The McMurtries of Barr

June 2008

 

The McMurtries appear in the parish registers of Barr as early as 1692.  However, there are only three families that we can trace with any degree of certainty:

 

  1. John McM of Park Dailly 1714-1784 md 1744 Agnes Ferguson 1712-1815 of Ballymore, Barr and moved to Barr and descendants remained in Barr for many years.  John was the progenitor of CF 1.
  2. John McM of Barr (probably b 1718 son of William) had several children who appear to have moved to Dailly and Kirkmichael, namely Robert b 1740 to Old Dailly, James b 1743 to New Dailly, and Hugh b 1743 to Ladyburn, Kirkmichael.
  3. William McM md 1805 Barr to Mary Hoat of Maybole and had a son William b 1817 in Barr Village.    He later moved to Edinburgh.  This William appears to be the William b 1766, son of William b 1722, son of William.  See “McMurtries of Dalmellington”.

 

Previous researchers have assumed that the children of both of these John’s were children of the same John.  However, two overlapping births of children of John’s in 1745 show that there are two John’s and the marriage record for John and Agnes in 1744 further shows that Hugh b 1743 was the son of a different John.

 

There is also a James McM who does not seem to have been born in Barr but who has an extensive family between 1737 and 1748, but they seem to have died out or left the area.

 

The migrations from Barr to Dailly and Kirkmichael of the sons of John McM seemed at first a wild guess, but there is evidence of connection between northern Kirkmichael Parish and Barr as shown in the following records:

 

  1. John McM of Park (near New Dailly) md 1744 Agnes Ferguson of Ballymore, Barr; moved to Bellimore by 1748 and probably 1745

 

  1. James McM Dailly to Auchensoul

James McM: 1733 Robert in Bankhead

James McM: 1735 Janet Sandhead of Killochan

Jame McM: 1738 Jean Fordhouse

James McM: 1741 Elizabeth Drumbugle?/Drumburle

James McM: 1744 dau Christian in Lynstoun (Linsaystoun? East of New Dailly)

James McM: 1745 daus Sarah and Ann to James of Auchinsoul, Barr but bapt in Dailly

 

  1. William McMurtry of Mackrillkill Dailly md 1766 Jean McMurtrie of Barr

 

What we see here is either marriages of McMurtries resident in northern Dailly Parish to McMurtries in Barr or movements from northern Dailly to Barr.

 

The record of James McM (assuming this is the same James) reflects movement from Sandhead (near Old Dailly) to Drumburle and Linsaystown (near New Dailly) and then to Barr.

 

So this type of interconnection supports the notion of an opposite migration northward from Barr to Dailly and beyond.

 

More on the John McMurtrie’s of Barr

 

  1. It appears that John father of Lilly b 1745 was also father to Margaret 1738, Robert 1740, Hew 1743, James 1743.   Since there are no parish register entries for Robert, Hew/Hugh or James as fathers in the Barr records after 1760, we suspect they migrated elsewhere.  We suspect a migration to Dailly and Kirkmichael of these three brothers.

      a.    It is possible that James md 1768 in Dailly to Mary McHutcheon of Dalmellington was the                      James b 1743 in Barr because:

                  There are no James’ born in Dailly between 1712 and 1779.

                  There are no James’ as fathers in Barr after 1748 or Barr by Girvan after 1745.

                  James would be 25 at marriage in 1768 if he were the James b 1743.

b.      It is possible that Hugh (CF 21) who had son Andrew in 1771 in Kirkmichael was the Hugh   b 1743 in Barr because:

            The only Hugh born in Dailly was born 1725 which would make him 46 at birth of first                 child.

            The only other Hugh births prior to 1761 was Hugh b 1732 in Glasgow which is not a                   good geographic fit with our Hugh.

            Hugh would be 27 at marriage in 1770 if he were the Hugh b 1743.

c.       It is possible that Robert b 1740 is the Robert who had a dau b 1767 in Old Dailly, a son b 1770 in Carnlachie, a son Hugh in 1776 in Old Dailly and a daughter Jane b 1781 in Carnlachie.   Robert would be 27 at the birth of this daughter if he were the Robert b 1740.

  1. It appears that John father of Jennett b 1745 was the John of Park, Dailly who md in 1744 to Agnes Ferguson of Ballymore, Barr and moved there and was father also to: David b 1748 Bellimore, Jean 1750 and possibly Marion b 1751.  David was the progenitor of CF 1.   However, it now appears that this family was a migrant to Barr from Dailly, not a native Barr family.
    1. Note that there is  John McMurtrie who had a daughter Christian in Park in 1740 and a John who married Marion McGill in 1738 in Dailly.  I suspect this is the same John in Park who married in 1744 to Agnes Ferguson.
    2. Since the tombstone reports that John died in 1784 age 70; hence b 1714, he may be the John b 1714 son of Matthew of Penkill (near Old Dailly) or John b 1714 son of David of Bankhead.
    3. By David McMurtrie, innkeeper died 19 Jan 1830 aged 82 , in memory of his father John McMurtrie died 21 Dec 1784 aged 70, son John died aged 2 years, son David died 13 Oct 1838 aged 38, wife Mary McIlmorrow died 23 June 1828 aged 63, mother Agnes Fergusson died Dec 1815 aged 103.

