Burnton

Place-name:Burnton, Burnton Burn, Burntonhill
Suggested Meaning (1):‘ferme-town at the burn’
First element:Scots burn‘ stream’
Second element:Scots toun ‘farm settlement’
Blaeu Coila (1654):O.Blakwood, Blakwood b.
OS Name Books (1855-57):Burnton, Burnton Burn, Burntonhill
Location:Ordnance Survey (1937-1961)
Earlier Forms
Burnetoun (1603), Burntown (OPR 1714-1735)

The properties of N. Blakwood (Nether Blackwood) and O. Blackwood (Over Blackwood) are shown in Blaeu’s Coila Provincia (1654). However, the latter was also known as Burnetoun, since it sat on the east bank of the Blackwood Burn, as it made its way to the River Nith.

’12 April 1603: Sasine was given by Hugh Campbell in Polquhirtour to Finlay Campbell in Nether Blakwod for the merk land of Over Blakwod called the Burnetoun’. [1]

Map 1 O. Blackwood and N.Blakwood | Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Through time the name Over Blackwood was replaced by Burnetoun and then later Burnton. Blackwood Burn became Burnton Burn and Nether Blackwood shortened to Blackwood.

Map 2 Burnton | Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Burnton

Burnton (Robert Guthrie)

The Ordnance Survey Name Books (1855-57) entry for Burnton simply reads –

A farm house, the property of the Marquis of Bute, occupied by Hugh Kirk

The name comprises the two common place-name elements Scots burn ‘stream’ [2] and Scots toun ‘farm settlement’ [3].

In the Old Parish Records there are 12 entries for the births of the children of Andrew Dalzell and Bessy Black (1714-1735), 11 of which record the birth at Burntown, however the other entry and more importantly the first entry, records the birth at the Burntown of Polquhorter!

N.B. the lands of Polquhirter neighbour those of Burnton and perhaps there was a misunderstanding when the minister recorded the baptism?

Burnton Burn

The Ordnance Survey Name Books (1855-57) entry for Burnton Burn reads –

A burn formed by the junction of Rye Burn with Elder Burn It runs past the west side of Burnton farm house and falls into the river Nith.

The burn appears as Blakwood b. in Blaeu (1657) and sometime after Over Blackwood was renamed Burnton, the burn was renamed Burnton Burn – the burn of the burn-town!

Burntonhill

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

A small house on Burnton Farm, the property of the Marquis of Bute, occupied by Hugh Kirk, farm servant –

Burntonhill now lies in ruins and was named for its position further up the hill from Burnton.

Map 3 Burntonhill | Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

References
[1] Stuart Clarkson private correspondence, Clan Campbell
[2] Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. | burn
[3] Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. |toun
Maps
Reproduced by Permission of National Library of Scotland
Images used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence.
Map 1: Map 1: Blaeu, Joan, 1596-1673, Coila Provincia, [or], The province of Kyle (1654) |Over Blackwood
Map 2: Ordnance Survey, 1:25,000 maps of Great Britain – 1937-1961| Burnton, Burnton Burn, Burntonhill
Images used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence
Map 3: Ordnance Survey Maps – 25 inch 1st edition, Scotland, 1855-1882 | Burntonhill

Ordnance Survey Name Books
By Permission of Scotland’s Places
Scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49|Burnton
Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49|Burnton Burn
Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49|Burntonhill