McMurtries of Dalmellington and Straiton

McMurtries of

Kirkmichael, Straiton and Dalmellington Parishes

Ayrshire, Scotland

March 2008; revised June 2008

Most of the McMurtries in Scotland had their origins in an area of southern Ayrshire which we commonly refer to as “McMurtrie Country”. Here in the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s, lived most of the Scottish McMurtries. Kirkmichael Parish lies in the center of the area and to the east lies the Parish of Straiton and to the east of that lies the Parish of Dalmellington – being the eastern border of McMurtrie County. The area also extends to the west to include the parishes of Maybole, Kirkoswald, and southward to include the parishes of Dailly, Girvan and Barr.

The history of various branches of the family is intertwined in these three parishes as there was movement back and forth between them though some families simply remained where they were born for generations.

In 2008, a close examination of the parish registers together with DNA evidence helped to connect families that had not previously been thought to be related and helped to extend their lineages back in time.

Since the geographic movements of these families has been helpful in showing patterns of kinship movement, it is useful to look first at the families who moved.

The “Migrants”

There are five notable migrations:

Migration of children of John McM (CF 28) of Balwhirn of Kirkmichael to Straiton around 1760 and then descendants moving back westward to Kirkmichael, Maybole or Dalrymple and eventually Ayr.
Possible migration of children of Andrew McM (CF 18) of Bishopsland, Straiton to Barnshean, Kirkmichael , with some descendants moving to Dalmellington
Migration of children of David McM and Margaret McConnell (CF 23) of Dalmellington to Barnshean (David b 1735) and to Coylton, then Craigie and then Sorn (John b 1733).
Migration of William McM (CF 48) b 1751 (son of Thomas of Glenhead nr Straiton and then Auchenroy Straiton) to Dalmellington (1777) to Cassenton of Kirkmichael (1784)

Defining these migrations has enabled us to link several families to CF 28

CF 28: Kirkmichael to Straiton Movement

Family historians have long known that the family of John McM 1723-1799 and Agnes Telfer lived in Straiton in the 1760s and 1770s and their and son John McM married June Baird in 1796 in Kirkmichael and that there were also brothers William (died after 1840) and James d 1837. Recent research shows that John junior’s brothers William and James were William McMurtrie (CF 51) 1766-1849 of Maybole and James McMurtrie (CF 9) 1768-1837 of Maybole. Careful examination of the parish registers show that neither the marriage of John and Agnes Telfer nor the marriage of John and Agnes Shaw nor the birth of John Jr in 1723 appear in the parish registers. We believe that John b 1723 was probably an unrecorded son of John McM of Balwhirn, Kirkmichael and a brother of (1) William b 1724 md 1759 Janet Campbell in Kirkmichael and lived in Straiton after 1761 until moving to Ayr between 1768 and 1771 and (2) Thomas b 1728 md about 1759 to Jean Corwan/Cowan and lived in Straiton in 1760-1761, then moved to Dalrymple and lived there 1765-1775, then moved to Ayr by 1777.

CF 18: Straiton to Kirkmichael movement

For many decades, family historians have wondered about the origins of Thomas McMurtrie who married Marion Bole/Boyle in 1781 in Kirkmichael and lived in Dam of Barnshean, 3 to 4 miles northeast of Kirkmichael village. Recent research suggests that Thomas is likely the Thomas b 1742, son of Andrew McM and Anna Eglesholme who had children in Bishopsland and vicinity between 1734 and 1744. Thomas’ brother John b 1736 is assumed to be the father of John McM who married Julia McGavin in 1802 in Dalrymple, because a descendant of Thomas identified John md 1802 as a cousin to the son of Thomas md 1781.

Thomas’ son John b 1783 md Margaret Niven in 1805 in Dalmellington and then moved back to Barnshean; Thomas’ son Thomas b 1794 married in Dalyrmple in 1820 and later moved to an area south of Dalmellington.

CF 23: Dalmellington to Coylton and Dalmellington to Barnshean, Kirkmichael

DNA evidence linked John McM (CF 23) (b 1767 in Coylton d 1853 in Sorn) son of John and Agnes Graham McM to the Dalmellington family of William McM b abt 1695 whose sons James b 1715, David b 1721, and William b 1722 were the ancestors of CF 113 (came to America 1750s) and CF 19, the weaving family of Dalmellington. The DNA also linked Gilbert McM ( CF 104) b 1776 son of David McM and Agnes Bowman of Barnshean, Kirkmichael to the Dalmellington McM family. The marriages ages of John of Coylton and David of Barnshean suggest they are two of the sons of David McM and Margaret McConnell of Dalmellington (sons John b 1733 and David b 1735). This is corroborated by a tombstone in the Kirkmichael churchyard which gives the birth year of David as 1736.

