Fergushill 1871 Census

By the time of the 1871 census, John and Margaret Campbell had moved the short distance to Fergushill with their growing family. Andrew, my great grandfather, was now seven years old and attended Fergushill School. The school closed in 1950.

In 1871, the family lived at 6, Burn Row, Fergushill and in 1874 Dobie records that a miner’s village called Fergushill existed with a population of 531. Groome refers to the colliers village as having been established in around 1835. You can make this out on the map below.

Fergushill miners’ village, was owned by Messrs. Finnie & Son. It was composed of 7 rows of cottages. There were ten thatched cottages. In 1913 63 persons lived here. One room, measuring 9 feet (2.7 m) by 6 feet (1.8 m), held thirteen persons. The rows had names like Wellington and Burn. At one time there were 78 houses in the village, with a population of 363. It was demolished and nothing now remains at the site, other than a small building at North Fergushill farm now used as a barn.

John Campbell, now aged 45 and his son John, 22, were both working as coal miners at the nearby pits. It is noted on the census record that Alexander, b. 1851 was missed from the family list, but an entry later on in the census shows that he too is living at 6, Burn Row and he is now a miner, see top image. Catherine, b. 1854 and Margaret, b. 1856 are no longer living with the family and it is possible that the sisters, now aged 17 and 15, have moved out and are working possibly as farm servants, the living conditions being so cramped with the family growing up. Three rooms shared by 9 people, four of them adults, would make it understandable that the girls had left the family home.