a short stop in Florence where they stocked up on food and equipment and repaired the broken handcarts. There had been some concerns voiced by the Willie Handcart Company that they would encounter freezing cold and snow in the Rockies and it had been suggested that they should winter along the Platte River in Nebraska, but it had been over-ruled and the Willie Company had decided to carry on with the journey. The Martin Handcart Company decided to do the same. 

The Martin Handcart Company left Florence on 25th August 1856. Mary had another 900  miles to walk before she reached the Great Salt Lake and Zion and the journey was expected to be difficult. Some way into the journey the presence of the herds of buffalo on the prairie caused their cattle to stampede which resulted in the loss of milk cows and ended their rations of beef. By the time 73 years old Mary had walked 500 miles she was beginning to struggle and her body was giving up. She was exhausted and weak. 

Mary Murray Murdoch finally succumbed and she died on 2nd October 1856 about 10 miles northeast of Chimney Rock, Nebraska. She had been suffering from diarrhoea or dysentry. Mary was one of eighteen members of the Martin and Willie companies who died during the mid-September to early October period before the severe winter weather hit. James Steele, his wife Elizabeth and his mother-in-law were with Mary when she passed. Her last words were "Tell John that I died with my face toward Zion".  Wee Granny was buried near Chimney Rock, Nebraska, in a shallow grave by the side of the wagon trail.

                                                 Tell John I died with my face toward Zion

The Family of James Murdoch and Mary Murray Murdoch

Janet Murdoch was born on 8th December 1811 at Boghead and married Alexander Smith, a coalminer, on 20th December 1833 at Auchinleck. According to the 1861 Census the family were living at Birnieknowe, Auchinleck. Janet died on 28th June 1866 at Auchinleck.

Mary Murdoch was born on 16th June 1813 at Boghead and died that same year in Boghead.

James Murdoch was born on 29th July 1814 at Gaswater and died on 12th september 1884 at Lambhill Street, Glasgow. He married Margaret McCall on 24th November 1841 at Leadhills, Lanarkshire. James never embraced Mormonism but regularly kept in touch with his sisters and brothers in Utah. James was an aerated water manufacturer. He must have lived in Old Cumnock at one time because one of his sons, John, was born there in 1846

Veronica Murdoch was born on 16th June 1816 at Gaswater. She married George Caldow, a drainer, on 15th February 1839 at Auchinleck. In 1841 and 1851 George and Veronica and their children were living in Muirkirk. George died about 1858 (cannot find his death certificate) and 1861 finds Veronica living at Long Causay (North Side), Old Cumnock. She is a handsewer and with her on the census is her grandson Alexander Gold (daughter Mary's son). Although Veronica had been baptised into the Mormon Church, neither her husband nor her children had been converted. George and Veronica were supposed to have had eleven children but this is not certain. Only Mary, George, James and John can be verified.

Some sources also have in addition  Alexander, William, Thomas, Joseph, David, Brigham and Nephi. When Veronica (or Vachey as she was known) was sixty two years old  she decided to join her siblings in Utah. None of her children joined her so she travelled with her brother William and family on 24th May 1878 on the "Nevada". It took nineteen days to travel by sea and rail to Heber where the party rented a small house belonging to Thomas Giles, a widower. Veronica married Thomas Giles on 3rd July 1879. She never saw her children again and she died in Heber City on 4th October 1908.

