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Monthraw (NS 638 038)

The ruins of Monthraw are situated in the upper reaches of Glen Afton, now overlooking Glen Afton Reservoir. The earliest refernence I can find to Monthraw is an early 16th century charter where it appears with several other neighbouring properties.

At Stirling 27 July 1535 'Ane letter maid to Dame Jonet Stewart, Lady Mochrum* hir airis and asiggnais ane or ma - of the gift of nonentres, malis, fermes, profittis and dewities of the four merk land of Blakcrag (Blackcraig), ane merk land of Munthray (Monthraw), two merk land of Cragydarrocht (Craigdarroch), thre merk land of Lagureroch (Lochingerroch), twa merk land of Polloch (Pollosch), three merk land of Puntlo (Pencloe) and twa merk land of Lagbrowen (Lochbrowan),.... liand in thge barony of Cumnok, within the shirefdome of Aire' [1].

The Pont manuscript maps of Kyle province of ca. 1590 were lost but the Nithsdale manuscript survived and Monthraw is one of only a few New Cumnock properties that appear on this map [2].

Monthraw is mentioned a number of times in the Rev. Robert Simpson's 'Martyrland' [3] a fictitious account of the Killing times of the Covenanting period of the late 17th century. Glen Afton at that time was also known as the Carrick pass, i.e the route from Ayrshire to the Water of Ken in Kirkcudbrightshire and from there on to the depths og Galloway and Carrick. Government troops made good use of this pass as they hunted down Covenanters on the run or attempted to break up conventicles taking place in the perceived safety of the wild moorlands. Monthraw's isolation in such moorlands gave rise to the old adage

"The lone Monthraw,
Where man never heard
His neighbour's cock craw"

Many of the Rev. Simpson's tales were based on accounts he had collected through the years. The one at Monthraw tells of a startling adventure for its tenants the essence of which is given here -

Monthraw:
1. Gaelic monadh ruadh 'red hill'
2. Gaelic monadh airbhe 'boundary hill'

Monthraw takes its name from Monthraw hill which sits at the boundary of the counties of Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. The hill name appeared in maps of the 17th and 18th century but disappeared from view in the Ordnance Survey maps of mid 19th century, to be replaced by the name Meikledodd, i.e. Scots 'big hill' .

The name Monthraw Burn has survived in modern day OS maps (as Montraw Burn) although near its source, it is also named as Meikledodd Burn, where it meets with two tributaries Sandyhole Burn and Clashywarrant Burn.

The first element of the name Monthraw (Munthray 1535, Monthraw 1590, Monwhra 1654, Monquthraw 1753) is Gaelic monadh 'mountain'. Monthraw (or Meikeldodd ) at 2,100ft is no mountain (like nearby Monquhill) and like elsewhere in other parts of once Gaelic speaking Scotland the term monadh 'seems to have been diluted, applying to mere shoulders of hills' [6]. The second element is probably Gaelic ruadh 'red' suggesting that Monthraw or Munthray is the equivalent of Monthroy in Lintrathen, Angus [7]. Red may be a reference to the colour of the vegetation on the hill-side. The shoulder of the hill is also perfectly shaped and positioned to capture the rays of a setting sun and is joy to behold, when it happens!

Another contender for the second element of the name is Gaelic airbhe 'boundary as in Altnaharra near Loch Naver which is Allt na h-Eirbhe 'boundary stream'. Nearer home W.J.Watson identifies Cornharrow hill(six miles south of Monthraw) and Pulharrow Burn (near St. John's Town of Dalry) as possible boundary names [7]. So could Monthraw or Monwhra (Mon harra) be Gaelic mondah h-airbhe 'boundary hill'. Certainly it sits on the ancient boundary of Kyle and Galloway as well as the boundaries of the three later shires ( cf. Threeshire Hill of where Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire and Lanarkshire meet). Monthraw may be one of a number of boundary names that runs along the Ayrshire-Dumfriesshire border in the parish of New Cumnock - Quintin Knowe (Gaelic cointin 'disputed land', Hare Hill (h-eirbhe, boundary ?), Cairn (boundary cairn) and the March Burn as well as Glenwharry (boundary glen?) in the parish of Kirkconnel.

