Answers to Brain Teaser 201201

The first brainteaser resulted in accurate and interesting responses from Niamh Wallace and Morag and John Williams.  The location is Parkburn Bridge and cottages, near to Riddingwood.  

Google earth co-ordinates

From Amisfield facing towards Riddingwood

There were cottages on both sides of the burn and it is unclear which cottages were occupied by which families.  The two ruined cottages on the north side of the burn were once a joiner's shop and blacksmiths which closed in the 1870s.  There is a suggestion that the smith may have been called * Robin Thompson.

The parish boundary seems to alter its line, sometimes being in the centre of the burn and sometimes on the west side.  Apparently at one time the rooms of these cottages which faced the burn were in Tinwald parish and the others rooms in Kirkmahoe parish. The registrar needed to know in which room a baby was born in order to record the birth accurately.   

Families living in one of the cottages include the Irvine and the Thornhill families before World War II and the Toppings during the war. After the war, the last occupants were the Conchies. Another house at Parkburn was owned by Agnes McGeorge, spinster, of Motherwell. It was occupied by Charles Bell an estate labourer at Amisfield Tower. 

Thanks to Niamh, Morag and John for this information. ( I will keep it as the beginning of what could become a very interesting archive.  If anyone has more, please e-mail me at howdles@gmail.com. Alice Howdle)

*Robin Tamson’s Smiddy song link copy and paste this into your browser to listen to the song

http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/play/46896;jsessionid=0B77EEAA64F4B8EE6BD5CC3183545EEA

Robin Tamson's Smiddy song lyrics 
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/142131591/Robin-Tamsons-Smiddy-(song)


Next Brain Teaser will be on Kirkmahoe News tomorrow. Meanwhile any further info will be most welcome. e.g does anyone have any old photographs of this site for our archives?                                    
kirkmahoe@googlemail.com