                                                                     Veronica Murdoch

Mary Murdoch was born on 23rd November 1819 at Gaswater. She married Allan Mair on 4th June 1841 at Cronberry. Allan and Mary had nine children, John, James, Allan, Mary, Andrew and Alexander. Three children, Matthew, William and Janet died in infancy. When the Mormon missionaries arrived in Auchinleck Mary embraced their religion and was baptised into their church on 4th June 1851. Her husband Allan could not be persuaded to join so Mary devised a plan to leave him, taking their three youngest children with her, and joining her fellow Mormons in Utah. With the assistance of her daughter Mary and a member of the Mormon church, she began to transport their belongings in small parcels to the station where the member forwarded them on. The church also supplied her with money for her fare. She told her husband that she and the children were going to Utah for a short trip. They sailed from Liverpool on 6th June 1866 on the ship "Saint Mark". She never intended coming back. After she left her husband found out the truth. Her two oldest sons, John and James, had previously emigrated to Maryland, USA, in search of a better life so Allan sent them a cablegram asking them to try and intercept them in New York before they left for Utah. They were too late and Allan never saw his wife and three youngest children again. On first December 1866 in Salt Lake City, Mary became the plural wife of Thomas Todd but the marriage did not work out and they separated. She then married Daniel McMillan, a blacksmith and widower, on 26th June 1871 in Salt Lake City. Her two eldest sons, who lived in Maryland and Kansas, did manage eventually to pay her a short visit in Utah. Mary died on 5th December 1900 in Heber City. Her husband Allan Mair had died on 2nd May 1897 in Auchinleck.

                                                                        Mary Murdoch 
                                                                                  

John Murray Murdoch was born on 29th December 1820 at Gaswater. He was the first of Wee Granny's children to emigrate to Utah. As previously described, he had a difficult and tragic journey from Scotland to Utah. He had married Ann Steele on 24th February 1848 at Kirkconnel, Dumfriesshire. After many ups and downs they made a good life for themselves in the USA.  Ann had given birth to thirteen children there two having died on the journey from Scotland. On 9th August 1882, in obedience to the LDS teachings at that time, John took a plural wife, Isabella Crawford, a Scottish girl whose family had disowned her because she had become a Mormon. Isabella gave birth to seven children and they all lived in harmony for many years. Of the twenty two children born only fifteen survived, seven having died young. Ann died on 15th December 1909 in Heber City and a heartbroken John died six months later on 6th May 1910. They were buried beside each other. Isabella died six years later.

                                      John Murray Murdoch with his two wives Ann and Isabella

   

Margaret Murray Murdoch was born on 30th December 1822 in Gaswater and died in infancy.

William Murdoch was born on 3rd July 1825 at Gaswater and baptised into the Church of Scotland. He married Janet Lennox on 23rd June 1846 in Old Cumnock. Janet, or Jessie as she was known, was born in Muir, Old Cumnock and died in Kilmarnock on 20th December 1877. She is buried in Muirkirk Graveyard. William and Jessie had six children. William converted to Mormonism and on 24th May 1878 emigrated on the steamship "Nevada" his final destination being Salt Lake City. Marriage No. 2 on 29th June 1882 in Heber was to a Scottish girl, Christina Graham. Unfortunately the marriage did not work and they got divorced. Marriage No. 3, on 26th November 1887 at Heber, was to Mary Reid Lindsay who was born in Glasgow. William and Mary had three children and he was 69 years old when the third child was born. William became an American citizen on 18th March 1884. When he was 75 years old he sold his farm and bought a house in Heber. He died on 12th March 1913 in Heber City.

 

Sources:

The Long Road to Zion

The Final Journey of Mary Murray Murdoch  -  Author Kenneth W. Merrell, May 2001

The James and Mary Murdoch Family History by The James and Mary Murdock Family Organisation

Cornish tin, copper and lead miners

By Kay McMeekin

Miners from Cornwall

(Compare with Staffordshire miners)  https://langscotsmilecumnock.blogspot.com/2023/09/1870s-influx-of-miners.html

Cornish miners first came to Ayrshire around 1866 - 1867

 3rd Statistical account of Scotland: Ayrshire by John Strawhorn and William Boyd 1951 page 523

"In the 1860s there arrived in Galston a group of Cornish tin-miners as strikebreakers including Chynoweths, Burleys and Lukes, who still figure among the local families. Some of these were Methodists and held meetings which attracted some following. The original Methodist groups has not survived but a group which hived off from them formed themselves in 1871 into a company of Open Brethren whose present day successors number about 60."

