Centenary of a Mine Disaster in New Zealand

On the 12th September 1914 an explosion ripped through the Ralph Mine in Huntly, New Zealand. 43 miners lost their lives and many were horribly injured. I t was the second worst mining disaster in New Zealand.

One of the men who died was James Holden. He married Elizabeth Bennie in New Zealand in 1886. They were both from the Irvine, Kilwinning area.  James's sister Janet Holden had previously married Elizabeth's brother Boyd Bennie.

Both couples had gone to Greta, New South Wales in Australia in the 1890s but returned to New Zealand. Boyd qualified as  a mine inspector in 1905.

This centenary has been marked in Huntly, New Zealand

Read more here

Family tree

Francis Sievwright, army surgeon

Francis Sievwright, army surgeon ca 1798-1872

First of all, I have no reason to believe he is related to "my" Sievwrights, but since I have researched this family I thought I would share my research. Maybe someone else will find it useful.

Since there is an older Francis Sievwright and a Colin Sievwright, surgeon,  in my tree I thought it was possible that this man was related.

1798 born in Edinburgh - no parents on his death certificate
1824 25 March at Trinity College, Leith, Edinburgh marriage of Francis Sievwright Esq. 59th Regiment to Mary Henderson  dau of Wm Henderson Esq. ( and Barbara Rutherford from Mary's death cert)

Mary Henderson b 16 Jan 1799 Edinburgh
died 9 Aug 1867 Edinburgh

Children

1  William Edward Paget Suvwright

born:

christening:            04 Jun 1825            Cawnpore,​ Bengal,​ India

parents:            Francis Suvwright,​ Mary

died

burial:            02 Aug 1825            Cawnpore,​ Bengal,​ India

parents:            F. Seivewright

Death reported in the Edinburgh Magazine:

Death on 1 Aug 1825 at Cawnpore William Edward Paget infant son of Francis Sievwright Esq. Assistant Surgeon 59th Regiment of Foot

2  Francis Seivewright

birth:            27 Apr 1826            Cawnpore,​ Bengal,​ India

christening:            04 Jun 1826            India

death: 3 Jan 1846

had a son Francis who died after the Battle of Ferozshah - 21st-22nd December 1845. Lieutenant Francis Sievwright - 9th Foot - died of wounds, 3rd January 1846. Aged 21. Son of Assistant-Surgeon Francis Sievwright (59th Foot)

3 Andrew Sievwright - no record other than his gravestone.

4  Charles Edward Whitefield Sievwright

 recorded as Lievwright birth 21 Apr 1830 Cawnpore, Bengal 
chr: 1 Aug 1830 
died 1867

5  Mary Rozalie Sievwright
as
Mary Royaline Sieveright -->

birth:

15 Apr 1835 Meerut, Bengal

chr: 7 Jun 1835
married John Birkmyre Wingate
on 11 Dec 1860 in Glasgowdied 1901

6 male child born 
05 Apr 1841 in Edinburgh died same day father Francis Sievwright. Think this is Theodore


 Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh, photographed by http://www.gravestonephotos.com/
 stone 73982

William Sievwright			1825
Francis Sievwright	20	1826	1846	brother of William Sievwright
Andrew Sievwright	36	1826	1862	brother of William Sievwright
Theodore Sievwright			1841	brother of William Sievwright

 and stone 73980

Charles E W Sievwright	37	1830	1867
Mary Henderson	68	1799	1867
Francis Sievwright	77	1795	1872
Mary Rosalie Wingate	66	1835	1901

Career from various magazines published online

1818 assistant surgeon in India

1819 writes a report on smallpox in India (doc in Glasgow university archives)

1827 Francis Sievwright of 59th Regiment to 11 Dragoons

1844 31 years service


1851 census Scotland
5 Rutland Place, Edinburgh
no Francis but wife Mary age 50
and their 2 surviving children both born E Indies, British subjects
Mary R Sievwright 15
Charles 20 clerk in HM Exchequer

1861 census Scotland
Milton Shore Victoria Terrace, Dunoon and Kilmun, Argyll
Francis Sievwright age 63 born Edinburgh army medical officer
Mary Sievwright wife 56


Francis died in the Royal Edinburgh Asylum, Morningside, of exhaustion due to a large carbuncle. The informant was an attendant who unfortunately misstated his wife and did not know his parents.

