The migrant miners – Barrowmans from Stirling to New Zealand via Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.

by Alexandra Watson

Barrowman is a “weel kent” name in Cumnock and has various historical associations.

Robert J Barrowman is best remembered as the builder of the Royal Hotel in 1892 which still has a commanding role in the town.

Alexander Barrowman (1842 - 1913) journalist and poet was very well known in Cumnock in his day. (The late Bobby Grierson was interested in Alexander and documented his tree on Cumnock Connections). There are not many obituaries that say:

"It is not too much to say that Mr Alexander Barrowman was one of the the most prominent figures in the contemporary history of Cumnock and we make bold to say further that the town held no finer brain than that which he possessed." 

Source: Cumnock Chronicle 1913

With such an unusual surname, one might be forgiven for assuming that all the Cumnock Barrowmans were from the same family. However, Robert J Barrowman’s lineage goes back to an Irish migrant Daniel Barrowman who married a Jane Pollock in Lanarkshire at the beginning of the 19th century and Alexander’s family were originally from Airth in Stirlingshire. What both families had in common was that the mining industry played a major part in their family's migrations and success stories.

Of course, other Barrowman families may also have come to the area but this essay deals with the story of the Airth Barrowmans.

The Barrowmans of Dunmore and Airth

This account follows the emigration story of the father and brothers of Alexander Barrowman who died in Cumnock in 1913.
Located on the River Forth 6 miles north of Falkirk, is the small village of Airth. As early as the 16 century it was a trading port, known for shipbuilding, agriculture, fishing, salt production, and coal mining. 

Source - Falkirk History Club - Airth.

This branch of the Barrowman family appears in the earliest Airth church records from the 1600s. The family grew to be quite numerous in the area but by the 1841 census, the name appears to have died out. 

Source -Scotlands People 

By 1841 there are several Barrowman families (born in Airth) now living in and around Lanarkshire and many are miners. William Barrowman and Susannah Cairns were married on 15 August 1774 at Airth and continued to live there for several years. However, their son John Barrowman moved to Shettleston, Glasgow, and died there in 1829.

John Barrowman married Margaret Matson on 5th August 1803. They had 11 children, all lived to adulthood, and at least 3 of whom emigrated to America.

We are following their 6th child Thomas Barrowman, born 1813 in Shettleston in Glasgow.

Thomas Barrowman 1813 - 1881

In the 1841 census, Thomas was a coal miner aged 25 and living in Ballieston, Glasgow, Scotland with his wife Jane Barrowman (whose family also originated in Airth) and their 3 children.

In the 1851 census, Thomas and Jane had 7 children and, Thomas was a Pit *Dresser.

*“Dressing, that portion of a coal seam prepared by holing and cutting for detachment from its position in situ.” 

Source: Glossary of Mining Terms 

By 1861 Thomas had relocated to Ayrshire and lived in The Barrhill, Cumnock. He came to Cumnock in 1859 to manage the pits at Barrhill owned by the Portland Iron Works.

Thomas seems to have played a very active role in Cumnock and held various public offices. He was an active town councillor from 1866-1874 then 1875-1880 and a member of the School Board where he did much to improve education in Cumnock inspired by his own humble upbringing.

 His obituary states:

“Cumnock has lost an energetic and prominent citizen, and many of the poor and needy a kind friend. It clearly states that he was not an educated man but valued education highly”.

As you can see the family travelled extensively and their exploits are documented in many family trees.
By 1865 Jane had died and within 5 years of Jane’s death, Thomas had married a widow Mary Crichton who was living in Cumnock and whose maiden name was Barrowman. Mary and Jane appear to be first cousins.

Family life got quite complicated for Thomas and Mary Crichton nee Barrowman. Thomas’s son Moses and Mrs Mary Crichton's (nee Barrowman) daughter Jane Crichton had a child - Mary Crichton Barrowman (Born 1868). Moses and Jane Crichton did not marry but their respective father and mother Thomas and Mrs Mary Crichton married the year after their granddaughter was born in 1869 and brought her up in their home in the Barrhill. Thomas had proven himself a great supporter of education and in his will, he made extensive provision for their granddaughter Mary Crichton Barrowman. However, he also set aside monies for his stepdaughter Jane Crichton’s two female children she shared with her husband George Watson. Money and property were also left to his granddaughter Mary Crichton Barrowman in his will. Thomas and Mary were married for 12 years before Thomas died in 1881.