I haven't found any other evidence of strike breaking. 

But I did find an article in the Glasgow Herald 12th November 1866 that  Baird of Gartsherrie  was recruiting miners from Cornwall to come to work in mines in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. There was a local shortage of miners and many had gone (to West Lothian) to be shale miners, whereas in Cornwall there were many out of work (tin and copper) miners. They were offered an engagement of 12 months and accommodation. But for every married couple, they had take two single men as lodgers as accommodation was in short supply. The wages were favourable compared to Cornwall and some 6-700 men had arrived in the last fortnight.  Hurlford Colliery was the only Ayrshire place mentioned in the article. It does mention that they were Wesleyans and most had brought a large family bible with them. (Were these same conditions offered to to West Midlands miners?)

In Ayrshire,  the first of the Cornish miners were in Loudoun and Galston  parishes. 

Examples:

James Phillips a lead miner from Illogan and his wife  Catherine Bunney were in Loudoun (Galston) Ayrshire by March 1867 but in 1881 census they had returned to Cornwall where he was working as a tin miner with 6 children aged 1 to 14. What a journey that must have been. They weren't there for long as James was born in Ayrshire about 1882. In 1888 they were in Skares Row, Cumnock. James was mining coal. He remained in Skares until his death in 1924.

Burley siblings in Loudoun rows, Galston by the early 1870s. Some of these families moved on to Cumnock.  eg Arthur Burley 

Hancocks from Cornwall arrived in Cumnock 1872/3

The parents James Hancock and Eleanor Deeble were in Glengyron Row by August 1873 (death of their youngest daughter Jane).

They had been married in 1848 in Callington, Cornwall and they were in Caldbeck, Cumberland in the 1871 census. 

Some of the Cornish miners stopped off in the north of England or moved back and forth as can be seen by the birthplaces of their children. 

eg Richard Penrose and his family were in Durham in 1880, New Cumnock in 1882,  Durham in 1884,  Cumnock in 1886 and 1888, Durham 1890, Northumberland  in 1895 and 1897, Cumnock in 1899 - 1905. He died in 1918 in Durham and his wife Kate Jose in Cumnock  in 1926. What a lot of upheaval and with kids in tow!

Other Cornish names in Ayrshire include: Folley, Luke, Moyle, Pooley, Sheer, Smetherhem, Trembath

Quarriers children shipped to Canada

By Kay McMeekin

Several members of the Marrs family from County Derry in  Ireland moved to Ayrshire.

Thomas Marrs married Esther McWhinnie (various spellings) in 1877 in Castle Dawson, Londonderry and in 1878 they were in Cumnock for the birth of their first child Mary, 11 months later. Thomas was an iron miner.

In 1889 Esther McWhinnie was left with 5 young children and pregnant with Daniel when husband Thomas Marrs died in a mining accident   in Fife.  (This is quite some way from Cumnock.)   

2 years later in the 1891 census Esther is living with a George Phillips, 7 years her junior,  in Riccarton near Kilmarnock, Ayrshire  and her oldest child Mary Marrs and the two youngest boys William and Daniel. I can't find John in 1891 but in 1901 he is is New Cumnock, the adopted son of David and Lizzie Brown. Adoptions were informal affairs at this time.

Esther married George Phillips in 1892 in Cumnock. She is running a lodging house in Elbow Lane so hardly sounds destitute. Maybe the 3 boys were already with Quarriers.  Quarriers was a respectable institution known for taking in orphans. They would get clothed, fed and an education.  

In May 1895 Daniel age 6 and William age 8 are shipped to Canada on the Sarmatia along with many other children. Thomas went out a couple of  months earlier on a different ship, the Siberian.  The Home Children scheme of sending orphaned children to Canada was later discredited as many youngsters were treated as unpaid workers by their new families.  But their mother is still alive. She is named as next of kin on Thomas and Daniel's army records, so they clearly kept in touch. With so little information we should not judge.