David McMurtrie, weaver in Carnshalloch died 30 May 1785 aged 49, his wife Agnes Bowman died Oct 1798 aged 47 , his daughter Agnes died 27 April 1792 aged 24 and his son David died 19 Feb 1798 aged 32. CF 104

So we have the migration from Dalmellington to the northwest – one stopping in Barnshean and the other continuing on to Coylton. The elder David in Dalmellington was probably born about 1700-1710 and there assumed to be closely connected to William b 1795, possibly a brother or nephew or close cousin.

CF 48: Straiton to Dalmellington to Cassenton/Barnshean area of Kirkmichael

Thomas McM (CF 48) who married Margaret McGann/McGain by 1750 had a son John 1744 in Glenhead, son William 1751 and daughter Margaret in 1755 in Auchenroy. Son William b 1751 is probably the William who married in Dalmellington, about a mile east of Auchenroy, in 1777 to Elizabeth Patterson and had a son Henry b 1784 in Cassenton of Kirkmichael. Henry later moved on to Sorn parish by 1824. Curiously, Sorn is where John b 1766 of CF 23 came by 1835. Perhaps Thomas of CF 48 is also a Dalmellington related family.

With these migrations now clarified, let us turn to consider each parish in turn.

Kirkmichael McMurtries

There are McMurtries in Kirkmichael as early as 1639 and only Maybole and Dailly parish surpass it in terms of numbers of McMurtries in the parish registers.

The Doon River runs comes from the south passing the town of Dalmellington and then passing east of the Barnshean area in northern Kirkmichael, then turning west along the Kirkmichael-Dalrymple border, then turning north along the Maybole border and thence to the sea at the town of Ayr. The roads that parallel the river course seem to have been the route of some McMurtrie migration from the Dalmellington area to the Barnshea area and vice-versa by a different family from Barnshean to Dalmellington as discussed above.

The River Girvan does a large loop in Kirkmichael Parish – having flowed northwestward from the village of Straiton in Straiton Parish then turning just south of Kirkmichael Village and heading southwest through southern Kirkmichael, Dailly Parish to Girvan and the sea. There seems to have been movement of McMurtries from Straiton to the southern Kirkmichael towns of the Girvan River valley.

There are two principal geographic clusters of McMurtrie residence in Kirkmichael – one 3-4 miles north of the village of Kirkmichael in and to the west of the Lake Barnshean area (Dam of Barnshena, Cassenton, Guiltreehill) and one 4 miles south of Kirkmichael (Ladyburn, Balwhirn, Barcully, Cloynties, Balgreggan). (See map elsewhere of McMurtrie residences in Maybole and Kirkmichael)

Barnshean Area

Out of all the family fragments in the Kirkmichael parish registers, there are 5 McMurtrie families of interest in the northern Kirkmichael between Barnshean and Guiltremill some of which seem to have a connection to Dalmellington and some of which seem to have a connection to Straiton. This appears to reflect this area as a place of McMurtrie transience despite the presence of McMurtries stretching back to the early 1600s.

These families are:

Dalmellington to Barnshean area

David McMurtrie md Agnes Bowman 1761 (whose desc has a Dalmellington DNA signature and whose age would match David b 1735 in Dalmellington, son of David and Margaret McConnell )
William McMurtrie md 1777 Elizabeth Patterson in Dalmellington and had a son Henry born in Cassenton in 1784

Straiton to Barnshean ares

John McMurtrie md (1) Elizabeth McKergow 1759 (2) Janet Campbell 1766 (whose approximate birth year corresponds to John b 1736, son of Andrew McM and Anna Eglesholme of Straiton)
Thomas md Marion Bole 1781 and lived in Dam of Barnshean (son John md 1805 in Dalmellington and his first son Wm b 1806 in Barnshean)(, son Thomas moved to Dalmellington in middle age around 1820 though the father’s age suggests a match with Thomas b 1742 Straiton, son of Andrew and Anna Elgesholme)

John McMurtrie 1707-1769 md 1741 Kirkmichael to Elizabeth Ramsay (birth corresponds to John b 1708 son of Patrick and Anna Kennedy McM in Straiton)

Some of these families had descendants we can trace down to modern times and some of the lines either die out or migrate in a manner that we can’t trace.

David md 1761 Agnes Bowman

David md Margaret McConnell (Dalmellington)

John 1733 ( assumed to be the John md 1766 Coylton to Agnes Graham because

descendants have a Dalmellington DNA signature.

