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

The Shields sisters to sunny California

 by Roberta McGee

Samuel McColl Shields and Elizabeth Gray Dunsmore were married at Elbow Lane, Cumnock, on 29th August 1884. Samuel was an apprentice millwright at the time. They went on to have nine children, five boys and four girls. Six of the children were born in Elbow Lane, Cumnock. He served his time as an engineer in Drummond's Works in Ayr Road, Cumnock then he was employed at Lugar Works on the engineering staff and in 1899 he moved from Cumnock to Camlachie, Glasgow Barony, where he was employed with Blochairn Steel Works. A further three children were born in Camlachie. 

One of their daughters, Magdalene, died, aged seven years, in Cumnock. The three surviving daughters would later emigrate to California, USA, while the surviving boys seemed content to live in Scotland. Their 19 years old bugler son, Samuel was lost at Ypres in 1917 and 21 years old Willie, a recipient of the Military Medal, died of tuberculosis in 1921.

Cumnock Chronicle 1919

The first of their daughters to emigrate was Jane (Jean) McCartney Shields who was born in Elbow Lane, Cumnock in 1887.

Jean married James Alexander McClenaghan on 24/8/1906, born Glenanne, Co. Armagh, Ireland, at her family home at 932 Duke Street, Glasgow. He was a blacksmith and she was a provision saleswoman. They were both 19 years old.

James first emigrated alone to Vallejo, Sonoma County, California in 1909. He found work as a hired hand on a farm owned by Irishman David McClure. When WW1 was declared James travelled back to Glasgow and joined the Irish Guards. He fought throughout the war and was demobilized on 23rd March 1919. On 16th August 1919 James and Jean sailed out of Liverpool for New York on the "Carmania". They were accompanied by their daughters Elizabeth (Bessie) aged 12 years and Mary aged 10 years. 

In 1920 the family are living on a farm in Sonoma, California where James was employed as a farm labourer.