quarrel Quarry

Place-name:	Quarrel Quarry
Suggested Meaning:	quarry
	Scots quarrel ‘quarry’
Blaeu Coila (1654):	No Entry
OS Name Books (1855-57):	Quarrel Quarry
Location:	Ordnance Survey (1892-1960)

The Ordnance Survey Name Book (1855-57) entry for Quarrel Quarry reads –

A freestone Quarry, about 1/4 of a mile N.E. [North East] of Gatehead

Map 1 Blackfarding | Reproduced with the permission of The National Library of Scotland

Quarrel Quarry is an example of place-name tautology since Scots quarrel is ‘quarry’. From the Old Parish Records ( first recorded in 1706) it would appear there was a cottage (or cottages) known as Quarrell or another variant Quarrle, to house the quarrymen and their families.

21 May 1708 ‘Euphans, daughter to William Barry and Janet Paterson in Quarrell’
14 Jan 1802 ‘George, son of Andrew McTurk and Jean Lambie in Quarrle‘

There is no reference to the cottage in the Ordnance Survey Name Book (1855-57) nor sadly is there any sign of ruins. It may be the case that the cottage took its name from the quarry at the time it was commonly known as Scots quarrel and retained that name. At a later time when the word quarry came into fashion it was named Quarrel Quarry because of its location near the cottage known as Quarrell!

Quarrel Quarry remains (Photo Robert Guthrie)

In 1851 young Andrew Beattie was born at Bowes Cottage on the Mansfield Road less than a mile south of the Quarrel Quarry. His father, also Andrew, was an agricultural labour but in later years found work at Tarbolton as a quarryman. The family returned to Bowes Cottage where Andrew senior would serve as the toll keeper. His son Andrew junior had followed in his father’s footsteps by working as a quarryman before progressing to be a master mason and one of the leading builders in New Cumnock.