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The traditional account of the killing of three Covenanters at Midland Farm in the parish of Fenwick is taken from John Howie's essay on John Nisbet of Hardhill in 'The Scots Worthies'.

'Whereupon, in the month of November 1683, [John Nisbet of Hardhill] having retired from, amongst his lurking-places, unto a certain house called Midland, in the parish of Fenwick, where were assembled for prayer and other religious exercises, on a Saturday's night, other three of his faithful brethren, viz., Peter Gemmell, a younger brother of the house of Horsehill, in the same parish; George Woodburn, a brother of the Woodburns, in the muirs of Loudon; and one John Fergushill from Tarbolton. Upon notice that Lieutenant Nisbet, and a party of Colonel Buchan's dragoons, were out in quest of the wanderers, they resolved on the Sabbath morning to depart. But old John Fergushill not being able to go by reason of some infirmities, they were obliged to return back with him, after they had gone a little way from the house, and were the same day apprehended; the way and the manner of which, stand in an old manuscript given under his own hand while he was prisoner, is as follows: '

THE COVENANTERS

"First, when the enemy came within sight of the house, we seeing no way of escape. John Fergushill went to the far end of the house, and the other two and I followed. And ere we were well at the far end of the house, some of the enemy were in the house. And then, in a little after, they came and put in their horses, and went to and fro in the house for more than an hour; and we four still at the far end of the house: and we resolved with one another to keep close till they should just come on us, and if it should have pleased the Lord to have hid us there, we resolved not to have owned them; but if they found us out, we thought to fight, saying one to another, it was death at length. They got all out of the house, and had their horses drawn forth; but in a little time came back, tittling one to another; and at last cried for a candle to search the house with, and came within a yard of us, with a light burning in their hand. According to our former resolution, we did resist them, having only three shot, and one of them misgiving, and they fired above twenty-four shot at us; and, when we had nothing else, we clubbed our guns, till two of them were quite broke, and then went in grips with some of them; and when they could not prevail, they all cried to go out and fire the house. Upon which we went out after them, and I received six wounds in the going out. After which, they getting notice what I was, some of themselves cried out to spare my life for the Council had offered 3,000 merks for me. So they brought me towards the end of the yard, and tied my hands behind my back, having shot the other three to death"

An earlier account of the Midland Farm killings appears in 'The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1686'. It is given by William Bruce, sergeant to Lieutenant-Colonel Buchan during his petition for a reward for the apprehending of notorious rebells .

'In November 1685 years..... being commanded with others wpon a partie in the West, having gott notice of some rebels lurking in ane house at Phinick Kirk, he with another souldier entered the house, where there wer foure of the rebells, viz, Nisbet of Harthill, JohnFergusone, portioner of Milburne, Patrick Gemmell and Georg Woodburn, who were knowne to be notorious rebells and ring-leaders in that countrie, and particularly the said Patrick Gemmell against whom your Lordships emitted ane act for apprehending of him, promiseing reward to the apprehender, these rebells, after a long conflict in which your petitioner was sore wounded.

The committee having considered the petition find that the supplicant hes been very active in his Majesties service againest the fugitive rebells, particularly at the takeing of Nisbit of Hardhill, where thre other desperat rebells were killed, particularly one Patrick Gemmill upon whose head there wes a reward promised in a publict proclamation.

The committee having considered the petition find the representation to be true and in regard of his service and his sufferings he ought to be rewarded and 251 sterling at least ought to be allowed him.'

Signed Mar; Livingstoune; W.Drummond, J.Grahame, Edinburgh 18th February 1686.
The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1686

Sergeant Bruce identifies the three Covenanters killed at Midland Farm as George Woodburn, John Fergusone, portioner in Milburne and Patrick Gemmell. Bruce and Howie agree on Woodburn. Milburne is in the parish of Tarbolton and therefore Fergushill of Tarbolton and Fergusone of Milburne can be considered the same person. Indeed, in the account of Midland in the 'Cloud of Witnesses' he is given as John Ferguson or Fergushill, from the Mains of Enterkin. As for Gemmell, Sergeant Bruce clearly identifies him as Patrcik Gemmell, with no reference to either Horsehill or Fenwick. The only clue he gives to his identity is ' Patrick Gemmell against whom your Lordships emitted ane act for apprehending of him, promiseing reward to the apprehender'. The publict proclamation reffered to by Sergeant Bruce was the proclamation against the persons directly or indirectly concerned with the affixing of the treasonable Declaration on the market-cross of Sanquhar. On the June 22nd 1680, the first anniversary of the Battle of Bothwell Bridge, Richard Cameron and his brother Michael, and 19 of their associates, gathered at Sanquhar Cross and issued the first of the historic Sanquhar Declarations.

'Although we be for government and governors such as theword of God and our covenant allows, yet we for ourselvesand all that will adhere to us, as the representative of the truepresbyterian kirk and covenanted nation of Scotland,considering the great hazard of lying under such a sin anylonger, do by thir presents disown Charles Stuart, that beenreigning (or rather tyrannizing as we may say) on the throne of Britain these years bygone, ' Extract from Sanquhar Declaration 1st June 1680

The Government's response was swift and a warrant was issued on the 30th June 1680 for the apprehension of these 'notorious Traitors and Rebels against Us and Our Authority'. Of the twenty-one Covenanters that appeared at Sanquhar that day the following were named in the warrant.

