Convicts, crimes, and murder

Though rare, crime and even murder (or at least the accusation of them), has led to some from the Cumnock area being forced to move elsewhere. Some after serving their time of imprisonment or forced labour would settle and raise families in the area they were sent to such as Australia. A few would return to Ayrshire, but others would pass away still imprisoned. In the case of murder of course it would also influence the population of the area adversely. 

These are just a few of the accounts of those mentioned on the Cumnock Connections site as being affected by crime or murder.

First, by way of example of someone who was sent to Australia and was later able to make a life there, we have David Vallance whose family has a long history of living in the Cumnock/Auchinleck area. David married Euphemia Walker and they had at least one child, Alexander. 

For a time David worked as a butcher in Cumnock. In 1843 he was accused of stealing, either 8 sheep (see this Cumnock Conections link) or a pig (see this link from a familysearch article) and was sentenced to be transported to Tasmania, Australia on board the Henrietta to serve for 7 years. Upon being granted his freedom in 1850 he seems to have settled in area, as he is recorded as passing away in Tasmania in 1886 at the age of 66. I was unable to find any information about what became of his wife and son.

Maybe it is a stretch to write about murders in a blog about immigration, but two high profile murders took place in the area in the early 1900's. The death of Grace Dickie McKerrow in Cumnock and the death of Agnes Bone of Glenbuck were both treated as murders, and both lead to convictions of individuals from the area. 

Grace Dicke McKerrow was born in Sorn, and moved to Cumnock to serve as the housekeeper for a Mr Lennox who lived at home called "Woodside" on Glaisnock street. On Monday the 19^th of November 1906 a package was delivered to the home with a card that read “With happy greetings from an old friend”. When the package was opened it was found to contain iced shortbread. Four day later, on the 23^rd the shortbread was brought out to try when a neighbour, a Mrs Bain, stopped by. Grace was seen to eat two pieces, though complaining about how bitter it tasted. Suddenly all who were eating began to experience great pain, the servant girl, a Miss Thorburn, having only ate a small amount felt best and was sent to bring a doctor. Whie the others would recover, Grace passed away. Suspecting poison, a postmortem was conducted, and it was found that Grace had ingested strychnine. When the shortbread was tested it was found that the icing contained poison, one report saying the icing contained sugar and 41% strychnine). 

Some articles about the murder

The man who was eventually arrested and tried for the murder was Thomas Mathieson Brown from New Cumnock. Until his retirement he had served as manager of the Lanemark Colliery in New Cumnock. His wife was the niece of William Lennox, and it was believed that Brown was seeking to murder Lennox so that his wife might inherit money or land. Rather unusually the prosecution wanted Brown declared insane, as he was known to suffer from epilepsy, while the defence wanted him tried as normal with a plea of not guilty. The evidence brought against Brown was that the handwriting on the card delivered with the package seemed to match his and he was found to have purchased strychnine, which he claimed was for killing rats. A mortar and pestle thought to be used to grind up the poison was also found, along with ingredients to make the icing. The Crown set about proving that Brown was insane, bringing in various medical experts. The jury reached the verdict that Brown was indeed insane, and so he was sent first to the Criminal Lunatic Department in Perth, then later transferred to Crichton Royal Institute, Dumfries, and finally moved to Ayr County Asylum where in 1915 he passed away. 

Article about murder of Agnes Bone

Briefly, another murder that shocked the local community, took place in the village of Glenbuck.  Thomas Bone was found guilty of murdering his wife, Agnes Campbell Bone. It is possible that the two were related, the Cumnock Conections site listing her as his cousin, though the family tree conected with the link does not back this up. Other sources state she was his second cousin and actually born Agnes Campbell, such as the this Cumnock Chronicle article. Thomas grew increasingly violent and possessive of his wife, so much so that many feared for her safety, and Thomas was according to the Chronicle, sentenced to 40 days hard labour as he “behaved in an outrageous fashion” toward her. In 1908 he was “sent down”  for two months, when he got out he again went to find his wife. His mother-in-law saw him and tried to warn her daughter, who was away from the village working at nearby farm, to not come back to Glenbuck, but her letter arrived too late. On Thursday April 2, 1908 around 2pm, the couple were seen walking on a path near the railway station. It began to rain and they went into a shed, where they were observed arguing by a local shepherd. They left, and that was the last anyone saw of Agnes alive. Around 3:05pm Thomas was seen back in the village washing his hands in the burn. He then went to his aunt’s house in the village and confessed to the murder, going from there to other houses and doing the same, though few believed him as it was such a shocking thought. As Thomas kept insisting, even telling them where to find the body, eventually a local miner went to check, and discovered Agnes lying dead on the footpath. (See  article 1 and article 2 for details)