David 1735 (assumed to be the David md Agnes Bowman 1761 because

descendants have a Dalmellington DNA signature)

David md 1761 Agnes Bowman (Kirkmichael)

John b 1762 (Little Barnshean)

Jean b 1764

David b 1765(Little Barnshean)

Agnes 1767

Elizabeth 1768 (Little Barnshean)

Margaret 1770

Gilbert b 1776 (Little Barnshean) (this is likely=>Gilbert md Marion Dick

1805 Dalrymple CF104: DNA has Dalmelllington signature)

Because of this David’s migration and the absence of a John McM marriage in Dalmellington corresponding to the John b 1733, we have postulated a migration of John to the northwest which matches the John md Agnes Graham 1766 Coylton.

2. William md Elizabeth Patterson 1777 Dalmellington

Mary 1781/1789 Dalmellington md 1819 Robert McJannet in Ayr

Henry b 1784 Cassenton, Kirkmichael md 1821 Jean Ramsay at Kirkmichael

Agnes b 1787 Kirkmichael md Hugh Kennedy 1810 Straiton d 1868 Mauchline

(possibly James b 1791, if William returned to Dalmellington

Elizabaeth b 1796 md James Cunningham 1823 Maybole d 1864 Ayr

William matches the William b 1751 son of Thomas and Margaret McGann/McGain in Auchenroy of Straiton, just across the river from Dalmellington as discussed in the Straiton section of this article.

3. Andrew md Anna Eglesholme in Straiton

The mystery of the parentage of Thomas McM (CF 18) md Marion Bole 1781 in Kirkmichael seems to be solved by assuming that he is Thomas b 1742 son of Andrew and Anna Eglesholme of Straiton.

Andrew 1706=>Andrew md Anna Egleshome

Anna 1734

Agnes 1734

John 1736 (could this John be the John who married 1757 Elizabeth McKergow

and hence be the father of John b 1764 and in turn that John b 1764 be the

John md Julia McGavin CF 18 md 1802 Dalrymple (age 38?))

Janet 1739

Thomas 1742

Could this be CF 18 Thomas md Marion Bole 1781 (age 39)?)

Anna 1744 (Bishopland)

The Thomas birth in the parish registers that most fits Thomas (md 1781 Marion Bole/Boyle in Kirkmichael) is the Thomas b 1742 though this means he married at age 39. The family of Thomas as we now know it looks like:

Thomas md 1781 Marion Bole/Boyle (CF 18) : They lived in Dam of Barnshean.

John b 1783 md md Dalmellington 1805 to Marg. Niven and with a son born

1806 Barnshean then goes to Abbey Paisley, then Ayr; then Maybole by

1819:)

David 1785

William 1786

James 1789 md 1823 Ayr Elizabeth Wylie (CF 49)

Thomas b 1793 md 1820 Agnes Hood in Dalrymple (moved to Dalmellington)

Agnes b 1795

Elizabeth b 1796

Robert b 1800 md 1826 Ayr Jean McGill

It seems like despite the Dalmellington connection of his offspring that Thomas md 1781 Marion Bole is Thomas b 1742 Straiton.

There is also curious migration that occurs in the early 1800s. John McM married Margaret Niven in Dalmellington in 1805, has a son William in 1806 in Dam of Barnshean, a daughter Margaret in 1808 in Glasgow area, a son of John Patterson in 1810 in Ayr, and a son James in 1819 in Maybole. There are no likely possibilities for a Dalmellington birth other than John b 1770 (and hence 35 at marriage). Hence, we consider it more likely that this John is son of Thomas and Marion Bole

A descendant of Thomas b 1793, son of Thomas md 1781, stated that the father of Margaret McM Kay was a cousin to Thomas b 1793. Margaret Kay’s father was John McM md 1802 Julia McGavin. Hence, we would expect this John to be a son of a brother of Thomas md 1781.

The Thomas b 1742 has a brother John b 1736 who may be the John McM who married in 1757 (age 29) to Elizabeth McKergow and had a son John b 1764. This John could be the John who married 1802 Julia McGavin if we accept that he was 38 years old at marriage.

John md 1757 Elizabeth McKergow

James 1759 (son of John)

Peter 1762 (son of John the weaver)

John b 1764 (son of John): Could this be John md 1802 Julia McGavin in

Dalrymple

Md 1766 Janet Campbell April 19

Peter b 4 July 1766 (son of John)

Thomas 1769 (son of John the weaver)

Andrew 1771 of Pleasant Park (son of John)(don’t know where Pleasant Park is?)

The marriage date to Janet Campbell being just a month before the birth of Peter suggests these reference could to two different Johns, but we can’t be sure.

I think John md Elizabeth McKergow is the John b 1736 son of Andrew and Anna Eglesholme, rather than the Dalmellington family of John b 1733. The John of the Dalmellington family may be the John who married 1766 in Coylton and then went to Craigie and Sorn.