More about Quarriers here

More about Daniel Marrs DCM here

Lodging Houses of Elbow Lane 1900s - Muirhead

Elaine Corbett 

Elizabeth Muirhead was the mistress of the lodging house in 1901. Her son William was also involved in the running. 

In the post relating to the Lowther family, the Muirheads are described as coming from Cumberland and making a crossover between travelling folk and miners. Note in the list of residents below  how many pedlars there are.

Between them they housed thirty-five people. The 1901 census gives their occupations mainly as General Labourers.

 

Name	Age	Place of Birth	Occupation
Robert McGregor	64	Edinburgh	Pedlar
Anne McGregor	74	England
Thomas Smith	54	England	General Labourer
Rpbert Toole	42	England	General Labourer
Philip Colin	73	Ireland	General Labourer
John Campbell	41	Banfshire	General Labourer
John Higgins	25	Ireland	General Labourer
John Dunn	25	England	General Labourer
John Girvan	54	Ireland	General Labourer
John Clark	55	Ireland	Pedlar
Eliza Clark	55	Perth	Pedlar
John Smith	75	Ireland	Coal Miner
Andrew Johnstone	47	Kilmarnock	Masons Labourer
Samuel Shanes	24	Stewart Newtown	General Labourer
James Mitchell	30	Dumfries	General Labourer
Michael Carrick	87	Ireland	General Labourer
James Connor	41	England	Coal Miner
James Larkin	45	Ireland	General Labourer
Robert Kennedy	28	Ireland	General Labourer
John Neil	65	Renfrew	General Labourer
John Thomson	48	England	General Labourer
Robert Feasie	42	Ireland	Cork Cutter
John Wilson	32	England	General Labourer
James Robinson	50	Dundee	Shoemaker
Robert Lawson	52	Eaglesham	General Labourer
William Taylor	46	England	Pedlar
John Roberts	37	Wales	General Labourer
John Daly	27	England	General Labourer
Thomas McLean	47	Wigtownshire	Pedlar
Mary McClean	50	Wigtownshire
Patrick Dugan	24	Lanarkshire	Coal Miner
Maggie Dugan	26	Lanarkshire
Robert McEwing	60	Perth	Pedlar
Margaret McEwing	66	Ireland	Pedlar
William Fitzsimmons	62	Ireland	Pedlar

 

Lodging Houses of Elbow Lane 1900s

 Elaine Corbett

Link to the Cumnock History Group page

Detail showing the De’ils Elbow

In researching the life of Francis Carter it became clear that his was not the only boarding house in Elbow Lane. An extract from John Strawhorn’s New History of Cumnock.

The condition of them came under the scrutiny of the Burgh because of the outbreaks of Typhoid, and the general state of cleanliness that should be maintained with such a large number of people and the provision of sanitation that they required for good health. Around 1890, laws were passed intended to regulate the standards of lodging houses in the UK and the Burgh was tasked with their policing. Piped water had been supplied, and connections were made to sewers, but there was no obligation for any resident to connect a flushing lavatory unless there was a complaint of nuisance.

The eight lodging houses above were researched through the 1901 census. None of the lodgers appear to have stayed in the Cumnock area for very long. 

There remains many unanswered questions about these places; 

Did the lady of the house provide meals? If so, they would have to be high in calories to sustain the hard physical labour that her lodgers undertook at the mine.

Where did the returning miners get a bath? There was no provision at the pit head, and home baths would need a lot of hot water for all the menfolk. The houses in Old Cumnock would have had piped water by the 1860s but whether this included flushing lavatories is yet another question. The Sanitation Inspector notes in his report found on the Francis Carter post how the ash pits were in somewhat of a poor state.

The miners rows, as reported in 1913, had shared privies. Often several households shared one facility, and it seems to have usually been in a disgusting condition according to our modern niceties. Was it much the same in Elbow Lane?

