Born in Chile

 By Robert Watson

Hugh Blackwood who spent most of his life in Cumnock and died in 1929 is buried in the town Glaisnock Street cemetery. Hugh was born in Chile in 1856. Descendant Robert Watson explains how this came about.

In 1849 The Hudson's Bay Company gained commercial rights to Vancouver Island from the British Government. They aimed to mine for coal on the island, planning to sell coal in San Francisco where prices were high. Their existing labourers and miners were flocking to the California gold rush and unable to recruit native people, experienced miners from Scotland were sought. The Hudson's Bay Company Agent in Scotland David Landale had been commissioned in early 1853 to recruit 40 miners and their families from Ayrshire to emigrate to Vancouver Island. The plan was to travel by train to London where the company had contracted the Colinda to sail to British Columbia - a scheduled 5 month voyage.

Thomas Blackwood, his wife Elizabeth Crawford and their two year old daughter joined 30 other families to travel from Kilmarnock, in August 1853, to London. They boarded the ship The Colinda.

The captain of the Colinda, John Powell Mills, had failed to provision the ship adequately. He proved an incompetent ships master and against a background of increasingly harsh conditions, relations with the ships passengers and crew deteriorated to the extent that they demanded the ship put in to a port in Chile. At one point Captain Mills challenged the ships doctor Henry Coleman to a duel. Through the British Consulate in Valparaiso Captain Mills unsuccessfully attempted to have them tried for mutinous & piratical conduct. Passengers, crew and Dr Coleman testified against the captain and the charges were dismissed. 

The Blackwood family and other miners families refused to continue with Captain Mills to British Columbia. Instead they were recruited by Thomas Garland who in 1852 had set up the 'Compania de Lota' to exploit the coal deposits in that area far south of Valparaiso.

Their son Hugh Blackwood was born in Lota in 1856 and was sent back to Ayrshire to be educated. Initially returning to Dalmellington, Ayrshire to stay with his grandmother Catherine Blackwood nee Campbell, he eventually settled in Cumnock, married Martha Armstrong and raised a large family.

The rest of the Hugh's siblings remained in Chile and successfully raised families and there are now many descendants of Thomas Blackwood and Elizabeth Crawford both in Chile and elsewhere in the world.

A nephew of Hugh (the son of his brother William (Guillermo)) was Juan Manuel Blackwood. Manuel was the 2nd engineer aboard the Yelcho which was the Chilean ship which rescued the crew of the Shackleton Antarctic expedition from Elephant Island in 1916. 

Hugh Blackwood’s family in Cumnock about 1910

 You can read more about the Blackwoods on Robert’s blog HERE.

The photo below is Hugh’s brother William aka Guillermo (seated) and his family in Chile c. 1905.

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 (1847- 1924) 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 in comparison, 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

The Stewarts from Donaldson Brae, Old Cumnock

 By Roberta McGee

Family of Stewarts at Castle Green, New Cumnock

Edward Stewart was descended from a large travelling family of hawkers, scrap merchants, horse dealers and general dealers. He was born in Penrith about 1866 and died on 4/6/1946 at 5 Donaldson Brae, Old Cumnock. He married Catherine McMillan, who was also from a travelling family, on 13th January 1888 at Irvine, Ayrshire. They had sixteen children, four of whom died young. The births of their children give us an idea of the areas they frequented - Kelton Dumfries, New Cumnock, Castle Douglas, Old Cumnock, Dalmellington, Kilmarnock.

Their surviving children were Annie, Mary Ann, William, John, Swales, Lizzie, Edward, Alexander, Louise, George, James and Margaret.

Cumnock Connections Tree

1901 found Edward, described as a general dealer, and his family living in a caravan on Castle Green, New Cumnock, and in 1911 they are in Kilmarnock. Edward is now a horse dealer while his wife and daughters are hawkers and his sons are carters or drivers.