Thorburn ancestors

I've got a bit further in tracing the ancestry of James Thorburn who married Margaret Ramage.

From a previous post you will see that some family trees have his parents William and Mary emigrating to the USA about 1869.

They were married in 1855 in Galston, Ayrshire, Scotland. This is very fortunate. 1855 was the first year of statutory registration in Scotland and the records that year give more info than in subsequent years.

James Thorburn signed with his mark showing that he couldn’t read or write.

He was a 20 year old coal miner living in Church Lane Galston. Additional information is his date and place of birth.  He states he was born and registered on 6 Sep 1835 in the parish of Ayr.  I take this with a slight pinch of salt since I can find no record of him.

His parents are recorded as William Thorburn and Mary Thorburn maiden name Mary Bingham. I was a bit surprised at this as elsewhere  his mother was Begbie  or Bigby (a name which continues down through the generations) and Biggar.  Given that James was illiterate, you have to imagine him saying the name and the official, who was recording the information, interpreting what he heard.

I have found 2 sisters Mary and Jane/Jean recorded in Ayr to William Thorburn and Mary Jane Biggar so have another "wildcard" search on scotlandspeople for births tho*b* with parents William and Mary and there is one on 6 Sep 1835 the same date  as on the marriage certificate, but for William Thorburn to  William Thorburn and Mary Jane Biggar. I got the cert just to see with my own eyes. It definitely says William not James. Did the clerk get muddled up (wouldn’t be the first time) or did they name him William after his father, but called him James? I wondered if he was a twin but I think they would both have been recorded in the one record.  Anyway, it is the right record as the date matches. And proves that his mother was Mary (Jane) Biggar.

There is a marriage in January 1833 of a William Thorburn to Jean Bigger in Ayr.  I had previously discounted that, but Jane=Jean in Scotland and she is also recorded as Mary Jane.  I think this is their marriage.

I found a parish burial record for Mary Biggar wife of William Thorburn labourer was buried in Ayr in May 1837.  She was 23 years old and died of "fever".

I found a possible birth for Mary Biggar in 1814 in Ayr to John Biggar, 27th Regiment and his wife Jane Bell. 

On James's death certificate of 1907 he is recorded as James Bigby Thorburn son of William Thorburn and Margaret (!) Bigby.  This information was provided by his son Robert.

It is clear that the family believed Bibgy/Begbie to be the name of his mother. The name appears as a middle name in at least 7 descendants.

In her short lifetime however her name is recorded as Mary Biggar or Mary Jane Biggar or Jean Biggar and Mary Bingham.

Widowed William went on to marry Janet Stewart in Kilwinning in 1837. She must have died between 1851 and 1855* and William  moved his family to Loudoun (Galston) and stayed for a while with his brother Robert.  William drowned in the river Irvine at Loudoun in January 1870.

His son James Thorburn and wife Margaret Ramage followed their son Robert to Douglas in Lanarkshire after 1901.

* She didn't die. She must have left him as she turns up later in Dalmellington in 1881 and 1891 and died there in 1898.
Tree here

Phillips from Cornwall to Ayrshire

Thomas Phillips, a lead miner born about 1819  in St Mewan, and his wife Mary Harvey had 3 children. The parents appear to have died before the 1861 census as the children are living with relations; James and Thomas with their uncle Stephen Phillips and family in Menheniot and Ellen Jane is with her aunt Caroline Martin, maiden surname Phillips, and her grandmother Catherine Phillips in Liskeard.

link to the above tree

James Phillips married Catherine Bunney in Redruth in 1866 and by the birth of second child William they are in Loudoun near Galston in Ayrshire, In the 1881 census they are back in St Stephen in Brannel but it seems to have been only a short stay as son John was born in 1880 in Galston and son James in 1882.

I can't place Ellen Jane Phillips in the 1871 census but she married Cornishman Arthur Burley in Loudoun in July 1872. In the 1890s they moved from Loudoun parish to Cumnock. Arthur died in 1915 in Galston and Ellen in 1927 in nearby Newmilns.