Looking at the profiles of the people staying in the lodging houses, it becomes apparant that these people were very much an itinerant workforce. Few, if any seem to have set down roots. They were also predominantly single men, some getting on in years, and came from far and wide - and some as far as Auchinleck! (See individual posts for details)

1901 saw a lot of disparity in the miners’ wages across all parts of Britain, and it is easy to assume that these workmen felt no loyalty to a particular region, and would leave for better wages elsewhere either at home in the UK, or abroad.

John (Jonas) Swegsda

By Roberta McGee

John (Jonas) Swegsda was born in 1911. It is not clear where he was born but his younger siblings were all born, from 1913 until 1928, in Auchinleck. Perhaps he was born in Poland where his parents originated from. John and his father were coalminers.

John married Annie De Sykes (or Kalwaitis) on 22nd July 1947 at St Thomas Roman Catholic Church, Muirkirk. The Marriage Certificate states: John (Jonas) Swegsda age 37yrs, coalminer, bachelor, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck. His father is Matthew Swegsda, coalminer and his mother is Francisis Waitkuke. His bride is Ann Kalwaitis known as De Sykes age 29yrs, 44 Linkieburn, Muirkirk, housekeeper, spinster whose father is Anthony Kalwaitis, railway surfaceman and her her mother is Mary Kalwaitis ms Stakalik deceased. The witnesses are William Swegsda, 120 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck and Margaret De Sykes, 1296 Maryhill Road, Glasgow.

N.B. There seems to have been various spellings of John's mother's maiden name eg. Wailkule,         

         Wailkula etc. Waitkuke seems to be the one favoured by SP index.

After their marriage John and Annie lived in Hut No. 112 Pennylands from 1949-1951.

 Pennylands Occupants History (cumnockhistorygroup.org)

                                                             Annie Kalwaitis De Sykes

                                                            (Image from Find a Grave)

                                Auchinleck Cemetery: Treasured memories of Margaret De Sykes

                             died 10/2/1953 aged 8yrs. Also her father John Swegsda died 5/8/1964

                            aged 53yrs, beloved husband of Annie De Sykes d 15/2/2012 aged 93yrs.

John Swegsda died  5th August 1964 at 16 Ballochmyle Avenue, Auchinleck, age 53yrs, coalminer married to Annie De Sykes. Father: Matthew Swegsda, coalminer deceased. Mother: Frances Swegsda ms Wailkule decd. Informant: John Bryden, brother-in-law, 2 Hillside Crescent, Auchinleck.

Cumnock Connections - Family Tree (tribalpages.com)

John's Parents were:

Mathew (Mathias) Swegsda who was a coalminer. He was born in 1882 in Cowanshire,

                                                                                    Lativanion, Poland and died 22/9/1959

                                                                                    in Auchinleck age 77yrs

and

Frances (Francisis) Waitkuke who was born in 1886 in Cowanshire, Lativanion, Poland and died

                                                                                    27/5/1959 in Auchinleck age 73yrs.

N.B. - Cannot find Cowanshire, Lativanion, Poland.    

1921 census of Scotland

Their children were:

*John                  b 1911 perhaps Poland

                            d 5/8/1964 at 10 Ballochmyle Avenue, Auchinleck

                            married Annie De Sykes 22/7/1947 at St. Thomas RC Church, Muirkirk

Annie                  b 1913 Old Cumnock

aka Swiggs         d 1995 Old Cumnock (SP Index Waitkuka)

                            married Bladisla Andrezanzkis 19/9/1936 Lugar

                            Marriage certificate: At The Church Of Our Lady Of Lourdes & St. Patrick,

                            Birnieknowe, Lugar, Frank Miller (formerly Bladisla Andrezanzkis) age 29yrs

                            pithead worker 110 Skares, Cumnock Fa: Joseph Miller (formerly Joseph

                            Andrezanzkis) pithead worker Mo: Barbara Miller (formerly Andrezanzkis)

                            ms Balzilies to Annie Swiggs (formerly Annie Swegsda) age 23yrs, dispensary

                            maid, spinster, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck Fa: Mathias Swiggs (formerly

                            Mathias Swegsda) coalminer Mo: Frances Swiggs (formerly Frances Swegsda)

                            ms Waitkula Wtnesses: Adam McCallum, 151 Skares, Cumnock and Mary

                            Swegsda, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck.  Frank Miller was another Lithuanian descendant. Frank was born in Skares but in 1901 his family was in Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire where his father Joe was a blast furnace labourer.  

