The Industrial Age

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.

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)

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.