What is interesting about the family of Andrew of Bishopsland is that the family line can be traced back to David McM who married in Kirkmichael in 1665 and raised his family in Straiton. See discussion in Straiton parish.

5. John 1709-1769 md 1741 Elizabeth Ramsey 1716-1789

John b 1742 Barnshean d 1746.

Elizabeth 1748

Helen 1750 md John Dunlop

Elizabaeth 1758 (Barnshean) (=>possibly md James Mitchell 1778)

John 1765 (Barnshean)

John McMurtrie in Barnshean died 1769 aged 60, his son John McMurtrie died 1746 aged 7 years and 6 months and his wife Elizabeth Ramsey died Nov 1789 aged 73.

The above tombstone inscription enabled us to infer the birth year of 1709 for John McM. The deceased young son could correspond to the John McM son of John born Oct 4/10 1742. In 1746, this John would have been 3-1/2, not 7-1/2. But perhaps this is a misreading of the tombstone. The father John b 1709 matches with a Straiton family: Patrick and Anna Kennedy McM: Agnes 1701, William 1703, Ann 1705, John 1708.

Also note that an Agnes McM md 1741 to David Ramsay and had a daughter in 1742 in Drumfade, Kirkmichael. This does not necessarily reflect connection between Agnes and John, but John son of Patrick did have a sister Agnes b 1728 who may be this Agnes.)

I note there is also a John McM with children in the 1780s – some of which are in northern Kirkmichael – who could be John b son of David and Agnes Bowman.

John b 1750s?

Margaret b 1780 (Guiltremiln)

Agnes b 1783 (Cassenton: Barnshean area)

Janet 1786

John 1788 (Aitenhead: environs of Kirkmichael)

It is tempting to speculate that this John of Cassenton might be the brother of William McM who came to Cassenton by 1784 (CF 48). William b 1751 Straiton son of Thomas and Margaret McGain/McGann of Glenhead and Aucheroy, Straiton and who married Elizabeth Patterson of Dalmellington. But that John was born in 1742 and he would have been 38 at Margaret’s birth and I see no likely prior family.

South of Crosshill Area

In addition to the various family fragments in the south of Crosshill area, there are three families of note all of whom lived within a mile of each other:

James McM of Culquirn with children 1718-1732 (possibly CF 5)
John McM of Balwhirn with children b 1724 to 1737 (CF 28)
Hugh McM of Ladyburn md abt 1770 Agnes Rowand with children b 1771 to 1789 (CF21)

James McM of Culquirn (possibly CF 5)

This family is a possible ancestor of Marion McM who married James Mantell a British actor of some fame in the 1800s.

Agnes 1718 Culwhirn

Gilbert 1721 Knockroon (possibly a different family? and poss the Gilbert of Straiton married Margaret Stevenson in Dalmellington in 1744 and had John b 1745 in Straiton)

Isabel 1721 Culwhirn

Janet 1725 Culwhirn

Margaret 1728 Culwhirn

William 1732 Culwhirn

This William is assumed to be the William who married Elizabeth Mein in 1755 and the father of

David b 1758

Eliz b 1761

John b 1765

David is assumed to be the David md Agnes Scott 1782 in Dailly and son William b 1782 and daughter Marion who married 1808 in Dailly to James Mantel William married in 1820 in Stafford, England and died in Salford in 1857. He had no male grandchildren.

The fate of the brother John b 1765 though he could be the John with children Janet 1786 and David b 1788 in Aitkenhead, not far from Kirkmichael village, but there are two many John’s to sort this out.

John McM of Balwhirn

We have discussed this family above.

John McM of Balwhirn (south of Crosshill)

(John b 1723 possible unrecorded birth md Agnes Telfer and moved to Straiton)

William b 1724 (Possibly the William who md Janet Campbell 1759 and moved to

Straiton)

(Marion b 1761 Kirmichael: possible first daughter)

Helen 1763 Whitford, Straiton

John 1765 Whitford

James 1768 Whitford, Straiton

Katherine Hamm 1771 Ayr

James b 1726

Thomas b 1728 (possibly husband of Jean Corwan/Cowan with dau Mgt b 1760)

Margaret 1760 Clauchen of Straiton (father was weaver)

John 1761 Clauchen of Straiton

Janet 1765 Dalrymple

Jean 1768 Dalrymple

Marion 1770 Dalrymple

Bryce 1775 Dalrymple

James 1777 Ayr

Ann b 1730 (possibly md James Campbell 1762 Kirkmichael)

Marion 1733

David b 1737

This structure emerged by noticing that:

1. There is no marriage recorded for this John of Balwhirn

2. John 1723-1799 was the son of a John and Agnes Shaw

3. Since Kirkmichael didn’t record the mother’s name in the parish registers, we would look for a John McM with children born around 1723.