    

                         

                                                       

Mary                   b 15/2/1915 119 Skares Rows, Old Cumnock

aka Swiggs          d 28/2/2004 Pontefract, Yorkshire, England.

                            Married Daniel Callaghan 28/11/1936 Lugar

                            Marriage certificate: At The Church Of Our Lady Of Lourdes & St. Patrick, 

                            Birnieknowe, Lugar, Daniel Callaghan age 27yrs, farm servant, bachelor,,

                            East Collarie Farm, Fenwick. Fa: William Callaghan, farmer Mo: Annie

                            Callaghan ms Callaghan to Mary Swiggs, formerly Swegsda age 21yrs,

                            domestic servant, spinster, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck Fa: Mathias Swegsda

                            Mo: Francis Wailkula. Witnesses: Eric Barrowman, 24 Athol Street, Earlston,

                            Lancs and Frances Swiggs, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck. 

Anthony            b 1916 Skares, Old Cumnock

                           d ?

Matheas            b 1919 Auchinleck

                           1921 Auchinleck aged 2yrs. (SP Index Waitluke)   

Frances             b 1918 Auchinleck

aka Swiggs        d 1998 Ayr ag 80 (Find a Grave) SP Index mms Wailkula

                           Married Eric Barrowman 1937 Birnieknowe, Lugar

                           (both are witnesses on sister Mary's marriage certificate 1936)

Wallace             b 1920 Auchinleck

                           d 1995 Kilmarnock (SP Index) aged 75yrs

                           Married Rose Ann Jardine 1944 Hurlford & Crookedholm, Kilmarnock (SP Index)

Andrew             b 1922 Auchinleck (SP Index)

                           d 20/10/2008 Auchinleck aged 85yrs (Find a Grave) (SP Index mms Waitkuke)

                           Married Barbara Denim Robertson 1945 Lugar (SP Index)

Male                   b 1924 Auchinleck

                            d

Anelia (f)           b 1926 Auchinleck

                           d 1992 Auchinleck (SP Index mms Waitkuke)

                           Married Josef Lomako 1945 Lugar (SP Index) (Prob Birnieknowe)

Alexander         b 1927 Auchinleck

                           d 28/7/2002 Auchinleck age 74 yrs (SP Index mms Waitkuke)

Alexandra         b 1928 Auchinleck

                           d ?

The 1921 Census for 23 Ballochmyle, Auchinleck shows:

Swegsda             Matheas        M    29   born Cowanshire, Lativanion

                            Frances         F     31   born Cowanshire, Lativanion

                            Annie            F      7    born Cumnock

                            Mary             F      6    born Cumnock

                            Anthony       M     5     born Cumnock

                            Matheas       M     3     born Auchinleck

                            Frances         F     2     born Auchinleck

                            Wallace        M     1    born Auchinleck

(Source - Cumnock Connections)

The Lithuanian Connection

John's wife Annie Kalwaitis later De Sykes was born 9/5/1918 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk and died 15/2/2012 in Auchinleck. Her parents were:

Father: Antonio (Anthony) Kalwaitis who was born about 1869 in Suvalkan, Vilkaviskis, Lithuania and died 27th June 1960 at 2 Hillside Crescent, Auchinleck. He later changed the family name to De Sykes.

Mother: Maria (Mary) Stakalis or Stakelik who was born abt 1874 in Krakow, Poland and died 6/4/1945 at Linkieburn Square, Muirkirk. 