At the trial, to the surprise of many including the judge, Thomas pled guilty, and admitted his murder. He stated that Agnes’s mother had told her not to have anything more to do with him and he was so upset he killed her. Thomas was sentenced to be hung, apparently, according to Chronicle, “the last prisoner at Ayr jail to sit under sentence of death.” But the night before he was to be hung the Secretary of State declaed that he was to have his sentenced changed to one of “penal servitude”. On the 15th November 1912, while serving time in Perth Prison, Thomas hung himself using a bed sheet. 

Finally, one other possible crime, though this one I don’t have a much information about. Again, citing the Cumnock Connections site, a George Murdoch from Auchinleck was convicted of forgery, and after being released on bail he “absconded to America”. If he is the same George Murdoch listed, then he would seem to have had children who ended up in the state of Ohio in the US. It does seem certain that a George Murdoch did immigrate to the United States around that time, but there appears to be several men with that name. 

Farmers to Saskatchewan and Wisconsin

 

by Roberta McGee

John Vass, a miner and Mary Kerr, a coalmaster's daughter, had three daughters and a son, Bessie, William, Maggie and Nancy, who were all born in New Cumnock. Their son William, who was born in 1876, sadly died at Meikle Auchingibbert Farm, Old Cumnock, in 1914 at the early age of 38 years. He was unmarried.

Their daughter Maggie, who was born in 1879, married Tarbolton born John Drinnan on 11th June 1903 at High Auchingibbert Farm, Old Cumnock. They set up home at 82 Barrhill Road, Cumnock and went on to have three children, Mary Kerr Drinnan born 1903, James Drinnan born 1906 and John Vass Drinnan born 1909. Tragedy struck on 19th March 1911 when Maggie died of tuberculosis at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow. She was only 32 years old. 

John was left with three young children to raise. Maggie's sister Nancy stepped in to help and on 29th February 1912 Nancy and John were married. They decided to emigrate to Canada and John, Nancy and the three children, Mary, James and John, arrived in Montreal, Quebec on 12th July 1914 on the ship 'Hesperian' two weeks before WW1 was declared in Europe. John was a farm labourer and their final destination was Moosejaw, Saskatchewan. Stamped beside their names on the Passenger List was 'British Bonus Allowed'. This referred to a commission paid by the Canadian Government's Immigration Branch to steamship booking agents. It was an incentive provided to encourage emigration from Britain to Canada. In 1921 John and his family were living in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan where they had their own farm. 

John had two children with Nancy, William Vass Barrie Drinnan who was born on 29th December 1914 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, which meant that Nancy was pregnant when she made the journey across the Atlantic and Robert Kerr Drinnan who was born on 20th November 1916 at Lake Valley, Moosejaw, Saskatchewan. 

The Drinnan Siblings

Mary Drinnan married James Carmichael, a bank accountant, in 1932 in Heward Saskatchewan and she died in 1969 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

James Drinnan was a farmer in Qu'appelle, Moose Mountain, Saskatchewan and married Thelma Marie Jones in 1939. He died in Regina in 1992.

John Drinnan initially lived in Saskatchewan but when he was 20 years old he moved to Wisconsin where his cousin Hugh Mitchell lived. He was a farm labourer, then a trucker and married Ellen Marie Andersen in Dubuque, Iowa. He died in Waupaca, Wisconsin in 1997. 

William (Bill) Drinnan was a postal worker and lived in Saskatchewan before moving to Sudbury, Ontario, then Nipissing, Ontario.He served overseas with the Royal Canadian Air Force during WW2 and died at North Bay, Ontario. 

Robert Drinnan remained in Saskatchewan and in 1942 enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force where he was a Warrant Officer. His aircraft was shot down in 1943 and he was taken as a prisoner of war to Camp Stalag in Muhlberg, Brandenburg, Germany where he remained until he was liberated by the Soviet Army in April 1945. His civilian job had been as Manager in an automobile supply store. When he returned home he took up an accounting position with the Government. On 3rd September 1948 Robert married Elsie Elfrede Christensen at Racine, Wisconsin. He had met Elsie during a trip to Wisconsin to visit his brother John Drinnan. Robert died on 22nd July 2011 at Regina, Saskatchewan.

