The Industrial Age
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Beatriz (Bea) McCowan, Broker
Homelife/Vision Realty Inc., Scarborough
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The Millwrights
The Engineers of the Industrial Revolution
1790-1850

A good number of Cumnock McCowans eagerly embraced the new industrial economy. For about two decades, Cumnock folk had been losing their connection with the land. Beginning about 1780 we see "that yearly a number of my [Lord Dumfries'] farmers sons go to Glasgow, Paisley & c to acquire trades". Accelerating industrial activity in Neilston Parish, Renfrewshire, in particular, attracted several skilled McCowan millwrights. They adapted well to the enormous socio-economic changes that we now call the Lowland Clearances.

This raw data is useful input information for the Essay Contest -- "Your Community in a World History Context". Be sure to refer also to "To Sustene The Personis: The Agricultural Revolution" for some details of the period 1600 to 1800 and the dramatic changes that affected the McCowans and many of their neighbours.

Where Did They Go -- What Did They Do?
And Much More in
The McCowans of Cumnock, Lesmahagow and Scarborough

McCowan Marriages
In the Mill Towns of
Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire
Neilston Parish (Ne), Eaglesham (Ea)
Sorn (So), Kilmarnock (Ki), Stewarton (Ste)
East Kilbride (EK)

Husband Residence / Parish Wife Residence / Parish Date
William Cowan [McCowan] Neilston Mary Gray Stewarton 13 Oct 1798 (Ne) "gave to the poor 3/6"
Hugh McCowan Neilston Ann McVey Neilston 2 Apr 1808 (NE) "gave to the poor 3/6"
Hugh MacCowan, Wright Neilston Agnes MacGarragh Eastwood Marr at Paisley 16 May 1820 (Ne)
James Cockburn Auchinleck McCowan Sorn Marr at Catrine 21 Jan 1825
Hugh McOwen Margaret Murdoch 24 Feb 1826 (Ayr)
Robert Glenn Neilston Mary MacCowan Neilston Marr at Glasgow 16 July 1827 (Ne)
Andrew Morton Mary McCowan 4 Aug. 1827 (Ki)
Malcolm McLauchlan Neilston Margaret McCowan Barrhead, Neilston 21 May, 1830 (Ne)
John McCowan Neilston Ann Pinkerton Neilston 5 July 1833 (Ne)
William Pinkerton Neilston M McCowan Grahamstown 3 July, 1835 (Ne)
Archibald McCowan Smith, Grahamstown Bethea Cochran Neilston 1 July 1836 (Ne)
Duncan McColl Dyer, Grahamstown Isabella McCowan Neilston Marr by Min of Gaelic Ch. Paisley, 28 June, 1841 (Ne)
Hugh McCowan Agnes Wardrop 8 Sept 1841 (Ki)
Hugh Robertson Engineer, W. Arthurlie Jean McCowan Cross Arthurlie 9 May, 1842 (Ne)
Hugh McCown Jun Block Cutter, Grahamston     Blue Neilston 1845(Ne)
William Brown Barony Par. Glasgow Janet McCowan Grahamston 9 June, 1846 (Ne)
William McCowan Joiner, Grahamstown Agnes Gebbie Tradeston, Par of Govan 17 June 1848 (Ne)
David McCowan Printcutter, Grahamstown Ann McIntyre Neilston 31 Aug 1849 (Ne)
David Hutchison Calico Printer, Arthurlie Margaret McCowan Grahamston 29 Oct, 1852 (Ne)

 

McCowan Births
In the Mill Towns of
Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire
Neilston Parish (Ne), Eaglesham (Ea)
Sorn (So), Kilmarnock (Ki)
East Kilbride (EK)

