McMurtries of Dalrymple Parish

Dalrymple Parish in south-central Ayrshire lies just to the north of the highest concentration of McM in Ayrshire. This parish was not the home to McMurtries who lived there for generations but rather a place where the McMurtries spent time before moving on to other locations.

The first family of which we have record is Thomas McM (a weaver in Clauchen of Straiton) and Jean Corwan or Cowan who had two children in Straiton before coming to Dalrymple: Margaret in 1760 and John in 1761. Then, they had four children in Dalrymple between 1765 and 1775: Janet 1765, Jean 1768, Marion 1770, and Bryce 1775. Then he seems to have moved on to Ayr where a son James was born in 1777. This Thomas is assumed to be Thomas b 1728 , the son of John McM (and Agnes Shaw assumed wife) of Balwhirn, south of Crosshill in Kirkmichael Parish. He moved from Kirkmichael to Straiton around 1760 just like his brothers John b 1723 and William b 1724.

Then, 20 years later another wave of McM marriages occurred in Dalrymple:

1799 Elizabeth Thomson,William

1802 John Langwell,Mary

1805 Gilbert Dick,Marion

1807 Elizabeth Symington,John

1820 Thomas Hood,Agnes

The first two we have not identified; Gilbert who married Marion Dick is the Gilbert b 1776, son of David of Little Barnshean, Kirkmichael. This David is assumed to be David b 1735 son of David and Margaret McConnell of Dalmellington based on Gilbert’s descendant having a DNA pattern characteristic of the Dalmellington McMurtries.

Thomas who married Agnes Hood is the son of Thomas md 1781 Marion Bole in Kirkmichael Parish. Thomas is assumed to be the Thomas b 1742 in Bishopsland, Straiton.

John who married Mary Langwell Laurieston in 1802 is the father of John who moved to the Glasgow area and was a pawnbroker.

See maps of Maybole, Kirkmichael, and Ayrshire areas to get a sense of the geography of these locations and families.