4. Then we noticed that like John b 1723 who raised his children in Straiton, that both William and Thomas raised their children in Straiton and for William we have the record of Kirkmichael marriage before moving to Straiton.

John (CF 28) 1721-1799 md Agnes Telfer

Jean 1761

Margaret 1764 Clauchen of Straiton

William 1766 Whitehouse, Straiton=>Maybole

James b 1768 Balgregan, Kirkmichael=>Maybole

Agnes b 1770 Balgregan

John b 1773 Treston (sp?) of Straiton=>John md 1796 Kirkmichael June

Baird

John b 1799 md Agnes Tweedie Nichol abt 1827 Ayr

3. Hugh McM of Ladyburn (CF 21)

Hugh shows up in Kirkmichael about 1771. We suspect he is the Hew McM twin brother to James b 1743 and brother to Robert b 1740, sons of John McM of Barr parish. The other Hughs in the parish registers do not fit with Hugh of Ladyburn as shown below. We suspect James is the James md 1768 Mary McHutcheon in New Dailly and that Robert is the Robert with a son born in Old Dailly in 1770. Neither James nor Hugh has a birth record in Dailly and neither the James nor the Hugh of Barr seems to have been a father in Barr; hence a migration of all three of them seems a likely possibility.

Hugh b 1724 in Mackrillkill of Dailly but this Hugh would have been 47 at the birth of his first child if he were the Hugh of Ladyburn.
Hugh b 1732 in Glasgow son of John McM and Katrin Bell. There is no geographic link between these familes of Glasgow and Ladyburn and this Hugh would have been 39 at birth of first child – not impossible, but a geographic stretch)
Hugh b 1743 Girvan but this Hugh was married to Margaret Alexander of Colmonell during the 1770s.

Hugh md Agnes Rowand r Ladyburn (also south of Crosshill) (CF 21)

Andrew 1771 (DNA shows that this is not Andrew md Janet McKail 1795

Kirkmichael (CF12) ; so he could be Andrew md 1807 Janet Caldwell CF

27)

Janet 1775

James 1777 md 1804 Mary McFadzean

Mary 1779

John 1782 è John md 1805 Janet Dick (CF 43)

John b 1807 Barcully (near Ladyburn)

Hugh 1785 md Margaret Currie

Ann b 1806 Barcully

David 1789

It is possible that Hugh’s birth is not recorded, but preliminary DNA shows he could be Hugh b 1743, twin brother to James who married in Dailly in 1768.

Hugh’s descendants are many, including the famous (in some circles!) Francis Edwin McMurtrie, editor of Jane’s Ships. Many descendants still in Ayr; others in England and Canada.

John McM (CF 43) who married 1805 to Janet Dick of Balminock, Straiton parish had a child in Barcully, less than a mile north of Ladyburn in 1807. Hugh McM b 1785 also had his first child in Barcully in 1806. Based purely on this geographic nexus, John may be the John son of Hugh and Agnes Rowand of CF 21 born 1782, hence md at age 23.

Other Kirkmichael McM

Garfar

There is a family in Garfar right across the Givan River from Bishopsland in Straiton for which we have a 1688 will, but no certainty as to fate of children:

David McM md Janet Gottray d 1688 in Garfar

Margaret b 1665

Thomas b 1671

Andrew b 1674

It is possible that Thomas b 1671 moved over south of Crosshill to Burnton and was the Thomas d 1723 for which there is a will also:

Thomas McM md Margaret Muir d 1723 Garfar

David b 1701 Burnton

Thomas b 1703

Agnes 1705/1708

Thomas 1717

(James? 1720 Might be this family)

(David b 1722 might be this family)

We do not see a clear set of descendants though it is tempting to make a guess that Thomas md 1755 in New Kilpatrick is the Thomas b 1717, but this is just speculation.

It is also tempting to try to link David to the David md 1758 Margaret Arthur in Glasgow (hence age 36) and to link James b 1720 to the James md 1755 to Jean Rutherford (hence age 35), but without more data, this is also just speculation.

Straiton Connection

There are some early connections with Straiton and Kirkmichael. One is a family with a marriage in Kirkmichael in 1665 that moved to Straiton and another family with Straiton origins that sent a branch to Kirkmichael by 1666.