Thomas Henry Phillips married Louisa Trudgian in 1870 in Loudoun and was living next door to his brother James in Loudoun Rows in 1871. They were back to St Stephen in Brannel by 1879 and stayed in Cornwall.

How to spot mistakes in online trees

I have been researching the Thorburn family in Ayrshire starting with James Thorburn b 1835 Ayr and wife Margaret Ramage

James and Margaret

James's parents were William Thorburn and Mary Begbie and the Begbie name is continued down through the generations.

However it was hard to find his parents William and Mary again.  Son James with wife and family are in Galston, Ayrshire in the 1861 census.

Someone using the search facility on ancestry found a William Thorburn and wife Mary in Delhi Township in Ingham County in Michigan, USA. He and wife Mary had gone out about 1879 to join other members of his family who had been there since 1860s.

Previously to that, they had been in Leshamagow and the censuses reveal that Mary was born about 1831 in Cambusnethan Lanarkshire  - too young to be Mary Begbie, the mother of James b 1835. This William Thorburn was born in Douglas, Lanarkshire in 1813 so this Mary is a second wife. More digging revealed an earlier wife Ann Sandilands whom  he married in 1842 in Douglas, Lanarkshire. I am still happy to go along with that.

However I am looking for James b Ayr in the 1841 and 1851 censuses. The only ones I can find are

1841 in Kilwinning
at Doura House
Wm Thorburn 25 coal cutter born Scotland not Ayrshire
Janet 15 b Ayrshire
James 5 b Ayrshire
Margaret 3 months b Ayrshire

The 1841 census does not give relationships.

in 1851 there is a family at Holmes Colliery which is near Galston (where James and Margaret are in 1861 census)

This clearly ties in with the family in the 1841 census
And, interestingly, it gives William's place of birth as Stranraer in Wigtownshire, nowhere near Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire.

I have a look for possible births for William Thorburn about 1814 in Stranraer. Wouldn't you know it, there are 2.

By now I'm pretty sure that "our" William is not the one in Michigan.

I found a marriage to Janet Stewart in Kilwinning in 1841
I found a likely burial for Mary Begbie in Ayr in 1837 although she is down as Mary Biggar wife of William Thorburn labourer. Biggar could have been Begbie misheard.

I look for William, Janet, Margaret Wm jnr and Daniel in 1861. Daniel seems a good name to search on, being a less common name.

I find him at Loudoun Kirk (near Galston) in the house of an uncle Robert.
Robert Thorburn     35 coal miner b Ayr
Elizabeth Thorburn     32
Mary Thorburn     5
Sarah Thorburn     10 Mo
William Thorburn     46 coal miner  b Stranraer
Daniel Thorburn     16 coal miner b Kilwinning

Finding that William had a brother Robert allows me to find the right family in Stranraer.

Robert Thorburn and Mary Milwrick /Millrick

I found a death certificate for William. It appears he fell into the river Irvine at Galston in the evening of January 4th 1870 and his body was found near Dundonald on the 29th January. No relatives' names are on the certificate but he is 55.  Other online trees have him dying in 1890 in Michigan.

One person gets it wrong and everybody else takes it as gospel and copies it without any further thought. It is well worth checking out the censuses and the other family members.

So unless I can get further back and establish a link to the Lesmahagow/Michigan Thorburns they are different families.


The Michigan Thorburns

and see update here
http://kaysfamilystories.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/thorburn-ancestors.html 

Cast the net wide

Some people have a tree with only their direct line and births marriages and deaths. This is OK as far as it goes. 

It really helps to have the brothers and sisters as well.

And a good way to track the family is through the censuses. If you can see the same names appearing in the right order with matching birthplaces in the censuses, you know you have the right family. This is particularly helpful for common surnames.

If you can't find a birth record for your ancestor, you may find one for a sibling and that way you can establish the parents' names.

Cumnock Connections tree

As a member of Cumnock History group, I have created an online tree, called Cumnock Connections,  where anyone with an ancestor who was in Cumnock can add their line to the tree and see how we all link up.

This is how to do it.

First you need to get a invitation by email from me, so I need your email. Email me at kmcmeekin[at]me.com

Follow the link in the email you get back from  tribalpages. You will need to create your own account with an email and a password.  (Remember your password!)

Once you have done that, you get a choice to create a new website or go to Cumnock Connections.

