SMITH, Michael ¹

  General Notes:

In 1865 the informant of Michael's birth was his mother, Sophia Smith. She gave notice before the registrar at Irvine on 30 November 1865, and made her X mark.

In 1916 Michael Smith gave notice of the deaths of his mother and father. His address was noted in his mother's death certificate as 3 High Crosshill Baillieston. ^{2 3 4}

  Research Notes:

BAILORYHOLME

This is the name as it appears on Michael Smith's birth certificate. It may refer to Bartonholm where there were several coal pits, in the parish of Irvine, between Irvine and Kilwinning. Some times this is written Burtonholme. The discrepancy between the name given by Sophia and the name commonly used may have been to do with Sophia's accent. Possibly she was a Gaelic speaker and English was a second language to her.

In "Ayrshire Miners' Rows 1913 Evidence submitted to the Royal Commission on Housing (Scotland) by Thomas McKerrell and James Brown for the Ayrshire Miners' Union" there is a reference to Bartonholm:

"BARTONHOLM, PARISH OF IRVINE.
Owned by Messrs. Wm. Baird & Co., Ltd.
There are in all 57 families in Bartonholm, with a population of 352. The houses for the most part consist of two apartments, with a few with three apartments. The rooms are very small, and the houses are of a poor type. They are built of stone, but many of them are very damp. Most of them are dingy and depressing. The pathways in front of the doors are unpaved, with the result that they are often in a bad state. The rent is 6s 5d a month.

Closets and Washing-houses.
There is one ashpit and a dry closet with two entrances, with doors, and one washing-house to every eight families. The washing-houses and ashpits are built back to back, which leaves much to be desired."

At the time when Michael was born the coal pit belonged to the Earl of Eglinton. ⁵