The Murkirk Page

The Shaws of Kells went to Muirkirk. They did not go directly to Muirkirk, and they probably were not the only Shaws to go to Muirkirk. They went there because of the industry based on the mines. Murikirk in its day was a innovative and alive. For all that life was always hard, and later it became terrible. Many left for overseas. There are Shaws in Muirkirk today, but we have yet to link up their ancestry with that of the Shaws from Kells.

Hi Robert,
 
I believe that we are distant (very distant) cousins.  That is of course assuming that my information is correct.  My great-great-great grandfather was James Kilpatrick Shaw b abt 1844 in Kilwinning, Ayr son of John Shaw and Mary Kelso Kilpatrick  He died 17 Nov 1925 in Harthill, Lanarkshire.  He married Grace Elizabeth Copeland on  01 Mar 1867 in Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire and together they had 10 children (she was born 1 Aug 1842 in Muirkirk and died 19 May 1912 at Rosehill Cottage, Cowdenbeath, Fife).  Their daughter Elizabeth (b11 Mar 1882 Davie Row, Glenbuck, Muirkirk, Ayrshire, Scotland d 02 May 1961 in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada) was my great--great grandmother.  Both Elizabeth and later her sister Jesse immigrated to Canada and their descendants are still around, mainly in Alberta.  I've attached a file for you with the information I have.  Unfortunately it only runs 3 generations as  the 4,5,6,& 7th generations are still alive and kicking and I'd hate to send out info on someone's personal data without their permission!  So saying, my great-grandfather was James Shaw Beveridge (his sister Bence is still alive...).  I would be delighted to share information with anyone attached!!

James Shaw Beverage
 
Thank you for all your hard work and attention to the Southern Scottish Shaws!
 
Hilary

Hilary's family tree - Muirkirk to Canada

Hi Robert,

Hope you didn't take it to heart with regards to the English Shaws, as you know we decendants of the "Muirkirk" Shaws have a very dry sense of humour, My Mum always regarded herself as Scottish albeit that she was actually born in Staffordshire, in fact she was quite jealous of her Sisters/Brothers that were actually born in Ayrshire.   I will, after looking at your website closely find out where you are in the family and of course just how closely related we are, it is amazing just how many of us there are, and just how wide spread we all are now, I have been in touch with a few  of the family i really didn't know about, David (Shaw) Cambridge is so impressed with all your information, and he also has done such a lot of research, that I  think between the two of you we should have a REAL FAMILY TREE.   Again Thanks so much for all the work you have done with this site, and if i can be of any help at all just contact me (David has most of the material I had with regards to our part of the Shaws, but again any time you feel you want to contact me I will be thrilled.)   Regards to you and your family, From one of the small branches of the English Rose Bush!!

Margaret
August 13, 2005

Hi,

I am "upset" after reviewing the magnificent website as there appears to be no mention of any Shaws in the rest of the UK. (i.e outside Scotland). As a proud Englishman of Scots/Irish/Welsh decent I plead with you to give us lesser Brits just a small mention. Attached are the results of my findings into the Shaw line and I am pleased to say it adds to your knowledge base. Please advise if you need supporting evidence from my results. Some years ago (1986) I bought a book " The history of Clan Shaw" by Major C J Shaw of Tordarroch. The book runs to 400 pages and is a work of scholarship. (Published by Phillimore & Co Chichester Sussex.) It gives the history of the Shaw clan back to the Earls of Fife and to an ancestor who settled in Ayrshire. It gives comprehensive family tree diagrams. If you have not heard of it ( without breaking copyright) I am sure I could scan a few pages. Have not yet tried to tie in the James Shaw/Mary McKie line but hope to get time "soon". Great to know others are also interested - my thanks to Chris for the intro to the site and to yourself (when the "correction" above is made).