Don't start a new tree as no-one else will be able to see it. Go to Cumnock Connections tree. and click on the link.

This takes you to the home page. It has a blue background.

 Click on edit (below the ct in the word Connections) and it asks you to log in again.

Then the background turns to cream when you are in admin/editing mode.

Remember to check the person you are adding isn't already on the site.  If you find you have added someone who was already there, let me know and I will sort it out. There is no "merge duplicates" feature on tribal pages.

If the person is already on the tree, you will see three icons to the left of his/her name. Click on the middle one to edit. ( a notepad and pen symbol) Add your name in the Notes - "Connects to …"

Click save at the bottom.

If you are adding a new line, select "add new" from the People Menu.

Select Male or Female

 Remember not to add yourself, or anyone else living. If you add someone born after 1900 and don't give a date of death, it will assume they are alive. Be sure to click the "No" button beside Alive? under the name.  Click Save at the bottom.

Please add in the Notes  "Connected to" and your name.


Census information, if you have it, should be entered in the Notes section of the head of the household

Generally it is pretty straightforward and I like the layout of the tribal pages tree.

Please check that your ancestor is not already on the tree. As the tree grows, there is more likelihood of this.

If the person you are adding already has a relation on the tree e.g. a spouse, look for them where it says click here.  If unsure of anything, please ask me for guidance!

If the person is illegitimate and the father not known please don't add a name at all for the father. Just leave the father blank.  And no need to put "illegitimate" in the notes. It is an emotive term. It will be obvious from the lack of father what the situation was! If the father is known the name can be added along with how you know this in the Notes. eg a paternity case or father named on child's marriage certificate. The parents can be marked as not married.

Adding photos, newspaper clippings
To post a photo to the tree, first go to the person you want to associate the photo with. You need to be in "edit" mode. You 'll see an Add Photos symbol to the left of the name. Click on that and upload from your computer. You can add other names to it if it is a group photo or a headstone with more than one name.  Choose an Album for our photo eg family groups.
Please do not add scotlandspeople certificates to the tree. They are copyright.


There is a video tutorial here

On Facebook I have a group called Cumnock Family History to discuss the tree.

Tips for entering on an online tree

More tips for beginners

5  Always use a married woman's maiden name when adding her to your tree. If you don't know it, leave blank, or write unknown.

6 Always put a date of birth even if it is a guess eg 25 years younger than the child

This saves (or helps save) the application eg ancestry giving you false "hints" or ridiculous returns in searches.

Skeletons in the cupboard

More tips for new family researchers.

There are  plenty "skeletons" in my tree!

Tip no 3

Be prepared for some skeletons in the cupboard. It may turn out your great granny wasn't actually married to your great grandad.

Divorce was expensive and ordinary folk just moved on.

There were plenty illegitimate births before the days of contraception.
Often the child was brought up by the mother's parents and sometimes as a child not a grandchild. The birth certificate gives the game away. It was, and is, illegal to give false information to the Registrar.

Remember, you are not responsible for the actions of your ancestors.



Tip no 4

Don't be too quick to judge your ancestors. Times were different. Widows and widowers left with children often remarried quite soon. This was a matter of necessity for financial support for the widows and childcare for the widowers. I spotted a comment on a forum along the lines of "his wife died and he remarried with indecent haste".

Another one I hear often is "they had a hard life". Certainly they did, compared to us but this doesn't necessarily mean they were unhappy.

New to family history?

I am often asked how to get started. Often people have heard they are related to someone well known. There are no short cuts to family history. Here are my two top tips:-

1   Start with what you know and work backwards in time. Ask your oldest relations what they know.
You may need to get some certificates to get started eg
Your grandparents' marriage certificates. If they married in Scotland, both sets of parents will or should be on it and fathers' occupations. If they married in England you will just get the fathers' names and occupations.
Once you get back to people born before 1911 (UK) you will find them in the censuses.