 

It is interesting to note that one of the options for the birth of John McM b 1714 md Agnes Ferguson is the David with son James b 1712 Craghead (near Old Dailly) and John b 1714 Bankhead.  If Bankhead is near Old Dailly and that David is likely his father, then it would appear that both James and John moved northeastward to New Dailly and then James went to Barr just after John married Agnes Ferguson in 1744 and moved to Barr. 

 

If all these conjectures holds, we have:

 

David

            James b 1712 Craghead (near Old Dailly)

                        Robert 1733 Bankhead

                        Janet 1735 Sandhead of Killochan

                        Jean 1738 Fordhouse

                        Elizabeth 1741 Drumbugle/Drumburle

                        Christian 1744 Lynstoun (Lynsayston?)

                        Sarah 1745 bapt Dailly but father in Auchensoul, Barr

            John b 1714  Bankhead

                        (1) 1736 to Marion McGill

                        Christian b 1740 Park md  1761 Thomas Ferguson Dailly d 1812 aged 72

                        (2) 1744 Agnes Ferguson

                        Jennett b 1745 at Barr

                        David McMurtrie  b. 1748 at Belimore, Barr

                        Jean McMurtrie, b 1750 at Barr, Ayrshire, Scotland

 

Second Possibility

 

However, it should be kept in mind that it is also possible that John b 1714 is John b 1714 son of Matthew of Pinkill (Penkill?) and that John moved north to Park just as James b 1712 did, but they were not brothers.          

 

Barr Parish McMurtrie Family Reconstructions

 

Andrew b 1676 d 1737 Doughty md ? Mary McQuhirtir in 1702

              md 1707 Jean McGill (1678-1738)

            David b 1714=>David md 1734 Jean McKerny

                        Anna b 1738 Barr by Girvan

                                    =>David md 1746 Jean McClymont

                        William b 1747

(Note: the Andrew who married Marjory McClure in 1703 went to Straiton where births of children are recorded for them as: William b 1704, Andrew b 1706.)  

             

 

John

            David b 1703  (this David could be one of the David marriages above)

            Mary b 1705

William (born late 1600s)

            John 1718=?>John  of Barr

                        Margaret 1738

                        Robert 1740=?>Robert of Old Dailly

                                    Son 1770 Old Dailly

                                    Mary 1774 Carnlachie

                                    Hugh 1776 Old Dailly

                                    Jane 1781 Carnlachie

                        Hew 1743 =?>Hugh (CF 21) md Agnes Rowand, lived Ladyburn, Kirkmichael by 1770

                        James 1743=?>James (CF 4) md Dailly 1768 to Mary McHutcheon of Dalmellington

                        Lilly Aug 17 1745 md 1771 James Ferguson in Barr

            Agnes 1720

            ?

            Gilbert 1728=>

                        Margaret 1747

                        David 1751

                        Gilbert 1752

            Andrew 1731

           

 

James (not born in Barr or birth not recorded)

            William 1737=>William md 1761 Jean Forgie

                        Jane b 1762 Doughty

                        Ann 1764 Doughty William b 1737

            Alexander 1738

            John 1739

            Helen 1741 ?md Andrew McGarva 1780

            Janet 1743 ?d Hugh McHutcheon 1784

            Sarah 1745

            Alexander 1748

 

John b 1714 (possibly to Matthew of Penkill, Dailly or David of Bankhead, Dailly)

            John McM of Park, Dailly md Agnes Ferguson of Ballymore, Barr 1744

                        ?Janet? b Oct 13 1745

                        David b 1748 Bellimore (CF 1)

                        ?Jean b 1750 Jul 6

                        ?Marion b 1751 Jan 22

 

There are three Thomas who have one birth in Barr and presumably are from elsewhere:

 

Thomas – son Thomas b 1708

Thomas->son John b 1729

Thomas->son Thomas b 1753

 

It is tempting to consider that one of the Thomas of Dailly is this Thomas with son John b Jan 12 1729 since we know that William of Mackrillkill married Jean McMurtrie of Barr.

 

Thomas md 1715 Jean Grier

            Ann b 1717 Mains of Kilkerran

            Anna b 1721 Mains of Kilkerran

            Marion b 1723 Mains of Kilkerran

 

Or Thomas md 1720 Margaret McMurtrie

            John 1720

            William 1722

            Hugh 1725

            Margaret 1728 May 16

            Gilbert 1731