Benslie Square (sometimes Bensley Square on the census) was a collection of purpose built miner’s cottages that were demolished in the 1930s. The photograph (above) was possibly taken around then. The miners’ cottages were situated off the B785 east of Kilwinnning, next to Benslie Wood, and were owned by Archilbald Finnie & Son. They were built in the early 1840s.

The Benslie miners’ rows were expanded in 1857 as Archibald Finnie III’s mining interests in the Fergushill area flourished. In 1854, he also arranged with the owners of the adjacent Doura mine to work the particular coal seams he had started mining at Auchenwinsey into the Doura estate property. He encouraged good upkeep of his rows by awarding prizes to the families who had the best-kept cottages, but in 1861 dismissed and evicted those miners who went on strike and made other coal masters agree not to house them. But he also built the Fergushill Church, a school and the Sprinside Institute, and started a savings bank for miners.

http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/134.html

In 1861, John and Margaret Campbell lived at 55, Benslie Square with their young family of five children in two rooms. The houses were stone built with an earth closet for every four houses (this could be up to thirty people). There was no wash-house or coalhouse supplied but one pump of spring water was shared between all 57 houses.