2  Keep an open mind, especially re the spelling of names. Before about 1900 there was a lot of illiteracy. People signed their marriage certificates with a X mark. So their surname was open to interpretation by the registrar. If the person (being married) was not a local, which happened more than you might imagine, the registrar may have struggled with the unfamiliar name in an unfamiliar accent. Generally the consonants would be the same eg mcmeekin was recorded as mcmeikan, mcmackine, mcmeeking and countless variations.  In some search engines it is possible to search with "wildcards", so I would search Mcm*k* which would return all of these. Strangely nowaways McMeekin is often mispelt as McMeechan but not once on historical records have I seen CH instead of K.
Ages are often misrecorded for various reasons but usually in my experience from not knowing their birthdate or being able to do the subtraction. Sometimes they made themselves younger. On s death certificate of an older person, the age is much older than the actual age, an estimate by perhaps their grandchild who thought they were much older!


More tips next time!

World War One Soldiers - part 4

Some Cumnock families had the heartbreak of losing more than one son.

The family of James and Elizabeth Kirkpatrick of Sykeside near Cumnock, Ayrshire suffered two losses in the war.

In 1901 the family was at Hillhead, Lugar

James Kirkpatrick 37 railway surfaceman b Dryfesdale, Dumfriesshire

Elizabeth Kirkpatrick 35

Agnes Kirkpatrick 12

Mary Kirkpatrick 11

Jessie Kirkpatrick 7

William Kirkpatrick 5

John Kirkpatrick  3

Marion Kirkpatrick 1

Andrew Kirkpatrick  30 brother

Son John Kirkpatrick who was with the Northumberland Fusiliers died of wounds in France on 15 Oct 1916.

Son William Kirkpatrick who was with the Seaforth Highlanders was killed in action on the Somme on 25 March 1918. 

The sons-in-law happily fared better.
Agnes Kirkpatrick married Alexander Caughie who was a driver in 280 Company and served in France. He survived the war and his address on discharge was 33 Greenside, Maybole.

Jessie Kirkpatrick married John Priest of Ayr in 1915. he enlisted in Ayr on 29 sep 1914. He was a ploughman. He served as a saddler in the RHA in France. He had a spell in convalescent hospital in 1916.
His address on discharge in July 1919 was Sykeside, Cumnock.


Montgomery Davidson of 78 Skares lost three sons. This information came from an in Memoriam Announcement in the Cumnock Chronicle in 1918 by the men's sister Jessie, wife of Matthew Shirkie.

First, oldest son David Davidson, a Lance Corporal in the Royal Scots Fusiliers was killed in the Battle of Loos on 26 Sep 1915. He was married to Martha Keirs in 1901.
Thomas Davidson was a private with the RFA and was killed at Gallipoli on the 30th December 1915. Thomas had married Margaret Reid in 1912.
The youngest son Robert Davidson also a private with the RFA died in France on 27 Sep 1918.

Their mother Janet McMurray had passed away in 1901 so was spared the grief of losing three sons.
Here's the family in 1901 census
Bargany Cottages, Dailly

Montgomery Davidson             46 coal miner b Kirkoswald

Janet Davidson             42

David B Davidson             23

Elizabeth J Davidson             16

John Davidson             15

Jessie Davidson             13

Thomas Davidson             11

Montgomery Davidson             9

James Davidson             8

Andrew Davidson             6

William Davidson             4

Robert Davidson             3

Martha Keier             24 (future wife of David)

Cumnock soldiers now here http://cumnocksoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/

World War 1 Soldiers - part 3

There are three soldiers on Cumnock War Memorial in Ayrshire, Scotland who served with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces.

Mitchell Taylor was born in Cumnock in 1885 and left for a new life in Canada, arriving on the Ionian on 15 March 1912. He returned to Scotland in 1914 but went back to Canada in September on the Scandanavian.
He signed on in Dec 1914 in Winnipeg.  He had previously served 3 years in the Ayrshire Yeomanry. He was 5 ft 6 with a sallow complexion, grey eyes and fair hair. He was a plasterer like his father.
His parents were Mitchell Taylor and his wife Annie Watt of 51 Ayr Road.
He was killed on 8 Oct 1916 aged 32 and is remembered at Vimy Ridge in France.