Kindest regards

David Shaw

Hi Robert,   Just received this reply from Ann Geddes regarding the whereabouts of John & Janet Shaw (nee Thomson) in the census years 1841 - 1861. I believe that their son David who lived next door in Muirkirk was the one who travelled to New Zealand.   Pretty sure you have this information but will send it just in case. Anything you can add to the info I would be most grateful.   Regards     David Shaw   ----- Original Message ----- From: Baird Institute To: DSL Limited Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:19 PM Subject: RE: Attention Ann Geddes.

At Muirkirk

Hi David

Thank you for your e-mail message re. the Shaw family

I am afraid that we do not have an index to the 1841 census – however I think I have found the family in 1851 and 1861

        185 1 Muirkirk Census (book 1 page 36)
        Village

Head    John Shaw.  Married.  Age 62.  Iron miner.  Born Minnigaff
Wife    Janet Shaw.  Married.  Age 58. Born Stevenston
Grand
Son     John Dick.  Age 2.  Born Kilwinning

        1861 Muirkirk Census (book 1 page 26)
        Main Street

Head    Janet Shaw.  Widow.  Age 69.  Proprietor of houses.  Born Stevenston

Next door contains the following family

        186 1 Muirkirk Census (book 1 page 26)
        Main Street

Head    David Shaw.  Married .  Age 40 .  Coalminer .  Born Muirkirk
Wife    Janet Shaw.  Married.  Age 38 . Born Irvine
Son     James Shaw.  Age 19 .  Coalminer.  Born Stevenston
Son     David Shaw.  Age 12 .  Scholar.   Born Kilwinning
Son     Sutherland Shaw.  Age 9.  Scholar .  Born Stevenston
Dau     Ja net Shaw.  Age 6 . Scholar.  Born South America
Son     Charles Shaw.  Age 3 . Born Stevenston
Son     Thomas Shaw.   Age 5 months . Born Muirkirk

I hope this information is of interest.  Please let me know if further information or advice is needed

Happy Hunting

Cheers
Anne Geddes Community Librarian (Heritage Services) East Ayrshire Council
Dick Institute, Elmbank Avenue, Kilmarnock KA1 3BU (Mon-Tues)
Tel No. : 01563 554326 Fax 01563 554311
e-mail : anne.geddes@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
Baird Institute, 3 Lugar Street, Cumnock, KA18 1AD (Wed-Frid)          
Tel & fax No. : 01290 421701                           
e-mail : baird.institute@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
Website : www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/libraries

-----Original Message-----
From:   DSL Limited [SMTP:dsllimited@oneservice.co.uk]
Sent:   17 August 2005 21:21
To:     Baird Institute
Subject:        Attention Ann Geddes.

Dear  Ann,
 
First of all I would like to say a great big "Thank you" for the help and patience in tracing the Shaw/McKillop/Hamilton lines in our family tree during our recent visit to Ayrshire and the Baird Institute.


Having said that I now find there are more questions which I should have asked and I again seek your help.
 
The Shaw family :-
 
John Shaw (born 1788 died Muirkirk in 1860) - From the census records do you know where he was in 1841 and 1851.
Janet Shaw (nee Thomson) wife (born 1793 died Muirkirk in 1874) - again, from census records, do you know she was in 1841, 1851, 1861. 

 
 
Once again I am most grateful for any help you can give. Please advise costs and method of payment.
 
Kindest regards
 
 
David Shaw


DAVID AND MEGAN SHAW'S RESEARCH 2005

Dear Robert,

As promised, I give a short visit report below and attach also the "extracts of entries in an Old Parochial Register" for John  Shaw (1788 - 1860) and possibly his father James (b 1745). I say "possibly" as sadly his mother's name is not recorded so we are not 100% sure. However I am most indebted to you for your earlier work and I trust that you may find the information useful for your website. 