David McM md Jenat McClure 1665 Kirkmichael

(Florence b 1667 Straiton: may be this family)

Mary 1668 Straiton

John 1670 Straiton

David 1672 Straiton

Andrew 1674 Straiton

(Annabelle b 1677 Straiton: May be this family)

Andrew d 1676 Bishopsland, Straiton (born about 1600)

John md Margaret McRail (Straiton)

David b 1655

Margaret b 1657

Marion b 1659

Thomas b 1660/1662

William b 1664

Thomas md 1666 Katherine McRail/McKail Kirkmichael d 1685 Whytehill

Florence b 1665/1667

Janet

Mary b 1673

Alexander b 1675

William b 1675

Andrew md 1659 Annabel Corrie (Straiton) d 1675/1676

Andrew

John b 1650

David

Thomas b 1653 (possibly d 1676 md Mary Walker)

William

Margaret b 1655

Andrew b 1657

Annabelle b 1659

Marie 1661

Margaret 1664

The 1676 will of Andrew in Bishops land refers to son John with son David and son Thomas with son William. The birth of one of Thomas’ sons in Whytehill refers to John McM as a witness. The will also refers to Annabelle and Andrew.

Desipte this well elaborated tree, we can not link to later families. It is only the David md in Kirkmichael to Jenat McClure family that settled in Straiton that can be traced down to more recent times.

Straiton Parish

There were McMurtries in Straiton at least by 1623 and though branches can be traced down to the mid- to third quarter of the 1700s, the families seemed to have left the parish or died out.

The earliest reference in the parish is to a Thomas McMurtrie of Bishopland in the northern part of the parish who died in 1623 and left a will probated in 1626. The will mentions children Thomas, John and Janet. Though the early parish registers seem to have numerous of their descendants, only one branch of the Bishopland McMurtries has been traced down to the late 1700s and even then the line seems to die out or disappear.

There are just three clusters of the Straiton McM:

· The Bishopsland McM

· The McM of Straiton village (clachan of Straiton) and the neighboring village of Whitford

· The McM of Auchenroy, just west of Dalmellington

(see maps)

Bishopsland McMurtries

A contemporary family to Thomas d 1626 is that of Andrew b about 1600 who had children in the 1620s and therefore could have been a nephew or even grandson to Thomas d 1626. Andrew died 1676 and his will mentions (1) eldest son John and his son David and (2) son Thomas and his son William, and (3) Andrew and Annabell McM. This corresponds to the following:

Andrew md 1649 Straiton to Annable Currie: son John b 1650 Straiton

John md 1653 Straiton to Margaret McRall: son Thomas b 1653 Straiton

Thomas ?md 1641 Kirkmichael: dau Janet 1653 Straiton?

Md 1666 Kirkmichael to Katherine McRail: Thomas d 1685 in Whytehill,

Kirkmichael)

This family is described in more detail in the Kirkmichael section.

The other early Kirkmichael McM is David McM who settled in Straiton and whose tree can be traced down the assumed origins of CF 18 discussed above.

David McM md 1665 in Kirkmichael to Janet McClure or McIlmorrow (spelling?) KirkmichaelèStraiton

(Florence b 1667 dau of David & Janet McIlmorrow =possible misreading

of McClure)

Mary 1668 Straiton

John 1670 Straiton èJohn md Annabele McDile/McDowell

David 1691

David 1694èDavid md Mary Dobbine

Agnes 1724

Margaret (or Mary) 1730

Ann (or Annabelle) 1735

Annabelle 1696

David 1672 Straiton

Andrew 1674 Straiton=>Andrew md Marjorie McClure 1703

William 1704=>William md Mary McCubbin (This could be

instead William b 1703, son of Patrick and Agnes Kennedy)

John 1725

Agnes 1727

William 1729=> md 1749 Agnes Kennedy

Agnes b 1750

Andrew 1706=>Andrew md Anna Egleshome

Anna 1734

Agnes 1734

John 1736 (could this John be the father of John b 1764 and

in turn that John b 1764 is the John md Julia

McGavin 1802 Dalrymple CF 18 ?)

Janet 1739

Thomas 1742 (Could this be CF 18 Thomas md Marion Bole 1781 (age 38)?)

Anna 1744 (Bishopland)

(Annabelle b 1677 dau of David and Janet McIlmorrow = possible

misreading of McClure)

Patrick md Anna Kennedy (Mormons report marriage of Thomas McM & Anna Kennedy 1701; Doulgas reports children of Patrick McM & Anna Kennedy):

Agnes 1701

William 1703

Ann 1705

John 1708

We can, with numerous conjectures, trace David’s line down to the mid-1700s, but then migrations and deaths and unrecorded births and lack of mother’s names in the registers, make it difficult to connect the loose end births to marriages and the next generations. We have a conjecture that David is the ancestor of the Thomas who married Marion Bole in 1781 in Kirkmichael (discussed in the Kirkmichael section) but that’s the only one we would venture to connect with any degree of confidence to the generation after 1780.

Whitford and Straiton McMurtries

As discussed in detail in the Kirkmichael section, children of John McM of Balwhirn, Kirkmichael family came to Straiton.