Robert McLelland Munn, "Bertie"  was born in 1894 in Cumnock. In 1901 he was living with his parents Robert and Beatrice Munn at the Dumfries Arms Hotel. He left Glasgow for Montreal on the Grampian on 3 Aug 1912 as Bertie Munn age 18 occupation "F.L." which I think is farm labourer, since on the Canadian passenger list his intended career is farming in Ontario.  He enlisted at Valcartier, Canada on 24 Sep 1914 when he was 20 but gave his date of birth as 14 May 1891 making himself 3 years older than he actually was.
His occupation was "horseman" and he had previously served 5 years in the Yeomanry. He was 6ft tall with blue eyes and light hair. He was a Gunner with the Canadian Field Artillery and he died on 26 Apr 1915 aged 20. He is buried at Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery in France.

Richard Davidson "Dick" was born about 1896 in Cumnock to Archibald Boswell Davidson, a tailor, and his wife Margaret Douglas Lorimer. In 1901 they were living at Strand Street, Cumnock. Dick and his mother and sisters went out on the Hesperian in June 1912. His father had gone ahead the year before. In 1916 the family was living at 413 Simcoe St, Winnipeg. Richard enlisted on 24 Sep 1914 at Valcartier. He was an 18 year old clerk. He had fair hair and blue eyes and a scar on the bridge of his nose. He was 5 ft 5 1/2in. He was a private in the Canadian Army Medical Corps. He died on 31 Oct 1917 aged 20. He is buried at Potijze Chateau Grounds Cemetery in Belgium.

While looking through the Cumnock Chronicle on microfilm, I found another Canadian soldier who had lived in Cumnock. He is not on the Cumnock War Memorial. His grandmother Mrs David Fraser was living in Common in 1918.

 He was born David Chalmers Fraser in Kilmarnock on 2 Oct 1894 to James Fraser and his wife Maggie Miller. In 1901 they were living at Ayr Road, Cumnock. The Chronicle has them living at Bank Avenue. They emigrated to Calgary about 1906 and David enlisted at Valcartier in 1914. In the 1916 census of Canada they are in Calgary. Brother James Miller Fraser enlisted at Calgary in 1915. He had previously been 3 years in the Calgary Militia. He was with the Canadian Army Medical Corps. He died on 19 May 1918 in an air raid on the hospital. He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery near Boulogne in France.

1916 census

Calgary

James Fraser             47 can't decipher his occupation, but working on his own account.

Margaret Fraser             45

David Fraser             21 soldier

James Fraser             20 soldier

Jane Fraser             19 stenographer

William Fraser             18

Margaret Fraser             16

John Fraser             13

Robert Fraser             11

Hugh Fraser             7

Thomas Fraser             1

Database of WW1 soldiers in Canada
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

I am not related to any of these families. It would be great to hear from any living relatives. Add a comment or email me at kmcmeekin at me.com

Cumnock soldiers have a blog of their own
https://cumnocksoldiers.blogspot.com

Fleming Descendants - the Biggers in Australia

Dave McCartney and Isabella Fleming (previous post) moved with their 10 year old daughter Marion to Cessnock, Sydney in 1910.  Marion was musical and played violin in the Sydney Philharmonic,

She married Frederick C Biggers who was a clerk, a mine worker, a journalist and a writer. In 1929 he was on the staff of the Burwood Courier. He also wrote and performed in musical plays eg the Matrimonial Tangle which was staged in 1933.

They lived in Cessnock, New South Wales and had one daughter Joan Isobel. She was a ballerina (I was told) but tried tragically young aged 19.

Fred and Marion

The Biggers' house in Cessnock, New South Wales

Joan Biggers 1934-1953

Friday 26 November 1948

The Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder

 

Photos kindly sent by Kathy Wright, a friend of the family in Australia.

World War One part 2

My father-in-law David McMeekin, 1892-1973 was a miner,  son of John McMeekin and Annie Gibson Murdoch of Glengyron Row. We know he was in the Royal Scots Fusiliers and served in Palestine; he was fond of talking at length about Palestine. Unfortunately his son did not pay much attention to his tales. His service records did not survive, but he did.