Image Homer.ca

                                    

The oldest of John Vass and Mary Kerr's children was their daughter Elizabeth (Bessie) who was born in 1874 in New Cumnock and died in 1969 at Ayr County Hospital, her usual residence being 23 John Baird Street, Cumnock. Bessie married Andrew Mitchell on 2nd March 1899 at Muirfoot Farm, New Cumnock. Andrew was a farmer in Auchigibbert, Cumnock, His father was Hugh Mitchell, publican of The Boswell Arms in Auchinleck and his mother was Jeanie Baird. 

Andrew and Bessie had eleven children four of whom emigrated.

First of Bessie & Andrew's children to emigrate was William Vass Mitchell who was born in 1905 in Auchingibbert, Cumnock. He sailed on the 'Marchburn' arriving in Quebec on 20th June 1924. He was 19 years old, a farm help and his reason for emigrating to Canada was to make a home. He had £4 in his possession. His passage was paid partly by himself and partly by the Overseas Fund and his destination in Canada was the Ontario Government Immigration Department, Toronto. The Booking Agent was

 Jas. P. Ballantine.

Cumnock Chronicle 1924

On 23rd December 1925, when he was 23 years old, William married Scottish born Amelia Mary Creighton Millar at Sudbury, Ontario. Amelia was five years older than him. In 1931 they were still living in Sudbury and William was a clerk with the Post Office. Sadly Amelia died of endocarditis  on 11th December 1932 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Sudbury. 

William married again on 5th October 1935 to Florence Irene Davison who was born in Ryerson, Parry Sound, Ontario. The witnesses were Florence's brother John Roy Davison and his wife Rosalie Gladys Wright Davison both of North Bay, Ryerson, Parry Sound. In 1957 William and Florence were living in Wembley Drive, Sudbury. Florence died in 1968. I have been unable to find William's death however he was still alive in 1982 when his brother Hugh died and it seems he may have married again. Hugh's obituary lists William as one of his surviving siblings - 'Mr & Mrs William (Roslie) Mitchell of Sudbury, Ontario'. Florence's brother John Roy had died in 1965 and his widow was Rosalie. Perhaps William's sister-in-law was his third wife. 

Next to emigrate was daughter Jane Baird Mitchell who was born in 1904 in Old Cumnock. She married Douglas Brown in 1925 at West Polquhirter Farm, New Cumnock. Douglas was born in 1902 at Low Garleffan Farm, Old Cumnock. His father was farmer John Brown and his mother was Helen Wallace. On 21st August 1923, before his marriage to Jane, Douglas sailed from Glasgow on the 'Stanmore' arriving in Boston, USA, on 3rd September 1923. He was 21 years old and a farmer and was travelling with Alexander Wardrop, a 20 years old farmer from West Arthurlie Farm, Barrhead, Glasgow. They were conveying cattle to O.E. Reid, East Lansing, Michigan. Their passage was paid by A.L. Farwell and Douglas's intentions were to stay there permanently.

 He lived in the USA for about fifteen months and applied for naturalisation on 1st December, 1924 before returning to Cumnock.  He was a farmer in Caponacre, Old Cumnock when he married Jane on 19th February 1925. Six weeks later Douglas and Jane sailed from Liverpool on the 'Baltic', arriving in New York on 1st April 1925, their final destination being Caledonia, Racine, Wisconsin where they made their home. 

Their son John (known as Jackie) Douglas Brown was born there on 6th January 1927. The 1930 US Federal census shows Douglas, a farmer, Jane and Jackie living in Caledonia. Their daughter Nancy Elizabeth Brown was born there on 15th October 1931. On 4th November 1935 Douglas again applied for naturalisation. 

Douglas, Jane and their two children visited Cumnock in 1936 and again on 11th November 1938 where they stayed with Jane's parents Andrew and Bessie Mitchell at 14 Shankston Crescent, Cumnock. I cannot find a record of their return to the USA after this trip. There were grumblings of war in Europe so perhaps they decided to remain in Cumnock. WW2 was declared on 3rd September 1939.

