Cameron gravestones DARVEL

[Blacqvoid]

The farmstead named as Pissinheugh on Roy's Military Map is shown to be renamed Muirhead on the 1851 Ordnance Survey map. This map can be viewed on nls maps online. A gap in the trees corresponding to the original access road, has been left, presumably by The Forestry Commision.
The reason for renaming the site would appear to be what seems to our generation to be the rough language used. This however was standard language of the time and an associated word, appears in the original King James version of The Bible.

[Forfarian]

I think you're right.

But I don't see any access road on the side-by-side map https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15&lat=55.64841&lon=-4.26119&layers=5&right=BingHyb.

The Forestry Commission was established by Act of Parliament in 1919.

The valuation rolls show the proprietor of Muirhead as the Earl of Loudoun until 1920, and the tenant in 1915 and 1920 was Hugh Fleming. From 1925 to 1940 Hugh Fleming is listed as proprietor of Muirhead and Lochfield (incidentally, Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, was born at Lochfield) but the ones after 1940 are not available online. Nor are any tenants listed after 1920 at Muirhead.

[Blacqvoid]

Hello,

Regarding the track to  Muirhead Farm. It can be found by clicking on Darvel as the search place and choosing the OS map 25 ins to mile. Then choose as your background map, the OS 1900s map. It is shown in this map snaking westward from Muirhead to meet the present road. In the Ordnance Survey 1920 background map it is no longer shown.

[Blacqvoid]

Hello,

The track from Muirhead to the present day road can be seen in the Ordnance Survey map of 1900s. If you select the 1856 25 ins map of Darvel area then opt for the 1900s background map which shows the road in question. Interestingly, the 1920 map shows neither the farm or the track.

[Blacqvoid]

The farmstead mentioned as Pissinsheuch in the 17th century was later listed as Muirhead in the 1854 o/s map online. The road leading to the farm, ran East and west from the present public road and can be seen on the NLS maps online on aforesaid map. Then select back ground map O/s 1900. This map shows the farm road.

[Forfarian]

Yes, the road is shown on older maps, but its route is now through the forest. That, plus the absence of a tenant in the valuation rolls from 1920 onwards, suggests to me that the house was abandoned when Hugh Fleming acquired it and Lochfield. Presumably he farmed both lots of land from Lochfield, and no longer needed the house at Pischinheuch/Muirhead.

[Blacqvoid]

Still regarding the Farmstead named as Pischinsheuch. This farm may have been named after a swimming area of the Glen Water, Darvel by using the French word for swimming pool and not as it might first appear.
This part of Ayrshire welcomed many Huguenot refugees from France after the Edict of Nantes, took away their freedom of worship. The Earl of Loudoun was instrumental, in providing them sanctuary. The surname Fleming comes from refugees who settled in Southern Scotland, particularly in the 1400s, from the Low Countries. No doubt French words were incorporated into Scots.
The Glen Water and it's tributary, the Pogiven Burn, used to be a popular picnic and swimming area for local people and still are to a lesser extent.

[Forfarian]

What an interesting idea

Might be worth asking the Scottish Place-Name Society https://spns.org.uk/