Boig, North Boig, South Boig, High Boig

Place-names:	Boig, North Boig, South Boig, High Boig
	North Boig, South Boig, High Boig
Supplementary Names	Boigside, Geordie’s Wood, Michael’s Moss
Suggested Meaning :	Am Bog Corrach ‘the uneven shaky bog’
Place-Name	Bogcorrocht, Bogecorroch, Boigcurroch
First element:	Gaelic bog, buig ‘marshy, fen, swampy, ground’
Second element:	Gaelic corrach ‘uneven, shaky‘
Place-Name:	North Boig
	SSE north ‘north, north-lying’ + Place-Name: Boig
Place-Name :	South Boig
	SSE south ‘south, south lying’ + Place-Name: Boig
Place-Name:	High Boig
	SSE high ‘high, high lying’ + Plce-Name: Boig
Blaeu Coila (1654):	N. Boigcurroch, O. Boigcuroch
OS Name Books (1855-57):	North Boig, South Boig, High Boig
Supplementary Names	Boigside, Geordie’s Wood, Michael’s Moss, The Boo-in
Location:	Ordnance Survey (1892-1960)

Earlier Forms

Bogcorocht (1512), Bogecorroch (1522), Bogcorrechen, Boigcorroch (1605-08), Bogburroch (1619) Boigcorroche (1622), Boigcorroch (1634), Bogcorroch (1648), N. Boigcurroch and O. Boigcuroch (Blaeu,1654), Bogge, Boig (1684), Bog (1705), Northboig , Southboig (1759); Netherbogg (Roy,1752); Boig, Boag (Armstrong, 1775) Overboig (?), South Boag (1852)

Bogcorrocht, Bogecorroch, Boigcurroch

The Dunbars of Cumnock, an offshoot of the Earls of Dunbar, were established as the barons of Cumnock in the late 14th century and inherited Cumnock Castle which sat on the hill overlooking the confluence of the Afton Water and River Nith at the heart of what is now village of New Cumnock. Soon other branches of this family would obtain lands throughout the parish of Cumnock (Old Cumnock and New Cumnock) including those of the lands of Boigcorocht [1].

Instrument narrating that (John ?) Reid, servant of James Dunbar of Cumnok, and in his name asserted that (Patrick?) Dunbar in Bogcorocht persecuted the said James D. under darkness of night, and that James was afraid of the violent intrusion (“injectionem “) of Patrick. Done at Lamynton 12 January 1512. Witnesses, Sir Archibald Baize, Patrick Dunbar of Unthank, Patrick Wylie

Protocol Book of Gavin Ros, N.P. 1512-1532, No. 23

Ten years later after Patrick had passed away and his widow Jonet McGachan is seeking assistance to have an interlouper removed from the mansion of Bogecorroch. One of the witnesses was Andrew Campbell of Strad (Straid) [2]

Instrument narrating that Jonet M’Gachan, relict of the late Patrick Dunbar, caused the sergeant of James Dunbar, baron of Cumnok, to move and disturb John Portar in possession of the merk-land of Bogecorroch, which John inhabits contrary to the tenor of the decree of certain judges’ arbiters chosen between them. At the mansion (or mailing) of Bogecorroch 9 June 1522. Witnesses, Andrew Campbell in Strad, William Rankin and William Hamilton,

Protocol Book of Gavin Ros, N.P. 1512-1532 , No. 571

In the Register of Sasines of the first half of the 16th century the lands of Boigcorrechen (Boigcurroch) were in hands of the Campbell family, in particular Hugh Campbell and later his son, also called Hugh. The Registers [3,4,5] yield the following forms Bogcorrechen, Boigcorroch (1605-1608); Bogborroch* (1619), Boigcorroche (1622), Boigcorroch (1634) and Bogcorroch (1649).

{ * the outlier Bogborroch is probably a transcription error)

Nether and Over Boigcurroch

The lands of Boigcorroch appear as N. (nether) Boigcurroch and O. (over) Boigcuroch in Blaeu Coila Provincia (1654) . The pre-fixes Scots nether ‘lower’ [6] and Scots over ‘upper’ [7] are commonly used to differentiate between two properties on lands of the same name. In this case they are probably referring to the location of the properties on the Connel Burn with Nether Boigurroch in the lower reaches and Over Boigcuroch further upstream.

Boigcurroch

Gaelic bog, buig ‘marsh, fen, swampy ground’ + Gaelic corrach ‘uneven, shaky’

The 1st element of the name is Gaelic bog, buig ‘marsh, fen, swampy ground [8] rather than Scots bog, boig ‘bog, mire’ [9].