So, between 1938 and 1952 the Douglas Brown family had moved back to Scotland.

The Scotsman reports on 4th October 1952 that Douglas Brown of Drumwhirn, Corsock, which is in Castle Douglas, sold a heifer named 'Creamy' for 100 guineas and 1st November 1954 finds Douglas and Jane arriving in Southampton having sailed on the 'Queen Elizabeth' from new York. Their home address was given as Drumwhirn, Corsock, Castle Douglas. They visited the USA again in 1965 to visit Jane's brothers. Her sister Janet had also crossed the Atlantic for this family re-union.

26/7/1965 - The Journal Times, Racine

'You could have heard the r's rolling from here to Konosha and back when I met a couple of Scotsmen the other morning. One was Douglas Brown, from the Land of the Heather itself. The other was James Mitchell, who has an equal burr-r-r but lives in Ontario, Canada. He and Mrs Mitchell and the Douglas Browns have been visiting at the home of a brother Hugh Mitchell, 7534 Linwood Road. Another guest has been Miss Janet Mitchell, a sister from Cumnock, Scotland.'

Both Douglas and Jane died at Corsock Bridge, Kirkcudbrightshire, Douglas on 1st June 1980 and Jane on 6th July 1992. 

Andrew and Bessie's oldest son Hugh Mitchell was next to emigrate. Hugh was born in 1900 in Auchingibbert Farm, Old Cumnock and he arrived in New York, having sailed on the 'Caledonia', on 8th August 1927. He was 26 years old, a farmer and his final destination was to his brother-in-law Douglas Brown, Madalae Farm, Racine, Wisconsin. He had $60 in his possession. 

Hugh Mitchell - image from Ancestry shared by Judy Robinson

In 1930 he is living in Caledonia, Racine, Wisconsin and unmarried. His neighbours are the Peterka family. On 3rd October 1934 he married Arlyn Peterka who was a nurse and they had two children, son Lynn and daughter Elizabeth. Hugh was naturalised on 23rd June 1937 at Wisconsin. Through the years he was frequently visited by his family and friends and the local newspaper, The Journal Times, regularly reported their comings and goings.

26/11/1937 - The Journal Times

Robert Drinnan of Canada is visiting his cousin Hugh Mitchell.

The 1940 US Federal Census shows 39 years old Hugh, a farmer,  living at Ole Davidson Road, Caledonia, Racine. 

23/10/1942 - The Journal Times

Herbert and Roland Botting entertained Saturday night at cards Mr & Mrs Evan Pfanmiller & Reed, Mr & Mrs Joseph Peterka & Jo Ann, Mr & Mrs Hugh Mitchell, Grandpa Veselik, Fred Pfanmiller & Carrie Botting.

11/12/1945 - The Journal Times

William Drennan of Saskatchewan, Canada, recently discharged from the Canadian Army, visited his cousin Hugh Mitchell & family.

13/9/1948 - The Journal Times

Mrs James Carmichael of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and William Drennan of Sudbury, Toronto, were guests of the Hugh Mitchells last week.

On 6th October 1949 Hugh, Arlyn, Lynn and Elizabeth sailed out of New York headed for Cumnock where they stayed for three months at 65 Car Road. They departed Liverpool on 13th January 1950 and returned to New York on the 'Britannic'.

In 1950 Hugh, Arlyn and their family are still living on their farm at Ole Davidson Road and in 1952 they took a trip to Canada.

5/9/1952 - The Journal Times

Mr & Mrs Hugh Mitchell & children returned home on Sunday from a ten day visit with the William Mitchells of Sudbury, Canada & the James Mitchell family in London, Ontario, Canada.

11th March 1954 - Racine Journal-Times

Hugh died on 3rd May 1982 in Racine and was buried in the Bohemian National Cemetery in Caledonia. 

Obituary Hugh Mitchell - The Journal Times, Racine, 4th May 1982

                                                                        

James Kerr Mitchell was the second youngest of Andrew and Bessie Mitchell's children. He was born on 12th August 1916 at Meikle Auchingibbert Farm, Old Cumnock.

He married Margaret (Peggy) Stewart Kirkwood Cowan on 3rd July 1941 at the Old Parish Church in Kilsyth, Lanarkshire. He was a farmer in Arnbrae Farm, Kilsyth but at the time of his marriage he was engaged in war service as an aircraftsman in the Royal Air Force. 

