Map of parts of the Old Cumnock and Auchinleck Shires showing family connections and places of interest. The Ferguson family were prominent in Cumnock from the early 1700s, and eventually merged with Goldie family in 1765 when James Ferguson married Katharin Goldie. James was an innkeeper in the village. Margaret McKerrow from Woodhead married Walter [2] Ferguson in 1836. They had nine children in the village before and they left with seven of them for Queensland in 1861.
John [2] McKay and his father arrived in Cumnock about the time the Fergusons were leaving for Queensland. John married Elizabeth McMeekin in 1863, and all of their seven children were born in the village or at Glengyron Rows; however, most of the children began to drift off to other mining towns to the north in the 1890s.
Read the relevant stories about our family connections to Cumnock (articles will open in new browser tabs):
- 1. Walter [1] Ferguson & the 72nd (1735–1820)
- 2. Walter [2] Ferguson & Margaret McKerrow (1820–1861)
- 3. Fergusons in Queensland: 1861–1881
- 1. McKay: Riggend, Lanarkshire (1830–1878)
- 2. McMeekin-Flynn: Wigtownshire (1811–1861)
- 3a. McKay-McMeekin-Brown: Cumnock (1861–1893)
- 3b. Glengyron Row (by Kay McMeekin)
- 4. The McKay Diaspora (1889–1959)
- 5. McKay: The Andrew “Curse”
My Grandpaernts lived at Skares Row before moving to Dalsalloch Road in Auchinleck. Do you know of any maps that show the buildings where they will have lived. My mother (Stefani Yocus) was born in the parish of Old Cumnock in Skares Row in 1915 as were her brother. the family later moved to Dalsalloch Road in Auchinleck. later they moved to The Gorbals in Glasgow. i have found your website of great interest and very helpful. I would appreciate any info that might help me in my family search. Thanks.
Hi Frank: I haven’t got much on the buildings at Skares, but if you contact the Cumnock Family History Group, I’m sure they will have some old photos, and maybe some old maps. You can message Kay McMeekin if you go to their family tree website:
https://cumnockconnections.tribalpages.com
You’ll see the ‘click here’ link near the top under the menu bar. They also have a very useful Facebook page, and members respond quickly to requests:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cumnockfamilyhistory/2494685484110342/?comment_id=2494686147443609¬if_id=1568342025827768¬if_t=group_highlights
Hope this helps. :-)
Hello Frank,
I too have discovered my grandmother was born and raised on Skares Row. I have found photos and a description of the two roomed buildings they lived in. As I understand it, this was a small village of three rows of miners homes. It was three miles from Old Cumnock. On further investigation I learnt that due to the de industrialization of the area, the homes were demolished soon after world war Two. I hope this link is of interest showing the photos and description
By the way it may well be my grandmother and your mother would have known each other. Jeanie Torbett was born in 1908 so was six years older, living in number 61 Skares Row https://canmore.org.uk/site/199709/skares-miners-rows?display=image http://www.ayrshirehistory.org.uk/Bibliography/monos/amr5.htm#skares
All the best
Christine McDermott
Hi Christine,
Many thanks for your information. I have passed your message on to Frank.
Cheers,
Alan