The above variants of the 2nd element of the name , i.e. – corocht, –corroch, –correchen, –corroche, –curroch, –curoch suggested that the 2nd element of the name is perhaps Gaelic currach ‘bog, fen where shrubs grow’, i.e. an alternative to Gaelic bog [10]. However, Michael Ansell has kindly identified the 2nd element as Gaelic corrach ‘uneven, shaky’ [11] which fits well with the early form the Bogcorroch (1522) and described the nature of the bog.

The lands of Boigcurroch lay to the west of the Connel Burn and the south of the River Nith. The 19th century Ordnance Survey maps show that much of the land had been reclaimed from the former boggy lands including a re-alignment of the Connel Burn.

Some of the land has reverted to rough land and a series of small lochans ( referred to as ponds in OS Maps of 1960’s [see Map 2] packed with perch and bounded by bull rushes.

Boig

By the second half of the 17th century the 2nd element – curroch is dropped from the name as witnessed in the will of Jonet Rowand in 28 Dec 1664 ‘spouse to Andrew in Boig, parish of Cumnock‘ [Scotland’s People].

During the height of the Covenanting rebellion in 1684 the parishioners of Cumnock were interrogated to identify those in the parish that did not attend church [12]. One parishioner identified was ‘Andrew McCrone in Boige and Joanet Dalyell in Bogge and her familie‘ while another ‘deponed that Sara Camble, Marey Nisbett, Jannet Diell in Boge doe nott keepe the church‘ – poor Joanet Dalyell being clyped on twice!

Into the 18th century and the Land Tax Rolls of 1705 [Scotland’s Places] include the parcel of properties – Garaland, Bog and Leanmark valued at £173.6.8. Leanmark is now Lanemark in the parish of New Cumnock, Garaland is Garallan in the parish of Old Cumnock, while Bog represents both the Nether and Over properties.

In the baptism records of this period there are entries for –

• 1708: Meikle Boig – an alternative to the larger property perhaps, i.e. Nether Boig
• 1709: Boig – the form that appears most frequently throughout the Old Parish Records
• 1711: Boig Rig – this appears to have been a forerunner for the names of the ridge that Fordmouth was built on [13].

N.B. Returning briefly to the records of the Sasine Registers it is interesting to note that the names of Hugh Campbell of Bogcurroch and Hugh Campbell of Garrallane appeared in the same Sasine of 26 Apr 1605 [4]. In the Land Tax Valuation Rolls of 1759 the same parcel of properties are recorded as follows [Scotland’s Places] –

Cumnock Garvalland Boig & Lane Mark were valued at £173.6.8 are now disjoined as follows

Garvalland	£40.0.0
Northboig	£60.0.0
Southboig	£13.6.8
Lanemark	£60.0.0
Total	£173.6.8

An early example of the Nether and Over properties renamed as North and South.

In the maps of that century Roy’s Military Map (1752-55) shows Netherbogg [Map 3] while Armstrong’s Map of Ayrshire (1775) depicts the the properties Boig and Boag – albeit the location of the latter should be to the north of Boig.

The reference to the heritable lands probably dates back to when the lands of Boigcurroch were acquired by Douglas of Garallan from the Campbells of Boigcurroch, at a time soon after in 1650, when the parish of Cumnock was divided into the parishes of New and Old Cumnock. It appears that both the nether- and over- were each a merkland which made up the two merkland of Boigcurroch, while by 1759 there values were £60.0.0 and £13.6.8 respectively (see above).

The Land Tax Rolls of 1803 [Scotland’s Places] show that the two Boigs are under different ownership. Northboig, given as North Boig, is owned by Robert Gemmel while Southboig remains as Southboig and along with Garallan and Meikel Schang (Old Cumnock) is owned by Patrick Douglas Esq., a descendant of the Campbell of Garallan family. Meantime, the lands of Lanemark had been acquired by Quintin McAdam Esq. of Craigengillan in the parish of Dalmellington.

By the time of the publication of the Ordnance Survey Name Books (1855-57) the names of the two Boig properties had become established as North Boig and South Boig, differentiated by compass points and no longer by reference to their location on the Connel Burn.

North Boig

SSE north ‘north, north lying’ + Place-Name: Boig

The common place-name elements nether and over assigned to differentiate lands sharing the same name including those previously used to differentiate the lands of Boig have been replaced with north, i.e. north-lying and south. i.e. south lying. So the early forms Nether Boigcurroch and Nether Bog (and their variants) now go by the name North Boig.

Robert Gemmell’s grandson Dr. John Gemmell inherited the lands of North Boig and the family leased the rights to work the coal on their lands at the small North Boig pit .