Image Ancestry - originally shared by Andrew Johnson 

James and Peggy emigrated to Canada and settled in St.Mary's, Perth, Ontario after WW2. There is a report of them visiting James's brother Hugh in Wisconsin in 1965 at the same time as the Douglas Brown's and James's sister Janet.  There doesn't seem to be much more information about James. 

James died in 2001 in St, Mary's.

Andersons from Auchinleck to Braddock, PA

by Joanne Ferguson

George Anderson Sr was born on 16 September 1892 in Lugar, Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland.  George emigrated to the USA in 1923.  He worked as a blacksmith in a steel mill in Braddock, Pennsylvania.  He married Mary McMichael Boyle in Scotland.  She was born on 25 Jul 1902 in Auchinleck, Scotland. George died on 02 Oct 1970 in Braddock, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.  Mary died on 02 Sep 1990 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

George Anderson Sr and Mary McMichael Boyle had the following children:

John Anderson was born on 16 Aug 1921 in Auchinleck, East Ayrshire. He married Jean Eileen Howat (great-granddaughter of William Howat and Margaret Brown who emigrated from Ayrshire, Scotland in 1867) on 28 Oct 1943 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA.  She was born on 20 Sep 1922 in Braddock, Pa.  John served in the US Army during WWII.  John worked as a weight master in the steel works in Braddock, Pennsylvania.  John died on 16 Apr 1975 in Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Jean was a housewife who died on 14 Dec 1979 in Swissvale, Allegheny, Pa.  

John Anderson and Jean Eileen Howat had one child.  John Anderson was born on 04 Sep 1946 in Pennsylvania. John served in the US Navy in Vietnam.  He married Joyce L. Sprague. She was born in Ohio. He died on 24 Sep 1998 in Braddock, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.  John Anderson and Joyce L. Sprague had the following children: Dawn L., Shawn E., and Brian C.

William Wilson Anderson was born on 20 Aug 1922 in Scotland. He married Lillian Kramer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1923.  He served in the Army during WWII and was injured in battle.  He worked as a weight master for the steel works. William Wilson died on 10 Nov 1977 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  Lillian died in 1997 in North Braddock, Pennsylvania.  William and Lillian had four children:  Amy, Margaret, Christine, and William, Jr.

George Anderson, Junior was born on 08 Aug 1924 in Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He worked as an ash man for the local government in Braddock.  He served in the Army during WWII.  George never married and had no children.  He died on 13 Dec 1976 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Allan Boyle Anderson was born on 09 Apr 1927 in Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  He married Dolores Mekula who was born in June of 1926.  He was a salesman in a men’s clothing store. He served in the Army during WWII.  Allan and Dolores did not have any children.  Allan died on 22 Sep 2019 in Maryland, United States of America.  Dolores died in 2019 in Maryland.  Both are buried in Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Baltimore County, Maryland.

Matthew Riggans Anderson was born on 16 Feb 1929 in Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was a laborer in the open hearth at the steel mill in Braddock. He married Janet L. Pici on 17 Sep 1960 in Winchester, Virginia. She was born about 1934.  At the time of his marriage, Matthew was a supervisor for military affairs in Virginia.  Matthew died on 24 Jul 2015 in Carlsbad, San Diego County, California.  Matthew and Janet had one son, Matthew Eric.

Agnes Boyle Anderson was born about 1937 in Pennsylvania. She married Ray Edward Curtin in 1961 in Ohio, West Virginia.  Ray was born on 20 April 1929 and worked in the steel mill in Braddock, Pennsylvania.  He died on 7 April 2014 in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania.  Agnes and Ray had two children: Kevin and Sharon.

Jane Riggans Anderson was born on 16 Aug 1942 in Braddock, Pennsylvania.  She married John Harold Lynch on 03 Jan 1974 in Winchester, Virginia. He was born on 03 May 1928.  John joined the Army and served in Vietnam during that war.  John retired from the Army of the rank of E6.  John died on 27 February 2011 in Swissvale, Pennsylvania.  Jane died on 27 Dec 1996 in Swissvale, Pennsylvania.  Jane and John had one daughter, Heather.

The sons and son-in-law of George Anderson and Mary McMichael Boyle served gallantly in the Army and Navy, defending their new country in WWII and Vietnam.