                                                             Anthony Kalwaitis De Sykes

                                                              (Image from Find a Grave)

                                                             Mary Stakelik De Sykes

                                                           (Image from Find a Grave)

Cumnock Connections - Family Tree (tribalpages.com)

Antony & Mary's children were:

John Kalwaitis De Sykes        b 1902 Muirkirk

                                                  d  25/12/1964 at 10 Colthart Drive, Muirkirk

                                                  Married Mary Ann Robertson at Muirkirk in 1964

William Kalwaitis De Sykes    b 1904 Muirkirk

  (coalminer)                               d 3/12/1963 at 49 Menzies Avenue, Netherthird, Old Cumnock

                                                   Married Jean McKay Mitchell in 1961 at Glasgow

                                                            William Kalwaitis De Sykes
                                                              (Image from Find a Grave)

Mary Kalwaitis De Sykes        b 16/6/1906 New Terrace, Muirkirk

                                                   d 20/6/1978 Auchinleck

                                                   Married John Bryden 14/12/1937 at Barony Church Manse,

                                                                                                                            Auchinleck

Maggie Kalwaitis De Sykes    b 8/7/1908 Muirkirk

                                                  d 3/4/1990 at 1 Wardlaw Road, Kilmarnock

                                                  Married 1st Thomas Ronney on 13/4/1928 at the Church of Scotland

                                                  Manse, Muirkirk. They were divorced 19/7/1945 . Maggie then

                                                  married James Fleming Waterson McColm in 1949 at Ayr.

                                                               Maggie Kalwaitis De Sykes

                                                                (Image from Find a Grave)

George Anthony Kalwaitis

                             De Sykes     b 21/3/1911 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk

                                                 d 19/5/1984 Burnley & Pendle, Lancashire, England

                                                 Married Irene Thompson in Apr 1937 at Luton, Bedfordshire.

Robert Kalwaitis De Sykes   b 15/4/1915 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk

(mineral borer)                        d 5/2/1985 Glasgow

                                                 Married Margaret Hughes 26/4/1947 at St Mary's R.C. Church,

                                                 Maryhill, Glasgow. He was living at 99 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck,

                                                 at the time of his marriage. Margaret was a foundry worker. Her

                                                 family were originally from Co. Mayo, Ireland.

*Annie Kalwaitis De Sykes   b 9/5/1918 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk

                                                 d 15/2/2012 Auchinleck

                                                 Married John (Jonas) Swegsda 22/7/1947 at St. Thomas R.C.

                                                 Church, Wellwood Road, Muirkirk.

 Why did Lithuanians come to Scotland?  

                      

Lithuanians began to arrive in Scotland in small numbers in the 1870s but by the 1890s they were arriving  in larger numbers. Their reasons for coming were varied. Some were agricultural workers who had been recruited by the agents of Scottish coal and iron companies such as Baird and wanted to leave Lithuania because of the poverty there. Many of these were 'stage migrants' who, once they had saved enough money, would move on to another country such as America. Others were escaping the Russification policies  and some were escaping conscription  into the Russian Army.

Read more about the Russification of Lithuania here

Lithuania - Russian Rule, Independence, Baltic Region | Britannica

The Lithuanians were not made welcome in Scotland. They were met with discrimination and hostility because they were seen as competition for jobs and were prepared to work for less money than the Scottish miners. The employers were often accused of using them as strike breakers. Even Keir Hardie led a fierce xenophobic campaign against them. They spoke poor or no English and were devout Catholics in a fiercely Presbyterian Scotland. They were routinely referred to as 'Poles' or 'Russian Poles'. Many had their names changed by immigration officers at the pits but many voluntarily changed their names in a bid to avoid harassment and fit in with Scottish society more easily. The family of John Swegsda's  wife Annie Kalwaitis, later De Sykes, was an examples of this. 

Read more about the Lithuanians here

The When, How, and Why of the Lithuanians in Scotland – DRAUGAS NEWS