another David Sievwright

I was contacted yesterday by a Sievwright researcher from Australia asking about David Sievwright who he thought was his ancestor. I could see immediately he wasn't since it was the David Sievwright who went to New Zealand.
The only info he had was the notion that David Sievwright was Scottish, he had a wife Lilly Auld and their children Lilly, Jane and Charles born 1865, 1867 and 1868 respectively.
I found the birth of Jane with mother's name Lillias.
Then I found the marriage in 1863 which also gave a date of birth for Lillias of 18 AUG 1834. Wondering if she too was from Scotland I had a look on the IGI and yes indeed she was born in New Monkland to Lillias Russell and William Auld.
I did parent searches on the IGI for more children of David Sievwright and Lillias Auld and found younger children William, David, Margaret and Elizabeth.
Following Scottish naming patterns, the first child, a daughter, was named Lillias after Lillias Auld's mother Lilias Russell, the next daughter Jane should be mother of David and the first son Charles should be David's father,second son William after Lillias's father.
So we are looking for a David Sievwright son of Charles and Jean. Yes there is one born 1829 in Marykirk, Kincardineshire to Charles Sivewright and Jean Duthie.
Meanwhile in Australia the researcher has come up with a David Sievwright transported to Western Australia (where he is) in 1856 on the William Hammond. Lots of information on the convicts on this site
The ship sailed from Plymouth in January 1856 with 250 prisoners. They landed at Fremantle, Western Australia 86 days later.
David Sievwright was tried and sentenced to 10 years for robbery at Aberdeen on 14 April 1853. he was 23 at the time of the trial which fits perfectly with the birth I found. He was unmarried with no children. His occupation was gardener. There is also a physical description, round face, light brown hair, hazel eyes, pock marked face, deep scar near left eye and anchors and blue marks on both arms. Fantastic!
Meanwhile back to his family in Scotland. I couldn't find them in the census but tried again using a wildcard S*vright and they turned up on ancestry site in 1841 under Suvewright and in Aberdeen which ties in with the trial: Charles and Jean, William, David age 10 a combmaker, Jean, Margaret, Andrew & Elizabeth. In 1851 it's just David 21 still a comb maker and sister Margaret. Combmaker doesn't tie in with gardener but, apart from this, I think it fits.
Unfortunately I can't tie them in with my Sievwrights but they were from Aberdeenshire too so there is probably an older connection.

Jas B Rolinson Ltd

ca. 1975 by Andrew Gaylor

Grandfather founded the garage business at 400 Gallowgate in the east end of Glasgow in 1935. He was joined by his three sons. They were Rootes dealers (latterly Chrysler) and sold new and used cars, petrol, had a spares department and a workshop. They also had a filling station at Muiryfaulds in Shettleston, at the junction of Westmuir Street and Shettleston Road.  For a while in the sixties they hired cars and dormobiles (motor homes, see photos below). My cousins and I used to clean them out on Saturdays. From the age of 13, I worked in the office on Saturdays and in the holidays. I did filing, answering the phone and calling for my father or uncles over the tannoy system. I balanced the ledgers using an enormous adding machine. When they didn't balance I did them mentally and we're talking big columns of pounds, shillings and pence. I was allowed to take money to the bank along the Gallowgate in leather pouches. I can remember the occasional £100 note. I wouldn't dream of doing this now.
In 1960 to celebrate 25 years in business they had a big event in the McLellan Galleries in Sauchiehall street. They invited customers and prospective customers to a Silver Jubilee on the 5th and 6th of April. I have the guest list, the invitations, the thank you letters and publicity photos and I recently came across the following slides.

Add caption

think this is Margaret Baird later Mrs James Colquhoun who worked in the office

hire a dormobile for £25 a week
Miss Baird and Mrs McIntosh

Humber Super Snipe Touring Limousine

 L-R Fay & George, Lena & Cliff, Margaret & Jim, Helen & Ted

They opened Muiryfaulds filling station in 1962 at the junction of Westmuir St and Shettleston Road in Parkhead with Uncle George in charge. I don't recognise anyone in the photo from the Evening Times of 22 Nov 1962.

The premises at 400-420 Gallowgate in 1975 and after regeneration in the eighties. The only part to be retained (and restored) was an 18th century building seen on the right of the top photo. 

1944

Link to document about the restoration of the old building

Happy Anniversary!

My grandparents James Ball Rolinson and Margaret Mayes Haig were married on this day, 2nd January, in 1913 at Dollarbeg, Clackmannanshire where they were in service.
I don't have a photo of the wedding but found this photo of their Golden Wedding party in 1963.
The family gave them a gold (coloured) tray. Granny looks suitably unimpressed!