Although there had been many fatalities through the decades and perhaps centuries that coal had been hewn in the parish the earliest recorded fatality (found thus far) was at North Boig pit in 1845 [14] –

‘On Friday the 18^th instant, whilst David Shannon, one of the workmen, was ascending the coal-pit at North Boig, New Cumnock, a piece of wood fell from the side and struck him on the head. He tumbled from the creel to the bottom of the pit, and immediately expired. Deceased has left a wife and four children to lament his loss.’

Glasgow Herald, Friday 25^th April 1845

The Ordnance Survey Name Book (1855-57) for North Boig reads –

A good farm house and Steading, near the River Nith, occupied by John Hastings

By the late 1840s Dr. Gemmell and his family had settled in Australia and the lands of North Boig were acquired by James Ballantine, distiller in Greenock with John Hastings the tenant farmer. By 1920 the Hastings family owned and worked the lands of North Boig.

In 1915 the North Boig Coal Company had been formed to work the minerals on the lands of North Boig which included Fordmouth. The company folded in 1925 and the New Cumnock Collieries acquired the leases to work the minerals and the following year it started a terra-cotta brick and tile work on the North Boig estate which would later be known as the Afton Terra-Cotta Company, and its products would become known throughout Scotland [15].

Michael’s Moss

Thomas Kirkland in The New Cumnock School-Fellows Annual Magazine (1898) makes reference to ‘Michael’s Moss, i.e between Ardnith House and Boig Farm’ [16]. Ardnith House was once located within the grounds of Geordie’s Wood but it is not clear the Boig farm in question. i.e. North or South, with North Boig farm the more likely? More importantly however …. Who was Michael?

As a Christian name, initial research has failed to reveal any associations with owners or tenants of either North and South Boig farms; while there are very few occurrences of the name as a surname in the Old Parish Records.

North Boig Photographs (Robert Guthrie)

South Boig

SSE south ‘south, south lying’ +Place-Name: Boig

As discussed above the common place-name elements nether and over assigned to differentiate lands sharing the same name including those previously used to differentiate the lands of Boig have been replaced with north, i.e. north-lying and south. i.e. south lying. So the early forms Over Boigcurroch and Over Bog (and variants) now go by the name North Boig.

The owner of South Boig was Jane Douglas the daughter of the aforementioned Patrick Douglas Esq. of Garallan. She married Hamilton Boswell, a Clerk to the Commissioners of Supply as well as fulfilling the role of Collector of Taxes, his signature (Ham Boswell) can be found in the land tax rolls of 1803. A condition of their antenuptial marriage contract was that the heirs must take and bear the name and arms of the ‘Douglas of Garrallan‘.  The heritable lands were also recorded in the contract as follows [Scotland’s People] –

forty shilling land of Garrallan, the merkland of the two merkland of Boigcurroch called the overboig and the twenty shilling land of old extent Meikle Schang, lying respectively within the Barony of Tarringian, Regality and the New parish of Cumnock, parish of King’s Kyle, Sheriffdom of Ayr.

Hamilton Boswell: Inventory; Extract Mutual Settlement, Ayr Sheriff Court, 9th August 1824

The Ordnance Survey Name Books (1855-57) entry for South Boig reads –

A farm house occupied by John Hyslop Esq. the property of Mrs H. D. Boswell.

South Boig farm house was a small building sitting 100 yards to the the west of the Connel Burn and midway between the mineral railway line (a branch line off the Glasgow – Carlisle line to the ill-fated New Cumnock Iron Works) and the Boig Road.

The OS Name Book records that John Hyslop Esq. occupied the farmhouse at South Boig and also High Boig on the lands of South Boig (see below) . In practice he was not what was known as an ‘inhabitant occcupier’ but instead he sub-let out these farms to bowers, i.e. someone who ‘rented a herd of cows (with feed) for dairy purposes‘ [17].

Hyslop actually lived at the family’s grand mansion callled Bank House on his Bank estate, about half-mile to the south-west of South Boig farm where he worked a number of small coal pits. However these were difficult times for Hyslop following the failure of the Nithsdale Iron Works (later known as the New Cumnock Iron Works) that had recently been erected on his estate, forcing him to put the estate up for sale for short period. Thankfully, matters would take a turn for the better and in 1860 he formed the Bank Coal Company.

The Boo-In

In the 1861 Census Robert Riddle, bower of cows, and his family are recorded as living at South Boig while by 1871 John Rorrison was the bower, albeit in the Census Records the residence was called Laigh Boig , (i.e. Low Boig to differentiate it from High Boig) which appears to be an alternative name for South Boig at the time. However, outwith these legal records the farm was, and still is to this day, known locally as The Boo-in. The name is derived from the same sources as bower of cows [17].

