James Muir family: from Cumnock Manse to Alexandria, Virginia

By Scott Daily

Rev James Muir

The Reverend James Muir, would go from  being one of at least 6 children born in the Manse of Old Cumnock Parish Church to the Rev George Muir and Isabel (Tibbie) Muir, to becoming a well-known minister in Virginia in the United States, associated with several key figures in US history, including George Washington.

The Rev George Muir, James's father, was born in the village of Spott, in East Lothian, in 1724.  He had intended to enter into the legal profession, but after attending the famous revival in the Cambuslang region in the summer of 1742, he felt a call to the ministry. He became ordained on 30 November 1752, becoming the minister for theCumnock Parish church (now called the Old Church).  On 12 September 1753, George married Isabel (Tibbie) Wardlaw, who was born in Dunfermline. 

George served for 14 years in Cumnock before accepting a call to serve the High Church in Paisley. He passed away while serving in Paisley. He had an accident that injured his foot, which led to an infection, eventually he became unable to walk and was carried into the church on a sedan chair and would preach from a specially made elevated seat. After suffering for a time, his doctor felt that the best choice was to amputate, the operation appeared to be a success, but the following night as he slept an artery burst and he passed away on 20 July 1771. 

To quote from the Cumnock Chronicles article about him, "Of the work of Muir in Cumnock and the spirit he showed in carrying it on, we happen to know more than of the work and spirit of any other of this time. The session records testify that after his settlement, new life came into the Church and new methods were adopted for the progress of religion in the parish. The sin of drunkenness begins now to be frequently referred to, and the ordinary discipline of the Church, apparently long in desuetude for this sin, revived. But the sessional discipline was only part of the effort of the Church to redeem guilty persons from insobriety. The private dealing of the minister, of which we can read between the lines of the formal minutes, would go far to win offenders back, and would be a work into which Mr Muir would throw himself with all the earnestness of his faithful spirit."

Grave of James Muir

Of the children of George and Isabel, the most famous, or at least most written about, was the Rev James Muir. He was born in the manse in Cumnock on the 12th of April, 1757. Just like his father he had planned to go into law, but (to quote from his biographer William Buel Sprague) "under the preaching of his excellent father, his mind became deeply impressed with the importance of eternal things." And so "his thoughts, which had previously been directed to the profession of the Law, were now fixed upon the Christian ministry."

After studying in Glasgow and Edinburgh, he travelled to London to further study under his cousin Rev Henry Hunter, where it is possible he also began preaching in one of Lady Glenorchy's chapels. 

Sometime around 1781 he was ordained as an evangelist to Bermuda. While in Bermuda he became the principal of an academy, and became the acting pastor for Christ Church in Warwick, Bermuda. In Warwick he met Elizabeth Wellman, who was from one of Bermuda's most respectable families. They were married on 29 February, 1783.  After serving for eight years in Bermuda, the Muir family intended to move back to Scotland, but due to bad weather their ship had to sail for the United States instead, where they would end up settling.

In 1789, James accepted a call to serve as minister at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria, Virginia, where he would serve for 31 years until his death in 1820. To quote from an Old Presbyterian Meeting House site "Rev. Muir’s influence extended far beyond the confines of the pulpit. As a leader in his community, he demonstrated compassion by spearheading Alexandria’s Poor Relief Committee, ensuring the welfare of those in need. Muir held the role of Chaplain at Lodge No. 22, the very lodge George Washington belonged to." And "recognizing the transformative power of education, Rev. Muir took on the role of the president of the Alexandria Academy, founded in 1785 with an endowment from George Washington. This commitment to nurturing young minds and advancing knowledge underscored his dedication to progress and intellectual growth. His influence in shaping the minds of future generations continues to echo through time, reminding us of the enduring impact of dedicated educators."

As for his preaching, many wrote he was a powerful preacher, however apparently his Scottish accent was so strong that it was felt he would never be an overly popular one. But he was certainly respected for what he did say. I like the quote of one United States Senator, who after having listened to one of Muir's sermons, remarked that he was "a short man, of short sermons, of short sentences."