A full biography is available on Thomas, contained in a series of newspaper extracts, and can be read by clicking here

Mary Crichton Barrowman went on to marry and have four children only one of whom appears to have lived to adulthood and is mentioned in her will.

Scotland, National Probate Index (Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories), 1876-1936 for Mary Campbell Howat

Her daughter Mary Howat, born in 1891 in Kilsyth (died in 1959 in Cumnock) became the postmistress in Cumnock and was known as Polly Howat. Polly did not marry and had no children.

All of the Barrowman boys were reported to be living and working in New Zealand at one point – including Mary Crichton Barrowman’s father Moses.

There is a lovely story of Polly’s Uncle George Watson returning home to Cumnock for a visit after more than 40 years living in New Zealand.  Polly presented George with a walking cane made from the wood from Captain Cook's, ship The Endeavour sent from New Zealand by one of the Barrowman boys (her father or uncles) to her Grandfather Thomas and then Uncle George Watson taking the cane back to New Zealand at the end of his visit hoping to donate it to a museum there.

The Sons of Thomas and Jane

Thomas and Jane had eight sons and seven lived to adulthood.

Name	Dates Birth/Death	Occupations	Death Location
John	1835-1920	Engineer	New Zealand
Thomas	1838-1917	Mining Manager	Lanarkshire
William	1841-1916	Engineer	Australia
James	1843-1900	Mine Operator	New Zealand
Alexander	1849-1913	Prospector, Writer, Poet	Cumnock
Fergus	1845-1923	Miner	New Zealand
Moses	1851-1903	Engineer	New Zealand
Robert	1853-1858	Died young	Lanarkshire

 

John Barrowman 1835 - 1920

 "Mr John Barrowman, who was appointed Engineer for the Nelson Harbour Board in August, 1901, was born at Shettlestown, near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1835, and received his education at the Shettlestown and Cambuslang public schools. His father, who was a mine manager, took him into the works, where he served four years underground, and afterwards attended an engine. At seventeen years of age he was apprenticed as a mechanical engineer to the Camlachie Foundry Company, Glasgow, where he served two years and a-half, and finished his time at the Cowlairs Engine Works of the North British railway. When his term had expired Mr. Barrowman worked in various engineering shops in Glasgow and Greenock, and then received an appointment as mill manager at the Grangetown Iron Works, near Cardiff, South Wales, where he remained in charge for nearly five years, before taking control of the Mount Stuart Shipbuilding and Engine Works. Two years later he returned to Glasgow, and entered the firm of Clarkson Brothers, and after two years as a journeyman he was placed in charge of the firm's branch shops at Maryhill. However, illhealth compelled him to seek a change of climate, and in 1874 he sailed for New Zealand in the ship “Auckland.” On landing at Dunedin Mr. Barrowman found employment at the Railway Foundry of Messrs Fraser, Wishart, Buchanan and Company, where he remained until the firm dissolved, when he was placed in charge, on behalf of Mr. Fraser, with whom he continued until the business was wound up. Shortly after the inception of the Greymouth Harbour Works, Mr. Barrowman became mechanical engineer at the works for the Government, and was afterwards promoted to be inspector. In 1885 he was appointed Inspector of Harbour Works at Westport, and early in 1899 was engaged to superintend the harbour works at Strahan, Macquaire harbour, on the West Coast of Tasmania, where he remained until receiving his present appointment at Nelson in 1904. Before coming to the colony Mr. Barrowman took a great interest in Home politics, and was the means of forming several political and social clubs in Cardiff, Glasgow, and elsewhere in the Old Country. While in Cardiff he was a prominent member of the Loyal Windsor Lodge of Foresters, No 2379. He joined the Greenock Artillery in January, 1859, and is consequently one of the oldest British volunteers residing in New Zealand. He was also lieutenant of the Greymouth Rifle Corps for a time, and subsequently organised and commanded the Westport Navals, now known as the Westport Artillery. Mr. Barrowman was married, in 1857, to a daughter of the late Mr. John Tennant, of Westmuir, Scotland, and has had one son and two daughters."