Location of 1-6 Donaldson Brae & yard 

By 1920 Edward and his family had settled in Old Cumnock. He bought a house, 34 Tower Street, and the 1921 census finds the family living there. In 1920 he had also purchased a row of five houses at Donaldson Brae. They numbered 1 to 5 with number 6 being a stable and sheds. On the 1920 Valuation Roll he is also listed as the proprietor of a house at 31 Townhead and a stable and sheds. By 1925 he had sold the Townhead properties and the Stewarts now concentrated on their scrap metal yard at Donaldson Brae.

The Donaldson Brae houses were pretty little cottages, surrounded by well looked after gardens, the previous occupants being William Mackay, Daniel Stillie, miner, James Stillie, the Misses Gemmell and 'Grannie] Bryce.

Before

Fast forward to 1957. There was a complaint made to the Council about the state of the Stewarts' yard in front of the houses. Father Edward had died and the business was now being run by his son Swales. It was requested that a fence be erected around the yard to hide it from view. Swales said that there had been one but tanks ran over it during the war and it had never been replaced. 

After

'Swaley's Yaird' was a playground for the local children. No soft play areas for them back then. They spent many a happy hour playing in the old rusted wrecks of various vehicles. In their imagination they could be car, train or bus drivers. Their fantasies could even stretch to being the pilot of an aeroplane. Of course the yard was also the home to rats from the nearby burn. However, back then no-one really thought about health and safety and the rats kept a low profile!

Travelling was in the Stewarts' genes and just because they had now settled in Cumnock it didn't stop them from spreading their wings - sometimes temporarily and sometimes permanently.

Their oldest daughter Annie was born in 1890 in New Cumnock and died at 4 Alloway Road, Lochside, Dumfriesshire. On 5/4/1916, when she was 26 years old, she married Towson Watson. Towson was a 47 years old horse dealer and the brother of Robert Watson (Dishy). The witnesses on the marriage certificate were John Lowther, hawker and Elizabeth Watson, spinster. Their first child, Robert Watson, was born 7/8/1917 at 19 Townhead Street, Cumnock. Tragically Towson died on 24/10/1918 of influenza. Annie was about 5 months pregnant at the time of his death and their daughter Christina was born at Townhead Street on 7/2/1919.

On 1/2/1929 we find Annie in Canada with her son Robert and daughter Christina. They had sailed from Glasgow to Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 'Athenia'. Also accompanying them was her brother George Stewart. On 24/1/1931 Annie is living at 2563 Delisle Street, Montreal with her brother John. They are joined there by their brother James and sister Margaret. 

On 2/4/1942 Annie, her daughter Christina and Annie's sister Louise arrive at Border Control in Laurier, Washington, on the west coast of the USA. Their last residence is recorded as 95 King Street, Toronto with her brother William. They were en route to Trail, via Paterson, British Columbia. Why had they travelled so far west? Annie's late husband Towson's brother Isaac Watson had died in Vancouver, British Columbia on 15/11/1926 so perhaps he had family there. Another reason could be that Annie's son Robert Watson had arrived at North Port, Washington on the west coast on 3/7/1941 accompanied by his uncle Tom Hodgson, so he may still have been there. 

On 13/6/1946 Annie and Christina were back at son Robert's at 119 3rd Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. Robert, a spray painter,  seemed to flit between Canada and the USA.  Annie died at 4 Alloway Road, Lochside, Dumfries and was buried in the family lair in St. Michael's Cemetery, Dumfries on 16/1/1958 so, at some point between 1946 and 1958 Annie had returned to Scotland. 

On 9/4/1930 Edward and Catherine's second child 37 years old Mary Ann Stewart sailed on the 'Laurentic' from Greenock to Montreal. Whether or not she returned to Scotland is uncertain. There is a  Mary Ann Stewart, whose mother's surname is McMillan, died in Old Cumnock in 1978. Perhaps this is her.

Third child William Stewart sailed on the 'Cameronia' from Glasgow to Halifax, Nova Scotia with his young son Swales arriving on 16/4/1932. His occupation is truck driver. He was joining his sister Annie Watson in Montreal. In 1942 William is living at 95 King Street, Toronto. 