'Mr Richard Cameron and his brother [Michael], Mr Thomas Dowglas, John Valang, brother in Law to Robert Park, one of the baillies of SanquharDaniel MacMitchell in LorgfootThomas Campbell, sone to Campbell late of Dalblair in Auchinleck ParishJohn Moodie brother to the miller at Cubsmilne in the same parish,John Fouller, sometime servant to the deceased Lindsay of Covingtoun, Patrik Gemill, sone in law to Charles Logan, messenger at Cumnock-maines,James Stewart, sone to Archibald Stuart at Calseyend , near to the Earl of Galloway's houseAlexander Gordown, called of Kilsture, Francis Johnstoun , Merchant in Clidisdale, __ Creichton, sone to Robert Creichton of Auchtitinch, now in Waterhead .'

'And for the better encouragement all such as shall apprehend and bring in the said traitours dead or alive, the apprehender of Mr Richard Cameron shall as a reward, have five thousand merks, and for Mr Thomas Dowglas, Mr Donal Cargill and the for the said [Michael] Cameron, brother to Mr Richard , who read and affixt the said traiterous declaration at Sanquhar, three thousand marks for each of them, and one thousand merks for each one of the rest of the traitours above mentioned, to be instantly payed to them by the Commissioners of our Thesuary' [The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1680 ]

The parish of New Cumnock was well represented Sanquhar Declaration. Creichton of Waterhead is a reference to the lands of Waterhead near the source of the River Nith. In 1685, Robert Craightown is in the nearby property of Craigman and his son is still on the wanted list. Of course of particular interest is Patrick Gemmill, 'sone in law to Charles Logan and messenger at Cumnock Mains'. The Logans of that Ilk had held land throughout the parish of Cumnock (Old and New) since the late16th century. In the parish of New Cumnock, Jonet Logan and her spouse Patrick Craufuird are in Daleglis in 1667. James Logan is in Farden in 1671 and still there in 1685 at the age of 30 years old. Charles Logan's property of Cumnock Mains goes by a number of names including the Castle of Cumnock and it sat at the heart of the parish of New Cumnock with the new parish church alongside. He was one of the sons of William Logan of that Ilk and was still in the property in 1684, aged 50 years and referred to as 'Charles Logan in Litle Maynes of Cumnock'. In the same year his son-in-law appeared in another warrant of Charles II referred to as Patrick Gemmil in the old Castle of Cumnock. Charles Logan was succeeded by his brother James and he appears later in the Old Parish of Records of New Cumnock as James Logan of the Castle in 1708, whereas in his will of 1731 he is designed James Logan of Littlemaines of Cumnock, in the parish of New Cumnock.

On the 22nd July 1680, Richard Cameron, his brother Michael and seven others including John Gemmell were killed at the Battle of Airdsmoss. John Gemmell was from St. Brydsbank in the parish of New Cumnock, certainly a kinsman of Patrick Gemmill and possibly his father. In the Sasine Register of Ayrshire, we find John Gemmill and his son Patrick Gemmill in St. Brydsbank in 1657, adjacent to the property of Brockloch, which had been in possession of the Gemmill family since before 1628. Patrick, married the daughter of Charles Logan of Cumnock Castle and was thereafter designed Patrick Gemmill of the old Castle of Cumnock. He survived the Battle of Airdsmoss and was still a wanted-man almost four years later when on the 5th May 1684, he appeared on Charles II proclamation for 'the apprehension of persons, who were supposed to have been under arms, or to have harboured those who were'. Included in the list for the parish of New Cumnock with 'Patrick Gemmil in the old Castle of Cumnock, were ___ Crichton of Craigman', his fellow signatory of the Sanquhar Declaration and 'George Gemmil in Minaucht (Maneight)', no doubt a kinsman of Patrick. Later that year in October, landowners in the parish of Cumnock (Old and New) were interrogated and obliged to depone (declare on oath) any knowledge they had regarding Covenanting activity within the parish. John McKnaight in the Mylne of Cumnock (Old Mill of New Cumnock) aged 45 years cites Patrick Gemill as a known fugitive from the parish.

By this time, the Reverend James Renwick had become the recognised leader of the 'Society People', the remaining radical wing of the Covenanters. Critical to the success and survival of these widespread groups of Society People were strong lines of communication across the hillsides and moors of south-west Scotland. Patrick Gemmill, the messenger, would certainly have played a leading role in the communication network, which has been described as 'an underground resistance network'. He was very much a wanted man and any visit to his home at the old Castle of Cumnock would have endangered not only his own life but of those that harboured him. Effectively, he would be living a self-imposed banishment from his home parish and therefore it is no surprise to find him at Midland Farm in Fenwick. Perhaps another Gemmill kinsmen gave him shelter in this district. It was also no surprise to find him in the company of John Nisbet of Hardhill, another fugitive with a price on his head and another veteran of the Sanquhar Declaration and the Battle of Airdsmoss. If Patrick Gemmill had not been killed at Midland Farm he most certainly would have suffered the same fate of Nisbet of Hardhill, martyrdom at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh on a cold December morn.