Child Born Father Mother Residence
John McCowan 8 May 1791 John McCowan Helen Rankin Catrine (So)
Janet McCowan 19 Apr 1793 John McCowan Helen Rankin Catrine (So)
Jean McCowan 26 June 1795 John McCowan Helen Rankin Catrine (So)
Agnes McCowan 29 Nov 1797 John McCowan Helen Rankin (So)
John Gray McCowan 3 Sept. 1799 William McCowan Mary Gray Newton Ralston (Ne)
Helen McCowan 25 Mar 1800 John McCowan Helen Rankin Wright in Catrine (So)
William McCowan 11 Jan 1801 William McCowan Mary Gray (Ne)
Agnes McCowan 4 Apr 1802 William McCowan Mary Gray (Ne)
Marion McCowan 16 June 1802 John McCowan Helen Rankin Wright in Catrine (So)
Mary McCowan 6 May 1804 William McCowan Mary Gray (Ne)
Mary McCowan 31 May 1805 John McCowan Helen Rankine Sawer in Catrine (So)
Margaret McCowan 6 June 1805 William McCowan Mary Gray Craigheads (Ne)
Margaret McCowan 26 Mar 1808 John McCowan Helen Rankin Wright in Catrine (So)
Jean Aitken McCowan 25 Jan 1809 Hugh McCowan Ann McVey Newton Ralston (Ne)
William McCowan 4 Feb 1811 Hugh McCowan Ann McVey Craigheads (Ne)
Agnes McCowan 1 Aug 1811 John McCowan Helen Rankin Wright in Catrine (So)
John McCowan 9 July 1815 William McCowan Agnes Alexander (EK)
David Boyle 11 Nov 1820 David Boyle Jean Borland Blacksmith near Greenfoot (So)
Agnes McCowan 15 Feb 1821 Hugh McCowan Agnes McGarragh Wright, Barrhead (Ne)
James Creichton 12 Mar 1822 John Creichton Elizabeth McCowan Mason Catrine (So)
Jean McCowan 20 June 1822 Robert McCowan Jean Bryce Millwright, Arthurlie (Ne)
Hugh McCowan 30 Sept 1822 Hugh McCowan Agnes McGarragh Wright, Barrhead (Ne)
George McCowan 27 Dec 1822 William McCowan Agnes Alexander (Ea)
David McCowan 28 Feb 1824 Hugh McCowan Agnes McGarragh Wright, Barrhead (Ne)
Robert McCowan 6 Sept 1824 Robert McCowan Jean Bryce  Wright, Grahamstown (Ne)
Mary McCowan 12 Apr 1826 Hugh McCowan Agnes McGarragh Wright, Grahamstown (Ne)
Robert McCowan 9 Oct 1826 Robert McCowan Jean Bryce  Wright, Grahamstown (Ne)
James McCowan 28 Feb 1828 Hugh MacCowan Agnes McGourroch Wright, Grahamstown (Ne)
James McCowan 25 Mar 1829 Robert McCowan Jean Bryce  Wright
Janet McCowan 26 June 1832 Robert McCowan Jean Brice  Wright, Grahamstown (Ne)
Robert McCowan 3 Jan 1834 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Printer, Ducathall (Ne)
Lachlan McCowan 7 Aug 1834 John McCowan Ann Clark Mason, Grahamston (Ne)
Ja__ McCowan 29 Jan 1835 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Printer, ___hall (Ne)
Elis McCowan 2 Sep 1835 Robert McCowan Jean Brice  Wright, Grahamstown (Ne)
John McCowan 7 Mar 1836 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Printer, Duc___ (Ne)
William McCowan 18 May 1838 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Calico Printer, Dovecothall (Ne)
Archibald McCowan 4 Apr 1840 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Printer, Ducathall (Ne)
Janet Hutcheson McCowan 4 Dec 1841 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Grahamston (Ne)
Marion Craig McCowan (illeg) 14 Feb 1843 William McCowan, son of R. Mc Christian Morrison Cross Arthurlie, Barrhead (Ne)
Jean Bryce McCowan 20 Apr 1844 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Cross Arthurlie (Ne)
Archibald McCowan 16 Apr 1846 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Cross Arthurlie (Ne)
Hugh McCowan 4 June 1846 Hugh McCowan Margaret Blue Grahamston (Ne)
Margaret McCowan 2 June 1848 Hugh McCowan Margaret Blue Grahamston (Ne)
Hugh McCowan 9 July 1848 John McCowan Ann Pinkerton Cross Arthurlie (Ne)
Janet  McCowan 3 Nov 1849 David McCowan Ann McIntyre Barrhead (Ne)
James McCowan 4 Dec 1853 Hugh McCowan Margaret Blue Grahamston (Ne)

The Scarboro Heights Record   V12 #1
The McCowans' Who's Who  Vol. 13

See also:

 

Where Did They Go, What Did They Do?
And Much More in
The McCowans of Cumnock, Lesmahagow and Scarborough

 

John_McCowan_1836_37:
Lived in New Brighton, USA, died June 24 1911.

William_McCowan_1838_518:
Military career. Settled in British Guiana where he and Jane Corner raised 12 children. Grandfather of the Late Sir Anthony McCowan.

Boyle Family:
Some of the Boyle family lived in Whitehill, Cumnock, at one time occupied by McCowans. David Boyle (1842-1911), a grandson of David and Jean Boyle, edited the History of Scarboro in 1896. It is very likely that he heard the story of the smugglers in Gates Gully from the McCowans who lived directly above the mouth of the gully.

McCowans From Argyll:
There was a family of McCowans from Argyll in Neilston at this time. Otherwise, the McCowans of Neilston all appear to have originated in Cumnock, Ayrshire.

 

 

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