OLD MARCH BURN

Place-name:	Old March Burn
Suggested Meaning:	burn named from an old / former boundary
	SSE old ‘old, former’ + Scots march ‘boundary’
	Scots burn ‘stream’
Blaeu Coila (1654):	No Entry
OS Name Books (1855-57):	Old March Burn (3 entries)
Location:	Ordnance Survey (1895)

Old March Burn

SSE old ‘old, former’ Scot march ‘boundary’ + Scots burn ‘stream’

There are several March Burns in the parish of New Cumnock [1] and all serve, or may have previously served, the purpose of forming a boundary between lands. It comprises the place-name elements Scots march ‘a border or boundary’ [2] (which is locally is pronounced mairch) locally and the common Scots burn ‘stream’ [3].

In the case of the place-name Old March Burn, it has taken its name from an old or former boundary, i.e. the boundary is old rather than burn! The boundary in question is unique in the parish of New Cumnock, in that it is made up of two burns, i.e. two Old March Burns, which flow in the opposite direction of each other.

The two entries for the Old March Burns in the Ordnance Survey Name Books are given below and in each case Andrew Smith, farmer in Beoch and his son John Smith are recorded as the “Authorities for Spelling” in conjunction with the Property Map.

The entry for Old March Burn (1) in the Ordnance Survey Name Books (1855-57) reads –

A small Burn which runs in a N.W. [North West] direction, it at one time formed a Boundary between Upper and Nether Beoch farms

This Old March Burn does flows north-west for half-a-mile to join the Black Water, however the suggestion that ‘at one time formed a boundary between Upper and Nether Beoch farms‘ does not fit with the locations of these two farms. Indeed, together the two Old March Burns form the boundary between Upper Beoch and the lands of Craigman (see below). However, the lands of Upper and Nether Beoch were often referred to the ‘Two Beochs’ and perhaps the entry should have read ‘at one time formed a Boundary of Upper and Nether Beoch farms‘, ie. the ‘Two Beochs’.

The entry for Old March Burn (2) in the Ordnance Survey Name Books (1855-57) reads –

A small Burn rising on the east side of Martyrs’ Moss and running southwards jo [joining] Beoch Lane Burn. It was [a] Property march.

This Old March Burn flows south-east for three-quarters of a mile to join the Beoch Lane.

Surprisingly there is in fact a third entry of an Old March Burn (3) in the Ordnance Survey Name Books (1855-57) which reads –

A Small Stream running into Beoch Lane Burn

However this appears to be another reference to Old March Burn (2) above, since there is no signe of a second Old March Burn joining the Beoch Lane in either the OS Six Inch (1857) or OS 25 Inch (1856).

Beoch and Craigman march

The two Old March Burns form a boundary between the lands of Beoch and Craigman. It is also interesting to note that the western and eastern boundaries of the lands of Beoch are formed by the Black Water and Beoch Lane respectively.

Acknowledgements

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 the Two Beochs. 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] Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd.|march

[2] Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd.|burn

Maps

By Permission of National Library of Scotland

https://maps.nls.uk/

Map 1: Ordnance Survey Maps – Six-inch 1st edition, Scotland, 1843-1882 (1857) | Old March Burns

Map 2: Plan of the Craigengillan Estate, Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire, For Sale by Auction by Messrs. Knight, Frank and Rutley (1919), Ordnance Survey | Craigengillan – Two Beochs

Ordnance Survey Name Books

By Permission of Scotland’s Places

scotlandsplaces.gov.uk

Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49|Old March Burn (1)

Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49|Old March Burn (2)

Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49|Old March Burn (3)