On 18/1/1930 fourth child John Stewart, a motor driver, and his wife Bella, accompanied by his brother Edward, a dealer, sailed on the 'California' from Glasgow to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Their intended place of residence was with his brother Alexander at 115 Sherbourne Street, Toronto, Ontario.  On 24/1/1931 John is living with his sister Annie Watson at 2563 Delisle Street, Montreal. He is joined there by his brother James and sister Margaret. In 1937 John is living at 131 Chatham Street, Windsor, Ontario. That year John, his wife and brother James visit Detroit on an 'occasional visit'. In 1946 he is living in Dundas East, Toronto, Canada. 

On 3/6/1926 fifth child Swales Stewart sailed from Greenock to Quebec on the 'Montclare' to visit his cousin Alexander McMillan in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was still in Canada in 1929 in Toronto when he was joined by his sister Louise. He must have returned to Cumnock between 1929 and 1946 when his father died and he took over the running of the scrap metal business at Donaldson Brae. 

Child Number 6 is Elizabeth (Lizzie) who doesn't seem to have ventured out of Cumnock, but I would be surprised if she hadn't made a trip to Canada at one point. She was the housekeeper and was the informant on her brother George's death certificate in 1968 at Donaldson Brae. Lizzie had a shop in Lugar Street, Cumnock, next to Jenny Tear's. It was packed to the door with bales of cloth. She used to sit on the pavement outside, in her chair, when she didn't have customers. 

Lizzie's shop on the right

Edward Stewart is the seventh child who travelled on 18/1/1930 to Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 'California' with his brother John to their brother Alexander's in Toronto.

Alexander returned to Scotland and died 14/12/1957 at 15 College Street, Dumfries. He was 49yrs old, single and a dealer.

9th child Louise arrived in Quebec from Glasgow on the 'Letitia' on 9/6/1929 her destination address being her brother Swales in Toronto. She was still in Canada in 1942 living with her brother William. 

10th child George sailed on the Athenia from Glasgow to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving on 1/4/1929, two months before his sister Louise. He had been accompanied by his sister Annie and her two children. They also went to brother Swales in Toronto. George returned to Donaldson Brae where he died, aged 59yrs, and was buried on 5/2/1968 at St Michael's Cemetery, Dumfries. 

Children Numbers 11 & 12 were James & Margaret. They arrived at St. John's, New Brunswick, Canada on 24/1/1931 on the 'Duchess of York' their destination being the home of their brother John and sister Annie at 2563 Delisle St., Montreal. In 1937 James's residence is 223 Taylor Street, Toronto. 

 Swales had first arrived in 1926 and there seems to have been a flurry of activity around 1929 and 1931 when a further ten of Edward & Catherine's children crossed the Atlantic. I could not find their mother, Catherine's, death so perhaps this may have been the reason for the exodus? 

The siblings moved easily between Canada and the USA but latterly their main domicile was in Ontario. Distance seemed to be no object . This had always been their way of life. The men would pick up work along the way, perhaps painting farm barns, while the women would hawk around the doors. Some of the men were dealers or salesmen. 

In later years the norm would be to travel down into the USA in the Spring to buy a new trailer to bring back up to Canada. This would be their home for the working year. They would travel and pick up work wherever they could and thought nothing of driving more than 2000 miles across Canada to British Columbia. Before winter fell they would take the trailer back into the USA, sell it and settle down in a house in Canada until Spring when the whole process would start again.  

There is still a strong travelling community in Ontario descended from the Stewarts and Watsons of Old Cumnock. Family is important to them. The Stewarts' old home on Donaldson Brae is long gone. In its place is Rothesay House, the new council building. Swales (or Swaley as the Cumnock folk called him - or indeed  'Swellie') died at 31 Herdston Place which is the last house at the bottom of that street just some yards from where Swaley's old house once stood. 

John Lowther

 by Roberta McGee

John Lowther was born in 1889 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. His father was Wilfred Lowther, a hawker, born in Bootle, Cumberland in 1866 to James and Eleanor Lowther (nee Burns), who were earthenware dealers. James came from a long line of Cumberland potters.