John McM (CF 28) 1732-1799 who married Agnes Telfer and lived in Clauchen of Straiton and Whitehouse (location unknown) with children born 1761 to 1773 including two just across the parish border in Balgregan, Kirkmichael. The last child, John McM, is known from family lore and an 1840 letter from William b 1766 to be the John who married June Baird in Kirmichael in 1796 and whose son in turn married in Ayr by 1827. Descendants can be traced to the present and include the moderator of the Church of Scotland at the turn of the century.

Thomas McM, weaver in Clauchen of Straiton, married Jean Corwan and had two children in Straiton 1760-1761 including son John b 1761, four children in Dalrymple 1764-1775 including son Bryce in 1775, and a son James b 1777 in Ayr. However, we can not trace descent to following generations.

William McM, md Janet Campbell in 1759 in Kirkmichael and had three children in Whitford of Straiton before moving to Ayr and having a daughter Katherine in 1771.

John McM of Balwhirn (south of Crosshill)

(John b 1723 assumed son of John of Balwhirn; moved to Straiton by 1760)

William b 1724 (Possibly the William who md Janet Campbell and moved to

Straiton)

James b 1726

Thomas b 1728 (possibly husband of Jean Corwan/Cowan with dau Mgt b 1760

in Straiton)

Ann b 1730

Marion 1733

David b 1737

Auchenroy McMurtries

Thomas McM (CF 48) who married Margaret McGann/McGain by 1750 and had son John 1744 in Glenhead, (possibly a “child” born in Dalmellington in 1748), son William 1751, daughter Margaret in 1755 in Auchenroy. Son William is probably the William who married in Dalmellington, about a mile east of Auchenroy, in 1777 to Elizabeth Patterson and had a son Henry b 1784 in Cassenton of Kirkmichael. Henry later moved on to Sorn parish.

Origins for Thomas are unknown but there is a Thomas b 1717 in Burnton Kirkmichael.

Dalmellington McMurtries

The McMurtries of Dalmellington have long fascinated McMurtrie family historians in America. The large McMurtrie family that came from Northern Ireland to New Jersey in the 1730s had descendants convinced of a Scottish origin to the family. When a Dalmellington McMurtrie descendant who migrated to Pennsylvania met a New Jersey McMurtrie descendant around 1892, their exchange resulted in the mistaken impression that the New Jersey family shared a common ancestor with the Dalmellington McMurtries. Subsequent research has proved this to not be true, including DNA genetic evidence showing no common ancestor shared with these two families.

McMurtries appear in the parish registers from 1702 though the earliest registers date from 1641, suggesting that the McM migrated to Dalmellington from elsewhere. There is also a gap in the register entries prior to 1715 that leaves gaps in our trees.

However, there appear to be two interrelated families in Dalmellington in the early 1700s, that of William McMurtrie b abt 1690-1695 and David b abt 1700-1710 whose ages suggest they may have been uncle and nephew or possibly brothers. DNA analysis has enabled us to connect them to each other and connect several families to their previously unknown Dalmellington origins.

There are also a number of female marriages in the 1704 to 1738 period that may be related: those in the 1720s contemporary to William and those in the 1730s contemporary to David or to William’s children.

DNA results show that the descendants of these two family groups: William b 1690-95 and David b 1700-1710 share a common ancestor.

William McMurtrie (CF 19) b about 1690-1695 who had sons

James b 1715 d 1753

William b 1740 èPhiladelphia, America 1750s (CF 113)

Duncan b 1748: remained in Dalmellington with desc to Australia

and America; md Jean McKee in 1763

David b 1721 èPhiladelphia, America 1752 (CF 113) md 1754 Marjery Fisher

William 1722 (possibly the Wm who married in March 1746 to Elizabeth Ferguson and in November 1746 to Sarah Smith though these could be two Williams?)

1-William ~~md Mar 1746 to Eliz Ferguson~~md Nov 6 1746 Sarah Smith (of Coylton Parish)

And possible second marriage or possible second William

2-William md Mar 1747 to Elizabeth Ferguson~~1746 to Sarah Smith (of Coylton Parish)~~

William b 13 Dec 1747

Ivie 1749

Mary 1751

David 1753

Sarah 1756

Elizabeth b 29 Dec 1723

3- William md 10 May 1759 Mary Templeton

(It seems more likely that this William is the William b 1736, son of William)

Janet b 9 Mar 1760

Hugh b 1761

William 1766 (possibly Wm md in Barr 1805 to Mary Hoat: CF 40)

John 1768

James 1770

David McM (CF 23) born about 1700 md 1732 Margaret McConnell with sons:

John b 1733èCoylton md Agnes Graham (CF 23)

David b 1735=>David md 1761 Agnes Bowman Kirkmichael (CF 104)