A close family friend was Rev John Witherspoon, president of the College of New Jersey (later to become Princeton University) and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It was probably in part due to Witherspoon's backing that Muir was awarded an honorary degree of Doctorate of Divinity from Yale University in 1791.

As for children, Sprague records: "They had had seven children ; but, at the time of his death, only four were living, —one son and three daughters. The son Samuel was, for some years, a post surgeon in the United States army, stationed on the south-western frontier. He had, however, resigned his commission, and, having married a daughter of one of the chiefs of the Sacs or Fox tribe of Indians [now called the Sauk and the Meskwaki tribes], was, for several years, regarded as one of the greatest men of the nation. About three years before his death, he had settled in an extensive medical practice at Galena,  and, during, the Black Hawk war, when the cholera broke out in our army under General Scott, with such terrible violence, he boldly went out, as a volunteer, to endeavour to stay its ravages. But, after saving the lives of many in the army, he was attacked by the disease himself, and in twentyfour hours was numbered among its victims. He was educated at Edinburgh, was a highly accomplished man, and a skilful physician."

His daughters, are listed on this linked site as Jane, Mary, and Elizabeth, and are thought to have remained unmarried, devoting themselves to teaching in the Sunday school set up by their father. 

Convicts, crimes, and murder

By Scott Daily

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  a child, Alexander. 

For a time David worked as a butcher in Cumnock. In 1843 he was accused of stealing, either 8 sheep 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 an area, as he is recorded as passing away in Tasmania in 1886 at the age of 66. His wife Euphemia lived out her days in Thornhill and earend a good living as a dressmaker. The son Alexander died of TB in 1860 aged 19.

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 Dickie McKerrow was born in Sorn, and moved to Cumnock to serve as the housekeeper for a Mr Lennox who lived at home called "Woodside" at 159 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. 

Dunsmor and Nicol families, Cumnock pottery and beyond

by Scott Daily

The Nicol ( and Dunsmor) family 1880
 

                                        For names of those in the photo, click here

A family strongly linked to Cumnock Pottery the numerous Nicol and Dunsmor (or Dunsmore) descendents of Annie Clarkson moved in and out of Ayrshire in the 1800's. 

Annie Clarkson was born in Douglas, in South Lanarkshire in 1836, her first marriage was to Robert Dunsmore, in Cumnock by the Rev James Murray on 6 March 1854. Robert was listed as a coal-master in a wedding announcement. 

Robert and Annie had two children, Elizabeth born in 1853, and David Robert around 1856. Interestingly at the point that David was born the family were living in United States, as David is listed as being born on the Cumnock Connections site in Lemonweir, Wisconsin. The 1881 census mentioned below also lists David has being born in the United States.  

Robert Dunsmore appears to have passed away in 1857, at the age of 29. In 1858 Annie married James McGavin Nicol, the manager, and soon to be the proprietor, of Cumnock Pottery. Many have written in detail about Cumnock Pottery and the role James played, see for example: this article from the Scottish Pottery Society or this one from the Cumnock History Group, my focus is more on his family, though the pottery, especially the "motto ware" is a fascinating subject. 

James and Annie appear to have had ten children (see Annie's link above), with seven of them listed along with step-son David as living with them in a 1881 census. When grown the Nicol children began to move about, some settling in other parts of Scotland. One son, John Strathdee Nicol (often called Strath) would move to England to work in a firm manufacturing explosives, where he became the managing director. For his services he was created M.B.E. Another son, Thomas Hamilton Nicol, would immigrate to America and settle around California. Both sons would seem to have had children who settled around these areas of England and America. 

David Dunsmor would remain in the Cumnock area, taking over the running of Cumnock Pottery after his step-father passed away. David was also known for serving as the Lieutenant of the Cumnock Volunteer Rifles, most famously taking part in the "Wet Review" when on August 25 1881, the Edinburgh Royal Review of Volunteers was held, as Queen Victoria reviewed large numbers of Volunteer Forces from all over Scotland at Holyrood Park on a day of prolonged extremely heavy rainfall. 