BOWIN, Bowing, n.² [′bʌuɪn, ′buɪn]1. “A holding or lease of a grass-farm and its live-stock” .In some parts of Scotland (chiefly Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Kirkcudbright and Caithness) there is a contract of location which is popularly known by the rather singular name of “Bowing of Cows.” A proprietor or principal tenant, who is the owner of a stock of cows, lets them, with the privilege of grazing them on the farm, to a party who is called a “bower.”

Dictionaries of the Scots Language Dictionars o the Scots Leid

By 1881 the bower at The Boo-in was Margaret Caldwell, the daughter of George Caldwell, tenant of Rottenyard farm on the Castlemains Estate, beginning a long association with the Caldwell family and South Boig that would last well into the next century. The aformentioned George Caldwell passing away there in 1900, aged 80 years old.

The landscape by this time had changed dramatically. In 1865, five years after Hyslop formed the Bank Coal Company, strong local competition emerged in the form of the Lanemark Coal Company which leased the rights to work the minerals on the lands of Lanemark (owned by Cathcart of Craigengillan) and South Boig (still owned by Boswell Douglas of Garallan) as well as the Afton Estate (William Allison Cunningham of Logan). It was probably at this time that John Hyslop’s connection with both South Boig and High Boig ended as Lanemark Coal Company took on the role of tenants to Boswell Douglas.

Not only did the South Boig farm buildings expand in size there was soon a new mining community of miners’ rows on its doorstep at Connel Park, built for its workers by the Lanemark Coal Company. The names of the rows would include North Boig Street, South Boig Street (better known as Honeymoon Row, as many newly weds were offered houses here) and Boig Road.

By the turn of the century the demand for cannel coal diminished, losing out to coal with a greater coking value. In 1908 the Lanemark Coal Company collapsed with the threat of the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Mrs. Boswell, of South Boig estate, was particularly anxious to avert distress in the neighbourhood, and had conferences with interested land-owners some of whom were ready to act if all would agree on a common line. That effort failed.

J.L. Carvel ‘The New Cumnock Coal-Field’ (1946), [15]

However, William Hyslop of Bank, son of the late John Hyslop, came to the rescue. The assets of the Lanemark Coal Company were acquired by the New Bank Coal Company and in April 1909 the new company, New Cumnock Collieries Ltd. was formed [15].

South Boig Photographs (Robert Guthrie)

Football Field

In one of the fields of South Boig farm the Lanemark Coal Company built a football ground which was home to Senior football side Lanemark (1875-1919) and Junior sides New Cumnock United (1919-1928) and Glenafton Athletic (1930-60).

Geordie’s Wood

Geordie’s wood (wid) along the Boig Road was thought by some to be named after George Caldwell at South Boig farm. However, another possibility is that it was named after Sir John C. George one of the directors of the New Cumnock Collieries Ltd., who lived at Ardnith House for a spell.

High Boig

Nothing now remains of High Boig which once stood on the lands of South Boig, near the top of the Bank Brae, hence the use of the common place-name element high ‘high, higher ground’ to differentiate it from a fellow boig property. The element is also found elsewhere in the parish at High Park, High Polquheys and High Polquhirter.

The earliest reference to High Boig in the Old Parish Records appears in 1839 for the birth of John Kerr, lawful son of James Kerr and Janet Murray. Two years later, at the time of the 1841 Census, Hugh Wilson, agricultural labour and his wife Elizabeth along with their six children are residents at High Boig. By 1851 there are three families living at High Boig, those of James Begg, farm servant; James Paterson, agricultural labour and George Robinson, wood merchant – his son John, a blacksmith also living there while by 1861 Agnes McMichael, 60 was the bower at High Boig.

The Ordnance Survey Name Book (1855-57) entry for High Boig reads-

A farm house occupied by John Hyslop Esq – Bank

As with the case of South Boig farm (see above) John Hyslop of Bank was not an inhabitant occupier of High Boig but instead sub-let the property, in this case to agricultural labourers. His connection with this property probably also ended in 1865 with the formation of the Lanemark Coal Company who had leased the right to work the minerals on the lands of South Boig.

However, although the farmhouse of South Boig continued life as a dairy farm High Boig effectively evolved into a small miners’ row and by 1885 the Valuation Rolls record six houses at High Boig home to six colliers and their families. In later rolls there are 10 numbered houses but four of these are paired to make one home, to give six homes in total.