In 1881 Wilfred can be found in Kendal living with his sister Mary and her husband Joseph Miller. The Millers were a large travelling family of hawkers and horse dealers.

Read more about hawkers here Pedlars Tinkers and Hawkers - The Social Historian.

Cumnock Connections - Family Tree (tribalpages.com)

Wilfred married Elizabeth Moorehead in January 1888 at Cockermouth and their son John Lowther was born there in 1889. However, their marriage was short-lived because Wilfred died suddenly in April 1889, aged 22 years, at their house in St. Helen's Street, Cockermouth. So, at 21 years , Elizabeth was a widow. She moved, with her son, to Watchhill, Allhallows, Cumberland, to live with her widowed mother Betty Moorehead who had a grocer's shop there. 

By 1895 William Moorehead, Betty's son (Elizabeth's brother), was living in Old Cumnock and Betty, Elizabeth and John joined him there. William had been a coal miner in Allhallows but was now managing a lodging house in Elbow Lane, Cumnock. They did have connections in the area. Betty's brother was John Hall, a hawker, later swine dealer, who had married Jane Cunningham, the sister of Bob (Dishy) Watsons mother Christina Cunningham. The Halls had emigrated to Australia in 1887. 

On 31st December 1897 at Elbow Lane, Cumnock, Elizabeth married Hugh Walker.

Marriage Certificate:

Hugh Walker aged 30 years, hawker, bachelor, Lugar Street, Cumnock. Father: John Walker, coal miner Mother: Annie Walker ms McMillan deceased to Elizabeth Moorehead, aged 29 years, widow, Elbow Lane, Cumnock Father: John Moorehead, mason, deceased Mo: Elizabeth Moorhead ms Hall. Witnesses: William Moorehead and Hannah Hodgson.

In 1901 Betty Moorehead, John Lowther's grandmother, is managing the lodging house in Elbow Lane, Cumnock, assisting her 35 years old son William who is described as 'lodging house keeper'. There were 35 boarders. Her daughter, now Mrs Hugh Walker, is living in Townhead Street with her husband who is a china hawker, her son John Lowther aged 12 years, daughter Agnes Walker aged 3 years and son John Walker aged 8 months. So she had two sons named John, albeit with different surnames, carrying on the family tradition on both sides of the family it seems. 

Sadly Betty Died on 30th October 1903 at Elbow Lane, Cumnock.

Death Certificate:

Betty Moorehead, aged 67 years, widow of John MacKenzie Moorehead, hawker. Father: George Hall, horse dealer deceased Mother: Catherine Hall ms Lowther deceased. Cause of Death: Chronic Bright's Disease. Informant: Wm. Moorehead, son.

On 31st December 1914 John Lowther married Christine Watson, the sister of Bob (Dishy) Watson.

Marriage Certificate:

At 4 Minerva Street, Glasgow by Declaration in presence of Robert Watson, general dealer and Agnes Walker, spinster, John Lowther, aged 25 years, fish salesman, bachelor, 104 Townhead Street, Old Cumnock  Father: Wilfred Lowther, general hawker deceased Mother: Elizabeth Lowther now Walker ms Moorehead to Christina Watson, aged 24 years, Wood Street, Catrine Father: Robert Watson, horse dealer Mo: Christina Watson ms Cunningham.

John and Christina had three children together, Wilfred born 1916 Cumnock, Christina born 1917 Cumnock and Betty born 1919 Cumnock.

1918 proved to be a tragic year for John and his family.  There was an influenza epidemic in Cumnock and his young half-sister Annie Walker died on 8th July 1918 at Townhead Street. She was thirteen years old. Her death was followed by that of her sister Elizabeth Walker on 18th October 1918. She was sixteen years old. 