Notice of David Dunsmor taking over Cumnock Pottery

David Dunsmor married Wilhelmina Hillhouse in 1884, they continued to live in the Cumnock area for the rest of their lives. One of their sons, James Nicol Dunsmor, a unmarried banker, was killed in India, when the sergeant who was to guard him shot him. A news aritcle would state “an immediate official inquiry was made and it was found that the sergeant was suffering from meningitis and must have gone mad.”

headline about James Dunsmor's death

Ministers (and their families) immigrating to the Dunedin area of New Zealand in the mid 1800's

 By Scott Daily

Through the years many have moved from East Ayrshire to New Zealand, quite a large number of these settled in the Otago region, especially in what became the city of Dunedin. To quote directly from Tearra, the “Encyclopedia of New Zealand” website , “With clear rivers and brisk frosts reminiscent of home, Otago was where a group of Free Church Scots founded their ‘new Edinburgh’, Dunedin, in 1848. They had high moral values, and a belief in hard work and the value of education. Today, clans and tartans, Burns night celebrations, and tossing the caber, are part of a lasting legacy." 

Established in 1845, the Otago Association was founded by the Free Church of Scotland to set up a colony in New Zealand. By the 1850s over 12,000 people immigrated from the United Kingdom to the area around Dunedin. Among these immigrants were several ministers who were born in Ayrshire.

Perhaps the best known of these was Thomas Burns, nephew of Robert Burns. Thomas was born in 1796 in Mauchline. After graduating from University of Edinburgh, with a degree in theology, he was ordained as a minister to the parish of Ballantrae, later transferring to Monkton, both in South Ayrshire. In 1843, during the Disruption of Church of Scotland, Burns left the established church and joined the Free Church of Scotland. 

In 1847 he, and his family (his wife, 5 daughters and one son) set sail for New Zealand on board the Philip Laing one of the first ships chartered by the Otago Association. For a time Burns functioned as the only minister for the area; later when other Free Church ministers arrived a Presbytery of Otago was formed, with Burns elected the first Moderator. Burns passed away in 1871, and is buried in Dunedin, where there is also a monument to him for his service to the community.

grave of Thomas Burns in Dunedin

Besides members of the Free Church, many other religious Scots immigrated to the area. Thomas Burns recorded 1,000 Presbyterians, 250 Anglicans, 61 independent church members, and 11 Catholics, living in Dunedin in 1856. 

Of special relevance to this page about Cumnock immigration is David Johnstone who was born in Old Cumnock in 1822, and went on to become a pastor in Dunedin.  Johnstone (sometimes spelt Johnston) had first served in the 1850s as pastor of an Indepedent church or chapel on Great Hamilton Street, Glasgow. In 1866 his wife, Jessie, passed away. By 1869 Johnstone had moved with his children to New Zealand, as he is recorded as serving as the pastor of the Congregational church located at the corner of Vine Street and Moray Place in Dunedin. Johnstone only served at the Moray Place church for a year before he began to hold services in the Oddfellows’ Hall George Street, before having a new Congregational church built on Leith Street and becoming its first pastor. see-congregationhistory 

Johnstone is recorded in various New Zealand census and electoral rolls as serving as clergyman in Dunedin for many years, evetually dying in 1896 still in Dunedin. A number of his at least 6 children married New Zealanders and stayed in the area with families of their own.

One final example of a minister orginally from East Ayrshire is the Rev. James Kirkland, who was born in Stewarton in 1832.  Though the region of Otago was intially extremely Presbyterian, the discovery of gold in the area in the 1860s resulted in a gold rush with so many moving to the area from places such as Australia that soon there was a shortage of Presbyterian ministers, and so a call went out for more ministers. James Kirkland was one of those who answered the call. He and his family (wife Mary, and 3 children) moved first to Inch Clutha in 1863, where James served as the minister until 1872. After serving for a few years in Hokitika, James would be called to serve at West Taieri near Dunedin. He would remain the minister there for over 20 years. At least 3 more children were born to family in New Zealand, the notice of his death (pictured below) states that he had 9 children, one of the sons would also become a minister in the area. James was honoured for his long service to the Synod of Otago and Southland. His gravestone, in Dunedin, states he served as a minister in New Zealand for 39 years. 