Report on visit to Muirkirk - 2005

A visit to Muirkirk in July 2005 was a very pleasant experience. My wife Megan and I stayed at the excellent B & B run by Ella Kirk and her husband Willie. There we were introduced to James Taylor (author of    "Cairntable Echoes" - (History of Muirkirk 1907 - 1974 compiled from "Muirkirk Advertiser") which enabled us to fill in more detail on relatives born after 1901, as these details are not yet generally available on websites. We were able to purchase also a book entitled "Old Muirkirk" by David Pettigrew - Stenlake Publishing, which is full of old photographs of Muirkirk and its inhabitants.  Hardly anything remains of Main Street in terms of old property and today it is hard to imagine the Muirkirk of our great grandparents. We were most impressed however by the steps being taken to preserve the heritage of village and more importantly the  wonderful community spirit that exists there today as I am sure it did in the times of our ancestors.

Visits to Maybole and Stevenston were very disappointing in that the towns were rather run-down and there was no hint of their historic past. Unlike Muirkirk nothing appears to have been done to preserve these town's heritage.

The Baird Institute at Cumnock visit was a rewarding experience and there is a wealth of data available to those who wish to find out more about their Ayrshire ancestry. Ann Geddes who works there was extremely kind and patient and is indeed an expert at searching every data base available, as well as operating, at speed a vast array of differing equipment used to retrieve and copy the records. The visit to Cumnock enabled us to find more details from the 1851 and 1861 census returns of John Shaw (1788 -1860) and his family .

After some in depth research and some "wild goose chases" we are very confident however that the descendants of James Shaw /Mary McKie, John Shaw/Janet Thomson & John Shaw/Mary Kelso Kilpatrick have been identified (see revised family tree Sept 2005). The decendants of the one of these above, David Shaw, who emigrated to New Zealand have there own story to tell and it seems they are as close-knit today as the Shaw's of earlier generations. It is with mounting regret that we did not know of the Shaws of Kells website before our trip otherwise we would have made that "pilgrimage" to Kells a top priority. However thanks to the introduction we are already making plans for next year.

 

Regards

 

David & Megan Shaw

.

Sue

Hi - I hope I'm reaching David Shaw, and that I'm not intruding! If I've
come to the wrong place, just delete this and carry on with what you
were doing.

I am also copying Robert Shaw, who seems to be the guru for the Shaw page.

I noticed David Shaw's family tree regarding the Muirkirk Shaws.  I
believe I am connected to this family, but with a Mystery Shaw.

Marion Blackwood Shaw was born to John Shaw and Joan Reid in Muirkirk in
1829.  (I have sent for a copy of the OPR to see if there's more
information that this).  In 1841 this little Marion seems to be living
with an uncle, David Shaw.  In 1848 she marries John Johnston in
Muirkirk (the banns are also published in Kilwinning) and in 1851 she is
in Kilwinning with husband, baby and "brother in law" and "sister in
law" William Shaw and Jean Shaw ... clearly the same ones appearing in
your tree.

Furthermore, in 1871 John and Marion have living with them Janet Thomson
.... obviously Janet Thomson Shaw in your tree ... shown as "mother in
law" and 80 years of age.  I believe in Scotland at the time it was not
unusual for women to use their maiden name, thereby confounding English
visitors and the like.

Since there don't seem to be any more children born to John Shaw and
Jean Reid, and I can't see any evidence of marriage, I have to assume
that Jean was John's mistress and he acknowledged the child.  Don't know
what happened to Jean that she ended up living with her uncle, in spite
of which she and husband John Johnston took in her father's wife in her
dotage, even though this wasn't her mother.

Have you, in your excellent research, come across this mystery child?  I
can forward the census stuff to you if you'd like.

Sue Cox, Toronto
sueecox@rogers.com

-------------------

Hi Robert

I read your website with great interest especially with reference to the Muirkirk Shaw’s. My Grandfather Wull (William) Shaw was born on 14 May 1920 and lived in Muirkirk all his life but I’m not sure if he was a lowland Shaw or not. As you can see on the links he was very actively involved in the rebuilding of both Sanquhar & Tibbies brig.

http://website.lineone.net/~j.s.thomson/stpages/sanquharbrig.html

http://website.lineone.net/~j.s.thomson/stpages/tibbiesbrig.html

Kind Regards

Kathryn Symons nee Shaw