Bernard Dinning was recalled on his son Thomas Dinning’s 1881 death certificate as a ‘handloom weaver, deceased’.

Bernard’s own 1855 death certificate presents a mine of information. He was sixty-four years of age and had therefore been born c. 1791. He was born Ireland but had been living in the district of Ayr for twelve years by the time of his death.

Bernard Dinning had been twice married. His first wife was Janet McCabe and from the circumstance that Bernard’s oldest daughter from his second marriage was aged 20, Janet must have died more than twenty years previously. It is probable that she had never come to Scotland. The name of his second wife was Catherine Arkieson.

Bernard died on 31^st July 1855 at nine in the morning, in fields near Monkton (on or by the present site of Prestwick Airport). The cause of death was not established, as there was no medical examination. It may be reasonably inferred that Bernard’s sudden and unexplained demise brought considerable grief and hardship to his large family.

He was buried in the Newton burying grounds. The informant was his son, Thomas Dinning.

No record of the Dinning family can be located in the 1851 census records for either Newton-on-Ayr or St Quivox.

Bernard was recalled as a labourer (deceased) on his son Henry’s 1874 marriage certificate and Henry’s 1911 death certificate. He was designated a furnaceman on his daughter Isabella’s 1878 marriage certificate but in this context there is no indication that he was deceased.

The presence of one William Dinning, buried in Newton Burying Ground on 29^th May 1823 (Newton Burying Ground 1911, Troon@Ayrshire FHS, entry 6.15), is duly noted but what his connection to Bernard Dinning, if any, was is presently unknown.

Forebears

Bernard’s parents were entered on his death certificate as Thomas Dinning, labourer, and Elizabeth Dinning, MS Linyard. It may reasonably be supposed that they had lived and died in Ireland and that they had long since lost contact with their son.