Wealthy tenants

The lists that Scott sent to Major Ramsay were collated into a single schedule. It records a cluster of tenant farmers south of Cockpen. One of the wealthier men was Matt Smeaton at Clearburn. He employs 12 men (5 have enlisted as Volunteers). Schedule 2 states he has 3 cows, 7 calves, 5 sheep, 15 pigs, 6 draft horses, and 2 carts. He is growing 36 bolls wheat, 20 bolls oats and 15 bolls peas. Mr Smeaton has another farm at Gowkshill, with a servant called David Sheppard.

The other farmers have fewer stock but other assets: Alex Bowie at Cockpen and Mr Chalmers at Redheugh both have threshing mills. (Chalmers also keeps 105 sheep and a riding horse)  Charles Wilson at Milnholm has a corn mill, and Thomas Kilmour a bleaching mill, in the same place.

Altogether, 10 farms are listed, offering a snapshot of a farming community whose modes of production and labour relations were undergoing a transformation. The integration of mechanised and industrial processes into the farming economy was part of this process.

The schedule was then presented to the farmers for completion. They may have gathered in a tavern, but Mr Scott probably visited each farm in turn! The sections in Schedule no 2 were completed by the farmers, sons and a few servants, and then ratified with their signatures. It is a wonderful record!