The family of Monthraw had barred the door against the wild December hurricane that blew outside and were reflecting on the good business the gudeman had completed that day in gathering debts owed to him by a near neighbour. Startled by a knocking at the door on such a night they opened the door to discover a dragoon, a government trooper, demanding entry. Fearful for their lives, for the house of Monthraw was the occasional resort of persecuted people, they were relieved to learn that the dragoon had lost his way on the moors and was only seeking shelter for the night, which was duly forthcoming. During rhe night the dragoon's sleep was disturbed by noises from outside his leather-hinged window, which persisted for some time. He cried out several warnings and when these went unheeded he fired one of his pistols, and a heavy fall was heard outside. The folk of Monthraw awoke wondering if they were to be murdered. However, in the moring all became clear as the dragoon explained what had happened and on searching outside they found the dead body of a man armed with implements of murder. He was Monthraw's neighbour from whom he had received payment of his debts the day before and clearly he had come in the dead of night with the intent of killing and stealing back the money.

"How wonderful was the shield of the Divine protection thrown over the family of Monthraw! What visitor could be more unacceptable than the bluff dragoon? and yet in the person of this man did the Lord send them a Guardian - an armed soldier of the enemy to save their lives.

The names of those that lived at Monthraw during those times have eluded us and its remoteness possibly saved its inhabitants from interrogations that , in 1684, were visited upon a host of the parishioners of New Cumnock.

A brief glimpse at the Old Parish Records reveal that John Proudfoot and Agnes Dalzell celebrated the birth of son William (1751) and daughter May (1753) at Monquthraw. While in the early Census Records (1841-1861), Monthraw or Menquthraw is home to agricultural labourer and then shepherd, Sanquhar-born John Thorburn, his wife Janet and their family. John's name does not appear in the 1861 Census and Janet (44) is now head of the house with seven children to keep, including 8 month old William Oswald Thorburn. Her two oldest sons Thomas (21) and James (14) are recorded as shepherds, while the lodger is a 'catcher of small hares'. Another son called Daniel Craig Thorburn, was no doubt named after one of the Craig family that owned Monthraw and the neighbouring Craigdarroch, probably Daniel Craig born in Polqhueys in 1828 (See Places: Polquheys).

Kirkconnel-born 60 year old John Walls, who had been the herd at Hillend (of Brockloch) on the Deugh since the 1830's came to Monthraw in the 1860's, but died in 1864, aged 64 years. His eldest son James Walls, born in New Cumnock in 1833, who had been a herd at Beoch and Hillend, took over at Monthraw and was still there at the dawn of the new century with his wife Agnes and mother-in-law Mary Hyslop. Their eldest son John married Janet Gray and their grandson Joseph Walls, aged only 14 years was one of 5 men killed in the Bank No 6 mine disaster of 1938. Mary, the daughter of James and Agnes Walls married Daniel McMinn and their son James McMinn was the father of my wife Sheena was born at the Glen Inn.

In the register of Ayrshire Sheep Farms of 1923 [4], William Craig is listed as 'Occupier' ( i.e. proprieter) of Craigdarroch and Monthraw. However within a decade the land lying between these two properties would change beyond recognition. In 1931, work on the Monthraw Reservoir began and four years and a change of name later Glenafton Reservoir was operational. [5]. The Afton Water was dammed, the dam itself cutting across the Afton where it once was forded by the path from Monthraw to Castle William, and where in days gone by the waterwheel of McLure's mill once turned .

Today the ruins of Monthraw can be reached by the footpath from Castle William around the reservoir and is found nestling in among young saplings that one day will obscure it from view - the 'Lone Monthraw'.

REFERENCES

[1] Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, Viol. 2, no. 1737
[2] Timothy Pont Manuscript 35 'Nithsdale, part of Teviotdale'
[3] Robert Simpson 'Martyrland', Thomson D.Morison, Glasgow
[4] Hugh Bone, 'Register of Sheep Marks in Ayrshire' The Standard Press, Kilmarnock, 1923
[5]George Sanderson 'New Cumock Far and Away', 1992
[6]Peter Drummond 'Scottish Hill Names' Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 2007
[7] William J. Watson 'The Celtic Placenames of Scotland',(first published1926) Birlinn Limited,1986