Source: Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts]

The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1906, Christchurch

   

    Thomas Barrowman 1838 - 1917

Thomas settled in Lanarkshire married Lilias Bowie Robertson and had eight children. His career was in mining too.  In 1871 Thomas living in Glasgow was a Shalecoal and Oil Works manager. In 1881 he was a Mineral Manager.

 

Moses Barrowman 1851 - 1903

Otago Witness 29th April 1903 page 47

A drowning accident, occurred at the New Greenstone Dredge W.C. on the 22nd. An elderly man, named Moses Barrowman, who is an engineer, left the dredge about 4 pm, to get a billy of water. He tied one end of the boat to the dredge and the other, to some rushes on the bank. The winch man, Edward Martyn, seeing he did not return in a few minutes, went to have a look, when he found the hat of the deceased, floating in the dam and his worst fears were aroused. Procuring assistance, he, with the aid of grappling irons recovered the body about 5 o’clock. Barrowman was a widower and leaves a family.

Source: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Barrowman-14

William Barrowman 1841 - 1916

William travelled from Scotland to Australia and New Zealand and spent time on the Gympie Goldfields dying in Queensland, Australia in 1916.

James Barrowman 1843 - 1900

 

 https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/media/uploads/2019_09/Hidden_Light_PUBLICATION_online_low_dtQm3Ks.pdf

Fergus Ferguson Barrowman 1845 - 1923

Fergus also worked in mining and had shares in various mining operations in New Zealand. At his time of death, he is listed as a Civil Servant.

He married Mary Jane Cassels on 18 July 1874 and died on 25 Feb 1923 and is buried Karoro Cemetery West Coast New Zealand.

Alexander Barrowman 1849 - 1913

A copy of the Cumnock Chronicle obituary can be seen on Alexander's entry on the Cumnock Connections website here.

A transcript of some interesting points

"Alexander served his engineering apprenticeship with the well-known firm of Barclay in Kilmarnock, he then went to Glasgow for a time and then went to New Zealand where he remained for some years. It is nearly thirty years since he returned to this country and for the greater part of that time, he resided in Cumnock. For a good many years Mr Barrowman was engaged in journalistic work. As an artist in black and white he was strikingly clever. He began contributing regularly to the Ayrshire Post, the Cumnock News and the Chronicle with typical verses which were perfect alike in thought and expression. Generally humourous it was a wholesome humour without sting. His calling in later years afforded him opportunities of offering criticism of the doings or misdoings of our public men. In this he was absolutely fearless" 

Although this family stayed a relatively short time in Cumnock they made a significant impact at home and abroad.

Other Information

The following are extracts from various family trees and web research from the families of the sons of Thomas and Jane.

Extract from Wikitree: Profile manager: Melanie Meads

"In the late 18th century, circa 1781, three generations of Barrowman, dwelt at Dunmore, Stirlingshire, Scotland. The last being John. By the mid 19th Century, the family had started to spread, around the world.

• Of the 37, or so children, of the sons of John, of Dunmore, 13 were known as the "Big Barrowmans" and were in America, while at least 7, the "Little Barrowmans", set out for life in New Zealand and Australia.

• Sons of Thomas Barrowman - (of Cumnock-Scotland), the son of John of Dunmore.

• John Barrowman 1835,

• Thomas Barrowman 1837,

• William Barrowman 1840,

• James Barrowman 1843,

• Fergus Barrowman 1845,

• Alexander Barrowman 1848,

• Moses Barrowman 1850,

• Robert Barrowman 1853, died in 1858.

• Two of the boys, probably James and Thomas, were on the Otago goldfields, in 1862. In 1864, one May morning, the remaining four, arrived at Bluff, on the 620 ton Paria. A quick look at the straggling cottages and they were soon making there way, through oceans of mud, to Invercargill.

• In 1866, all six brothers were on the West Coast. It was said, that the six of them together, made up a span of 40 ft, all being over 6 ft. tall, James, reputed to being 6' 8

  . At least, 3 of the boys, went back to Scotland in the early 1870's. Alex, stayed, returning to Cumnock, Scotland, while Fergus married, then returned to N.Z. with his bride, they settled in Greymouth. James stayed in Scotland sometime, before returning to settle in N.Z. also on the west coast, as did his brothers, Moses and John."

Source: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Barrowman-15