Books:
Mossback (NS 627 162)
The ruins of Mossback farm lie to the east of High Polquheys farm on the upper reaches of Muirfoot Burn (formerly Polquheys Burn).
The farm of Mosshouse (Mofhoufe) appears in Blaeu's Atlas Novus (1654) close to Polquheys Burn and may have been associated with Mossback. The moss (moor) would have provided a good source of peat. As yet I have been unable to trace any records of Mossback that pre-date the Census Records of 1841 at which time we find two families of Houstons (likely to be brothers) occupying the farmstead. Both Alexander and George Houston were coal miners and worked at Mansfield Colliery a mile or so to the east. Mossback is recorded as a ruin in the OS Map of 1856 and by this time both the Houston families had moved closer to the colliery.
The coal in this area (Grievehill) is now being extracted by way of open-cast and Mossback Ruins featured in an archaelogical survey of the area carried out on behalf of the Scottish Coal Company Limited, in which it was described as 'a rectangular building built of rough-dressed sandstone with two rooms with a smaller building situated to the west'.
Rig and Furrow cultivation strips on the high ground above Muirfoot Burn were also featured on the survey as too was a track from Mossback towards Roughside farm (references to this farm date back to the late 15th century), to the south east.
PLACES
MOSSBACK
Scots moss 'moor, peaty land'
The farmstead is situated at the back of (beyond) the moss that still covers large tracts of land in the vicinity.
The farm of Muirfoot is situated at the foot of Muirfoot Burn - both of which are much later names - otherwise it may gave bene called Mossfoot Farm.
N.B. there still is a farm called Mossback in the parish of Old Cumnock near to Garallan estate.
Mossback
1841: Alexander Houston (30) and his family, Coal Miner
and Henerata Black (36), Agricultural Labourer
1841: George Houston (36) and his family, Coal Miner
George and Alexander Houston were probably brothers. George was born in Old Cumnock and Alexander in Muirkirk, whilst their mother Jean (or Jane) Campbell was born in Auchinleck in 1766.
In the 1851 Census George, his wife and six children (all born in New Cumnock) are recorded at Mansfield Colliery (to the east of Mossback) - three of the children , aged 10-14 years, are recorded as Coal Drawers. Alexander, his mother, sister and his son are at nearby Mansfield Hill.
Census Records
Place-name
Drainage tiles in a syke running into Muirfoot Burn to the west of Mossback Ruin. The stakes of a small footbridge can also be seen nearby