Two and a half years later John's wife Christina Cunningham Watson Lowther died on twenty sixth of January 1921 at 89 Townhead Street, Cumnock. She had suffered from Jacksonian epilepsy for eight years and died from heart failure. John was left with three small children to raise. Christina's sister Mary Ann Watson stepped in and took care of them while John worked as a fish salesman and at the end of the year John and Mary got married.

Marriage Certificate:

On 27th December 1921 at The County Buildings, Ayr by Declaration in presence of William Hodgson, fishmonger and Elizabeth Watson or Hodgson, both of 89 Townhead Street, Old Cumnock John Lowther, aged 37 years, fish salesman, widower, 89 Townhead Street, Old Cumnock  Father: Wilfred Lowther, horse dealer deceased Mother: Elizabeth Lowther ms Moorehead to Mary Watson aged 25 years, housekeeper, spinster, 89 Townhead Street, Old Cumnock Father: Robert Watson, china merchant Mother: Christina Watson ms Cunningham deceased.

John and Mary's son, Robert (Bobby) Watson Lowther was born in 1924 in Cumnock. 

John and Mary decided to emigrate to New Zealand and on 13th April 1926 they boarded the ship 'Mahona' at Liverpool and set sail for Auckland, New Zealand.

Passenger List - 13/4/1926 - Ship 'Mahona' - Liverpool to Auckland, New Zealand

John Lowther 33 fishmonger, Mrs John Lowther 29 wife, Wilfred Lowther 10, Christina Lowther 9, Betty Lowther 7, Robert Lowther 2 

89 Townhead Street, Old Cumnock, Ayrshire 

On 30th November 1927 their son John (Jack) Cunningham Watson Lowther was born in New Zealand. When Jack was in his twenties he visited Cumnock and fell in love with his cousin Christine Watson whose father was Bob Watson (Dishy). Jack and Christine were married in 1950 at Blythswood, Glasgow. They opened a fish and chip shop in her parents' house in Townhead Street but eventually Jack returned to New Zealand/Australia accompanied by his new wife. 

John Lowther's children with Christina Watson

1.     Wilfred Watson Lowther was born in 1916 in Old Cumnock and died 8/4/1985 at 

        141 Musselburgh Rise, Dunedin, New Zealand. He was 69 years old and a retired sales

        consultant. He married Agnes Sheila Brown on 28/7/1946 at St. Joseph's Cathedral.

        Dunedin.

2.    Christian (Christina) Cunningham Lowther was born in 1917 in Old Cumnock

       and died in New Zealand.

3.    Elizabeth (Betty) Moorehead Lowther was born in 1919 in Old Cumnock and died after

       1954 in New Zealand.  The 1954 Electoral Roll shows her living at 66 Harbour Terrace,

       North Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. She is a spinster and is living with her widowed

       mother Mary Lowther.

John Lowther's children with Mary Ann Watson

4.    Robert (Bobby) Watson Lowther was born in 1924 in Old Cumnock and died 4/6/1981 at

       Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Bob married Margaret Joyce Armstrong.

5.    John (Jack) Cunningham Watson Lowther was born 30/11/1927 in New Zealand and

       died 9/1/1991 in Queensland, Australia. He married Christine Watson in 1950 at Blythwood,                    Glasgow and they lived for a time in Townhead Street, Cumnock.  Christine is the daughter of               Robert Watson and Maggie McGee of Cumnock.

                                                             Brothers Bobby & Jack Lowther

John Lowther died 21st September 1946 in Dunedin, New Zealand. He was 57 years old. Mary, his wife, died 2nd February 1979 also in Dunedin, New Zealand. Mary was 82 years old. They are buried in Anderson's Bay Cemetery, Dunedin. A horse's head is etched on the gravestone, perhaps a nod to his traveller's background.  

John Lowther's journey through life took him from Cumberland to Cumnock and from Cumnock to Australia and New Zealand. He had experienced the joy of his children's births and the heartache of the death of his first wife and of his two young half-sisters in Cumnock. He found happiness again with his second marriage and courageously moved to the other side of the world to make better lives for his family. Being part of the travelling community and having relatives already in Australia and New Zealand would have helped the family settle in more easily.