Boig Road

The Boig Road forms a junction with the New Cumnock to Dalmellington and heads due west between the farms of South Boig and North Boig as part of the the ‘back-road’ to Cumnock. A favourite walk for walkers and a jog for joggers!

Lanemark Coal Company Houses

As well as the miners rows the Lanemark Coal Company built a number houses along the Boig Road for Company Directors and officials.

Ardnith House was built for Robert Brown the first managing director of the company. Woodend Cottage followed and in 1885 was home to Edward Shields, coachman among other James McWhirter, collier; In 1895 Peter Dowie, secretary and his family were living at Connelwood House and in 1905 Henry King, manager was residing at Fernbank House.

BOIGSIDE

Place-Name: Boig + SSE side ‘side’

Lanemark Coal Company worked pits in the lands of Lanemark and the lands of South Boig. There Lanemark Boigside No.2 colliery was in the north corrner of the lands of Lanemark and bordered with both the lands of North Boig and lands of South Boig and presumably the name Boigside recognises this relationship.

South of the Boigside No.2 pit is a small miners’ row named Boigside, after the pit.

Acknowldegements

Many thanks to the Dumfries Archival Mapping Project for giving permission to use the above section of the Craignegillan estate map which shows the extent of the lands of Lanemark. The maps have been made available on-line through the National Library of Scotland Courtesy of Carsphairn Heritage Centre through the Dumfries Archival Mapping Project.

References

[1] Protocol Book of Gavin Ros, N.P. 1512-1532, No. 23

[2] Protocol Book of Gavin Ros, N.P. 1512-1532 , No. 571

[3] Index of Secretary’s Register of Sasines For Sherrifdom of Ayr and Baillieries of Kyle, Carrick and Cunningham, 1599-1609, No. 23,

[4] Index to Particular Register of Sasines For Sherrifdom of Ayr and Baillieries of Kyle, Carrick and Cunningham, 1617-1634, Vol. I

[5] Index to Particular Register of Sasines For Sherrifdom of Ayr and Baillieries of Kyle, Carrick and Cunningham, 1635-1660, Vol. II

[6] Dictionaries of the Scots Language Dictionars o the Scots Leid | nether

[7] Dictionaries of the Scots Language Dictionars o the Scots Leid | over

[8] Edward Dwelly ‘Illustrated Gaelic English Dictionary’ | bog, buige

[9] Dictionaries of the Scots Language Dictionars o the Scots Leid | bog, boig

[10] Edward Dwelly ‘Illustrated Gaelic English Dictionary’ | currach

[11] Michael Ansell [correspondence]

[12] Henry Paton (Editor), The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, Third Series, Vol IX, A.D. 1684, P.543-547

[13] New Cumnock Place-Name | Fordmouth

[14] British Newspaper Archive| Glasgow Herald, Friday 25th April 1845

[15] J.L. Carvel ‘The New Cumnock Coal-Field’ (1946)

[16] Thomas Kirkland in New Cumnock School-Fellows’ Annual Magazine (1898)

[17] Dictionaries of the Scots Language Dictionars o the Scots Leid |bower

[18] British Newspaper Archive|Belfast Mercantile Register and Weekly Advertiser – Tuesday 26 January 1869

[19] Dictionaries of the Scots Language Dictionars o the Scots Leid | bowin

Maps

By Permission of National Library of Scotland

https://maps.nls.uk/

Map 1 |Blaeu (1645) |Boigcurrach

Map 2 | Ordnance Survey (1892-1960) | North, South and High Boig

Map 3 | Roy’s Military Map (1752-55)| Netherbogg

Map 4 | Armstrong’s Map of Ayrshire | Boig and Boag

Map 5 |Ordnance Survey (1857) | North, South And High Boig

Map 6 |Ordnance Survey (1855) |North Boig

Map 7 |Ordnance Survey (1957) |North Boig & Fordmouth

Map 8 |Ordnance Survey (1857) |South Boig

Map 9 |Ordnance Survey (1895) |South Boig

Map 10 | Ordnance Survey (1895)| High Boig

Map 11 |Map of the turnpike & parish roads … [for parishes in central Ayrshire] New Cumnock / by James Mc. Derment & Sons. | Boig Road Used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence.

Map 12 |Ordnance Survey (1935)| Lanemark Coal Coy. Houses

Map 13 |Dumfries Archival Mapping Project estate maps | Lanemark, Boigside

Ordnance Survey Name Books and Land Tax Rolls

By Permission of Scotland’s Places

scotlandsplaces.gov.uk

Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49 | North Boig

Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49 | South Boig

Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49 |High Boig

Scotland’s People

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Old Parish Records, Births, Marriages, Deaths, Census Records, Valuations Rolls, Wills & Testaments