David McMeekin aged about 22

His younger brother Jimmy 1895-1978 also a miner, enlisted in the Royal Scots Fusiliers and his records survive. He enlisted at Cumnock on the 28th August 1914. He was recruited by recruiter John Sykes. He gave his age as 20 years and 160 days but he was only 19. This was probably a mistake and not an attempt to enlist when too young. You could enlist at age 18 but you weren't sent abroad till you were 19. He was 5 ft 5 and a half inches, blue eyes, fair hair, teeth defective, but nutrition good. Pulse 70 (underlined, is this good?). This noted by Dr McQueen in Cumnock. He was discharged at Aldershot after 25 days, as he was "physically unfit for active service due to chronic rheumatism and valvular heart disease". Nevertheless, he continued to work as a miner and died age 83!

Although none of the family died in the war, the family did not escape unscathed. A third brother Andrew died in 1916 in a rock fall in Garallan colliery. He was only 19. I wrote about his death here.  On his death certificate his father John is listed as a miner and a private in the Royal Defence Corps (the Home Guard).

Cumnock soldiers have a blog of their own
https://cumnocksoldiers.blogspot.com

A Footballer in the Family

Isabella Fleming, the sister of my husband's grandfather Hugh, married David Thompson McCartney (1875-1950) of Auchinleck in 1899 and they had one daughter Marion McFedries McCartney. Mother-in-law used to talk about the McCartneys, although she could barely have known them.

David was the son of Irish parents Charles McCartney and Susanna Thompson, born 1875 in Cronberry, near Cumnock, and as Dave McCartney, he was a professional footballer for 20 years and played briefly for Celtic and for Glossop, Watford and Northampton with one season for Chelsea.  His brother William played 2 seasons for Barnsley.

When he retired, the family emigrated to Australia on the Samaris arriving November 1910. He went back to mining at Aberdare South Colliery.

Their only daughter Marion, born about 1900, was musical and played violin in the Sydney Philharmonic.

Watford FC Archives - look under M for Dave's football career

Chelsea player profile

1948 newspaper article  interview with Dave in the Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder, 22 June 1948.  His brother William was over from Scotland at the time.


Obituary in the The Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder 10 Jan 1950.



Thanks to Rhonda in Dumfries for information.

World War One Soldiers part 1

In this anniversary year of the start of World War One, I am turning my research to local soldiers who served in this horrible conflict. I have joined Cumnock History Group. I am looking at names on the Cumnock War Memorial in Cumnock New Cemetery and trying to find out a bit about them using my ancestry subscription and Commonwealth War Graves Commission. (Links to these sites at the bottom of post)

Neighbours  James Bruce Johnstone and Michael Shirkie of 101 and 113 Skares Row respectively enlisted together at Glasgow on 14 Sep 1914 within 2 weeks of war breaking out. (I know this because their service records survived and are on the ancestry website and elsewhere. Not all service records survived.) Both were miners, and single. They enlisted in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders,  and both set sail for France on 8 July 1915. Neither came home.

James Bruce Johnstone, a miner, was born in Patna in 1891. He was the son of Charles J Johnstone and his wife Mary McDerment. He had blue eyes and reddish hair and was 5ft 8 and a half inches tall. He was a Sergeant in the 7th Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. He was killed in action in France/Flanders on the 27th February 1916.  He was 25. His father received his medals on the 6th July 1921.
His great nephew, also James Bruce Johnstone, a cousin of my husband, has provided the photograph.

Sgt Jimmy B Johnstone

Michael Shirkie, a miner, was born in Catrine in 1889. He was the eldest child of Edward Shirkie and his wife Isabella Montgomery. He had fair hair and blue eyes and was 5ft 7in.  He was a Private 7th Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders.  He was reported missing presumed dead after the Battle of Loos on the 25th September 1915. Michael was a distant relation by marriage of my husband. He was 26. Michael was batman to Captain Wm H Kirkland who was also killed in the Battle of Loos and the story goes Michael went to his aid on the field and perished too. Michael's sister got a letter addressed to any living relative of Michael Shirkie, Skares. It was from Captain Kirkland's sister and the postman delivered it to Liz's grandmother Nellie, Michael's sister in the photo.
(Thanks to Liz Ferguson, Michael's great niece for info and photo)

Michael Shirkie with brother Johnnie and sister Nellie

Both men are commemorated on the Cumnock War Memorial and on the Loos Memorial in France.


Links
Cumnock History Group
Cumnock War Memorial
Cumnock WW1 soldiers
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Ancestry UK site

Cumnock soldiers have a blog of their own
https://cumnocksoldiers.blogspot.com