David

John 1733

David 1735

William

William b 1736 ?md Mary Templeton 10 May 1759

Janet Mar 1760

Hugh 1761

William 1766

John 1768

James 1770

Agnes md 1704 James Paterson

Margaret b about 1700 md 1722 Thomas Stevenson

Isabel b about 1700 md 1723 to Dennis Gibson

Ann md 1737 James McConchie

Agens md 1738 James Paterson

Migrations to Dalmellington

Not only have we documented migrations out of Dalmellington, but we have at least one documented case of migration to Dalmellington. Thomas McM was born in Dam of Barnshean in 1785, son of Thomas and Marion Boyle McM. His son John married in Dalmellington in 1805 to Janet Niven. His son Thomas Jr, married in Dalrymple in 1820 and then migrated to Dalmellington. He was a butler in Barberth, south west of Dalmellington.

Another strange arrival is John McM who is indentified as from Kirkoswald: There is a John McM of Kirkoswald who married Elizabeth Gibson in Dalmellington in 1762 and had a family between 1766 and 1780 in Dalharco several miles northwest of Dalmellington, about 3 miles east of the Barnshean area in Kirkmichael. John and Elizabeth died by 1786 based on a land record that refers to their trustees. Fate of children (including Andrew b 1769, John b 1770) unknown.

John of Kirkoswald md Elizabeth Gibson 1762 Dalmellington, r Dalharco Elizabeth 1766

Andrew 1769

John 1770

Janet 1776

Agnes 1779

Jean 1780

We are unable to trace this to later generations.

There is also a unconnected marriage:

Gilbert McMurtrie of Straiton md 1744 Margaret Stevenson

Son John b 1745 Straiton

Oirigns of Gilbert are unknown but there is a Gilbert b 1721 son of James of Knockroon in Kirkmichael and a Gilbert b 1717 son of John McM of Maybole.

Below are some charts of families of Straiton and Dalmellington:

Straiton

Thomas McM of Auchenroy Straiton married Margaret McGann/McGain

John b 1744 Glenhead

(child b 1748 Dalmellington, child of Thomas)

William b 1751 (possibly the William of Straiton who married Elizabeth

Patterson in 1777)

Henry b 1784 in Cassenton, Kirkmichael=>Sorn (CF 48)

Could he have returned to Dalmellington and:

Mary 1789

James 1791 (this may be error in Mormon records)

Margaret 1755 Auchenroy

Thomas weaver, of Clauchen of Straiton md Jean Corwan

(I now think this Thomas is Thomas b 1728 son of John McM of Balwhirn, Kirkmichael)

Margaret 1760 Clauchen of Straiton

John 1761 Clauchen of Straiton

Janet 1765 Dalrymple

Jean 1768 Dalrymple

Marion 1770 Dalrymple

Bryce 1775 Dalrymple

James 1777 Ayr

William md Janet Campbell 1759

(I know think that this William Wiliam b 1724 son of John of Balwhirn)

Helen 1763 Whitford, Straiton

John 1765 Whitford

James 1768 Whitford, Straiton

Katherine Hamm 1771 Ayr

David of Kirkmichael

David b 1644 Kirkmichael POSSIBLY md 1665 Kirkmichael

David (born about 1640 ) md Jenat McClure 1665 Kirkmichael

Mary 1668 Straiton

John 1670 Straiton

David 1672 Straiton

Andrew 1674 Straiton=>Andrew md Marjorie McClure 1703

William 1704=>William md Mary McCubbin (This could be

instead William b 1703, son of Patrick and Agnes Kennedy)

John 1725

Agnes 1727

William 1729=> md 1749 Agnes Kennedy

Agnes b 1750

Andrew 1706=>Andrew md Anna Egleshome

Anna 1734

Agnes 1734

John 1736 (could this John be the father of John b 1764 and

in turn that John be the John md Julia McGavin
1802 Dalrymple CF 18 ?)

Janet 1739

Thomas 1742 (Could this be CF 18 Thomas md Marion Bole 1781 (age 38)?)

Anna 1744 (Bishopland)

John (CF 28) md Agnes Telfer (John born about 1731 to 1741)(His father would have been born 1701-1721, but we have no record of a John McM md Agnes Shaw as per family tradition)

Jean 1761

Margaret 1764 Clauchen of Straiton

William 1766 Whitehouse

James b 1768 Balgregan

John b 1773 Treston (sp?)=>John md 1796 Kirkmichael June

Baird

John md Agnes Tweedie Nichol abt 1827 Ayr

Thomas McMurtrie d 1623 probate 1626 Bishopsland, Straiton

Thomas

John

Janet

Thomas md 1641 could be the Thomas:

Thomas md 1641 Janet Fergusson in Kirkmichael

Janet b 1653 STraiton