Through The Years

YEAR EVENT
1296 William Wallace spent three months resting in the Castle with the Dunbar family
1650 New Cumnock became a parish in 1650 when the parish of Cumnock was divided in two Cumnock and New Cumnock
1659 The first Parish Church opens with Crawford as first minister
1662 No minister till 1688 due to troubles in covenanting times. Crawford returned in 1688
1696 No minister till 1688 due to troubles in covenanting times. Crawford returned in 1688
1706 Hunter became minister
1758 Next minister Young (Jamie Goose in Burns poem "The Kirks Alarm"
1760 Rev Hunter dies - age 100
1786 Connel Burn bridge is built
1789 On the 31st of August, an English company opened Afton Mine
1791 The original Castle Races opens. The race was run on the Cumnock road between a horse from Hamilton and one from Dumfries. The Dumfriesshire mare wins
1795 Mr. Reid becomes minister
1829 New church built with the clock being presented in 1872
1829 Craig replaces Reid as minister
1830 The Kirkland family arrive from Sorn and change the face on New Cumnock within 30 years
1835 Rev Kirkland takes charge
1843 Murray takes over as minister
1846 Navvies riot in the Castle when the railway went through
1850 Gas is introduced by A & H Kirkland. The Brass Band was formed
1852 First postal delivery made by Alex Dalziel
1854 First Cattle Show
1854 Dalleagles School built by Miss Guthrie. First bank opens as the City of Glasgow Branch
1870 The New Cumnock Bowling Club is inaugurated
1872 The Parish Church gains its clock
1873 New Cumnock Town and Bank Schools built
1874 The original Police Station is built
1875 The original Bank Church is built which was an iron structure
1879 Afton Bridge built
1883 St. Margaret's Roman Catholic School opened
1886 Its the turn of Rev Millar
1889 The Town Hall opens
1890 During the 1890's many new buildings sprung up including Neilson's, Gold's, The Town Hall and Henderson's
1890 The Afton Hotel opens for business catering for up to 32 guests
1890 Typhoid discovered at Burnfoot Row
1899 The new Bank Church is opened across from the Bank School
1907 The Boys Brigade appeared for the first time at the Bank Church
1918 Dalleagles School closed for three weeks due to Flu in November
1918 McKechnie's garage opens
1919 Rev Bodin starts
1922 The first petrol pump appears at Tweedie's Garage. They are also famed for having the first wireless in the same year
1926 There are over 30 absentee pupils at Dalleagles due to no footwear. In November 85 free pairs of boots are supplied
1926 Burnet installed as minister
1926 Pathhead Pit closes (Paddy Waddal's)
1926 The General Strike began. Soup kitchens are seen in the streets, children fed three meals a day in schools. Menu contained:- Roll and butter plus cup of tea in the morning, soup and beans at lunch time and bread and jam at tea time
1929 September 2nd sees a gas explosion at Bank No. 2 pit, killing 3 men and injuring 11
1929 Work starts as pipes are laid for the impending Afton Reservoir
1930 Glenafton Athletic are formed at Connelpark. New Cumnock United had ceased in 1927 due to financial reasons and the Glens were the result three years later
1930 The Model pit closes, affecting 100 men
1931 New Cumnock gets electric street lighting for the first time on October 9th
1933 New Cumnock Bowling Club wins Scottish Championship
1937 January sees the opening of the new Dalleagles School three years after fire destroys the original one
1939 Evacuees arrive from Glasgow. 4000 gas masks allocated
1939 Tweedie's Garage install fire fighting equipment
1939 Five people take part in a skiing event on Corcencon Hill
1940 Young Farmers Club is formed
1945 The Home Guards stand down on February 28th
1950 Rev. Waugh installed as minister but remained for three years only
1950 September 7th - Disaster occurs at Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery. Thirteen men were killed and 116 are entombed but rescued after 50 hours in one of the greatest rescue operations in mining history
1953 McPherson is the new minister
1955 January 12th - Mr. T. Cravens, New Cumnock Railway Signalman, retires after 43 years of service
1955 May 30th - William Gibson retires as Postmaster after 56 years
1955 September 28th - Cubmaster John Edwards is presented with the Medal of Merit, marking 25 years of service
1959 May 28th - New Crown Hotel hall opens
1959 New hall opens at the Crown Hotel on May 28th
1960 The Glens move to Loch Park on August 13th
1960 Cairnhill School opens its doors on the 30th of May
1963 Afton Hotel and Afton Buildings burn down January 21st. A fireman is inured by a falling wall
1963 One of the worst blizzards in history hit the village during February
1963 Dr. Edgar receives a presentation for 44 years of medical service to the community
1965 In September New Cumnock Amateur Dramatic Club disbanded after 28 years. Funds given to local charities
1966 New Cumnock Swimming Pool opens
1966 The Sanitorium closes
1968 Knockshinnoch closes
1970 Youngsters take part in a Channel Swim New Cumnock Pool in aid of charity
1970 Glenafton receive an award for being the cleanest playing team in Junior football on September 18th
1974 Rev. Coull takes over from McPherson
1983 Mr. McGurk becomes minister
1983 Dalleagles School closes it doors on the 17th of June with children transferred to the Castle
1993 My name sake Rev. Kennedy is in charge
2001 Rev. Rona Young becomes the first female minister