Riggfoot Row, New Cumnock

[Linda Malpass]

My Grandfather, Alexander James Muir McCracken was born January 25, 1913 at Riggfoot Row, father Alexander McCracken and mother, Jeannie Hyslop .. my question is .. I have heard of Riggfoot Farm, but not the Rows, can someone tell me where this is in New Cumnock. His father, Alexander McCracken lived at Burnfoot Rows and lived there with many other McCrackens ... all coal miners ..
Any info re Riggfoot Rows would be much appreciated .. was it a mining community?

[Currie]

Hello Linda,

I’ve had a bit of a dig here and there but couldn’t dig up a Riggfoot Row.

In New Cumnock I found a Football Row, a Burnfoot Row, a Mansfield Row, a Lanemark Row, and a Bank Glen Row, plus a Stable Row at Craigbank, New Cumnock.

A search of the Valuation Rolls at SP with Riggfoot in the place field gives quite a few results so maybe the search results at least would be worth a look.

There appears to have been another farm by name of Riggfoot near Dumfries.

This book could be interesting. http://www.cumnockchronicle.com/news/ro ... ineworkers

All the best,
Alan

[Linda Malpass]

Thanks for the info Currie .. I did some google searches and looked at the 1901 census .. did find Riggfoot Cottages, it appears to be very near Burnfoot Rows and of course Riggfoot Farm .. I will keep searching .. My g grandparents, James McCracken and family lived at Burnfoot Rows from 1886 and onwards ...

[AndrewP]

Hi Linda,

I looked at various online maps on the NLS website. Riggfoot is there, in the midst of a mining area to the west of New Cumnock; but no sign of Riggfoot Row.

http://maps.nls.uk/view/74400770
The west part of New Cumnock is the dark orange parish about halfway down the east edge of this map. Rigfoot is beside a series of bends on the River Nith. Some of the other places mentioned above can also be seen to the south of Rigfoot on the map.

http://maps.nls.uk/view/74400771
The other half of the parish, including the village, can be seen about halfway down the west edge of this map.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Currie]

Hello Linda & Andrew,

On this 1908 map 041.16 you’ll see Burnfoot Row towards the bottom right and at the top of the map there’s Rigfoot No.1 pit owned by the Lanemark Coal Company. http://maps.nls.uk/view/82868673

Map 041.12 joins at the top and you’ll see an unnamed row of what looks like miners houses at the northern edge of the mine site. Rigfoot Farm is further to the north. http://maps.nls.uk/view/82868655

If you google Rigfoot Colliery or Rigfoot Pit you’ll find some odds and ends. Miner’s houses would have been close to the mine in which they worked and the odds are that’s what you’re looking for.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[Linda Malpass]

Thank You Currie and Andrew for research and your maps etc .. I am going with the Rigfoot Pit, Landmark Colleries .. I am positive this is where he was born.

[AileenA]

Hi You might be interested in this website, I found it very interesting: http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/392.html