Rev James Kirkland's grave, Dunedin

Notice of Rev Kirkland's death

Miners who moved to Indiana

By Scott Daily 

Growing up in the state of Indiana, I was unaware of the conection between my state and many coal miners formerly from Scotland. Quite a number moved from the Ayrshire area to work coal mines around the city of Terre Haute in the western part of Indiana. 

According to the "Coal mining in Vigo Country Indiana Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey Special Report 34",  published in 1985, Vigo county, where Terre Haute is located, was the foremost coal-producing county in Indiana. The value of the total product of the mines in Vigo County, the report states, mounted to billions of US dollars. In just the year 1918 mines in the county produced over 8.8 million tons of coal, almost twice as much as the next largest producing county, the nearby Sullivan county (a county that many Scottish miners also moved to). 

A prime example of an Old Cumnock man who moved to this area to be a miner is Thomas Nicol. Born Thomas McCartney Nicol to parents Thomas Edgar Nicol and Margaret (McCartney) Nicol on the 12th of March 1876. Thomas senior served for a time as a sheriff officer, later (by the 1881 census) working as a pawnbroker and accountant. He made several newspapers listings in 1870 when he was fined for assaulting a John Bryce Clark, listed as a writer from Mauchline. 

Thomas junior, who confusingly at some point appears to have changed his middle name from McCartney (his mother's maiden name), to Edgar (his father's middle name), grew up in a home on Lugar street in Cumnock. In the 1901 census he is listed (along with 10 other people) as living with his widowed mother. He occupation in 1901 is listed as fireman in a coal mine. Later in that same year of 1901 he married Georgina Baird, in Cumnock. 

When exactly Thomas moved to the United States is a bit confusing. His draft registration card, shown below, is from September of 1918, however his United States Declaration of Intention (also shown below) which has him living at the time in Michigan, states he first arrived in New York in November of 1922 from Glasgow on board the Assyria. It is likely he made several trips back and forth to Scotland, especially as it appears his wife and children remained or returned to Scotland, as they are shown to have lived and died in the Cumnock area. In any case, the documents show that Thomas was a miner who lived in Terre Haute and worked as a miner. 

Thomas Nicol's draft registration (above)
and his Declaration of Intention (below)

There were many more miners who moved from the Ayrshire area to Indiana, such as Samuel Shaw from Dalry, William Welsh from Auchinleck, Thomas McGuire from Catrine, and more. It is difficult to locate exactly which town or village many of the miners came from originally as frequently on the Indiana census reports and other records, they simply state they were from Ayrshire or sometimes just Scotland. It is remarkable how many miners are listed on the censuses for the area in the mid 1900's as coming from Scotland. See for example the 1910 census below, which list many settlers from the area coming form Scotland, such as David Houston originally from the Galston area. Apparently several members of the Houston family came over, many working as miners, including (though I can't be sure he was a miner) James the son of David, who was excused from the draft of the First World War because he had lost a leg, I would be curious if anyone could work out if this was due to mining?

(See zoomed in image to note the Houston family who seemed to primarily setttle around the Sullivan/Dugger area of Indiana for a time, as well as others)

Without question there were a number of miners who immigrated. Sadly, just like the mines in Scotland, those in Indiana began to decline after the two great wars. With the increase in coal mining is such places as West Virginia and Kentucky, the production of  the coal mines in Vigo county for example went from 8.8 million tons in 1918 to only 1 million tons in 1931. Many of the Scottish miners thus moved or found other occupations. 

1910 Census from Indiana, with a long list of miners originally from Scotland
enlarged section showing Houston family and others

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.