PRIMARY school pupils in Cumnock have been presented with a commemorative medal to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the town becoming a police burgh.

Cumnock Community Council chairwoman Helen McLean and treasure Hugh Murdoch visited Greenmill Primary, Barshare Primary and Hillside to present 755 medals to the kids.

East Ayrshire provided the community council with a £1,000 grant towards the cost of the medals and Hugh feels they couldn’t have marked the occasion without it.

He said: “We’d like to thank Bobby Grierson, who designed the medals, everybody else on the community council and East Ayrshire Council who gave us the grant.

“We were a wee bit late in coming, we should have done it last year. We asked for £1,700 and got £1,000 so the community council put £760 towards it.

“What we’ve done is buy 755 commemorative medals to give out to Greenmill Primary and Nursery, Barshare Primary and Nursery and Hillside because they are the schools in our wards.

“In those days there was no council, there was no policing, it was just a wee village and that’s what started Cumnock. They got the council going, they started putting streets in, streetlights and sewage.

“That’s what started Cumnock, it’s Cumnock’s history. Back then, they had no roads, no pavements. It was a really small village in those days and it’s got bigger and bigger since. People wanted representation so they started their own burgh.”

Greenmill Primary head teacher Simon Leitch thought it was a great idea for the community council to commemorate the anniversary.

Mr Leitch told the Chronicle: “I think it’s a good keepsake to commemorate some part of the heritage of Cumnock. The fact of it is that Cumnock becoming a recognised police burgh is significant.

“I think it is something they will look back on when they are older and maybe when they celebrate the 200th anniversary of the burgh they can remember the time when they were here at Greenmill.

“Greenmill, to all intents and purposes, may no longer be here so I think it’s a significant time in town’s history, in the school’s history and I hope it’s something that the children treasure for their lives still because you can keep it in a wee treasure box. They can dig it out in times to come and reminisce and be filled with nostalgia.

“It’s important that organisations like the community council recognise and keep celebrating the heritage of Cumnock and hopefully, maybe in 150 years people are commemorating another significant event that’s happened in Cumnock and it’s still going strong.”

The children at Greenmill also recognised the significance of the day. Primary 7 pupil Evan McBlain said: “I think it’s really good that we’ve managed to be a police burgh for 150 years. The medals are really cool.”

Classmate Megan Clark added: “I’m looking forward to getting it. I think it’s really good that everyone’s getting one rather than just one for the school. It shows that we’re a part of the community.”

A portion of the grant given to the community council was earmarked for promoting sports so the community council teamed up with both Cumnock Juniors and Cumnock Rugby Club.

Hugh added: “We approached Eric Bennett of Cumnock Juniors Boys Club to see if he could help in any way. In July they’re going to run a community council football tournament for one summer so we gave him £200 to buy the trophies to present at that.

“We contacted Harry Reilly from Cumnock Rugby Club and they had a big presentation last Sunday. For all the up and coming boys we supplied the trophies to give to those who were outstanding in their year.

“We were invited along last Sunday and Helen and I presented the trophies to all the groups. We were very well looked after.”

THE HISTORY

In 1866, nine local businessmen signed a petition to the Sheriff of Ayr in terms of the General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Act 1862 to have Cumnock declared a populous place and therefore a burgh.

The first nine petitioners were David Chrichton (grain merchant), William Dalgliesh (draper), Daniel King (wool manufacturer), William Ettershank (banker), David Lawson Scott (teacher), Duncan Ballantine (bookseller), John McCowan (inn keeper), Anthony McClymont (solicitor) and Alexander Muir (grocer).

When the burgh boundaries were defined after various legal formalities, the Sheriff decided that this was a populous place as defined in the Act.

Rates would be chargeable to households and those who paid £10 or more in rent would be able to elect a town council to carry out necessary business.

A meeting was called of £10 households at Cumnock Town Hall on November 2, 1866 and at that meeting it was proposed by Anthony McClymont and David Lawson Scott that Cumnock would be made a burgh. There was opposition but the petitioners were able to demand a poll.

The result of the poll was declared on November 6, 1866 when by 35 votes to 32 the Act was adopted and Cumnock became a police burgh.