Why did your Ancestors settle in Sorn
Old Parish Records
OPR's began in Sorn in 1692. Sorn is Parish no 613 in the County of Ayr.
The Name
The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Sron' which means nose or projection. Although up until about 1800 the town was called 'Dalgain'.
The Early Years
Sorn is the birthplace of the famous Rev Alexander Peden (c.1626 - 1686) and has an interesting Covenanter history.
In the late 1600s Sorn castle was occupied by Government troops sent to stamp out the Covenanters. The last person shot during the the Killing Times of 1688 was 16-year-old local lad George Wood, shot in the evening of June 22. The boy was simply gunned down as he tended cattle in a field without trial or questions. His memorial stone stands in Sorn's kirkyard.
The 1700 and 1800s
In 1898 the population of Sorn was around 400, predominantly miners. The parish's commercial heritage was not just coal mining but also ironworks, quarrying, mills and shops.