John Burns

John Burns was born in Cronberry about 1899,  the son of Peter Burns and Susan Kilday.

Here he is on the tree

The family lived at 260 Cronberry, second row. His father was a coal miner.
His parents were in Cambuslang by 1911

Ancestry tell us:-

Name	John Burns
Birth Place	Cronberry, Ayr
Residence	Cambuslang, Lanark
Death Date	13 Oct 1918
Death Place	France and Flanders
Enlistment Place	Hamilton
Rank	Private
Regiment	Machine Gun Corps
Battalion	(Infantry)
Regimental Number	132947
Type of Casualty	Killed in action
Theatre of War	Western European Theatre

CWGC has this on him.

Rank:

Private

Service No:

132947

Date of Death:

13/10/1918

Regiment/Service:

Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)

 

24th Bn. 

Grave Reference:

V. A. 5.

Cemetery:

ST. AUBERT BRITISH CEMETERY

Additional Information:

Son of Mr. P. Burns, of 32, Buchanan Square, Cambuslang, Lanark.

John Pollock

John Pollock was born about 1895 in Sanquhar. His parents Thomas Pollock and Mary Kirkhope had the Queensberry Hotel there at the time but by 1901 they were in Cumnock at the Burns Inn/ Bucks Head.

His story is brought to us by the Dumfries & Galloway Standard. Thanks to Rhonda for finding it.

Dumfries and Galloway Standard 18 April 1917

Later report some good news

2 June1917

And then some good and not so good news

5 Sep 1917

Snippet from the Cumnock Chronicle 11 January 1918

Lieutenant John Pollock, a prisoner for 9 months in Germany, is expected home today (11 January). He left a leg in Germany.

And he took part in a concert at Cumnock picture house in June 1918 for Red Cross Week.

On Cumnock Connections tree

He lived to be 85!  He died in Bishopbriggs in 1980.

Robert Miller

Robert Miller was born on the 23rd July 1879 in Cumnock the son of David Miller a coal miner and Agnes Kyle.

He is mentioned in the Cumnock Chronicle Roll of Honour in 1916 as with the Canadians, so he was easy to find.

His Canadian papers can be see here

He enlisted on the 5th September 1914 at Valcartier. He was single 34 years old,  a labourer and his next of kin was his mother Agnes living in Ayr.

1881 census
2 Barrhill rd Cumnock
David Miller 33
Agness Miller 33
Ellen Miller 12
Maggie Miller 10
William Miller 8
Isabella Miller 6
Agness Miller 5
Jane Miller 3
Robert Miller 8 Mo

1891 census
Ayr rd,  Cumnock
David Miller 43 coal miner b Kirkconnel
Agnes Miller 44 b Strathaven
William Miller 18
Agnes Miller 15
Jane Miller 13
Robert Miller 11
David Miller 9
James Miller 7

In the 1901 census  he is a spirit salesman in Rutherglen, Glasgow.

He appears to have survived the war.

on the tree

John Pyle

John Pyle appears in the Cumnock Chronicle list of men serving in WW1. He is an engineer on board HMS Anne, a seaplane carrier.

John was born on 7 February 1891 in Dumfries the son of a tailor William Lockerbie Pyle and Carolina Boggie Wilson.

The family was in Cumnock by 1899 when sister Robina was born.

In the 1901 census they are in Townhead Street and father William is a tailor's cutter.
William Pyle 32
Caroline Pyle 31
John Pyle 10
Caroline Pyle 8
Robina Pyle 1

In the 1911 census they are in 4 Waterside Place and John is an engineer, mechanical
There are two nieces living with them Mary 8 and Elizabeth Pyle 2 born in Dumfries.

John died in Cumnock in 1975.

PC written to his sister Ruby (Robina)

John in Cumnock Connections tree

Kelly brothers of Skares

David Kelly, the son of Richard Kelly and Martha McFarlane enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery at Ayr on 10 Apr 1918. His service record survives and provides much information.

He was a coal miner aged 19 years and 241 days and his next of kin was his mother Mrs Richard Kelly, 140 Skares.

He was 5ft 5 1/2 in and chest 35 1/2 in.

He was invalided out on 18th June 1918 at Newhaven because of shortness of breath and inability to walk far.

It also states "he is sufficiently robust to earn a normal day's wage in the employment he is going to take up".

His older brothers James and William both died within weeks of each other in the 1918 flu epidemic.

David married neighbour Sadie Thorburn in 1925.  In the 1930 valuation roll he is a collier at 128 Skares Row. They lived latterly in Mauchline.

Brother Charles Kelly was in the HLI and also discharged as unfit on the 29th August 1918. He was a spirit salesman, of good character, sober, honest and diligent.

Cumnock Connections tree

Henry Carruthers

Henry Charles Carruthers was a 34 year old grocer living with his wife Janet or Jessie McSorland and 3 children at 368 Cronberry when he enlisted in 1917.

He was in the RGA and was a gunner, stationed at Falmouth and Plymouth.

On demobilisation his address was 29 Glengyron Row and he was still at that address in 1930 (valuation roll). By then he was a labourer.

He was born in Dalbeattie about 1882. His parents were Hugh Carruthers a ploughman and Henrietta Jane Russell.

Here he is on Cumnock Connections tree